There was a farmer who lived with his wife in an isolated part of the country, neatly hidden away from the nearest town. On his land, the farmer decided he wanted to dig a hole. He’d always wanted to attempt such a task; he felt it was important to the whole fabric of his being.
In addition, the farmer figured that digging this hole would gain him the reputation he craved from the town that, up until now, didn’t really know of his existence. So he started digging. And really went for it. Soon into the dig, he’d reached ten feet, well past the target he had imposed before he started.
The farmer was on a roll. He was in the zone. He dug deeper and further, discovering not only a neat technique to his digging but also learning a great deal about himself in the process. He remained focused on his task, determined to reach the depth required that would win him the claim and attention he sought from the town but more importantly, proving to himself that he could do the job.
Despite his hard work, the digging soon hit a rocky patch which stopped him from going any further. He had struck a boulder and so he took a break to reinvigorate the energy and effort it was going to take to get around the rock. He treated himself to a trip into town, a diverting excursion with the wife to recharge his batteries.
However, in town, he noticed a commotion and followed the hubbub to where a minor hole had been dug by a local resident. It was only eight feet deep but the local digger stood proudly over his hole like it was the hardest work he’d ever done. The public were in awe of his achievement and the local digger smiled for the appreciative cameras.
The farmer was dumbstruck. This hole was nothing. He had dug two, three times as deep, and with a better technique. But everyone’s attention was on the local digger. The press and publicity from the short hole earned the local digger the reputation as being the best in the area.
The farmer was flabbergasted but unbeaten. He returned to his farm and resumed his dig around the boulder that was etched deep in his ground. His wife asked him: “what are you going to do?” And the farmer replied: “Keep digging. Keep digging away. Because that’s what I do best…”
Selasa, 31 Januari 2006
Minggu, 29 Januari 2006
Q&A: Nick Ostler
Nick Ostler and co-writer Mark Huckerby are emerging stars on the UK screenwritng scene. Their animation series - The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers - has recently started its 78 x 7" run on CiTV and they have various exciting projects in development which include the 25 Words Or Less sci-fi winner Population (currently on Working Title's slate) and an adaptation of the classic German cautionary tales, Shockheaded Peter. Here, Nick takes some time out from his busy schedule as I pester him with a little Q&A...
Did you always want to be a writer, and in particular a screenwriter?
I always enjoyed writing stories, but my first "proper" stuff was writing comedy plays and shows at school and university. From there it was a brief spell writing for radio and then a pretty quick move into TV which seemed to have more jobs going and better rates (!).
I don't know when it first occured to me that writing was actually something you could do full time for a living - it still seemed a bit of a pipe dream when I graduated, in those depressing days when you realise the party is over and you have to "do something". It was probably when producers started saying to us that we could get more work if we were writing full time, then it became a real option.
It's still taken several years to establish anything resembling a reliable income though. Why screenwriting in particular? I guess my main influences growing up were TV comedy and film, so that's what I wanted to emulate. If I'm honest, there's also a practical consideration. I know a very talented novelist who has had three really good books published, but there's no money in it unless they are bestsellers. Screenwriting for a living is still hard, but not impossible.
How did you find the transition from wannabe to professional?
I'm not really sure when I became a "professional", but if it was the first cheque paid for something I'd written then I guess that happened when we still had day-jobs. Comically small amounts of course, but I can still remember the surge of adrenaline I felt when that envelope arrived.
Taking the plunge was actually quite easy for me at the time - even though I had zero guaranteed paid work to speak of to go to I knew that I was going to leave my day job (working in a bookshop) because I couldn't stand it any longer. I guess I thought why not try writing full time for a few months and if it doesn't work then at least I'd had a go. It was a much harder decision for my writing partner Mark Huckerby, as he was in a pretty well paid advertising job and was giving up financial security (although he hated his job too, so in that sense it was easy!).
It took about nine months of really scraping around for work, doing sketches for the odd radio show and some of the new digital channels (anyone remember UK Play?) before we got anything like a proper contract which we could see would pay the rent for the next few months.
What would you consider to be your first big break (and how did you celebrate?)?
That first longer term job was a break I suppose - it was writing seven minute episodes for an animated series being produced in Germany. I think they had the impression we were more experienced than we were because the script fees weren't bad.
Either that or they were fiscally inept which might explain why the company went under and the show never got made! Another lesson learned early on... BUT that gave us some short term stability which allowed us to find our feet and make more contacts. Aim number one was "make a living writing" - it didn't matter what at the time. We got that job on a recommendation from someone else we'd done a small job for.
Our attitude was always to do the best job we could even if it was for bugger all money and very low profile, because the way to earn a living was to get repeat clients (like prostitutes I imagine) and get your name passed around as reliable and competent (ditto). It was that gradual building up of contacts and jobs that gave us a bedrock to build on, not one big break really.
However, in terms of feature writing, which we built up to gradually after a years of smaller scale narrative writing, we did have what you might call a big-ish break, which was winning the sci-fi category of the UK Film Council's 25 Words or Less scheme. That resulted in our first completed feature script which was sold to Working Title - that was a huge surprise and delight and has opened more doors and opportunities for us which we are currently trying to capitalise on!
In a less showbiz way, and this may sound cheesy, but it feels like a big break every time you get an idea which you know has something to it, or every time Mark and I successfully "break" a story we've been working on for weeks. Those are the everyday breaks. I'm a firm believer in the adage "every overnight success comes after one hell of a long night" (or something like that).
How do you work with your co-writer?
When we started out we lived together, so it would be literally - meet in living room, make tea, discussion, retire to computer, take it in turns pacing room - the classic writing partnership image. And there's still a lot of that now, but mainly when we're in the outlining and polishing stages.
We're both married now (not to each other) and live in different counties (our wives hate each other) (not really), which is admittedly pretty stupid and will hopefully change sometime soon, but for now we make it work by frequent meetings at each other's house or in London and constant phone calls and emails. And ESP. When we have a finished outline we literally divvy it up and take alternate "chapters" to write into a first draft.
And at the end of the day we swap pages, read, note, move on until we have a finished draft. Then a bigger reappraisal, outline what needs rewriting, share out the scenes and repeat as above! That's still a fairly new system and who knows, maybe we'll find it isn't sustainable long term, but it does mean you can get a first draft done pretty fast - although, as we all know, the story breaking and outlining takes longer, is harder and less fun than the actual writing.
Writing partnerships are great in lots of ways - creatively it helps with self-discipline as it's a bit like having a boss who wants to see your work (although you don't hate them for it which is a nice change), a sounding board for ideas, instant feedback etc - it's all invaluable. But you have to be very compatible I think - same outlook, likes, dislikes, style, attitude, able to be completely honest with each other without ego-fits.
I don't buy that fiery-tempered partnerships are better creatively - I don't think they last. And professionally I think there's something intangible but very potent about the "writing partnership" myth which excites producers - it gives you more power in meetings somehow. More confidence. And there's this weird sense of "mystery" about what the two of you "do" when you're alone, which you can exploit shamelessly!
How do you get an agent?
The agents we've had have all been through direct introduction-recommendations by producers or development execs. We started getting paid work (in a small way) before we got an agent. I don't know how you'd get one otherwise - I can't imagine cold calling agents with scripts. They want to know you can make them money. They only know that if you've already made some money.
If I didn't have an agent and had never sold a script, I wouldn't be spending time hassling agents, I'd hassle producers, 'cos if what you've written is really good then someone will buy it and then getting an agent will happen easily. Agents, as we found out pretty fast, don't get you the work.
You have to develop your own network of satisfied customers and contacts and I think that's exactly the way it should be, but of course you would hope that your agent would be able to give you good advice, flag up opportunities, have access to people who can buy your stuff and deal with all the contracts and fee collection without constant chasing up by you (don't count on it, repeat after me "no-one cares as much about getting your money as you... no-one cares as much...).
We had very definite ideas about what we wanted when we were seeking out our current agent - someone well known in the industry who could get stuff read by the top people, who knew the movie industry, who could advise us on how to move our careers up to the next level - we did a lot of research, met several and sought out the one who we felt most comfortable with both personally and professionally. It's important, but I always think that a lot of writers agonise and obsess about agents way too much - yes you've got to have one but the quality of your writing is the really important thing!
As a working screenwriter, what has surprised you most (or what has been an invaluable lesson that you’ve learnt) about the practicalities of screenwriting?
The perceived (or maybe real, not sure yet!) lack of professionalism of UK screenwriters. We've had so many meetings where we quickly figured out that all the producers were trying to ascertain was that we "didn't mind rewriting" - that was the only reassurance that they wanted!
To us a writer who doesn't like rewriting is like a lifeguard who doesn't like getting wet. It's in the job description! Invaluable lessons? Always have more than one thing going on at a time. If you don't have about five projects all "alive" at some stage of development then it's hard to make a living. Choose who you work with carefully.
Best advice we had recently was from Bill Nicholson (Gladiator) - Be confident! You are the writer, you are being hired for your expertise. Your confidence will inspire confidence in you by the people hiring you. And don't be afraid to walk away from a job if you don't think what you are being asked to do will make it better - they'll respect you more for it and probably beg you to come back once they've realised you were right!
What advice would you give to new screenwriters?
Decide - do you really want to do this for a living or not? If you do, then do it, no half measures - don't be too proud to accept any job you can get, but get writing full time, because there's no better way to get better at it! Use paid jobs to improve your writing.
If you want to write movies, great, but you don't have to jump straight into the monster that is the two hour story - try seven minutes, then fifteen, then half an hour - work up to it. And those are all format lengths which you can get paid to write (radio, TV animation, short films).
