STORY Still Sells and WinsNominated for 6 Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay), with another 34 wins and 51 nominations total, Jason Reitman’s UP IN THE AIR is a good sign that a good story can still reign in Hollywood. 17 of these nominations were for Best Adapted Screenplay, see the film’s IMDB Awards page for details. If you, like me, have a story to tell that feels small when viewed side by side with the IRONMANs and TRANSFORMERS, this is very good news. Then again, even if you have a ‘big’ stylized film that you want to make, you still need a good story (see AVATAR, also nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture this year, and for a WGA Award for Best Screenplay by the Writer’s Guild of America). UP IN THE AIR Producer Dan Dubiecki will be on-hand at TheFilmSchool Substance and Sale seminar (February 26-28) to join seminar leaders Warren Etheredge and John Jacobsen in discussing how to improve a script to get it to a level judged professional by professionals, and how to develop the business skills to market the material, whatever that material may be. Joining Dan Dubiecki are guest speakers Pilar Alessandra (of the LA Writing Program On the Page) and Liz Glotzer, President of Castle Rock Entertainment (MICHAEL CLAYTON, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, BEST IN SHOW). For more details on the course and how to register, click here. The Sixth Borough Screenwriting CompetitionDo you have the next great script? The Sixth Borough Screenwriting Competition is a way for Screenwriters to get their scripts into the hands of industry professionals with the possibility of having their vision make it from page to screen. Sixth Borough Entertainment is currently in search of a script to make a 1 to 2 million-dollar feature within the next year. That is where you come in… The winner will be offered an option contract for a Feature Film! Additionally, every writer that enters the screenplay competition has the opportunity to receive a written analysis on his or her entry. Screenplays will be given fair, thoughtful consideration by one of Sixth Borough’s experienced script readers. Upon completion, they will in turn write a review that hopefully will give insight to help the writer improve their work. Submit here . There is a $30 entry fee and the final deadline is April 1, 2010 8th Annual 2010 Script P.I.M.P. Screenwriting and Teleplay CompetitionThe 2010 Script Pimp Screenwriting and TV Competitions are accepting entries for feature film and TV scripts—all genres, styles, and lengths accepted. This is an international competition and non-U.S. writers are welcome. $20,000 in cash to the finalists/winners, and over $80,000 in prizes given away to ANYONE who enters. Finalist loglines/scripts are sent to 200 companies. Four Grand-Prize winners receive: –$14,000 total cash ($3,500 each) –$1,000 toward the “Think Tank” program at Writers Boot Camp ($4,000) –Winning script recorded by iScript ($800) Plus ALL the finalist prizes listed below. . . . Top 20 Finalists receive: –$3,200 total cash (16 finalists receive $200 each) –Guaranteed circulation to 200 companies –Mentor teleconference meetings with an industry exec to discuss the finalist’s script –Additional, one-on-one analysis and mentoring from a Script Pimp reader on the winning entry, as well as other screenplays –5-year memberships to Script Pimp’s Writers Database ($10,000) –Featured ‘Script Pimp Recommend’ listing on Ink Tip™ –$100 “Creative Currency” for Writers Boot Camp ($2,000) –A seat to Chris Soth’s Million Dollar Screenwriting Teleseminar (appx. $250/seat) –A seat to Philippa Burgess’ Million Dollar Screenwriting & Content Career Teleseminar (appx. $300/seat) –A seat to Steve Kaplan’s Comedy Intensive Course (appx. $250/seat) –$250 travel voucher and invitation as recognized finalist to attend the Script Pimp Awards Ceremony at Writers Boot Camp in Santa Monica, CA in July 2010 where the winners will be announced EARLY DEADLINE: March 1st, 2010 FINAL DEADLINE: May 1st, 2010 A former winner, Slammin’, sold for six figures and 2008 winner Evan Daugherty secured writing assignment with Warner Bros. For registration, click here. **Writers may also request general script notes for an additional $40** The following is a selection of the 200 companies that have requested to review the finalists: 3 Arts, AEI-Atchity Editorial, The Alpern Group, Arpil Entertainment, Benderspink, Content Films, Creative Convergence, Crossroads Films, Darko Entertainment, Elements Entertainment, Energy Entertainment, Film Roman, The Gersh Agency, Gold Circle Films, Guy Walks Into A Bar Productions, Icon Productions, Industry Entertainment, Jerry Weintraub Productions, Management 360, Morgan Creek Pictures, Myriad Pictures, Original Artists, National Lampoon, Paradigm Literary Agency, Polsky Films, The Radmin Company, Spyglass Entertainment, Stone Canyon Media, Underground Films, Vintage Independent Productions, Yari Film Group 3rd Annual 2010 Script Pimp TV Writing Competition $1,500 Cash to Best Overall TV Script; Top 10 Finalists chosen The 3rd Annual Script Pimp TV Writing Competition. Acceptable entries: Specs (current or former TV shows); Original