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Hi there, as a newby writer from the UK with an award winning script LOUISIANA BLOOD, and a film (DEADEYE) mid financing with Brett Leonard directing, I'm finding it impossible to get my script to an agent or production company in the US easily. What interests me about this story is how he got his script into a bidding war between these big studios? Did he get an agent? If so how? Did he win some competitions and they got it placed in the right hands? From what other people have said on the forums it seems you will get an agent with ease once you have had something produced, but till that point it's difficult getting representation. The large companies I have spoken to from the UK in the US won't even let you speak with anyone other than a receptionist unless you have a referral. Maybe this screenwriter knew the right people? I'd love to hear the whle story, does anybody have it? Cheers, Mike Donald

Thank you all for that reply. I think I heard he went to AFI as well. I wonder how he got it to Ridley's company?

Cheers,

Smokingkeys

Hi All,

Re: Punctuation and grammar, having been asked to produce a feature film script, two in fact, with two weeks, the main comment seemed to be my poor grasp of the "Apostrophe" it would seem that the US producer is so proud of his grasp of the language and so unaware of his lack of creativity that he must fasten on something where he can batter you with his English degree.

In my experience, unless your grammar and punctuation is embarrassingly bad, as long as your story is fabulous you should at least get some encouragement. I have gone on to forge relationships with all producers that responded favourably, and all nit pickers have turned out to be either crooks or useless at producers.

The thing that really gets my goat, is having to write US spelling, lots of z's, for my American characters and UK spelling for my directions and English characters, pardon me, but when the actors read the piece and the public see the movie can they hear the difference? I don't think so! This is surely lunacy on all fronts.

There will always be someone that wants to put you down, the trick is to read between the lines and see why they are doing it, it may be something in your script that you can improve as a result, or they may just be an angry person with time on their hands. If anyone has a definitive piece of info about the whole UK/US spelling fiasco eel free to chip in...my script LOUISIANA BLOOD is set between Louisiana (No surprise there) and 1888 London, so you'd think I could just write in English...but no. Having heard that some submissions are binned for not enough brads or a comma out of place,,,,it makes you think.

This is my first post here, but I am flameproof so I don't need to be treated with kid gloves.

Mike

"A professional is just an amateur who didn't give up"

Hi All,

Re: Punctuation and grammar, having been asked to produce a feature film script, two in fact, with two weeks, the main comment seemed to be my poor grasp of the "Apostrophe" it would seem that the US producer is so proud of his grasp of the language and so unaware of his lack of creativity that he must fasten on something where he can batter you with his English degree.

In my experience, unless your grammar and punctuation is embarrassingly bad, as long as your story is fabulous you should at least get some encouragement. I have gone on to forge relationships with all producers that responded favourably, and all nit pickers have turned out to be either crooks or useless at producers.

The thing that really gets my goat, is having to write US spelling, lots of z's, for my American characters and UK spelling for my directions and English characters, pardon me, but when the actors read the piece and the public see the movie can they hear the difference? I don't think so! This is surely lunacy on all fronts.

There will always be someone that wants to put you down, the trick is to read between the lines and see why they are doing it, it may be something in your script that you can improve as a result, or they may just be an angry person with time on their hands. If anyone has a definitive piece of info about the whole UK/US spelling fiasco eel free to chip in...my script LOUISIANA BLOOD is set between Louisiana (No surprise there) and 1888 London, so you'd think I could just write in English...but no. Having heard that some submissions are binned for not enough brads or a comma out of place,,,,it makes you think.

This is my first post here, but I am flameproof so I don't need to be treated with kid gloves.

Mike

"A professional is just an amateur who didn't give up"

I did spot eel, but couldn't be bothered to go back and edit for an informal BB, however the ,,,, was meant to be irony :) One thing I have noticed is that as a rule the US doesn't do irony. I was also hammered for spelling Foetus as foetus not fetus, when in reality it can be spelt three was and Foetus is common over here.

I don't think the original poster who relied to me warranted a WTF as I believe he was practising the very Irony I was referring to.

Or are people on this board too touchy? This is meant to be a helpful sort of place I guess. In which case can you actually go back and edit mistakes on the BB?

Thank you all for the pointers, but still not sure about the UK/US spelling divide when submitting a script? And well done with all the wins and getting a film made despite getting the odd comma wrong! Cheers,

Mike

Thank you James for your wisdom, and Paula, maybe you need to lighten up?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi There,

Has anyone with scripts posted on Moviebyte/Winningscripts.pro had any luck with getting an agent, manager, rep or interest from a producer who has looked at the site.

I spent a couple of years on Ink Tip and didn't get any bites and wondered if this is more worthwhile?

I really like the site, but the BB does have a high percentage of squabbling going on which I'm not used to in the UK.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Golden,

Thank you for that, it's all about keeping King Reader in the zone, everything else is wishful thinking. Appropo that...Is Cell current or should I refer to mobile phones as Mobiles?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks guys and gals,

Ink Tip didn't work for me, too higher focus on Lo budget Horror I think.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi there,

It must be the fear of seeing one's baby appearing on cable TV when you least expect it :)

I think people probably need to start a relationship of trust over a period of time first?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Phil,

No worries, I'm cool with that. I'm happy to swap scripts. Let me know what genre you are interested in and we'll trade. I was a proffessional reader with Aramid Capital for 18Months, "The Queen" "Franklyn" "The Wrestler" "Hurt Locker" etc. So I can give you a commercial viewpoint.

I think I have one in most genres, no religious or MOTW's tho' :)

Cheers,

Mike

Oh no!

I never beat The Knuckleballer! It's won so many competitions I've taken to only submitting to competitions it's not in! Only joking Michael, after all by the time I find out it's in competition I've already lost!

I'm in script savvy this time but with a new script SHADOW TRADE, it's anti-American and pro Middle East...what do you think the chances of that going down well with the American judges :)

I just found it was too easy to win in competition so thought I'd try and alienate them so as to give the rest of you guys more of a chance, especially Michael who's only won a measly fifty or so competitions! (Irony warning)

So now I'm only submitting to contests with predominantly Muslim judges on the panel. (Joke!)

I'm pretty certain that The Knuckleballer will be made into a movie soon, of course it will be rewritten by Jon Spaihts, given a sci-fi twist and directed by the Farrelly brothers for laughs!,

Good Luck to you all, there's always a chance that some producer might luck in to our brave attempts at publicity. I'm expecting a call from some Porsche owning producer who spots my name on the Exposurama Hollywood billboard real soon.

All the best,

Mike

Oh no!

I never beat The Knuckleballer! It's won so many competitions I've taken to only submitting to competitions it's not in! Only joking Michael, after all by the time I find out it's in competition I've already lost!

I'm in script savvy this time but with a new script SHADOW TRADE, it's anti-American and pro Middle East...what do you think the chances of that going down well with the American judges :)

I just found it was too easy to win in competition so thought I'd try and alienate them so as to give the rest of you guys more of a chance, especially Michael who's only won a measly fifty or so competitions! (Irony warning)

So now I'm only submitting to contests with predominantly Muslim judges on the panel. (Joke!)

I'm pretty certain that The Knuckleballer will be made into a movie soon, of course it will be rewritten by Jon Spaihts, given a sci-fi twist and directed by the Farrelly brothers for laughs!,

Good Luck to you all, there's always a chance that some producer might luck in to our brave attempts at publicity. I'm expecting a call from some Porsche owning producer who spots my name on the Exposurama Hollywood billboard real soon.

All the best,

Mike

Hi all,

Thanks for this feedback, especially re loglines. I think winning scripts is a great way to refine loglines. As I have 11 scripts on the site I am constantly re writing the loglines and checking the stats...tho' it may look like a cynical attempt to keep my scripts in the side bar, it's actually letting me hone the loglines as I can see which scripts are lagging in getting attention, and I can focus their loglines.

I take the Dreck point as well. There's a guy who keeps posting about 8 scripts, most of which are between 2 and 5 pages, who seems to have only written one full length script. If I posted part of all the scripts I'd started I'd have about 80 postings...and it's that sort of submission that producers can see thru.

When all my loglines are of equal attractiveness to the viewers on the site I will know they are ready for pitching. So far Louisiana Blood is by far my strongest high concept pitch. I have learnt that it is a lot easier to sell high concept thrillers and horror than quirky scripts, even tho' a quirky script can do very well with the competition readers.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all, I'm now going through the query letter route to get repped on your side of the pond, unless you're a UK scribe in which case it's the other side of the pond! I have laboriously researched and submitted about 90 so far and I think I have had one request from the US and one from the UK, I'm guessing 1% return is the average?

Is an automated service any good...ie Scriptblaster etc.

Bearing in mind my script is in the $30m area, would Scriptblaster hit a lot of unsuitable amount of lo budget companies, and do any of them hit large studios like Warner, Paramount etc?

All thoughts gratefully received.

Cheers,

Mike

Less is more...damn that browser button!

Hi All,

Just found this thread, so let's see how the formatting looks if I post. While we're on the subject of preserving formatting...I send query letters out via body text in emails, but never know how it's going to turn out at the other end. Does anybody know how to control the look? Agents don't do attachments as they're too busy! Here goes: This is SHADOW TRADE:

<

FADE IN:

TITLE OVER: ARABIAN DESERT, KUWAIT 1995 - NIGHT

An inhuman wind HOWLS across the dunes ---- ABRAMS M1 TANKS and BRADLEY'S grind across the terrain -- powerful search lights are swamped by sheets of swirling sand.

INT. ABRAMS MI - COMMANDER'S STATION

Screens illuminate the interior -- THERMAL viewer and digital colour terrain map reveal an ANOMALY coming up.

DRIVER (FILTER) Something up ahead...could be a sand berm. (beat) Thermals are showing heat signatures...maybe power plant.

The TANK COMMANDER leans forward.

COMMANDER (O.S.) Okay everybody shut it down, we'll sit this one out.

TIMECUT

The wind has dropped -- powerful work lights bathe the area in a sodium wash. Soldiers have cleared the front of a large hump in the sand revealing armoured DOORS.

HANDS pack C4 and detonators around the centre of the doors.

Soldiers pull back behind the tanks -- WHUMP! The smoke clears revealing the mangled doors hanging open.

A military ROBOT trundles past the sheltering soldiers -- heads into the darkness between the doors -- searchlight leading the way.

SOMEBODY leans around the edge of the tank -- points a LENS towards the bot as it disappears from view.

