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Hi all - I'm a newbie to the contest circuit, this being my first summer/fall shot at things...just joined the Moviebytes community.
You guys are awesome! Talent plus generosity, in measures that are off the scale! I've learned so much reading the posts. And Jean -- you are an amazing supporter and writer! Congrats and good luck on all your scripts/contenders!!
I'd like to add a thumbs up for the Script Savvy coverage -- very helpful and spot-on.
My vote for the best coverage, in terms of depth of analysis and conscientiousness and detail and recommendations (including reading material), so far, goes to Movie Script Contest. Jason and his readers just blew me away with the coverage. Like Script Savvy, it's sent back as they get to it, not after the contest is over. Huge help in rewrites. And although the prizes are not monetary -- just exposure -- the REAL value is in the feedback and its quality. This one is worth the entry fee, hands down, for that alone. I believe it's still open for entries, too...
Anyway good luck to one and all for the rest of the fall season! I'm through to the finals in PAGE, and hoping to advance from the Quarter Finals in AAA. Here's hoping for a Moviebytes sweep!
John Arends
Hey Matthew -
I entered right on the deadline, July 31, and got an automated confirmation e-mail about 4 minutes after I hit send on the "Submit" button...It was a bam/bam kinda deal...
After checking in on their website yesterday and finding the server down most of the day, it wasn't a surprise to see this morning that they've posted the top 20 Semifinalists.
Can't decide whether I like the verb "dinked" or "gonged" better, but...both apply to me.
Here's hoping a Moviebytes writer or two are among the chosen ones!
Hi Jason -
Ditto on everything Elaine just said above, so eloquently.
It's important to evaluate each contest and understand what to expect, especially in the way of two things: 1) feedback -- Are they promising "40 words" or industry-level coverage? Do comments on these boards confirm that the promise is being kept, consistently? -- and 2) exposure... to insiders, literary agencies and prodcos, should your script place well...
It's expensive to enter multiple contests, yes. But things are hyper competitive, and the reader system, by its nature, is astonishingly subjective and inconsistent. So there is a certain logic to investing in a focused number of contests...if just to ensure that you get a modicum of balance in the feedback and results that, we all hope, give our scripts and our marketing efforts a shot in the arm...
The trailer alone has had me itching for opening weekend for a coupla weeks...loads of talent up there on that screen, from the writers on over to the shooters...
I'm new to these boards, clueless on a lotta things, and this thread looks like the perfect place to ask a stupid question:
What's a poser? And how do I avoid becoming one, inadvertently?
(Like, well...did that last coupla lines, there, just qualify me as one?)
Got it! Great answers, Randy and Paula. Thanks for bringing me up to speed.
John
Hey Matt -
I got that e-mail as well...kind of a cool moment, in and of itself... (I'm over in the action/adventure group, with SOLOMON'S WHALE...)
Good luck to you and Jean!
Congratulations, Julie! Any time you move to the next round in a competition this size, regardless of whether it's a festival or not...it's time to celebrate!
My experience is limited to just this summer, but for what it's worth, I experienced the opposite. I've had good luck with the contests, but a no-no on the festival side.
Regardless, I went to Austin last year on the weekend pass and was blown away! The caliber of the panels and speakers...the casual, laid-back proximity the AFF organizers create for the pros to mingle with the up-and-comers...and most important, the festival's emphasis on the writer...all make Austin a must-go for anyone who can swing the time, the travel and the price...
Just checked the Austin Film Festival site this morning and saw that they've posted the Semi-Finalists in all their categories...
Congrats, Lisa!
Enjoy the ride, drink in the moment, and keep on rollin' on!
You guys are the best! Thanks so much for the congrats and kind words...I'm still flabbergasted!!!!
Not in a million years, did I think it'd go this far... The odds and the inherent subjectivity of the readers and the process make these things so unpredictable...
But luck and lightning do strike! And if it can happen to me, believe me, it can happen to any of us who stay committed to the craft and to marketable concepts we're passionate about...
So let's keep on writing on...one and all!
-- John
Thanks, Jean and Julie! And good luck, Laqueta!
Way to go, Jean and Matthew! Now THAT'S scoring wins that we're all working for!!!
Just awesome news!
Jean -
Ditto on your praise of PAGE and Jen and the administrative team behind the whole enterprise. They've been totally awesome throughout, in every aspect. Nice, nice people!!
For those who haven't checked out their website (www.internationalscreenwritingawards.com), go to the Recommended Resources link. Bam! All of the best, top-tier books, software, service providers, consultants, supplies, online links -- the cream of the crop -- are right there...thoughtfully organized around each stage in the process of writing, selling and making your film...
SOLOMON'S WHALE is my fifth script, but the first one that I've felt good about, as far as taking it to a professional level goes. The research was fun...interesting as hell...and the real scientists who advance our understanding of these creatures are the true heroes. Their research and insights just knock the top of your head off...
That said, if SW ever gets made, they'll most likely laugh or groan a bit, me thinks, simply because the screenplay has only one purpose...to engage and entertain as wide an audience as possible. If it can enlighten, without preaching or getting in the way of the dramatic narrative, that's cool...but that's the icing, not the cake. And as Syd Field says, story is art, not science...
Hope that makes sense...without sound pretentious or anything...
Martin -
I gotta echo/ditto Toby here. Why wait to fully engage your passion to write? Get after it, and keep learning, like Toby suggests. Both ScriptSavvy and Movie Script Contest (MSC is still open! closes tomorrow - 9-20) offer excellent feedback.
The notes I got from Jason and the crew from Movie Script Contest went beyond excellence -- thorough and perceptive and clearly coming from a full read and engagement with the script. Just a terrific value, given the entry fee.
No brag, no brown-nosing, just the facts...
Okay, I guess I should weigh in here. I've got a big-ass whale in my script, the biggest on the planet, in fact, and he IS the title...ScriptSavvy score came back at 55...
Yup! There be whales in the zeitgeist...
Mine's an action/adventure called SOLOMON'S WHALE. From what I've read here on Moviebytes, (in a great Scriptapalooza interview with the two writers who penned WHALE FARTS...which sounds absolutely hysterical) both our scripts start from the same kernel idea: "Hey, let's do a modern-day take on Moby Dick..." and then take off in wildly different directions...
...which is very cool, when you think about it, 'cuz the studios can now cover all key markets -- from raunchy comedy to rousing adventure -- with just two scripts!!
You gotta love this crazy business... ;-)
Congrats, Lisa!!! Great news, to be celebrated by doing an extended happy dance!
Enjoy!
John
This is obviously a terrific achievement, Linda. Congrats!
It must have been quite a moment, among many, to see the finished one-sheet for the first time, with the credit... "Written by Linda Weiss"
Relish the premiere, and do please keep us posted as the dream continues to unfold, okay?
Kudos again!
John
Great idea, Heather! I'd be happy to chip in and buy a round of reduced fat cinammon swirl coffee cake for Moviebyters. Lots o' anti-oxidants in cinammon, I'm told...
I get in Wed. night, so any morning from Thursday on that works for the gang works for me...
Congratulations, Jean! Kudos on all the placings and winnings for what must be a thoroughbred of a script!
Here's hoping Hollywood places its bets on Serena and Thunder, at the next call to the post!
John
Linda, no other way to say it...
You rock!
Jean - Thanks, from all of us with weary fingers from clicking the "refresh" button - for pulling this out 'em and posting it here first.
Rock on, all moviebyters who made the cut!
Friday or Saturday morning are fine with me, Heather -- I'm an early riser, so no sweat there, meeting before the seminars/panels begin...
Thanks for the tip on the on-line planner. I'd seen the feature advertised on the site, but have yet to explore and use it... Will do that between now and next weekend.
John
Looking forward to it, Julie and Heather. Safe travels, one and all!
John
P.S. I don't carry a purse, so I'll find y'all, okay?
Ditto to Colin's review of the book -- absolutely lives up to its promise. Plus, it's a hoot to read. Dead-on takes on genre, structure, and how our heads, as writers, work... Can't recommend his writing highly enough...
Colin -
If I'm reading your, uh, post right, CONGRATULATIONS are in order!!!
Did you get a call that included something along the lines of "Dude, if you haven't bought your plane ticket to LA yet, get on it!"??
Are you telling us you made the semis??? Higher???
That's FANTASTIC news! Details, please, for those of us you left in the dust...
Ditto, Heather and Julie!
And how cool is it to meet and listen to Scott Alexander and Aline McKenna over the weekend and then read in the trades on Monday about their latest deals?
Austin rocks for writers. Make it next year if you can...
John
Hey Colin -
The list has been posted, and it's officially, very for real, man!
Congratulations again on a HUGE achievement.
All the best!
John
Ditto on all of the above, Colin. I'm new to this board (only on since the summer), and I'm not yet a member of your network...but will join you whole heartedly and soon -- right after you pick up your well-earned reward at the Expo this weekend. (I'm there now, too, posting this from the Marriott -- will look for you to personally offer support.)
Great writers are brave writers. To write anything worth reading requires courage. This attack isn't coming from a writer...just a gutless coward.
With you, man,
John Arends
Hey Deb -
The essentials, of course, are Robert McKee's STORY and Syd Fields SCREENPLAY. All of Linda Seger's books deliver the goods. And Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT and SAVE THE CAT GOES TO THE MOVIES are as much fun to read as they are tremendously valuable as instructive tomes.
That's my two cents...
John
Terry -
That reminds me of the columns archived over on www.wordplayer.com, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Must reading for anyone serious about making a go of it out in LaLa land...
Folks,
Here's the latest advice on this from Creative Screenwriting weekly e-newsletter, CS Weekly:
The Answers You Seek:
The WGA Strike FAQ
By Peter Clines
CS Weekly tries to clear up some of the mystery and questions surrounding the WGA strike.
The writers strike has left many aspiring writers a bit confused about where they stand and what they're allowed to do. In the days leading up to the strike, and especially in the days since, dozens of questions have popped up on message boards, in live chats, and some have even been emailed directly to our offices. CS Weekly has spent the past week prodding experts and gnawing through the WGA's block of strike rules (available for download here) to provide our readers with simple, straightforward answers to their questions. In the days and weeks to come, we'll add to this list on our website. Check for updates here.
Why is the WGA striking? What's the issue?
There are two main issues that the WGA wants addressed. First is the residuals paid to writers for the sale of DVDs (established after the 1988 strike at four cents per sale), which they would like increased to eight cents. It's worth noting that just before the strike, the WGA removed this proposal from the table, but negotiations ceased almost immediately afterwards.