Imagine you are training for the Olympics - it's four years away, but you've got to work like hell every day to get better and what you do - and then when the real opportunity comes, you'll be ready (as long as you don't pull a hamstring). The pressure of having to earn a living through writing (and nothing else) will be all the motivation you need to get those pages done!
Watch movies - watch them all the time (except when you should be writing!). Read scripts, again lots, but not when you're supposed to be doing your own. Don't wait for the "muse". It's a bullshit excuse. You're the muse.
And sorry, there's no such thing as writer's block. What the hell is that supposed to be anyway? Thank god surgeons don't get "surgeon's block" in the middle of your operation. "Pilot's block". Ouch. Imagine you are Vincent in Collateral - chase your procrastination onto a train, point a gun at it and scream "I DO THIS FOR A LIVING!". Only don't get killed like he does. Sorry, that was a spoiler. You should have seen it by now anyway.
Anyway, sorry, I got all American there for a while. Actually, no that's a good piece of advice. Get more American. Be professional, ambitious, driven, learn how to be "good in the room". And stop reading this and get to work. There.
How difficult was getting the pitch for Population past the 25 Words or Less panel?
I don't know because we didn't get to read the other entries! But... I think what that scheme is looking for is high concept, simple, ambitious ideas, along with that professional attitude - yes I want to work with a script editor, yes I love to rewrite. It's trying to do something quite "un-British" in that sense, which I think is brilliant.
Obviously we're biased, but I think it's an excellent way to get writers thinking commercially (as they should be) and it gives you "permission", if you need it, to write a pitch for a movie and have it seriously considered. We had a kernel of an idea for a sci-fi and it took a week to flesh that out to a one page outline and script the opening ten pages (which are the easiest pages of any script anyway) - so it's not a big outlay of time for what can be a great reward. BTW I don't buy into the idea that "commercial" and "art" are mutually exclusive. My favourite films are all brilliantly written and directed AND popular.
Where will you be in five years’ time?
Hopefully sitting at the back of a cinema somewhere watching the opening credits of something we wrote. Or leading the last remnants of Mankind in one final desperate assault on the barbaric Zaxavian hoards. I'm not sure which is more likely.
And finally, you’re a cyborg with the wit of James Bond, the body of Brad Pitt and the intellect of Einstein sent on a mission to save a planet full of virgins from a deadly asteroid. The question is: what do you set the video for while you’re away?
The Shield. Deadwood. Curb Your Enthusiam. That movie which I missed four years ago which is on Channel 4 at five past midnight on Tuesday. Bill Oddie's Springwatch (seriously). Um... anything with monkeys in, they're always good value aren't they?
----------------
Thanks Nick!
Did you always want to be a writer, and in particular a screenwriter?
I always enjoyed writing stories, but my first "proper" stuff was writing comedy plays and shows at school and university. From there it was a brief spell writing for radio and then a pretty quick move into TV which seemed to have more jobs going and better rates (!).
I don't know when it first occured to me that writing was actually something you could do full time for a living - it still seemed a bit of a pipe dream when I graduated, in those depressing days when you realise the party is over and you have to "do something". It was probably when producers started saying to us that we could get more work if we were writing full time, then it became a real option.
It's still taken several years to establish anything resembling a reliable income though. Why screenwriting in particular? I guess my main influences growing up were TV comedy and film, so that's what I wanted to emulate. If I'm honest, there's also a practical consideration. I know a very talented novelist who has had three really good books published, but there's no money in it unless they are bestsellers. Screenwriting for a living is still hard, but not impossible.
How did you find the transition from wannabe to professional?
I'm not really sure when I became a "professional", but if it was the first cheque paid for something I'd written then I guess that happened when we still had day-jobs. Comically small amounts of course, but I can still remember the surge of adrenaline I felt when that envelope arrived.
Taking the plunge was actually quite easy for me at the time - even though I had zero guaranteed paid work to speak of to go to I knew that I was going to leave my day job (working in a bookshop) because I couldn't stand it any longer. I guess I thought why not try writing full time for a few months and if it doesn't work then at least I'd had a go. It was a much harder decision for my writing partner Mark Huckerby, as he was in a pretty well paid advertising job and was giving up financial security (although he hated his job too, so in that sense it was easy!).
It took about nine months of really scraping around for work, doing sketches for the odd radio show and some of the new digital channels (anyone remember UK Play?) before we got anything like a proper contract which we could see would pay the rent for the next few months.
What would you consider to be your first big break (and how did you celebrate?)?
That first longer term job was a break I suppose - it was writing seven minute episodes for an animated series being produced in Germany. I think they had the impression we were more experienced than we were because the script fees weren't bad.
Either that or they were fiscally inept which might explain why the company went under and the show never got made! Another lesson learned early on... BUT that gave us some short term stability which allowed us to find our feet and make more contacts. Aim number one was "make a living writing" - it didn't matter what at the time. We got that job on a recommendation from someone else we'd done a small job for.
Our attitude was always to do the best job we could even if it was for bugger all money and very low profile, because the way to earn a living was to get repeat clients (like prostitutes I imagine) and get your name passed around as reliable and competent (ditto). It was that gradual building up of contacts and jobs that gave us a bedrock to build on, not one big break really.
However, in terms of feature writing, which we built up to gradually after a years of smaller scale narrative writing, we did have what you might call a big-ish break, which was winning the sci-fi category of the UK Film Council's 25 Words or Less scheme. That resulted in our first completed feature script which was sold to Working Title - that was a huge surprise and delight and has opened more doors and opportunities for us which we are currently trying to capitalise on!
In a less showbiz way, and this may sound cheesy, but it feels like a big break every time you get an idea which you know has something to it, or every time Mark and I successfully "break" a story we've been working on for weeks. Those are the everyday breaks. I'm a firm believer in the adage "every overnight success comes after one hell of a long night" (or something like that).
How do you work with your co-writer?
When we started out we lived together, so it would be literally - meet in living room, make tea, discussion, retire to computer, take it in turns pacing room - the classic writing partnership image. And there's still a lot of that now, but mainly when we're in the outlining and polishing stages.
We're both married now (not to each other) and live in different counties (our wives hate each other) (not really), which is admittedly pretty stupid and will hopefully change sometime soon, but for now we make it work by frequent meetings at each other's house or in London and constant phone calls and emails. And ESP. When we have a finished outline we literally divvy it up and take alternate "chapters" to write into a first draft.
And at the end of the day we swap pages, read, note, move on until we have a finished draft. Then a bigger reappraisal, outline what needs rewriting, share out the scenes and repeat as above! That's still a fairly new system and who knows, maybe we'll find it isn't sustainable long term, but it does mean you can get a first draft done pretty fast - although, as we all know, the story breaking and outlining takes longer, is harder and less fun than the actual writing.
Writing partnerships are great in lots of ways - creatively it helps with self-discipline as it's a bit like having a boss who wants to see your work (although you don't hate them for it which is a nice change), a sounding board for ideas, instant feedback etc - it's all invaluable. But you have to be very compatible I think - same outlook, likes, dislikes, style, attitude, able to be completely honest with each other without ego-fits.
I don't buy that fiery-tempered partnerships are better creatively - I don't think they last. And professionally I think there's something intangible but very potent about the "writing partnership" myth which excites producers - it gives you more power in meetings somehow. More confidence. And there's this weird sense of "mystery" about what the two of you "do" when you're alone, which you can exploit shamelessly!
How do you get an agent?
The agents we've had have all been through direct introduction-recommendations by producers or development execs. We started getting paid work (in a small way) before we got an agent. I don't know how you'd get one otherwise - I can't imagine cold calling agents with scripts. They want to know you can make them money. They only know that if you've already made some money.
If I didn't have an agent and had never sold a script, I wouldn't be spending time hassling agents, I'd hassle producers, 'cos if what you've written is really good then someone will buy it and then getting an agent will happen easily. Agents, as we found out pretty fast, don't get you the work.
You have to develop your own network of satisfied customers and contacts and I think that's exactly the way it should be, but of course you would hope that your agent would be able to give you good advice, flag up opportunities, have access to people who can buy your stuff and deal with all the contracts and fee collection without constant chasing up by you (don't count on it, repeat after me "no-one cares as much about getting your money as you... no-one cares as much...).
We had very definite ideas about what we wanted when we were seeking out our current agent - someone well known in the industry who could get stuff read by the top people, who knew the movie industry, who could advise us on how to move our careers up to the next level - we did a lot of research, met several and sought out the one who we felt most comfortable with both personally and professionally. It's important, but I always think that a lot of writers agonise and obsess about agents way too much - yes you've got to have one but the quality of your writing is the really important thing!
As a working screenwriter, what has surprised you most (or what has been an invaluable lesson that you’ve learnt) about the practicalities of screenwriting?
The perceived (or maybe real, not sure yet!) lack of professionalism of UK screenwriters. We've had so many meetings where we quickly figured out that all the producers were trying to ascertain was that we "didn't mind rewriting" - that was the only reassurance that they wanted!
To us a writer who doesn't like rewriting is like a lifeguard who doesn't like getting wet. It's in the job description! Invaluable lessons? Always have more than one thing going on at a time. If you don't have about five projects all "alive" at some stage of development then it's hard to make a living. Choose who you work with carefully.
Best advice we had recently was from Bill Nicholson (Gladiator) - Be confident! You are the writer, you are being hired for your expertise. Your confidence will inspire confidence in you by the people hiring you. And don't be afraid to walk away from a job if you don't think what you are being asked to do will make it better - they'll respect you more for it and probably beg you to come back once they've realised you were right!
What advice would you give to new screenwriters?
Decide - do you really want to do this for a living or not? If you do, then do it, no half measures - don't be too proud to accept any job you can get, but get writing full time, because there's no better way to get better at it! Use paid jobs to improve your writing.
