David S. Cohen

Writer - Journalist - Photographer

DAVID S. COHEN
Writer - Journalist - Photographer
P.O. Box 48499 
Los Angeles, CA 90048-8499
voice: 323/782-8022 * mobile: 323/309-4372
Internet fax: 323/782-3902 * email: david@dscohen.com


David S. Cohen is a journalist, author, documentary film writer/producer and photographer who writes on entertainment, culture, arts and science for print outlets around the world. He is currently a features editor and news reporter for the "entertainment bible" Variety and a senior writer for Script magazine. He has also worked in show business for more than 25 years as everything from casting agent to Off-Off-Broadway stage director to writer for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He specializes in covering actors and acting, screenwriters and screenplay development, visual effects and post-production, and is a frequent guest on radio and podcasts covering entertainent technology issues. His first book, Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You, For Better or Worse, based on his bimonthly Script features, is slated for publication by HarperCollins in February 2008. He lives with his wife and stepdaughter in Los Angeles.

Print Journalism

Variety
Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., 1999- Present
Associate Editor, Features/Film Reporter 2005 - present

  • Features editing: Oversaw more than 20 feature sections annually, including: 
Award Season Launch; Eye on the Oscars: The Writer; Eye on the Oscars: The Screenplay; Eye on the Oscars: Visual Effects; Eye on the Oscars: Sound & Vision; Golden Globes Countdown; Oscar Wrap; Summer Blockbusters Visual Effects, European Visual Effects; SIGGRAPH, Road to the Emmys: Creative Arts Awards; Spotlight: Singapore/CineAsia; CineVegas; Thessaloniki Film Festival; Rome Film Festival; Spotlight: Morocco/Marrakech Film Festival; Cannes Daily: Bollywood; Fit Hollywood.
  • Conceived and assigned stories, hired and supervised freelance writers. Fact-checked and edited copy, and supervised designers. Aquired and consulted on art and page design. Wrote numerous feature stories for my own sections and others. 
Major profiles including Jerry Bruckheimer (Showman of the Year lead profile) and Al Pacino (2007 AFI honors lead profile).
  • News reporting: Covered post-production and visual effects beat. Attended and covered numerous events on deadline, including ShoWest (Las Vegas), SIGGRAPH, Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, Visual Effects Society Awards, USC Scripter Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globes and Academy Awards. Spearheaded expanded coverage of visual effects, post-production, digital cinema, stereoscopic 3-D and animation.
  • Additional: Moderated Q&As at Variety screening series and various visual effects and technology roundtables. Organized inaugural Variety team in Malibu Triathlon Entertainment Industry Challenge

Film Reporter 2004-2005
  • Covered Revolution Studios, Lucasfilm, visual effects, post-production and Disney Studios beats.
  • Numerous breaking news exclusives and feature stories for Daily Variety trade paper and weekly Variety trade magazine.
  • Expanded Variety's coverage of visual effects and post-production, digital cinema, stereoscopic 3-D and animation.

Copy Editor (Rim) 2002-2005
  • Wrote headlines, proof-read, fact-checked and edited for style, on deadline, for daily and weekly Variety and monthly V-Life consumer magazine.
  • Wrote and edited news obituaries on deadline, including Donald O'Connor, Elia Kazan, Ronald Reagan and Marlon Brando.

Freelance Writer: Special Reports 1999- 2005
  • Feature writer & reporter covering all aspects of the film and television industry for center-section Special Reports.
  • Lead stories on Al Pacino tributes, visual-effects Oscar race and numerous award shows. Interviews & profiles including: Barry Levinson, Mike Nichols, Anthony Minghella, Al Pacino, Jerry Lewis, Elton John, Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman.
 
Script Magazine
Baldwin, MD, U.S.A. , 1997 - Present
  • Contributing Editor, contributing regular "From Script to Screen" feature for bimonthly film magazine.
  • More than 60 in-depth interviews with screenwriters including Oscar® winners Alan Ball (American Beauty), Ron Bass (My Best Friend's Wedding), William Kelly (Witness), Steven Zaillian (A Civil Action), many resulting in cover stories.
  • Moderated panel discussions at annual Scriptwriter's Showcase conference.