The second issue is the increasing use of the internet as a medium for both viewing and sales. At present, since this is new territory, writers are paid nothing when their work is "aired" online. The WGA wants to establish payment and residual guidelines for material used or sold in this way.
Does the strike affect every studio in Hollywood?
No, it does not. The WGA is striking against the specific studios that it has signatory agreements with, a complete list of which is available here on the Guild's website. There are still several production companies that operate independent of the WGA, which are often referred to as non-signatory companies.
What is a signatory company?
Signatory companies have agreed to the terms of the WGA's Basic Agreement. These terms include minimum pay rates, pension and health plan contributions, and residuals. All of the major studios and networks have signed this agreement with the Guild. During the strike, all signatory companies are being struck.
What is a scab?
Anyone who performs screenwriting services of any kind for a struck company is considered a scab, whether they are a Guild member or not. Guild members who scab write will be punished, while non-members will be barred from future membership.
Can I sell to a non-signatory company?
WGA writers cannot write or sell work during the strike, but non-guild writers can still sell to non-signatory companies, since this violates neither side of the signatory agreements.
I'm not a member. Can I still sell to struck companies, or does that make me a scab?
Non-member writers who sell scripts or perform any sort of screenwriting work for struck companies will be considered scabs and barred from future membership.
I won a screenwriting contest that promises money and production as their prize, but what if they don't pay me until after the strike starts? Am I a scab?
If the production company that would make the movie is one of the struck companies, then, yes, this would be scab work.
I'm a non-guild member, someone bought my first script and I've already signed a contract. Can I still do rewrites?
If the purchasing company is a struck company, doing rewrites would violate the strike and be considered scab work. Guild members who perform scab writing will be punished, while non-members will be barred from future membership.
A company in another country wants to buy one of my scripts. Would that make me a scab?
There are signatory companies outside of the country. If the purchasing company is a struck company, selling a script would violate the strike and be considered scab work. Guild members who perform scab writing will be punished, while non-members will be barred from future membership.
Can I just work for free now and get paid later?
The point of the strike is not to perform any work, not to avoid being paid for work. Anyone who performs screenwriting services of any kind for a struck company is considered a scab. Guild members who scab write will be punished, while non-members will be barred from future membership.
Can I still try to get an agent or a manager during the strike?
Yes, you can. Some reps have even said they'll be using the time they aren't working on deals or contracts to catch up on their reading and submissions. However, others warn that they are focusing even harder on their existing clients to be ready once the strike ends. In short, the challenge will still be attracting someone's attention with good writing.
The WGA says if I scab I can never be a member, but aren't all the studios allowed to buy specs from non-members anyway?
Technically, this is true. However, non-guild members cannot be hired for any assignments or other writing work once the strike ends, receive no benefits, and have no retirement plan.
Will joining picket lines get me into the WGA?
No. While the writers appreciate any support, the normal rules and requirements for WGA membership are still in effect.
How long will the strike last?
No one can say for sure. Many industry experts are already predicting five or six months, while some hold out hope for a quicker resolution. At the moment, neither side has announced plans to resume negotiations.
Does this mean I'll never learn how Sylar lost his powers?
Possibly. Several television series have already stopped filming for both political and practical reasons, while others will continue to make episodes as long as they still have scripts. Some showrunners (such as Tim Kring of Heroes) made last minute changes before the strike began so their shows can have a degree of closure if there is an extended work stoppage.
To our neighbors to the north, a special thank you for all your Thanksgiving wishes! I hope, for all, this day was a special and meaningful one, filled with laughter and good cheer...
John
Gene -
I sent a friendly "What's up?" e-mail to Anna, the contest coordinator, about two weeks ago and, like you and the others, got no reply.
My sense while at the Expo 6, watching the Creative Screenwriting staff and crew in action, was that they are a dedicated but stretched-thin-to-the-max kinda outfit. They've got a new publisher on board (since last April) calling the shots, and things seem a bit up in the air, with staff changes, etc. etc. The new publisher seemed like a nice, dedicated, sincere and accountable guy, but transitions of this kind can create some rough seas, and typically take some time before things settle into a normal flow again...
I don't know if the contest and Anna are caught up in this or not. Sure seems so, given the delays and total lack of communications since last August....
Again, all of this is just conjecture and guesswork, observed from afar, on my part. Eventually things should/better get sorted out, because their reputation, as a contest, is certainly taking a hit...
Good luck to you, Gene, and all the quarterfinalists.
John
Hey, hey! It looks like a bunch of us MovieBytes folks are still in the running. Great to see so many familiar names in the Semifinalist list this morning.
Congrats, one and all!
John
Great stuff, posters!
Playing off of John's suggestions and allusions to how we embed camera angles and movements within the descriptive text...a simpler use of "the power of suggestion" is to do just that, suggest a specific artist/style/song, but with the caveat use the 'ol standbys "-like" and "-esque" in your descriptive text, so at least the reader gets a specific soundtrack vibe, while showing the reader/producer that the writer understands "yeah, I know it's too expensive to use the real song..."
An example of this - descriptive text from a 1950's flashback scene might read:
"The couple nuzzles in the back seat, as a Johnny Mathis-like song croons from the car radio..."
Or...
"Underneath, a hard-driving, Zepplin-esque guitar riff punctuates each explosion."
-- John
Mark -
Have to ask, given your last post: Are you a Nick Drake fan? Given what's happened to his posthemus career, and how the taste of a certain creative in a certain ad agency for VW led them to use Pink Moon for a TV spot...well, it just gives us all hope that creative notions, musical riffs, insights, etc. can cross generations and still resonate widely and deeply.
Good luck on your script....Tap in and go with it!
John
Cool!
For any and all who are budgeting their contest entry investments for 2008, and who only wish to invest in contests that are:
1) Professionally run by responsive, savvy, connected folks who deeply care about writers
2) Offering genre-specific judging that leads to meaningful access, prize $$$ and cool add-on awards from sponsors
3) Providing feedback options that deliver 2-3 pages of industry-standard coverage and notes
4) Top-tier in prestige and respect...
...Then put the 2008 PAGE Awards right at the top of your list, right next to the Nicholl Fellowships, and enter this contest.
It absolutely rocks!
John
(Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to have the good fortune to win the 2007 contest, and in the spirit of full disclosure, the comments above should be read with that in mind. While I'm still in mid-stream with it, I can say the experience has been, and will continue to be, career-changing. And the people behind it, especially Jennifer and Kristin, are as classy and cool as they get...
...So I say again, Go for it!
Thanks, Gene -
On the AAA contest -- this e-mail came in 2-3 days ago, on Dec. 13th, from Creative Screenwriting:
"Hello all.
We wanted to give you an update on our 2007 AAA Screenwriting Contest.
You may have noticed that there has been a delay in getting some of the information on semi-finalists and winners out to you. There is a good reason for this.
As many of you know, the WGA is currently on strike and, unfortunately, this greatly affects our contest. Besides the monetary prizes awarded to the Top 3, the best aspect of our contest is that we will send the winning script, as well as the Top 10 loglines and summaries out to over 350 production companies and agencies.
However, due to the strike and the fact that 95% of these companies are loyal to the WGA, sending that script and loglines out would do nothing for our finalists' careers. We are dedicated to helping you sell your script and the reality is, that will not happen in the marketplace right now.
Sure, deals can be made while the strike is going on, but anyone who does so will never gain entry into the WGA, and we do not want to promote such tactics.
Thank you for reading and understanding - we will provide information to you over the next month or two. Hopefully, the strike will be over in the next month or so and we can send the winning script out immediately.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Creative Screenwriting Staff"
Yes, yes, Merry Christmas, happy holidays!
And may 2008 be a terrific year for MB'ers...and all writers, with the WGA and fellow guilds securing a fair deal for the creative engine of Hollywood.
Peace, and God bless!
John
Thank you, Jean!
No, Tom, sorry, but I don't have it listed out there for general reading -- only on InkTip on the "industry professional" side of their web site, as part of a contest package this past fall. It's making the representation rounds right now...quite slowly, which is to be expected because of the strike...
John
Thanks, one and all, for the kind congrats for all of us...and especially for the spirit behind them. This is truly an awesome community on MB. The collective and collaborative support, for everyone's success, is quite a tribute to those of you who have built that into the culture of this site and these boards over the years.
To borrow some color of a Randy-esque nature, I'm damn grateful to be a part of it now, and I'll keep trying to add my two cents to the proceedings...
All the best, to everyone, for a terrific 2008!
Lou - Great post! Terrific chance to grab legit shooting scripts from the mountaintop. Thank you!
Thomas -
I second Randy's take on 3:10 to Yuma. Up on the screen, the production values and the talent are superb, as you'd expect with the talent behind it. But the script is just flat out stellar. Especially how Mangold and the writers set up the characters, and then hold back and strategically parcel out crucial backstory, key reveals and turns. All with superb economy. Well worth screening, if just for the example/lessons in storytelling it offers...
Sheila -
Serendipity at work, here -- Shall We Dance was on cable last night. I had never seen it, and I happened to drop in right on the crisis break into the third act (I presume -- the big competition was under way, and Stanley T was doing his over-the-top triumphant tango.)
Could you share your take on why it didn't work, as a remake and/or a compelling movie? Was it the script? The direction? The casting? Studio ham-handedness?
My first-take guess is it might have been the script, with some serious structural Act 3 and resolution issues...but, again, I only saw the last 20 minutes...
Many thanks for any insider learnings and analysis you're able to share...
Thanks for this, Sheila, sincerely.
Regardless of our ability or position in the industry, one of the most valuable yet elusive survival tools we all need in pursuing success in this crazy business is perspective.
The article certainly helped sharpen mine, especially when it comes to selecting and using a script consultant. (I haven't employed one yet - only coverage services -- but I plan to, soon.)
I'm looking forward to reading your e-book! After sampling Chapter 2 on your web site, and finding it immediately helpful with my current spec, I decided to punch the PayPal button for the whole thing. Looks like a good value.
Thanks again for sharing your expertise, Sheila...
John
Ron --
Your guess is as good as mine, but for what it's worth, I think it's simply this:
We're talking about a LOT of money, transparent accounting...and ego.
