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Wrestling with a script: Ed Ferrara at Music in Film Fest

Posted: Apr 11th 2015 By: Chris Jordan

Ed Ferrara knows scriptwriting.

He also knows bodyslams.

As a former professional wrestler who?s worked for the World Wrestling Federation and an accomplished screenwriter with credits including USA Network?s ?Weird Science,? and Disney?s ?Honey I Shrunk The Kids: The TV Show,? Ferrara knows how to muscle his way through the hard knocks of the entertainment business.

That?s why he?s hosting two screenwriting workshops, Saturday and Sunday, at the Watermark in Asbury Park as part of the inaugural Asbury Park Music in Film Festival.

These are good times for creative people, said Ferrara, 48.

?Right now, we?re kind of in a golden age of television,? said Ferrara, who teaches creative writing for entertainment at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. ?There is tons of original programming on. These days, we have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and they all need content producers.

?If you have the skills, there?s potential out there for you on the small screen.?

Ferrara made a name for himself as a screenwriter when his career took an interesting turn: He joined the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) as a storyline writer in the late ?90s.

Ferrara was wrestling as an independent as a hobby while his screenwriting star was on the ascent.

?One day I was having a conversation with a friend who worked for the USA Network and as a goof I said if you?re talking to Vince McMahon (the head of the pro wrestling company), throw my name out there.

?Two weeks later I had a meeting.?

Ferrara helped spearhead the ?attitude? era of the WWF, with scripts and plot twists for ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin, The Rock and more.

Ferrara then joined the rival World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under the name Oklahoma.

?We brought a complexity to it,? said Ferrara of his pro wrestling days. ?We were trying to bring shades of gray into the proceedings instead of it being just black and white. It made it more palatable to a broader audience. We made the good guys flawed and the bad guys charismatic.

?It made it more interesting and it worked.?

Ferrara knows his wrestling. Growing up in Ocean Township, he used to go see the pro cards at Convention Hall in Asbury Park.

Ken Patera was his favorite.

?It was a huge part of my childhood and it?s awesome to come back and connect with who I am and who I was,? Ferrara said.

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Workshop: Screenwriting Basics: Tell Your Story Before You Can Sell Your Story, 10 a.m. Saturday and Workshop: Starting Strong: Your Screenplay?s Crucial First Act (and other Problem Areas), 10 a.m. Sunday

WHERE: Watermark, 800 Ocean Ave.

INFO: $50 for one day workshop/$75 for both workshops. apmff.com