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Hello people,
I'm new to the board and yes I got the Screen Arts Foundation email as well. I use no service and my scripts are not posted online. So it is definitly the contests.
But I got a second email, a second script is free if it's also an action script. Since there isn't much in the lines of contests up here in Canada, I took the bait, so I guess we'll see.
Gotta give them credit, it is one smart marketing plan.
Orlanda
Not a problem Mary Kay, when I know you'll all know. Of course I'll fill out a contest card too.
I'm curious, has anyone entered the Red Inkworks contest? They're out of Vancouver, B.C. They seemed surprised and happy that a Canadian writer hit on their contest. Apparently most of their hits are from the U.S.
Orlanda
That is too funny Karl. If you really want to go crazy pick up Bill Casselman's Canadian Sayings. You will not only fall out of your chair laughing, you'll be able to put those words in context, eh.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Danny, Mary Kay - Thanks for the feedback. I like Larry, he seems to genuinly want to help us writers if he can. He has my latest action-adventure.
Mary Kay- Drop kick the last o on my name and replace it with a. I'm female.
Have a good one
Orlanda
Marcel - () have gone by the wayside. If there's a specific reason you need to push it, like, she SLAMS a cupboard door while she's in the process of interrupting. Then it's a new action. Like this.
She SLAMS the cupboard door.
.........JASMINE
Go ahead. Say it. Vibrator.
Otherwise you really don't need to use up the precious extra line.
Have a good one
Orlanda
Bravo D.G. I hope there's a script surrounding that action scene, there should be. And you can't review format without learning something you didn't pick up before.
Like finding mistakes that you're sure weren't there yesterday. Where the hell do these mistake faries hide when they're not at work on your scripts?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Thank you Danny, I'll let you guys know what happens, if anything.
Mary Kay - With my name, I've had a lot worse Orlando. Don't worry about it.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Too right Miriam.
Didn't mean to seem pushy Marcel. I've been told wrylies are rarely used. Who knows, maybe they've had a comeback.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Linda,
I'm new to the BB as well. Any help I can give, you got. Same goes to the rest of you guys and gals.
Hey D.G. - I'll bite, what does being in the Hot Corner mean???????????
As for the Brad size, up here they're just called 1 1/4" (not to be mistaken for any other use).
Hi all,
Steve - You forgot deer and moose jerkey.
Johnny - I'm in my 40's and never saw anyone chew tobacco. Oh, it won't work with hockey players. Anything that might wreck the ice would be banned up here, in Manitoba anyway. Unless your character likes making trouble for him/herself.
But I will check 7-11 for you and let you know.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Opppppps.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Miriam,
Like you and Didi, I quite often let my subconscious work out the details. You might also try to visualize a scene as you wrote it, rewind, then visualize the changes. Where will your characters be now and how it will alter their interaction?
If I can't see a scene play out in my head, I usually don't write it.
As for inspiration, I hit the busiest restaurant, lounge, hockey or football game, sometimes my brother's house and just start writing. I know, it sounds weird. What can I say, 9 siblings and 28 nieces and nephews. I'm used to working in a crowd.
But it's after 12:00 here and I have 4 hours to put into script 7.
Nightowl extrodinare.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Johnny,
Here's what I found. A gas station in town carries Coppenhagen, in a gold and white cylinder. 7-11 has 4 types of Skoal.
Here's the thing, they only bring it in for the summer and fall from the U.S. for the U.S. hunters and fishermen who come up for the wildlife. So check out your neighborhood store and you'll find the same brands.
Also, they've never looked for a Canadian brand and don't know if there are any.
Sorry I can't give you some bizzaro Canadian brand.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey D.G. - That's so cool. I've been playing baseball since I was strong enough to lift a bat. About knee high on my dad, he was 6'6". Look up, look waaaaaay up. I didn't play third though, first was my plate. Of course I wasn't a Szabo then.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I have final draft and I'm sure I'm only using a 1/4 of it. I'm so new on the computer you'd have to explain how to cut and paste.
Can't believe I used a typewriter for almost 3 years. Oh well, at least I know I can format manually if the computer crashes. If the power goes out, I'll just have to use pen and paper.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
This is for R. Sparks,
I don't mean to sound contradictory, but I handed in a 2nd draft of a script it took 10 days to write to a Manitoban UCLA screenwriting Prof. and screenwriter who was up here to teach an extended (by phone and email) course on re-writes and polishes.
He wouldn't take my money. He said I was way beyond him. He just about fell off his chair when he found out it was only the 2nd draft.
I guess what I'm saying is, for me, if a scene doesn't give me the creeps, bring a tear to my eye, piss me off or have me sitting on the edge of my chair while I'm writing. I don't write it. Period.
On the lighter side, if an idea's hot, it's HOT!!!!! If you can see it in your head, run with it as fast as you can and you'll never go wrong.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Miriam - I'm falling out of my chair laughing. It was moose. I'm afraid a mouse wouldn't have enought meat to actually hang. Plop - sizzle.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Don't worry Steve, my scripts are on my laptop and every draft is saved. No virus is getting into those babies.
When I need 'em I just pop the disc into the PC and shoot 'em off. So far I've only had to reformat once. A lot of people out there have Final Draft.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
You're welcome Johnny.
You can get caribou jerky up here, but I'm not sure I'd actually eat it. Too spoiled by my Hungarian inlaws secret beef jerky recipe.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Monica,
I'd like to know the odds as well.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Since finding connections is the most favorable way of breaking into the industry/biz. I thought I'd post my tried and not always true way to find them.
1. I had to learn to write.
2. Found a screenwriters group.(not my best time spent)
3. Crash courses. (great for learning, debatable for contacts)
4. Protect work (gotta have)
5. Queries - agencies/production Co's.(hit and miss/WGC has a whole 21 agencies listed for all of Canada, pushing south for a good reason)
6. Contests (just started, 1 quarter final, 2 no go's, waiting, next results late in Sept.)
7. Weekend director's course.(really basic)
8. Volunteer for the Winnipeg Film Festival info desk. (you meet everyone here as you sign them in. Good luck remembering names later, get a card)
9. Extra in 2 TV movies (TNN & SHOWTIME)
so far, Showtime has 4 more to be made here so we'll see. (met producer, director, PA's, DA's, casting and crew of a new Prod. Co in Wpg.) It really lets you see how your written lines play out, not to mention how much work goes into setting them up. GREAT INSIGHT. Found out for sure my movie within a movie script is right on the mark. PHEW.
10. Thought up a new format for query/resume setup. This'll jump up and bite 'em where the sun don't shine. It'll be ready to go in October. I'll let you all know if it works.
Any other ideas? I'm game to try out a new plan.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
For me it's pumpkin, fresh whipped cream is a must.
And guess who gets to make 'em when we have a family get together?
I love baking for 2 days when it's 95F, really I do. And if you believe that...
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Linda,
You can also try IMDb.com
Just type in the name, scroll down a bit and click on agent. Most of them are listed for the bigger names.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Yup, uh-huh, no problem D.G. Just as soon as I figure out who, where and when.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Andrea's right Brian. It doesn't matter what side of the border you are born on. Blood is blood.
I have a friend who had to look up his native ancestry in the US to get his metis status up here.
And for you Steve, I have much better ways to spend a friday night.
Besides, I'd have to go to Calgary to find some snow this time of the year. Tee hee, one of my sisters got snowed on twice last week.
Snow in August. Go figure.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Yup, I'm shelving a scrip too. Man that burns. Oh well, at least we're all on the right track.
Ah to be known.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Miriam - My dad loved sour cream and raisin pie too. But he loved boiled raisin cake more. What's more he could make 'em. He was an army cook, that's where he met mom, in an army kitchen.
Good thing they learned to cook in quantity eh.
But availability of the ingredients way back when is was what counted for the sour cream and raisins.
My dad was born in 1923. How about yours?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
What I want to know is WHAT non-profit group and WHAT it's going to be used for?
If it's going to end up being a promo for some computer company, web page or advertising in any form. You will have to pay the writer and give them writing credit.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Mel
You might try donedeal.com, they have some really good query letter samples and how to's on putting your letter together.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Does anyone know the story on Pinch? They're asking for Canadain writers. And that makes me a little nervous.
Pinch Ent. is listed here in the writers wanted. It says the owner took her film training in Toronto.
I have a few scripts that fit their requirements and just want to make sure before I query.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I'm Aquarian.
Anyone for numerology (#3) and Chinese (year of the pig/boar) depending on which one you read.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Thanks guys, that helps a lot.
Miriam - I'll check out scriptsales.com as well. I can't believe I didn't think of that myself.
Hang on, hmmm it's 85F so it can't be brain freeze. Must be a brain stall then, don't you hate when that happens.
Thomas, Miriam, Bryan and Doug - Thanks again.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Ooooooooo Steve, jerky and beer. How can we ever resist. Wait, I'd have to get out my snowshoes at least for the trip. And you're a healthy stroll from here.
Ah, it'd be winter before I got there.
R.S.V.P. - So sorry I can't make it. No field side internet access for my PC.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Peter - My best friend is a Sagittarius. Funny thing is her last name is Fraser too.
Weird eh?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Mel - You're welcome. I'm going to go check out cinemaray.com, it sounds interesting. Thanks.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
In my first script(a whole year ago) I had such a sumptuious spread set out that three of my readers couldn't finish reading the scene without grabbing something to eat.
I'm not sure that's good. If it gets to the big screen, everyone's gonna leave to get popcorn.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I guess it's a good thing I'm a full time stay at home writer then.
I'll query on Monday and see what happens.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Christine - What about Aquarians? We're creative and inventive.
And Randy, there's a genius inside every Pisces. Apply it where you will.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - Burt Reynolds eh. Mine's the 16th.
Get this, I've got Edgar Bergen, LeVar Burton, John McEnroe, Ice T, James Ingram and Sonny Bono.
Does that mean I'm supposed to be a singing sportswoman that produces?
LOL Hey, a baseball opera.
It's three and two at the bottom of the nineth, bases loaded and a tie game.
The pitch and at bat, um, how about Zena line drives the ball straight out center field into the stands.
The crowd roars as Zena yodels to first. Echoes from her teammates follow her into the big finale' as she touches home base. Then gets beaned in the back of the head by the incoming ball.
Ow. Man that would hurt.
A musical "League of Their Own"
What do think? Tragedy or comedy?
Anyway, drop kick the o at the end of my name and make it an A, eh.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Maybe ushers or attendants? I'm not sure. A friend of mine works at the Wpg Int'l, I'll find out and get back to you.
Although I don't recall seeing them here. Just a long line of cabs.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Mary Kay - I'm entered in the Red Inkworks. Mainly because I heard very good things about Larry and the contest.
I haven't heard of the other one and I've been through all the lists. So I'm guessing it's new. Where is it out of? If you can, find out who will be doing the reviews and go from there.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - Check Imdb.com. Punch up Burt then click on his birth date and viola, a whole list of talents born on that day.
Have a good one.
Orlandaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Well it looks like a few thousand other writers and I didn't get into the Chesterfield Fellowship this year.
I knew I should have sent them the action/comedy instead of the dramedy/adventure.
Man, it must be one hell of a tough job to be judge.
Whoa!!!! A thunder storm just blew in. I'm outta here.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Johnny - I'm not sure there is any one format to use. It depends on how you're using it.
For something like--
Shocked, Harry snatches the newspaper from Pat and reads the front page.
"THREE HEADED GIANT MONGOOSE RUNS RAMPANT IN NEW YORK CITY!"
Then continue the dialogue or action.
I've had no problems with this method.
I believe the point is to leave no doubt that the headline is major important to the scene.
Anyone else have a different way of laying it out?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Bryan - Yup, research is great. You never know what may spark that next great movie.
In the past 3 years I've spent more time in the library than I did all the way through school.
But for me, inspiration is music. Give me a sad song and that's the type of scene you'll get. Country will get you a western.
Although, "I'm a Secret agent on my Mother's side", came out after I wrote my action/comedy. Go figure.
hollywoodlitsales.com has some informative and motivating articles in their drop down window. Try Grady Hall, I believe he's on Tuesday's.
All right Marcel!!! I'll send some good vibes your way. Good luck.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Oh that is hillarious Tom. A Picasso checklist. My husband Andy laughed all the way to the garage and his sculpting.
He once had someone try to ream him out on the impossible dimensions and shape of a dragon's wing.
Andy's answer - You bring me a picture of a real dragon, then we'll talk.
I never saw someone look like he wanted to swallow his tongue before. I think he was a physics teacher or maybe art. Either way, he irritated a lot of artists at the show and ended up being escorted out.
But testing and judging is a fact of life and I'm in for the long run. I'm just more determined to dig in and take them somewhere they've never been.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Well, I've queried Shelly with a dramedy/adventure and an action/comedy.
Time to get back to work on my latest action/__________. I'll fill it in when I get to the finale'.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Wanting Craig? LOL Doing. Only 6 features so far. But I do have the 28 episodes of a new series that I practiced on.
Thanks for your backup Miriam. You know, I had one little old lady say, "I'll think Orlando, Florida and never forget your name. Well, she remembered all right.
LOL She still calls me Florida to this day.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - I hate to tell you this, but this tomboy is only an inch shy of 6' and a Viking to boot.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Fabulous work P.J.
Unfortunately, I won't see it. It seems in Canada, the selling of US sattelite systems is now illegal.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
This is going to sound really stupid. What exactly is an ensemble piece?
Everyone seems to have a different view.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
WAY TO GO RANDY!!!!!!!
Don't forget to have fun.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
These shows are the type of garbage that started me writing. I said to myself, I can do better than that. And I did. Now if I can just get the powers that be to actually read my new Kung Fu Series pilot (HELLO Warner Bros)I'm sure they'd grab it and the 26 episodes that follow (so far).
So I'm with Steve, let's kick some butt and get noticed for the good work.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
WOW! You guys are great.
Marc - Got it, 5 main characters.
Tom - Okay, I have conflict within, but the main conflict is from without.
Marcel - Hey, that's what the production co. is asking for and specifically a feature.
Miriam - The main characters are balanced. Two eventually stand out. I seem to have a easier time with large numbers. Always something going on.
Johnny - It depends on the story I'm writing whether the protagonist is clear cut, hidden or somewhere in between.
Andrea - That's some well formed info.
Everybody - Thank you. I see now that most of my features are ensemble pieces. Kinda ironic that I had to ask. Oh well, what can you do. It looks like I have it down pat though.
Thanks again, you've all been a great help.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Don't feel bad guys. I got a big 0 from Hollywood Discovery. Still plugging away waiting for Red Inkworks.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Danny - Is that quarterfinalist or winner? Congrats either way and good luck.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Steve - It's "My Great Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Oh, and the writer is from Winnipeg. A half hour south of me.
As for spinning your wheels, that's the only way to get anywhere.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
LOL I'm sorry Marcel. I didn't mean to tweak your head in the wrong direction. But since you're looking that way, give it a go, if you haven't already.
It's fun. Especially weaving in the subplots and conflicts of others that always seem to screw up your plans.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
There are good and bad flashbacks out there. It all depends on how you use them.
In some movies they're necessary if back story plays a significant part in the movie as a whole.
Forrest Gump would have been a nothing movie without the flashbacks/forwards, depending on how you see it. Nor would Saving Private Ryan.
I've used them in my series more as a space movement than time movement.
And in one feature, spaced evenly, half of the story is 150 years ago and the other half is current.
So depending again on your take, it could be either flashback or flashforward. That's the beauty of this one.
Glad I had good movies to study before I put it into play, it makes a huge difference in how sharp a picture you draw up.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I agree with Christine whole heartedly. I might have three years and 6 specs, but this is my first year for competitions.
I thought I'd write a variety of genres so I'm not limited if one genre isn't to a production company/contest's liking.
It might be flawed logic, but it helps me determine what they're looking for.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Thanks Mary Kay, I didn't notice the typos. Too interested in the text, I hadn't come across quick cuts expained in quite that way before. Makes a lot of sense to me.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Rod - Gut instinct works for me.
Bryan - I just watched The Salton Sea with Val Kilmer. The whole second act is a flashback and it worked beautifully.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
There's only one thing that bums me out with the spec sales and that's the number of books being made into movies. It looks to be around 20% now, it's climbed quite a bit in the last year. That's not good for any of us that write original material. Time to look into the rights of a few choice books I'd love to script. No time like the present for something new eh?
As for the genre trends, each company has it's own idea of what this is. I'd rather start my own trend and see how many jump on the bandwagon. That'll tell you if you have a hot number or not.
Why trail behind the wagon when you can drive it?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
C'mon, be nice Steve. Kids have to have SOMETHING to play with.
Besides, American Idol "the movie" will probably turn out to be such a comedy of errors that they'll have to make a six pack of 'em.
They sure won't get the numbers they got on TV, that was 1)free 2)at home and most people just happened on it, were brainwashed and returned to it like clockwork. Probably for lack of anything else to watch.
I know I won't be paying to go see it.
Now if that doesn't make you feel better, grab some caribou jerky and beer, run, don't walk, lock yourself in the basement with writing supplies and crank out a mega hit to show them up.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey everybody, has anyone else gotten a reply from them?
My Assassin 101 has progressed to the next round. Larry wrote an extraordinary review for it. Even if I don't get to the top, the review is worth every penny of the entry fee.
I was doing the infamous "I must be crazy. Why am I doing this?" a few days ago. Not anymore, the pen has sprouted wings and practically writes by itself.
Luck to everyone who entered. And good reviews.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey, I grew up with movies like Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar, oh and of course The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
And you won't find any rose colored glass in my house. Hell, my 23 year old son and his friends raid my CD rack to copy music.
Besides, every generation has their favorites, for reasons that the "adults," or so they think, won't understand. My mom hated Jesus Christ Superstar without ever seeing it, so of course me and my sister had to go see it 5 times. Mom doesn't know what she missed.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Oh, and hello JA. Welcome aboard.
Orlanda
Thanks guys, Larry told me not to hold my breath, so I won't. Even though he said I'm now competing with award-winning writers. This should be interesting, I'll keep my fingers crossed, just in case.
Bryan - Inspiration, totally.
Danny - Even reading between the lines it seems the only thing Larry wasn't happy with was the lead woman's occupation, the assasin.
Tom - I shipped my script on July 26. I imagine there are a lot more to be read. The competition only specified the final notification. It would make sense to email as individual scripts progress. So good luck.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Ooooooops, assassin.
This is for you Miriam. A little something my husband found for me.
DO NOT GO WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD, GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND LEAVE A TRAIL.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson - American Philosopher)
And people wonder why I write Kung Fu.
It's stuck to my monitor along with -
A WOMAN WITH LOVE IN HER HEART AND A BRAIN IN HER HEAD IS WELL-ARMED.
(no author)
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Craig - Congrats!
Whiskytown sounds like a wonderful movie.
To add to the input. It would do very well as a MOW too. And I think the title, "WHISKEYTOWN" sets the location and tone nicely all by itself. The, may be his son works. It implies that he may or may not, people will want to find out if he is or not.
You better win this thing so it can get made and we can all see for ourselves.
Good luck and have a good one.
Orlanda
How much you want to bet it won't take long for Hollywood to pit him against The Rock. Now that would be hot. What I wouldn't give to own that script.
Oh that's a good idea. Outline time!!
Have a good one.
Orlanda
WGA has all my scripts. No problems here. They're fast, efficient and helpful.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Craig - A female protag can be arranged. A visit from the younger sister of the boy's mom. (temptation) Maybe as his main rodeo competition. At any rate, it would be a good reason for Grampa to be really surley.
This is the first thing that came to mind from your comment. Give it a go if you like.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Sue,
Do you mean not motivated as in don't feel like writing or no ideas?
If you don't feel like it, it may be that you just need a break, that includes not feeling guilty for not writing.
If it's ideas you need, get out there and find them. A restaurant, bar, grocery store, mall, park, concert. Wherever there are people. You'd be amazed where an odd comment heard or goof up seen can lead a story.
And if all else fails, crank the tunes, boogy through some housework to build the energy and focus it on the script.