Pilots; Reality/Game Show Proposals. Any length or genre. Grand prize is $1,500 to the best spec, pilot, or reality series proposal. Nine (9) other finalists receive $150 each, as well as guaranteed circulation to 200 companies and other prizes. Contact entry@scriptpimp.com with questions or to request more information. Script Pimp Competition Success Stories § Through Script Pimp, 2008 winner Evan Daugherty gained representation with Energy Entertainment and later landed a major writing assignment for Warner Bros. § 2009 winner Troy Taylor’s script, The Eleven, was optioned less than a month after the contest § Former competition winning script “Slammin’” sold to Warner Bros. for six figures in 2005 § Over 17 writers have gained literary representation in recent years § 16 writers have had their scripts optioned To submit, click here. Nothing Against LifeI received this press release in my inbox yesterday–I thought this was a great example of the kind of socially-conscious filmmaking that is going on here in Seattle, as well as an example of how films like these can be a community-involved creation–Jenni Paradigma Productions is pleased to announce the official campaign to promote the making of the film: Armchair Internet’s 2010 Short Film FestHere is an interesting competition for TRULY short short films: Make an Internet film between 10 seconds and 2 minutes based on any part of the soundtrack to Garrett Fisher’s The Passion of Saint Sebastian. You could win the $500 Prize for Best Film. Entry is free and you get a copy of the soundtrack just for signing up. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2010. For more details click here . Short Screenplay Competition from screenwriter and now YA novelist Jessica BendingerThe funny and talented Jessica Bendinger (writer of BRING IT ON and STICK IT) has recently unveiled her first novel, the young adult fiction offering, The Seven Rays. To celebrate, she is holding a short script competition - adapt a scene from the book for the screen in a 2-5 page script (using Final Draft software, a demo is downloadable on the competition’s page, if you don’t have it already). The grand prize winner gets a one-on-one consultation of his/her original script with Jessica herself! There are lots of other cool prizes, including copies of Final Draft and of the book’s soundtrack (yes, this book has a soundtrack, check it out on the site). Contest ends February 15, 2010. Join us for Sonya Lea’s BEING SEEN on 12/14 as read by TV and Film stars and directed by Warren EtheredgeCaught in the ACT, a free script reading series featuring extraordinary work from alumni of TheFilmSchool, directed and performed by some of Seattle’s and LA’s best professional directors and actors. Abby Brammell of THE UNIT, THE SHIELD, SIX FEET UNDER and the film LIKE DANDELION DUST BEING SEEN is a dramatic story about photographer Soph Newman, who is married to the magnetic physician Jack, and living a comfortable yet lackluster life when her husband is sideswiped in a terrible car accident. Soph is coping with his traumatic brain injury, when she discovers that her husband has forgotten everything he knew about becoming a lover; he has lost his remembrance of sex. Only her best friend Jules, the witty chef of the Dalai Mama Café, and Soph’s trusted confidante, can help her decide what is essential to preserve, and what’s worth leaving behind. It’s a tumultuous triangle that reaches its apex at Soph’s exhibit premiere, and takes a turn that no one, especially Soph, could have expected. Based on an actual event, BEING SEEN was first published as an essay in The Southern Review, for which Sonya Lea received an Artist Trust Award. Oprah Book Club author Bret Lott said this story “is strong and strange and haunting and moving all at once…(Sonya) has a voice and tone that are so truthful and authentic.” Lea has written three films and a television series, including an adaptation of Sandra Brown’s New York Times best-selling thriller. Lea has also won several screenwriting awards, including the Nicholl Fellowship (QF), has completed work with UCLA’s School of Film & Television, as well as at TheFilmSchool in Seattle, where Lea took this story to ‘workshop’ with writer/producer Warren Etheredge. Said Etheredge, “Sonya is one of the few writers I’ve encountered whose brilliance transcends form; so whether crafting an essay, a script or a short story, her talent shines. It is just a matter of time till her work is regarded as highly as that of Francine Prose, Joan Didion and Melissa Mathison.” Mexico International Film FestivalThe Mexico International Film Festival is excited to announce their annual Call for Submissions for film and screenplay projects! The festival will be held May 28th - May 30th, 2010 on the serene and beautiful Baja Coast of Mexico. The MIFF is committed to bringing the best independent cinema from around the world to Mexico. In addition to screening compelling and diverse contemporary independent cinema, the 2010 Mexico International Film Festival will attract international filmmakers, producers, and artists from around the world. The Mexico International Film Festival features premiere screenings, award ceremonies, seminars, a