While on tour in Israel a month or two ago, Amy Pascal, of Sony, who is one of the good guys when it comes to being philosophically aligned with writers and the value of creative teams, explained the strike to the local media this way:
"The writers want more money and the studios don't want to give it to them..."
d.
You and the veterans on this board are probably familiar with The Writers Store, but for those folks that aren't, the people there are impossibly helpful and nice. You can hunt for and find things a bit cheaper elsewhere, but they make up the difference in follow-through, convenience, specialization, etc. Not a lot of scripts, though -- mostly high-profile films, Oscar winners, that type of thing.
www.thewritersstore.com and the actual store, in LA, on Westwood.
FWIW...
There's a great 6-7 minute video of J.J. Abrams talking about his approach to filmmaking and storytelling over at www.ted.com.
Go to: http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers
Click on the link to his talk, entitled" The mystery box."
Not at all, Randy...glad to be able to finally return a favor here.
I had EXACTLY the same reaction when I landed on ted.com for the first time. Way cool place, chocked full of creative thinking and thinkers. Kid-in-a-candy-store experience, absolutely...
I was steered there by an item in Anne Thompson's blog, which is a great place to skim posting and stay in touch with the industry's cinephiles and folks that move and shake:
http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/
Mike,
I got one of those invites, too, about a month back. After looking closely through their web site, though, I came to the conclusion that it's a bit of a vanity deal, where you have to pay for the services you've/we've been "invited" to partake... That disingenuous aspect of it, alone, really turned me off, and, while it's just one guy's opinion, I came to the conclusion that it's a very well-dressed scam, plucking the Hollywood dream strings by creating the illusion of "an inside track" ...
The only true door inside is a truly great script -- as deemed such by a true player, a champion already in a position to make the movie happen.
Can't pay our way in...we gotta write ourselves in, me thinks...
John
Mike -
I've had a script on InkTip from October to the present, as part of a contest win. It's been pretty slow, but my sense is that that's simply because everything has been slowed to a crawl by the strike.
If the WGA can shape a good deal with the AMPTP between now and the Oscars, I think it'd be a great time to be visible and marketing your material. If the talks break down again, I'd keep your powder dry and wait.
With InkTip, the most visible time for your posting is right when you first put it up there -- the first week or two. So my suggestion would be to activate your subscription right as the industry kicks back into gear on word of a deal...
John
Gene -
Thanks for this tip. I sent Michael an e-mail last night, and woke this morning to find his answer -- sent at 2:30 am! He's in the throes of last minute logistics in wrapping up the contest, getting the winners set-up for the event, and then producing their televised gala...
...and asked for patience in getting the judge's feedback out to me. Thought I'd pass this on to other MB'ers who may have entered...if you can hold off until after Feb. 12, in requesting feedback, that'd probably help ease the load on someone who sounds like a classy, responsive guy..
John
This just in from CS, via e-mail this morning:
"Unfortunately, Murphy's Law kicked in quite a bit over the past couple of months. The winners and finalists are going to be chosen within the next couple of weeks. I'm just waiting to hear back from one reader, and once he gets back it should take a few days to get the winners/finalists. We're hoping to have everything sorted out by the end of the second week in Feb.
Thank you for being so patient with us..."
Gotta love that Aussie sense of modesty and good humor, Gene! I've both first-round bombed and won with this script, and at this point, it just wants to retire and swim off into the sunset, with the wrap-up of these last, stragglin' entries from the summer...
G' luck, mate!
Man, did I ever get my bio threads scrambled! Can't seem to keep Bondi Beach and Burbank straight in my head anymore...
Sorry 'bout that, Gene.
LOL on the dumpster theory! At last -- a unified theory that explains this universe of readers we're all wandering through! And another compelling reason to keep the page count down...
And congrats are in order for you and coupla other MBers who made the semis over at Bluecat Lab -- way to rock Gordy's world!
Gene -
Yep, last August, that free week in LA at the BlueCat Lab looked worth a $50 bet...but it looks like my whale deep-dived into the dumpster. Then again, that script is a really genre-esque, commercial kinda pop-corn thing...and my take from Gordy's web site is that he's a true indy film spirited kinda guy. So it may have hit outside the dumpster...then scored a trashing on the rebound...
I'm working to get a new spec into shape for the spring —- a less commercial, more character driven story. I sent an early draft of that in to his 2008 contest, to get the early feedback and plug insights from that into the rewrites underway. That feedback is supposed to arrive any day now.
I hope you land a slot, Gene. The Lab program truly looks quintessential LA cool...(providing there is such a thing...there IS such a thing...isn't there?)
Cheers,
John
Ron - Just a quick thanks for all the links and hard facts and figures you've contributed here and in the other threads. I'm finding much of it extremely valuable, as I'm assembling my own personal reference library... Much appreciated!
And congrats on winning the first 2008 Script Savvy contest!!
Rock on,
John
Ditto!
My feedback just came in as well, on a new script, and I can't wait to dive back into the rewrite.
The feedback is quite specific in places, too: "On pages 77-78, this dialogue really surprised me..." The upshot of that is simple and clear -- they read the whole thing, and the balanced feedback, what they liked and what they didn't like, flows from that.
Kudos, big time, to the Bluecat team.
John
Thanks, Geoff. It's been a wild week, thanks to Jason's effort and his Movie Script Contest sponsor list. He really believes in all of us who placed, and works for us almost as if he's a manager or rep -- a really champion.
So I won't be surprised, when I hear about good things happening with your ACE OF ACES down the road here, probably sooner than later. Word I'm getting from my writing group that's on the ground out there in LA is that it's a meeting frenzy madhouse, as every producer in town bolts from the gates, looking for new material to lock up.
So, if you're not actively pitching and querying and calling, I'd get agoin'... while the gittin's good!
All the best, Geoff!
Thanks, guys, and Jean, very much...
It goes back to the value of these contests we're all checking out and investing in. When the tumblers align, and your script finds a champion among the folks who run well-connected contests, like PAGE and Movie Script Contest, good things...the things promised...do happen!
In other words, this avenue for breaking in...works!
John
Thomas -
Script Savvy has a monthly aspect/contest that could get you some results well before the summer. Movie Script Contest International Screenwriting Awards sends feedback well ahead of the results, and Bluecat promises feedback by early July. All are well run by great people.
Word of the day, MB'ers: "Noetic"
I entered a new spec-in-progres in December to get the early-bird feedback in January. That feedback came on time, as promised, and I couldn't be more impressed with the coverage. This is a top-tier enterprise, with readers that are both experienced and honest. All that's guaranteed is that they'll read the whole script, and then they'll tell you what they liked and didn't like. They serve it straight up. No b-s. No favorites played.
John
Noticed the news item today - the Nicholl Fellowships are now open for submission. And the deadlines for the other major contests are right around the corner. So...
For what it's worth, if anyone is looking for a top-flight script analyst to take a script that is really close -- as good as you think you can get it -- up to an even higher level... I just had an excellent experience along those lines with Sheila Gallien.
http://www.sheilagallien.biz
She's a former assistant to William Broyles, Jr., the guy who wrote Cast Away, Unfaithful, Jarhead, Apollo 13, etc., and was a reader for CAA for several years. Real, in the trenches experience, working with scripts that not only got made, but, well, rocked...
Anyway, the analysis was deep stuff. She focused on the spine of the story, the core conflicts, and aligning the action, character goals and set-ups to deliver even more emotional impact.
She's not for every one, and she's not cheap -- she's the first one to tell you that, on her web site and in her articles. But if you've got something that needs a real sharp, pro's eye...and you're into honest, tell-it-like-it-is analysis...Sheila is definitely worth taking a close look at, to see if she's a fit for you and your material.
I've also heard great things about Barb Doylan, here and elsewhere, but haven't had the pleasure of working with her.
Any others out there that MB'ers would recommend, as well?
John
Great topic, Paula -
Jean, your examples bring to mind the late, great Burt Lancaster as the screw-loose oil tycoon in LOCAL HERO. And Randy, you'll nod, I'm sure, toward all those Bruce Dern characters, in westerns and otherwise. (BTW, he had to be the prototype to the scene-stealing Charlie Prince character in 3:10 TO YUMA, played by Ben Foster.)
From a writing standpoint, all of these characters, especially those in supporting roles, really add depth and engaging value to the story, by contrasting with and elevating the protagonist's character. Again, in YUMA, Charlie Prince's bloodlust offsets the high intellect and calculated ruthlessness in Russell Crowe's Ben Wade...
Another recent example -- from Tony Gilroy, Tom Wilkinson's character, Arthur, opposite George Clooney's MICHAEL CLAYTON.
Sorry, not tryin' to go off lecturin'...just marveling at those two scripts and films, as written and executed. Fantastic pieces of storytelling... beautifully crafted.
John
Hal Ashby's BEING THERE...the immortal Peter Sellers with a TV remote issue...and then some...
I'm with you, too, Connie. And your husband! It so important to have your significant other involved with your writing and your passion. And if they can make the bad guys go away, all the better! He sounds like a very cool dude...
Keep on keepin' on. It's been beyond tough, but you've come such a long way back, just keep on building more momentum. Keep on writing. Keep on contributing here. Keep on inspiring us, Connie...
John
Some midthread clarifications are warranted here:
Ben -
A(lan) Jackson is an all-around good guy country music star, fishin' and drinkin' buddies with Jimmy Buffett down in Key West...
Peter Jackson's KING KONG opened with a $51 million weekend BO, and went on to gross $547 million worldwide.
Thomas -
Suggest we not shoot the Wachowski Brothers -- the driving force behind the live action SPEED RACER. These are the same guys who imagined and gave us THE MATRIX, and we wouldn't want to see that kinda dent put in the creative community. (The W Brothers have said they wanted to make a live action film their young nieces and nephews could see, and that desire shaped SR...)
I've seen the trailer to SR, and all I can say is, I guess I've outgrown the demographic. Great cast, pretty risky production design...gotta love 'em, though, for taking those risks.
That said, May 22nd and Indy can't come quick enough...
John
Gene -
Outstanding post! Thanks, from all of us...and Happy Easter, to one and all!
John
Jerry -
Best to get all the details right from the website, per Jean's sound advice just above.
Sheila's URL is: http://www.sheilagallien.biz
Paula -- Very cool! Congrats!
Lots of great insight in these posts. I think Gene and Paula both nailed it. And the Dan Brown "The DaVinci Code" trial goes to both of their points.