Hey, it works for me.
Orlanda
Hey guys,
Check out MSN.com Science News. Click on Futurology "The World in 2012." Scroll down to Society and "Young at Heart." It's also in Newsweeks Sept. 16-23, 02 issue.
It won't take Hollywood long to pick up this trend. Not if it wants to target the highest entertainment spending demographics around the world.
They say the majority of movie goers are under 20. Well, according to this little study just the over 50 crowd has 4 times their numbers, have the money and are willing to part with it all in the cause of entertainment. And there's the 30 years of us in between yet.
It all comes down to quality, what most of us (ahem) older people will happily pay for.
What do you think?
Orlanda
Sounds like heaven to me.
Orlanda
Hi Randy,
Sorry, I don't know where my husband found the quote. But I'll check into it.
It looks like one or the other might have been an after quote of the other. Interesting. Now I have to find out who wrote the quote first. LOL See what you started.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Randy - Check out google.com. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Muriel Strate has only one quote that I can find so far. The one you have. Can't find a book by her or if she is living, but she wasn't one of Ralph's peers.
www.ralph-waldo-emerson.com
There is a discussion board there.
WOW!!!!!
What a site. It's almost 5:30 am here, I'll do more digging tomorrow.
Night all.
Orlanda
I agree with Mary Kay. Saturn did the same to me. The query was sent back unopened with a nice little letter explaining why.
I wish they would list the "no unsoliceted materials" in the HCD. I wouldn't have wasted the postage. I have to order stamps State side for the return postage!
Oh well, what can you do?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - That was cute.
LOL
Good thing I wasn't sending to Uranus or Pluto.
D.Jay - I have found a few managers for actors at imdb.com on the agent page of the actor. Unfortunately, not the ones I was looking for, so far anyway.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
That's it! We're moving! Manitoba takes soooooooo long to change, my son will be a greatgrandfather before we get cool theaters like that here.
Note to hubby - Next vaction - anywhere that has a personal touch theater.
Is that a step up or down from acting? That was our adventure for this years vaction. A whole 4 blocks away.
Orlanda
Man, that is great Randy. I love to see people enjoy their work. Can't beat that. I can hardly wait until it's my turn.
Maybe I should look into the NSI(National Screen Institute, Canada) grants after all.
Did know NSI is calling for film entries for the Winnipeg Film Festival in February.
If anyone's coming in for it, let me know, It'd be nice to put faces to names. I think I'll master class this year instead of volunteer. I missed too many opportunities last year. You're not allowed to pitch if you volunteer. Bummer eh? And I signed them all in.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Add a "you" to that.
Orlanda
Aw c'mon, you're killing me.
Don't leave us all hanging here.
Make the call!!!!
Luck - luck - luck
Orlanda
Craig and Randy
LOL
Well that woke me up. I'm still chuckling.
Seriously, I'm a night owl. My hubby teases me about being on Hollywood time. They're 4 hours earlier than here.
As for the other...married for 19 years, son moved out a year ago, hmmmmm
:) I'm not telling.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Craig - And I do write alot too.
Orlanda
Miriam - So am I, I live right above you in Manitoba. About 4 hours away. Nope, more like 6. According to my time zone map, Manitoba and Minnesota are in the same zone.
Randy - I haven't found zilch on Muriel Strade, so it's probably a fair bet that Ralph wrote the quote first.
Hell, no joke Steve, that's just about the way it happened this year. We're hoping on a measley -35 for this year. And not so much wind.
Looks like things are already hopping though. If it's half as much fun as it was last year, it'll be a blast.
Volunteer? Pitch? Volunteer? Pitch?
Pitch. Definitly.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Elsie,
Out of 6 specs, I'm currently shopping 5. The first spec kicks off my series, they go together. Oh, and I've 3 Stargate SG-1 episodes on the side.
I haven't posted anywhere on the net. Contests and queries is the road I'm on right now.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Aw man, what a bummer D.Jay. Sorry about that. At least you had fun with the phone call.
Have a better one okay.
Orlanda
Hi Linda,
I've not seen it listed. If you know who they're affiliated with, check with them, if not call your operator.
I don't know where you live, but the phone companies now have a neat little extra. Up here they call it "Find that Number."
Good luck.
Orlanda
Marcel - I'll keep an eye out for your work. Do they have titles?
Did you know the festival had a name change? It's now called - NSI Film Exchange Film Festival. Now that's a mouthful.
The best of luck for your entries.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
The End is traditionally only used in books is it not?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hope everyone is having fun.
Or busy writing.
Or busy having fun writing.
Have a good weekend.
Orlanda
Well, I must be bored. I went and strung my feature titles together, this is what I got.
1) You CAN'T STOP NOW when you MIND SHIFT, TIME & AGAIN, so WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE and NORSE AMERICA is a reality show, enroll in ASSASSIN 101.
2) WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE and NORSE AMERICA is a reality show. When your MIND SHIFTs TIME & AGAIN and you CAN'T STOP NOW, enroll in ASSASSIN 101.
Which do you all like best?
Or is there a better mix out there?
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - Ooops, MIND SHIFT, and TIME & AGAIN are two different features. The idea here is to make them all fit into a few sentences and actually make sense. Well, sort of, but it is fun.
Geez, imagine the fun I could have with my series.
LOL
26 titles here I come! (too many to list here)
Craig - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I love it.
Looks like you're the only one playing so far. Come on guys, have at it.
Paula - Hey, I like that idea. They're likely to think we're insane though. Oh right,HEHEHE, we're writers, they think that anyway.
Have a fun one.
Orlanda
I don't know about you guys, but I'm terrible at giving reviews. My first reaction is to fix. Like streamlining descriptions, I cut 25 pages from Time & Again and it still makes perfect sense. Perk up dialog or drag it down into the depths of despair. Monotone kills me, it just isn't life. If it's too fast I drop in a breath of calm, so the viewer's head can catch up with what they just saw.
So a review from me would primarily contain examples rather than tighten this, shorten that, beef up your character arc, eliminate a sub-plot or find your structural backbone.
I know, this is somewhat off topic, but it really isn't. Fact is a lot of writers couldn't give a solid review if their life depended on it. We write from the heart. So it's hard for us to break someone else's. And that doesn't make for a good, solid review.
In short, this type of competition is not for me. The judging will be biassed as most have pointed out. To me Zoetrope comes under the same concept. Sorry, no Zoeee for me.
Good luck to the souls brave enough to enter PG. I hope you get gentle readers.
Orlanda
Seriously, I won't post the Kung Fu titles. It's already a short story and I'm not done yet.
Since #1 in my first post has the titles in the order they were written, I thought I'd add in my present title after ASSASSIN 101, not HIDE 'N SEEK.
Good night all.
Orlanda
Doug - You got the swing of it. WOW That's better than mine. Very cool.
Craig - Geez, and here I thought you were the slasher B and gross out King.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey guys and dolls - I got an email from the Screen Arts Foundation. They cleared up some doubts, sort of. Apparently there was some adverse debate on a net page that some people assumed they were affiliated with. So they've made adjustments to end the confusion.
If you sent a script after Aug. 31 and paid the higher fee, they are offering to refund the difference, just contact them.
If you haven't sent in yet and wish to, they offer the pre-Oct. 31 price. Go to
I know some of you have probably gotten this email, but for those who haven't, there you have it.
They still don't state just where they got our names and titles from. I guess one of us will have to win to find out.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I wonder why the web eddress got kicked out? Here it is again.
www.screenartsfoundation.org
Orlanda
I'd say that's a fair bet Marcel.
All the power to you Steve.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Larry,
Most TV series, be they popular or not all have a jealously guarded series bible and they know what's going to happen for at least a year, if not more. Unfortunately that usually means in-house work. But you never know.
Keep in mind the new episode you are watching today was most likely written 1 1/2-2 years ago and taped a year ago.
One thing's for sure. If you query any of these shows, they will not accept a synopsis or teleplay for their show.
Any other series episode that is similar to theirs is what they want. They want to see if you can capture the essence of someone else's characters, but not theirs.
If you get past all that, the amount paid to a series writer is directly in porportion to where they sit in the listings.
An individual spec not from one of their series writers would most likely be the base minimum allowed by the Writes Guild. You can check that out at www.wga.org
In most cases developing your own series to pitch might get you farther. And there are contests specifically for TV series and they are looking for popular series episodes. Just check the Contest tab above for a list, or check www.moviebytes.com
I hope this helps you out. Good luck.
Orlanda
R.
Your dad sounds an awful lot like mine. He passed 6 years ago come Oct 30, and I have many wonderful memories too. They never go away.
You do your father proud.
God bless
The movie idea does sound like something your dad would love, especially coming from you.
Orlanda
Star Trek's looking for scripts?!
Damn, I've got Stargate SGI's. Maybe they'd do as samples? I'll check it out.
Have a good one guys.
Orlanda
Bryan - Any idea where I'm checking for Star Trek?
Orlanda
Marcel - Sure, I'll give it a read.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - I got it, or rather two.
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Hey everyone - The new MovieBytes Newsletter just announced the first Direct to Agencies Contest. I checked it out.
The Company has been in business for 3 years. It sounds solid but there is NO contact person to be found. The early entry has already passed, two days ago. The next is Nov. 15.
They're headquartered in Hollywood, 1626 N. Wilcox #370. I've never heard of the Direct to Agencies co. Is anyone familiar with them?
Having a good one.
Orlanda
You know who I am, my bio's posted.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I think I'll pass on this one until details can be found on the company or wait until their contest results come in.
Orlanda
Randy - I really didn't expect anyone to go check, but thanks, it's much appreciated.
Glad I decided to leave this one alone. The nerve of some people eh.
Enjoy the weekend folks.
Orlanda
Well now, what do you think Marcel? Have the rest gone on strike or on to something better?
Here's hoping it's better.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
That's fantastic Steve!!!!
Go to the max!
And have a great one.
Orlanda
It might be snowing in Calgary, but it's downright balmy here. A whole +17C. That's about 68F.
Steve - I'll play goalie when I get down there, but you gotta supply the wetsuit and air filter mask.
POOF --- HACK HACK COUGH PT-OOOOEY
LOL Have a good one.
Orlanda
Johnny - It'll be more like a gas mask. Have you ever seen one of those puppies explode!!!!
Beware the ominous little brown cloud.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Karl,
The reason they are confusing is because each series has their own format. If you are hired to write for an exsisting series, you will be required to write in their format.
If MOW is what you're talking about, again it will depend on what the production company, etc. likes to work with.
I'd use what I was comfortable with and adjust as needed when you're getting paid for it.
You know, I can't recall any format that puts continuous in a slug line. It supplies no info. It's generally used in shooting scripts to direct the action from say, one room to the other, where the camera follows the action out of a room or the action moves toward the camera in another room.
There's a bit more on spec TV writing if you scroll down a bit on the BB list.
I hope this helps. If there's anything else just post, we'll find it.
Have yourself a good one.
Orlanda
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Voice
A wonderful thing. To me comes down to natural.
For example, when you know this guy is gonna be the biggest creep in the world and it suits him, you immediately expect it. But his best buddy is the salt of the earth. Yet despite their differences, it feels right that they should be friends. They play off each other, jibe, joke, rant and rave, like only friends can and not kill each other for it. They might try, but that's what makes it interesting. The ups and downs that can occur are extraordinary, the changes in the friends don't have to be logical or make any sense.
But it must be a change that the character can sustain to make it believable. Otherwise it seems contrived and that's as far from natural as you're going to get.
That's a little off the wall. I guess what I'm trying to say is that "VOICE" in writing, as in any art, is the flair in which the artist unfolds his or her masterpiece.
Everyone has a voice, a style used to bring your work to life, a quirk of character you tend to use without consciously doing it, genre, location, dispute, basically, your trademark.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - Halfway through. I'll be done by the weekend. Do you want your notes with or without examples?
Having a good read.
Orlanda
Oh, the name of topic is Writing Spec Scripts for TV Series.
Sorry about that.
Orlanda
Oh, the name of topic is Writing Spec Scripts for TV Series.
Sorry about that.
Orlanda
Hi Mary Kay - I send them when they're ready. The different genre's don't usually go to the same production company. But when they do, I consider them to be independent projects.
I've had two queries go to the same company inside a week. It can be an effective one-two hit if they're what the company is looking for.
Now all we have to figure out is when they are looking for our stories.
LOL Good luck.
Orlanda
John - Yeah, it pretty much says you're screwed. It's also pretty standard and legal. They just explain it in the easier to understand laymaneeze.
Whether you enter or not, you can be sure plenty of others will.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Barbara - Having been knocked out of the running early on, it's wonderful to know of someone who made it through to the end. All the power to you and good luck in the future.
Bet you're having a good one.
Orlanda
That's good to know Optimus Prime. Thanks.
Have yourself a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Joe,
If you go up into the contest listings and go to their web pages you'll find quite a few list the number of entries.
The Nicholl Fellowship had over 6,000 this year.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Well, I'm done. Damn! What a good story.
Give me 24 to type up the notes.
Had a good one.
Orlanda
Thanks Steve, I think I'll have a look.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - Great to hear you got repped. And float on cloud 9 as long as you like, just remember to write now and then.
Hmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder. Is there any caribou jerky up there.
LOL
Have yourself a great one. (day, week, month, year, decade. Hell, go for the gusto, CENTURY!!!)
Orlanda
What do you know Joe, all capitols is the same as screaming, on the net.
Anyway, there's no need to market so hard on this BB, we all read very well and will check out your site if we are so inclined. :-)
Back to your question. If you go to any search engine and key in film festival, you'll find more than you know what to do with.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Well guys, I may have gotten into the fall finals, but alas, no win. What can you do eh? Next! Forever onward.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Danny - Positive is the word all right. You can't get anywhere if you don't keep moving.
The hard part is deciding what to write next. I'm down to two outlines.
Eenie, meenie, minei, mo. Nope, that's not gonna work.
Guess I'll just have to read them through and see which one cries for attention.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I've forgotten who posted the Industrial Synopsis format. Whoever it was, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I used it and it sounds great.
This is for my latest feature, have at it gang.
ASSASSIN 101 is a DARK COMEDY about ANGEL, a WIFE, MOTHER and SECRETLY, an ASSASSIN who, after BEING SHOT, REVEALS HER SECRET to her family. Now A TARGET HERSELF, her FAMILY TAKES IT UPON THEMSELVES TO KEEP ANGEL SAFE by ASSASSINATING THE CONTRACTOR. We will know ANGEL has REALIZED HER TRUE STRENGTH - HER FAMILY.
Bryan - If you came up with something different with the info I sent you, post it and we'll compare.
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Wow!!! Fantastic!!! All of your synopses hit right on the mark and a great mix of the concept too. Thank you all very much.
Using that Industrial Synopsis definitly helps you put the right points across for a solid synapsis. Whether I use it for the final synopsis or not, I'll be using it's format to set up the specifics.
Thanks again to all of you, and the poster of that synopsis. I really wasn't sure if I was setting up my synopsis right, so this helped alot.
Bryan - I'll get back to you on the thriller aspect, probably after the weekend.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Steve - I've got the book and found it to be a solid and entertaining look at the readers view. The best part is it makes a hell of a lot of sense.
I was heartened by how many things I had right, and proceeded point by point to fix what I didn't. That was back in early spring. Now it carries over into every script I write. But Assassin 101 was the first, and it is showing the difference.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Has anyone heard from Miriam? How's her rewrite going?
Happy Halloween everyone.
Orlanda
Steve - Sounds like good advice. Looks like I'll be signing up on WSN in the near future too.
Do you happen to know any names at William Morris? I might hit them as well with Assassin 101.
Have a Happy Halloween.
Orlana
WHOA!!!!!!! What a site!!! It has some of just about everything. Way cool, and I haven't even got to the comics yet.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Miriam - Good to hear from you. And yeah, I'll definitly give it a read. Hell, I'll read anything, but Kung Fu is my favorite.
Sorry to hear about the rejections. Keep plugging, somethings gotta break.
Have yourself a good one.
Orlanda
Well it's only a month to notification. With all the hard feelings about this one, I may be the only one who entered!!!
LOL
I wonder if I'll actually win? With my luck, they'll cancel due to lack of participation.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Well, there goes another one onto the shelf. Nicholas Cage just did a movie within a movie. Although it's apparently from the director's POV so maybe my Mind Shift still has a chance. It's from writer/actor POV.
Gotta have a good one.
Orlanda
Well Istvan, hello. I did a little search on imdb.com seeing as we have the same name. I came up with 7 Istvan Szabo's, none of which, I am sure are you. Except possibly Istvan Szabo (IV), he did one movie in Budapest as an actor in 2001.
If not, perhaps you should post a bio, I for one would like to know who you are, not to mention where you're writing from. I'm assuming Hungary. Am I correct?
If you are in Hungary you might try to get a hold of Istvan Szabo (I). He is there and has 29 features to his Directing credit, as well as numerous writing, acting and producing credits.
Check out www.imdb.com, unfortunately there's no bio on him.
Have a good one.
Orlanda Szabo
Hi from Manitoba Doug. Quirky little logline you've got there, sounds very Stargatish.
Was there anything in particular you would like us to help you with?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Guys and Gals - Well I'm set to post on WSN Thursday or Friday.
Any last minutes suggestions before I dive in?
Short of breaking the ice first that is. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr, it's freezing up here.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Craig - Do you mean to tell me a writer is complaining about another writer doing to his rewrite, what he just did to somebody else's script?
Well, golly gee, what was the producer thinking?
Sorry, I just find it hard to believe that someone who is actually being paid to rewrite someone else's work, doesn't think it'll happen to him too.
What did he think screenwriting was?
Have a good weekend.
Orlanda
Thanks Steve, I'm doing a double check on the script as we speak. I'd intended to upload it too. But it's nice to get thoughts from you guys who are posted already. I think I'll wait and see before the treatment goes up. I can't see it being a necessity if the script has already been viewed.
Got any frozen pucks for our friends down in the warm zone.
LOL
Have a good weekend.
Orlanda
Steve - Whoa! You got a lot more snow than we did, and most of our melted off already.
LOL Go get 'em buddy. Prairie pucks and snowballs. YIKES!! I'm not sure I want to know what they'll retaliate with.
Thanks for the luck. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Have an abominal one.
Orlanda
Hello Chelsea - I'm not sure myself, but I did run across something about that on hollywoodlitsales.com ask a professional, in this case check the lawyers questions and answers.
Other than that, check with your lawyer.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Steve - I'm laughing all the way to my non-existant snow fort to twiddle leaves and grass until we get a real snowfall. HEHEHEHE I can hardly wait.
And, ASSASSIN 101 IS POSTED. I like their setup, it's a snap. Next, the script. We got 'em on the run now!
Have yourself a good one.(of whatever)
Orlanda
Alrighty then, I'll see your ?!%%$#1~ and raise ya ^^][**+`'@/\/\
Beat that.
Orlanda
You gotta love that kind of self-imposed banishment.
When's the next bus?
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Well I checked out Trigger Street and it seemed well hyped to me. They at least have a good writer. (chuckle)
Funny thing is, on the MSN article they didn't say anything about features. But it definitly pushed shorts. So I'm assuming shorts are their main focus to tape.
Thar's me two cents.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Toyaih - If you're needing more logline and synopsis samples check out writersscriptnetwork.com for the ones that are getting hits from producers and agencies.
Good luck and welcome to our insanity.
And have a good one.
Orlanda
Tom - I use Final Draft for my series, it works like a charm. I've tried PowerStructure but I haven't got the hang of it yet.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Mel - Only an Hour! I'd have to set a big alarm. When I'm writing I'm not sitting in my house, I'm in it! Right where the action is happening. It's like you sit down at midnight, then BAM. It's thirty pages later, the sun is coming up and my husband is getting ready for work.
I can't say I've never had the old brain drain, but it's usually due to lack of sleep. So far anyway. Knock on wood it stays that way.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Steve - Is 8 hits in the first 24 hours a good sign? Nothing on the synopsis yet.
I'm havin' a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - That is so kind of you. Wow. At least I think it's me you are talking about. I hope so.