If you want to write movies, great, but you don't have to jump straight into the monster that is the two hour story - try seven minutes, then fifteen, then half an hour - work up to it. And those are all format lengths which you can get paid to write (radio, TV animation, short films).
Imagine you are training for the Olympics - it's four years away, but you've got to work like hell every day to get better and what you do - and then when the real opportunity comes, you'll be ready (as long as you don't pull a hamstring). The pressure of having to earn a living through writing (and nothing else) will be all the motivation you need to get those pages done!
Watch movies - watch them all the time (except when you should be writing!). Read scripts, again lots, but not when you're supposed to be doing your own. Don't wait for the "muse". It's a bullshit excuse. You're the muse.
And sorry, there's no such thing as writer's block. What the hell is that supposed to be anyway? Thank god surgeons don't get "surgeon's block" in the middle of your operation. "Pilot's block". Ouch. Imagine you are Vincent in Collateral - chase your procrastination onto a train, point a gun at it and scream "I DO THIS FOR A LIVING!". Only don't get killed like he does. Sorry, that was a spoiler. You should have seen it by now anyway.
Anyway, sorry, I got all American there for a while. Actually, no that's a good piece of advice. Get more American. Be professional, ambitious, driven, learn how to be "good in the room". And stop reading this and get to work. There.
How difficult was getting the pitch for Population past the 25 Words or Less panel?
I don't know because we didn't get to read the other entries! But... I think what that scheme is looking for is high concept, simple, ambitious ideas, along with that professional attitude - yes I want to work with a script editor, yes I love to rewrite. It's trying to do something quite "un-British" in that sense, which I think is brilliant.
Obviously we're biased, but I think it's an excellent way to get writers thinking commercially (as they should be) and it gives you "permission", if you need it, to write a pitch for a movie and have it seriously considered. We had a kernel of an idea for a sci-fi and it took a week to flesh that out to a one page outline and script the opening ten pages (which are the easiest pages of any script anyway) - so it's not a big outlay of time for what can be a great reward. BTW I don't buy into the idea that "commercial" and "art" are mutually exclusive. My favourite films are all brilliantly written and directed AND popular.
Where will you be in five years’ time?
Hopefully sitting at the back of a cinema somewhere watching the opening credits of something we wrote. Or leading the last remnants of Mankind in one final desperate assault on the barbaric Zaxavian hoards. I'm not sure which is more likely.
And finally, you’re a cyborg with the wit of James Bond, the body of Brad Pitt and the intellect of Einstein sent on a mission to save a planet full of virgins from a deadly asteroid. The question is: what do you set the video for while you’re away?
The Shield. Deadwood. Curb Your Enthusiam. That movie which I missed four years ago which is on Channel 4 at five past midnight on Tuesday. Bill Oddie's Springwatch (seriously). Um... anything with monkeys in, they're always good value aren't they?
----------------
Thanks Nick!
Sabtu, 28 Januari 2006
New blogger
Ladeeeze ang genn'elman....
A new UK script blogger has emerged.
I know, I know, contain your excitement. Steady now. Are you ready...?
It's only fellow reader, writer and all round diamond geezer... the one, the only... Matt. J. Wilkinson everybody, come on and give him a great big hand.
Check out his ramblings at Badly Written Boy.
He's new to the blogging rigmarole so may need a nudge or two to share more of his thoughts but do take a visit, say 'hello' and tell him Danny sent ya.
I thang yew.
A new UK script blogger has emerged.
I know, I know, contain your excitement. Steady now. Are you ready...?
It's only fellow reader, writer and all round diamond geezer... the one, the only... Matt. J. Wilkinson everybody, come on and give him a great big hand.
Check out his ramblings at Badly Written Boy.
He's new to the blogging rigmarole so may need a nudge or two to share more of his thoughts but do take a visit, say 'hello' and tell him Danny sent ya.
I thang yew.
Jumat, 27 Januari 2006
Kaos Theory
"Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit".
“One flap of a butterfly’s wings could change the course of weather forever."
In a screenwriter’s life, something small, indistinct or seemingly superfluous could ignite a creative chain of events that will lead him to his screenwriting destiny. A fleeting idea could develop into something more solid and fully formed, and who knows, make a six figure sale over the weekend. Ah, the magic of screenwriting.
But for those grounded in a more practical reality, especially here in the UK, it’s probably advisable to cultivate those small ideas into something that might actually get made. The dream of making the first feature will always remain alive, and rightly so, but there’s always the potential and opportunity to go out there and make your first short, the basic stepping stone to a promising career.
And you know, there are those in the industry who want to help you. If you have no luck with the Film Council’s regional short film schemes, then why not try Kaos Films’ short film competition. It’s been running successfully for a few years and is now grandly called ‘The British Short Screenplay Competition (BSSC)’.
“The BSSC is the only competitive and international short screenplay competition that undertakes to produce the winning screenplay and is able to boast an unrivalled line-up of judges.”
This year, the judges are: Kenneth Branagh, Michael Kuhn, Sir Alan Parker, Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley. Industry luminaries indeed.
There’s an early deadline (14th April for £25) and a final deadline (26th May for £35) so if you’ve got a short that you think has got what it takes, then dust it off, polish it up and send it on (no longer than 15 mins). If you haven’t got a short, then what are you waiting for? It’s a good competition with a great prize and genuinely tough opposition. Go on, flap those wings.
“One flap of a butterfly’s wings could change the course of weather forever."
In a screenwriter’s life, something small, indistinct or seemingly superfluous could ignite a creative chain of events that will lead him to his screenwriting destiny. A fleeting idea could develop into something more solid and fully formed, and who knows, make a six figure sale over the weekend. Ah, the magic of screenwriting.
But for those grounded in a more practical reality, especially here in the UK, it’s probably advisable to cultivate those small ideas into something that might actually get made. The dream of making the first feature will always remain alive, and rightly so, but there’s always the potential and opportunity to go out there and make your first short, the basic stepping stone to a promising career.
And you know, there are those in the industry who want to help you. If you have no luck with the Film Council’s regional short film schemes, then why not try Kaos Films’ short film competition. It’s been running successfully for a few years and is now grandly called ‘The British Short Screenplay Competition (BSSC)’.
“The BSSC is the only competitive and international short screenplay competition that undertakes to produce the winning screenplay and is able to boast an unrivalled line-up of judges.”
This year, the judges are: Kenneth Branagh, Michael Kuhn, Sir Alan Parker, Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley. Industry luminaries indeed.
There’s an early deadline (14th April for £25) and a final deadline (26th May for £35) so if you’ve got a short that you think has got what it takes, then dust it off, polish it up and send it on (no longer than 15 mins). If you haven’t got a short, then what are you waiting for? It’s a good competition with a great prize and genuinely tough opposition. Go on, flap those wings.
Kamis, 26 Januari 2006
Pages Per Day
The problem with New Year resolutions is that although they are genuine attempts to make our lives positive and affirming, they fall by the wayside because there’s a lack of will and hard work to put the promises into place.
Give up smoking. Lose weight. More time at the gym. Drink less. Eat healthy: the common ambitions of the New Year reveller.
The wave of euphoria and enthusiasm will see people put in the effort for the first few weeks or even first couple of months but most will revert to their normal habits because of the particular demands that their lives create (“I don’t have time anymore”, “I’ll just have a fag at the pub”, “I’ve got two kids, why do I need to go to the gym?”).
For all New Year resolutions to work, they have to become an integral part of the daily routine, an essential element of your emotional and physical lifestyle. It’s coming up to the end of January already so I wonder how many New Year resolutions have been broken or just haven’t clicked?
Most screenwriters will probably have promised themselves that they will write something every day, perhaps a minimum of 5 pages per day. With this routine in place, you could have a first draft of a new script every month.
Sounds good. But there’s a problem. Writers have an automatic filter between their brain and their typing fingertips which forbids them from expressing any old rubbish. The new ‘five pages per day’ rule may suffer immediately because the writer is unwilling to release the incomplete or half-baked ideas in their head.
To paraphrase Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos: “I got that book ‘Write a Movie in 21 Days’. That was six months ago.”
This is where preparing your story in advance certainly helps to successfully transcribe five pages per day (or whatever self-imposed minimum is chosen). And there are those that are disciplined and secure enough to let their imagination go, and type five pages of any old dross to see what comes out. It may be a completely new set of characters and premise to yesterday’s 5 page exercise but at least it’s sticking to writing something every day.
But most, I suspect, have in their mind’s eye that if they do write 5 pages per day, then they’ll chip and hammer away at a spontaneous story that unfolds as they write. And in three weeks, a first draft.
However, the system seems to be flawed. Like a pesky New Year resolution, the good intention is there but the creative impetus to follow through falters because of the actual effort required to get words on the page.
If the idea of a small amount of pages per day appeals but it’s not exactly fitting to your schedule, well, don’t give up. Strive to make it part of your routine so that it gets to a stage that if you didn’t write that small amount you’d feel incomplete and dissatisfied.
A writer friend of mine told me that she’s broken her day into half-hour segments of activity (a little like Hugh Grant in About a Boy but a lot more proactive). You’d be surprised just how much can be achieved, and how quickly it can be done, when you just sit down and do it.
This week, with three scripts to work on, a lengthy book report to submit and two script editing gigs on the go, I imposed a much needed schedule for my reading and writing. It’s been a busy but hugely rewarding work-load and has invigorated my one and only New Year resolution: work harder.
Whether you write every day or whenever the muse strikes, what’s important is that you impose the discipline and determination to your daily routine to ensure that some work is actually getting done.
Give up smoking. Lose weight. More time at the gym. Drink less. Eat healthy: the common ambitions of the New Year reveller.