The authors of a book that told the same basic story as Dan Brown's best seller sued him. And lost. Millions in legal fees. Why? Because while Brown admitted that he consulted their book as part of his research, and actually used anagramtic references to it in his novel, he was still able to establish clearly that 1) his work was based on wide ranging research -- not just the one rival book, and 2) the expression of the story that was "The DaVinci Code" was original to him.
So, in a simple slice of salami advice: It you can write the story about this event in an original way, distinct from the book in question, you're fine. And you'll get sued. But you'll be fine.
Gotta love it, eh?
That said, Paula's also right on. Don't invest the time unless you're absolutely going to create an original take on (expression of) the events, relying on multiple sources of information and historical records in the public domain.
I was enthralled with "Once" when I first screened it. On a second or third look, I'm sure there are plenty of flaws in the quite modest production values that pros can point to in an instant...
...But that first experience of seeing it? Invisible. In fact, the characters, their relationships and the story became even more authentic and real through the way it was shot -- on a shoestring in Ireland, mimicking the creative process underway within the plot itself.
A great story unfolding hides many flaws...
American Graffiti is another great example of this...
Budgets (IMDbPro):
Once -- $150,000 ($180,000 Euros). BO: $9 million
American Graffiti -- $777,000 (1973 dollars) BO: $151 million.
Having raised three kids (the third, 17, just now entering that "angsty" age), I've had the good fortune and blessings to learn that what Mark Twain said about this subject a while back is very true. (I believe it was him, could be wrong, so please correct....)
Anyway, he said something like, "When I was 18, I was ashamed and embarrassed by how dumb my father was and how little he knew of the world...only to be astonished by how much he had learned by the time I turned 21..."
Yep.
jca
It's a grand day, indeed, when a poet-warrior triumphs. Bravo, brave one!
John
Linda -
You might give a quick scan to the downloadable schedules on the Encore web site. I took a quick look at two of their channels, and right now, the posted scheds go back to late Feb/early March.
Here's the link:
http://www.encoretv.com:80/appmanager/seg/e?JSESSIONID=H2KvBGJnk2D3vcrgVZ2WCJg2tQ00k2h2fmCJrGtBTRvNjhJJW1Zh!1445795161!1466192097&_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=download_schedule
Didn't see anything on the Mystery or Action schedules that looked like a match...
Good luck!
John
Heather -
WOW! What an impressive group of committed artists. The website is a real eye-opener for grasping just how deep and experienced and successful the Seattle scene is in developing talent. Wish I lived closer so I could tap into it and learn...
Kudos to one and all!
John
P.S. And congrats again on earning the week-long retreat!!!
Heather, Randy, All -
Any good sites out there on the Internet where you can view shorts? Or read screenplays for shorts?
John
Let's also give a shout out right back to Gene and Paul, the Brothers Langlais, for being recognized by A Feeding Frenzy for BEST FEMALE CHARACTER NOT USED AS A MURDER PROP OR DECORATION ON THE LEADING MAN'S ARM in their screenplay UNITY.
Jean -
What terrific news! Congratulations! Couldn't happen to a nicer, more generous and more talented and consistent winner among all of us MBrs...
Rock on, Jean!
Great thread, Patrick, and terrific post, Walter. Most helpful! I'm one of those guilty of undervaluing the midpoint turn by trying to save the biggest reveals for the end...
In the two examples you give, Walter, it's notable that in one, the midpoint is a major reveal, while in the other, it's the achievement of a major goal -- finding the Ark. Helpful to keep in mind that it could be either one, or both, of these, or something else -- as long as it's major, arresting, and turns the story.
Thanks again!
John
One word, and it ain't plastics. Money. Who has it. Who doesn't. Who loses too much of it. Who can't find it any more. Who runs out of it. Who can raise it and who can't. Who invests it poorly and who invests wisely.
Understanding the economics is part of the gig. Whining about it? Not so much...but it is a popular pastime... Unfortunately, it doesn't get a script written...
Shell's got it right, above.
Sandy -
I'm biased, naturally, given my success in the contest last year...but I can say with 100% accuracy and conviction that you will not find a more professional group, anywhere in the screenplay contest world, than the folks at the head of the PAGE awards. They are the tops, as people. And the structure of the contest, with separate divisions and prize winners for each genre, adds up to a bargain, in terms of entry fees vs. the number and nature of the scripts yours competes with.
Again, the well-run, well-respected contests all share common attributes, the most important being that they are run by classy, committed people. Should you enter PAGE, your script will be in great hands.
Good luck, Sandy!
John
Thanks, folks!
Kinda exciting, in that it is a new script, so now I know I can writing something beyond a fish story that's able to score a few points...
Looks like Moviebyters are tearing it up in the ASA and Story Pros... Kudos, one and all!
Gene, Heather, well said and heart felt, one and all.
When I saw him walk into the ballroom in Austin to give his talk, I was just looking up at him with that loopy look one gets in the presence of their heros...and he smiled back. Eye contact and all. Midwestern nice.
What an astonishing body of work: full bodied technically and artistically, full of heart, smart as hell, and always, always, the integrity...right there...as gracefully present as God himself...
Boy, what a conversation those two must be having right about now...
One for the ages, that he was and always will be as a storyteller.
Pax
Great heads up and service, Gene -
The "indirect promotions" lingo looks like a wide and wicked net to catch those who don't read the fine print. Like me!
Filmmakers Intl. was on my initial round of entries last year when I took my whale script out onto the contest circuit. I just happened to re-read the application mid-summer, looking for notice dates, and saw that 7% catch-all line. I immediately e-mailed them, requesting that they pull the script out of the competition. I asked for a comfirmation e-mail that it was pulled, and got one.
It's a deal-breaker, in my eyes, 'cuz if the same script places in any other contests that include promoting your script to "the industry" then you're exposed to future claims by these folks.
The report cards for contests have no standing, legally. The applications? Absolutely.
John
Whoa, Gene!
I'll be changing my name to Ben Lanyc Jr. before I'll allow you to annoint me with guru status or any other fancy-schmancy New Hampshire word for expert!!!
That said, I really REALLY hope I get the chance to buy you and your brother a tall cold Lone Star Long Neck at AFF this year...;-)
Signed,
Anythingbutanexpertbeerlovingwriterguy
Patrick -
Where it gets messy is in some of the specific things a contest will do to promote its winners and finalists. A very common prize component is an e-mail blast to the industry -- 3,000 to 6,000 folks get this e-mail, and it mentions you, your script and the contest.
Now, if you subsequently send a query to or call on one of those same entities, or meet them at a function and pitch them -- either a producer, prodco, agent or manager -- and they option, buy, represent and/or sell your script, the contest can make the claim that that entity first heard about your script via their e-mail...and you owe 'em 7% of the proceeds.
Given all the contests out there, why would you pay $50 to enter one of these 7% outfits and expose your future income to that extra tax? It doesn't make sense.
John
Another typewriter icon to paint on the ol' fuselage, Geoff! Nice to see you once again ace a top placement in a tough, competitive patch of sky...
Most excellent!
John
Terri -
Congrats on the request!
I'd go with those that recommend you NOT put the WGA# on the script. There is no downside to leaving it off. However, if you put it on the script, it can be seen by some as the mark of a newbie or amateur.
Good luck!
John
Folks -
I just read the transcript of Mark Gill's keynote address at the LAFF, thanks to Anne Thompson, of Variety, who provides the link to the full text through her blog.
Wow! Takes the top of your head off, by how smart, perceptive and instructional it is.
It's an absolute "MUST READ" -- start to finish -- for anyone who's serious about trying to make an impact and being a part of the unfolding future of our industry.
Here's the direct link:
http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2008/06/laff-mark-gill.html#more
Yup, Randy, great point.
You're exactly right: The real jewels are in the last third of the speech. He presents a great breakdown of exactly what a "quality" script and film should deliver...an engaging, emotional experience.
Thanks, guys!
This is very cool news, especially after learning more about the whole CineStory experience from Mike, here on MovieBytes, and from their website.
I'm going to be stashing away the pocket change every night from here on out, hoping to have enough for the tuition set aside by the time the retreat happens in October. (Hope it doesn't conflict with Austin, date-wise...)
Mike, thanks a million for the first-hand look into the experience. Can't beat that, especially when evaluating whether to invest significant dollars in partaking. It sounds terrific, so if I can swing it, I'm there! (The catch is, we're heading into a two-tuition year with my last two kids both at college, so budgets are everything these days.)
Jean - I kinda twitch a lot and curl up into a ball in the bathtub whenever I get near a logline. I hate 'em! They're just really, really hard to write, and even harder to nail. But since you asked...
This new script is still kind of evolving, and I'm still wrestling with titles. It went out to a few contests this past spring under two different titles -- JACK OF HEARTS and the earlier SHEPHERD'S MOON. It's about a carefree, irresponsible guy -- a kind of bluecollar man-child -- who struggles to keep his sanity and family intact after he channels some missing fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls and is declared a bona fide messenger from God.
It's crashed and burned, badly, with some readers and a consultant. Others seem to really take to it. So I dunno where it's going to end up...
The script arose out of a series of screenwriting classes I took online called The ProSeries. I can't recommend it highly enough. The best writing course I've ever taken!!! It's run by a husband-wife team -- Hal and Cheryl Croasmun -- through their website: www.scriptforsale.com. They are the most positively charged, writer-friendly folks you'll find, and Hal's lessons on the craft have made all the difference in my writing over the past two years.
Okay, that's a lot more than a logline. Sorry! But it's not a shameless plug. The classes really have made a huge difference.
Thanks again, one and all, for the support and encouragement!
Keep on writing on!
John
Thank you, Connie, Jean and Julie.
Here's to sending good vibes right back atcha for the summer contest season. I hope it's a banner year for MB'ers!
John
Heather, as for those medicinal cinammon rolls at The Driscoll...I've got my fingers crossed we can all carve into a fresh batch again this October...
Here's hoping...
Bobbette -
I made the semis last year with a straight-forward action-adventure script that aspires to be hefty and commercial. Linear narrative, nothing fancy or edgey that would make readers think "indie"...
Patrick -
I landed my agent directly from a contest win. Jason Zimmatore, who runs the Movie Script Contest, personally makers sure that the agents and managers on his sponsor list get the winning script and read it. In my case last winter, he made one of those "nudge" calls to a sponsoring agent on a Friday. The agent read it over the weekend. I got the call at 8:30 a.m. on Monday that he wanted to take me on and represent me.