ROBOT POV

A vast cavern -- dust hanging in the air -- bat-like shapes in the shadows. The bot's searchlight swings round -- reveals the satanic folded wings of MIG 25 JETS crouched in the dark.

At the far end of the hanger steel doors GRIND open -- an eerie green glow bathes the robot in its flickering light -- a lonely silhouette.

BOT OPERATOR What the...

DESERT

A SOLDIER moves past the end of one of the tanks -- 35mm CAMERA up to his eye -- snapping away, oblivious to danger.

INT. HANGER - INNER ROOM

A wall filled with hundreds of GREEN LED digital readouts -- beneath which a RED LED display set into an armoured box counts down to ZERO.

WHUMP!

White hot SHRAPNEL and GAS flies through the air -- impacts with the REACTIVE ARMOUR of the M1 -- which REACTS -- EXPLODES outwards -- metal RICOCHETTING off metal.

A body flies through the air -- 35mm CAMERA falling to the ground -- LENS reflecting the FIREBALL billowing out of the hanger -- washing over us as we go to:

TITLE OVER:

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK 2001

EXT. CHRYSUS CAPITAL - ESTABLISHING - DAY >

Thanks Irin,

luck be a lady tonight...who said that?

Cheers,

Mike

I'm all over these boards like a cheap producer...but maybe somebody might know this. I'd love to list on IMDB pro, to which I'm already a subscriber. As a writer do you have to have a film produced? Or is there another set of parameters. I've had a script optioned, and I'll have an industry trade mag mention soon, and I see some unproduced writers have a ton of mentions about upcoming projects...so the question is can it be done?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Stephan,

That's great! I'll tweak it and try and improve it. My formatting was based on established scripts and this has already made finalist in Exposurama, so I'd like to move on up the ladder. There are all sorts of differing opinions on CAPs and when to use them, I guess reading established writers can be a mistake, as readers are less forgiving to newbies.

Thanks for the tips, I'll look into the other thread.

Cheers Mike

Thanks Irin,

Good idea, but i haven't made any I'd show...yet.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

Very excited at being a finalist in Thriller category this year, and even more gobsmacked to find they published my interview! I don't think I slagged too many industry figures off...but I may have upset the military. CIA and the world's financial services etc...ah well I didn't think they'd put it out!!!

I wasn't planning on researching Guantanamo Bay but I guess all experience is good for writers. I just wondered what sort of exposure one gets with the industry mags and the billboard follow up, and if anybody had gotten repped or an agent as a result.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all,

A comment I often read, and that is sometimes brought up in meetings is that they are looking for a writer's voice.

Now, as I am discovering the tone of most scripts should be consistent, no over directions, no long descriptive passages or witty asides to the reader (Something I loved in Lethal Weapon and the reason I got into screenwriting!) so how exactly does a writer get his voice into a script?

To me my voice is my imagination and the characterization I put into the characters with dialogue and action. I was always told (in the UK) that people liked my witty directions, and that's what made me a good read...obviously I soon realised that it wasn't done in the USA on a professional level.

So the question is...has anybody had any experiences over the issue of "VOICE" and maybe someone can come up with a few pointers or examples from well known scripts. Most of the top scripts I have read are neutral in tone, even tho' they are high concept and brilliant ideas, or transparent to the reader and non intrusive to the flow. ie SHADOW 19, SOURCE CODE to name two, both great scripts to read,

Cheers,

Mike

They range from very pleasent to highly patronizing. When I was a reader I would always be complimentary about scripts that were so good I actually wanted to finish them! However some scripts were so bad it was difficult to refrain from an incredulous take...bearing in mind these were scripts that were in general mostly financed and with stars attached I was all the more cutting, but I don't think I was every particularly rude.

If your script is 130 pages with whole pages of descriptive passages I think you might get a bit of attitude. In competition I can't believe that they get the $100 per script I was getting so they were probably incensed.

How you would ever know (unless you had coverage) if they'd read more than a few pages I don't know. Sometimes when I get a synopsis back it really doesn't look as if they've understood the script...I like to blame myself for being unclear.

Even I know that LOUISIANA BLOOD is the most complicated script I've written...and strangely the most successful! One script report said I had enough plot for ten films in it and I should perhaps simplify it!

I think you get what you pay for. I'm now (after spending a fortune on comps and analysts, script not shrink variety!) You'd be better off spending $500 on a proper consultant to get your script up to speed and then submit to competitions.

So to answer your question, if the script is good they'll have less of a target to aim at. It's easy at the start of the writing mountain to think that everyone hates your stuff, but use each insult as a means to focus and clarify your script. I hope I haven't wandered off topic? This is a UK perspective by the way, we're much more refined on BB's over here, I'm sure I'll be torn to shreds on the US BB's anyday now :)

Cheers,

Mike

I think you've answered my message, i would say that the style of descriptive passages is what you're showing here, I'm not sure if that's "Voice" lets see if anyone else pipes up with another view. My condolences to your computer...my Mac is refusing to print at the moment saying the printer is broken, I know it lies because it's cousin works fine with the same printer ...ho hum, no one uses paper anymore do they?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Irin, let's hope some other writers have a workaround to get onto Imdb when youre unproduced.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Janet,

If you want to send me the first ten pages, or wherever you think it gets into it's stride I can tell you what I think. I won't charge, and I won't lie, or be rude! I can't believe everybody hates your work!

If you go to my website and send PDF email via there I'll either post thoughts on or off board to you wherever you want. www.touchwoodpicturesltd.com

Let's make it clear I'm not soliciting for work here, this BB is just to help each other not make money out of each other!

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Paula,

Looks like my Exposurama Billboard is the only chance I'll get then!

Cheers,

Mike

How Johnny Depp did it

The coolest instance I've heard of an artist finding a voice (it's so good, I pray it's not apocryphal) is of Johnny Depp preparing for Pirates of the Caribbean. He tried this, he tried that; nothing worked; he couldn't find his way into his character. Then one day he had a flash of Keith Richard. Presto: Captain Jack Sparrow!

To me the trick is getting your own ego out of the way. What voice does the material want? Find that. You the writer are not there to impose ''your'' voice on the material. Your job is to surrender to the material—and allow it to tell you what voice it wants in order to tell itself.

Found via Mr Google, not sure if it helps, but certainly having a voice is sometimes at odds with having a transparent style. Let's hope we have some literary genius's on the site. Cheers, Mike

Hi Janet,

I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it. My post offer still stands.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Joseph,

Let's see what happens.

Cheers,

Mike

Thank you all for that, I'm still sure I had more voice before I started to conform to the Hollywood template! Maybe it was just the wrong voice, I'm guessing one has more opportunity within the dialogue than in the descriptive passages. The writing I liked best was within Shane Blacks asides to the reader in LETHAL WEAPON, woe betide anybody that tried that today as an unknown writer!

Maybe we could expand on this more and people could post a small section of one of their scripts that they believe shows their style?

Just a thought. I'll start the ball rolling: LOUISIANA BLOOD

FADE IN:

EXT - BATON ROUGE - DEVILS SWAMP NIGHT

An expanse of moonlit swamp -- LIGHTNING throws black shadows across a muddy track. Mangrove ROOTS shudder in the howling wind -- grey tentacles crying out in pain.

SUPER 1893 - LOUISIANA

NARRATOR (V.O.) On the night of October 1st 1893 a hurricane hit Louisiana, killing 2000 people and wiping villages from the face of the earth...it remains one of the greatest natural disasters in American history and became known as...THE EVIL WIND. Through silver bullets of RAIN -- a BLACK COACH -- a wooden STEAMER CHEST roped to its back, pulled by two terrified horses, EXPLODES into view.

The DRIVER wears a bushy moustache and has eyes that are weird and off centre, on his neck is a studded leather collar, some kind of neck brace.

He whips the horses with grim desperation. The WIND and the RAIN suddenly stop. The Coach comes to a halt.

A dark skein of cloud tears across the MOON, silvering the water. The horses WHINNY -- EYES rolling as an OMINOUS silence descends on the swamp.

A BLONDE haired GIRL with an ethereal beauty,looks out of the carriage and up at a RED silk SCARF as it floats past, radiant against the dark storm clouds. The driver climbs down from the carriage -- reaches into his jacket -- turns as:

SMASH! A wall of WATER engulfs him. Coach and horses cease to exist as the maelstrom sweeps everything before it.

EXT - PRESENT DAY - BATON ROUGE - DEVILS SWAMP - DUSK

FAT TIRES bursting out of muddy water.

AN EXHAUST Belching FLAME.

MONSTROUS machines hurtle past. Twenty or thirty high powered vehicles are engaged in a SWAMP BUGGY race. FOAM spews behind them as they jockey for position.

A RED CAMERO body on a jacked up spaceframe flies past. The words SWAMP GATOR emblazoned down its side. An ALLIGATOR design sweeps down the bodywork ending in teeth over the radiator grill. Deputy WAYNE "CHILLY" FISH, a chunky individual well muscled but heading for fat, is leading the race -- passenger SHERIFF DUKE LANOIX, an older Afro-American and feeling it -- hangs on for grim death as they rocket through the swamp.

DUKE Big stump, fifty metres to the left!

Chilly swerves round a rotting piece of fallen tree. Something rises out of the swamp's surface...A HORSE'S HEAD!

ON DUKE

DUKE (CONT'D) Horse?! Chilly looks at him. CHILLY What! BANG!

The car veers out of control -- spins around and comes to a halt lurching over to one side.

CHILLY (CONT'D) Shit! We just lost an axle.

DUKE The hell with that we just hit a damn horse!

END OF SELECTION:

I hope the formatting works.

Now I know that from what I've garnered through the tortous years the words "Overwritten" spring to mind, but if people like your "style" or "Voice" at the start, you can always chop out too many adjectives, and also at the start of a story I believe setting up the atmosphere that carries the reader through the journey is important.

Anyway, let's see what other folk think.

Cheers,

Mike

TAKE 2!

< FADE IN:

EXT - BATON ROUGE - DEVILS SWAMP NIGHT

An expanse of moonlit swamp -- LIGHTNING throws black shadows across a muddy track. Mangrove ROOTS shudder in the howling wind -- grey tentacles crying out in pain.

SUPER 1893 - LOUISIANA NARRATOR (V.O.) On the night of October 1st 1893 a hurricane hit Louisiana, killing 2000 people and wiping villages from the face of the earth...it remains one of the greatest natural disasters in American history and became known as...THE EVIL WIND.