The wave of euphoria and enthusiasm will see people put in the effort for the first few weeks or even first couple of months but most will revert to their normal habits because of the particular demands that their lives create (“I don’t have time anymore”, “I’ll just have a fag at the pub”, “I’ve got two kids, why do I need to go to the gym?”).
For all New Year resolutions to work, they have to become an integral part of the daily routine, an essential element of your emotional and physical lifestyle. It’s coming up to the end of January already so I wonder how many New Year resolutions have been broken or just haven’t clicked?
Most screenwriters will probably have promised themselves that they will write something every day, perhaps a minimum of 5 pages per day. With this routine in place, you could have a first draft of a new script every month.
Sounds good. But there’s a problem. Writers have an automatic filter between their brain and their typing fingertips which forbids them from expressing any old rubbish. The new ‘five pages per day’ rule may suffer immediately because the writer is unwilling to release the incomplete or half-baked ideas in their head.
To paraphrase Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos: “I got that book ‘Write a Movie in 21 Days’. That was six months ago.”
This is where preparing your story in advance certainly helps to successfully transcribe five pages per day (or whatever self-imposed minimum is chosen). And there are those that are disciplined and secure enough to let their imagination go, and type five pages of any old dross to see what comes out. It may be a completely new set of characters and premise to yesterday’s 5 page exercise but at least it’s sticking to writing something every day.
But most, I suspect, have in their mind’s eye that if they do write 5 pages per day, then they’ll chip and hammer away at a spontaneous story that unfolds as they write. And in three weeks, a first draft.
However, the system seems to be flawed. Like a pesky New Year resolution, the good intention is there but the creative impetus to follow through falters because of the actual effort required to get words on the page.
If the idea of a small amount of pages per day appeals but it’s not exactly fitting to your schedule, well, don’t give up. Strive to make it part of your routine so that it gets to a stage that if you didn’t write that small amount you’d feel incomplete and dissatisfied.
A writer friend of mine told me that she’s broken her day into half-hour segments of activity (a little like Hugh Grant in About a Boy but a lot more proactive). You’d be surprised just how much can be achieved, and how quickly it can be done, when you just sit down and do it.
This week, with three scripts to work on, a lengthy book report to submit and two script editing gigs on the go, I imposed a much needed schedule for my reading and writing. It’s been a busy but hugely rewarding work-load and has invigorated my one and only New Year resolution: work harder.
Whether you write every day or whenever the muse strikes, what’s important is that you impose the discipline and determination to your daily routine to ensure that some work is actually getting done.
Selasa, 24 Januari 2006
Script Vs Film: Bee Season
Following up on my post about the script for Brokeback Mountain, the ‘Script Vs Film’ heading seemed to suggest a regular strand for the blog so here’s the next session, a look at the script for Bee Season written by Naomi Foner (mum to Maggie & Jake Gyllenhaal and writer of Running on Empty, amongst others). An intelligent script and another character-driven story.
Here’s my logline: “A shy young girl wins the approval of her academic father when she reveals a talent for spelling bees but ironically, the family dynamic begins to fall apart because of the shift of focus and routine.”
And here are extracts of my evaluation. It seems I couldn’t critique this without mentioning key aspects of character and plot, so there are SPOILERS AHEAD and probably best avoided if you are planning to go see.
“…This has all the hallmarks of a discerning book adaptation yet one that doesn’t fully translate effectively to the big screen. It’s very much a character drama, where we see the effects and consequences of small choices within a family dynamic.
…This kind of concept and character study probably makes for absorbing and rewarding reading [in book form], hence its transition from book to screenplay. But while the screenplay does a great job of presenting the characters and developing their story, the plot doesn’t really suck you in with an appropriate pace or dramatic edge.
…Despite one or two visual flourishes – usually involving Eliza’s gift to visualise the words she has to spell – the film essentially works as a kitchen sink drama, an Ordinary People type story where we get to the heart of suburban family frustrations.
…However, the kitchen sink drama is treated at a steady and moderate level, and the film doesn’t raise the stakes or increase the pace to a satisfying degree.
…The script struggles a little here to give the supporting characters, and the reader, the relevant backstory and motivation regarding their personas. Although it is Eliza’s story, the narrative switches its point-of-view twice (to Miriam and to Aaron) to highlight their emotional reasons why they’re in the state they’re in.
…Eliza’s talent for spelling bees is thankfully not treated in a conventional or familiar manner and instead, the script ties in her gift with her father’s obsession with Jewish mysticism. This gives the plot an added hook and it gets very interesting when Eliza achieves a higher spiritual awareness through her spelling bee conquests.
…Unlike last year’s “Upside of Anger”, this lacks a suitable pace and much needed comic touches to lift the story’s appeal and potential. It’s an interesting film with a discerning story to tell but the characters and situation don’t quite do enough to earn a suitable recommendation.”
But what do I know? It’s got Juliette Binoche and Richard Gere. It’s directed by the guys who did The Deep End. The reviews have been mixed - Jonathan Ross in particular taking a scathing dislike - but it just goes to show: “scripts are supposed to be read, films are meant to be seen.” Not much help for us writers, we have to write the goddamn scripts in the first place, but it’s only once on celluloid can the true heart and form of our story be fully praised or loathed.
Here’s my logline: “A shy young girl wins the approval of her academic father when she reveals a talent for spelling bees but ironically, the family dynamic begins to fall apart because of the shift of focus and routine.”
And here are extracts of my evaluation. It seems I couldn’t critique this without mentioning key aspects of character and plot, so there are SPOILERS AHEAD and probably best avoided if you are planning to go see.
“…This has all the hallmarks of a discerning book adaptation yet one that doesn’t fully translate effectively to the big screen. It’s very much a character drama, where we see the effects and consequences of small choices within a family dynamic.
…This kind of concept and character study probably makes for absorbing and rewarding reading [in book form], hence its transition from book to screenplay. But while the screenplay does a great job of presenting the characters and developing their story, the plot doesn’t really suck you in with an appropriate pace or dramatic edge.
…Despite one or two visual flourishes – usually involving Eliza’s gift to visualise the words she has to spell – the film essentially works as a kitchen sink drama, an Ordinary People type story where we get to the heart of suburban family frustrations.
…However, the kitchen sink drama is treated at a steady and moderate level, and the film doesn’t raise the stakes or increase the pace to a satisfying degree.
…The script struggles a little here to give the supporting characters, and the reader, the relevant backstory and motivation regarding their personas. Although it is Eliza’s story, the narrative switches its point-of-view twice (to Miriam and to Aaron) to highlight their emotional reasons why they’re in the state they’re in.
…Eliza’s talent for spelling bees is thankfully not treated in a conventional or familiar manner and instead, the script ties in her gift with her father’s obsession with Jewish mysticism. This gives the plot an added hook and it gets very interesting when Eliza achieves a higher spiritual awareness through her spelling bee conquests.
…Unlike last year’s “Upside of Anger”, this lacks a suitable pace and much needed comic touches to lift the story’s appeal and potential. It’s an interesting film with a discerning story to tell but the characters and situation don’t quite do enough to earn a suitable recommendation.”
But what do I know? It’s got Juliette Binoche and Richard Gere. It’s directed by the guys who did The Deep End. The reviews have been mixed - Jonathan Ross in particular taking a scathing dislike - but it just goes to show: “scripts are supposed to be read, films are meant to be seen.” Not much help for us writers, we have to write the goddamn scripts in the first place, but it’s only once on celluloid can the true heart and form of our story be fully praised or loathed.
Senin, 23 Januari 2006
Screenwriter Smile
Have you seen it yet? The toothpaste ad that interviews ‘a normal person’ who then says something along the lines of how their teeth would have fallen out if they didn’t use THAT particular brand on their brush. Pretty standard practice for products of this type: soap, tampax, shampoo, you know the drill.
The ‘normal person’ they interviewed in the ad was a bloke, which was interesting in itself as it’s usually lots of smiley girly girls doing the selling. But what’s really freaky is that underneath his name they put his profession down as: Screenwriter.
I don’t remember people’s professions being important or being used for these kind of ads but when I saw ‘Screenwriter’, admittedly after a few Stellas on Saturday night, I thought I might be seeing things, y’know obsessing about myself that little bit too much.
But no. People are talking about it. Sad people like me and the crew at Shooting People. And we’re asking important questions: does this mean that ‘Screenwriter’ is as commonplace or as ordinary as any job occupation you might want to drift into after you rustle up a few O levels?
And who is this guy anyway? Did the advertising and production team deliberately target a screenwriter (“they don’t go out, they’ll have good teeth”) or is he the boyfriend of the production coordinator and she said: “my boyfriend’s a screenwriter and has done some acting, he’d be good? He also needs the money.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great and fair dues on the bloke, whoever he is (if you’re reading, say hello and tell us how you got the gig - oh my god, did you write the advert?), but if it’s a con, then shame on you toothpaste people (I forget who it is, I’ve only seen it once) for putting a shiny smile and presentable sheen (who did his hair?) on the typically miserable and jaded band of screenwriters around the globe.
Something a bit more ‘on topic’ from The Observer where they interview six leading UK TV writers to ask them what they think of what’s going on, what’s hot, what’s not, and who really holds the power in TV drama. Interesting stuff from Andrew Davies, Paul Abbott, Tony Marchant, Abi Morgan, Neil Biswas and Paula Milne. Click HERE to read the article.
The ‘normal person’ they interviewed in the ad was a bloke, which was interesting in itself as it’s usually lots of smiley girly girls doing the selling. But what’s really freaky is that underneath his name they put his profession down as: Screenwriter.
I don’t remember people’s professions being important or being used for these kind of ads but when I saw ‘Screenwriter’, admittedly after a few Stellas on Saturday night, I thought I might be seeing things, y’know obsessing about myself that little bit too much.