Movie Script Contest, by the way, also gives awesome notes -- among the best I've seen. (Not that I've seen a ton...I haven't.) But these were balanced, spot on, constructive and included recommended readings and references. If you haven't looked at entering that one (MSC) this summer, I'd look again. They do a first class job.
If you place in a big one, like Nicholl, Austin, PAGE, Scriptapalooza, etc., those placements also lead to reads with manager and management companies, including hot shops like Benderspink, Circle of Confusion and Mad Hatter...
So from my experiences, the contest wins were a door into the arena...a ticket into the game.
I think the deeper meaning of Blake Snyder's comment is that winning a contest doesn't score any points in the game, and it certainly doesn't make a career. The only true win in his frame of reference is the sale of a script to a WGA signatory production company.
And to date, I'm still shooting and swinging and aiming to score some points, working for that first sale...
Hope that helps,
John
Also spotted Lou Yateem in there, with REINVENTING ETHAN. Very cool to see so many MBer's...
Kudos, one and all!
Check it out, MB'ers... Ben's right!
This is to action-adventure what JUNO was last year to teen/comedy/coming of age scripts. An edgy, original voice... fresh takes on standard set-pieces... casting with gravitas... visually elevates the "WOW!" standard... Above all, it's gotta lotta ATTITUDE...
It's seriously smart storytelling from folks who know better than to take themselves too serious. (Except, of course, when it comes to craftsmanship.)
Perfect for this holiday weekend!
The Happiest of Fourth of Julys, to one and all!
Chicago John
Great stuff, Paula. Thanks!
Great the hear that the LADY JAZZ is winning kudos for the classiest contributor to Moviebytes community.
Way to go, Jean!
And to Geoff the Ambitious One!
One time-tested story strategy is to have your protagonist be the constant, while all the other key characters change and transform around him/her. The protag is still the driver of the story's spine and main action, pursuing a goal, but much of the story's emotional and dramatic impact comes from how the characters around him/her are affected and changed forever by his actions.
That, in effect, gives you a bit more license to spend more screen time developing those characters you "like"...
Don't know if that's a workable master plot for your story or not, Bobbette, but it might lead to some open running room for the imagination to play around in...
Write on!
John
Just when I thought I had nothing to contribute to this great thread (love the musical, can't sing for beans), I just came across this story in today's THR.com:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia50cdcb373435f1b1b0552fdc0d8a3fa
Hang on to your parasol, Janet -- it's about Joss Whedon venturing into the realm of your beloved musical soundstage...and going digital :-O!
..."The 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' creator wanted to do something original and came up with a "musical for the Internet" and wanted the project to 'work as a story. We had the idea of the blog, and this low-rent/underdog feel to it.'"
...Be sure to let us know what you think after Act 1 premieres next week, okay?
Anything with Astaire in it Rocks
It's way too long for the boards, Janet. Just e-mailed it to you.
Rock 'n roll, one and all! Good luck heading into the semi's, MBer's!
Well done, Sir Gene! This definitely shows class and consideration for what's best for aspiring writers, on the part of Movie Deal.
Ain't it great?
Janet - Hot off of Done Deal Pro:
Title: Bob: The Musical
Logline:
A thirtysomething guy who hates musicals wakes up to find his entire life has become one.
Writer: Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Agency: Creative Artists Agency
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Prod. Co: Benderspink Contrafilm
Genre: Musical Comedy
Logged: 7/16/2008
More: Rewrite. Chris Bender & J.C. Spink and Beau Flynn & Tripp Vinson will produce. Mark Waters will direct. Marc Shaiman is writing the film's songs. First set up in July 2004.
Sun -
Forgive the following blur of ideas for titles. I plead insanity -- solving the title puzzle for someone else's script, instead of my own, as-yet-unnamed tomes, is something I can't resist:
Shattered
Shattered Hearts
Fallen Hearts
Desire under the Docket ;-)
Trials of the Heart
Heart's Justice
Just Hearts
Heart's Honor
On the Brink
Personal Justice
Involuntary Desire
Wrongful Desire
Wrongful Hearts
Collusion
Justifiable Acts
Allegedly in Love
Breach of Trust
Breach of Honor
Bad Faith
Burden of Proof
Duress
Heart's Duress
Consenting Hearts
The Lovely Murders
On all of the above, absolutely postivitly no as in nada due diligence has been performed. In short, many may already be taking up title bytes on IMDb.
And many more of the above have no right to be considered as titles...on account of lameness, your honor...
Oh, man! And I was just getting warmed up.
Okay, then. I call dibs on all the rest...especially the lame ones!
Best of luck to you, Sun! ;-)
John
I forgot to thank you for your suggestion, Julie. Sorry about that!
Yep, the ol' 1-3 word title master challenge is a tough one to get right. It's a mixed emotional and rational soup of confounding questions: "Will I know it when I see and hear it?" tossed in with "What'll it look like on the one sheet?" complicated by "These 13 other movies with the same title here on IMDb...has it been long enough since they came and went...and are the 1980s really ancient history?"
Plus, each answer to every one of those questions is soooo subjective...
That said, it's also obviously worth getting right, and can be fun...for a while.
Back to the garret. Thanks again, Julie!
Good call, Robert. In my book, it's...
Saint Jean!
Geoff -
You have got to be approaching some kind of record...just terrific to watch you tearing up the sky, bagging win after win.
It's just a matter of time before you get that puppy out to LA and into the right hands!
Salutes!
John
Your kinda tune, Janet: EW has just posted itslist of top 25 movie musicals of all time. Anne Thompson breaks it down on her blog:
http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood
Thanks, Randy! Great stuff, as usual.
Excellent for recalibrating the screenwriter's head, in terms of the value of narrative/descriptive text vs. dialogue...actions vs. words.
Patrick -
If you've got a new script ready to send out into the contest world, I'd give Movie Script Contest a close look. The notes are terrific, and they can really contribute value to your rewrite process.
Plus they've got some new prizes and three distinct categories that give you an edge on the odds, in my humble opinion, over the mega-contests open to all comers, like Screenwriter's Expo.
Deadline for MSC is tomorrow, 7/31.
Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to win MSC last year, and that lead directly to landing an agent, so I'm REALLY biased for a pretty sound reason: It delivered as promised, plus everything about the experience was first-rate.
And CONGRATS to the "Powerful Proud" brotherhood!
Enjoy the ride, Geoff, Gene and Paul!
John
P.S. Gene, that's me, over in the alley, 'neath the fire escape and the dripping downspout, waiting for my script to spontaneously combust and burn the paint off this dumpster! 'cept the damn downspout, spoilin' the fun...
Tremendous news, Jean! What a great title for a crime drama...promises so much with just two words and a genre!
Hope you're doing the happy dance and some "Woo Hoo!" scat singin' regarding this win and the high "next 100" placement in the Nicholl. Was your Nicholl entry LADY JAZZ as well?
Kudos, Santa and Flo! Enjoy the ride -- you're in great company and very cool hands with the Bluecat crew!
Just got the mail, and I'm in the "Close - top 10%" crew this year...and very happy to make it this far. Very classy, the letters that Greg Beal sends.
Congrats, Paula! Wonderful to see that word "Congratulations!" in the first line of the letter, isn't it?
Enjoy the ride!
John
Awesome news, G & P!!!
Fantastic news, Flo!
Ben,
Sir Arthur emigrated to Sri Lanka, not South Africa...
...just wanted to make sure you made accurate travel plans for your retirement...;--)
Congrats, Gene, on UNITY, and the other MB'rs.
I liked the way they listed the results on their website -- with emphasis on the titles. And in scanning them, ALL of the titles sounded intriguing and strong. Musta been part of the criteria for advancing...as it always should be.
Good luck to all!
Just rockin' cool news, Paula!!! Fantastic validation, especially to achieve this level two years in a row.
Congratulations!
John
Got it, too. No plans to follow up.
Nice going, Michael. Patrick's right - lots of buzz spinnin' round The Knuckleballer. Keep mowin' 'em down!
I'm in for Austin, as well. Looking forward to spending some quality time with old friends and new.
Gene and Paul's posts over on DDP are great companion pieces to Heather's guidance. This'll be my third trip, first with a Producer's Pass and as a Second Rounder.
Cya soon!
John
Ditto, Heather! Looking forward to that cinnamon roll at the Driskill and later, Lone Star long necks with the Brothers Langlais...
Kudos of the Brothers Langlais!
It was just announced that Gene and Paul and their supernatural thriller, UNITY, is among the top 20 -- Semi-Finalists for the 2008 International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival.
I've been lucky enough to have read this one...it absolutely rocks!
Good luck in making the finals, guys!
John
You're right on, Dorothy. They're that good!
Great news, Jean and Irin!
Great news, Jean, Michael, Bros. L and Geoff. Good luck next week on the next round!
What a terrific post to wake up to and read, Steve! Thanks for stepping up and stepping out and sharing the dream-coming-true moment.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Have a blast, man!
John
Cheering Serena and Thunder down the home stretch, Jean! Good luck bringing 'er home! John
Akiva Goldsman's "A BEAUTIFUL MIND" is another example worth studying...
Sorry, Timothy...missed your closing reference up top of the thread!
Ditto, Terry and Jean. Hope the day has been a great one for you, Frederick, and for all the Moviebyters who make your site such a valuable and supportive resource for those of us learning the business.
Thanks a million!
Congrats to our patron saint on yet another deserving win for a piece of material that consistently proves its excellence, contest after contest.
Way to go, Jean!
Irin took the silver? Hey hey! Great to see two strong voices and MBers bringing home the hardware...
Cool news and congrats, Irin! Good luck to you both, as the scripts make the rounds...
Happy New Year, one and all!
'Tis the season to assess progress and reassess goals and recalibrate our resolve to keep at this crazy life. For those who, like me, need a periodic kick in the rear when it comes to overcoming chronic procrastination, I just came across this (late, of course) -- an incredible piece of writing that lots of you are probably already familiar with:
THE ART OF WAR, by Steve Pressfield (THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, TOTAL RECALL, etc.)
It's a brutal and beautiful book. Inspired. Timeless. Essential.
Peace and progress to all in the months and year ahead!
John
(h/t to Denis McGrath and his blog: http://heywriterboy.blogspot.com/2008/12/arrogance-humbling-and-surrender.html)
Wanted to give a shout-out about one of the best contest experiences I had in 2008, because the deadline for 2009 is coming up -- January 7.