Video Business & DVD Exclusive
Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., June 2002 - September 2005
Part-time news reporter, covering home-video distribution, marketing and production for weekly trade magazine.

Tradeshow Week
Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., October 2001 - October 2005
  • Contributing Editor, covering tradeshow & exhibition industry for internationally-distributed trade magazine.
  • Provided special coverage of September 11 attacks and their effect on tradeshow industry, including "Facing the Crisis" feature, Venue Security, Terrorism, marketing and business travel.
  • Initiated ongoing coverage China and Asia-Pacific tradeshow industry.
 
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong, 1996 - 2000
  • Los Angeles-based reporter, covering film, television and fashion for Hong Kong's largest English-language daily.
  • Numerous stories on front of Monday Focus and Saturday Review sections and covers of Weekend Entertainment section.
  • One-on-one interviews including Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Oliver Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, John McTiernan, Bai Ling.

Contributor To:
Premiere Magazine (U.S.A., 2002)
Discover Magazine (U.S.A., July 2001)
US Magazine (U.S.A., January 2001)
Hong Kong iMail (Hong Kong, 2000-2001)
Next Magazine (Hong Kong, 1998-2000)
Heat Magazine (U.K., June 2000)
Total Film Magazine (U.K., 1997-99)
The Jerusalem Post (Israel, 1998-99)
Cinemanía Magazine (Mexico/U.S.A., 1998-99)
Discovery Magazine (Cathay Pacific, May 1998)
OK! Magazine (U.K., August 1997)


Documentary & Television

Co-Producer/Writer
Silver Dreamer - The Journey of Luo Yan
Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, 2001
  • One hour independent television biography/Ostlund Productions Inc.
  • Coordinated budget, travel and research for production in the U.S. and China.
  • Worked with bi-lingual and Mandarin speaking investors, staff, crews and staff on location in China.
  • Conducted interviews on location in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Beijing.
  • Wrote and edited script; worked with director on rewrites during editing.
  • Format: Beta SP

Writer
Hollywood Remembers Walter Matthau
Los Angeles, CA, 2001
Half-hour television biography/Ostlund Productions/Fox Movie Channel

Producer
Metropolis 
documentary feature (in progress)
1997 - Present
  • Supervised budget, travel, research and licensing for theatrical documentary.
  • Format: 16x9 Digital Betacam for transfer to 35mm negative

Television Interviewer
Star TV Asia/Channel V
Los Angeles (for air in Asia), 2000 - 2001
  • Interviewer for film-related segments for satellite television network serving China, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia.
  • Interviews including Leonardo DiCaprio, Danny Boyle, Gary Sinise.

Writer
Ms. Fitness USA 1997/Ms. Fitness World 1997
Los Angeles, CA, 1997
  • Two one-hour, nationally-syndicated fitness competition shows.
  • Wrote introductions and segue segments for two on-camera hosts.
  • Interviewed and prepared profiles of competitors from around the U.S. and the world, including U.K., France and Ukraine.

Writer 
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Los Angeles, CA 1993-1994 season
(with Martin A. Winer)
"Destiny" - sole 'Written by' credit; 1994-95 season
"Crossover" - rewrite; 1993-94 season


Feature Film Science & Technical Research

Sum of All Fears
Rumbalara Films, Los Angeles, CA, 1999 - 2000
Philip Noyce, Director; Paul Attanasio, Writer
Researched and prepared reports on topics including:
  • Nuclear weapons technology
  • Russian nuclear weapons and nuclear security.
  • Nuclear blast effects.
  • Global & domestic terrorism and hate groups.
  • CIA and military hardware.

Exit Zero
The Forge, Santa Monica, CA, 1996
Renny Harlin, Director; David & Janet Peoples, Writers
Researched and prepared reports on topics including:
  • Space flight & orbital mechanics
  • Military chemical weapons & nerve gasses.
  • Advanced robotics.
  • Hacker techniques.
  • Phone trace technologies.