But no. People are talking about it. Sad people like me and the crew at Shooting People. And we’re asking important questions: does this mean that ‘Screenwriter’ is as commonplace or as ordinary as any job occupation you might want to drift into after you rustle up a few O levels?
And who is this guy anyway? Did the advertising and production team deliberately target a screenwriter (“they don’t go out, they’ll have good teeth”) or is he the boyfriend of the production coordinator and she said: “my boyfriend’s a screenwriter and has done some acting, he’d be good? He also needs the money.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great and fair dues on the bloke, whoever he is (if you’re reading, say hello and tell us how you got the gig - oh my god, did you write the advert?), but if it’s a con, then shame on you toothpaste people (I forget who it is, I’ve only seen it once) for putting a shiny smile and presentable sheen (who did his hair?) on the typically miserable and jaded band of screenwriters around the globe.
Something a bit more ‘on topic’ from The Observer where they interview six leading UK TV writers to ask them what they think of what’s going on, what’s hot, what’s not, and who really holds the power in TV drama. Interesting stuff from Andrew Davies, Paul Abbott, Tony Marchant, Abi Morgan, Neil Biswas and Paula Milne. Click HERE to read the article.
Minggu, 22 Januari 2006
Yahzaa!
So goes the cry from the fearless cartoon daredevils The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers whenever they accomplish one of their outlandish stunts. They’re currently showing off on Saturday mornings on CiTV as part of their 78, that’s right, 78 x 7” series.
That’s a lot of episodes. They need a lot of ideas. And this week, I got a commission to write one episode (that may lead to more). So, excuse me for a second while I adopt their “Rendoosian” language to celebrate: Yahzaa, Hoofi konko! (roughly translated: “All right! Here we go!”).
“The Adrenalinis originated in a live sketch show created by writer-performers Dan Chambers, Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler back in the late 90s. In 2002 it was developed, with David Hodgson and Claire Underwood at Pesky in London, into a series of ten animated shorts.
Broadcast first on CBBC (and recently repeated pre-Sponge Bob on CiTV) and around the world, the Adrenalinis soon achieved cult status and won awards and nominations at the Annecy International Animation Festival, Anima Mundi and the British Animation Awards.”
The opportunity for me to pitch to the series came about like this:
In July 2005, I go along to a short film screening in Soho. It’s just one film, ten minutes long. I wasn’t going to go - the commute into London, busy with work, not knowing anyone ‘cept for the director - but the director is a bit nervous and sounds like he needs the support so I turn up to watch.
Screening over, I go to the bar, telling myself that I should stick around for one drink and tell the director ‘good job’. I notice another bloke by himself (who I saw at the screening) and think, sod it, I’ll chat to him - what’s the worst that can happen? (I’m not a shy guy but I’m no extrovert either, I can happily stay anonymous throughout an evening).
Anyway, this guy is a screenwriter, name of Nick Ostler. We immediately seem to hit it off and we share the same passion and approach to screenwriting. I spend the remaining evening with him, getting drunk on the free bar, but I slip away when he gets courted by the director for introductions around the room (he’s got a deal going with Working Title, I only read for them).
The next day, Nick sends me an email. We hadn’t exchanged emails or telephone numbers the previous night but he tells me that he got my email from the director, wanted to say it was nice meeting me and sorry he was taken away towards the end of the evening. So I think - classy guy, nice touch - and save his email as a new ‘contact’.
A few weeks later, around the beginning of August, I get a bit bored and frustrated with my day’s work so I seek procrastination in the form of email. I email Nick to say ‘hi! I’m going mad today, how are you?’ and he replies saying: ‘I’m really busy. We’ve just had an animation series commissioned by CiTV; know any good animation writers?’
So I’m like: “Hello!” Newfound chummery aside, Nick’s not going to hand me work willy nilly (I don’t think I’ve ever written ‘willy nilly’ before) so he asks to read one of my sample animation scripts and to take it from there. He likes the script I send him, and he passes on my details to his producer so that I have the opportunity to pitch some ideas.
Into September now and I haven’t heard from anyone so I get my agent to chase up Nick’s producer (at Pesky). He sends me the Writers’ Bible which is probably the best and most useful bible I’ve read to date. They encourage me to send in a few ‘springboard’ pitches (loglines essentially), and then they’ll pick one they like, ask me to do a one page synopsis, and then decide if they want it to commission it or not.
I pitch a few ideas. They pick out one they all like and ask me to do a one page synopsis. I write a first draft and send it in. They assign a script editor to deal with the scripts and the writers, and he gives me notes on the synopsis. I do a second draft. He gives me more notes and I do a third draft, which he likes.
It’s Christmas now and he sends my synopsis off to Canada (co-producers) for their approval, with a few minor tweaks of his own.
A couple of tweaks and suggestions are made from Canada but basically they love the idea and I’m asked to do a ‘step outline’ (a scene-by-scene breakdown). At this stage, I so want the job. I don’t want to mess things up. I genuinely love the show and the three main characters. I want to be sure that the idea’s great, the story rocks and, most importantly, I nail the tone. Nick’s been kind enough to grant me the opportunity so I don’t want to let him down.
I’ve been here before though for other shows. And I’ve felt the pain and disappointment of being rejected even at this late stage of pitching. The script editor seems confident that it’s a shoo-in for a commission but I keep my excitement in check. I submit the first draft step outline on Monday and the script editor responds on Friday: “It reads very well”; “only minor notes”. And those precious words: “Go to first draft”. Yahzaa, Adrenalini!
The great thing about the show too is that because co-creators Nick and Mark are writers, they know how tedious it can be jumping through commissioning hoops so they’ve tried to come up with a system that benefits everyone, i.e. the writer doesn’t feel left out in the cold, or is waiting for his cheque (which is common). And once you do one script that they like, they want to commission more from you, regardless of whether you’ve come up with ideas or not! A clever incentive methinks.
But for the moment, I’m going to focus my energy on this script, do a great job on that, and then see what happens from there. Recent experience has taught me never to take anything for granted. Ever.
Deadline is Wednesday so off I go.
That’s a lot of episodes. They need a lot of ideas. And this week, I got a commission to write one episode (that may lead to more). So, excuse me for a second while I adopt their “Rendoosian” language to celebrate: Yahzaa, Hoofi konko! (roughly translated: “All right! Here we go!”).
“The Adrenalinis originated in a live sketch show created by writer-performers Dan Chambers, Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler back in the late 90s. In 2002 it was developed, with David Hodgson and Claire Underwood at Pesky in London, into a series of ten animated shorts.
Broadcast first on CBBC (and recently repeated pre-Sponge Bob on CiTV) and around the world, the Adrenalinis soon achieved cult status and won awards and nominations at the Annecy International Animation Festival, Anima Mundi and the British Animation Awards.”
The opportunity for me to pitch to the series came about like this:
In July 2005, I go along to a short film screening in Soho. It’s just one film, ten minutes long. I wasn’t going to go - the commute into London, busy with work, not knowing anyone ‘cept for the director - but the director is a bit nervous and sounds like he needs the support so I turn up to watch.
Screening over, I go to the bar, telling myself that I should stick around for one drink and tell the director ‘good job’. I notice another bloke by himself (who I saw at the screening) and think, sod it, I’ll chat to him - what’s the worst that can happen? (I’m not a shy guy but I’m no extrovert either, I can happily stay anonymous throughout an evening).
Anyway, this guy is a screenwriter, name of Nick Ostler. We immediately seem to hit it off and we share the same passion and approach to screenwriting. I spend the remaining evening with him, getting drunk on the free bar, but I slip away when he gets courted by the director for introductions around the room (he’s got a deal going with Working Title, I only read for them).
The next day, Nick sends me an email. We hadn’t exchanged emails or telephone numbers the previous night but he tells me that he got my email from the director, wanted to say it was nice meeting me and sorry he was taken away towards the end of the evening. So I think - classy guy, nice touch - and save his email as a new ‘contact’.
A few weeks later, around the beginning of August, I get a bit bored and frustrated with my day’s work so I seek procrastination in the form of email. I email Nick to say ‘hi! I’m going mad today, how are you?’ and he replies saying: ‘I’m really busy. We’ve just had an animation series commissioned by CiTV; know any good animation writers?’
So I’m like: “Hello!” Newfound chummery aside, Nick’s not going to hand me work willy nilly (I don’t think I’ve ever written ‘willy nilly’ before) so he asks to read one of my sample animation scripts and to take it from there. He likes the script I send him, and he passes on my details to his producer so that I have the opportunity to pitch some ideas.
Into September now and I haven’t heard from anyone so I get my agent to chase up Nick’s producer (at Pesky). He sends me the Writers’ Bible which is probably the best and most useful bible I’ve read to date. They encourage me to send in a few ‘springboard’ pitches (loglines essentially), and then they’ll pick one they like, ask me to do a one page synopsis, and then decide if they want it to commission it or not.
I pitch a few ideas. They pick out one they all like and ask me to do a one page synopsis. I write a first draft and send it in. They assign a script editor to deal with the scripts and the writers, and he gives me notes on the synopsis. I do a second draft. He gives me more notes and I do a third draft, which he likes.
It’s Christmas now and he sends my synopsis off to Canada (co-producers) for their approval, with a few minor tweaks of his own.
A couple of tweaks and suggestions are made from Canada but basically they love the idea and I’m asked to do a ‘step outline’ (a scene-by-scene breakdown). At this stage, I so want the job. I don’t want to mess things up. I genuinely love the show and the three main characters. I want to be sure that the idea’s great, the story rocks and, most importantly, I nail the tone. Nick’s been kind enough to grant me the opportunity so I don’t want to let him down.