screenplay competition and, of course, gorgeous beaches, delicious food, incredible nightlife, and all that make Baja, Mexico one of the most unique and exotic vacation destinations in the world.Awards are given in several categories including Feature, Documentary, Short, Animation, Music Video, Student, Direction, Acting and Screenwriting. The Grand Jury Prize will be presented to the best film in competition as selected by a jury of industry professionals. The prestigious Golden Palm awards will be presented to the best film in each of the main competitive categories along with Special Jury Prizes and the Award for the Best First-Time Filmmaker. FILMMAKER PANELS & PARTIES Filmmaker panels provide audience members and film-lovers the opportunity to learn from and directly engage some of the brightest independent filmmakers, writers and actors from around the world. Interactive question and answer sessions, round-table discussions, and seminars explore the craft and creative process of cinema, as well as the business of making, financing, and distributing a film. And be sure not to miss our unique opening night Filmmakers’ Beach Party! SCREENPLAY CONTEST The Screenplay Competition for the Mexico International Film festival is now accepting entries in all screenplay genres and lengths! Ten scripts will be recognized as Finalists in the Competition along with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Winners. Cash prizes are awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Winners will have the opportunity to have their work forwarded to our talent management and agency partners. Finalists and Winners will be featured on our website and in our annual Press Release announcing the Winners of the Competition. >>Click to Download the OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM Competition Categories American Independents Competition John’s Lists and Advice on Getting Your Script Out ThereJohn Jacobsen compiled the lists below as a follow up to an article he wrote for TheFilmSchool December newsletter–coming soon–about getting your script ’out there.’ There are bound to be loads of other tips and suggestions, please add comments at the end of the blog. LogLine, Title, Query Letter – you have to have all three and they have to be good, even before you start writing the script. Definition of a logline: An audience/studio/producer should be able get the full concept of the script from basically one to three sentences. They will know immediately what the whole movie is about. NEVER describe details of your script in the logline. That is what the synopsis and/or treatment is for. A properly written logline is important because most producers do not use their own money to finance a film. They read your logline. If it sounds like it is something they can then pitch to their money guys and it is the type of script their money guys are interested in, they then take the next step with regards to your script. Write several loglines for the same film and try them out on friends until you really feel it is helping people want to read the script. Here are some samples loglines - 1. Tone and genre So a prototype logline would look something like this: TITLE OF MY SCREENPLAY is a GENRE with overtones of TONE about a PROTAGONIST who HAS A FLAW/MOTIVATION when THE INCITING INCIDENT HAPPENS and s/he must then overcome THE MAIN OBSTACLE in order to accomplish THE ULTIMATE GOAL or else there will be CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES. >Great Article here. Thus: “Tootsie” (1982) is a comedy about an unsuccessful actor who masquerades as a woman in order to get work, but in short order lands his dream job, becomes a star AND falls in love with the leading lady! Blake Snyder summarized it this way, which I like a lot: Festivals and Competitions – You want to apply to these to gain leverage – scripts that have won or even placed are separated from the pack – they have leverage and are more likely to get read. GET YOUR OFFICIAL REJECTION! PUT YOUR OWN FILM ON THE MAP WITH AN IMDb TITLE PAGE… Maine International Film Festival, Waterville, ME Sacramento Film and Music Festival, Sacramento, CA Short Attention Span Digital Video Festival, San Luis Obispo, CA San Francisco Documentary Festival, San Francisco, CA SoCal Independent Film Festival, Huntington Beach, CA C&CIIFF (CULTURE&CULTURES Intercultural International Film Festival), Lempaut Tarn, FRANCE 2010 Eerie Horror Film Festival, Eerie, PA NAFA Show-Fest International, Sydney, AUSTRALIA GI Film Festival, Arlington, VA Lighthouse International Film Festival, Long Beach Island, NJ The Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA Jersey Shore Film Festival, Deal Park, NJ Royal Flush Festival, New York, NY EXPOSURAMA Screenplay Contest, Chicago, IL Sainte Maxime International Horror Film Festival, Sainte Maxime, FRANCE Ohio Independent Film Festival, Cleveland, OH Ohio Independent Screenplay Awards, Cleveland, OH Be Film The Underground Film Festival - BTUFF, New York, NY Treasure Coast International Film Festival, Port St. Lucie FL AND WELCOME TO THESE BRAND NEW PARTNERS: The Seven Rays Script-a-Scene Sponsored by Final Draft, Los Angeles, CA James River