Through silver bullets of RAIN -- a BLACK COACH -- a wooden STEAMER CHEST roped to its back, pulled by two terrified horses, EXPLODES into view. The DRIVER wears a bushy moustache and has eyes that are weird and off centre, on his neck is a studded leather collar, some kind of neck brace.

He whips the horses with grim desperation. The WIND and the RAIN suddenly stop. The Coach comes to a halt.

A dark skein of cloud tears across the MOON, silvering the water. The horses WHINNY -- EYES rolling as an OMINOUS silence descends on the swamp.

A BLONDE haired GIRL with an ethereal beauty,looks out of the carriage and up at a RED silk SCARF as it floats past, radiant against the dark storm clouds.

The driver climbs down from the carriage -- reaches into his jacket -- turns as: SMASH! A wall of WATER engulfs him. Coach and horses cease to exist as the maelstrom sweeps everything before it.

EXT - PRESENT DAY - BATON ROUGE - DEVILS SWAMP - DUSK

FAT TIRES bursting out of muddy water.

AN EXHAUST Belching FLAME.

MONSTROUS machines hurtle past. Twenty or thirty high powered vehicles are engaged in a SWAMP BUGGY race. FOAM spews behind them as they jockey for position.

A RED CAMERO body on a jacked up spaceframe flies past. The words SWAMP GATOR emblazoned down its side. An ALLIGATOR design sweeps down the bodywork ending in teeth over the radiator grill.

Deputy WAYNE "CHILLY" FISH, a chunky individual well muscled but heading for fat, is leading the race -- passenger SHERIFF DUKE LANOIX, an older Afro-American and feeling it -- hangs on for grim death as they rocket through the swamp.



DUKE Big stump, fifty metres to the left!



Chilly swerves round a rotting piece of fallen tree. Something rises out of the swamp's surface...A HORSE'S HEAD!



ON DUKE

DUKE Horse?!



Chilly looks at him.

CHILLY What!

BANG!

The car veers out of control -- spins around and comes to a halt lurching over to one side.

CHILLY Shit! We just lost an axle.

DUKE The hell with that we just hit a damn horse! >

Hi Stephan and Michael,

Yes PEIFF last year, I won best script and audience read that year, sadly I can't post the win on moviebytes because it's not a contest in their list! I'll have to put it in my bio when I revamp it.

I'm also in script savvy this month, so fingers crossed. I haven't had feedback from them but just got StoryPro feedback and it was fab, great attention to detail and suggestions, well worth it (For Shadow Trade).

So script savvy give you a number score depending how well you do which enables you to up your game until you feel it's good enough for comps?

Good luck to all...Glad to hear we won't be crushed by Knuckleball this time :)

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Janet,

You have mail.

Cheers,

Mike

Congrats to Michael Murphy for an Honorable mention with the Writ Writer, I'm very impressed with Script Savvy...they actually announce on time and I got my analysis back last night...great notes, I got 50, which for a first draft is good enough for me, now I can go bacl and fix those too convenient plot points!

Hats off to anyone getting 56/59, that's pretty much 99% isn't it?

Anyway, a great contest all round, and Mr Murphy playing to his strengths well. I was also told that my "Voice" came through, so I can stop contributing to the "what is a voice?" thread...and I was told off for making a jokey remark to the READER, so there goes any humorous asides from me...as a reader myself I quite enjoyed the odd humorous aside...however, maybe when I make the Shane Black grade I can add them back in! Till then I'm very tempted to get script savvy coverage after all my first drafts and skip submitting to comps until I get a high score from them.

Cheers,

Mike

Congrats to Michael Murphy for an Honorable mention with the Writ Writer, I'm very impressed with Script Savvy...they actually announce on time and I got my analysis back last night...great notes, I got 50, which for a first draft is good enough for me, now I can go bacl and fix those too convenient plot points!

Hats off to anyone getting 56/59, that's pretty much 99% isn't it?

Anyway, a great contest all round, and Mr Murphy playing to his strengths well. I was also told that my "Voice" came through, so I can stop contributing to the "what is a voice?" thread...and I was told off for making a jokey remark to the READER, so there goes any humorous asides from me...as a reader myself I quite enjoyed the odd humorous aside...however, maybe when I make the Shane Black grade I can add them back in! Till then I'm very tempted to get script savvy coverage after all my first drafts and skip submitting to comps until I get a high score from them.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Janet,

Glad to be of help. You'd better check it, I actually rewrote all the pages you sent me...but obviously subtly :) The Montage sequence was the most in need.

Good luck,

Cheers Mike Donald, tho' of Scottish parentage there's no Mac involved.

Hi there,

Anybody else submit to this comp? As they promise to produce the winning entry I may have shot myself in the foot by entering SHADOW TRADE which is of of Bourne Identity sized budget! I'm sure a quirky character driven comedy in a couple of locations will win this, anybody have any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Ron,

How refreshing to see someone that can do iorony!

Cheers,

Mike PS are you American?

Hi Ron,

I think you've answered my question posted on the other thread as you're awake! ie you're based in my timezone! UK, or an American insomniac!

Cheers,

Mike

I also thought the article was good and funny...as most probably know, I'm a sucker for inviting everybody to send me their scripts if I bump into a wannabe writer...I'd say out of ten of those, 2 may have potential and one shows real talent (IMHO)

I would have been delirious for any of my professional or even close friends to "want' to read my work...even tho' I realise their opinion isn't going to take me to Hollywood, so I always like to at least make an effort when a new writer approaches me.

I think what the article is saying is that the people wanting their scripts read should realise what a lucky break they are getting if anybody of any worth reads your script, and not hand over some half baked/half assed/half corrected piece of work.

Which I now realise was probably my first ten or so scripts!

The point of the article as he so succinctly put it, was that it takes a huge amount of effort to try and finesse a kind and helpful reply to an appalling script!

Sometimes the script is soooo bad that there is absolutely nothing good to say about it...and yet, it is expected, as this is their baby, and you wouldn't want somebody to suggest you gave up writing at their first attempt.

I have to say tho' that some scripts look as if the authors have never read any real scripts, taken any classes or read any books...and that's like a plumber turning up without any tools...isn't it?

However, you never know when a favour can turn into a paid gig, but beware the serial user!

Cheers,

Mike

Quick question..how many times can you submit the same script to script Savvy? I'd like to see how mine flies after responding to analysis (The script not me! Tho' it may be warranted!)

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Joseph,

Good results. I never know when people are being ironic on these boards :) But does anyone know if the billboard is up and anything i the trades yet with this comp?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Michael,

I'm near to finishing the rewrite and will submit again this month's end.

Cheers,

Mike

I would agree with both POV's here, yes some competitions are not really helpful to a career, but, barring the money spent, winning a crappy content can be a psychological bonus which will enable a writer to have enough confidence to move on to the next step...ie keeping writing until you are good enough to win a well thought of contest. I won the PEIFF, and it got me a call from Altman's company (His grandson, not Robert) who said it was the best script they'd read in 2 years. It helps to have the odd pat on the back, especially for those of us with short arms that can't do it for ourselves.

I've also made friends with at least four or five people in the past few weeks on this BB who I've either helped or who have helped me. For free. You reap what you sow, and as it's been a real crop blight year you need to sow as much as you can.

I think the scoggins report said that of of about 160 spec scripts that went out in the last 6 months only 3 sold, and these went wide to studios, so it's tough out there...I've never been nearer to giving up than this year, and coincidentally never been nearer to making it! It's actually the nearness that is more grueling, knowing that your material is good enough and that you are only one contact away from getting through the door.

A professional writer is only an amateur that didn't give up.

Hang in there...

Cheers,

Mike (UK Scribe)

Great links, great site, great articles...thanks for those links Stephen.

Of course they can be scary fro te wannabe to see how the chips are stacked!

Cheers,

Mike

I've place two of my scripts on Ink Tip, both of them contest winners and with budgets over $10m. Looking at what's been produced they tend to be low budget horror and Comedy. Is it worth it for exposure and for someone to check out my style and ability on Ink Tip or am I wasting money, it's $60 a script listing, better value here, but not sure of the industries viewpoint...Comments?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks to all, I'm only going to list two, and I wish I had a horror movie set in one room...but don't! Yet :)

We know how important the one page synopsis is...I've written thousands of them...but I always have a nagging suspicion that somewhere is the perfect synopsis that will entertain, power forwards and grab me, so where is the Whykowski brothers one pager for The Matrix, or a one pager for Batman The Dark Knight, Juno etc. Somebody must have these and it would be great to read them and think...ah, well, that's no big shakes or wow, that's what I need to do.

Does anybody have an example that empowers them? Or a link to a site?

Cheers,

Mike

No, waiting to hear myself...sounds sloppy :)

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike,

"When the dead head of conjoined twins awakes, a young Doctor must battle its murderous rage to protect his patients, in an asylum for the criminally insane."

Commas optional. I don't think you have to mention them on the loose, that's a given, I even think that you could lose Criminally insane, as that will also become obvious later on.

"When the dead head of conjoined twins awakes, a young Doctor must battle its murderous rage to protect the patients in his asylum."

I'd work on the USP of this a bit more and see if there's anything else that'll work in a few words to pump up the originality of the premise, apart from the still born head that is!

...before he discovers he's an inmate!

...but is he really a Doctor?

...but he hasn't counted on the ALIEN in ward five!

You get my drift :)

Cheers,

Mike

Semi-Finalists posted.

http://www.themoviedeal.com/#/finalists/4532422034

I have no idea why my award winning $20m screenplay didn't make it :)

Cheers,

Mike

OMG, I don't exist...it's like I can see you and you can't see me :)

"When the dead head of conjoined twins awakes, a young Doctor must battle its murderous rage to protect the patients in his asylum."

Sorry to intrude...leaving the room now,

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all,

I do actually exist... I just made the top 100 in the Logline competition.

The Link's below so you might check them out for a few ideas.

http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2009/11/top-100-loglines-for-scriptshadow.html

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen,

I'm in the top 100...how are you doing?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for that, I look forwards to some fame spreading from Oxfordshire, UK to Hollywood soon! Michele is working on the next incarnation of LB as we speak :)

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Guys,

This project received so many hits from the logline posting here I actually submitted it to a couple of competitions...well blow me down I've actually won cash for the first time! Not done anything with this one as a friend of mine knew someone in Aardman they were going to get it to...fast forward two years, maybe they missed their chance. Anyway, this site is great for seeing what attracts viewers to a logline. So far in the running Louisiana Blood is first, then Rose's War then Shadow Trade, so thank you all for the heads up!

