Michigan native Peter Hanson studied film and screenwriting at New York University, where his instructors included Oscar-nominated documentarian Christine Choy, and studied journalism at the University at Albany. During his ten-year career as a professional writer-editor for various publications in upstate New York, he did odd jobs on indie film productions and wrote his first two books. His first book, "Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel" (2001), was the first book-length study of the title subject's screenwriting oeuvre, which includes such classics as "Gun Crazy," "Roman Holiday," and "Spartacus." Hanson's follow-up, "The Cinema of Generation X" (2002), explored the work of Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, and many others through the prism of generational identity. After writing, directing, and producing a number of amateur short films, Hanson made his first professional effort in 2002 with the feature-length documentary "Every Pixel Tells A Story: How One Community Joined the Digital Filmmaking Revolution." The film screened at regional festivals and was broadcast on PBS affiliate WMHT-TV. In 2003, Hanson relocated to Los Angeles, where he has undertaken numerous freelance screenwriting jobs and worked throughout the entertainment industry. In 2005, Hanson cowrote the feature film "The Last Round." In 2006, Hanson launched the production company Grand River Films, the official site of which (www.GrandRiverFilms.com) features extensive original writing including the idiosyncratic cinema overview "Peter Hanson's Field Guide to Interesting Film." Also in 2006, Hanson commenced production on "Tales from the Script," a major documentary film/nonfiction book project about the lives of Hollywood screenwriters. The project features interviews with Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), David Hayter ("Watchmen"), Bruce Joel Rubin ("Ghost"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), Ron Shelton ("Bull Durham"), and David S. Ward ("The Sting"), among many others. In 2007, Hanson wrote, produced, and directed the award -winning short "Stagehand" and appeared in the documentary feature "Trumbo," a star-studded tribute to the legendary screenwriter that stars Joan Allen, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Liam Neeson, and many others. In 2008, Hanson wrote and line-produced a series of irreverent promotional videos for Mini Movie Channel. In 2009, Hanson debut ed the "Tales from the Script" documentary at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film was subsequently acquired by First Run Features and released theatrically and on DVD in early 2010; the companion book was published by IT Books/HarperCollins Publishers. Also in 2010, Hanson appeared in the documentary "The People vs. George Lucas." Hanson lives in Beverly Hills with his wife, Leslie.
Author of "Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel" and "The Cinema of Generation X".Wrote and line-produced a series of promotional videos on MiniMovie.com starring Lexy Hulme.
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Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), and dozens of other Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in "Tales from the Script," the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting. By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries. They also reveal the untold stories behind some of the greatest screenplays ever written, describing their adventures with luminaries including Harrison Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Joel Silver, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. The film was produced in tandem with the upcoming HarperCollins book of the same name.