Drop me an email and we'll see what we can do.
Oh, just an idea. Check WGC and see if they have a base price for series scripts. I've not checked that particular area yet.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Oooooooooo, that doesn't sound good. I'm sorry I can't help.
Good luck.
Orlanda
Pete & Natasha - I'll give it a read, The Server sounds intriguing. I can't get to it until Monday though.
My email address is also posted.
Have a good weekend.
Orlanda
Hey Marcel - I noticed. The script came in at 41 pages and you're not going to like what it did to the dialogue. It starts right after the name, on the same line. It's all legible though.
Assassin 101's script is ready to upload to WSN so I'll get back to you in a couple of days after I look it over.
Intriguing concept, looks like a lot of fun challenges.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - I'm shutting down early to read your episode, so if you want to toss ideas. Toss away.
By the way, let me know if you got my Stargate's in decent format. I had 6 choices of format and none of them come out in proper format. They are all supposed to be 54 pages.
Have a great one tomorrow.
Orlanda
Marcel -
LOL
I hope one of your writers there is into psychology, cause we're gonna need it. Big time!
This is great. Demons and all.
Have a good luck one for us all.
Orlanda
Aaron - 323-862-1386/323-862-8020
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - Are you aiming for the CRTC/APTN Development proposal?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Marcel - Look under your own name on MSN search.
#1. Community Bulletin Board for APTN, CRTC is funding the program. By the looks of it 100% aboriginal gets highest prority in the selection process. As it should be.
So you best count me out. I won't have you or anyone else lose the project because I'm caucasion.
Best of luck, it's a runner. Run with it.
Orlanda
What a little sweetheart, and a handful too I bet. Looks like she's getting into the let's try everything stage.
LOL Let the mischievous games begin!
I liked the site too.
Have a wonderful one.
Orlanda
Verrrrry interesting site. It's late so I just popped in for a minute. I'll give it a good look tomorrow.
It's a good one.
Orlanda
So Marcel, what do think of my Stargate SG-1 episode?
Let me know when you're done.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Depends on the snowbunnies. Hehehe.
Orlanda
Steve - Waaaaaaaaaaay to go!
sssh ssh sh, right, gotta whisper.
So, what's the story? It's just us frozen Canadian's and we won't tell.
Honest, uh-huh, really.
I know you're havin' a great one.
Orlana
da
Pete & Natasha - Well, The Server was 117 pages of a very interesting read. You guys must have fond memories of school.
LOL or horrible. Either way, what a story! And this is just the first. I can't wait to see what else you two come up with.
Anyway, like I asked Marcel. Would you like samples with your notes?
Having a fun one.
Orlanda
I can't for the life of me get my title pages to save with my scripts.
I'm seriously considering crazy glue and duct tape.
I'm using Final Draft 5. Any ideas?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey, Ski Bunnie - Just what kind of white fluffy stuff you got, if it ain't snow?
I'm not sure I want to know.
How do the separate files work for uploading on WSN?
Paula - Thanks for the help. For printing, I'm fine. It's for uploading. It would be nice to sent the script with the title page in it's proper place.
By jove I think we've got it.
Thanks.
Orlanda
Like Bryan says, no money is necessary. You're reading Assassin 101, debt paid in full.
If you need any help when you make it big
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Gil,
Welcome aboard. I'm sure plenty of us writer's will give your script a read and offer feedback. What is the title?
I may give it a read myself.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Bryan the Ski Bunnie in Bagdad. Hmmmm. Has a nice ring to it don't you think.
I don't know what you look like Bryan, LOL, but I gotta see this.
Hey Steve - This is a comedy right? Right!
Have a fun one all.
Orlanda
Would any of you like to read Assassin 101. If you don't have a Final Draft reader, install the free one from finaldraft.com. It'll be much prettier that way.
Any taker's? Going once, going twice...
Have a good one guys.
Orlanda
Hi Mary Kay - I don't think they have an eddress. HCD only has phone and address.
Good luck.
Orlanda
Finally uploaded Assassin 101 to WSN.
You were right Steve, it went up without a hitch or glitch.
The hits are still coming. So next up is Time & Again.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Oh, and hits on the synopsis too.
Paste a big grin here.
Orlanda
Hey guys - Check imdb.com Marek Posival's short was writen, directed and produced by Marek. Aside from the short, he's line produced 2 TV movies 2 features.
He looks to have home damn fine production connections.
He also hit on my Assassin 101 synopsis yesterday. I wonder how much of a slate he needs to fill?
Having a good one.
Orlanda
that should be and 2 features.
I'm outta here. Night all.
Orlanda
I hear you Everette.
I've had the wonderful good fortune to have a husband and friends backing me up. But a large portion of my family still, after 3 years, thinks my writing is a phase.
It seems I'm the only one of 10 siblings that has the drive to create. One day they'll all come around. But it'll probably take selling a script first.
So I appreciate the support that is offered and don't worry about the rest.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Okay folks, it's 1885 and we're in Nevada. What is the proper term for a female store owner?
Proprietor OR proprietoress. Or is there something else?
Da do do do do, do do do. Da do do do do do.
Having a fun one.
Orlanda
Thank you Miriam.
Very funny Jay.
Shhh, don't tell anybody, but they did have independent business women back then.
Just like today. Only thing is, back then, they knew how to handle a gun.
LOL
Come to think about it, that's not much different than back then either.
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Well dang! That was fun. An' some downright interestin' thoughts ta boot.
I'll just mosey back on down ta da Topics an' give it a right proper perusal.
Have a good evenin' y'all.
Orlanda
Mine on Final Draft 5 came up slightly right handed. Condensing the descriptive so anything just under 4 lines is now 5 lines. It still came up with the same # of pages though.
??????????????
Steve - Is there anything special you have to do to set up for a 2nd title?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
You can be sure a huge amount of scenes in most "single" location movies are going to be longer than two pages.
Think about it. How many scene changes can there be in a cabin entombed in an avalanche?
My thought for the day.
Orlanda
Thanks Mary Kay. I'll give it a go and see if it centers things.
Have a better one.
Orlanda
That's GREAT news for HOBO GROVE!!! I hope you find the perfect people to play it.
Keep swinging that bat D.G., you're a natural.
Happy HO HO everyone.
Orlanda
I got signed up for the Preferred Newsletter on the last day. I'll give you a shout when I get the 1st one.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Well guys, it's been a week since payment was confirmed and still no Preferred Newsletter.
Could have a better one.
Orlanda
This is awsome Marcel. I'm glad it worked out to your satisfaction.
Giddy-up-go.
Orlanda
Hey Johnny - If you're want to work up here, at least wait for a real winter.
Looks like Steve's got all the snow. All Manitoba has is a lot of leaves and a little bit of ice. The fishing shacks aren't even up on the Red yet.
Having a warm one. +6
Orlanda
That's a "you"
PARTY PARTY PARTY!!!!!
That's where I'm at. The family Christmas innundation has begun.
Have a MERRY one everyone.
Orlanda
I'll have to 4th that Fredrick. Although I've not been on your site very long, the wonderful people and invaluable advice have always given me heart.
All the best and a Merry Ho Ho to all.
Orlanda
Mary Ellen, Samuel. You're just in time for a new years splash, jump right in.
The more the Merrier!!!!!!!
Have a happy one.
Orlanda
*****HAPPY NEW YEAR*****
Welcome aboard Crystal.
Hey Steve, Alex, don't be freezin' somethin' off that you might need later eh.
Have a great year.
Orlanda
Thank you Richard, this sounds like one I'd actually get into.
Gotta go check it out.
Orlanda
Hi Mary Kay, HCD has their email as
flyingfreehold@aol.com
Good luck and have a great one.
Orlanda
Hi guys,
The sequel to Tremors was pretty cool. But you wouldn't have a clue what's going on if you hadn't seen the first.
Anyone want to bet Tremors 3 has the creatures morph into something that can fly? Or maybe combine with local fauna.
Now that would be the next logical step.
Have a horrific one.
Orlanda
June or October? I'd love to come!!
Unfortunately I have a huge family reunion in Northern Saskatchewan smack dab in the middle, the August long weekend.
LOL That's likely to fry the old brain cells. I'd rather be firing them up at a convention, so I'll see what I can do.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
LOL
Great idea Marcel. I can see the headline now.
"10th Annual Writer's PAGE AWARDS Cranks out the Best of the Best."
Of course the trophy would look like a scroll and be non-frosted glass to give it the aura of infinity. Or perhaps cut crystal, we'd know each facet leads to a different story.
That's my stab at it.
Having a good one.
Orlanda
You are an inspiration Ellum.
As are you Freddie, of another shade, but nonetheless, inspiring.
Thank you gentlemen,I needed that.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
Let us not forget the prestigious survival badges from 1 to whatever.
What are Survival Badges you ask?
Here's the scenario:-)
ANNOUNCER - And the takers for 10 year Survival Badges, that's 10 years of not seeing a psycologist, being in a straight jacket, going postal on producion companies, et al. With a whopping 3,591 entries this year.
(The scroll of paper he reads from unrolls over the podium and across the floor).
The crowd groans.
Dubious, the announcer eyes up the paper.
ANNOUNCER - Maybe we'll just send them out.
Oh well, it's a fun thought.
Hmmmm, that makes me wonder just how many years of writing we'd have on just this board if we tallied it all up.
Have a good one all.
Orlanda
Hi guys, Iiiiiiiii'm back.
Miriam - Whoa, very close (I had to go check Imdb to see who Laura Dern was). Add 8 years, try rich brunette (I grew out of blonde years ago). Add a silver streak down the sides. (It's a family thing, all 6 of us sisters got it) and about 2' of length. And she's an aquarian too. You're good!
Somehow I pictured you taller than Tyne Daly? Must be your last name. Swedish if I'm not mistaken, Minnisota Vikings and all that. It makes an impression, eh?
Watch it Pete or Miriam "Kung Fu" Queensen will kick your butt across the board and back again!
LOL
Having a wonderful one.
Orlanda
PS - There's no Jurassic in my park.
Cute Marcel. hehehe Very cute
Having a good one.
Orlanda
Gez you guys, try half of Manitoba's highways closed down for more than six hours due to white-out blizzard conditions. That's what we had on the 17th.
LOL And guess who went out for coffee anyway? You got it. Can't let a little snow slow me down, now can I.
Have a white one.
Orlanda
Way to go Danny! My hat is off to you.
Glad to see one of us won, and it wasn't me.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
LOL LOL LOL
Oh Crystal, I got a gut ache from laughing so hard. Love the conspiracy theory idea.
Come on Marcel, of course I can - Might be a bit of a stretch pulling off the guy before and after drag? Makeup!!!
Okay, here we go - Movies -
True Grit, The Last Great Train Robbery, Dr. Zivago, Ben-Hur, The Grapes of Wrath, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
The Sting, Star Wars Trilogy, Earth Girls are Easy, Close Encounters, A League of Their Own, The Natural, Neccessary Roughness, The Three Musketeers, Young Guns (both), Dirty Dancing, Jesus Christ Superstar, North and South(mini-series).
Present - Lord of The Rings and Gladiator.
All time fav - Robin Hood : Men in Tights.
Future - Has to be Return of The King, then my Time & Again.
Whew!
Orlanda
I can't find it either, sorry.
I can't tell if WSN is picking up or not, the Action/Adventure had it's 1st hit yesterday after 9 days of nothing.
For some reason I can't check the last two scripts I placed, another Action/Adventure and a drama. There are no hit lists for them. I'm waiting on a reply from Jerrol to find out what happened.
I don't think it's from my end, the logs, synopses and scripts all come up beautifully to view.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
That's a lot of great information guys.
Thanks for asking the question Amit.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Great going D.G.!!!
I'll think of you working your butt off while I celebrate my birthday.
Gotta have a good one, eh.
Orlanda
Hello Nick,
Outer Limits has a web page. You get to it through mgm.com
Happy hunting and good luck.
Orlanda
Miriam - Yes ma'am.
LOL
With salute firmly in place.
Have a wonderful one.
Orlanda
Thanks Johnny, but it's a couple 'o weeks off yet.
D.G. - That's just too weird! Best of times to you. Bet you'll be having a more interesting time than I will. Man, it'd be great to launch a movie project on my birthday.
Talk about GREAT karma!!!!
So which is yours 15 or 16?
Waiting for the great one.
Orlanda
My defining moment was when I finnished my first piece and realized there were many more episodes waiting to hit the page for my Kung Fu series.
Orlanda
If I let myself get all worked up about query results and follow-ups, I'd never get any writing done.
There's more interesting stresses in our scripts, so that's what I opt for.
Everyone, have your best one.
Orlanda
I love writeathons, do it all the time. 'What kind of trouble can we get into today' seems to be all I need to disappear in scenes for 10 or 12 hours.
By the way, on those days, it's my husband putting the eggs within reach before he goes to bed.
I'm on script 8 now, and for the first time used scene cards while I was researching. Not bad, it let me keep three threads straight as I wove them together. Good thing too, I'm working with hundreds of people on this one.
Having a crazy one.
Orlanda
Randy - Your logline is likely not the problem. Remember, it only take one, the right one, to make the difference.
Have a wonderful one.
Orlanda
If a sexual interlude, like all scenes, is going to work you have to describe it. How else will the reader know if it's hot & steamy, boring or somewhere inbetween? Is it love-love or love-hate?
That's my thought.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
With all the war talk and violence in the world, it's a shame good people doing good work are lost to us all. It's a great tragedy I'll not soon forget.
Orlanda
Paula - You're not the only one. When I write on my Kung Fu series, all I have to do is pop in one of the numerous Legend Continues tapes. I hear the music and off I go. Not to mention hearing character quirks makes visualizing all that much smoother.
Although,
LOL
Beethoven's 6th in rock is definitly enough to get the brain fired up for something new and daring.
Enjoy a wonderful one.
Orlanda
Jack - Music on a golf course, have fun.
Think Rodney Dangerfield.
Have a fun one.
Orlanda
Gregory - Straight from WSN. When your treatment or script has been down-loaded, wait at least 3-6 weeks before you contact the company.
By letter ONLY.
If you have an agent or manager, the letter MUST be from them, not you personally.
Good luck, I hope you go all the way.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Thanks for the replies everyone. Everything is running smooth again.
Can't wait to post the next one.
Have a massive hit day.
Orlanda
Don't forget 'Shrimp on the Barbie'
Have a fun one.
Orlanda
I'd have to say my biggest challenge is taking something totally bizarre and making it into a believable daily occurance.
Other than that, I've learned to see through deliberate bad writing advice. Not to worry folks, none of it came from here. These were face to face and deliberate, meant to keep good new writers from realizing they were good writers.
Which makes me all the happier that I found this board, where the advice is sincere.
Like my mom used to say, everything will come out in the wash. So folks, throw all that outrage and energy into your next script bath, and see what comes out. You may be surprised at the results.
Have a deep one guys and gals. And for God's sake, chill out.
Orlanda
That's fantastic Gil! Go get 'em.
Orlanda
I got the same phone call today. Too bad I missed it.
Did anyone else notice, he didn't use your name. Just introduced himself as Richard.
About the contest itself, I found them to be very professional and on time for notifications. I only quarter-finalled, so I can't say if they held up to their end of the bargain. But if you check out their web page, the 2002 winners appear to be quite pleased with the outcome.
If anyone knows any of the winners, can you check with them and let the rest of know how they faired?
It might make decision making a little easier.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Veena - What a lovely name.
Pardon my tardiness in welcoming you to the BB. I just went through the posts and I believe I may be able to shed a little light on the writing challenge.
So if there's a flaw in my logic, I apologize in advance.
The misconception here is that some look at the word "challenge" as it pertains to writing, as the most difficult thing about writing. And because the majority of us on this board are extremely passionate about writing, the hardest thing to do is market and promote after you've poured your soul into a script.
That isn't what we are :) or we'd be in the marketing business, promoting others.
Personally I see pitching and promoting as challenge one jumps into with gusto, timing and a lot of luck. But that's just me. I love meeting new people and adapt readily. Not everyone can.
Hope that helps.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Bingo Lisa!
I have 48 outlines waiting to be written and not one of them came to me when I was writing.
Like a lot of writers the first came in a dream, the second, of all things a radio contest commercial. The third and fourth, wishful thinking. The fifth, my first stab at deliberate high concept, sixth and seventh from family conversation. The eigth came from a one paragraph blurb in an encyclopedia that just happened to be on the same page as something else I was researching.
What they all have in common is real character traits, the type you see everyday, in every way. Gleaned from people and places, the odd comment, a personality quirk, an attitude.
Have a wonderful one.
Orlanda
LOL
I just ask myself what kind of trouble we can get into today?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Thanks Paul,
That makes a lot of sense.
Orlanda
I have to agree with Paul. WSN's Preferred Newsletter is one solid piece of work.
With the Production Company's details there's little or no doubt when you find a match.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Have heart Andrew. By next year your script will be positively glowing from all that polishing.
Hope all goes well.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Shakila.
Just a thought. An outline isn't written is stone. Sometimes you just need a different angle to see your way clear.
Have a wondiferous one.
Orlanda
LOL By then it won't matter, eh?
Have a great one.
Orlanda
Another thing MK, if you send your scripts by UPS or FedEx they don't require the pre-sifting process and go directly to the copyright center.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Interesting indeed.
Considering it's in Canada and they are only giving us 50 cents on the dollar, I'll post all of my LL at the same time and use a U.S. money order for payment.
Believe it or not, our loonie is up.
Have a fun one.
Orlanda
You know, it would be great if there was no more freakin war. Peace and brotherhood would be wonderful.
So my question is this.
Who's gonna volunteer to go explain to those who don't want to hear, what these simple concepts mean?
Sure, they probably already know the concepts.
When "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" turned into "do unto others before they do unto you" became universally acceptable, all the rest went to pot.
It doesn't surprise me that war is in. Pride and fear blind us. Did you know we're the only species that doesn't learn from out mistakes? Therefore, history will always repeat itself. We're too curious for our own good. We study the arts of war, and oh, guess what? We have to improve on it! If we applied half that effort on peace, we'd have been living in paradise centuries ago. But there are no heroes in paradise, are there?
Having a deep one.
Orlanda
Just so you know, I'm not into church organizations of any sort. And both my parents wore army boots. I'm not for or against. What will be, will be. Each of us will deal with war as we see fit and go about our lives accordingly.
But I gotta say us throwing blame and threats is exactly what S.H. wants. He lives in the constant fear that he has created. Now he wants the rest of the world to be as paranoid as he is, and it's working isn't it?
It's just too bad that Mr. Bush wasn't able to steer clear of S.H.'s baiting. It doesn't look good for Mr. Bush as the "bully type" that S.H. has forced onto him. Mr. Bush is capable of so much more.
As they say, the future has not been written yet.
Okay, I need to go write a slapstick comedy now.
Have a bright one, and pass it on.
Orlanda
I just got Screentalk Magazine's e-newsletter. Apparently a glitch wiped out their web page, totally! Their new web page is up at
Have a glitch free one.
Orlanda
Hmmmm, I wonder why the page didn't show up? Here it is again.
www.screentalk.biz
Orlanda
Mike, MK - Thanks for the update.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Already been and done it and havin' fun with it!!!!!!!!
Have a happy!
Orlanda
Mary Kay - TIG doesn't accept any queries. When I called a few months ago I was directed to contact Kevin Costner's agent Rick Micita at CAA. Apparently they've downsized.
I don't believe they've ever had an edress. There's none listed in HCD.
Good luck.
Orlanda
I was looking for him to direct and produce. Although.......
What do you think, a sword swinging Norse Costner. Could be doable.
Having a fun one.
Orlanda
More like a born again Viking. You know, going back to the old ways only warped after a holocaust.
It's a drama, but it could be a lot of fun as a comedy. All depends on how you play it.
Having a fun one.
Orlanda
Marcel - Try typing missions and nuns into a search engine and see where it takes you. Probably New Mexico or Texas. Mexico, the country is a good possibility too.
If not, hit the books buddy. You might find it's easier to concentrate on a date rather than a location since there could be many mission to choose from.