CineStory (www.cinestory.org) is a very unique contest, in that if you place in the top 20, you win the opportunity to invest in your career in a crucial way.
To break in and begin a career in screenwriting, all the gurus tell us, we've got to have two things -- amazing scripts and a network of contacts inside the biz. Can't make it without BOTH of these, we're told. Okay. Makes sense. I've bought in to that, and one of the goals I set for 2008 was to really work at building that network.
Three great events helped me do that -- The Santa Fe Screenwriting Conference, the Austin Film Festival, and CineStory. But the one that blew me away (in that before going to it, I had no frickin' idea how extraordinary it was going to be) was CineStory. As a contest choice, it's a chance to put yourself in position to commit meaningful dollars toward making meaningful contacts with working producers and established screenwriters.
By meaningful, I mean that it's a true career investment. It's not about validation (even though there's certainly that). And it's not about blowin' your budget on scattershot speed dates at pitch festivals. CineStory is about sucking it up and stepping "into the room", into a one-of-a-kind setting -- an intimate 4-day retreat in the San Jacinto mountains -- where it's possible to actually start new, valuable relationships with credentialed talent: producers, heads of A-lister production companies, studio creative execs, agents and managers. And a more generous, giving, nurturing-yet-brutally-honest family of talent you will be hard pressed to find anywhere.
Nothing's a sure thing, in life or screenplay contests. But if you're serious about working toward making it as a professional, CineStory delivers on the promise of immersing you in a world of professionals, for 4 extraordinary days.
Best of luck, one and all, if you decide to enter in 2009. And thanks for letting me share the above and give a little back to a very cool, committed group of folks.
John
I entered my script from the ProSeries 14 course, Orlanda. Shepherd's Moon (a.k.a. Jack of Hearts) and was lucky enough to make the semifinals and get an invite.
Thank you, Lisa, for deftly correcting my glaring error in the title on my first post. The Art of War (stet) is also an essential tome for all storytellers, but... I was so focused on getting the author's name spelled correctly that..., well, spelling is right up there with procrastination on my top talents for screwing up....
The War of Art, it 'tis... Sorry about that, folks...
Nicely done, Writers Langlais!
I think Irin's on to something -- just like "the long tail" is all the rage among economic gurus, our NYC bard's stellar contest track record is making the case for "the long title"...;-)
Kudo-liscious monikering, Irin!
Fabulous news for our patron saint! Congratulations, Jean. What a GREAT piece of news! Can't wait to read about you in the trades, and hear about the adventures that lie ahead!
Wonderfulness!
Way to rock the AA world, Irin! Well done!
It's a heavily Flash driven site. Would suggest downloading the latest version of Flash for your preferred browser. (Just did that last week for another site, and it opened fine within Firefox on a MacBook Pro.)
Evie -
It sounds like you've got a valuable story to tell, one that's needed out in the culture. And it's clear you've got the essential core every writer needs to tell a particular story well, and that's passion.
So first things first -- don't let reviewers, readers, friends and strangers on Internet boards (both well meaning and not...both skilled and not) knock those two things out of you. Keep believing in the story and keep working with passion to tell it with power and excellence.
Second -- since this is your first script, it's going to take several major rewrites...and you're going to get lost in that process. Happens to us all.
Third -- to get back on track, follow Jean's advice. (She's one of the best of the good guys out here in Internet land.) Step back, let it cool (the writing, not the passion) and then dive back in for the next rewrite.
Fourth -- you are God when it comes to this story. You're its creator. What goes in, what gets cut, what happens first and then next and then next...how its crafted to hold an audience's attention...all that's up to you, and you alone, at this point. Yes, getting feedback and constructive criticism is essential. But the decisions on what to listen to and what to ignore are yours, and yours alone. The only true obligation you have is to the story...and its telling...and getting that right, so that your final draft fulfills your original vision...AND holds our interest, keeps us turning the page, pulling us relentlessy along, all the way to FADE OUT.
That's the goal. That's the coolest reason to write. Cuz if you/we do that, then the story now lives inside each of us fortunate enough to have met it, and we're truly richer for it...and hopefully, changed.
Pax,
John
Kudos, Bros!
Aye, laddy, very nicely spun!
Well done, once again, Ace!
Good to see you in there with another new one, Irin! I slipped in as well. Lots of names, tough competition among them.
Good luck, MBer's, one and all!
Ditto, Tom - Kudos and good luck!
For what it's worth, Dan, I got excellent value out of the Moviescript Contest -- first in the quality of the feedback notes, and second, I developed some great contacts with two of their sponsors, one of which was an agent, and both of whom the contest director, Jason Zimmatore, personally connected to my script.
Jason is a dedicated pro who champions his winners passionately.
And per Irin's note, look at entering CineStory next year if you're ready for a lab/retreat experience that builds your network of contacts. Wonderful people, and well worth the investment, in my book.
I would definitely put both of these way above Screenwriting Expo -- that's a big zero, in my experience, both in administrative inconsistency, quality of the results and weight it carries in the industry.
AMERICAN GRAFFITI
Congrats, Eric, and welcome aboard!
Karen -
I was also quoted accurately in that e-blast. Michael's right about the Nicholl, of course, in terms of its industry standing and respect and reading requests. It is deservedly in a class all of its own.
That said, PAGE is at the top of the next tier, and Creative World Awards is doing all of the same kind of things that PAGE has done over the years: great communications, feedback that works (enabling real progress in rewrites) and industry connections. I got my money back and then some, even though I didn't make the top 50.
James - Thanks for this tip. Very cool, indeed!
At last! Some excitement in my life. Hope I don't put their computers to sleep...
Congrats to one and all who advanced!
Always nice to join the frenzy of congrats for two of the nicest and most talented guys on the boards. Well done, gents!
The 2007 winner in the minority category, The Lost Brigade, just got set up, with Denzel Washington set to direct.
Terry, All -- I owe you folks an apology.
I screwed up, and posted incorrect information, borne from a very faulty short-term memory.
What I read on the Cynosure web site (2007 Winners):
"MINORITY PROTAGONIST CATEGORY
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: The Lost Brigade (Historical/Drama/Action) by Paul Gulino
LOGLINE: A brigade of black WWII soldiers lobby for the right to fight, only to find themselves having to prove themselves beyond expectation on the German front...."
What I'd read recently on Done Deal Pro (but didn't go back to double check before adding my earlier post, above):
"Title: Brothers in Arms
Logline: The only black U.S. tank unit fights in the European theater during World War II.
Writer: Matthew Sand
Agent: David Alpert & Ashley Berns
Agency: International Creative Management
Mngmnt Firm: Circle of Confusion
Prod. Co: Alcon Entertainment
Genre: War Action Drama
Logged: 5/18/2009
More: Rewrite deal, based on the book by Kareen Abdul-Jabbar & Anthony Walton. True story. Previous drafts were written by David Chisholm and John Sayles. Denzel Washington and Alcon's Broderick Johnson & Andrew Kosove will produce. Denzel Washington will direct.
Mea culpa!
Sorry for the making a mess of it, with misleading and incorrect info.
John
P.S. That said, I'm following Terry's lead, and entering this one.
Big thumbs up, Terry!
This just in via Kelly Williams' tweet:
Ron Howard to accept Austin Film Festival's Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award in October.
Another HUGE reason to try to make it to Austin if you can. My first trip was the year Sydney Pollack accepted the same honor... Unforgettable moment with your heros in filmmaking always happens at the AFF.
Congrats, Stephen! You're in excellent company. Good luck for the final round.
Way to bring home the gold with the goods, Irin!
It's feeling a bit lonely all of a sudden. I made the QFs with a based-on-true-events biopic, but hought for sure a bunch of us would be carrying the MB flag onward, with Irin leading the pack... Astonishing oversight, there...and a tough reminder just how subjective this contest biz can be...
Thanks, guys. Feeling very lucky 'bout this one, and just enjoying the here and now part of it.
Patrick, that is the PERFECT operative word for it all -- yammering.
Well done, one and all! Best of luck in the next round.
There you have it folks...live from New York...words of wisdom and candor and sound thinking, served straight up with his typical generosity, from one us...who's script just landed representation!!!!
BTW, Irin...didn't I just mention, on another channel, that "Somethin' good is coming your way..."
Couldn't happen to a greater guy!
John
Great to hear you're heading down to Austin again this year, Julie. We'll definitely have to expand our cinnamon roll ritual with Heather to include Irin and other MB-ers, including, I hope, the Brothers Langlais, Randy and the rest.
If there's room, I suppose we could try to squeeze in Ron H....
Just crushing news. What an enormous contribution he gave to his community of writers and creators. What a stunning, shocking bolt out of the blue...
Great to see a fellow CineStory alum and Chicagoan win big. Congratulation, Mike!
Alex sent out this tweet a day or two ago, it looks like:
"AlexMcPhail Screenplay notification letters will go out September 3. Tell your friends (if they are writers, otherwise they probably won't care)."
^
Hey Irin,
Hhmmmm. It appears your reader has MUCH better grammar and proofreading skills than my reader. Here's a direct lift from my dink e-mail:
"An meandering plot and undeveloped characters were challenges that kept if from progressing."
Two typos...in a form letter passed off as feedback. Whoa...
Nicely done, Stephen! HORROR COMIC is a juggernaut this summer. Good luck in all your races comin' round the final turns in the month ahead.
To agree and disagree with Irin and his post, when it's done REALLY well, like in MICHAEL CLAYTON by Tony Gilroy, you do notice and it just blows the top of your head off...in an enjoyable way, of course.
The kill joy effect comes the next morning, when you get up, head for the writing desk, pull your own stuff out to work on, and...
Well done, Paula!
Way to spin it into the finals, Irin. Good luck!
Did your friend get through, Heather? Somehow, someway, my draft is still hanging in there... a way cool rush...
Thanks, Terry and Janet. This one's a new script - HEART OF HONOR - an inspired by true events sports biopic.
OMG, no apologies necessary, Heather!!! I'm literally still a bit catatonic with this news, not sleeping at all last night. It just means so much, to see this story continue to rise in such a prestigious setting. It's been a personal passion project for a long time...
It's the kind of material we're all told not to write -- an historical drama, set in the 1920s, about the first African-American to cross the color line and play football at my alma mater.
Thanks, so much, Heather, Irin, Terry -- one and all, for the kind words. It's just...simply...amazing...
Patrick, what part of the country do you live in? Nothing in the mail up here in Chicago...
