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The Judges – Circalit Loglines (6) The Story Department In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department “First Draft Script Contest”. Our judges have reviewed the loglines and give you their considered feedback. It may help you craft a powerful logline. by The Judges Senor Jose The [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 The Judges – Circalit Loglines (6) The Story Department In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department “First Draft Script Contest”. Our judges have reviewed the loglines and give you their considered feedback. It may help you craft a powerful logline. by The Judges Senor Jose The [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 Mini-Review – Man On A Ledge The Story Department Man On A Ledge Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empsom Weathered, chiselled, stony, of pleasing proportions but getting trampled all over… No, I’m not talking about the ledge, I’m talking about Sam Worthington, playing Nick Cassidy, the man standing on it. We first meet Nick as [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 Mini-Review – Man On A Ledge The Story Department Man On A Ledge Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empsom Weathered, chiselled, stony, of pleasing proportions but getting trampled all over… No, I’m not talking about the ledge, I’m talking about Sam Worthington, playing Nick Cassidy, the man standing on it. We first meet Nick as [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 Best o/t web 5 Feb The Story Department Story & Structure :: How to Write Groundhog Day :: Screenplay To Screen: The Grey :: “A Bad Mystery is When Your Characters Keep Asking The Same Question” :: Story Details for Sci-Fi Sequel Riddick Script Perfection :: Screenwriting Tips: “INT. CHRISTMAS DAY — DAY” Q & [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 Best o/t web 5 Feb The Story Department Story & Structure :: How to Write Groundhog Day :: Screenplay To Screen: The Grey :: “A Bad Mystery is When Your Characters Keep Asking The Same Question” :: Story Details for Sci-Fi Sequel Riddick Script Perfection :: Screenwriting Tips: “INT. CHRISTMAS DAY — DAY” Q & [...]... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 5th 2012 SUNDANCE 2012: Critic's Notebook 2 GreenCine Daily by Steve Dollar Exploding gators, swamp water mojo and a lowly, wise six-year-old heroine named Hushpuppy seemed to be almost all that anyone really wanted to talk about at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Behn Zeitlin's audacious feature debut Beasts of the Southern Wild, shot on 16mm in a bayou neverland near New Orleans, felt like the cinematic arrival occasions such as Sundance exist to announce. Two weeks after watching it (in a sleep-deprived state, literally fresh off an airport shuttle bus) at its festival premiere, the film resonates with a beguiling mix of hardscrabble folk mythology and jaw-dropping, how-the-frick-did-they-shoot-that imagery, animated by vivid and remarkable performances from an amateur cast and a pint-sized star named QuvenzhanÃ© Wallis. It's too easy to fall into the rave/backlash/backlash-to-the-backlash cycle that often defines the Sundance experience. Suffice to say that the auteur bravado that evoked comparisons to Terrence Malick, Terry Gil... [ Read more ] Feb 5th 2012 Book Review: ‘Writing the TV Drama Series’ scriptwrecked -- help for aspiring screenwriters Writing For Television They say film is a director’s medium, and television is a writer’s medium. With quick turnaround times for episodes, high paying salaries, and creative control, I’d say that’s definitely true. And with more channels than ever thirsting for content of all types, there’s never been a better time to consider writing for T.V. If you’re looking for a place to start, I’d like to recommend a great book: Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV by Pamela Douglas The new third edition of her book, is a must-read for writers looking to break into (and excel at) television writing. It’s packed with incredibly valuable tips, tricks, insights and first-person accounts. Not only does it explain fundamental concepts, like “How shows get on TV and the TV season,” it also goes in depth on such topics as: How a classic script is crafted Writing your own episode or pilot Wor... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 The Scriptshadow Super Bowl Tweet Party! ScriptShadow Come one, come all, and join me tomorrow for the Scriptshadow Super Bowl Tweet Party. In it, I will be tweeting thoughtless but illuminating observations about the game and commercials. But here's the best part. During my unquestionably insightful but meaningless rants, I will extract TEN - count'em - TEN screenwriting lessons gleamed from the Super Bowl. Impossible you say? Pft. I can find a screenwriting tip in a garbage can (right next to a few of the scripts I reviewed last month). So join me for this screenwriting super bowl bonanza. I promise to mildly entertain you!... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 CrowdFunding 101, ‘The Urn’ Chris Jones Blog ‘The Urn’ is a short film being made by a team of film makers who met at the Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass last year, headed up by actress, and now producer, Francesca De Luca… Their IndieGoGo campaign ends in the next few days and I asked her to share what she has learned on her crowdfudning journey… Here are a few of her points which she sent me in between pushing her movie… 1. Research before you jump in! Indiegogo have a wealth of information on their website. Ask people who have done it before for their advice. Learn from others successes and most importantly their mistakes. I also asked Graham Inman to help us with the campaign as I knew he had the experience of working on a few and knew how it worked. Graham has proved an invaluable asset. (Podcast about IndieGoGo here) 2. Don’t be shy! Get out there, network and chat to fellow filmmakers online with twitter and Facebook as well as at real world film events.You never know how you can help each other. I met f... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Daily Dialogue theme for next week? Go Into The Story We had an interesting week of Daily Dialogues exploring the theme of break-ups [suggested by Teddy Pasternak]. In fact, we got a ton of suggestions, some of which failed to make the final cut due not to their quality, but the limit of seven posts in seven days. Here are the other suggestions [I think I got them all]: 9 1/2 Weeks – Robert Grant Almost Famous – Teddy Pasternak American Psycho – Chris Schipper Boogie Nights – The Bark Bites Back Brick – adem Closer – Chris H Jerry Maguire – Matt Himes, Jeff Kirschner Lady and the Tramp – veeeeee The Philadelphia Story – Phil War of the Roses – Judith Graves The Social Network – Teddy Pasternak Strangers With Candy – Doug Then David with several worthy ones: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Annie Hall. In honor of all your great suggestions, we have to provide this bonus, perhaps the greatest cinematic break-up of all time: Such a... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Loved by Rejected! John Oak Dalton I returned to Rejected by Covered in 2012 with my first contemporary cover, done when I was struck with "inspiration," so to speak, by the loan of this run by my old comic book pal Doug. Check out the site for actual talented people.... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 Is Josh Schwartz this generation’s John Hughes? Go Into The Story From the NYT earlier this week: SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Josh Schwartz tried his best to appear calm and composed, but the look in his eyes betrayed him. He had never directed anything before — not a short, not an episode of television — yet there he was, making a movie for Paramount Pictures on location in this tony Cleveland suburb. It was going, well, not great. Summer rain had delayed production. So instead of shooting four pages of the script over the next few hours, Mr. Schwartz, a TV writer and producer (“Gossip Girl,” “The O.C.”), had to burn through seven. There were missing extras, and one of his stars, Chelsea Handler, was being a bit of a handful. “Maybe I can have a nervous breakdown and complete the scene for your article,” Mr. Schwartz said to a reporter, displaying his dry, self-deprecating humor. He cracked his neck, bending his head toward each shoulder. Everything turned out fine, and the film, “Fun Size,” about a smart but disturbed teenager who... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Super Bowl XLVI Alternative Programming: Notes to score a Hottie Our Man in Los Angeles ps. My co-worker's friend wrote this to prep for the weekend. I'm amused.... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 LOTR violin medley Go Into The Story From FlavorWire: Epic nerd and talented musician Lindsey Stirling has just released a follow up to her popular Legends of Zelda medley with an even more impressive video featuring a medley of the music of Lord of the Rings. The video is actually shot in New Zealand, and the cinematography is pretty fantastic, as sweeping and magical as the music (and the elves and stuff). Apparently, she even used a helicopter, which is pretty advanced for a nerdy fan-video dedicated to a film adaptation of a cult fantasy novel. Stirling’s skills, however, are undeniable, and the goofy grin that’s plastered on her face the whole time kind of makes us love her forever. And here it is: Here is the “Legends of Zelda” medley: These go out to my two sons who both love LOTR, Zelda, and music!... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Wrapped on tamales (Taken with instagram) Distractions Wrapped on tamales (Taken with instagram)... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 Avid Studio v iMovie on the iPad… And the winner is? Chris Jones Blog Last week, film editing heavyweight Avid released their iPad app, Avid Stuio, taking on Apples own iMovie app head on. I used iMovie last year for a family wedding video where i shot on my iPhone, edited on iPad and premiered for the family during the wedding dinner, blog post here. It was a real hit too, as being able to present a fully edited wedding video just a couple of hours after the event was kind of like magic. Editing with iMovie was possible, but in my view, absurdly limited, feeling a little bit hobbled from the get go. In stark contrast, within five minutes of using Avid Studio, I was a little bit in love. In my opinion, Avid Studio wipes the floor with the woefully limited iMovie app. Almost every single thing iMovie does, avid studio does better. And loads more too. If you have ever edited professionally, You won’t need to read any manual as its so intuitive to use. The look, feel and operation owes a great deal to the Avid heritage too, though let’s be c... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Review: THE WOMAN IN BLACK ReelViews New Reviews Deliciously creepy, old-fashioned haunted house ghost story.... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 Update: “Awake” Go Into The Story File this under “Blatant Pimping”: NBC has announced the premiere date for midseason entry Awake. The dual reality drama starring Jason Isaacs will launch on Thursday, March 1 at 10 p.m., taking over for struggling series The Firm, it was announced Friday by Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment. Be forewarned. I will be promoting “Awake” over the next month as it’s one of a handful of network pilots I’ve read in the few years that I really liked. In fact I’ve been following the progress of the series since Killen sold the pilot script [originally titled "REM"], then picked up for series. Thursdays at 10PM on NBC starting March 1. A tough time slot, so the series has a challenge on its hands. If you’re looking for entertaining TV with a smart premise and compelling characters, you should give “Awake” a shot. For more of the Hollywood Reporter article, go here.... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Here Comes My Old Lady Rant Pamie I bought the worst tea the other day!That’s really all you have to read, but I’m going to elaborate.I have been out of tea for a while because I don’t drink it.That’s not exactly true. There are three hundred packets of stale Lipton tea in my pantry right now because I buy a new box for my mother every time she comes to visit, but nobody I’ve ever met other than my mother drinks Lipton tea. This spans more than one continent, because when my mother was in Paris she told every waiter we had that they didn’t have “the good tea.”I occasionally have some chamomile on hand for days when my stomach’s a little upset or I feel like I’m catching a cold. Green tea can go fuck itself. Why do people drink this tea that tastes like metal shavings? I do not get it.But I understand that sometimes I should drink things that aren’t coffee or wine. I want to be able to do this, I just haven’t found anything else as satisfying. I... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 Saturday Hot Links Go Into The Story It’s time again for another installment of Saturday Hot Links! Today: The Gag Reel Edition. We begin with the blooper reel from the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Deadline with a helpful overview of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival: The Highs, the Lows, the Polarizing Films. Also from Sundance: 10 producers to keep watching. On the tote board: “Beasts of the Southern Wild’ and ‘The House I Live In’ Top Sundance Film Festival Winners. And who bought what Sundance films here. Life after Sundance: Marketing and distribution for the 99%. Ted Leonsis: Why Sundance tells us digital distribution is the future. Now we move onto the next movie festival: SXSW which announced its lineup. One more on the awards list: Complete rundown of SAG winners and nominees. One author’s take on Amazon Selects. Want to watch the first 7 minutes of Drive online free and legal? You can here at ComingSoon. Brad Pitt reveals to Jon Stewart how to win Best Actor Oscar [video]. Spe... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012 To Drive or not to Drive Write, write, write This isn't a review. But sometimes, when I watch a movie that has been as tremendously hyped and lauded as Drive - and end up not being half as thrilled - it gets me wondering. "Screenwriter me" and "audience me" want to understand why it didn't click for us.Yeah, I'm wondering, too.The film is everything the reviewers proclaim it to be, it's exceedingly stylish, it's all around beautifully shot with those intense 80s colors. Ryan Gosling gives a wonderfully brooding performance - he doesn't need words, he's got Steve McQueen charisma to spare. So the plot is pretty standard crime-gone-wrong fare with a few mafia dudes and people that need to be "taken care of" - I don't mind. So this expert driver doesn't actually make much use of his one super-great expertise and instead of a car he relies on foot, hammer, shotgun, metal rod and some such to solve problems - I can still live with that.And I generally appreciate films where I can bathe in the filmmakers obvious passion... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 [no title] Complications Ensue: The Crafty TV and Screenwriting Blog Q. You were saying that any "agent" that is not WGA signatory can't help you and that they may hurt you.Can you tell me how is it that they can hurt you?First of all, an agent who isn't signatory with the Guild is likely an agent no one in showbiz has ever heard of. That means producers are likely to be uninterested in reading material from them.Second, the WGA has a slew of rules about what agents can and can't do, like charge for coverage. (The State of California has other rules about what agents can and can't do, like produce.) If this non-WGA agent isn't willing to sign with the Guild, then I have to wonder: exactly what is it they want to do to you that the Guild agreement wouldn't let them do?... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 Killer idea for a story pitch speed dating meet Vicious Imagery Via Alistair Rutherford.... [ Read more ] Feb 4th 2012 Written Interview: David Mamet Go Into The Story Today’s interview subject is playwright-screenwriter-director David Mamet. His film credits include The Verdict, The Untouchables, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Spanish Prisoner, Wag the Dog, State and Main, andSpartan. Here are some excerpts: What’s your writing regimen? I think I’m going to just start writing and keep writing until they throw me in jail. Other than that, I set aside all day every day for writing and break it up with going home to see my family or having lunch or getting a haircut. I hate to do that stuff. Is writing a screenplay or stage play easier? It would seem that you could do almost anything on film, but that’s part of the wonderful fascination of filmmaking. You say, well, okay, you can do anything you want. Now, what are you going to do? So that’s the wonderful challenge of film. Theoretically, I can do anything I want, limited only by my ability to express it in terms of the shot list. So that’s a fascinating challenge. So I don’t find it an... [ Read more ] Written by on Feb 4th 2012
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