Good luck.
Orlanda
That's missions
Sorry M.K. Neither of these are in the HCD. Give hollywoodlitsales.com a look, I believe I saw Walden in their producer address book. If Brooklyn isn't there you might try their management list.
Have a wonderful one.
Orlanda
Hello Chelsea - Jono may not be a full fledged Director yet, but he does have contacts up the ying-yang.
He's on my list for a logline or two.
Go for the gusto girl. They can only say no.
Have a lucky one.
Orlanda
Macy - Good luck in your endeavers. I am curious about one thing though.
Will you only be judging the submissions by log line and synopsis? Shouldn't you be reading the scripts to be sure it is as good as you think?
Some extraodinary writers couldn't write a synopsis if their life depended on it, but their scripts are amazing.
Some people write extraordinary log lines and synopsis, but the script is terrible.
The problem being, they are two totally different styles of writing.
So if you want to claim you have the best of the best, you best be reading those scripts to be sure. You could be throwing away a gem for a great log line.
The magazine is a good concept, so if you're going to do it, you might as well do it right and gain the respect of the writing community while you're at it.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I went from typewriter straight to final draft and computer!
Ain't no way I'm going back. And I have yet to use the index cards and other "help you write" features of final draft.
For me it's format, not to mention it's ecologically friendly, saves on wasted paper.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hear! Hear!
Orlanda
Amit - Yes, this is normal for final draft.rtf. I think most readers know it isn't your normal format. That's usually why they will request a hardcopy of your script, to see how long or short it really is. Especially if they like the story.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi John - I'd write out the double U's. It leaves no doubt of what you mean.
Just remind yourself that short forms don't mean the same thing to everyone when you're tempted to use one and you'll do fine.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Marcel - Why don't you just e-mail Karen's review directly to her?
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hey Steve - What's this popular Canadian vote you're talking about? Oh yeah, right. Forgot I was living in the invisible province. Nobody asks us anything;-)
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Excuse me, Ellum,
You might want to check out the news and headlines. There are Canadians on the frontlines and on board ships in the war zone. They fight with the British and American troops, some as American troops.
The problem is, whether they want to fight or not, our military can't move without the federal okay or they're AWAL. Plain and simple.
Everyone knows our military strong point is peacekeeping after the fact. Always has been. And that's straight from my mom, who was a WAC in WWII.
And on that note, please, don't blame all Canadians because our leader chose to keep us out of it, okay.
Have a good night.
Orlanda
Steve - I'd forgotten about Brody's rules, thanks for reminding me. I have 500 Ways to beat the Hollywood Script Reader. It is the best book I've found to make you think over even the smallest details.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
I'm with Gil. Massive hits across the board lately.
And like Steve, the companies are looking at the scripts that are the most twisted or comedy.
It looks like both extremes, the in your face now or hiding from the now.
Orlanda
In the groove and on the move.
Having a wonderful one.
Orlanda
Now that all is bright on this site.
In this light, we all take flight.
Have a >>>>>> one.
Orlanda
Ewwwwwwwwwwww
Those frozen cow pucks make for tough tissues, eh?
Officially ex-prairie popsicle.
;-) The snow is GONE.
Orlanda
MK - Unfortunately we can't rewrite the past.
Well girl, ;-) You're only as old as you perceive yourself to be. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm a fair bit older than you.
Have a young one.
Orlanda
Hi, just wondering how Hobo Grove is doing? In production? Post production? What?
Having a curious one.
Orlanda
Hi guys and gals.
I need a little help finding research material from the 1840's.
Specifically, enzime, alkaloid and disinfectant breakthroughs in England, Canada or France.
Also the degree of efficiency of surgical operations in France.
For anyone who can lead me to the source material, I'd kiss ya but my monitor gets in the way. There goes technology taking all the fun out of it.
Thanks
Orlanda
Pardon me D.G. The Golden Standard. I knew it had been retitled, just had to find it.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
Thank Steve, I was I'm checking into McGill's Medical College as well. It was founded before the time frame I'm looking for.
Have a good one.
Marcel - check out
www.defenselink.mil/news/APR2003/pipc10042003.html
The cards are in savable PDF format.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
I'm just curious here.
If the meek inherit the earth.
And the rotten are dumped into hell.
Who gets heaven?
Having a ? one.
Orlanda
Hello boys.
Michael - From where? ;-)
John - Too true, on both counts.
Richard - I'm not a believer or organized religion. I know just how easy it is to twist words, intentional or not. Not to mention perception.
Marcel - Ain't it the truth. I've seen my share of "meek" roar.
Thanks for your input gentlemen.
I wonder where all the ladies are?
Have a good night all.
That's "of" Richard.
D.J. - A blessing is forever, no matter if the person giving it is real or not. It's the thought that counts.
As for the Veena persona, well, if you don't exsist you can't die? So you're covered either way.
Use that luck in your pocket for everything it's worth my friend. As long as you trust in it. It will always there.
Have an inspired one.
Orlanda
My prayers are with you Ron.
Another one you can check out is White Squall. It's a bigger ship, but the orders are the same. Very intense.
Good luck.
Orlanda
I have to agree with Dennis. The worst critics in the group I was in never brought in a script, short or otherwise.
Another possibility is genre. Some people just cannot wrap their minds around a story that is not of their preferred genre. I find this is usually when the defense mode kicks in. They feel better if they bash and trash.
I think this somehow defends the genre they choose to write.
I look at it from a different angle. If I can hook a hardcore do or die slasher B horror writer into a heart wrenching drama, I am definitly doing something right.
Needless to say, I do take into account the genre's of the people who read my scripts and judge the feedback in the same way.
Orlanda
Hi David - I guess we all do it, for me it runs more to TV. I can't remember the last time I turned on the TV when I wasn't putting in a video or DVD. But I still get a kick out of a lot of movies. It's only the bad ones that bore me to studying the flaws so I don't repeat them. It's exciting when you see a scene well done and realize you have set up one of your own scenes in a similar fashion. That's what will get me back to writing right quick.
Orlanda
H.J. - I haven't gotten a sale from WSN yet, but I'm doing a co-write thanks to the site.
The name is still Writer's Script Network, it's just the web address that has changed. Shorter, easier to remember.
If you have doubts about their mail out directory, go for the preferred newsletter. The leads alone make it well worth the extra $20. You have to have a script listed to get it, and it's for 6 months. Can't beat that at any price.
Orlanda
John - The way you describe "Shall We Dance" makes me want to see it.
This may come as a shock.
Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere are doing a remake up here in Winnipeg. They start shooting in June.
I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I'm making a point to see the original first.
Orlanda
I checked out the filmmaking stamps. Way cool guys.
Orlanda
John - Thanks for the list of movies. I'll see if I can find them here. Like Steve says I'm in that no-man's land between Ontario and B.C.
About Shall We Dance - Being Budhist, Richard Gere just may have some of what it takes. I hope so.
Orlanda
Hey Marcel - Alan posted the web address up top. I guess you missed it. Check it out.
Orlanda
Hey Sherlock - Final Draft has a variety of feature script formats to choose from. Open them up and check them out. One may already have the specs you're looking for.
Good luck
Orlanda
Oh, another thought. 4.1 may not have as many formats as 5 or 6. Go to finaldraft.com and download the free upgrades. Well worth it my friend.
Orlanda
Awwwwwwwwww, that's nice Gil. I'm glad you got it all worked out to your satisfaction, and sanity.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
Like Richard I write everything by hand first. I like to write wherever I am, at the coffee shop, bar, park, with friends and family or without. There's nothing better to get you writing, than having to write faster than a friend can read the previous page. The dialogue just whips out natural because there is no time to pretty it up or second guess. Somehow I never have to change those.
Oh well, anyway, back to timing. Once I'm done the research of whatever project I happen to be on, I just sit down and write from start to finish, no outline or treatment and usually no idea where the story will take me. Sometimes an hour aday, sometime 18 hours, depends on how deep into it I am. Needless to say the finishing time varies. The least amount of time was 19 days, a lot of long nights on this one. It's funny that it didn't need much of a polish. The longest is still in progress, over six months. If you average 9features over 2 1/2 years it comes out to almost 4 months per script with polish.
But those are just numbers. Each script will take as long as it takes, they are all different like we all are and require different degrees of attention to make them work.
Orlanda
Gil and Paul - That's wonderful news. Way to go. Huge good luck for both of you in the finals.
Orlanda
Hello Terri - I have no problems on WSN anymore, Jerrol has kindly fixed them.
If your newsletter reads preferred newsletter in the subject line of your email, then that is what you have. If not you are getting the basic newsletter. The last preferred newsletter has 5 solid production leads looking for specific genre's and types of writers if that helps at all.
Orlanda
Hey Mary Kay, try Hollywoodlitsales.com I'm not sure if there is an email listed, but that is the last place I saw the company listed.
Orlanda
Hi Ron, I believe I would call the director to ask if she would mind if you using her letter to further your script and take it from there. She may just ask if your script is still available. Plus if she doesn't have your contact info and the company is gone, she won't be able to get ahold of you.
Orlanda
typo - I meant used
Orlanda
John
You won't believe this. I'm going to the invite only opening of the nightclub that will be the shooting location for Shall We Dance. It turns out an old friend of mine knows the new owner.
This is too weird. I mean really, what are the odds?
It aughta be fun. Boogie time!!!
Orlanda
No need to apologize Terri. It wasn't a film shoot. Just the grand opening of the club that will be the shooting location. I'll tell ya, one thing is for sure. If this club stays 100% rap it ain't gonna last long. Wrong demographics.
Filming should be starting in a week or two, when JLo gets back from Europe with Ben.
Orlanda
Hi Terri - You were wondering if any big companies came to InkTip. That's a resounding Yes!!!!! The Donner's Co just hit on one of my scripts. There are many others. Lionsgate, Marty Katz, Zide-Perry, Orly Adelson, Paramount Classics, Horizon, Walt Disney, too many to list.
Some of the fun ones are Rocket Chicken and Beany Boys.
For $40.00 there's a lot more to gain, than lose.
Orlanda
The TV category winners are posted.
For those of you who entered that category, I hope you are receiving an email that says WINNER!!!
It looks like they've doubled their numbers from last year, so it'll be into July before the feature spec winners are posted.
LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!
Orlanda
Sorry Terri, Steve can't be me. Our birthdays are almost a week apart. We're a province apart and damn!
LOL He's a guy.
Have fun with your hunk of a M.D. and I hope your foot gets better soon.
Orlanda
I was sad to hear your troubles Andrea. Did the divorce thing more than 20 years ago and everything changed. For the better. Two family deaths in the 1st week of this year was tough, especially the 18 year old nephew. It made me appreciate my husband and son a lot more.
Life has a way of doing that. It also makes up for it by having millions of good things just waiting to surprise us.
Have a good one on me.
Orlanda
No problem Colin. I entered an action/adventure this year. So if you see incoherent type babble from me, you'll know I won. LOL
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Way to go Gil. Great luck in the finals. LOL Schmooze away!
Orlanda
Like Bryan and Richard, I was born a night owl. The best nights writing are when you don't notice the sun has come up. LOL
That doesn't mean I can't write during the day, it just means I'm out absorbing attitudes, personalities and ideas. Real people ya know. Other than that all it takes is a touch of inspiration to set me to writing.
As for TV writing, if you like what you're writing, you won't have a problem. But if you don't like the material, you've hooked yourself to a major chore.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Whoa! Robert, take it easy. The guys are just ribbing each other. Honest, if you don't believe me because I'm Canadian, ask them.
We have stuff that doesn't work and you have stuff that doesn't work, but we both have stuff that works great.
So enjoy what's good in your world and be content you don't have to live up here.
Orlanda
Great going Gil, I hope they shop your script uptown. Lotsa luck.
I don't think I need to tell you to have a good day, eh.
Orlanda
You made the finals Paula? That's great! Go get 'em girl.
Have a great one.
Orlanda
You don't even put the aActs in a MOW until it's optioned.
Sounds like it's just this gentleman's character trait. I wouldn't worry about it. I do find it amusing though. That must be one powerful script you have there if all he can comment on is a quirk.
Orlanda
Hi guys,
It's been awhile since I've been here.
The specifics of the Canadian Content that gets you the grants and tax breaks is 6 out of the 10 major players have to be Canadian. So if a company gets a Canadian writer, only 5 points remain for production, directors and talent.
That one point could make the difference on getting a name US talent or the specific US director who can work wonders with your script.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hello Elizabeth, I use Final Draft and it doesn't matter which format a document starts at. I simply "select all" go into final draft and choose the script type (1hr series, teleplay, feature) open a new fdr and paste the original document. Like the others say, you may have to do some adapting. But if you typed it up in script format, not much.
You said you plan to get Final Draft. If you want a document formatted to Final Draft right now, you would have to email it to someone who has Final Draft and have them save it to Final Draft. And all you would get back is gobbly gook.
You see, you can't read Final Draft without the program unless you download a Final Draft reader. And if you have only the reader, you cannot change anything. It's a kind of protection for your work.
Good luck.
Brett is absolutely right on the 50 pages. Maximun is 54 and expect some to be edited out.
One other thing. FADE IN and FADE OUT of each act.
Also, check your screenwriting program, you may already have the "Alias" series format in your program. It should come up in your new script box. (depending on the program you have).
I wish you good luck
Orlanda
Sorry about the "Alias" inclusion. I must have picked it up somewhere else on the site.
:-) Orlanda
Interesting contest concept. A short in 24 hours, depends on what they consider short. 3-10 pages, no problem. Maybe even 15 pages. Getting up to 30-50 pages is a different story. I don't know about the rest of you, but there isn't enough time in the day to physically type 50 pages, not to mention coming up with and structuring ideas as you go.
Way to go Robert and Steve!!!! Hey Steve, if that right arm doesn't need to be on location. Give me a shout.
Orlanda
I'm still using Final Draft 5, with the usual updates and I don't have any of those problems. Mind you I did set up to automatic save every 15 minutes.
Nope, no freezing. Although I did have a script and character list merge once LOL What a nightmare that was!
I threatened my computer within an inch of its life and it never did it again.
:-) Orlanda
Well folks, I just received an email from Hollywood's Next Success. Unfortunately, I didn't place. So I am assuming they are sending emails to all entrants.
Good luck to all.
:-) Orlanda
Merry Christmas everyone. And the best of the best for the new year.
May an angel of inspiration park on all of our shoulders in 2005 :-)
Orlanda
Right now I have every script I've written on both my pc and laptop and a floppy as well. Now that I have a new CD reader/writer it's time to switch. The next computer likely won't have a floppy drive.
Geez, why does that sound like a rabbit taking a ride on a motorcycle?
Anywho, be good and be safe
Orlanda
Apparently Prime Minister Martin, up here in Canada, has doubled what he previously earmarked for aid. So it's now at 80 mil. I think the public has contributed 37 mil so far by choice and it's still climbing. Even so, it may come too late. Now with the added rains, hope for survivors is running low.
So please don't discount good wishes and prayers. There is a reason for the saying, "It's the thought that counts." Thought gets there immediately, cash and supplies do not. Good vibrations have to be good for something.
Not everyone has the financial means to help, not even with a few bucks. So lets not guilt them into it. There are plenty of others who can afford it and are graciously doing so. :-)
But that's just my take. Feel free to ignore it if you like.
:-) Orlanda
Hello, Matt.
I've not been to the Absolute Market as yet. Although it is a branch off of AbsoluteWrite.com that I get weekly newsletters from. I just haven't had the time to explore the Market. The Write newsletter has a lot of good advice, writing leads and links to work with.
Let us know what the Market is like if you decide to go have a peek, okay.
:-) Orlanda
What an excellent thread, Jeremy. On all of my scripts, be it feature, series or shorts, I write from the heart. Sometimes they fall into the 3 act structure. :-) Most times not. For this I am very happy because it has been the not's that have gotten my work noticed.
For example, a circular feature that hops back and forth from black and white past to color present. And with two totally different story lines whose only link is the man in the present is the daydream of the man in the past and the past is a past life of the man in the present.
This particular script got me a co-write with Robert Ginty because I wasn't afraid to explore outside the box (books) and test the new ground that his idea needed. It's been almost 2 years, and Robert is now pitching the feature in L.A.
I guess my point is, that if you do your research and really get into the story, the structure will fall into place where it needs to be. If it is 3 act, so be it. If it is totally whacked, that's great too. I find the story knows what it needs and tweeks your imagination to get it.
Have a good one.
Orlanda
Hi Randy, They also have the same setup at FilmStew(free subscription). But I checked and Kurt Russell has absolutely nothing listed. Although you might try through Goldie Hawn's Cherry Alley Prods, Clearlight Prods or Cosmic Ent.
Her son Oliver Hudson owns Workshed Ent. And there are also, Go Mav Prods and Birdie Prods.
Either way you look at it they are all under Cosmic Ent. And that means Goldie Hawn. I know rumor has Kurt and Goldie split up. But that doesn't mean they can't still work together. They did start the company together.
:-) Good luck
Orlanda
Hello Jerry.
You might want to check Filmstew.com it has Madonna's agent as Adam Isaacs(UTA), Manager as, Caresse Henry(she is also a producer). The Management Firm is Maverick Films. And Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg(Warner Brohters Records). If you do the search with Maverick Films you will find the whole crew. One of which might be easier to get to.
Maverick Films (Canada)
Sebastian Cluer (Dir/Prod)
207 Queen Street
Toronto, Ont.
M5A 1S2
(416) 703-7748
The last update on these is Feb 17/02, so I would recommend you phone first to make sure the people are accurate.
Best of luck.
Orlanda
Let's see. I'm working with not one, but two co-writers. One a feature the other a series. :-) Both unpaid until picked up. I'm finishing up another feature and outlining the next and editing my own series. On top of that, I've completed 8 out of a series of 15 music videos for an upcoming artist. And I'm getting a lot of requests for a short I have posted on inktip. Not to mention the rewrites, contests, queries, etc.
I'm having a blast. There is no time to get stuck in any one genre or format. God I love variety.
Orlanda
Stephen - Personal dealing, no. But I did do a search on them when they were hitting on my scripts posted on Inktip.com.
I only found one movie made by them, a feature. The interesting thing is the connections of the people he co-produced with. The Executive producer EP'd on Law & Order plus 9 features and 7 TV movies to his credit. Another co-producer has 16 features and 2 TV movies to his name, including Lost In Translation.
I haven't checked in at least a year, so maybe do a google search to see what they've been up to lately. :-) and who their friends are before you decide if you wish to deal with them. If it's about their new "writers wanted" posting, google their producing partner too. Who knows, they may have solid backing and the talent to use it well.
Good luck.
Orlanda
I'd have to go with Inktip as well. Not only are they the nicest people to work with they also have some big hitters coming in too. I've had lookers from The Hollywood Creative Directory.
The Donner's Company, AEI, Acronym Ent., Aurora Prods, Bergman, Lustig, Barnstorm Films, Bigel Mailer, Ballyhoo Ent., Brookwell McNamara, John Baldechi, Cutwater, Comsky Group, Cintel Films, Capitol Arts, Commotion Pictures(tv.writer.com), Copasetic, Chesler/Perlmutter, Chick Flicks and Cobblestone Films. And that's just A, B and C.
I think a lot of it comes down to genre. If you only write one genre, only the companies who are interested in that genre will hit on your work. If you write low budget, the majority of your hitters will be smaller companies, or new ones who can't go for the bigger stuff yet. None of us can expect the big studios to hit on these sites. That's one of the reasons they have affiliates. They search and bring the good scripts to the big boys.
Either way, the choice is yours.
:-) Orlanda
Way to go, Marcel. Sounds like a good start. Keep us posted on your progress.
Orlanda
Hello Sue.
You know, even if you have successfully directed movies, your requirements are a lot for any production company to accept. And if you haven't directed before they most likely can't afford to bank on your best intentions.
I wish it were otherwise, but no one is going to guarantee the script content won't change. Remember, once someone buys your script it becomes their property. To legally do with as they please.
