Status
Writing for Film and Television (‘05), UArts College of Media and Communication

Current residence
Glendale, CA

Position
Development assistant in the television department of New Line Cinema. He also reads scripts for a major talent agency.

Latest News
Derek earned the Parisi Award for taking first place in the under-25 “Set in Philadelphia” screenwriting contest (sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office). Dressler earned $1,000 for his screenplay Incidental Contact, a dramedy about Mike, an arrogant college basketball player at the University of Pennsylvania who strikes up an unlikely romance with Kathy, his 66-year-old professor.

Why UArts?
“The program at UArts is incredible. They're harsh, constructive, honest and realistic. The faculty is terrific at fostering creativity while constantly asking ‘Who is the audience for this?’ The program is prepared me wonderfully for the real world.”

Future plans
“Eventually, I want to be a studio writer – as in writing mainstream movies for major studios; maybe get to the point where I can write on a full-time basis.”

Writing history
He began writing scenes at age 8 and features at 12. “I loved movies and just assumed that the director did everything but once I learned more, it was the writing that most interested me.”