ROSE'S WAR - RUNNER UP IN ISFMA Festival - Screenplay Contest

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulating you. We received nearly a thousand scripts, your script ''Rose's War'' was one of the best and chosen as a runner up for the Independent Short Film, Music and Art Festival, in its short screenplay competition. It was a difficult decision.

All the scripts we received were read at least once. From there less than half moved on to the second phase and within the second phase only four scripts moved on to the final read. From the four, your script was one of the four! It was a delightful read and something we could see being produced!

The Independent Short Film, Music & Art Festival will take place February 19-21, 2010. The award ceremony will take place on February 21, 2010. The festival itself will take place in Long Beach, California at the historical Queen Mary, where we would like to invite you to stay. We would like to arrange a day and time which would be good on your schedule to discuss this further, as well as possible production of your winning script.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Terry,

Yes, but I'll have to hold off becoming a comp chaser as it's a sure way to get broke!

I would like to find some cash competitions that pay out $50,000 and are weekly tho' :)

Cheers,

Mike PS I think that's called the lottery.

Thanks Irin,

Just need to find an animation contest that pays big bucks to survive the winter!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Heather,

Thanks for that, hope your hard drive recovers okay.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Heather,

As a writer that's scary, I have back up to hotmail, and separate hard dive, and occasional DVD copy...but it's never enough is it!

I had a logic board falure on my macbook pro...that's a polite way that mac have of saying the entire motherboard is F***ed at start of year, luckily I had household insurance that covered it, but I paid $4000 for a Rolls Royce and ended up with a Skoda (but not as reliable!) As Spooky Mulder would say...trust no one!!!!! Never had a motherboard fail in over 20 odd PC's and Laptops.

Cheers,

Mike

Re: MAC,

Make sure you take out the Mac insurance thingy where they cover you for a few years, as a replacement logic board is around $1600 to have fitted in the UK...also there are issues with some Nividia Video boards...do a little googling, trust no one...

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

I have managed to get a script to a big company Executive, who is a friend of a friend...however the wife of the executive is worried that if she opens my script she'll be in trouble because then I might sue them if something similar is in the works...I'm sure there is a simple form where I agree not to sue them if something similar appears...I thought I had a contract like that on my hard drive but can't locate it. Does someone out there have one, or know what I'm talking about? I think an agency sent me one to fill in before they read Louisiana Blood having responded to a query letter. Help appreciated, Cheers, Mike

Thanks Guys and Gals,

Heather sorted me out...again :) Cheers,

Mike

Thanks everyone,

Heather sent me one.

Cheers,

All

Hi again,

Yes, it is probably a polite way of the exec telling his friend he's not going to read it, but in a slow way...it is the UK's biggest animation company and he is the Executive Producer, so I'd have thought he'd have all the relevent info he needs to ask for a release form or contact me...so even tho' I am friends with someone who knows him, that probably still isn't enough to get my winning script across the divide!

Ah well it's another almost!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

I missread the original email, here's the real chain of events. I have a camerawomen friend...her husband's cousin is Executive Producer at large animation company (Wallace and Gromit is your clue) he replied that he wasn't allowed to open the file (script) until he had checked with someone...I then sent a release form to the camerawomen to pass on to him in case he was worried about litigation.

She thought it prudent not to push it by sending it on, my feeling is that he must know the ropes being a producer as release form is pretty standard (If they have asked you) however doing it through the back door is really relying on luck, as it didn't arrive via an agent, and the company doesn't accept unsolicited material, period.

So there you have it, probably never hear anything again, and might be able to get my friend to nag one more time before sound of door closing quietly. So even if you have a friend who knows Speilberg, the chances are just as slight :) I'll update if anything happens.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi,

I have no idea what that video was about...it started like the story of someone having a tragic accident and then became a rant against Obama..am I missing something?!

Well done Stephen,

with Horror Comic in Quarterfinals, I have two in as well, Louisiana Blood and Final Contract (a rewrite of Shadow Trade) you'll probably beat me AGAIN! :)

Cheers,

Mike

Congrats to all of you who made it! Phil you're too kind...I don't think I'd call myself a great writer, when I can earn a living doing it I might accept that accolade, but then it would be a grateful writer :) I notice that a certain Steve Warren has 4 scripts in the quarterfinalists and Robert Keith Watson has three in the running. Be interesting to see how far they go. I was in one comp and someone won 1st and second place!

Not sure if that's really in the spirit of the competitions.

Happy Christmas to those that do it.

Cheers,

Mike

I know you guys don't view Christmas with as much excitement as us guys over the pond but I'd like to thank all of you for your help and support since I joined the board. Your views both fair and at times brutally honest have helped me in my rewrite process. Hopefully I have been of some use to members of the board with my Limey viewpoint, and I hope I have managed to get back to most people with any critiques of their scripts...I do have one left to read, which I failed to do on schedule due to work commitments (Sorry Evie! It will be done over the holiday ;)0

Anyway, I hope all of your respective dreams come true and that a contest win or contact changes your life for the better.

Cheers,

Mike.

OMG! As much younger people might say!

I am stunned to be in the top 25! There are a lot of really clever and high concept ideas in amongst the competition, and congrats to Stephen for his comedy submission GET MOTIVATED.

Ones I also think are very good and could be front runners are HUMANS, THE ALIEN DIARIES, SYNAPSES, ANTARCTICA, HYPOXIA, THORNE

It's fantastic that there are so many fresh original and thought provoking scripts out there...so why do we have to put up with Transformers 10, Hulk, 3 Spider-man 5 and all of the other self serving remakes/franchise box shifting crud out there...Oh sorry was I shouting!

Anyway, good luck to all and a merry commercial festival whereever you are. :)

Cheers,

Mike

Got this from Exposurama after asking them when the proposed awards and promotions were being implemented...

We are very close to announcing all that material and will be back to you very soon.

Please be patient. Sadly our entire computer system crashed and it took 3 weeks to get back up and running. We're just now getting back on our feet. All was recovered but has certainly taken a toll on our efforts. We'll be promoting like crazy going into the new year! Stay tuned, and thanks for hangin in there. :O) Jenna

Sad they couldn't afford a back up hard drive after all the money I gave them!

Cheers,

Mike

Is that like a Whiz in the UK? :)

Have a good one....I know, it's all good ;)

Mike

Thriller finalist -- Name on a billboard in Hollywood, announcement in Hollywood magazine, and some other stuff that may change my life...or not :)

Cheers,

Mike

Cheryl,

I would regard the site as a testing ground for loglines, 3000 hits shows you have a good logline, unless that's over the last decade :)

I have about 10 posted on this site and regularly tune the loglines to see which has the most hits, over the last month there's a difference of around 200 between the top ones, and the bottom ones.

If it's in a year I'm thinking that's a good sign, and as a query letter with a good logline is the start of it all, that can't be bad? I don't know of many, if any people on theis board that have garnered multi dollar options from the MB posting...anybody?

Happy xmas.

Cheers,

Mike

Anybody else in this?

Meant to be announcing yesterday, so late...unless it's still yesterday in LA LA LAND?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Heather,

You too, hows Bride swiped coming along? Shadow Trade AKA FINAL CONTRACT has made semis of Story Pros 3rd annual comp, be interested in your take when you get a chance to read it.

Happy Xmas and good luck with all your projects.

Cheers,

Mike

Still in with Final Contract,

Louisiana Blood took a shot to the head :)

Cheers,

Mike

Wow! I actually got an honorable mention! Whether this will change my world I don't know, but I guess I was up against an awful lot of writing waiters and wannabee's who live and breath movies...I didn;t expect to get anywhere so glad to get a mention on a first draft script SHADOW TRADE AKA FINAL CONTRACT.

Cheers,

Mike PS: Anyone else in that comp?

Is this closed for everyone apart from Withouabox waivers...by 30th Dec, so not sure if it's still open?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Stephen,

will do, along with Austin, Page and Nicols!

Cheers,

Mike

Finalists are out...I'm not one of them...must try harder!

Awaken

Robert Jason Clark

Buried on Page 8

Jennifer Harrison

Darlin' Pretty

Rick Flynn

Deprogramming Fahim

Steve Hochman

Everyman

Matthew Gilleece

Fire In Beulah

Paula Kim Sullivan, Rilla Askew

Hook, Line & Cyber

Marqus Bobesich

My Husband the Dick

Keith Davidson

Naomi Federline

Jason Pangilinan

Passaic

Michael Klausner

Roadside Assistance

David Sakmyster

Screwball

David Ferrell

Sea Fever

Richard Guimond

Shoreline Times

Chip Casner

The Grenade

Patrick Andrew O'Connor

The Super Adventures of Hansel Minus Gretel

Mike Wong

The Toy Stealer

James Allen

Trading Up

Walker McKnight

Congrats to anyone that made this one,

Cheers,

Mike

Well doneStephen,

I'll turn my 57 this time into a 59 next time, they gave great notes and I feel I've moved on a pace with their help. Thanks for the shout out for my Greenlight comp win, they were very good and commented on all my scripts that I submitted, not a bad comp for exposure at $10 submission with a monthly comp and yearly with prizes and web page. It's quite amazing how so many comp readers love Louisiana Blood, and yet there are some people and many agents that don't go for it. A poster on this board pointed out that it's the difference between writing, and screenwriting...ie you can be able to write a good story for a reader, but not have it good enough as a film blueprint...an issue I've addressed in a huge rewrite!

Good luck to all in the next comps, and check out the-greenlight.com comp.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Heather,

Great to hear! Presume agent has bigger offer in his sights, or was option so lo that doesn't make much difference?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

I was just putting together a bio/cv and glamour shot for the greenlight competition and I happened to look at the winner's bio for the month earlier, HAT TRICK, I noted that he has entered more than 150 contests!!!!

I'm not even sure I could afford that, never mind be bothered, but thought it might be interesting to see how many comps you guys have entered as a general estimate?

I think over the last 2 or three years I've submitted to around 70, so roughly 25 a year on average...which comes to around $5000 dollars.

I wonder if I'd just engaged a script mentor and submitted one great script to Page, Austin and Nicols I'd be better off?

Certainly I'm only getting wins now I've honed my craft with analysis (Not shrink!) and feedback from BB's and some great writers on this board, with Louisiana Blood and Shadow Trade and Rose's War.

I know I've never had $5000 at one time so the point is moot...but it's worth a thread to see what is the best and fastest root to getting optioned, repped or agented before moving to the Bahamas!