The only way to guarantee your script remains intact as you wrote it, is to produce and direct and edit it yourself. Oh, and the cast will expect to make their own changes.
Best of luck, Sue. :-)
Orlanda
Give up on you, Sue? Not at all. :-) On the contrary I was just letting you know there are other options available to putting your script into someone else's hands. I'd love to see all of us actually get a screenplay produced and directed exactly as we have written them. LOL The industry would be in for a big shakeup if that happened. :-) And I really do hope that you find your mentor. I have a funny feeling your passion will get you there.
:-) Orlanda
I'm with Randy. I bet you are happy now. When your spirit smiles, anything is possible.
Orlanda
Hi Lisa.
www.writersguildofcanada.com
They have a list of guild signatory agents.
Good luck.
Orlanda
Hi Cynthia,
Just scroll down to Zero Gravity.
:-) Orlanda
Hi Connie. I just got the email.
:-) I wish us both luck.
Orlanda
Ooops. LOL I should have read your post more closely, Connie. Mine was also for finalist.
So I was excited. :-) Sue me.
Orlanda
p.s. See you on the Red Inkworks site.
Come again, Sean. Co-writing is half and half. Hence the term co-writing. If your co-writer is so worried about who writes how many words. How are you ever going to get anything good on the page? You'll be too busy counting words. Just suggest to your partner that 50/50 is pretty much standard and would be your best bet. And if he/she is still worried about it, make up an agreement that you both sign to the effect of 50/50 (2 copies so you each get one). :-) Then you can both get down to some great writing. In the end when you sell the script, you could be re-written to the point that neither of you get the credit. So don't sweat the credits now. Wait and fight for it as a team later if need be.
Orlanda
Hello Lisa. Have you found someone to help with your script?
I'm in Manitoba, and have been script doctoring for a while now.
Let me know if you'd like to talk.
Orlanda
Hi, Randy.
Personally, I try to write dialog that is true to the character.
Even if he has a droning voice it doesn't matter. He can still have great dialog. How he reacts to his friend or boss who has a non-stop, always in a rush type of personality and voice is what tells the story. Or how he frustrates that same friend or boss can be hilarious or so deep it's rooted down to bedrock. AKA The Odd Couple.
The trick is to not change the character's style of speech even as they grow and change. Or if you do, it's always good to put them in a situation that brings out the old character traits, even if it's just for a moment. It reminds the character of who he really is. And the audience.
You can bet everyone is going to pay attention the one time the droning voice has some life in it. Regardless of what he says.
:-) That's what works for me.
Hello Ron.
Mad Hot Ballroom? No, I haven't heard about it. It sounds like fun.
What's it about? Well, other than dancing of some sort or another. :-)
Orlanda
I'm curious. Is she an agent or manager? Seems she would have to be to take you on as a client. Or does that mean in a screenwriter/reviewer sense?
Orlanda
Hello William.
From your logline it came across that Evil (a physical entity) awakens and Joniah, who holds the evil championship belt has to fight him to retain his title. In my mind this is basically an Ultimate Evil match.
So here goes.
The ultimate evil match begins when Evil awakens in a futuristic world forcing Joniah to fight to retain his Evil title.
Violence is a given, so I don't think you need to state it. As for the sexual ;-) save it to surprise them in the synopsis.
That is just my take. Keep whatever works for you.
It could be one heck of brilliant movie if it's done right.
Orlanda
I agree with Steve. To add to it, there is nothing stopping you from contacting PBS to ask what they are looking for.
Thanks HJ. I have an agent, so I was just wondering what the whole story was.
Well, I finally saw War of the Worlds. And I am very glad I haven't read the book or seen any previously made movie of it.
There were so many places where I just sat there an wondered. What the heck!!! Even to someone who hasn't read it there are huge story gaps all over the place. Which pulled you out of the movie on a regular basis. Sure, the FX were pretty good. But not extraordinary.
I don't know where you guys get the aliens from, because I didn't see a single one. Just the eyeball tentacle in the storm celler. But that's part of the machinery. Although, you never know, the CRTC may have insisted the aliens be removed before it could be seen in Canada. Which would cause even more holes in the story. Hmmmm. It was about 10 minutes less than 2 hours at the theater. Did anyone else see a longer version? Or do my aliens have invisibility capability?
Whichever the case, I would have been better off using the time to work on my scripts.
Well sure, George.
If the deal is signed and the money has changed hands. He has a sale!
Which means when he pitches his next script he puts that sale on his resume and drops it into his queries. Which will make companies stop and wonder how good he really is.
Half the companies out there are looking for writers who have been producted. Granted, he isn't produced yet. But a prior sale is usually good enough to open the doors to talks.
Marcel and Randy. Yup, you're right. I saw them. Obviously nothing special about them or I wouldn't have forgotten them so easily. Now that I think about it, the only thing that was original about them was their curiosity.
Note to self: When writing Sci-fi, make sure to detail how my aliens are different.
:-) Ciao
Some companies insist on S.A.S.E. some don't. Research the company. If you can't find any info on it, they can't be too determined to receive one.
You know, if you've researched the company and they are legit. I see no problem with it.
:-) Actually, isn't that what most of us want? Someone who just wants to read our screenplay without all the pesky prose writing like loglines and synopese.
I have run across a few who have requested just the script. And you know what? It doesn't seem to make any difference sale wise or reply wise. If they decide they don't want it, they don't say so.
One question.
Why would I pay good money on a movie or dvd of a crappy remake when I've got an excellent dvd of the original at home? And it only cost 4.99!
Hello Ben.
It is very nice to know someone cares.
I would think that if you had requested scripts that have promise, they would be going to your own development department. If not, and you would like to help. You can simply let a writer know that their script is not up to your standards or industry standards.
That way they may be more inclined to look into what industry standards are, rather than take your head off. At least they wouldn't be left hanging.
Thank you very much for Final Draft. hehe It let me put my typewriter out to pasture. For good. I love rewrites now!
I'll boycott. Up here in Canada we are already paying $5.00 a gallon! It takes $60.00 to fill my little mini-van. And there is no walking here. Everything is too far away.
I get the WGA because a huge number of production companies and agencies won't touch your work unless it has a WGA #.
But I get the copyright for my own peace of mind.
If I had to choose. Copyright, all the way. For the extra 10 bucks I'll happily take the life +70.
Well, if your character is male. The easiest way is to show the difference in facial hair.
First day, he is clean shaven, the next day is stubble, etc. It's a given. And 99% of the audience is going to have a pretty good idea of how many days have past.
On a woman, I don't know. Maybe getting that much rest at one time will show with a lessening of darkness under the eyes. Or thinning from lack of food.
Good luck. :-)
Hello Tracy.
Orlanda got it. And she is happy to help.
hehehe :-) I couldn't resist.
Seriously though, it just seemed to me you didn't want to change your angle or go with the old smack them in the face tricks.
Best of luck
Orlanda
Being a Canadian writer I will second those questions.
Orlanda
Looking back at the initial post they are looking for a completed script.
I can only assume that they have recently acquired the rights to the story and are looking to see if anyone has written a spec before they hire a screenwriter.
Orlanda
I guess we'll just have to wait and see if they put up a writer for hire wanted posting.
Instead of waiting I would email the company and ask for their client and credit list. That way I could contact the people on the list to see what they think of the company. You can't beat first hand knowledge.
Not to worry, Tracy.
The "o" at the end of my last name always causes the mix-up.
LOL I'm seriously thinking of using just Orlanda.
Greg - Check out script-o-rama.com. They have a lot of treatments of actual produced scripts that you can download.
Treatments can be anywhere from 5 pages to 25 pages.
:-) Think of it as a really long synopsis.
Orlanda
Sorry Connie. The link doesn't work.
Not a problem, Greg. US copyright is honored in Canada the same as Canadian copyright is honored in the US.
Oh, if you go back to the copyright site you'll find a list of countries that are covered by your US copyright.
:-) Good luck
My take on a beat sheet is a quick line or two blurb in point form about what happens is each scene. No, you don't have to use bullets or dashes before each scene's lines. So it depends on how many scenes you have as to what the length will be. 30 scenes is going to make for a shorter beat sheet than 50.
Here's a rough example.
Protage is caught in affair with boss.
Protage has anniversary dinner with wife. Wife leaves him.
Protage moves in with college buddy.
Protage loses his job.
College buddy kicks him out.
Does that help at all?
Orlanda
I always ask right off the hop.
Producers are well aware that a simple word like "synopsis" has multiple meanings depending on which company you are talking to.
Sorry Colin. No company is going to give you a series bible. I've tried. It is strickly protected and is only seen by those being paid to be there.
The best you can do is try to watch every episode of what you want to write for and jot down everything you think is important.
If you get that book, let me know how it is. :-) With 2 new series ready to go I might get it myself.
Interesting site. I'll have to make time to take a better look.
Thanks :-)
Well, the site is still M.I.A.
I hate to lose such a good source. There are so few of them compared to us writers.
I'm hoping they are down to update/grade the site.
Well, I don't know about that. I just picked up a dozen leads from just one lead site and I'm sure they are expecting to get replies from writers.
I look at it this way. If the query doesn't get bounced back, :-) they have room for another query.
Just don't expect a reply back until after New Year.
To bring us back to the topic of what we all write. :-)
Hmmmm. I'll have to pull out the list. Let's see.
1 Fantasy/drama,
1 drama/thriller,
1 action/adventure,
1 rom/com,
1 dark comedy,
part 1 of a historical/supernatural/drama trilogy, 1 reality/drama,
1 supernatural/thriller,
1 suspense/thriller,
and 2 drama.
That's the features. There are tons of shorts and 1 each sci-fi and fantasy/drama series.
I can't believe I'm adding horror and gangster, and noir to the list. I must be crazy. Either that or easily bored. Nah, I just love to learn and apply.
Have a great holiday season everyone!
On the bad side :-( I didn't get nearly as much new material done as I'd hoped to. Tons of rewriting everything from loglines to treatments to scripts. Whew!
On the good side :-) I snagged an agent (hence, the rewriting). And I was an extra in Brad Pitt's new Jesse James movie. That was great fun as I met up with some old friends.
So I now have 4 features that will be finished early in the new year. lol Some crazy new ideas to outline.
Oh, and of course, script requests. :-)
You gotta love them.
Here's hoping everyone's hard work of 2005 brings excellent 2006 results.
Hi Greg,
The program comes preprogrammed with them checked off.
What you have to do is open your script. Go up and click on "documents". From there, click on "more and continued".
A window will come up and you will see the the 4 boxes that label more and continued for page breaks and dialog breaks are checked off.
Click on them to uncheck. Then go back to your script and manually remove the more and continued. They will now stay removed.
Best of luck.
Oh. Be sure to click on OK after you uncheck the boxes to apply it.
:-)
That looks about right to me, Linda.
Come on D.Jay
LOL
Isn't my name confusing enough without you pretending to be me?
Besides, I know Fredrick knows the difference. I'm in Manitoba, Canada. I believe Randy is now in Texas. And I'm not sure where you hail from D.Jay.
Sorry, I haven't been checking out bios for quite a while.
Orlanda
Gee. And here I thought this was going to be about rewriting logline.
In that way, yes. I always adapt my logline to suit the tone of the query.
Do I bold or underline? Never.
Orlanda
Well, you sure got me on the slugline/logline Sue. That'll teach me to read and post that late at night.
:-) Orlanda
p.s. I don't fancy up the sluglines either.
The way I see it, every new header needs to be explained. We wouldn't know it was the same characters unless you say so. It could just as easily be the cashier from the cafe, right.
One thing. I can't see how appearing in the spaceship could be continuous. The couple vanished from the sidewalk.
We don't see them travel up the beam, stop in the room and the beam shut off. Now that would be continuous.
You see, to be continuous, the couple can never be out of sight.
You might be meaning instantaniously.
Which wouldn't go anywhere near the header. :-)
Orlanda
Always knew you could and would make the right moves, buddy.
Cheers. ;-) That's a toast to you. :-)
Orlanda
This is great, Paula!
Best of luck setting up and doing the shoot.
:-) Orlanda
That is great news Linda. The sale, the filming and :-) the hyphenate.
I just dove in this summer myself. Was asked, made the decision in half a second and there you go. Another Writer-director.
And soon to become HD editor since I can't find any in the area. I am so looking forward to learning this.
Orlanda
See and to me, CUT TO isn't a transition. Just the opposite. It is what happens when you haven't set up a transition. You automaically cut to the next scene.
Now if you are using CUT TO within a scene, You are just wasting lines by not setting up the angle needed in such a way that there will be no doubt what the reader visualizes as they read.
After setting up and shooting my own short this summer and using this type of setup. I have to say it is a great way for directors to set up a shoot schedule, but if you aren't directing it yourself it just slows down the read and adds pages.
And that is the last thing you want if your aim is to sell.
Excellent to hear that you've finished filming Paula.
You gotta love the feeling of satisfaction when you say wrap.
:-D I sure did. Now if we can just get the editing done...I wish you better luck than we've had. We went with HD and it can't just be popped onto any computer and edited.
Best to ya.
Orlanda
It's good to hear your progress is moving forward, Paula.
I had 5 locations, all being in town it was only a matter of 30 minutes to take down move and set up at the second location of the day. :-) I scheduled so only 2 days had a location change. And the second day was for a pickup scene.
Final Cut is great. Just know there is a major difference between their Express version and the Pro. Too many people just see Final Cut and assume Express can edit HD the same as Pro. The Express computer requirements are nothing compared to what Pro version needs to do the job right.
Orlanda
Hey Paula -
Massive amounts of harddrive is right. And I have no choice but to look at investing in all that interesting hardware. :-)
Editors I can find where I am. An editing suite that can handle uncompressed HD is a whole nother story.
Looks like I'm branching out again. Oh boy :-) Some new tech to figure out. hehehe My favorite pasttime. I love it.
Orlanda
There is a Film God!!!
LOL I found an editor with access to an HD editing suite!
Now that I've just gotten back from Vancouver, I can get things rolling on the editing. Whew, there's still time before the TIFF and Vancouver deadlines. :-) Not to mention at least a dozen more that I'm itching to send the short to.
Have a great one guys.
Orlanda
:-) As Ralph Waldo Emerson said;
Do not go where the path might lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Hmmmmmmm, sounds very much like indie filmmaking LOL
Hey Randy,
I aim to please, so please aim. ;-) The camera that is.
I am just starting to set up a new 20 minute horror to shoot this summer. LOL Okay, I admit it!!!! I'm hooked!!!
Only this time I'll make sure I've got a signed ironclad contract with the editor before I even think of shooting.
Film on.
Orlanda
Hmmm, that's strange John. I've got a little Lexmark E210, now that is a low line at about 80 bucks, and she's been churning out scripts now for about 3 years. The last Lexmark lasted for 4 years before the drum finally gave out and it was cheaper to get a new one than get the drum replaced.
I detested the HP, and so did my computer. So I won't go there.
Orlanda
Hi Jamie,
I've been with Danie for almost 2 years. What can I say, she's great to work with.
I've been doing screenplay rewrites and now book editing that turned into screenplay adaptation of the book thanks to Danie's insight.
Just doing it with the book edit/adaptation showed me you never know until you try. :-) And I've since expanded myself into directing and music, drum lessons no less.
So yeah. I'd say she's done wonders for the path my career is taking and my belief in myself.
Orlanda
Hmmmm. Most times I find when I get an idea it helps to give it a logline, which usually expands until I have a full outline with huge amounts of script inbetween.
The point being. You never start off writing the outline or script with a blank page. :-)
This is creative writing. Go for whatever works for you and have fun.
Orlanda
LOL You never know.
;-) Orlanda
John, Randy and Greg.
Congratulations to all three of you.
I joined the club a week and a half ago by buying out the producer of the short I directed last summer.
;-) I go to edit this Friday and with new music and promo packaging, hope to be done in time for the Toronto Film Festival deadline.
Moondance might be a little tight, being April 1, but I'm going to give it my best shot.
Orlanda
I'm with both Steve and Randy. I've made my first short right from page one, just finished the editing and it'll be on it's way to TIFF in the morning.
But a month before my directing started I volunteered on another shoot to make sure how I thought it was done, was the way it was done. And I didn't at all mind ironing shirts and curtains, making coffee, serving up food, fake blood, grodey vomit and misc. other prop goodies.
What a great way to learn the ropes. :-D And meet a lot of great people with connections and goals of their own. That's where my gaffer came from. Best investment I ever made. He may have been a rookie, but he knew his stuff.
Orlanda
You got it, Steve. And the feedback from Red Inkworks doesn't cost extra. Everyone gets notes for the standard price of the entry fee.
I've been a finalist a number of times and no matter how good your script is, Larry and his people find ways of making it better.
;-) Good to go.
Larry not only answers feedback questions, he welcomes them.
And there is none of the "the end of Act 2 needs to be spiced up" or "the premise doesn't grab me" kind of answers. He spells it out.
Best of luck to you
Hey D.J. It's been awhile.
Generally in the HCD (I've been getting it for quite a while now). No unsolicited does mean scripts/treatments.
They would become solicited if they asked you to send in the script because of the email or phone call.
Quite a few companies don't have email addresses posted in the book. So you'd have to call or send snail mail.
If you happen to be in the company's area, it doesn't hurt to call to ask about their query procedure. You never know who you'll be talking to.
:-) Just be ready to pitch on the spot if asked.
Hello Douglas,
I don't see how any sacrificing is going on because of the fact that 1 page = 1 minute??
Description is part of the storyline along with dialog. How you weave these two together is what makes the stucture, feel and story come alive.
:-) Orlanda
Oh man. Steve. You remember Skinny Minnie Miller too.
:-) She was my fav.
Okay, is it just me or is there just a bit too much repetition, maybe just too much length.
I'd go with a shorter tighter logline along these lines.
When adult siblings discover letters of their long deceased mother's wishes for them, they each delve into what their lives could have been.
"Could have been" pretty much means the same as the last two lines by itself.
I hope this is helpful to you.
:-)
Haha
Now if I could do that with my own loglines, John. I'd be smokin'!
;-) Orlanda
This is so awesome that so many moviebyters are making it into semis and finals in the contests.
None for me yet, but I've got two coming up.
Keep 'em rocking ;-)
Great going in the running moviebyters. :-)
I haven't entered a screenplay in Slamdance, but I did enter my first short movie. ;-) It'll be a little while yet before those are posted.
Cheers to you all.
Orlanda
Actually I believe Larry picks a set amount of scripts, I have no idea what that number may be, and then goes back through them to place the top 50.
Way to go Toby! :-) Looks like we both might find our scripts in the top 50.
I hope you got some really good pointers in the notes. I sure did.
Best to you.
Orlanda
That is great news Linda.
I'll keep tabs on the site to check it out.
:-)
Yes. Thank you David.
:-)
That is so awesome, Jean. Way to go. You didn't even say you were in it. Glad you did though.
Todd, I got the same email from Larry. ;-) I'm not saying where I came in until it is officially posted.
:-) Cheers all around!
HAPPY CANADIAN THANKS GIVING!!
:-D
Well :-) 22nd it is, and with my first stab at a romance comedy.
Whooooo Hoooo to everyone else who placed.
Orlanda
I am in total agreement with Randy. Copyright is the first way to go. It's good for your lifetime, plus 90 years I believe.
I am on Inktip and the majority of the companies that request my scripts want the copyright number. And they will check to see if it is authentic.
But I have also gotten WGA registration on all my scripts because many of the companies that are WGA affiliated won't accept a script that is not registered through WGA east or west.
So all told, even when the exchange rate was huge, it still only cost about $100.00 to register and copyright a script. Well worth it if you ask me. My babies never go out there naked and unprotected.
Plus with the U.S. copyright, or Canadian for that matter, it is respected by somewhere around 80 countries. Now that is what I call blanket protection.
You might want to double check that 80, it could be more by now. I haven't checked in awhile.
:-) Best of luck to you. And be sure to make a note of the contest placement when you put up your logline. Trust me, companies notice.
Well now. It seems to me that you may be missing a step in all this. Because the easiest way to get an agent/manager/option is with a hot logline, and from there a killer synopsis.