I’ve been here before though for other shows. And I’ve felt the pain and disappointment of being rejected even at this late stage of pitching. The script editor seems confident that it’s a shoo-in for a commission but I keep my excitement in check. I submit the first draft step outline on Monday and the script editor responds on Friday: “It reads very well”; “only minor notes”. And those precious words: “Go to first draft”. Yahzaa, Adrenalini!
The great thing about the show too is that because co-creators Nick and Mark are writers, they know how tedious it can be jumping through commissioning hoops so they’ve tried to come up with a system that benefits everyone, i.e. the writer doesn’t feel left out in the cold, or is waiting for his cheque (which is common). And once you do one script that they like, they want to commission more from you, regardless of whether you’ve come up with ideas or not! A clever incentive methinks.
But for the moment, I’m going to focus my energy on this script, do a great job on that, and then see what happens from there. Recent experience has taught me never to take anything for granted. Ever.
Deadline is Wednesday so off I go.
Kamis, 19 Januari 2006
Script Versus Film
Excuse me while I state the bleedin’ obvious for a moment but words in a script are vital to a reader’s attachment to the story and characters. The economy of language and the evocation of imagery help to establish the characters and premise, and then develop the story into a dramatic and thematic conclusion.
Most scripts achieve a fairly decent economical style and maintain an easy pace with a breezy plot and efficient structure. But what happens when you have a ‘character piece’ - a story that is more about its protagonists than it is about a cop with only 24 hours to live? What words do you use to engage the reader in their characterisation and ensure that they remain emotionally involved with their predicament throughout?
In 2004, I read the script for Brokeback Mountain. It’s written by Larry McMurtry and Diane Ossana, adapted from the short story by Annie Proulx. You know the story by now: two cowboys meet in 1963 and develop a sexual bond that proves a huge emotional challenge on their ‘normal lives’ and developing friendship.
It is, from start to finish, a character-driven film. There is little or no plot to speak of. It’s all about the characters and how they react and respond to their basic desire and conflict. This style and approach is difficult to achieve and not very prevalent in the general spec pile. But what does a ‘character script’ look and sound like when it does happen to land on your desk?
Well. Usually long and meaty. On first glance, it will seem like there isn’t any economy of style or anything else to help the reader because of the amount of depth and detail the story has to successfully communicate. However, in safe and talented hands, the script will be intelligent and absorbing, no matter how dense or long the story becomes.
But what do I know? Without giving away any spoilers, here are a few extracts from my script report on Brokeback Mountain which demonstrates a reader’s reaction on the good and the ‘difficult to predict’ aspects of such a solid script.
“…It’s certainly an interesting and bold premise, and a screenplay based on this material stands out as original and intriguing fare. The script is handled intelligently and delicately so that the protagonists’ actions and behaviour don’t become risible or unsuitable.
…Now while all this is intelligent and solid stuff, its very premise and story line does not make it ideal fare for the box office. Ang Lee’s direction and the two stars of Gyllenhaal and Ledger gives the material some bite and appeal – there’s little question the critics are going to approve – but it’s hard to put a hand on heart and say that this is going attract a wider, more commercial audience.
…In the film, the tone and pace is quite even and steady. Structurally, the film’s timeline goes from 1963 to 1984 and charts the separate lives of our two protagonists, Ennis and Jack. … Ang Lee will get plenty of room to shine with the cinematography of Wyoming and Brokeback Mountain, and the two leads will enjoy their homoerotic subtext but it’s all a bit too even and sluggish to really get behind for a big thumbs up.
…Its moderate approach signals a sensitive and intelligent plot about how the two characters live their lives, and the writing does very well to create an engaging setting and story line.
…[The script] makes for absorbing reading but the character detail doesn’t get a chance to properly shine and the visual aspects of the setting don’t do enough to make up for the dramatic shortcomings of the plot. This could have been great but as it is, it’s an interesting and commendable film that will stand out for its original story line of two ranch hands that fall in love.”
This last bit: “the character detail doesn’t get a chance to properly shine” is obviously hogwash because if you’ve seen the film, Ledger and Gyllenhaal excel in making the characters’ emotions and motives compelling and moving.
And this is the reason for the post. Script versus Film. What you read on the page might not leap out as compelling and moving - I said it was “intelligent and absorbing” - but once it’s flesh and movement on screen, it becomes a wholly different matter.
I read the script in February 2004 and I saw the film last weekend, and while I was always generally conscious of the key transitions that are made from words on the page to how they are realised on screen, Brokeback Mountain has been a worthwhile lesson in witnessing how words and characters on the page can be successfully raised to a higher level of drama and audience response.
And the Oscar goes to…
Most scripts achieve a fairly decent economical style and maintain an easy pace with a breezy plot and efficient structure. But what happens when you have a ‘character piece’ - a story that is more about its protagonists than it is about a cop with only 24 hours to live? What words do you use to engage the reader in their characterisation and ensure that they remain emotionally involved with their predicament throughout?
In 2004, I read the script for Brokeback Mountain. It’s written by Larry McMurtry and Diane Ossana, adapted from the short story by Annie Proulx. You know the story by now: two cowboys meet in 1963 and develop a sexual bond that proves a huge emotional challenge on their ‘normal lives’ and developing friendship.
It is, from start to finish, a character-driven film. There is little or no plot to speak of. It’s all about the characters and how they react and respond to their basic desire and conflict. This style and approach is difficult to achieve and not very prevalent in the general spec pile. But what does a ‘character script’ look and sound like when it does happen to land on your desk?
Well. Usually long and meaty. On first glance, it will seem like there isn’t any economy of style or anything else to help the reader because of the amount of depth and detail the story has to successfully communicate. However, in safe and talented hands, the script will be intelligent and absorbing, no matter how dense or long the story becomes.
But what do I know? Without giving away any spoilers, here are a few extracts from my script report on Brokeback Mountain which demonstrates a reader’s reaction on the good and the ‘difficult to predict’ aspects of such a solid script.
“…It’s certainly an interesting and bold premise, and a screenplay based on this material stands out as original and intriguing fare. The script is handled intelligently and delicately so that the protagonists’ actions and behaviour don’t become risible or unsuitable.
…Now while all this is intelligent and solid stuff, its very premise and story line does not make it ideal fare for the box office. Ang Lee’s direction and the two stars of Gyllenhaal and Ledger gives the material some bite and appeal – there’s little question the critics are going to approve – but it’s hard to put a hand on heart and say that this is going attract a wider, more commercial audience.
…In the film, the tone and pace is quite even and steady. Structurally, the film’s timeline goes from 1963 to 1984 and charts the separate lives of our two protagonists, Ennis and Jack. … Ang Lee will get plenty of room to shine with the cinematography of Wyoming and Brokeback Mountain, and the two leads will enjoy their homoerotic subtext but it’s all a bit too even and sluggish to really get behind for a big thumbs up.
…Its moderate approach signals a sensitive and intelligent plot about how the two characters live their lives, and the writing does very well to create an engaging setting and story line.
…[The script] makes for absorbing reading but the character detail doesn’t get a chance to properly shine and the visual aspects of the setting don’t do enough to make up for the dramatic shortcomings of the plot. This could have been great but as it is, it’s an interesting and commendable film that will stand out for its original story line of two ranch hands that fall in love.”
This last bit: “the character detail doesn’t get a chance to properly shine” is obviously hogwash because if you’ve seen the film, Ledger and Gyllenhaal excel in making the characters’ emotions and motives compelling and moving.
And this is the reason for the post. Script versus Film. What you read on the page might not leap out as compelling and moving - I said it was “intelligent and absorbing” - but once it’s flesh and movement on screen, it becomes a wholly different matter.
I read the script in February 2004 and I saw the film last weekend, and while I was always generally conscious of the key transitions that are made from words on the page to how they are realised on screen, Brokeback Mountain has been a worthwhile lesson in witnessing how words and characters on the page can be successfully raised to a higher level of drama and audience response.
And the Oscar goes to…
Minggu, 15 Januari 2006
Say it Loud
As a screenwriter working alone, you are relying on your storytelling talent and gut instincts about what works and what doesn’t in your script. You’ll mull over the structure, torture yourself over the protagonist’s arc and ponder deeply on the wider reaching theme.
However, apart from the obvious form of imagery that the medium demands, there is another vital component that is integral to your film’s success.
Sound.
At the script stage, most of the sound will come from the characters’ dialogue. In a previous post about dialogue, I said that it has four main functions: exposition, characterisation, subtext and humour. And most of the time, you will convince yourself that you’ve achieved these key facets just by saying the lines in your head as you write them.
This is not ideal. What you need to do is perform your script. Say it loud and say it proud.
I’ve just moved house. My previous abode was a maisonette flat that had upstairs neighbours as well as next door neighbours, and the walls, alas, were thin. You could hear conversations, arguments, toilets and TV. And when I was writing, I felt too self-conscious to say my script aloud. I would murmur the action and dialogue to see if my script was working.
Now I live in a detached house in a quiet area. I could detonate a small nuclear device in the kitchen and no-one would know. So now, delight, I get to openly shout and deliver my dialogue as if I were a leading thesp on Broadway. And, after only a month, what a difference!
Dialogue that I thought was inspired, funny and full of subtext is given short shrift after I perform a one man show of my latest epic. Be warned. It’s an exhausting, nay, insane exercise. Complete privacy and a willingness to make a fool of yourself to yourself is a must.
There is however, an alternative. You can get others to perform the script for you so you can coolly observe what’s hot and what’s not. There are a few ways I know to enable you to do this.
First, the free version. Get your friends to do a ‘table read’ of your script. Convince and cajole them around to your place. Stock up on some beer and nibbles. Assign them a character (give them the script a few days before so they can read and get accustomed). Then, once you have them seated around the table, you speak the action lines and they act out the characters and dialogue.