Anyway, let's see who has a story to tell!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All.

Re contests, script savvy is by far the best notes I've ever had...and well worth the money.and there's a chance to win as well!

Well done to Stephen for making money...I've made $250 so far! However that just means I'm not good enough yet!

Not sure if Stephen made all his money from Horror Comic or from multiple scripts...and yes, how much did Hat Trick make...I guess he didn't win money in 150 contests as they're aren't that many that cough up.

Heather did well with a Christian contest $25,000 for second prize or something...I think it was Kairos or similar...None of mine are remotely Christian...but who knows, I might be converted!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Robert,

I've only just sent the biog and stuff, so a bit early to judge. I'm not expecting any great shakes from them, it's just part of my campaign to get more exposure!

Probably worth submitting to as it's cheap, and you are in some cases competing with other winners.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen,

That's great, shows how high a regard Carson is held in the writing community.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen,

You have my vote, it's a no brainer,,,your's is the most intriguing!

Apart from "Press 666 for a one to one with the devil!"

But that wasn't in there.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

I am ploughing, and I do mean ploughing, through this book in search of a scene to adapt for the writer into a proposed screenplay.

I just wonderd if anyone has got through this book, and what their thoughts were about the competition?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi All,

I am ploughing, and I do mean ploughing, through this book in search of a scene to adapt for the writer into a proposed screenplay.

I just wonderd if anyone has got through this book, and what their thoughts were about the competition?

Cheers,

Mike

Gulp! It's like the bad bits of Mean Girls and Clueless without any of the wit and cleverness of Juno...I'm on page 170...but I am now on strong perscription drugs to help my head :)

By pivotal scenes that would be when it starts to get interesting I guess...I read in hope, my thought is only about five people will enter...I can't believe this women commands $10,000 a time for advice Jeez...

Cheers, and good luck.

Mike

Hi All,

received this via email, claiming I queried them...I have no record of querying them...is this a scam? I'm including my reply and there's for the full overview. Be interested if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Dear Writer,

We are in receipt of your query letter. Thank you for your submission to us. Here at Blackwood Company/3R Entertainment Group, our representation includes writers and their literary properties; we also offer our services assisting writers with placing their literary property with agents, production companies, studios, etc.

After reviewing your query letter we have decided to respond to you with our interest and consideration in offering our services with placing your literary property.

Our property placement services offer a diligent effort to secure and or procure placement for you literary property. All documented efforts will be forwarded to you along with all correspondence of acceptance or rejection for your review and confirmation. If you are interested in securing our services, please return the attached application with a copy of your literary property, along with your twenty-five dollar ($25.00) administration fee. If you are submitting more than one (1) literary property, please be sure to include and administration fee with each submitted property you would like to have placed. Only one application per writer needed.

Our property placement fees include, an administration fee of twenty five dollars ($25.00) per literary property (script) to secure our services and initiate our services, any and all placement efforts, and a commission fee of (10%) ten percent of any deal procured through our placement efforts.

Please find below an application form and payment instructions. We are looking forward to moving further with you as well as the mutual success we will share from the successful placement of your literary property.

Sincerely,

Rebekah Behar

Blackwood Company

3R Entertainment Group

MY REPLY:

Dear Rebekah,

Thank you for your interest in my project.

You appear to be a music company with affiliations towards actors and artists, so I have a few questions.

I can't seem to find any record of contacting you with my script query, but it is possible that you may have affiliations with a company I did contact.

You don't seem to know my name or the name of my project? So this may just be a bulk mailing email, if so then maybe you could explain how you might be of assistance to me?

And finally no one charges administration fees to my knowledge if you wish to represent someone?

Bearing all that in mind, if you are now branching out into production and representing Screenwriters, and believe we could be mutually benificial to each other I am more than happy to discuss this.

Warm regards,

Mike Donald

Their reply!

Dear Writer,

We are in receipt of your query letter. Thank you for your submission to us. Here at Blackwood Company/3R Entertainment Group, our representation includes writers and their literary properties; we also offer our services assisting writers with placing their literary property with agents, production companies, studios, etc.



After reviewing your query letter we have decided to respond to you with our interest and consideration in offering our services with placing your literary property.

Our property placement services offer a diligent effort to secure and or procure placement for you literary property. All documented efforts will be forwarded to you along with all correspondence of acceptance or rejection for your review and confirmation.



If you are interested in securing our services, please return the attached application and agreement with a copy of your literary property query letter and synopsis, along with your twenty-five dollar ($25.00) administration fee. If you are submitting more than one (1) literary property, please be sure to include and administration fee with each submitted property you would like to have placed. Only one application per writer needed.

Our property placement fees include, an administration fee of twenty five dollars ($25.00) per literary property (script) to secure our services and initiate our services, any and all placement efforts, and a commission fee of (10%) ten percent of any deal procured through our placement efforts.

Please find attached an application form, an agreement and payment instructions. We are looking forward to moving further with you as well as the mutual success we will share from the successful placement of your literary property.

Sincerely,

Rebekah Behar

Blackwood Company

3R Entertainment Group

A ROBOT methinks!

Sounds fishy!

Yes Irin,

I checked them out. Small budget films at best, one guy in charge, my scripts aren't small personal pieces...Lethal Weapon meets Bourne Identity and Wall Street, guess I'll have to wait for that call from WME!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen and Robert,

Thanks for that, looks like they are trawling for some writers to pad out their books...I'd also love representation, but it needs to be the right kind!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi there,

Anybody else planning to go to this? I was runner up and am planning to go if I can combine a few meetings with picking up the award.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Phil,

Did you get my Phil version of the opening of LB?

http://www.fest21.com/en/festival/independent_short_film_music_art_isfma_festival

Or a google search will throw up other things, it's pretty sparse, and I'm trying to get more details...as I won a prize they should give me some soon!

Cheers,

Mike

I emailed Jenna at EXPOSURAMA asking for some details as to what they have actually done as a result of the 2009 contest? See Below:

Hi Jenna,

I know you had some computer issues...don't we all :)

However I'm somewhat irritated by seeing you inviting people to enter the next exposurama contest, whilst...as far as I'm aware, you haven't made good on the promises from the last contest?

Am I wrong?

I'd be happy to learn you have a billboard up, and have placed an announcement in a well known entertainment magazine...but if you have I'm sorry that I haven't seen anything in my inbox or on the site.

I believe you have a responsibility to reward those that paid for the privilege of entering your excellent competition, which promised so much.

I look forwards to hearing from you.

Regards,

Mike Donald

I'll post the reply.

Failing miserably to get anything but an answer-machine at the festival office, also failing to get through to the events manager on the Queen Mary to see if they have the festival booked in...I'm glad everyone's so busy, but it would be great to actually get in contact with someone to prove this event actually exists...so far three emails, four calls and a snail mail sent last week have been invested...I only hope it's going to get easier when I'm working with Speilberg!

Found out there's a $99 room rate for Festival participents on Queen Mary, double room occupancy! Means I'll have to drag a prom queen along to fill out the berth!

Still no word from actual festival!

Mike

Thanks Janet,

I had completely forgotten I entered this competition! I must pay more attention to my tracking board! Of course it's now so long ago I wish I could substitute my rewritten version!

Well done everyone!

Cheers,

Mike

Received a personal reply from them:

Still need to see if they've actually sold anything for anyone, I'll address that next!

Hello Mike,

Thank you for your email. You are right it was a generic letter. With the amount of queries received on a daily basis that are read and the ones we choose to offer our consulting services to in addition to the ones we do not respond to it would take quite a bit of time to personalize each email which that time can be spent servicing our clients that we manage and consult. Which I am sure you understand. Our management company is full service as mentioned on the main page under the management section as well as the production company we operate.

We are offering our service to help clients in securing an agent and attracting the attention of production companies in addition to those who do not consider unsolicited materials therefore expanding the visibility of a clients project for the possibility for representation and or placement. As for the admin fee as a consultant assisting a client this fee is admissible and covers barely the copying and mailing of a script which I am certain you can agree with and is legitimate to charge. I could really offer my consulting services as an attorney would however I would rather be more helpful in helping a client and receive a commission instead of doing both.

I would like very much to speak with you further to see how we can work together in helping writers succeed.

And so the plot thickens, I may speak to her later and grill her personally, as others have mentioned, if they haven't any track record at selling stuff or getting an agent...is there a point?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Irin,

Yes I was thinking how quaint...a personal assistant laboring over the copier churning out thousands of scripts, then couriering them over to the good and the great.

I've been PDEFFING scripts for years, and only in this country does our great British Film Council demand hard copy of scripts (I suspect they still wear top hats and tails to work!) everyone else is electronic, ah how the mighty Amazon breathes a sigh of relief, oops here come the loggers!

Anyway, I rang today to speak to the great Rebekah, first time was engaged...a company engaged, how come...no switchboard I guess. Second time I rang was an answer machine...we're away from our desks it cooed to me. Hmmm, no switchboard, no staff, no confidence I thought. I have left a number, but will phone them back, if only to satisfy my morbid curiosity about the PDF situation. This is getting so exciting I may start a blog...not! Cheers, Mike.

Now suffering from second act sag...rang five times, engaged, answer machine the other four times! If people can't get through to them, how are they going to take Jerry Bruckheimer's call for my script!

Unbelievable, and the website is c**p!

So I probably won't be going with them...unless of course, no, no I can't afford $25 a month to be insulted I can ignore my own calls for that!

Cheers,

Mike

The reply:

Hi Mike,

You're absolutely correct we have not fulfilled our agreement to date. Sadly we weren't as prepared as we hoped to be for what was needed to put up a billboard in LA or post in magazines. Then while we were accumulating all the info to fulfill our obligations, the computer we had archived all our info on, crashed. It's been quite a nightmare to be honest. This past week we were in Sundance and that too has taken a significant amount of our time. However, WE ARE back on track. And as promised we will have our obligations fulfilled. The trip to Sundance has made this even easier and subsequently the exposure everyone will receive will be far greater than expected. We sincerely appreciate your candor and promise to fulfill our obligations to all involved. Thanks for your patience, we ask only for a hint more. Jenna Exposurama Screenplay Contest www.Exposurama.com 8581 Santa Monica Blvd #438 West Hollywood, CA 90069

My point exactly, grated on me seeing their ad banging on about the new competition now taking money from wide eyed writers expecting to have their names up in lights...rather than being a cluster F***k on a broken hard drive!

Shame, I was looking forwards to seeing the billboard in Feb if I hit L.A!

cHEERS,

mIKE

This came as a real shock...not!

DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF SUBMISSIONS our 7th Annual iP Screenwriting Contest is still in the judging phase. WE HAVE PUSHED OUR WINNER & FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENTS BACK TO FEBRUARY 7TH WHILE WE CONTINUE JUDGING - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! Previous winner Anne MacIver was hired to write a $15 million feature film for Kerry David and Jon Gunn because she won the iP Screenwriting Contest - will you be next?

http://www.indieproducer.net/FilmContests/7th-annual-screenwriting

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Bobette,

You should seek out the original TV series on DVD. It's a much better reading than the film, much darker and more subtle,

Cheers,

ike

Hi all,

Were the results for this screenwriting festival due 1st Feb 2010?

According to withoutabox they were...however I'm pushed to find a competition that has arrived on time this year so far...apart from BRIDGE!

Anybody else have a timescale?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all,

I'm still upset that my comedy thriller LEGALLY BLIND, about a bunch of blind bank robbers was deemed in breech of the contest rules! I mean where did it say that a braille script was unacceptable...I think that's a really short sighted view!

Cheers,

Mike

Cat

Me thinks thou does't protest with just the right amount of witty acumen...well said!

Cheers,

Mike

LATEST:

Hello hello!

Exciting Announcement update! Things are finally starting to move along. Some big EXPOSURE! The TOP 30 from the EXPOSURAMA Screenplay Contest will be listed in Creative Screenwriting Magazine's March/April Issue. Keep an eye out for it! A FULL PAGE SPREAD!

- The list of screenwriters and their loglines for the TOP 100 will be going out to a list of over 3000 producers next week.

- Additionally 5 film festivals (with over 40,000 filmmakers/producers) will be be announcing the TOP 30 in their upcoming newsletters.

The Billboard is on it's way! We'll have more info pertaining to this and a number of other significant publication's listings very soon so please be patient. If you are in the TOP 100 and not the TOP 30, please do not be discouraged. When producers request scripts in any genre, your logline is being included in the emails, provided you gave us permission to do so and you have updated your script info.

If you have not, please do so asap. You'll find the link on how to do so in a previous email we sent you! We're back on track so more good stuff to come soon!

From Jenna at EXPOSURAMA.

Pushed back to the 14th Feb.

Sage advice indeed...thanks Ron.

Cheers,

Mike

Well done Cat with Marlowe!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER Suburban Kings by Michael Menta

2ND PLACE OVERALL Everyman by Mathew Gilleece

3RD PLACE OVERALL Mariachi Club by Nick Najera

TOP 10 Action/Adventure: Secret Kingdom by Irene Suver Animation/Fantasy: The Realms of Animar by Sean Griffin Comedy: Everyman by Mathew Gilleece (2ND PLACE OVERALL!) Drama: Suburban Kings by Michael Menta (GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!!) Family: Mariachi Club by Nick Najera (3RD PLACE OVERALL!) Historical: Death Valley by Stephen Escudero Horror: Espiritu by Jorge Gutierrez Science Fiction: Palnet X by Kate Ford Pilots: The Hill by Jason Ford Shorts: Living With Shemp by Dan Beckerman

FINALISTS:

Action/Adventure: Ameristocracy by Paul Moxham Frozen Fire by paul Pawlowski Blood and Sand by Shane Perez The Red Sea by Tom Blackwell Secret Kingdom by Irene Suver

Animation/Fantasy: Sandi Claus by Lee Tidball Seeking Samarkand by Felipe Cagno The Realms of Animar by Sean Griffin Erin and Owen in Mythatania by Nicholas Julius Bad Dog's Story by Richard L. Sartore

Comedy: Everyman by Mathew Gilleece Offramps by Patrick O'Riley Variety by James Rose Deliver Me by Michael Lupariello The Jesus Hickey by Luke Yankee

Drama: The Great American Loser by Jess DiGiacinto Suburban Kings by Michael Menta Body Count by D. Keith Pitman & Roger Serna The Seaside Bar and Grill by Ron L. Henslee Pink's by Mark Tusher

Family: If I Were You by Greg Rempel The Junior Detectives and the Cities of Gold by Irin Evers Mariachi Club by Nick Najera 5 Dates by Kyle Michel Sullivan Battle of the Bulbs by Paul Thompson

Historical: Death Valley by Stephen Escudero World Within by Jeffrey L. Herbert Pirate Queen, Lee Lennon-Costanzo Marlowe by C.M. Bistransin Buchanan by Patrick Harrison

Horror/Thriller: Cacey Gene by Amanda Houghton Monkeyhouse-Seven by Brendon Kelly Circus Envy by Scott Courson Espiritu by Jorge Gutierrez Altar of Greed by Tom Deedy

Science Fiction: True Dawn by Nir Studnitski Planet X by Kate Ford Titan by Kathryn Kuhlen Mech Override by Martin Andreas Venus by Ann Clark & Jeffrey Hilton

Shorts: Potter's Field by Brad Crowe Living with Shemp by Dan Beckerman Neighbors by Rudolph Finamore From Ashes to Anthrax by Cat Sewart Silent Rocks by Ashley Zazzarino

Pilots: The Hill by Jason Ford Among the Damned by Michael Kehoe The Love Box by Ira Nayman Writer's Block by Jason Tatas Skipland by Jessica Dolan & Sean Mach

This is probably old hat news by now, but haven't seen any posts on it.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Irin,

Congrats...I missed the name of your new script when I did a quick scan, still predictive texted to Staten Island script!

Cheers,

Mike

Dear Margy,

I've been replying to emails for the last four hours from about five countries!

I'll keep you posted if anything comes from it.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks all for the interest and support,

Haven't had a chance to post because of emailing and NDA's release faxing etc! Sent out 10 scripts so far, and picked up a couple of meetings in L.A. First off it's very weird to have people wanting to read my script, normally I'd be sandbagging them as they sit at the bar during the Oscars, or geting their delivery boy to slip it into their shopping!

So I really have no idea what is expected, or what to expect, but I've been doing this for long enough to realise that there is usually a large amount of noise...and then the sound of tumble weed blowing past the door!

So to even get a couple of meeting's offered is very encouraging...I guess that picture of me butt naked on the site with a spinning tie mighta' helped! That's a joke by the way!

The interest is a broad spectrum of prodcers. sales agents, managers and production companies, some even have names I've heard of!

A few even returned chatty emails! Unheard of!

I also have an email blast being done by Exposurama this week or next to 3000 other people, so I'd like to compare results of success with that and ScriptShadow.

It would seem that the industry have to hear that your script is readable from someone who can recognise a good script when he sees it...they just don't have the time to spare an hour deciding for themselves. I'm flying to L.A next week to pick up an award for Rose's War animation script, which involves press, pitches filmed interviews etc...another first, as my normal job used to include doing the EPK's on Harry Potter, Fred Clause, Alien III, Indiana Jones Etc...so I should know all the answers...normally I'm behind the camera, so a whole heap different...Geez, maybe I should whiten my teeth!

Anyway, you're all after the same thing as me, what should one do to get stuff read. That's complicated...I've written maybe 25 features, zillions of comedy sketches, hundreds of synopsis and read a thousand scripts, attended lectures, had critiques done, some good some suicidal...out of all of them I'd have to say ScriptSavvy was the best by far...posted scripts on Ink Tip, MovieByte, Winning Scripts and submitted to around 50 competitions in the last three years...won or placed in about 25% made $250!

However the effect of this is I believe I have about four or five very commercial scripts, three of which could start pre-prod tomorrow...

But what I'm after is, a good manager/agent a big fat purchase price well, enough to survive on at least! So if I had to start again what would I do different? Keep in contact with all those people who I knew as I was learning...they are now running the BBC over here, or producers of Star Wars and the like...it's very important to keep in touch on a monthly basis, as you never know who will make it and who won't.

Get professional analysis as soon as you can, it will be painful but pay dividends in your learning curve...have a day job! Make sure your script is as good as it can get before handing it to anybody in the "business" you won't get a second chance to make a first impression!

Live in L.A! That's just my perspective as I've always written stuff that no one in the U.K wanted to do...I don't do period drama or gritty urban conflict in a skuzzi sink estate (Projects I think you call them?)

However I have had a lot of international interest, from France and Spain, and if you have a chance to see a very, very successful co-production, see PERFUME stunning and how they knitted that together is a mystery! The funding I mean, not the plot!

To recap, all of the above is about, learning to write, building up exposure, gaining confidence and getting your name, or more importantly your title LOUISIANA BLOOD, in case I didn't mention it already! Out into the subliminal arena of Cyberspace...if you can maybe do the Facebook, Twitter route,though I'm not a massive user, it can link you to people in an indirect way...I even had Truby reply to me when I asked him a question! I also have a website, no frills but reasonably professional looking which is a useful follow on from a business card and which blows a muted trumpet on my wins and projects.

None of this has to date produced an agent, or manager or money...see above. And then a free competition for best logline, run by a respected writer/blogger/talent spotter/analyst/script consultant had me in the top four out of a thousand loglines, and from the 25 best scripts number four. This alone got me the requests, God knows how many the number one to three scripts got...as I was only a special mention.

Maybe people just use ScriptShadow as a free filter to save themselves ploughing through unproduced writers?

So the real answer is I think you just put yourselves out there, enter stuff, make contacts, do the best you can and hopefully one day you'll bump into the right person or situation at the right time.

As an anal writer I couldn't have picked a more frustrating, uncoordinated, random career path...but once you head down the road what else can you do? There is no one route, even with the best script in the world you still have to get someone to read it...but all I can say is, that if you can get it to someone who is respected by people higher up the chain, then that could be the way to go...if you have your script as good as it can get, then by all means enter it into a few competitions in diddlyboing, Idaho...it'll be good for you to make quarter finalist, it means you were better than some other folk...it'll give you some encouragement, but don't get addicted...it's a means to an end. Rather spend the thousands of dollars working with a good consultant who maybe knows people in the industry and will get your script to them if they believe you are the next Shane Black!

Work on your pitching and social skills, the dream of being an isolated genius who doesn't have to wash, smell nice or talk coherently is a fantasy...all of my money earning writing jobs have been clinched face to face.

Now remember all this random info is coming from little 'ole me, an UNPRODUCED writer...but I think the story might well be the same from a produced writer...they caught a break, but no one beat their door down and forced money and a contract into their hands...and you aren't going to get $4m for an idea on a napkin anymore...shame because that's what drew me into the business!