Together, they are called a 1 page leave behind. And that is what you should query with when it comes to agents.
Once the agent is interested, they will want to know what else you have written and if you have more screenplays in progress.
My agent, for example, was thrilled to hear that I wrote features, series, shorts and tv movie formats. It means she can pitch me in just about any situation that comes up. She's the one that got me into editing books and adapting to screenplay. That's a whole new category where she can work me in. haha Just don't ask me to write a book.
And all this because one of her staff brought a logline to her attention that I had posted on Inktip.
Hmmmm how it works for a manager, I don't know. I haven't had one, but it seems to me if you find someone who believes in you, that's the one you should go with.
;-) Good hunting.
Okay guys, chill. :-D
Yes there is the FedEx charge, Randy, but mostly it was the exchange rate. That $45 to copyright soon becomes $60-75 when our Canadian dollar was low.
Right now with us being on par. hehehe It was great to WGA or Copyright the new scripts. It was like a 2 for 1 sale!
At any rate, you do not need a copyright to post on Inktip. That or WGA is fine. I use the WGA # on Inktip. When a production company is that interested, then they, and only they get the copyright number.
Hey Walter,
I know where you are coming from and I appreciate the concern.
;-) Not to worry though, I do have more than one of each genre. I tend to go on a run, learn one genre through writing a few of them and then move to another genre, figure it out and write a couple more. This just happened to be my first rom/com. :-) And there are a few more lined up ready to write. You see, I use the contests to gauge how well I have learned an new genre.
And you are very right, the point is to have whatever they might ask for, so having quality and quantity can't be a bad thing.
:-) Orlanda
Well here's the link to the Writer's Guild of Canada's take on it.
http://www.wgc.ca/files/Message%20to%20WGC%20Members%20final%20w%20sigs.pdf
Basically none of the WGC members are allowed to sell or contract to U.S. WGA signatory companies.
As for us independents, it's just asking to be treated without respect as writers to do business with the signatories during this strike. The very thing the strike is about.
Not worth it in my books.
And for the person asking how this affects European markets and companies, check into your literary guilds. Their websites should have the info for you.
In the meantime, people haven't stopped looking, that's for sure. I've had 8 hits on one of my screenplays up on Inktip today. Or, rather yesterday.
So, like it's been said, don't stop writing, networking and getting your work out there. And let the strike take care of itself. When it's done, :-) it just may be a better writing world.
:-) Orlanda
The simple fact is, you can pitch and have anyone you can get to read your work.
You just can't sign a writing contract of any kind with a WGA signatory production company, or affiliate. I'm not sure of the affiliates. If they are independent and not WGA themselves, it should be fine. But, it could later get caught up in a legal battle if the contract date falls before the strike was settled.
This is how I have interpreted the rules so far. I'll see if I can dig anything else up.
Has anyone actually talked to WGA? That'll give us the clearest picture.
:-)
Hey guys the WGA site has a 38 page list of all struck production companies. Check it out.
I am amazed at how few of them are in the Hollywood Creative Directory. I am also blown away by how many big companies are not WGA signatories.
:-) Orlanda
Now I have to agree with Shell on this.
Truth is the province of the priest, not the writer.
Priests are men, just like the ones doing the slaughtering. Priests have made deadly mistakes, just like, you know. To trust any man/woman to know the whole truth is just a hope. They are just human. Same as the writers.
And about writers not knowing the truth. Where do you think the Priests are getting their truth from? The words written by writers, the Bible. We know Jesus didn't sit down and write it, so I guess that means the bible isn't the truth in that poster's logic.
As for the fur atrocity problem. Simple put your money where your mouth is. Don't buy it. Because it's not just China that has this problem. They just happen to be the latest to get caught at it. I've never even looked up PETA and I know this. Known it for decades. It's nothing new.
While we're all at it we might as well walk right on by any store that sells leather, be it belts, shoes, designer purses, boots, jackets, hats, craft supplies, etc... Due to the cruelty to cows and the conditions they are put through before slaughter.
Where do you draw the line? What's next, the colored feathers used in crafts? There must be a lot of naked birds running around out there. How about trees, they are alive. Storms knock them down all the time, so hey, why not us. Oh, but then we couldn't build houses. OH NO. Or print our scripts, no books either. So now we're back to living in caves and daub shacks. Or cement/stone that requires tons more wood to heat. But at least we won't need good light to read by. But that's not going to work. Plus, of course, vegetables and fruits are alive, too. Hmmmmmm. Well if we can't pluck them from their life's blood, we'd have to turn back to the animals or starve. So that's not going to work either.
What it really boils down to is quanitity and location. Does someone in California need a fur coat? No. Does someone in the North West Territories need one? Yes. But it won't be from the pelts raised in balmy China. That would be less use than going out in -40 in a sweatshirt. I don't shop for fur. Not because someone preached at me about it. That would likely push me to buy it jsut on general principle. But, I don't 'need' any. I have my fur lined mitts, made from my grandmothers 100 year old fur coat, and the rest of the coat went to the mitt maker so as not to have to cause more animals to be slaughtered. The extra mitts even went to charity a good 20 years ago.
I don't shop at WalMart, Dollarama and other dollar/discount because I don't like their policies, and that includes how they treat their employees in North America and abroad. You do realize that also means the people who are paid next to nothing because of how little our companies are willing to pay for the goods to be made or supplied.
So if you want this problem to stop the gov't is going to have to disallow outsoursing and ban all incoming goods from countries that don't have our quality standards and/or humane controls. No demand, no supply needed.
Okay, I've likely said too much, so that's that. This is a screenwriter's board after all. If you hear of some poor scriptwiter being abused, I want to hear about it. Oh, we are, it's called the writer's strike.
But that's just my take on things. And everyone is allowed their opinion.
Happy Thanksgiving All.
Hope it's a good one.
I've run across age relient companies before. Not many, but a few. I just look at as young people who don't want older people trying to tell them what to do in their own company.
Plus there is also a really good possibility that A)The pace the company sets is just too much for most older writers. B)The type of stories would not be of interest to older writers. C)They couldn't possibly know and understand the slang. D)They want to take advantage of younger inexperienced writers. E)They don't know what the heck they are doing, but they only want peers around them.(and isn't Hollywood all about cliques?)
Besides the fact that any company should be able to hire/work with people that they will be comfortable working with. If they don't like people over 30, freedom of choice and speech should come into play.
hehehe I'd be one of those writers that is happy to see a production company that knows what they want, and that's what they ask for. Isn't that one of the things us screenwriters always complain about; that companies are too fague in what they want.
It just means a bunch of us don't have to bother figuring out what kind of query to send them. It's cool with me, there's tons more to query.
Be well, and if you can't, be good.
I've run across age relient companies before. Not many, but a few. I just look at it as young people who don't want older people trying to tell them what to do in their own company.
Plus there is also a really good possibility that A)The pace the company sets is just too much for most older writers. B)The type of stories would not be of interest to older writers. C)They couldn't possibly know and understand the slang. D)They want to take advantage of younger inexperienced writers. E)They don't know what the heck they are doing, but they only want peers around them.(and isn't Hollywood all about cliques?)
Besides the fact that any company should be able to hire/work with people that they will be comfortable working with. If they don't like people over 30, freedom of choice and speech should come into play.
hehehe I'd be one of those writers that is happy to see a production company that knows what they want, and that's what they ask for. Isn't that one of the things us screenwriters always complain about; that companies are too fague in what they want.
It just means a bunch of us don't have to bother figuring out what kind of query to send them. It's cool with me, there's tons more to query.
Be well, and if you can't, be good.
That's my point. It's her choice, she made and she has to live/or not, with it.
A law suit would just be vanity vs vanity. Which would help no one.
:-) At least that's my take on it.
All the time, Randy.
The latest scritp was Riders on the Storm. Needless to say the mood of the script relies on a lot of thunder and lightning.
:-) Orlanda
Hi Mark.
The way I look at it is, if I write it right, the song/s they choose to put into the movie is the one/s I had in mind all along.
:-) Win win situation.
Hmmmmm, I wonder if it would make a difference if Mark pitched the movie as a musical?
I've not written or tried to pitch a musical. But every good musical I've ever seen were totally dependent on and in sync with specific music.
????????? anyone know?
Hi Andrew,
You've got it in there. :-) You're just trying to pack too much in. That tends to jumble things up.
You might try something like this;
A grandstanding liberal filmmaker and his famed conservative talkshow host nemesis must work together against loonie terrorists in Paris.
:-) Hope that helps.
What a wonderful idea, Paula.
I'm with Terry. I'd rather have the acurate information first, then decide how I want to use it. ;-) Or abuse it depending on the angle I'm taking a story from.
Like anything else, you gotta know the rules to know how to break them.
:-) Orlanda
You're absolutely right, Paula.
I couldn't have gotten better music than what some local musicians invented for the short I filmed last year.
:-) Not to mention, it's a lot of fun to sit in on a few jam sessions to really get the feel.
Hello Dave - The Screenwriter's Bible was the first book I bought on screenwriting. It was a great help, thank you for writing it, and writing on the board.
:-) Orlanda
Now that sounds like an interesting contest.
Thanks for posting it, Paula.
:-) Orlanda
Have a fun holiday season everyone. And and awesome script selling 2008!!!
:-) Orlanda
Great info, Steve. :-) Definitely a copy/paster.
Randy and Pete - I'll be keeping both of your points and added information right along with Steve's.
:-) Together, that's some solid truth.
Orlanda
Great going, Colin. I hope you can push your script forward because of it.
Same for you, Ron. Making the finals is not so easy.
Great to see MovieByters making waves.
:-) Orlanda
Hi Ron.
Since I'm in the process of turning one of my screenplays into a book, this information hits the spot.
I can sure see how the book could end up not as well written for the simple fact that when you read it over, the screenplay automatically comes to mind. I will be on guard for that. The nice thing about this particular script is that I had to cut out almost 40 pages to bring it down to the 2 hour mark. So, now I can put all those details and thoughts back in without any major deviation from the script.
If nothing else, prose writing makes for an interesting change to script format. But style is style, and I want both to feel the same way. And also give producers/directors/actors/cinematographers plenty of indepth character and location details to carry over into the understanding and sets of script when it goes to film.
I figure, if you're going to do it you might as well make the two formats work for each other.
:-) Orlanda
I reformatted and sent two shorts in. I like doing it up as a shooting script.
Gotta keep in practice ;-)
Orlanda
Oh, Ron. Those are great leads. Thank you.
I'm onto my second series bible, but it never hurts to see how others put them together.
:-) Orlanda
Perhaps we first need to define 'treatment'
I have come across numerous different ideas about what a treatment is. Apparently it is anything from a 6 line paragraph to, as Terry said, the same lenght as the script. Generally, it is whatever length it takes to describe the story.
In reality though, if a production company asks for 5 pages, we writers will find a way to boil it all down to 5 pages, or 3 or expand it to 20.
I'm with Terry also on the necessity of writing a treatment. I've not been asked specifically for a treatment for one of my scripts, but I have been asked for 3 pages or 5. Never more than 5 so far. My thinking is that if they aren't hooked into the story after 5 pages, 20 isn't going to help.
What I have done full treatments for were to outline the full story for collaborations, or on spec as a prelude to doing the script write for another person's idea to make sure we are seeing the story in the same way.
So if you have received a request for a treatment, I would suggest that you ask them what a good page length would be for them. Not only does it keep communication open, it also allows you to do the job the way they want it the first time.
:-) Best of luck
Orlanda
Hey D.G.!!!!
:-D How you been, man? Whoa! It's been a few years since you've been around.
And it doesn't surprise me that the world is finally catching up to what you wrote quite a while back. ;-) Us aquarians do have that tendancy. Right, Steve.
Great to hear you on the board again.
:-) Orlanda
I just received my feedback on two scripts I shot into BlueCat, and are they ever dead on.
It's great that they give you the good with the bad, so you know what not to change in the rewrite they have just inspired you to do with their comments.
I don't know why I never entered a script with them before.
:-) Orlanda
Like Harvey, I always do both. The contests want protected scripts, so do the online pitch sites, agents, production companies. Not having it only limits how far you can push your script.
Now with many of the people looking for writers requiring copyright, I'm very glad that I did copyright first. Done is done, one payment forever. :-) Plus, to copyright in Canada is much much quicker. And then I'll do the WGA as requests ask for it.
And Ron, I believe they now have online registering at the copyright office. Not 100% sure, but it was supposed to be put into use as of the new year. I'd double check the site to be sure.
:-) Happy registering
Orlanda
Another book that gives you the start to finish is Short Films 101 by Fredrick Levy.
It's a "How to make a short film and launch your filmmaking career" book.
Other than that, just use your gut instinct.
Have a great time
Orlanda
Nope, Paula. You don't want to copyright a copilation. It takes way too much time and yes, MONEY to have it undone so you can sell just the one piece from the copilation. Either that or you have to sell the whole copilation to whoever is buying just the one piece, because it is a part of the whole.
With the WGA, you'd still have to wait the five years for it to run out. Pull the one piece you are selling and re-register the new copilation under a new number, because it has had a significant change. Or again, turn over the whole copilation. I don't think any writer would want to do that.
I had thought of that a long way back and looked into it. It's just not worth it just for the legal fees it would take to get it done. You have to use a copyright lawyer for this, they won't let you do it as an individual.
Wish it could be better news.
Orlanda
I'm doing that right now, Terri. The first feature script I wrote was 156 pages. Now all the detail I cut out to bring it down to 120 pages can all go back in LOL and then some.
I never thought I'd have so much fun revisiting a story from a whole different angle. It should be a good 250 pages by time I'm done. ;-) And already researched a pile of publishers who are looking for this kind of material.
Wish me luck.
Orlanda
Great going guys. :-) Alas, the lab was not for me this year.
Orlanda
Oh, I hear you Gene. ;-) I don't give up that easily.
Great to see some moviebyters getting in though.
:-) Orlanda
Man, I would love to go to one of Mark's seminars.
:-)Does he come to Canada?
Orlanda
I have two scripts in. And have recieved awesome feedback. I've already rewritten on script and more than halfway through the second. With their notes I could see exactly what had to change, and a good idea of how.
And you gotta love that you can resubmit the same scripts at a discounted price for the final judging.
:-) Orlanda
How about a new angle there, Thomas.
The short of it is that indi makes depth and studios make entertainment. It puts butts in the seats, correct?
So it's pretty obvious that if you want Hollywood Studios to change, you pretty much have to get your foot in the door with something 'they' want. Take over the company and change their basic working structure.
Congratulations! You've just made a multi-million dollar company into one that has to survive on grants. I'd like to see how you are going to pay your writers now. Guess you'll just go into the vault and modernize some old tried and true screenplay.
Because by now you would be looking for the easiest way to make enough money to make sure you can fund more movies.
What would you choose to make? The 10 million high concept that makes 210 mil. Or the 100 mil budget movie that bombs with only 75 mil in return. You do the math. And you should, because the producers have to or they are out of a job.
The point being. If you write idie scripts don't even bother with the studios. Go straight to the indi companies and give them a pitch they can't refuse.
If you want to make a real change, go and find out how the theatres became a monopoly. Then find a way to bring indi theatres back in a way that they can make a decent living.
Best of luck. If you can manage that last part, we'll all owe you big.
Orlanda
Hey Steve, one of my scripts is an edge of your seat all the way through action. And they didn't tell me to tone it down anywhere.
So there must be something about your script that would benefit from sneaking up on the audience. You think? Is this a possiblity?
And yeah. LOL Action rocks!!
Orlanda
You're right about that, Thomas.
But then, that depends on how you define 'normal' LOL
:-) Orlanda
Hey Paula.
I'll talk to you anytime. Heck, I do talk to you.
Well there you go. Cool is as Cool does, and I sure would love to hear you announce you are putting a feature of yours into production. Even better, I want to see it.
:-) Be happy you're not up here getting chilled instead.
Orlanda
I use final draft as well.
Stewart Little is the movie with the mouse and Geena Davis.
From the list I have for feature screenplays is...
Qfinal - July 1/08
Semi-final - Aug 1/08
5 finals - Aug 8/08
Winner - Aug 15/08
:-) Yup, we have a while to wait yet. Enough time to forget about it by writing a whole new script, eh.
Orlanda
Ah, that I don't know off hand.
:-) Orlanda
Well for one thing, if there is no one to option the book from. How can you option it?
Other than that the only thing I can think of is to call up the copyright office and have them do a search to find out who holds the copyright of the book now.
Just because the publishing house has closed doesn't mean they didn't sell the rights to another house.
Same goes for the original writer, find a family tree. It's a good bet the rights were transfered to a family member if the writer still posessed the rights.
Way to go Todd!!
Great to see a moviebyter doing well.
Same goes for you, Paula. Whooo Hooo!
:-) Orlanda
There is one little copyright fact that you may not be aware of. Which is posted on the U.S.A. copyright site.
Any copyright from any allied country to the U.S.A. is considered to be copywritten by U.S. law.
What can I say, I was looking into some books I wanted to adapt and started by checking the U.S. copyright site to see what had to be done.
I would suggest you check their site to see if the country this book was copywritten in is indeed an ally. That could conceivably solve your whole dilema.
:-) Best of luck to you.
Orlanda
It has been a very long time since a company has requested hard copy. Why wait a week to 10 days when you can have the script in seconds.
If it's that good, you as a writer, should want them to have it in their waiting hands within seconds.
:-) That's just efficient business.
Hmmmm. And I seem to collect co-writers. ;-) Could be because I offer to read their scripts and if I really like the script idea. I'll help them out. And before you know it, you're co-writing a sci-fi over there in one country and a series in another.
The thing is, if two people like the same genre and both are willing to compremise to put out the best script two minds can weave together, it is well worth any early beefs/blocks/demands that may come up.
Like all good stories, you just have to want to do it. Somehow you will get through any difficulties. But be careful, those might be the spark that makes the script great.
:-) Orlanda
Sounds great!!! Keep on keeping on, Gene.
:-) Orlanda
Anybody else get the email that says their first round notification date is now May 31?
What a drag. Guess I can forget about that one for a month or so.
Orlanda
Oh! I'm so sorry. :-D And you too Geoff.
Moviebyters rule!! LOL
Orlanda
A good solid series proposal with at least 3 more episode storylines is also a big help.
If you take a look back in this forum you'll find a series proposal thread or two that will tell you how to set up a proposal.
Best of all good luck.
:-) Orlanda
I'm with you, Peter.
I'm gone for a week and moviebyters are winning all over the place.
GREAT TO HEAR IT GUYS!!!!! :-)
I just saw Iron Man tonight, and I thought it was pretty darn good. The story was solid, as it was meant to be based on the first comic. You know from way back when, when they couldn't imagine all the gagetry we have now.
It wasn't all beat them all up Mr. Iron Man. But then, the first comic wasn't either. He was never the tough macho wrestler type and didn't have the massive weaponry yet. ;-) That comes in #2, which is already in the planning stages, and comic #2.
I'll be buying Iron Man and I'm looking forward to seeing how they advance the weaponry in the 2nd movie.
:-) Orlanda
You know, I have yet to find a competition that even accepts miniseries. As far as that goes there are some that refuse miniseries and say so in their rules and regulations.
Believe me, I've been looking. And not finding. That's discouraging when you've got the first set of three done with 2 more sets of three to go.
Anyway, if you do send any in to a competition to see how it fairs, do send the first one only. And really polish the crinkles out of it. You're already going to have writers that are mad because the whole story isn't there.
:-) Better to have them mad because they want more, eh?
;-) Orlanda
I'm just wondering.
This is an open site and with all probablity the competition runners have read what has been posted.
I know you're a good writer, Connie.
:-) So maybe it would be in your best interest to also comment on those competitions that have treated you well.
It could maybe balance things out for you.
Best of luck, girl.
Orlanda
Great going, John.
It's great to see that MovieByters are still making headway.