As well as this being fun, it will help you recognise that Aunt Maisie’s line about being a lesbian on page 54 isn’t quite working, plus your friends will give you feedback on how they felt (in their roles) and offer suggestions on possible improvements.
A more professional version of this can be found at Rocliffe’s Writing Forum. How it works: you submit a script, they choose a section from the story and cast professional actors to perform it in front of a small audience (over a pub in Islington). A guest from the industry acts as judge and adviser, and will give feedback on what he/she’s witnessed. Then it’s down to the bar where everyone mingles and schmoozes. This is free! You pay a small entry fee as an audience member.
The Script Factory offers a more comprehensive service, but it comes at a small cost. They do Performed Readings of scripts that are in good shape and are not ashamed to show it, as well as Private Readings for the scripts that are still finding their way but would like to HEAR what the story feels and sounds like.
So, if you find yourself muttering your lines at the screen like a crazed lunatic, it’s well worth considering any one of the above to give your script, and dialogue, the attention that it deserves. I’m off to Leeds for a few days so I’ll post again at the end of the week.
However, apart from the obvious form of imagery that the medium demands, there is another vital component that is integral to your film’s success.
Sound.
At the script stage, most of the sound will come from the characters’ dialogue. In a previous post about dialogue, I said that it has four main functions: exposition, characterisation, subtext and humour. And most of the time, you will convince yourself that you’ve achieved these key facets just by saying the lines in your head as you write them.
This is not ideal. What you need to do is perform your script. Say it loud and say it proud.
I’ve just moved house. My previous abode was a maisonette flat that had upstairs neighbours as well as next door neighbours, and the walls, alas, were thin. You could hear conversations, arguments, toilets and TV. And when I was writing, I felt too self-conscious to say my script aloud. I would murmur the action and dialogue to see if my script was working.
Now I live in a detached house in a quiet area. I could detonate a small nuclear device in the kitchen and no-one would know. So now, delight, I get to openly shout and deliver my dialogue as if I were a leading thesp on Broadway. And, after only a month, what a difference!
Dialogue that I thought was inspired, funny and full of subtext is given short shrift after I perform a one man show of my latest epic. Be warned. It’s an exhausting, nay, insane exercise. Complete privacy and a willingness to make a fool of yourself to yourself is a must.
There is however, an alternative. You can get others to perform the script for you so you can coolly observe what’s hot and what’s not. There are a few ways I know to enable you to do this.
First, the free version. Get your friends to do a ‘table read’ of your script. Convince and cajole them around to your place. Stock up on some beer and nibbles. Assign them a character (give them the script a few days before so they can read and get accustomed). Then, once you have them seated around the table, you speak the action lines and they act out the characters and dialogue.
As well as this being fun, it will help you recognise that Aunt Maisie’s line about being a lesbian on page 54 isn’t quite working, plus your friends will give you feedback on how they felt (in their roles) and offer suggestions on possible improvements.
A more professional version of this can be found at Rocliffe’s Writing Forum. How it works: you submit a script, they choose a section from the story and cast professional actors to perform it in front of a small audience (over a pub in Islington). A guest from the industry acts as judge and adviser, and will give feedback on what he/she’s witnessed. Then it’s down to the bar where everyone mingles and schmoozes. This is free! You pay a small entry fee as an audience member.
The Script Factory offers a more comprehensive service, but it comes at a small cost. They do Performed Readings of scripts that are in good shape and are not ashamed to show it, as well as Private Readings for the scripts that are still finding their way but would like to HEAR what the story feels and sounds like.
So, if you find yourself muttering your lines at the screen like a crazed lunatic, it’s well worth considering any one of the above to give your script, and dialogue, the attention that it deserves. I’m off to Leeds for a few days so I’ll post again at the end of the week.
Kamis, 12 Januari 2006
Writer's Workout
As a screenwriter, you will spend most of your day sat in front of the computer, staring at the screen, surfing the net, responding to emails or actually working on your screenplay in fits of inspiration.
If all the food and drink is in the house, and the computer vortex sucks you in, it’s likely that you won’t leave the house at all. That’s not even getting fresh air.
One way or the other, it means you’re sat in your chair for two hour stretches or more, with brief respites to pee or eat. This PC inertia is not good for the body. Everyone knows this. But there is a way to maintain basic cardio vascular exercise and keep reasonably fit and healthy.
It’s Danny’s Writer’s Workout! (©)
Here are some simple, basic exercises that you can do at home, for free, without any need to join a gym, hire a personal trainer or buy expensive equipment.
I know this sounds faintly absurd and a little weird but I offer this advice after six years of battling a back injury and acquiring a vast knowledge of pilates, physio and basic osteopathy in the process.
This culminated last year in having two back operations, one in January, the other in November, to which I am slowly responding. And the exercises definitely help as well as keep in me sensible shape.
Swimming is the best exercise for back injuries and/or writers (2/3 times a week for 30 mins is good), and a 10 min walk for fresh air is always welcome, but when you find yourself stuck indoors and with no motivation to budge, then try these alternative exercises.
Steps: At the gym, you’d probably hammer a ‘Stairmaster’ but hey, you have them at home. Use them. If you live in a ground floor flat, that’s ok, use a box, or something you can step up onto. Start off with a five minute routine of going up and down the stairs (or box). Play two of your favourite songs to keep you distracted. If you’re up for it, do ten minutes but believe me, it’s more knackering than it sounds.
The intention is to get your joints moving and your heart pumping. If you don’t find yourself out of breath and feel your heart beating in your chest, you’re not doing it enough. Go faster or slower depending on how you feel.
Abs: Lie down on the ground (after the stair routine, this will be easy). Bend your knees. Put your hands behind your neck and, using your tummy muscles, lift your upper torso & head towards your knees. Now scream: “oh godddddd”. Only kidding. That’ll come after about four or five ‘reps’ (repetitions). Try to do as many as you can humanly tolerate but again, at least five minutes is good.
Legs & Neck: Sit on your kitchen table. Bear with me. Hopefully, your feet won’t be able to touch the ground. Now, turn your head down so your chin rests on your chest. Lift your leg up slowly to stretch and whilst doing so, raise your head to accompany your leg. Feel that hamstring baby. Work it. You look great. Repeat on the other side (x10).
Stretches: Bend your left knee and hold your foot by your bum. Stretch that femur. Yeah it feels good. Do the same on t’other side. About 10 each.
Standing: Place your left arm behind your neck and stretch down your back. With your right hand, hold your left elbow and pull. Feel it? That’s it. 10 on either side. Do it mister.
Can’t be arsed doing any of this? Then do some exercises while you’re sitting at the computer.
Bum to the back of the seat.
Back straight and upright.
Shoulders relaxed.
Hands poised over the keyboard (to avoid RSI: repetitive strain injury).
Feet firmly on the ground, evenly apart.
Pull in your stomach and hold as long as there’s breath or will left in your body.
Another good one is pull your chin in towards your neck as quickly as you can. Repeat 10 times.
After a few of those, hold the position of the chin by your neck and look left to right, slowly.
If you’ve really got your mojo writing going and have no time for girlie exercises, try to stand up every 20 mins/half hour to do some basic stretching before resuming your Oscar winning script.
That’s it. You were great. Time for a shower.
And why not have a 2 litre bottle of water next to your pot of coffee? And a bowl of fruit too. Some nuts (not too many) or seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) are also good for snacks and so, so good for you.
Peace, love and brown rice.
If all the food and drink is in the house, and the computer vortex sucks you in, it’s likely that you won’t leave the house at all. That’s not even getting fresh air.
One way or the other, it means you’re sat in your chair for two hour stretches or more, with brief respites to pee or eat. This PC inertia is not good for the body. Everyone knows this. But there is a way to maintain basic cardio vascular exercise and keep reasonably fit and healthy.
It’s Danny’s Writer’s Workout! (©)
Here are some simple, basic exercises that you can do at home, for free, without any need to join a gym, hire a personal trainer or buy expensive equipment.
I know this sounds faintly absurd and a little weird but I offer this advice after six years of battling a back injury and acquiring a vast knowledge of pilates, physio and basic osteopathy in the process.
This culminated last year in having two back operations, one in January, the other in November, to which I am slowly responding. And the exercises definitely help as well as keep in me sensible shape.
Swimming is the best exercise for back injuries and/or writers (2/3 times a week for 30 mins is good), and a 10 min walk for fresh air is always welcome, but when you find yourself stuck indoors and with no motivation to budge, then try these alternative exercises.
Steps: At the gym, you’d probably hammer a ‘Stairmaster’ but hey, you have them at home. Use them. If you live in a ground floor flat, that’s ok, use a box, or something you can step up onto. Start off with a five minute routine of going up and down the stairs (or box). Play two of your favourite songs to keep you distracted. If you’re up for it, do ten minutes but believe me, it’s more knackering than it sounds.
The intention is to get your joints moving and your heart pumping. If you don’t find yourself out of breath and feel your heart beating in your chest, you’re not doing it enough. Go faster or slower depending on how you feel.
Abs: Lie down on the ground (after the stair routine, this will be easy). Bend your knees. Put your hands behind your neck and, using your tummy muscles, lift your upper torso & head towards your knees. Now scream: “oh godddddd”. Only kidding. That’ll come after about four or five ‘reps’ (repetitions). Try to do as many as you can humanly tolerate but again, at least five minutes is good.
Legs & Neck: Sit on your kitchen table. Bear with me. Hopefully, your feet won’t be able to touch the ground. Now, turn your head down so your chin rests on your chest. Lift your leg up slowly to stretch and whilst doing so, raise your head to accompany your leg. Feel that hamstring baby. Work it. You look great. Repeat on the other side (x10).
Stretches: Bend your left knee and hold your foot by your bum. Stretch that femur. Yeah it feels good. Do the same on t’other side. About 10 each.