Film Festival, Richmond, VA GLOBIANS DOC FEST STUTTGART, Stuttgart, GERMANY The Clearwater Film Festival, Clearwater, FL Table Read My Screenplay - Screenplay Contest, Vernon Hills, IL Fundación Octaedro Presents The People’s Award International Short Film Festival, Quito, ECUADOR Lake County Film Festival, Vernon Hills, IL KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, Santa Fe, NM Florida Film Festival, Maitland, FL BACK IN THE BOX SCREENPLAY COMPETITION, Los Angeles, CA 15 Minutes of Fame, Palm Bay, FL Heart of Gold International Film Festival, Gympie, AUSTRALIA Maverick Movie Awards, Hollywood, CA San Diego Black Film Festival, San Diego, CA Thin Line Film Fest, Denton, TX 360 | 365 Film Festival, Rochester, NY Black Maria Film + Video Festival, Jersey City, NJ Boston International Film Festival, Boston, MA Cinema Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA DALLAS International Film Festival, Dallas, TX Florida Film Festival, Maitland, FL GLOBIANS DOC FEST STUTTGART, Stuttgart, GERMANY Newport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, CA Steeltown Film Factory, Pittsburgh, PA Tregor Film Fest, Lannion, FRANCE Boston International Film Festival, Boston, MA Rainier Independent Film Festival, Rainier, WA Vineyard Film Festival, Strovolos, CYPRUS Athens International Film + Video Festival (Ohio), Athens, OH Blazing Reel Short Film Competition, Atlanta, GA FirstGlance Film Fest Hollywood, Hollywood, CA Black Maria Film + Video Festival, Jersey City, NJ Boston Underground Film Festival, Boston, MA Charlotte Film Festival, Charlotte, NC New Hope Film Festival, New Hope, PA Peace on Earth Film Festival, Chicago, IL Phoenix Film Festival, Phoenix, AZ Foursite Film Festival, Ogden, UT 14th Annual FADE IN AWARDS, Beverly Hills, CA Amelia Island Film Festival, Amelia Island, FL Bare Bones International Film Festival, Muskogee, OK Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, Boston, MA COLORADO FILM FESTIVAL, Lakewood, CO Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, Regina, CANADA Chicago International Movies and Music Festival, Chicago, IL Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland, OH Documentary Fortnight, New York, NY Fresno Film Festival, Fresno, CA GLOBIANS DOC FEST BERLIN, Berlin, GERMANY Gen Art Film Festival, New York, NY Independent Film Festival of Boston, Boston, MA OFFICIAL BEST OF FEST AWARDS, Seattle, WA Paranoia Horror and Sci-Fi Convention & Film Festival, Long Beach, CA Phangan Film Festival, Koh Phangan, THAILAND ReelHeART International Film Festival, Toronto, CANADA San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, San Luis Obispo, CA Santa Barbara Minute Film Festival, Santa Barbara, CA The Sexy International Paris Film Festival (SIPFF), Paris, FRANCE The Trailer Festival, Los Angeles, CA Underground Exposure, Minneapolis, MN West Chester International Short Film Festival, West Chester, PA The following information on festivals and contests has been garnered from emails sent to TheFilmSchool. Follow the links provided, but please do not contact the school if you have further questions. Page http://www.internationalscreenwritingawards.com/ http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/index.html. The prize is $30,000 and (all the respect in the world.) You can do the whole thing online. The best of the best A random festival list I had built at one time: American Film Institute Amnesty International Film Festival Ann Arbor Film Festival Atlanta Film and Video Festival Atlantic Film Festival Austin Film Festival Austin Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival Autrans Mountain Film Festival Berlin Film Festival Big Sky Film Festival Black Maria Film Festival Boston Film Festival Boston Jewish Film Festival Brisbane International Film Festival Cannes Film Festival Carolina Film and Video Festival Chicago International Film Festival Chicago Underground Film Festival Cork Film Festival Dallas Video Festival Dutch Film Festival Eerie Horror Film Festival Espoo Cine Film Festival Exground on Screen Festival Videoart de Locarno Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent Göteborg Film Festival Gijon International Film Festival For Young People H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival Hamptons International Film Festival Heartland Film Festival Helsinki Film Festival Houston International Worldfest Impakt Festival International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam International Film Festival Rotterdam Internationales Leipziger Festival Italian Film Festival Jerusalem Fim Festival Locarno International Film Festival London Film Festival Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Mill Valley Film Festival Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival Montreal World Film Festival Moving Pictures - The Travelling Canadian Film Festival Nantucket Film Festival New England Film NewPort Beach Film Festival Newport International Film Festival New York Film Festival New York Underground Film Festival Ourense Film Festival Pan-African Film & Television Festival of Ouagadougou Philadelphia Film Festival Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles Portland International Film