:-D Orlanda
You guys might want to check this out. If it passes all creative works will automatically be in the public domain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqBZd0cP5Yc
You might have trouble finding it already. A friend just told me the video was not available at this time
:-( Orlanda
I have an earlier version of final draft as well. I bought a pdf program, no problems.
The bonus is I have the pdf program disk so I don't have to go hunting all over the net if my computer goes down and I have to reset everything. It's happened. Try finding that download site when your favorites list is gone.
:-) Orlanda
That is why I read every scrap of info on a contest before I even consider entering.
Thanks for letting us know about these two in particular, Gene.
:-) Orlanda
And they are right on the mark :-D
My horror short Replay is a semi-finalist.
I didn't recongnize any of the other names from the board. There are a lot of them.
So best of luck to any other moviebyters that got in.
:-) Orlanda
Well see, Ron. Pulling the rug out from under us is how it sounded to me when I heard it. I've also read the pdf doc. starting with;
A BILL To provide a limitation on judicial remedies in copyright infringement cases involving orphan works.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the ''Orphan Works Act 5 of 2008''.
Nowhere in that whole document did it say that what we create belongs to us, whether it is copywritten or not.
It does say that ownership can be proved electronically. If it is on a public registry site, like the copyright office.
So which is right? Does anyone know where to find the actual full proposed bill? I'd like to read that against the copyright law that is in effect today.
Being writers, we all know one word can change a thousand meanings.
:-) Orlanda
Robert - Great going!
Yup, now we wait.
:-) Orlanda
Nathan and Jean - Thank you for the encouragement.
We'll see what the end of June brings us.
:-) Orlanda
Thanks Ron. I am glad I posted this so the air could be cleared.
:-) Next time, I'll do my research first, or just drop you a line.
Orlanda
Great going Connie.
:-) Be well.
Congratulations again, Connie.
Top 10 in drama for Rochester in StoryPros.
Way to go, girl.
:-D Orlanda
Ooooooooops, sorry.
That was for Death in Concord.
Guess I just see Rochester so often it just feels right to say "winner"
LOL Orlanda
I really don't know what made me type Rochester. It must be in the back of my mind for some reason. Or I've just done way too much reading lately.
Anyway. Ladies. Sorry for the mix up.
:-) Orlanda
Excellent achievment, Geoff! :-) You'll have to let us know what happens with the script next.
:-) Have a great one.
Orlanda
I can't believe this. Arggggh. Terry, I knew that.
Where the heck is my head? LOL It's got to be too many scripts on the brain.
:-) Orlanda
Hey Robert!
:-D We are both still in it with 99 semi-finalists.
Me for Replay
And yourself for Flat Pennies and its logline. Which is one in 12.
Way to go!
July 23rd comes fast. Best of luck.
:-) Orlanda
Thanks Jean. :-) You are always so great with being there for everyone.
:-) Orlanda
Thanks to everyone
LOL I've a supernatural thriller and a drama in the same contest. Amazing!
The the best of great luck to all of us.
:-D Orlanda
Hi Connie,
The writers of the scripts that quarter and then semifinaled were emailed the list.
This is where you would look, although, they do not have the 2008 lists up as yet.
:-) Orlanda
http://www.filmmakers.com/contests/short/
Interesting set up they have there. I'll be taking a better look around.
Thanks, Eric.
:-) Orlanda
Sorry to hear that, Robert.
What a wicked visual that brawler brings up. I love it.
:-) Orlanda
Not so tough, Flo. :-) There's still room for a couple more moviebyters to round out the 10 finalist.
Oh, on the money. LOL I'd hit some film festivals. For sure.
I haven't taken any BlueCat seminars. Actually, I'm just taking my very first screenwriting course right now with Hal Croasmun at Script4Sale. And loving it.
Good luck on the 23rd everyone
;-) Orlanda
Great going Acton and Mary.
Whoooo Hoooooo. Can't wait to hear the who finals.
:-D Orlanda
That's great, Dorothy! Another moviebyter on board :-)
Orlanda
Congratulations on the 2nd place win, Connie.
And a sci-fi too. :-) One of my favorite genres.
:-) Orlanda
Dorothy, I couldn't agree more. LOL Nothing short of a screenplay could make me want to learn astrophysics.
:-) Orlanda
I got the notes for my 2 scripts months ago and did the rewrites and sent them back in. A good deal for half price. Now there are two of each being read.
QUOTE << Connie,
All three of your entries were considered, and did not make the cut. Everyone who enters BlueCat, whether they receive their analysis early or not, is eligible for the competition.
We have had previous correspondences of this tone with you and it's really unnecessary. If you cannot interface with BlueCat in a more diplomatic, restrained manner, I would ask you not to submit in the future.
To be clear: NO MORE EMAILS IN ALL CAPS.
Best of luck in the future,
Gordy Hoffman>> END QUOTE
I am sorry if you feel offended, Connie. I really do. But I find nothing in this email that is offensive. It is very carefully written to not offend and yet be very clear to the reader.
It really is as the others have said. Sometimes our best efforts to write great screenplays just don't seem that fantastic to others.
I know how you feel. This is the first time Stage Left has ever made it to a quarter-final.
I pray that your letters to contests doesn't hurt your career. That would be such a waste of a fine writer. I believe you are better than that and can ignore those who don't see your vision.
All the best,
Orlanda
Cool!
Can you pop an A there on the end of my name instead of the O, Dorothy. ;-) I'm of the female persuasion.
LOL Putting my first and last name together does it all the time, O to O.
Orlanda
Very kind of you, Gordy. Thank you for stopping by.
Orlanda
Way to go, Janet.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
And Ben - The answer to what kind of script they look for would be a 'good one'.
LOL Orlanda
Man, I've been so busy this year that I completely missed the last deadline.:-(
But I fully intend to get the newest script in for the summer competition.
:-) Orlanda
Congrats to both Jean and Geoff for making the finals, and great going for Chris as well.
:-) Orlanda
A good percentage of screenwriting contests have open entries. And then there are the ones that require that you have not made X amount of $$$ in screenwriting to enter.
It is up to the submitting writer to read the rules and regulations before they enter. Yes?
I have entered both types of competitions.
Can you imagine the rush; The personal high and the run on your writing if you were to win, against all odds, over the pro writers?
I can. :-D That's why I do it.
Every writer had to start at the bottom. Remember that.
:-) Orlanda
Aren't Larry's notes great. Glad to see you semi-finaled, Don.
Good luck with the finals.
:-) Orlanda
Wow! This is great!
Don, Peter, Gene(X2, wonderful) and Irin.
Congratulations to you all.
:-D Orlanda
LOL Now this is the kind of epidemic I'd like to see spread.
Great writing guys.
:-) Orlanda
Hey everyone. Especially Janet, John, Nathan and Thomas. I feel like I've just gotten a crash course in musicals theory by reading your posts.
It makes me want to sit down and write one. But I won't, ;-) not until an awesome idea crashes in.
:-) Orlanda
That is such a generous offer, Janet. And, if the right idea comes to mind, don't be surprised if you hear from me.
Best of the best to you.
:-) Orlanda
LOL All these contest quarter finals seem to be contageous.
Gotta love it. :-D
Great good luck to all of you who've stepped up.
:-) Orlanda
Sun from whay you've added, your story sounds like ESTRANGED JUSTICE to me.
I'm out-to-lunch on the logline right now.
:-) Orlanda
What's yours, Ben?
Again Geoff? :-D That's great!
:-)Orlanda
AYE!
lol Orlanda
Well Robert. :-) Looks like we're still in the mix.
:-D Now it is out of 51 for the shorts.
And out of 8 for your logline.
Best of huge good luck.
Orlanda
Gee, and I just sit down anywhere with paper and pen or computer and simply ask myself, "What kind of trouble can we get into today?"
LOL It works every time.
Orlanda
Dorothy & Jean - You're so sweet. LOL I will do my best just to prove your good luck helps.
Robert - Isn't it fun?
Janet - haha I may play drums, but I have no idea how to choreograph a dance sequence. ;-) We all have our specialties.
They are doing the time warp again!
As a made for tv movie. Yikes!
Be great folks
Orlanda
Hey Paul.
Over 1300 according to the website.
:-) Orlanda
Oh! Poker Night. I'm so sorry I missed that earlier.
Best of luck to you too, Paul.
:-) Orlanda
That is wonderful news, Irin. Children are such a joy, especially when you get down to their level and see life through their eyes.
Beautiful name.
:-)Orlanda
Well, you know, a rejection gets rejected. It's shredder time when I get it. If I happen to print it out for some reason. Otherwise, delete.
Why keep negatives around to remind and a stack of extra filing?
There's better ways to spend your time and thoughts than on what won't be.
:-) Orlanda
The Ace of Aces, is Aces!
Great going, Geoff.
:-D Orlanda
Oh, don't get me wrong, Paula. I keep the query paper trail.
I just toss/delete the rejection letters.
:-) Orlanda
Gee, Janet. Does that mean I shouldn't visualize any of my 9 natural blonde siblings or the 30 or so nieces and nephews who are almost all blonde when they inspire me to write.
Awwww. That sucks.
;-) Orlanda
Great going, Michael.
What happens now?
Orlanda
Way to go Paula!!
:-) You must be on cloud nine. That's a tough contest.
Best of luck on the finals.
Orlanda
Geoff, Gene, Paul. What wonderful news.
Mark! That is fantastic and with a first script too.
Best to you all.
:-) Orlanda
Santa and Flo, it is super great that you have both progressed to the finals. Congratulations!
For myself, it was a good run while it lasted.
:-) Orlanda
Hey Peter. That is great. Especially since you weren't expecting it.
What a surprise!
Orlanda
Hmmmmm, but on the other hand. This could be an ideal time to get some women's movies made that actually entertain women.
I can only assume this is the plan, since being entertained brings women back in hopes of again being entertained.
Orlanda
Gene, Paul and Dale. Great to see you all going into the semi's.
Is there a first, second and third coming up? I sure hope so.
:-) Orlanda
Robert - Congratulations on getting into the finals with the Flat Penny Logline.
That's so great.
:-D Orlanda
Yeah, but entertainment gets the female buyers in the seats all they have to do for commercials is offer something the women will actually buy.
And I don't mean for their other half.
LOL Orlanda
Thanks Robert, I don't roll over and die so easily.
LOL I'll be back.
Orlanda
Great going guys.
You're both on a roll, keep on wacking those keys.
:-) Orlanda
Jean! That is wonderful news.
;-) Putting a face to a name is what it's all about.
Great writing
Orlanda
Way to go, Flo.
:-) I knew one of us moviebyters could make it.
Whooooooo hooooooooo
Orlanda
I hadn't assumed any nationality.
You know when you come right down to it, the purpose of the logline is to nail down the story concept.
Black, white, yellow, brown, red doesn't go into the logline, it would just bog down the concept. Which is king.
The synopsis is where you will get the details. That is why everyone requests a one-pager.
No one is going to buy a script based on the logline. If the concept in the logline intrigues them, then they will ask for more, likely a one-pager to see if it suits them. Sometimes the script is requested, either way, they will find out who is who soon enough.
:-) Orlanda
Hey Janet,
I think you misread me there. No problem. :-) The place to write in nationalities would be in the synopsis, not the logline.
And of course, if you do have a preference other than 'the assumed white', make sure the nationality is known in the screenplay. ;-)
I'd be one that doesn't state a nationality. Why? Because the names I choose, the character traits and attitudes tell who they are and where their background lies without me having to say so.
Plus the fact that there are some nationalities that I know nothing about. Some could be easy to research, but others are not. :-( And I still wouldn't be able to give them the depth they deserve, because I don't know the little things. Therefore, I leave it to those nationalities writers to write how they see themselves. :-)
Now back to Jean. Whoooo hooooo. Way to go with another one!
:-) Orlanda
Well, I don't know that $90 is a lot if there is only one company you want to pitch to, rather than only doing one pitch for the full flat rate.
Guess it depends on how you see it. If you can afford 90 and not the flat fee, at least you get a chance to get in a pitch to a specific company/agent.
:-) Orlanda
That is terrific, Dorothy. Best of luck in the next round.
:-) Orlanda
Awesome news, Paula!! And with a historical romance.
:-) May I read The Road Rise Up as well? I love this genre.
Orlanda
Hey Robert. Congratulations on placing 3rd with the Flat Pennies logline.
:-) Great going.
Orlanda
That is so SWEET for you, Paula.
Aw guys. that's too bad. Man, only 1 from moviebytes.
We gotta pull up our socks and give them scripts they can't refuse. hehe
:-) Orlanda
Yup, I'm LinkedIn.
Just recently signed up and I'm finding there are quite a few people I know on there.
:-) Orlanda
Well said, Joseph. And also very true. It really is a site that allows you to make friendships you might otherwise have not met in the industry.
:-) I'm guessing you took the ProSeries as well.
Is it all right if I send you a link invite?
:-D Orlanda
You're right, Paula.
LOL I googled and only found me.
:-) Orlanda
Geez Michael, I'm gone for a few days and you go and jump up a notch.
Way to go!
Orlanda
Great going! :-) And in my favorite genre too.
;-) Orlanda
Way to go, Buddy!
Shoot me an email when you get back. LOL If you can wait that long to tell the good news.
It's about time.
:-) Orlanda
I've written a horror feature plus a bunch of horror shorts and I'm a woman.
Try pitching a horror that isn't swimming in blood. Nasty it is, and with a real storyline. It doesn't seem to be what producers want.
Orlanda
Fantastic news Jean.
When are you going to get a buyer for this beauty?
:-) Orlanda
hahaha I'll do that if I ever meet him.
;-)
I'm with Martin. Don't settle only for what you know now. There is a vast sea of knowledge out there just waiting to become, what you know.
The universe is the limit. So get your feet off the ground and go explore it. You may be surprised by what you'll be able write after that.
:-) Orlanda
WOW!! Way to go everyone. It is so great to see moviebyters making waves.
:-) Orlanda
Wonderful way to do it moviebyters. Majority rules, right.
:-D Orlanda
Hey, Ron. How's it going?
I hear you on the dilemma situation. ;-) And I'm working that out on the Beyond Belief script.
On another script, the dilemma is about a global catastrophe that is about to happen. So, we have the ticking clock going while the most unexpected person that can fix the problem is hunted by the military. Why? Because they can do nothing, and fear drives them. Not fear of the impending catastrophe, but fear of this person should she succeed.
So, on top of everything else, which demands that she remain calm and focussed, she now has to deal with the fact that her husband and son on in the hands of the military madman that's out to stop her. And he will use them, even if a huge % of the population will die if he succeeds.
Good writing, buddy.
:-) Orlanda
The first thing I do when I open a new script document is shut off the 'more' and 'con't'. It really is logical to assume that if you get to the bottom of the page, you do have to go to the next. And all the research I've done says like the others, they aren't used in spec scripts. I wouldn't even put them in a shooting script unless it was requested. But, that would be for a different purpose than the screenwriting program uses them for.
Besides, once you copy into a pdf the pages shift a bit. And it really doesn't look good to see (MORE) sitting in the middle of a page a third of the way into the script. Or (con't) dividing dialogue that is no longer divided. It also shifts just putting it into a regular rich text word.doc.
I'd rather keep it clean. I've not had anyone come back and say my scripts were missing them.
You guys just keep the tally going. That's wonderful.
:-)
I'll join that chorus!
You're the best, Frederick
Well, David. They won't be able to find proof that it didn't happen either. hehehe
Nobody has the eyewitness reports of every singe soldier, from either side, or farmers, etc. Besides, there are plenty of individual solier's journals and letters home that contradict history.
If it makes for a good story, I'd go for it and make it so realistic that nobody will even think of asking.
Don't forget the simple fact that the studios already own these stories. It's simple economics, my friends.
It costs a lot less to have a writer modernize a script than purchase new stories/scripts from us. Which, of course, have zero track record in the ratings.
I'd do the same if I already owned a property. But, Arthur? Come on. There is no actor out there that can take the place of Dudley Moore on that one.
:-) Orlanda
Hi Ron,
No wonder we get along great. I'm the Aquarian that sees the whole picture. Freedom of mind rules. And if my script concepts are any indication, I'm also one of those aquarians that's 10 years ahead of where things stand now. That should make it just about right to really push my first script. LOL
But yeah, I take a lot of care in naming my characters. Name meanings are there for a reason, whose I'm not sure. I find way too many have biblical connotations. I'm sure people had names before the bible was published.
I also look for a lot of similarities to the what I want that character to represent in the script. Most of my characters are written according to a sign. Or better yet, signs on the cusp. Now those get twisted. Multiple personalities, etc.
Then if you add in numerology and chinese signs things get crazy. Which is always great fun. :-)
Thanks for reminding me of why I named my characters what I did just before I go into a rewrite.
:-) Orlanda
Here's one of mine. :-)
A little sister fights to keep her big brother out of a storm's influence when the cause of the dirty 30s is really the return of a family legend.
You guys are amazing. Great writing gets up there for moviebyters once again.
I bow my hat to you all.
:-D Orlanda
Hi Thomas,
The storm is literal. A bit too vague, eh?
Funny, I get a ton of hits on this one compared to the ones that say more. Weird.
:~<
The feel of the name says it all.
Could you imagine if they named Quasimodo, Bob? Nope. Neither can I.
Would Shakespear by any other name be as great? I think not.
Would Scarlet O'Hara been the same fireball if she had been named Amy? haha I'm betting Scarlet was a Capricorn.
Here's the earlier logline version for Thunder Warrior.
An early teen girl learns why young men disappear in a season of dry electrical storms in the dirty thirties. Now her and her friends have to save her big brother from the storm.
Thanks for your input, Thomas. Knowing where it seems fuzzy is a better help than than you know.
LOL You're a writer. Of course you know.
LOL Oh, yeah. Definitely right on with 'It's a Wonderful Life.' LOL
Capricorns are the hard headed business ruler.
Capricorn's moto in the books: I take. That's why I pegged Scarlet as a Cap.
;-) That doesn't mean they aren't perfectly willing to work for it.
I hear you, Patrick.
I sent a query on the same end of days lead. My script is totally different, but ganered the same response.
Orlanda
Oh, I don't know about that, Linda. :-D Get 4 aquarians in the same room and strange is guaranteed to happen.
LOL Try putting 4 leos in the same room. Especially if they are all the same sex. And see who wins the royal crown. It wouldn't be fair to put one female leo in with 3 male leos, she'll win hands down everytime.
:-) At least the ones I know.
LOL Awwwwwwwww, you got it on the first go, Ron.
;-)
I can see your point, Ron.
But I'll keep doing contests. What I do is set the number of contests a year. It's no easy task to decide which scripts go in with so many to choose from. For me it's about improving my craft so I mainly go for competitions with feedback. Or where semi/final means something in the industry.
hahaha I know you're talking about me when it comes to Hal's high concept course. And I don't mind at all. I have met some awesome people through that course and still am. I knew I wanted to take this course 3 years ago and saved up until I could. For me, it was worth every penny. Hal backs up his students and helps them get their work in L.A. doors.
I know, still not a guarantee. Nothing is in life, it's all about how you go about it.
:-) Orlanda
LOL My God, Ron. I wish! I'd be producing my own if I was rich.
One income household here.
Yes, pacing is the right word. And you can find out quick enough which contests are on the up and up here with the moviebytes report cards.
:-) Orlanda
Happy holidays everyone.
LOL If we all sell in '09 we'll flood the market with good stuff!
SWEET!
Okay, I ran a new take.
A little sister fights to keep her brother from being taken by the storm when the real cause of the dirty 30's came from space.
Dene go to google.com and type in the company name. It's the fastest and easiest way to find someone or their company.
This is just the first of many sites that will answer who they are.
www.glassmountainent.com
:-) Best of luck
Oh, I see. Sorry, I've not dealt with them.
I have also had more companies not require a release form than those who do.
I can't see a problem if your script is protected.
There are any number of ways that you can have an up to date format without spending any money.
For one a lot of the screenwriting sites give you the specs on the tech part of the layout. Dave Trottier comes to mind right off. Or you could download the celtix program.
Just take a surf through the posted topics, and I'm sure you'll find more info than you know what to do with pertaining to formatting.