Thanks, guys, for all the kind wishes. And a special thanks, Michael, for plowing the period sports biopic road with "The Knuckleballer" -- quite an ERA you've earned with that one. Many congrats!
Congrats, Stephen and Irin, on making the FINALS! Well done.
Kudos aplenty, Ashley!
Congratulations, Cat -- Second Round / Top 10% at Austin is rarefied air, and if you can swing it, do get down to Austin to soak up all that the AFF has to offer. It's rejuvenating for screenwriters...and great for networking and marketing...and your Second Rounder status will help with that.
Keep on keepin' on...
That's terrific news, Heather! Congrats!
Stephen -
This is terrific stuff and a great blog. Thank you for sharing!
John
John August has some thoughts on "last looks" over on his blog: http://johnaugust.com/
MAJOR congrats to Stephen -- HORROR COMIC is through to the finals -- one of only 10 left out of 650 entries. Way to rock it, SH!
WRITING THE TV DRAMA SERIES, second edition, by Pamela Douglas. I picked this up after numerous stellar recommends over on the DD boards. It's lived up to all that and more. Sort of a "Save the Cat" for TV, with lots of first-hand essays and Q&A's from the best of the best...
Sweet!
Robert, you make it sound like a bit of a legendary Cubs baseball infield history: "Tinker to Evers to Chance..."...;-) Congrats on FLAT PENNIES, BTW, and a tip of the cap as well to the rest in the MB'ers and friends in the family/drama scrum, especially Murph's THE KNUCKLEBALLER, speaking of baseball.
Good luck to one and all!
I'll chip in with "Elias" after the sports bureau. Good playground -> street cred in that!
P.S. I'm still on the fence, regarding Austin. Glad to hear the breakfast cinnamon roll tradition remains in great hands, Heather and Julie...
Cool to see new/alt titles for perennial high placers! Congrats!
Lee - So great to see another LOCAL HERO fan cite that as a standard of excellence. There is magic in that script/movie on every page and in every frame. So much heart...irony...and heady humor...
There are plenty of folks covering the fun and games on the dark side, it seems. 'Nice' is...vital!
Keep on keepin' on. Things flow in cycles.
Quarterfinalists are up on the website. Looks like MBers are well represented - D. Santiago, Jean Hunter, Michael Murphy and the Evers kid...sorry if I missed anyone else. Lots of strong contenders still in there, so it looks like we're up against a very tough line up.
SF on Sept. 26, winners on Oct. 17
Kudos one and all and good luck going forward!
Thanks, Irin! This is fun, to see the MB gang locked elbow to elbow in a flying wedge and advancing together! Some serious competition in the urban drama sub-genre just got left behind in the wake of "The Way it Spins"... Major validation in that, Irin.
Cheers to one and all!
I've heard good things over on DD boards about the Trackingb.com contest, in terms of quality scripts getting exposure to industry insiders. Never entered before, but am considering it this year.
Marvelous insight, Joseph. Thanks a million for sharing it!
Thanks, Michael and Janet. I'm very happy that it performed as well as it did here...
Right there with you guys on sending stuff out too early. I feel, sometimes, like Dr. Strangelove trying to keep that damn right arm down as I throw another not-quite-ready-for-the-big-time spec out into the world.
Premature rejection...or mutual assured rejection...it's a one-way street to the same slush pile...
Thanks, guys!
And a hearty good luck, JR, in the comedy category!
Thanks, everyone, for the steadfast encouragement, across the board. It's a pretty cool thing to be on this journey with this group, as we share the ups and the downs. Much, much obliged!
Jonathan - Bookmark Jason Scoggins' blog, "Life on the Bubble," to track sales of screenplays. URL: http://www.lifeonthebubble.com.
Look in the recent thread of posts from this past summer and you'll see the reality of script sales. Worst market in modern memory. Even the best of the best of the professionals are not making sales. Zip. Zero. Nada.
An understanding of these numbers is vital to anyone serious about pursuing a professional career, and they provide enough perspective to help clear up, I should hope, just how "entitled" contest winners and placers and entrants should feel toward getting sold because of their contest placings.
Which is zip, zero, nada.
Contests provide an extraordinary value -- access and exposure for unrepresented material. And Janet's right. If they promise that, then they should deliver that. The good ones do, and their reputation grows because of that. The bad ones should and do get flamed on boards like this. [Which is, btw, why we all owe a huge tip of the hat to Frederick Mensch for Moviebytes.]
But as Stephen's been driving home in his posts, the ONLY thing that gets optioned, bought and sold is the material, not the writer.
I'm in LA right now, and I had a great meeting last night with an old high school buddy who was in and around Paramount, working inside the biz as a writer and producer, for almost two decades. I was bringing him up to speed on the contests, and placings and all of that, and he said that when it comes to breaking into the business...and staying employed in the business...it's the same for everybody, pros and wannabes alike:
The transaction is 100% about what is on the page: The concept. The story. The characters. The words and voice holding them all together.
That's it. Doesn't matter who you are. Because it's not personal. It's extraordinarily democratic and it's all in black and white: What is on the page? Is it something valuable, rare, original, commercial, castable and -- now more than ever -- clearly marketable and compelling to an audience that the buyer is targeting?
Our scripts have to deliver all of that. The contests don't control what's on the page, obviously. And many can't afford first round readers who are skilled and experienced enough to recognize all that, every time they see it.
The contests help us get our material out there. Which is great! But that's it. That's ALL they can do.
'Cuz then, as Stephen so accurately states, our scripts have to compete -- not for prizes and free software, but for the attention and admiration of the gatekeepers in the most competitive environment for creative material on the planet.
So, like, that's the deal, compadres. When it comes to deals, to option and sales? It's about the work and the craft that we bring to that page.
To be clear, there's a whole 'nother world of creative value and fulfillment and growth that the act writing, and striving to write at a high level of excellence, brings to each of us, on a personal level. It's very much its own reward...and a far richer one than a Hollywood deal, because we own the personal experience surrounding the act of writing.
But that's a whole 'nother set of ramblings. Better yet, pick up THE ARTIST'S WAY or THE RIGHT TO WRITE, by Julia Cameron, to tune into that vibe. It's a whole lot healthier place to be, spiritually and professionally, than LaLa Land these days...
Hope some of that helped. Great topic, Irin. Thanks!
Oh - Scott Butler -- Go to the HOME page of the Slamdance site:
http://www.slamdance.com/index.html
The Top 100 list (titles only) is posted on a link there:
http://www.slamdance.com/news/permalink/2009/9/28/172341.html
Top 10 are supposed to be announced tomorrow afternoon, and InkTip sent out an e-mail last night stating that the winner(s) will be announced next Tuesday, Oct. 6, at an evening event at the WGAw offices.
Kudos, guys! Keep tearin' it up!
Congratulations, Stephen! It's been a terrific season for HC. Good luck as you take it out to the town.
I didn't advance either but got a very cool P.S. note on the e-mail: "Heart of Honor was among the Top 30 scripts in the competition." As Eric Clapton once said, "Feelin' alright....";-)
Thanks, all, for being such a great community and inspiration. And a special congrats to fellow SF compadre, Ashley! Yes, do be ready for some contacts and reads, as they will, indeed come. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks, Cat. Defintely plan to use that as a hook in the query e-mails.
And good call on Steve Winwood. Actually, I blame the fact that I was channeling Joe Cocker -- thinking it was Clapton -- on the John Barleycorn I was celebratin' with...;-)
Here you go, Robert. (I got the e-mail, too, even though I didn't enter this year -- past experiences with this one were not good.)
Congrats, Irin, Stephen, Robert Ward and Joseph Kenny and anyone else I missed. Well done!!
---------------------------
Creative Screenwriting is proud to announce the quarterfinalists of the 2009 Expo Screenplay Competition. Congratulations to everyone who is listed below on great screenplays.
Thank you to everyone who entered!