Festival ResFest Digital Film Festival Rhode Island International Film Fest Riverside Film Festival San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco Jewish Film Festival San Sebastian Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival Sedona International Film Festival Slamdance International Film Festival Jewish Film Festivals Worldwide South Beach Film Festival of Miami Beach Stockholm Film Festival Sundance Film Festival SXSW Film Festival Sydney Film Festival Tampere International Short Film Festival Three Rivers Film Festival Toronto Film Festival Turin International Festival of Young Cinema Uppsala International Short Film Festival Vienna’s International Film Festival Virginia Film Festiva Vision Fest Wine Country Film Festival World Festival of Animated Films World Population Film/Video Festival Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival Leverage – it’s all about leverage. Who are you, why should I read your script? Leverage comes when you are a star, like Robert Redford. I am pretty much sure anyone will read his scripts. It also comes when you are friends to a star (“Judd Apatow called and said you have to read this script.”). For most of us, leverage has to be gained other ways. You win a festival. You have a good agent. You have a good entertainment attorney in LA. You directed a hot short. You wore hot shorts (never underestimate the power of the right clothing). Few are born with leverage – they went out and got it, so that means you can, too. Think big or don’t bother. Agents, Managers, and Lawyers – agents are hard to get but not impossible. Remember, they are looking for you. They want to find the next great writer. When you send a query to an agent, unless that agent has specifically requested a contact by e-mail or phone, the best approach is to contact that agent by regular mail. Almost universally, agents don’t want unsolicited manuscripts. So don’t send the full manuscript unless requested, a good way to make a first contact is to start with an initial query letter and 1-2 pages of amore detailed description about your project and yourself. Two of the best are “The Guide to Literary Agents” and “The Agents Directory.” Both of these books are published annually. Studios, Producers, and Indies Doing It Yourself – in the end, you are always doing it yourself. Don’t wait for money to come to you. You want your movie made, GO OUT AND GET IT MADE. If you commit to it, it will happen, or as Shakespeare said, “Be bold and mighty forces will follow.” Ondi Timoner’s We Live in Public showing in Seattle NOWThe terrific Ondi Timoner, the only filmmaker who has won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance TWICE, was kind enough to screen ‘We Live in Public’ (one of the Sundance winners) at the Summer session 2009. Ondi was the grand finale of the Speaker Series that session, and she even came to the graduation ceremony and reception after her Q and A with TheFilmSchool faculty member and leader of the Speaker Series, Warren Etheredge. If you haven’t had a chance to view ’We Live in Public,’ take a look at the list below of cities where it is currently screening. That and more details below from the We Live in Public headquarters! WE LIVE IN PUBLIC “Riveting… A compelling cautionary tale” New York Times Greetings from the bustling headquarters of WE LIVE IN PUBLIC! Lots of news to report, as usual. After incredible runs in New York, LA, Austin, Boston, San Fran and Chicago, we are bringing our 2009 Sundance Grand Jury Award-winning doc to both Seattle, Washington and all over the UK for theatrical runs beginning on Friday November 13th. We will be at the Varsity Theatre in Seattle. Details and ticket info HERE . Thank you Seattle for showing us a warm welcome with great advance press. The Stranger writes, “More than any of Harris’s individual internet art experiments, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC showcases the grand and sometimes psychotic ideas behind his controversial projects, and Timoner’s film is the work of art for which Josh Harris will be remembered. If you like good documentaries, go see it.” The Seattle Post Globe raves, “Timoner is one of our great documentarians because she devotes herself so completely to her subjects. She spent ten years filming Harris, and the most valuable footage comes from his early career, when he was a leading prophet(eer) of the World Wide Web.” We will also be on three Seattle-area radio stations this Sunday — KZOK 102.5FM at 6am, KJAQ 96.5FM at 7am and KPTK AM 1090 at 11am. Our London theatrical opening is at the Odeon Panton Street and the star of our film, Josh Harris, will be there in the flesh for Q+A sessions on Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th. For details, showtimes and ticket info, click HERE. We are opening in the following cities this week: We are fresh off of a great run at the Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival, where we had live Q+As, jammed houses and a really fun afterparty. Check out some pics HERE Become a fan of WE LIVE IN PUBLIC on Facebook. Find festival dates, a trailer, pics, news, press, boards and more on the ever-evolving WE LIVE IN PUBLIC movie site ! |