So the short answer to most questions is that you have to hit all the bases, if would be great if you know someone in the business...but it won't guarantee anything...I have a friend who's husband is cousin to the Exec Producer of Chicken Run, that's done by Aardman, the sort of UK version of Pixar/Dreamworks in the USA...which meant I could get Rose's War emailed to him from a friend...they wouldn't even open the email attachment! I don't care if your next door neighbor is Stephen Spielberg, it's still no guarantee that anybody is interested in putting themselves out.

I'm rambling, so write, read all of the top produced writers scripts, join some websites for writers, enter a few comps, get some Scriptsavvy analysis, find a good consultant, network like hell and swallow lucky pills! I'll try and pass on any news, but some of it maybe too commercially sensitive (I hope!) so don't beat up on me!

Hope some germs of usefulness sprout from my post.

Best,

Mike

Hi Susan,

Glad to hear it, I hope you can see the movie soon!

Cheers,

Mike

Some winners announced:

Mine should really read SHADOW TRADE, either that or the winner who wrote Shadowland (A well known film!) is gonna be pissed!

I guess they were rushing!

We are thrilled to be able to present the winners from our 7th Annual iP Screenwriting Contest. Winners will be notified on Monday by phone - congratulations to our winners and thank you to all of the submissions that were sent in from all over the world!

Best New Latin Voice:

Coyote Crossing - Eric Reynolds

Best Screenplay - Drama

Snakehead - Wenhwa Ts'au

Best Screenplay - Action/Adventure

Shadowland - Mike Donald

Best Screenplay - Animation

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Horror

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Sci-Fi

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Period/Historical

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

They've corrected my script title...er, and I won the animation as well...shame I competed against myself in the thriller section, I should have slipped it into the Horror section :)

NEW DETAILS.

We are thrilled to be able to present the winners from our 7th Annual iP Screenwriting Contest. Winners will be notified on Monday by phone - congratulations to our winners and thank you to all of the submissions that were sent in from all over the world!

Best New Latin Voice:

Coyote Crossing - Eric Reynolds

Best Screenplay - Drama

Snakehead - Wenhwa Ts'au

Best Screenplay - Action/Adventure

Shadow Trade - Mike Donald

Best Screenplay - Horror

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Sci-Fi

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Period/Historical

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Comedy

Will be revealed by end of day Feb 14th

Best Screenplay - Animation

Rose's War (The St. Valentine Day's Flower Massacre) by Michael Donald

They have prizes! I was just doing it for the warm glow :)

I think you just get to press the flesh and schmooze with some industry types...I'd love a copy of the new final draft as my one is circa 1888!

I'm just putting a furnace under myself for my L.A spec season visit in a few days time...spooky to win on Valentine's day with a Valentine's script tho'!

Who knows, I may even get an agent/manager etc...

Watch this space ;0

Cheers,

Mike

I may post if I learn anything from my L.A trip and meets.

Thank you for your good wishes.

Cheers,

Mike

These are the prizes, so I may get a final draft, plus some rep maybe...as I writer I never like the word "Include" but hey, I'll be in L.A so might get a face to face.



Beautiful iP Winner's Plaque

One on one meeting with an executive to discuss your

script (a phone call can be arranged if you live out of

Los Angeles)

Studio level coverage of your script

Final Draft 8, Screenwriting Software for the winner

of each genre

Your Script Optioned by Producer Kerry David of

Lucky Crow Films

Financing & Distribution consideration by Lonnie

Ramati at Millenium Films

Financing would be nice!

Again, TBC

Mike

We all have off days Robert...now if I'd slipped Deadeye and Louisiana Blood into the horror section...but then it's an addiction!

Cheers,

Mike

Just found out from the competition that they had to chose between Louisiana Blood and Shadow Trade from their top five picks! That'll teach me to compete with myself...Dohhhhh, a Homer moment!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all,

Just a quick update...L.A is another planet! Had meeting with Kerry David, I decided to go with her as my exec prod, gut feeling. She's set up some good meetings for me over here, Bubble Factory today, Dreamworks tomorrow.

I have enough experiences for a UK scribe in Hollywood piece but didn't hear back from the runner of MB, so may have to post on a thread.

Not sure if the webmail address was correct anyway.

Picture the scene in the Bubble Factory valet car park, Bentley, Masserati, Ferrari, Porsche...and a blue Hyundi rental...yup, that's mine!

Chgeers,

Mike

Hi Irin,

congrats on your win for "Staten" I never knew it was a short!

I parked between the Bentley and the Masserati...the receptionist allowed me to appropriate a copy of Variety, and I got free water...they ended up pitching an idea to me, I said I'd be happy to write it for them...it was an interesting hour, supposedly the owner of the company discovered Stephen Speilberg and Shane Black...I also mentioned that they'd discovered me...they all laughed, we'll see...

Ciao for know,

Mike in Hollywood.

Thanks I,

I didn't have this on my tracking board...nice surprise, and also a clue that I've entered too many comps! Congrats on your recent successes, in case I didn't post on the Backstreet board.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Robert,

I misplaced the fact that I'd entered...a nice surprise!

Cheers,

Mike

You guys,

You're too kind, it'll run forever, next Ep has been sent and will go up whenever they rotate these things, maybe monthly, or fortnightly, not sure.

It's my first online article, so enjoy the typos and mangled syntax, hey I'm British we do that to grammar and words...heh tho', wait a minute...no that's you guys!

Thanks for the support, I'll wear it to the gym, it gets worse, trust me,

Mike

Hard to believe they read all the scripts, and now they want to read the top 100 again...not going to get too excited on this one...far too many Hoover scripts competing with me :)

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for all the votes of confidence guys, my wensite hits are up 500%! Next episode is up and running, plenty more to come.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for all the votes of confidence guys, my website hits are up 500%!

Next episode is up and running, plenty more to come.

Cheers,

Mike

In my opinion Scriptsavvy is by far the best and cheapest option to hone your scripts to a professional standard, and with full analysis you also get a chance to place in the competition. And Donna who runs Scriptsavvy in particular is very helpful.

I've paid 12 times as much for analysis and had much worse feedback...you don't always get what you pay for...it turns out!

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks Heather,

How are your projects going?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone has had any experience of a producer contacting you through seeing your logline/synopsis/script excerpt on this site?

I have a load of scripts and loglines posted, but mainly use the site for keeping tabs on which contests are best to submit to and script buzz on the boards. I also find it a very useful to check the hit rates of my loglines, an essential tool in my opinion to getting reads!

I've just finished another script but am wondering if it's too high concept an idea to put up here, unless it's going to attract a producer...so, feel free to pitch in if anybody has had anything produced as a result of posting here.

Cheers,

Mike The Limey in La La Land!

Hi I,

I didn't know you could check messages on winning scripts? I'm signed up with them, I think. I also don't know how you get in that list at the main page? Do you have to win a certain number or type of contests?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi I,

If it's the email view bit of listings I have two...both writers in 8 months, no producers...

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for that Mike,

My enquiry encompassed getting anything produced as a result of the exposure.

Did Smilers or The Captains table get produced as a result of this site?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for the support!

Pt III is on the runway, by popular request...should I make this into an amusing E-Book!

Cheers,

Mike The Limey.

Hi all,

Does anybody have PDF script of Mama Mia or High School Musical IIi, I'm interested in the formatting of Musical scripts, and they are fairly modern examples. I've found text versions, but that doesn't preserve formatting.

Cheers,

Mike

Damn, I actually used a Jello theme in my last script!

I'm going to be strong and not read the article. I went there and saw it first hand, so learning what they think is happening right now is not relevant by the time we kick the walls down...especially if you have more than one genre and budget bracket in your portfolio.

Also we know how much a contact and attachment is worth, on top of a high concept script...

You can't out think what you think they want...who was it said " I can tell when you're lieing...your lips move." sums up most people you'll bump into in Hollywood...and if they're honest is that a bonus?

So far, so waiting to see :)

Embrace the madness, either go mad or get made...higher powers than us will decide.

Cheers,

Mike The Limey

As an English writer I have a real problem with "Gotten" but the "z's" also drive me crazy. I was told to use English for English dialogue being spoken, and American in the directions...

As a reader the difference's didn't bother me...but if they toss your script for that reason, there's more than that wrong with it!

Cheers,

Mike The Limey in La La Land :)

Damn, you just reminded me, I never returned Jobs call!

Best quote to bear in mind: A professional writer is just an amateur that didn't give up!

And can I have some of the $5.5m that they wasted making an original version of Robin Hood bland!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Murph,

I probably already congratulated you on the dark side...but well done again,

Molatov

Congrats to Stephen, Irin, Mike...and anybody else I missed! I really wasn't expecting to place in this...I wonder how many people entered?

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks guys,

Looking forward to getting the prizes! And a producer! The other script I submitted didn't place but has got a producer...go figga!

Cheers,

Mike

Glad that everybody avoided the age thing...and grateful, as I'm from an alien future it would be hell to translate it into your stuffy old binary system!

LOL

:)

Thanks guys and gals,

I don't get that excited till I'm eating the popcorn...but at least I have a ticket!

Cheers,

Mike

A professional writer is just an amateur writer who didn't give up!

Mike (Amateur) with attitude :)

Thanks for your support all you guys and gals...next ep of Limey in LA LA LAND is about to go out. I was going to post about WRITE MOVIES, but as you have started this thread :) I'm getting ready to give them a kick, as it's been about a month or so, and all they've managed to do is move the dinner back a month!

As it's not really that easy to pop over to LA for me it would be great if they could set an actual date...and send the prizes, and let the contestants know who's turning up at the dinner :) Am I asking too much..I think not...1000 entrants at 30 or 40$ IS $40,000...SURELY ENOUGH TO HIRE AN INTERN TO DO A BIT OF PAPERWORK?

Wheras the Jessica Bendinger comp I won have sent Final Draft, given me a skype conference with CAA and a top producer, and I still have a consult to come and my prizes arrived a few days ago...and that's her first comp!

So, my word to the various organisers is to get your act together...because blogging can sink a competition...and also what about the EXPOSURAMA Billboard...anybody in Hollywood seen that...should have my name on it!!! Been about 8 months for them to get sorted/or not.

I think it's time we weeded out the people who can spend six months jerking us around before they announce the winners...but then can't even get their act together for the winners...does this seem harsh...again I think not!

I haven't posted much as I've been writing a musical to be shot in Chile, and I had to write the lyrics for about 16 songs, a little bit of a tretch for me, and they wanted it in a month!

