Associate Professor William Akers is returning as Chair of Belmont University’s Motion Pictures program. As the founding chair in 2013, Akers created the curriculum for the program and was instrumental in the design and construction of the Milton and Denice Johnson Center, where the department is housed. Since its inception, the program has grown from 12 students to 210. In this position, Akers mentors students and assists the department’s faculty while writing sequels to his two books, “Your Screenplay Sucks: 100 Ways to Make it Great” and “Mrs. Ravenbach’s Way.”
In addition to his position at Belmont, Akers also works as a script consultant for clients all over the world. He is a founding board member of eiACE, the Entertainment Industry Association of Consultants and Educators and sits on the boards of the Nashville Composers Association and the University Film & Video Association.
Akers received a B.S. in Visual & Written Creative Expression from Vanderbilt University and an M.F.A. in Cinema Production from the University of Southern California. He has been writing features and television for 25 years and is a Lifetime Member of the Writers Guild of America.