:-D Best of luck to you, and welcome to the wacky world of screenwriting.
In my script with 2 timelines, I specified past in superimposed, mainly due to the fact that the past timeline changed everytime you went there. Plus, the past is in black & white. Definitely things that have to be taken into account on the production side.
Why not make it easier for them to see the true scope of the script.
Then you'll get a true assesment of your work.
:-) Orlanda
congratulations everyone. What a wonderful way to end the year.
Well done MovieByters.
:-)
Thanks, Randy.
I actually scared a few producers with the transitions. But they didn't even think of changing them.
LOL You might like it, there is some western in it.
:-) Orlanda
Not a problem, Lisa.
Just use whatever works to the best advantage of the story. Because, as you can see, there are many ways of doing everything in screenwriting.
Best of luck to you.
:-) Orlanda
Happy New Year John and Jean.
John, that sounds like a book I'd like to read.
Thanks for the heads up.
:-) Orlanda
Oh I love Dead Again.
I'd love to see the version with the b&w. Nice to know someone else thinks the same way.
:-D
Sorry Nathan, I read that wrong the first time.
You're right, the past is in black and white! Cool.
I'm with Jean and Eric.
What script did you enter, John?
:-) Orlanda
Sweet.
:-) Orlanda
I always knew there were a lot of story pros on here. :-) Great going everyone.
Hope it's a tight moviebytes race in the finals.
:-) Orlanda
Don't forget that once you have a feature on InkTip you can post all the short script loglines you want.
I just received requests for two different short scripts less than 24 hours ago.
It works, if you work it.
:-)Orlanda
Way to go, Elaine. :-) You never know where new connctions/friends will take you.
But it is guaranteed that you won't make those connections if they don't know you exist.
To sell your work, you have to sell yourself. The only way to do that is to get your work out there where people can see it, shy away or grab it, and maybe come back with an offer of something else, like Elaine, that has to do with the subjects you like rather than a specific script.
Best of all the greatest luck to everyone in 2009.
Good point, Patrick.
I read that one in '99. :-) And I'm still writing.
:-D Orlanda
All depends on what I'm writing.
If it's dark and creepy Alan Parson's Tales of Mystery and Imagination on Edgar Alan Poe's poems are great. A lot of instrumentals work well here. Insert your words and you're rolling.
Just about anything with a bop or balad for rom/com.
Serious drama, that's a mixed bag depending on what the scene needs. A classic rock mix radio station works great. Never know what you're going to get. Just what drama needs.
Sci-fi & thriller get Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Dylan, Styx, Deep Purple, Zappacosta, Led Zepplin. Even Michael Jackson, the later years.
Fantasy and action get Bowie, Sting, Prism, Def Leppard, Iron Butterfly. The weirder the better.
LOL You guys just aren't mind warped enough.
Stairway to Heaven is a sci-fi in itself. You have to agree a visual of a woman walking up a non-existant stairway assuming to fing heaven has got to lead your mind into wondering what she'll really find.
And Doesn't Dylan's latest, Humanity bring up 5 thousand different ways humanity could have gone and didn't? Endless possibilities here for sci-fi, hehehe and thrillers, eh?
Yeah, Rush. :-D Forgot about them.
It's not so much the music as wondering what will happen next that really gets my wild imagination going.
:-) Orlanda
Ooops.
What a grand moment for you, Greg. Bask in the bright lights and really enjoy the festival.
:-) Orlanda
Ooooooo, Yes. :-) Relayer album. heheehe I love that one.
Then there is Robin Trower's, For Earth Below. That would make any horror better.
Oh yeah. I'm off to go get into a mood. Later buddies.
;-) Thanks.
It totally depends on what you're writing. And what feel you want a certain scene to have.
Bravo on Leonard.
Oh, someone earlier said, you rock guys. LOL Rock chick here.
:-D Orlanda
Hi Irin,
That is so strange. My co-writer and I have been shooting scripts back and forth from his mac to my pc for years. We have never run into that problem. Not even a hint of any problem.
Is it possible one or the other of you has a defective Final Draft disc? Although, I've never heard of a bad Final Draft disc, I guess it could be a possibility. Or maybe something just didn't upload properly from the disc.
It might be worth reloading your programs to test it out.
Orlanda
Wouldn't that be sweet!
And the quarter finalists are;
Patrick Daly
Irin Evers with 2 scripts
and Geoffrey Breuder
Here's to you guys.
Who did I miss?
LOL Orlanda
Keep stretching, man. It's great. I can sit down at my drum set and play the songs I want to get into. And it looks like one of my poems is being set to music.
The guys are rehearsing and laying down tracks for 10 new songs. Mine is one of them. :-) They're hoping for a fall 2009 release.
I'll give you all the full scoop when I know.
Ron, these are the guys that did the music for my short. haha The two lead guitars are family, the drummer and bass have been great friends forever.
Have a great one!
Okay, so they'll be a straight Management firm and they will only charge 10%.
That's good to know since management has to % restrictions.
:-) Thanks for bringing up the thread.
Orlanda
The Brothers Langlais do it again. Awesome! I can't wait to see what happens in the finals.
Best of all good luck.
:-) Orlanda
Hmmm, non-linear is a fun challenge at the best of times. But there are still things you can track. And things that you can expand on or add to in order to bring up the page count.
Time to cut the script into plots and subplots. And go through each of them one at a time with an eye toward making something new happen.
It only takes one small change or addition in one subplot, that has to be reacted to in another, that spills into the main plot. I'd suggest you make a point of putting whatever it is in the middle of act 2. As that is where most stalls and/or confusion tend to happen.
The snowball effect works very well in non-linear scripts for the simple fact that they are non-linear. It doesn't matter if the snowball runs downhill, up or around the bend. The point is, it moves, which means the story moves. And that is what you want it to do.
hahaha Do let me know if you understood that.
:-) Orlanda
Alexander - InkTips main reason for starting up was to have a place where writers that don't have agents can safely market their scripts.
And yes, they do have a television category.
Your script does have to WGA registered or copywritten to post it.
Best of luck.
Great news Dinah and Irin.
:-) Orlanda
There is also a possibility for more depth of character if one of these late poppers is the sister or friend to one that delivered on time and there is animosity there.
The one who delivered would say something like.
"Oh yeah. You just have to be the object of attention by not being normal."
"Can't you ever be normal."
"Where's your prom queen figure now?"
Would work especially well if the late popper was a nurse or a Dr. delivering the other babies.
But hey. You'll figure it out.
:-) And it does sound creepy. Write on.
Like any company or competition, Inktip lists the companies that have used the site. If it wasn't for some over zealous writers/agents a few years back, the companies that you had contact with would likely still be using Inktip.
Does that 'had contact' mean you no longer have contact? That kinda makes your point moot, does it not?
Some more fantastic news. 2009 is already turning into a moviebyter year.
:-D
Hi Janet. I just did some mods to my resume, and that went through fine.
I don't know what you mean by excerpts?
Either way, you have to scroll right down to the bottom of the page and hit the same button to save any change, on any page.
Or is it doing something funky on you? I've not had that kind of problem.
:-) Orlanda
I'm with Jean. 3 lines max on action, but make a point of trying for 1 line.
Anything over 4 lines in dialogue gets broken by action.
That's white space. What the reader is looking for when they flip through the pages. Makes for a fast read. Also what the reader is looking for.
That's what I call streamlining/polish and the very last thing I do before a script goes out.
Janet, email Jerrol or Maia. They will straighten it out for you.
:-) Orlanda
Wow! Knuckleballer again? Congratulatons.
Two more for IRIN. Excellent! Hoping the finals come your way again.
:-D
I just pop it into a word.doc. Now that has a spell check that really works. Plus, I can choose Canadian, British or US English.
hehehe Helps to have updated Office Pro.
So, depending on where the script is being sent...
;-)
Interesting play on words, perhaps...
Love Comes Around
Second Time Around
Back Home Run
Love Comes Twice
There's one on the tip of my tongue. I'll post when it comes out. Don't hold your breath. hehe
:-)
Hi Chris,
It's kinda tricky to know if you haven't read the script.
If it's more about the love story, and therefore, more likely to be viewed as a tv movie. It is an awesome title. Like a Harlequin Romance.
But if it has more to do with the difficulties and dangers, and meant to be a big screen feature. The title might be a bit to sweet when it needs more drama that would better suit what the audience will find in the movie.
More important, what the reader will assume is in the script by the first glance at the title.
That's the best I can describe it. I hope it helps you decide which way to take it.
:-) Orlanda
When I read a well written script, I don't even notice the sluglines, unless there is something missing.
For example, anywhere along the way, someone could very easily miss a minor slugline.
Or it could be assumed to be a different location all together that has nothing to do with Adam's cottage. Or assumed to be in [Adam's cottage] when it is indeed a separate location. I've seen this happen numerous times.
Generally I'd use:
EXT. ADAM'S COTTAGE - DAY
INT. ADAM'S COTTAGE, EVE'S ROOM - DAY
I've never had anyone, reader, producer, director or contest say anything about it at all. To me, that means it's in proper format.
Although, I'd have no problem going with minor sluglines once the INT. base had been established.
But like most things in screenwriting, you will have to use your own judgement.
I have recently been told that DAY and NIGHT are no longer needed for the rest of the scenes that happen in the same day or night by a writer who just finished the new UCLA screenwriting course. So, who really knows?
LOL Good way of putting it, Ron.
Keep writing your better than 2D characters, Paula. It will make the audience squirm as much as you are when the deed gets done. Bwaaaaaaa Haaaaaa Haaaaaaaa.
:-) Orlanda
Willingly, yeah. That suits all right.
Have at it, my friend. Sounds good.
:-)
Oooooooooo. Good one, Ron.
:-D
Bobette,
Just call up the Screen Actor's Guild. They will let you know who his agent is. If he doesn't have one, they should have a contact number.
:-) Best of luck.
Great going anyway, Michael. You're getting your name out there.
Gee, I'm gone for a couple of days and people are winning all over the place.
:-D Fantastic!
Eric, sorry man. I know what you're trying to get across, it's just coming out the wrong way for Janet.
Janet. You really need to take a deep breath and chill a moment.
Now, do you realize you have spoken your own magic words?
If dancers could read it? LOL They can read.
Why the heck aren't you trying to get dancers attached?
Why aren't you having them help get others involoved, maybe even their actor friends, their managers? Hey, they might even know some producers who love dance.
Why aren't you trying to get them to pitch in financially and produce it yourself?
And why the heck are you arguing over the musical merit when you've not told a soul what the story is behind the music and dance?
You don't have to justify your choice of concept to anyone. But you do have to be able to get them interested in your vision. Not brow-beaten. They have to be able to see your vision and love it to the point they are willing to spend years working on it with you.
Unlike a stage production or concert, film setup take a lot more time and a lot more dedication, from you and everyone else involved. Or it will fall apart before it's begun.
Focus on that.
If your script has what it takes, your professionalism in all matters will get it futher than you can imagine.
I wish you a world of luck.
:-) Orlanda
It's been a while coming but the wait was worth it, the produced song I wrote the lyrics to is there for anyone to hear.
http://orlandaszabo.com
It seems some people may not be able to open the media player to hear the song. Here is how it is done.
Did you see a box with a red X in it beside the cd cover?
Left click on the X.
At the top of my page a tan border will come up and ask you to install the media player ActiveX. That's the link from microsoft, it is completely safe.
Where it says, "click here" at the end of the tan line.
Left click on click here.
The player will show up in seconds.
Then you just click on the play button, and there you go.
I'd love to hear your feedback on the site, lyrics, music.
Orlanda
Janet - Please go back to my post. You will see that I said "Dancers can read"
And what I meant by "chill" is for you to not take offense when someone doesn't see things the same as you do.
That's all.
I guess it's hit and miss. My entries this year both came back with clear notes. It was very obvious that whoever read my scripts, really read them.
Orlanda
Way to go, Irin!!!!
Wooooooooo Hoooooooo
:-) Orlanda
AWS! Awesome, buddy!
:-D Two thumbs up for you.
Orlanda
Whatever you're doing, Irin. LOL Keep doing it.
Orlanda
Yup, read these blogs. And other headlines on the site.
Thanks for posting it.
Orlanda
You might check into how they did it on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
Charmed may be another series where you could find a reference.
drews script-o-rama is the only place I know of to get tv series scripts. Google, you'll find it quickly.
Best of luck. Sounds like a fun script.
Orlanda
Another one, Geoff?
Man, whatever you are doing, keep doing it.
LOL Orlanda
I am so happy for you, Jean.
Congratulations! Woooooooo Hoooooooo
You've deserved this for a long time. It's about time you started building your dream.
:-D Orlanda
Oh wow, that is not easy to do guys. Way to go!
LOL WoW! You guys are all great!
Thanks for all the wow's everyone. I really appreciate the feedback.
Janet- I have no idea, but my webdesigner sure does.
Robert - You have no idea. But it would have meant nothing if I hadn't done major networking and signed up for twitter, LinkedIn, here, and made friends first.
Thanks Jean. :-)
Hey, Ron. My new motto is:
good writing + luck + timing = opportunity. ;-)
James - Whoa! Bass is sweet. I just learned Wild Thing. What's your style?
Ramone - Just click on the ActiveX that comes up across the top of the page, say yes, and the player will be there.
Be great
:-) Orlanda
Thanks Eric and Lisa, the goal is to promote to get work.
LOL So are drummers.
Hi Lisa,
The first thing that struck me reading the first logline was...
Second Childhood, then
Wild Ride, and
Grannyhood Run came in 3rd.
Ron did such a good job with your second title that nothing different clicked in for me.
Good luck, they both sound like good movies.
Orlanda
Actually, I am quite enjoying this thread. L.A. Law was never this good.
It reads like a good drama script. Some damn fine strong character traits happening. The tension is building...
:-) I can't wait for the rivetting court scene and then the scrap in the back alley behind the courthouse. Does anyone get to ride off into the sunset?
Well that sure changes the tune.
Thanks for posting, Joseph.
Way to go! Getting the top two spots at RedInkworks is awesome, gentlemen.
My Deceased came in at 23. :-)
Ooooops, we should be saying, so far. The full list is not up.
It says March 31. Tuesday will tell if any titles shift.
Thanks Peter.
LOL Yes Deceased could very well be #1 in the summer session. It is technically a war movie.
;-) And rewrites are underway.
:-) Orlanda
From what I'm reading, it's brand spanking new.
Well... what was your original title?
Why did you pick it?
Does it still apply to the story?
Genre?
It is very hard to know what to say if one doesn't know what they are working with.
:-) Orlanda
I hate to tell you this, Evie. But Gordy has posted here before.
:-) And that is good.
Orlanda
Hey, thanks, Troy. Nicely set up. I like the montage article as well, nice and clean.
Orlanda
Fantastic news, Mike! Keep 'em coming.
:-) Orlanda
Unity must be one hot script.
Fantastic news!
:-) Orlanda
Congats on the win! Irin. You do moviebyters proud.
Keep crankin' 'em out.
Way to go Terry! Fantastic news!
Hey Geoff. LOL Time to get Ace of Aces produced already so the rest of us have a chance at the competitions.
1 of 12 is fantastic news.
Wonderful news Jean and Geoff. :-D
Way to go Felice!
Just in on MovieBytes newsletter!
Serena's Thunder -- Jean Hunter received and honorable mention in the Family category.
Great going, Jean!
:-D Orlanda
Oh, that is such great news! On less wall to hurdle for us screenwriters.
Thanks
Orlanda
Congratulations Everyone!
I didn't make the cut this year, but it's all good, plenty of moviebyters did!
Wooooooooo Hooooooo!
WOW :-D Great to see so many moviebyters on a roll. Makes for some awfully good possibilities for the next round.
Congrats to all.
:-) Orlanda
Man, Irin and Geoff, do you guys know how to tag team or what?
Congrats, guys. I know you'll keep up the great work.
:-)
That is fantastic, Terry. And two scripts up and running. Well done indeed.
:-) Orlanda
Hmmm, I thought the post header was
PAGE International FIRST ROUND- Who made It?
Silly me.
Fantastic news for you too, Stephen!
Wow, Pilar is coming to town at the end of August to give a 2 day seminar. :-D Guess I'm going now.
Way to go Timothy and Mark.
My script obviously didn't make the cut.
My first agent thought having everthing from action to supernatural was great. No matter what was requested, she almost always had a script of mine to toss into the ring.
I somehow always manage to have a touch of the supernatural in all my scripts, even the period drama.
So many people here doing so well. I have really not been here for a while. Sorry for not being able to keep up.
Congratulations to all of you.
:-)
Generally there is 20 years between family generations. It makes for an easy count.
These days you can easily have 40 or 50 years difference between parents and children. Even if it's not a good idea to do DNA wise.
So, if the parents are 37, the grandparents are 57. ;-) give or take 4 years either way.
The 37 year old parents could easily have a 20 year old son or daughter. But it would be more likely for the older generation to have fewer years between them and their kids. The majority of them did marry by 18 and a huge number were having children by the time they were 15.
Good luck setting it up.
:-)
Since $40 mil and under is considered low budget in the US, I don't see that there is a with your scripts being on InkTip.
Now if it's a $100 mil screenplay, different story. Unless there are script hunters looking for the bigger companies. I have seen this happen.
Best of luck, I hope you get a lot of requests.
John is completely right when he talks about what Hollywood wants. Heck, what all producers want. I was just in LA barely a month ago and everyone has the same story. A fantastic script, with a med - low budget that has a high concept that's easily marketable.
But it is still up to us to make sure our scripts are the best they can be and to get our work out there. And a huge part of that is the contests.
It's just a matter of what you want out of the contest.
I wanted a contest that a production company films the winning script.
So, I entered the Pavaline competition which has an environmental focus, this year anyway.
I had no idea that the thriller I sent in would end up one of the 10 finalists. Guess it depends on how you define environmental. :-) And I know 6 of the other finalists. That is very weird, but also very cool. Because we're all talking and getting to know each other much better than we did before.
Like Irin, I've learned that networking works.
We're all wishing each other the best luck for the mid-January final to see who gets produced and does the festival rounds.
In some ways other than getting into the biz this has been an amazing tool to learn by. It all comes down to personalities and how people react to good news as opposed to bad news. A lot of calm cool and professional heads. I can see many of us collaborating in the future.
So I'll let you all know in a month who's short is getting produced.
Orlanda
Thanks, Irin.
LOL And congrats to everyone who's getting out there and pushing their work. It's a tough haul, so don't deptend on one story, :-) keep coming up with the next best concept.
Have a great holiday season everyone!
Orlanda
Another one! Way to go Stephen!
Thanks, Paul.
I was wondering about that as well. I'm sure there will a good number of us checking it out on the 23rd.
Good luck guys.
:-) Orlanda
Thanks, Jim.
I'm game to check it out.
:-) Orlanda
Whoa! They've either taken down the site to upgrade or set up a new one.
This is what I got when I went to filmmaker.com
Welcome
You see this page because there is no Web site at this address.
What you can do:
Create domains and set up Web hosting using Parallels Plesk Control Panel.
????? Any ideas
Orlanda
Ooops,
filmmakers.com
Yes. I saw that too when I checked today, Paul.
:-) At least it was online again. It's looking to be a good New Year.
Yup :-) it's back up with a Dec 29 announcement date.
Yes, Nick. The scripts are read again.
Congratulations to everyone who made the cut. I'm with you, Janet. Go musicals!
I guess it stands to reason that the American Gem portion of the competition would be pushed back since the feature section was.
Dec 31 is the new deadline for the short competition.
HAPPY 2010!
And a great year it will be for all.
Orlanda
Not only does Inktip inform you if they take a peek at your screenplay, you get the company contact info.
You also have the right to call them up after 4 or 6 weeks.
For those of you who know Steve, this is a sad day.
He had been fighting cancer when complictions caused a massive heart attack he couldn't survive.
For any who wish to leave comments, his wife Julie has started a facebook group for those of us he knew online.
Just search - Steve's Group
Hey congrats to Stephen, Irin, Geoff, and Thom Ferrell too.
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