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current work details

Roles: WGA Screenwriter

Company: Burning Tree Films

Where I work: I run my own company or organisation

Technical Skills: Final Draft and I go way back

Resources/ Expertise: I've made my bread and butter doing two things 1) adapting published books & novels, and 2) setting up high-concept takes on historical/mythical based pieces - even though I love modern indie films

Availability: Paid Work Only

training

USC (two years)
NYU Tisch School of the Arts (B.F.A.)
UCLA Schoolof Film & Television (Masters in Screenwriting)

personal info

Films I wish I had made:
Braveheart, Pulp Fiction, Children Of Men, Amadeus, Casablanca, Swimming With Sharks, The Usual Suspects, The Princess Bride, Shakespeare In Love, The Godfather, The Constant Gardner, No Country For Old Men, and my secret, escapist, guilty pleasure fantasy movies.

I cried watching:
Dead Poet's Society, Dad, In The Name of the Father

I left the cinema during:
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Fountain, Fur

Directors I love:
A Cauron, S Spielberg, G Lucas, Ang Lee, Bazz, C Eastwood, P T Anderson, Q Tarantino, Francis Ford, and M Newell to name a few

Actors I admire:
Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, Kevin Spacy, Johnny Depp, Jack, Brendon Gleeson, Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Ed Norton, and the late greats Charles Laughton, Madeline Kahn, Laurence Olivier and Richard Burton.

My desert island discs:
Never understood this question - favorite works are already listed above... And what good are discs on a desert island? There would be no TVs or DVD players even if we had them... It'd just be a big fat depressing tease. So, I guess I'd bring discs that reminded me how crappy most films are so I wouldn't miss movies so much. But you all know how passionate we are about being apart of that rare gem of a film, so even that wouldn't work. A pack of plague infested wolves couldn't chase us away from our work and this impossible business. Am I over-thinking this? :) Next question please...

Books I have given my friends:
The works of Jeffrey Lent.

My death row meal:
A big, thick juicy steak, double stuffed baked potato, cream spinach, and Chivas & soda on the rocks

The best thing I own:
Whatever makes my life and job easier, regardless of cash value - in short, FINAL DRAFT. The software of champions.

More:
Michael Tabb recently finished THE UNCATCHABLE COWGIRL BANDITS OF NOTTINGHAM, TEXAS about a slew of bank heists for Intrepid Pictures (deal with Rogue/Focus Features and Universal) and is currently writing the adaptation of best-selling Russian fantasy novel KNIGHTS OF THE FORTY ISLANDS for Run Entertainment, Ltd. Michael has developed projects for Disney Feature Animation, The Canton Company at Warner Brothers, Producer Lawrence Bender, comic book icon Stan Lee, Director Mike Newell and Dustin Hoffman to name a few. He also guest lectures on screenwriting at USC and writes a column in Ingenue Magazine about screenwriting entitled SCRIPT NOTES. Known for his original drafts of the scripts TROY and THE CASANOVAS, Michael did the final rewrite of the thriller RING AROUND THE ROSIE in which his draft landed actor Tom Sizemore and was released by Sony. Michael is a Supervising Producer on several productions for the new WGA sanctioned STRIKE TV (the first union, all-original, all-scripted, online content network launching in summer), including producing, writing and directing his own project, THE ACADEMY, featuring Corey Haim, Miguel Ferrer, Stephen Root and funnyman Brian Posehn. Michael was raised behind the Orange Curtain (The OC), wrote his first short screenplay in high school and began writing features in college. His education includes two years at USC undergrad, a B.F.A. from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and a Masters in Screenwriting from UCLAs School of Film and Television. Michael Tabb does business under the banner of his company, Burning Tree Films, repped by agent Ryan Saul of APA, managed by Justin Silvera of New Wave Entertainment, attorney Darren Trattner of Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer et al, and is a member of WGAw. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Here is a link to Michaels last Daily Variety published 3/14/07: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961104.html Here is a link to Michaels very first appearance in Daily Variety: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117788980.html?categoryid=19