Peter Forbes ’21 Joins Universal Studios Animation Writing Workshop
Film alum Peter Forbes ’21 has been chosen for the Universal Studios Animation Writing Workshop in Los Angeles, where he will develop during a one-year paid program his skills in both feature and television animation through writing assignments and workshops, gain hands-on experience with creative executives, and build a network to advance his career.
“I was really surprised and pleased by just how supportive the Universal Animation Writers Program experience has been,” Forbes said. “Our program managers, Kevin Shih and AnnaLea Arnold, have been exceptional at trying to make this the best writing experience possible for me and the rest of the cohort. Their support is similar in spirit to the caring mentorship of my Columbia University Film thesis advisor, [Associate Professor of Professional Practice] David Klass, who’s still one of my biggest champions. I feel so fortunate for Universal GTDI and Columbia’s support.”
The program is designed to develop writers in both feature and television animation through writing assignments, internal and external workshops aimed at strengthening writing skills, increasing awareness of the animation production process, and establishing a network of champions to drive career momentum. In addition to developing new original material, Forbes will gain hands-on experience working with creative executives and understanding the practical challenges of writing for animation.
Forbes and the rest of the cohort have the opportunity to write and develop films on DreamWorks Animation’s campus. “No pun intended, the experience has been a dream come true for me,” he said. “I’d often imagined doing this exact thing—being a writer at a world-class animation studio like DreamWorks, with the freedom to wander the studio to network and learn as much as I can about all aspects of the animation process. I still pinch myself that this dream has manifested.”
Forbes credits much of his experience at Columbia, particularly receiving feedback on scripts and directing exercises, with helping him learn to navigate the balance between artistic intent and practical execution. The regular practice of submitting work and receiving feedback taught him not to take notes personally. Instead, he views all feedback as helpful, even when he disagrees with it. He finds that notes, even those that might initially seem off the mark, can often help him identify areas where he can be clearer, more specific, or even reconsider his entire concept to better express his artistic ideas.
“It took me a while to learn that who I am and the experiences I bring to my work are what helps make my work special and specific,” he said. “These things are inalienable from me. Obviously not everyone will resonate with my work, because there are a variety of tastes. But the comfort I have in this is that I know I don’t have to depend on someone else to impute value to my work—if it’s good, it’s good. I don’t need every producer or executive to understand or even like what I write or direct as long as I find the right ones who do. Thankfully, the executives and other writers I’ve had the pleasure to work with in this program give excellent feedback, which has really helped elevate my writing.”
Peter Forbes is a Film MFA Honors graduate from Columbia University. In spring 2022, he won the Ezra Litwak Award, Columbia’s most prestigious screenwriting prize, for his feature script Dream Kingdom. He also won the fall 2022 Big Apple Film Festival best TV horror/thriller award for his sci-fi pilot script, Deep River, and placed as a 2022 Slamdance quarterfinalist and Austin Film Festival second rounder for his neo-western crime drama pilot, Artesia. A neurodivergent writer, Peter was part of the 2022 cohort of the 1IN4 Coalition’s Disabled Writers Program and is a 2023 mentee in the Children’s Media Association Mentorship Program. While attending Columbia, Peter also taught a semester-length screenwriting class to Columbia undergraduates.