Daily News from New York, New York • 123

DAILY NEWSNYDailyNews.com Sunday, December 6, 2009 35 ADVERTISEMENT Veteran Screenwriter, Director and Producer Norman Steinberg to Head New TV Writers Studio91 at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus Steinberg is especially excited about the program's unique teaching and learning approach. "All of the projects will be done collaboratively, since television production demands that writers function as a unit. Students will learn to work in an environment that requires them to share their ideas, and they will ultimately come to see the benefits of the natural give-and-take that occurs as they create, while simultaneously advancing their individual skills. This is what writing for TV is all about opening up and learning with and from other people." Courses include: "TV Series Writing and Development," "The History of Television," "The Writer's Table," "Genre Theory," "Film-Style Video Production," "Video Post-Production," "Intellectual Property and Cutting the Deal" and "The Internet New Distribution Technologies," in addition to an independent study course, an internship and a capstone course. "The curriculum will prepare students for the rigors of a career in television," noted Steinberg.

"AH the things that I had to learn the hard way." Even more intriguing, by the end of the program, student cohorts will have developed a one-hour television series that is broadcast worthy and will be pitched to network and cable TV executives for sale. "They will actually see their efforts come to fruition and may end up having one of their projects picked up," he said. "What could be more exciting for someone who is just getting started in the business!" Writer of blockbuster films including "Biasing Saddles," "My Favorite Year," "Johnny Dangerously," "Mr. Mom" and "Wise Quys," as well as hit TV series including "Cosby," "The Flip Wilson Show," "Doctor, Doctor" and "Raising Dad," will launch new M.F.A. in Writing and Producing for Television, bringing expertise; career anecdotes; and a cadre of TV industry writers, producers, directors and actors as guest lecturers to the classroom "live" and via video conferencing.

Do You Have What it Takes to Write for TV? Find out from a join legendary screenwriterproducer NORMAN STEINBERG DECEMBER 8,2009 Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus 7-8 p.m. info, session Spike Lee Screening Room Reception to follow R.S.V.P. valerie.dalyliu.edu As a young attorney in the entertainment field specializing in copyright law, Norman Steinberg, a Brooklyn native, trudged off to work each day feeling that some- thing was missing. His $100-a-week salary provided him with what was considered to be a decent living in those days, but he sensed that there were more creative endeavors for him to pursue. Each morning, he would stop at Chock full o' Nuts across the street from his Manhattan office to buy his breakfast a doughnut and a cup of coffee.

It was during those early morning treks that he first met his comedy hero, Mel Brooks. At that stage of his career, Brooks had already won an Oscar, created the hit series "Get Smart" with Buck Henry and had been part of perhaps the greatest writing team in the history of TV "The Show of Shows," starring Sid Caesar. Nonetheless, this did not insulate Brooks from the sting of rejection. Brooks' first two films, "The Producers" (1968), later to become a mega-hit musical, and "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), had been decimated by the critics and had been largely ignored by the movie-going public It was not the "best of times" in Brooks' career. This did not deter Steinberg from hounding Brooks about his own aspirations to become a writer.

In fact, as Steinberg tells it, his unrelenting mantra of "1 want to write, I want to write" finally persuaded Brooks, to help him to make his first connection. "Mel sent a note of introduction on my behalf to Leonard Stern, who was producing 'Get Smart' (yes, that 'Get Smart'), which was in its fifth season. I wrote and submitted a script for 'Get Steinberg said. "They loved it and said they would buy it if the show was renewed. Of course, that was the year "Get Smart" was cancelled.

But, I received a letter from the producers urging me to "keep writing, and write It was those words of encouragement that provided Steinberg with the confidence to quit the law and pursue his dream to become a writer. He never looked back. When Norman Steinberg tells stories like these, you realize that the man who went on to write for entertainment legends such as Bill Cosby, Gene Wilder, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Marty Feldman, Andy Kaufman and Flip Wilson; the person who has worked on blockbuster hits that include "Blazing Saddles," on which he collaborated with Mel Brooks; "My Favorite Year," starring Peter OToole; "Johnny Dangerously," with Michael Keaton; and "Wise Guys," with Danny De-Vito and Joe Piscopo, is a legend himself a seasoned veteran, whose years of experience and disarming candor make him the perfect teacher to inspire and to guide those interested in writing and producing for television. Steinberg will have the opportunity to do just that. He has been named Parsons Family University Professor in Television Production at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus and will launch the new TV Writers During an intensive two-year program of study, students will be able to earn the 48-credit M.F.A.

in Writing and Producing for Television. This one-of-a-kind program is designed to educate and to develop highly skilled, experienced professionals with strong portfolios who will be prepared to pursue challenging and fruitful careers in the television industry as writers and as producers. A campaign to enroll the first cohort of 20 to 25 qualified graduate student writers for the Fall 2010 semester is currently underway. The University is in negotiations with Steiner Studios, the largest and most sophisticated studio complex outside of Hollywood, to secure space for holding classes. The facility has been the production site for television series including "Damages" and "Flight of the Conchords," and major motion pictures like "Revolutionary Road," "Wanted" and "Sex and the Ciry." Immersing students in this type of professional environment will provide them with a taste of what it takes to write and produce for television on a day-to-day basis.

Steinberg and faculty members of the Brooklyn Campus Media Arts Department will be teaching classes, along with an impressive lineup of guest lecturers who will lend their expertise either in the classroom or from Los Angeles via video conferencing to ensure that the program provides a realistic view of this highly competitive industry. Given Steinberg's long list of industry contacts, students will have the benefit of picking the brains of some of the top writers, producers, directors and executives in the TV industry. Visitors from TV series such as "Mad Men," "CSI-Miami," "The Closer," "The Office," "Monk," "Leverage," "Entourage," "Sex the City" and "Get Smart," among others, will be represented. BROOKLYN CAMPUS LONGlSIAND For more information on enrolling in the M.F.A. program in writing and producing for television, call 7 1 8-488-101 1 or e-mail TVWritersbrooklyn.liu.edu.