More Events

Second PencilPALS event in Corona, Queens
WGAE Members attend FBI 103 Seminar
Ninth Screenplay Reading at the JCC
Free Speech Leadership Committee meets again

Past Events

Screening of Joe Berlingers's CRUDE
First PencilPALS event in Corona, Queens
Godfather IV Benefit
Talk Animation with Bill Plympton
TV and Film Writers Become ‘PencilPALS’
M*A*S*H Benefit

Over 40 WGAE members attend FBI 103: A Seminar for Script and Screenwriters

NEW YORK— On Tuesday June 8^th, the WGAE Foundation and the FBI Office of Public Affairs presented FBI 103: A Seminar for Script and Screen Writers at the agency’s Manhattan office. After passing advance background checks and being screened through onsite metal detectors, more than forty WGAE members learned about procedures and operations from some of the FBI’s top operatives working in Corporate/Securities Fraud, Cyber Crime, Gang Squad and The Jewelry and Gem Theft and Art Theft divisions of the Major Theft Squad.

Not only did the special agents answer writers’ questions and discuss how their departments and the agency as a whole worked, but many of them also shared, and occasionally pitched, interesting case stories. Austin Berglas of Cyber Crimes explained the elaborate workings of a major Eastern European backed American credit card fraud case. Dan McCaffrey, the former head of Tiffany’s security, and now an agent dealing with Gem and Jewelry Theft, discussed the extensive crimes of former 47th Street jeweler, Joel Spigelman. Art Crimes agent Jim Wynne even illustrated his talk by bringing in actual forged paintings from some of his cases, as well as the fake provenances which were used to try and authenticate them.

The interesting and informative sessions are not only aimed to benefit the many screenwriters researching and writing FBI related projects, but are also important to the Bureau. Our hosts explained that ever since the G-Man days of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI has been concerned with the image—or “brand”—it presents to the world. If society sees the FBI in a positive light, citizens are more likely to aid them in their work fighting crime. The FBI representatives explained that while they know not all fictional portrayals of their organization will be accurate, they hoped that writers would depict them positively, as the hard working protectors they are.