FEATURES
Assigned - Andrey Soloviev
Above the Sunset - Alan J. Adler
A Little Faith - Jason Headley
A Splendid Fury - Andres Anglade
Ages Trapped in Time - Jim Lion
American Child - April Rouveyroi
Anonymous Donors - Jeff DeGrand & Tina Van Delden
An Occurance of Light - Mike Dragoo
Ashes to Anthrax - Cat Stewart
Assigned - Andrey Soloviev
Aza'zyel - Terrence TY Manns
Bang Bang Butterflies - Amy Rider
Blood and Honour - William Berezansky
Book of the Missing - Kate Douglas
Borderland - J.R Taylor
Brooklynese - Troy Ransome
Brothers Mussolini - Johnny B. Dunn
Borderland - J.R Taylor
Carve - David Laughlin
Cattle Call - Schuyler Willson
Clementime Taste Like Sugar - T."Teri" Robinson
Chaing-Father and Son's - B.R Stanley
Conditional Love - Lisa Arbuckle
Criminal Minds - Christine M. Torres
Crusaders Archers - Curtis/Scott Burdick
Devil May Care - Stephen Kadwell
Dead Crows - Chris Todd
Define Benefit - Stephen Shwandt
Devil May Care - Stephen Kadwell
Dude's Ranch - Cathi Sanders
Doraybus - Beth Jay
El Coyote - David Edward Norman
Emily - Mark Clausen
Endangered - Mark Elliot Kratter
Faith - Kolby Granville
Fathers and Sons - Daniel Carlsson
Fin Chaser - Maria Cozzi
First of the Month - Robert Ward
Five Dates - Kyle MichelSullivan
Freud - Daniel Ragussis
Gift of Laughter - Robert Nash
Handicap Spaces - Clinton/Jim Braly
Hockey Wives Baby Shower - Pat Kiely
Horror Comic - Stephen Hoover
Hotel California - Darren Herczeg
Ice Cold Feet - John Fein
Karmically Correct - Erin Donovan
Kitty Love - Jane Ranson
Last Pyrate Of New Providence - John Bain
Lost Daughters - Michael W. Shaw
Love Letters - Riley LaShea
Monster Child - Mark Steven Porro
Monkey Tuesday - Bryan Carrigan
Minus Men - J.R Taylor
Miracle Man - Yvonne Borgogni
Miss Liberty - William Russell Melton
My Girl Daisy - Sue Yeates
Naked Lady Blues - James Cordingley
New Moon - Doris Gill
Noah's Cruise - Kaisa AJaye
Now You See Me - Beth Szyperski
Nursery Crimes - Greg Klein
Outrage - Goerge Diaz Evashuk
Paradise City (Genesis) - Alisha Brophy
Paradise City (The Bible) - Alisha Brophy
Premonition - David Bousquet
Quigley - Lapo Melzi
Razor Man - Keto Shimizu
Redneck of the Year - Dawson Lee Williams
Road Side Assistance - David J. Sakmyster
Running Boys the First Rebellion - Peter Kennedy
Rye & Rice - Craig Rosenthal
Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll - Chris Raymond
Stuffed - Carter Cammack
Sweet Water - Becca Smith
Svengali Effect - Jeremy Shipp
Tesoro - Stacy Keane
The Adventure of Don Juan - John Crews
The B.E.S.T Man - Jack Davidson
The Blue Planet - Svet Rouskov
The Boys Winter - Ann Prochnow
The Code of Happiness - David Margolis
The Condemned - Debra Sharkey
The Conjur Man - Joseph Kenny
The Dark Artist of Paris - John Crawford
The Descent of a Man - Marquis Ewing
The Life and Death of Fitz Gerlich - Paul Clingan
The Moon Beam Fisherman - John Dummer
The One that got away - Ryan Belenzon
The Pheonix Effect - Margaret M. McDonald
The Rap Race - C.E Elliot
The Relevant - Christine Deither
The Templar - Matthew Dickson
The Toughest Girls - Cassidy McMillan
The Underground Castle - Jaqueline May Stewart
The United Al Queda Comedy - Charlotte Barrett/ Sean Fallon
The Way it Spins - Irvin Evers
The Wicked Wynde - Carlshawn Stovall
The Wind Riders - Jeff Ryback
Thicker than Water - Mark Kurasz
Tii and The Kingdom of the Lost Objects - Lillian Zvanovec
To Catch A Keeper - Mary Huckstep
Urbanity - Adam Taylor Barker
Warshaw Freedom - Kimberly Kaplan/ Mike Jacoby
Wash Out - Berke Karakas
Weaponized - Andrew Taylor
Windy City Story - Frank Artrage
Wither - Evette Vargas
Wolves in Winter - Sarah Del Collo
Wreckage of the heart - David M. Flynn
1 New York - Kaisa AJaye
5-6-7-8 TO Life - Ned Ehrbar
100 ways of Steve - J.J. Balczo & David Bricker
94 Maidens - Rhonda Fink Whitman
SUZANNE'S PRIZE
5 Dates - Kyle Michel Sullivan
A Severed Romance - Todd Rheingold
A Different Shade of Black - Dana Congdon
Chasing Brenda - Pauline Hayton
Frenching - Maire Rose
He's the One - F. Leegh Lewis
Karmically Correct - Erin Donovan
Love & Vodka - Robert J. Fox
Love Letters - Riley LaShea
My Girl Daisy - Sue Yeats
Now You See Me - Beth Szyperski
Off Screen Romance - Theo Baynton
Strawberry Mansion - R. Scott Shields
SOPHRONIA L. - Tim Bridwell
The One That Got Away - Ryan Belenzon
When Harry Tries to Marry - Ralph Stein& NayanPadrai
SHORTS
Ashes to Anthrax - Cat Stewart
Boing - J.J Hillard
Chucky Feast - Teri Carson
First of the Month - Robert War
Laundry Day - Aaron Kassander
Low-Grade Chocolate - Jennifer Bogush
Stones - Kal Webber
TELEPLAYS
30 Rock - Simeon Goulden
Big Bang Theory - Jenna Ryan
Bones-The Goddess Statue - Kenn Preblic
Breaking Bad - Jeffrey Lerner/ Monica Sagaser
Brothers Sisters- Broken Promises - Italome Ohikhuare
Entourage-Feng Shui'd - Dimitry Sheynin
Dexter - Andy Shrader
Dexter - John Raucci Jr.
Dexter/ Recycle - Mike Anunsen
In Treatment - Margaret Lepera
Medium- Full House - Kenneth R. Offricht
Er, sorry 'bout the formatting...straight cut and paste job. Frederick will post a clean look list on the main site soon enough...
Good luck again, MBers!
My experience mirrors Ashley's, pretty much. I'm expecting to lag a bit behind most of the other finalists, in hits, because of a weak title on the script (my bad) and also if the list contains genre info (don't know if it does, but if so, my historical drama isn't gonna ring a whole lotta bells).
That's not a complaint, btw!! Just acknowledging how the business works. Very, VERY happy to be a part of an extraordinary contest experience!
Good luck, Ashley, and to all the quarterfinalists who made the list as well!
Irin, have you read "Everything Must Go" from the Black List? It's a fave over on ScriptShadow as well. It's about a guy who's wife throws him and all of his stuff out of the house, literally onto the front lawn. He proceeds to start selling it, an impromptu yard sale, while he tries to pull himself and his life back together.
Dude!! To echo my post over on DD, Stephen -- way to rock this very rockily run contest. Good luck going for the $20K smacks!
Have a feeling it's just an appetizer, though, to bigger things comin' round the bend...
You continue to make us proud!
Dude!! To echo my post over on DD, Stephen -- way to rock this very rockily run contest. Good luck going for the $20K smacks!
Have a feeling it's just an appetizer, though, to bigger things comin' round the bend...
You continue to make us proud!
Bring it on home, MBers! This is the contest that led to both an agent for my whale script and a writing assignment from another of their sponsors back in 2007. Jason does a fantastic job promoting the top finishers to his sponsors and out into the industry.
Good luck!
Hey, all y'all...
...I'm gonna miss you, and the cinnamon roll salutes this year. Too much going on with the day job and stuff and stuff.
ENJOY! It's heaven on earth for screenwriters...especially when you have a pro like Heather giving you cues and slipping you insider advice.
Heather, if you have a chance during a chat with Greg over the next few days, I'd be much obliged if you could simply let him know how thrilled and thankful I am for the 2009 experience. And of course give my regards to Grady, too!
Cheers, one and all! Lift a long neck for all of us at Moviebytes!
John
Both laudable choices, Irin, but...I'd go with "Sundance"...
Nice job doublin' down, Irin! Good luck in both the Comedy and Drama categories. Saw Marjorie and Mike McG in there, too! Congrats one and all...
Irin - If it walks like a duck....
Kudos, Susan. Great title!
Two thumbs up to everyone for a marvelous year ahead!
Major thumbs up, Heather!
Fantastic news, Heather! So tough to reach this level on the mountain...congratulations and best of luck. Pulling for you!
John
This is terrific -- and instructional -- news! Chris has been a top placer in contests, consistently, since I've been following things (2007 on...). This script has been out there, placing and winning contests, on its way to finding its champion in a team and/or producer with the will to believe in it and the money to make it... Fantastic affirmation!
Congratulations, and thanks for the inspiration, Christopher. Well deserved!
Okay, I know it's comedy, not horror, but if were horror...RIP TIDE might work nicely...
Mike - Congrats again -- this is a marvelous opportunity, and couldn't happen to a better story and writer. Don't forget to enjoy the NON-cringe-worthy moments -- gotta be plenty of 'em on every page to achieve this kind of exposure.
Slante!
Sean (for the day)
Always great to see you on top of the board, Murph. Good luck and hope you rope in many a read!
Janet -
Could not disagree more with you about MOVIE SCRIPT CONTEST. I entered and won a golden brad in 2007. I landed an agent from that win and read, and scored another, separate writing assignment from an impressively credited producer who was a sponsor of MSC. On both occasions, Jason personally lobbied these folks to read the script. On top of that his notes were both constructive and encouraging and extremely helpful on my next rewrite.
FWIW...
Adding to Heather and Eric's advice: go to Ted and Terry's Wordplay website (http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/welcome.html) and read the archive of columns there. Priceless wisdom, chiseled with astonishing honesty and generosity.
Sorry, Susan. Like Heather, scanned things too quickly and missed your earlier post with the same advice.
Great post, Greg. Absolutely spot on.
I was a classmate of Greg's as well in PS 14, and back him on everything he says above -- especially that part about putting the work in, or you'll get zip out of it.
It's a major commitment, in terms of dollars and time and patience. Make the commitment, and you'll get your value back in spades.
So, two thumbs way up from PS 14.
George, please forgive all the Greg references...PLEASE! I was just over on the DD board, reading up on Greg Beal's latest, classy posts about the Nicholl, and channeled him into the "Add New Message" screen here, in responding to your post.
Lo siento!
Sincerely,
Jack...or Jim...or Joseph...or whoever the hell I am.
FANTASTIC news, Heather! I am so, so, so VERY excited for you and your partner. Thanks for sharing this here, and can't wait to hear more details down the road!!!!! John
Congrats, Heather, Stephen and to the other semi-finalists and second-rounders. Couldn't be more excited for you, especially Heather, given your generosity in helping so many of us "take the town" in Austin over the years. THUMBS WAY UP!!!!!
Wish I could join y'all but the wedding of our first-born is the main event for October. Have a blast!
There is justice in this world. GREAT NEWS, Irin! A hundred thousand congrats, my friend. Can't wait to hear about the next chapter as it unfolds. YES!!!!
Way to go, guys!!! Good people run this one, and it's showing up in their taste in Finalists. Kudos!
Congrats, Julie! Kudos as well to Irin, Michael, Stephen and Mike!
Great news on the feature, Mr. Hoover. Congrats! We all hope to see you 'round the palm trees and rag-top Beamers in LA, real soon...
Irin, way to bring it home!!! You're gonna love the weighty feel of that trophy in your hands, my friend. Put it on a mantle and readjust the track lighting to point down right on it -- a sweet win for a talented guy!
Dittos to Mike Donald, as well. Congrats on rockin' it, guys!
For how to think about the craft, how to approach the writing, what to expect from the industry, and, most important, understanding how high the bar is set — only one place delivers all that and more:
The columns written by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott at wordplayer.com. Here's the link:
http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/welcome.html
George is spot on. I went through the same course, Pro Series 14, and everything he says is absolutely the case. The tuition is an investment in your craft and your approach to your goals and career. If you commit, you'll reap returns and dividends well beyond the cost.
Congratulations George! And kudos as well to June, Timothy and TJ. Best of luck to one and all.
Add my dittos to the accolades. It's a gem of an experience that is unique and lasting and worth every penny of the investment. Kudos to the Cinestory family and to all who attended this year!
And yes -- put the 2012 contest on your "must enter" list if you're serious...
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