Business Affairs, Story Development & Casting

Executive Assistant & In-house Macintosh consultant
Wind Dancer Production Group
Burbank, CA, 1992- 1995
  • Assisted in negotiations and business affairs for President of television and film production company.
  • Shows including Thunder Alley and Home Improvement.
  • Selected hardware and software, supervised purchasing, installation and maintenance for 30-user Macintosh LocalTalk network, including workgroups for TV production.

Executive Assistant
Agency For The Performing Arts
New York, NY   1989 - 1992
Assistant for chief of Literary Department for New York office of bi-coastal theatrical agency with clients in Los Angeles, New York and London.
  • Assisted with negotiations and deal memos for writers, producers and directors in television, feature film and theatre.
  • Supervised talent payment for clients, handling in excess of $4 million annually.
  • Screened submissions from new writers, wrote coverage on scripts by potential clients.

Freelance Script Reader
Los Angeles, 1995- 1997
Evaluated scripts for purchase/option, wrote script coverage and story notes for feature film producers including::
  • The Forge (Geena Davis/Renny Harlin/Amanda Stern)
  • Simpson-Bruckheimer (Lucas Foster, Chad Oman)
  • Meyers/Shyer Company (Stacy Attanasio)
  • Kennedy-Marshall Company (Phyllis Owens, Clyde Derrick)
  • Turner Pictures (Amy Pascal, Lucas Foster, Jace Cook, Jen Chamberlain)
  • Savoy Pictures (Rob Fried, Rich Zinman Jill Weisman, Cyril O'Neill)

Casting Director
Manticore Theater Company;
New York, NY, 1987-90
Wrote character breakdowns, solicited agency submissions and supervised auditions for Off-Off-Broadway theater company, including productions of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 and After the Rain.

Casting Assistant
Simon & Kumin Casting
New York, NY November 1988 - May 1989
Wrote and edited character breakdowns; pre-screened auditioners for stage & TV; scheduled auditions; maintained lists; handled billing, payables and office administration for stage, film & television casting.
Broadway: M. Butterfly, The Piano Lesson, Interrogating the Nude
Off-Broadway & Regional Theatre: The Second Stage; Yale Rep
Film & Television: Family Business, Doctor Doctor (New York search)


Public Relations

Writer
Minetor & Company.
Los Angeles, CA/Rochester, NY, 1999
Wrote & produced press kit for high-tech startup company launching major bi coastal promotional campaign.

Public Relations Associate
Burks Hamner Associates Public Relations
Los Angeles, CA, 1999
Wrote release and produced mailings for PR firm.
Booked personal appearances for touring clients.
Interfaced with editors, radio producers and clients, pitched story ideas, secured calendar listings.


Educational Publishing

Writer/Abstractor
GetAbstract.com
Fort Lauterdale, FL, 1999 - present
Summarized business, science and self-improvement books for Internet-based book abstract publisher.
Over 50 titles summarized, including:
The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey
The Transparent Society by David Brin
A History of Corporate Finance by Jonathan Barron Baskin, Paul J. Miranti Jr.
Soros on Soros by George Soros, with Byron Wien and Krisztina Koenen

Researcher/Writer
Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center, Ltd.
New York, NY September 1982 - November 1988
Writer, editor and voice talent for numerous nationally distributed audio instructional tapes for SAT and other test prep courses.
Wrote scripts, generated EDLs in off-line edit sessions and assisted on set for video SAT course.


Skills & Education:
  • Expert researcher, including Internet, library, and primary sources.
  • MPAA Accredited.
  • Software: Nisus Writer (Macintosh), MS Word (Macintosh/Windows), MS Excel (Macintosh), Appleworks, Eudora, Microsoft Outlook, Now Up-To-Date/Contact, Quicken,
  • State University of New York at Albany, B.A. Theatre, Summa Cum Laude.; Honors: "Futterer Award" for Theatre, Phi Beta Kappa.
  • Languages: Basic Spanish & conversational Mandarin