So if contest organisers can't do a few hours work over 6 months in preperation for awards to a few humble writers...what's their excuse!

It's time for the worm to turn...hope I don't get hit with a spade!

The Limey.

Finally got a reply...8th of OCT IS THE DINNER! I shouldn't have to stalk to get info should I?

More news to come,

Mike

Yes..damn this ebay satnav!

God knows what you think of Ricky Gervais :)

Final Draft are no longer sponsoring Write Movies.

I'm out now, Stephen made finals, I made 2nd in the last comp...however I had an "interesting" experience with Mr Ross...I will say nothing as I promised to wait and see if they made good on their promise...I am off to L.A this Sunday for some producer meets, and as yet I am still waiting for details...watch this space :)

Still waiting for any details...is there there more than 1 restaurant in L.A?

Congrats...keep the Limey flag flying...on the other hand I think you beat me...you could have done the Ferrari thing and let me win :)

I can't say too much about my writemovies award dinner...I met some very nice writers that I'm meeting up with while I'm here...one of the "well known" producers, (back in the day sort of producer,) recommended I submit my script to a certain producer who has a company in L.A and London...I phoned up to check on his email address, as it bounced back...lo and behold he left the film production side of things a couple of years ago :) The information on MB and other writers groups :) is so much more accurate than all of these little gatherings that are part and parcel of the competition that I have no idea why they have them? They seem to be full of producers who are having premiers, or running indie websites...however when I pointed this out last time I got into hot water, so I'll say no more! Had my meet with Jessica Bendinger this afternoon, nice lady great consult and far more use than any other prize I've received so far. The jury is still out on writemovies, as the CEO was in London and so no real resolution to the various questions was forthcoming. TBC

Hi Irin,

This is another congrats, but it's from L.A so it's worth more because of the exchange rate :)

Cheers,

Mike

Leaving L.A for London on Saturday...total receipt from Writemovies to date...One flimsy piece of paper...elapsed time 5 Months, is that the message they wish to send? You be the judge.

Congrats all who placed and won, I got a nice email, which is better than most other comps :)

Thanks guys and gals,

I didn't know I'd entered!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi there,

Does anybody know how this is calculated? I see one lady has seven in the sci-fi section out of about ten scripts :)

Is this how many times they have their logline looked at, or synopsis or download, or some other way of working things out.

Anybody know? Cheers,

Mike

Thanks guys and gals...I am now very much none the wiser :) But it doesn't really matter, I'm done with the contest route...I think :) Just wondered out of time wasting curiosity. :) Mike

Interesting spin on a technical glitch :)

Unfortunately, due to unforseen circumstances, the live reading did not take place at the 2010 Clearwater Film Festival.

Congratulations!

Thanks all, I was thinking of doing what Paraplizzie did...just give your script a different title for each contest, and maybe even change tour name a few times :)

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Stephen,

Good luck with the feature...don't know how you can turn your back on all that Beer and Pizza tho'!

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks guys,

Last time I had to beat myself in Indie Prod comp, Shadow Trade won! I hate the three category system, I should have called one of them a comedy!

Cheers,

Mike

It's the English writers scourge...all that self loathing, what's to do :) I have a special bullseye T-Shirt I wear to pitch fests :)

No, the truth is I've never been to a pitch fest, I draw the line at that sort of punch in the face experience!

Hi all,

Thanks for the bigging up, I'll let you know if this opens any doors.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks,

Good luck to everyone, though I'm sure Hollywood is already drafting it's cheque :)

Cheers,

Mike

We use them on commercials over in the UK, I think one has a bigger chip, and higher definition...but if your idea is good, that will be far more important!

Cheers,

Mike

We use them on commercials over in the UK, I think one has a bigger chip, and higher definition...but if your idea is good, that will be far more important!

Cheers,

Mike

Congrats Heather and anybody else still standing :)

Mike

Thanks Guys and Gals,

They are far more efficient than any of the larger comps I have been in, and I think they could be one to keep an eye on in future as they give cash prizes, announce on time, communicate with you, and are helpful.

Canadian based, so maybe less flaky than the L.A based money hoovers!

Mike

Thanks Andrew,

Yes LB, and they have already got most of the prizes to me!

That is a novelty!

Happy Xmas,

Cheers,

Mike

That's bloody funny if it's ironic Brent, but bloody sad if it's true!

I wrote a screenplay about a ship that sank, but I was told that my plot didn't hold water :)

Mike

OMG, any professional reader feeling miffed by one space rather than two is suffering from too much white space between his ears!

If they have to focus on that to separate the good scripts from the bad then that's one competition that wouldn't get my wallet out :)

Cheers from The Limey!

I heard they were changing the title to STAT! So they can do a simultaneous launch with mobisodes and were worried the title wouldn't fit on people's cell phone screens :)

Only kiddin', congrats and well deserved,

Mike

Well done...who said it was all about perseverance, and something to do with rewriting, good on ya, as the Brits would say if they'd been scripted by Dick Van Dyke :)

Go boy go!

I think I was placed and contacted for bio and stuff...but I don't think they have a 2010 posting up there yet? As for contests and actually getting the prizes...Mmmm, I'm composing my monthly tirade against Writemovies as we speak. Once you have the contest thing out of your system life is cheaper, but as Irin says, you could do with someone knocking on doors and blowing the trumpet...especially if that's what they promised as they slipped your $50 bucks into their pocket :)

Having said that, I think I read somewhere that the entry fee is just to pay for the processing and that it doesn't guarantee anybody will read your whole script! This may apply to some comps, check the small print, but there is certainly no guarantee, or way of proving or disproving that anybody did anything unless you win...and even then, as many of us can prove it still doesn't guarantee the prizes being delivered :) Mike

Sorry Cheryl and Cat, Just back from the wedding :) Kaos, Mmmm, most comps in the UK are pretty slack, did this have a huge entry fee? Around $100 or something big? I don't think the USA is the only country to have bad competitions. I have too many bad experiences with comps, but have made good friends from fellow victims :)

Only enter comps to make yourself feel good by moving up the winners posts...don't think that they will necessarily open doors to Hollywood. Write and write and grow your network, someone who knows someone will love your script...if it's what they want at that time. I had the nerve to castigate a LARGE comp by email and was told it was the rudest email they'd had in 11 years...but it did force them to cough up two of the 12 prizes they should have...but they don't like it when you pull them up! If they don't announce on time, or communicate then don't involve yourself. Page is good, Greenlight.com is friendly and efficient, I can't say I'm blown away by any of them. Exposurama were pitiful and provided nothing at all! I could go on, but I won't...Cheers, The Limey

I was a finalist and they provided zippo, in 2009, no billboard, no hook ups, no email replies...sorry guys, they are a waste of time IMHO.

Mike the Limey.

I did that a long time ago with a novel, went to see the agent, asked them if we could do the screenplay version of their author's book, and would they then submit to them and see if they approved...did it, they didn't...It's a risky strategy...but I'd suggest less of a risk for mega star Bradley...:)

Cheers,

Mike

Okay, here's the thing. I have been reliably informed that if you are an unproduced screenwriter, the best way to get your screenplay read is to hook an A lister/producer in the first three pages.

That is, a manager/producer will see the potential in your script that will hook a big star and snap up your script.

Oft quoted is Shakespeare in love. Which is comedy and dialogue driven. Now this is understandable, but what about action/thriller/adventure...all those movies that don't have dialogue in the first few pages, BOND to name the most famous...

My question is, I'm struggling to think of a script that blew me away, and that screamed actor bait in the first few pages of a thriller/action type movie. In fact I can only think of Conspiracy Theory, off the top of my head.

So there's the mission...should you wish to take it...name a script that fills the bill...I'm listening :) Mike the Limey.

Ah but being married means you have to get up, wash,shave, eat, do the housekeeping, pretend your mind is in the room and be attentive...

Being single, means, cup of Java, light on, drag mac onto bed, be a creative genius for 15 Hrs and go to sleep, repeat until Police break down door as they think someone died.

This must save years off the breaking into Hollywood timescale...

There is probably a formula which can work out how many years of support you get before it looks suspiciously like you ain't getting no where and you're spending our life trying :)

Do I sound cynical, sorry...

And I just remembered I haven't replied to your email yet Cat...can I blame the fact on the two puppies I'm looking after at the moment while I write that are running me ragged...and if this forum had a pic upload facility I'd get an Ahhh, out of every man jack of you...cheers, Mike the Limey.

I was also a Golden brad FINALIST with LOUISIANA BLOOD last year, I'd almost forgotten about the lack of anything as a result, but just dropped into the boards to catch up and saw this post. I'd like to say something good about the contests i've won or placed in...er, well, I met a few nice writers that I keep in contact with, but I don't really think that's what I went into for them for...

And when I have drawn attention to their miserable failings all I got was a torrent of abuse...I'm not going to WRITE which contest that would be :) But let's just say i got nothing from them except a piece of paper, a lunch and a belated (six months) copy of Final Draft! And they are on their 27th round of contests!

If i had my time again, I'd advises anybody to spend the contest money on script analysis from a recommended source...ie Terri Zinner at afilmwriter, consistent and useful notes, and good value, or Carson at Scriptshadow, in general contest feedback has been pretty worthless.

But that's just my opinion :)

Mike

Never managed to do that in the uk, so well done Heather!

Is this achieved via personal recommendation or a job application on a site?

Cheers,

Mike

Stephen Hoover and Mike Donald's new script are being reviewed on Scriptshadow now!

Also getting some buzz on Amazon. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Want to read the first ten pages and post your thoughts? Follow the links.

No flaming, trolling or bitching! But this could spark some interest and maybe some of you will still come up to me and say high on the carpet :)

http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2011/12/first-ten-pages-week-fourth-horseman.html#disqus_thread

http://studios.amazon.com/discussions/Tx3J6K98T7GWDJE

Let me know what you think?

Cheers,

Mike

Hi there, Stephen doesn't hang out on MB much, so if you post on 2adverbs we can answer your opus over there :) It will probably be after the holiday, but thank you For the kind words. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much As we enjoyed writing it. I loved spending $100m! Cheers Mike

Thanks Bob,

I hope Hollywood can afford the lightbulbs :) cheers Mike

The reason I got from a BIG agent was it makes reading on Kindle ans Ipad much easier for busy execs...and yet, I too have been deemed as an amateur on occasions by some "readers", it has made no difference at all to people who liked the script, so who knows...but, if you are an unproduced newbie..my advice, play safe, and play the boring format game :)