Ken Rotcop(1938-2018)
- Writer
- Producer
Ken Rotcop was born J Kenneth Rotcop in Brooklyn, New York but was
raised in Passaic, New Jersey. Graduate of Boston University where he
was editor of the Boston University News and was the recipient of
Sigment Delta Kai, (national journalism fraternity) Scarlett Key
(honorary fraternity of Boston University) Who's Who in American
Universities and Colleges.
Rotcop did his graduate work at University of Southern California in Industrial Psychology. Upon graduation, he worked for numerous advertising agencies in New York City eventually owning his own theatrical advertising agency called "Concepts Incorporated".
Ken soon got married and went to honeymoon in Acapulco. During this trip, Wes Kenney, director of a game show called "First Impressions", (and also the Best Man at Ken's wedding) called Ken to be their writer for a month while their staff writer was on a sabbatical. After the month was over, producer Monty Hall asked Rotcop to stay on. Rotcop sold "Concept Incorporated" to his partner and moved with his new wife to Hollywood where he has worked ever since as a writer and studio executive.
Over the years Rotcop has served as Creative Head of four studios: Embassy Pictures, Hanna-Barbera, Cannon TV, and Trans World Productions.
Among Ken's many achievements is writing and producing the award-winning television movie "For Us, The Living: The Story Of Medgar Evers" starring Howard Rollins and Laurence Fishburne. Among the honors Rotcop received for that production were the Writers Guild Award, the Neil Simon Award, and the Image Award. The film was also honored by the American Film Institute, the NAACP, Women In Film, the city of Atlanta, the state of Mississippi, as well as Filmex and the Democratic National Convention.
Rotcop also was the recipient of the Unity Award for writing the CBS documentary series "Images and Attitudes" about black American history.
Rotcop is the author of the critically acclaimed best seller "The Perfect Pitch: How To Sell Yourself and Your Movie Idea to Hollywood". He was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show as well as STARZ' Entertainment Tonight. His book was selected as the Book Of The Month by Cyber Film School.com and featured on Amazon.com.
His book "As I Remember It: My Fifty Year Career As An Award Winning Writer, Producer and Studio Executive" can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and BearManor Media.
Due out March 2018 is Ken's book "Remembering Marvin Kaplan" who was the most beloved character actor in Hollywood.
The feature-length documentary "Talk Fast", winner of the LA Independent Film Fest and the Philadelphia Film Fest, is the story of Rotcop and his highly successful writers workshop. Over the past few years more than 80 projects have been optioned. Of these, l6 have been made into feature films.
He is a frequent guest lecturer and has taught script writing at USC, UCLA, University of Iowa, St. Louis University, University of Texas, and the University of the Philippines, among others.
In addition to writing for a wide range of dramatic, game, and talk shows, Rotcop produced the feature film "Bikini Shop", as well as the syndicated TV series "Couples" for Fox and "The Magic Shop" for RKO. He has also written scripts for the children's programs "Richie Rich" and "Superfriends".
In July 2005, the STARZ channel did a two-partner on Rotcop on their Entertainment Tonight show. They called him a Pitching Guru while Andrea Leigh Wolf, in her book "Sell Your Screenplay", calls Rotcop an Industry Legend.
Rotcop's complete biography appears in Who's Who in Entertainment.
Ken is presently writing "The Life and Times of Monty Hall" for BearManor Media.
Rotcop did his graduate work at University of Southern California in Industrial Psychology. Upon graduation, he worked for numerous advertising agencies in New York City eventually owning his own theatrical advertising agency called "Concepts Incorporated".
Ken soon got married and went to honeymoon in Acapulco. During this trip, Wes Kenney, director of a game show called "First Impressions", (and also the Best Man at Ken's wedding) called Ken to be their writer for a month while their staff writer was on a sabbatical. After the month was over, producer Monty Hall asked Rotcop to stay on. Rotcop sold "Concept Incorporated" to his partner and moved with his new wife to Hollywood where he has worked ever since as a writer and studio executive.
Over the years Rotcop has served as Creative Head of four studios: Embassy Pictures, Hanna-Barbera, Cannon TV, and Trans World Productions.
Among Ken's many achievements is writing and producing the award-winning television movie "For Us, The Living: The Story Of Medgar Evers" starring Howard Rollins and Laurence Fishburne. Among the honors Rotcop received for that production were the Writers Guild Award, the Neil Simon Award, and the Image Award. The film was also honored by the American Film Institute, the NAACP, Women In Film, the city of Atlanta, the state of Mississippi, as well as Filmex and the Democratic National Convention.
Rotcop also was the recipient of the Unity Award for writing the CBS documentary series "Images and Attitudes" about black American history.
Rotcop is the author of the critically acclaimed best seller "The Perfect Pitch: How To Sell Yourself and Your Movie Idea to Hollywood". He was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show as well as STARZ' Entertainment Tonight. His book was selected as the Book Of The Month by Cyber Film School.com and featured on Amazon.com.
His book "As I Remember It: My Fifty Year Career As An Award Winning Writer, Producer and Studio Executive" can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and BearManor Media.
Due out March 2018 is Ken's book "Remembering Marvin Kaplan" who was the most beloved character actor in Hollywood.
The feature-length documentary "Talk Fast", winner of the LA Independent Film Fest and the Philadelphia Film Fest, is the story of Rotcop and his highly successful writers workshop. Over the past few years more than 80 projects have been optioned. Of these, l6 have been made into feature films.
He is a frequent guest lecturer and has taught script writing at USC, UCLA, University of Iowa, St. Louis University, University of Texas, and the University of the Philippines, among others.
In addition to writing for a wide range of dramatic, game, and talk shows, Rotcop produced the feature film "Bikini Shop", as well as the syndicated TV series "Couples" for Fox and "The Magic Shop" for RKO. He has also written scripts for the children's programs "Richie Rich" and "Superfriends".
In July 2005, the STARZ channel did a two-partner on Rotcop on their Entertainment Tonight show. They called him a Pitching Guru while Andrea Leigh Wolf, in her book "Sell Your Screenplay", calls Rotcop an Industry Legend.
Rotcop's complete biography appears in Who's Who in Entertainment.
Ken is presently writing "The Life and Times of Monty Hall" for BearManor Media.