Standing: Place your left arm behind your neck and stretch down your back. With your right hand, hold your left elbow and pull. Feel it? That’s it. 10 on either side. Do it mister.
Can’t be arsed doing any of this? Then do some exercises while you’re sitting at the computer.
Bum to the back of the seat.
Back straight and upright.
Shoulders relaxed.
Hands poised over the keyboard (to avoid RSI: repetitive strain injury).
Feet firmly on the ground, evenly apart.
Pull in your stomach and hold as long as there’s breath or will left in your body.
Another good one is pull your chin in towards your neck as quickly as you can. Repeat 10 times.
After a few of those, hold the position of the chin by your neck and look left to right, slowly.
If you’ve really got your mojo writing going and have no time for girlie exercises, try to stand up every 20 mins/half hour to do some basic stretching before resuming your Oscar winning script.
That’s it. You were great. Time for a shower.
And why not have a 2 litre bottle of water next to your pot of coffee? And a bowl of fruit too. Some nuts (not too many) or seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) are also good for snacks and so, so good for you.
Peace, love and brown rice.
Rabu, 11 Januari 2006
Tagged and Bound
MovieQ had gone and done it. Alex Epstein too. They tagged me to respond to a ‘Screenwriting Meme’ that was started, I think, by Fun Joel.
In FJ’s words: “memes are essentially lists of questions that someone posts on their blog, with their own answers. Then they will "tag" some others, and those people will repost the meme on their blogs with their own answers.”
It’s a bit like the recent “Post-a-Page” thing that stormed the universe, all because Red Right Hand was a bit curious.
By blog law and etiquette, I am duty bound to reply to MovieQ’s initial call, so here’s the sprightly little Q&A:
ONE (1) earliest film-related memory:
Evel Knievel in "Viva Knievel!" The trailer showed Evel standing on his bike, on a bridge, and jumping it on to a moving truck. Sold. But for pure, oh my god, cinema is the coolest thing on the planet, then it’s got to be Superman. I was first in line for three weeks.
TWO (2) favorite lines from movies:
Only two? Ah come on. Okay, off the top of my head ‘cos I do have work to do y’know.
“Fuzzy wuzzy was a woman?” - Gene Wilder in See No Evil, Hear No Evil when he tried to lip read “Was there or wasn’t there a woman?”
“That’s ok. We can walk to the curb from here.” - Woody Allen after Diane Keaton tries to park the car in Annie Hall.
THREE (3) jobs you'd do if you could not work in the "biz":.
Professional footballer.
Chef.
Rock god.
FOUR (4) jobs you actually have held outside the industry:.
Selling burgers outside pop concerts.
Painter - now there’s the only bit of DIY I’m actually good at.
Civil Servant - most depressing thing ever.
Student supervisor (which included counselling a bereft Colin Farrell when he didn’t get the Boyzone gig).
THREE (3) book authors I like:
Charles Dickens, Martin Amis and Hemingway’s quite good I s’ppose.
TWO (2) movies you'd like to remake or properties you'd like to adapt:
Conrad’s War by Andrew Davies. Acquired the rights, with co-writer Sam Morrison, but even though the book is by the great adapter himself, the script (which everyone loves) is a tough sale because of its WWII setting (apparently).
My Brother’s Ghost by Allan Ahlberg. A beautiful book. Took my excitement for it to a producer, who also flipped, and I did a treatment adaptation, then took it to Channel 5 who were interested but alas, Mr Ahlberg was distrustful of telly companies and thought the story was already told in its best medium. Respect.
ONE (1) screenwriter you think is underrated:
Any UK writer who’s actually got one of their scripts made but the critics ripped to pieces.
THREE (3) people I'm tagging to answer this meme next:
Keeping it real in the UK, I’m sending this out to all my screenwriter homies. Fresh. James Henry, James Moran and Lee Thomson.
In FJ’s words: “memes are essentially lists of questions that someone posts on their blog, with their own answers. Then they will "tag" some others, and those people will repost the meme on their blogs with their own answers.”
It’s a bit like the recent “Post-a-Page” thing that stormed the universe, all because Red Right Hand was a bit curious.
By blog law and etiquette, I am duty bound to reply to MovieQ’s initial call, so here’s the sprightly little Q&A:
ONE (1) earliest film-related memory:
Evel Knievel in "Viva Knievel!" The trailer showed Evel standing on his bike, on a bridge, and jumping it on to a moving truck. Sold. But for pure, oh my god, cinema is the coolest thing on the planet, then it’s got to be Superman. I was first in line for three weeks.
TWO (2) favorite lines from movies:
Only two? Ah come on. Okay, off the top of my head ‘cos I do have work to do y’know.
“Fuzzy wuzzy was a woman?” - Gene Wilder in See No Evil, Hear No Evil when he tried to lip read “Was there or wasn’t there a woman?”
“That’s ok. We can walk to the curb from here.” - Woody Allen after Diane Keaton tries to park the car in Annie Hall.
THREE (3) jobs you'd do if you could not work in the "biz":.
Professional footballer.
Chef.
Rock god.
FOUR (4) jobs you actually have held outside the industry:.
Selling burgers outside pop concerts.
Painter - now there’s the only bit of DIY I’m actually good at.
Civil Servant - most depressing thing ever.
Student supervisor (which included counselling a bereft Colin Farrell when he didn’t get the Boyzone gig).
THREE (3) book authors I like:
Charles Dickens, Martin Amis and Hemingway’s quite good I s’ppose.
TWO (2) movies you'd like to remake or properties you'd like to adapt:
Conrad’s War by Andrew Davies. Acquired the rights, with co-writer Sam Morrison, but even though the book is by the great adapter himself, the script (which everyone loves) is a tough sale because of its WWII setting (apparently).
My Brother’s Ghost by Allan Ahlberg. A beautiful book. Took my excitement for it to a producer, who also flipped, and I did a treatment adaptation, then took it to Channel 5 who were interested but alas, Mr Ahlberg was distrustful of telly companies and thought the story was already told in its best medium. Respect.
ONE (1) screenwriter you think is underrated:
Any UK writer who’s actually got one of their scripts made but the critics ripped to pieces.
THREE (3) people I'm tagging to answer this meme next:
Keeping it real in the UK, I’m sending this out to all my screenwriter homies. Fresh. James Henry, James Moran and Lee Thomson.
"Scriptunities"
Maura over at Splinister blog flags up an opportunity at The London Film School. It’s in the post dated 10th Jan 2006. (I’m afraid to ask what ‘Splinister’ means in case I’m showing up my ignorance of key Irish phrase words but I admit, I don’t know what it means).
“Scriptunities” is a web based database which contains pages of contacts, competitions and opportunities aimed at UK and Irish scriptwriters. You can browse the online list or download a pdf thing at their website.
And this from Shooting People’s Screenwriter’s bulletin today:
“Open Eye Productions is currently inviting new and established screenwriters to send in their ideas for British Based Features Films.
The Project:
Open Eye are keen to throw the door open for writers of all ages and experience. For the successful applicant this is the opportunity to work closely with the Development Team and Producers to package and fast-track your project for Independent Film Production.
We are specifically looking for films for production within the UK. We will consider any genre though we are keen to source a Romantic Comedy.
Submitted material must be original to the applicant and cannot be based on pre-existing works such as novels, comics or stage plays.
Applicants must have a full length screenplay draft available with an estimated duration of 75-100 minutes. However due to the number of submissions, no scripts will be accepted or assessed at this stage. Instead we would like a brief summary of the project.
Each applicant must submit the following:
1. 40 Word Synopsis
2. 40 Words describing a central character
Please send via email to admin@openeye.co.uk, or post to:
Development, Open Eye Productions Ltd, 4th Floor, 47 Dean Street, London W1D 5BE (Please include an email address in your contact information. Any submitted material via post is non-returnable.)
Deadline for Submissions: Monday 13th March 2006
Successful applicants will be contacted by the Development Team via email, and will then be required to send in a complete screenplay draft of their project and a CV.
Further details about Open Eye Productions can be found on our website www.openeye.co.uk or by emailing the Development Team at admin@openeye.co.uk
The Legal Bit:
We acknowledge all writers' legal rights and submissions are read in strictest confidence. However, due to the volume of submissions, similarities in subject matter may occur between different writers. Open Eye therefore cannot be held liable if material similar to yours is received from another source and is subsequently commissioned or produced.“
And the deadline for Marchmont Films’ script competition is fast approaching - 31st January 2006 - so if you’ve got something ready, check it out.
“Scriptunities” is a web based database which contains pages of contacts, competitions and opportunities aimed at UK and Irish scriptwriters. You can browse the online list or download a pdf thing at their website.
And this from Shooting People’s Screenwriter’s bulletin today:
“Open Eye Productions is currently inviting new and established screenwriters to send in their ideas for British Based Features Films.
The Project:
Open Eye are keen to throw the door open for writers of all ages and experience. For the successful applicant this is the opportunity to work closely with the Development Team and Producers to package and fast-track your project for Independent Film Production.
We are specifically looking for films for production within the UK. We will consider any genre though we are keen to source a Romantic Comedy.
Submitted material must be original to the applicant and cannot be based on pre-existing works such as novels, comics or stage plays.
Applicants must have a full length screenplay draft available with an estimated duration of 75-100 minutes. However due to the number of submissions, no scripts will be accepted or assessed at this stage. Instead we would like a brief summary of the project.
Each applicant must submit the following:
1. 40 Word Synopsis
2. 40 Words describing a central character
Please send via email to admin@openeye.co.uk, or post to:
Development, Open Eye Productions Ltd, 4th Floor, 47 Dean Street, London W1D 5BE (Please include an email address in your contact information. Any submitted material via post is non-returnable.)
Deadline for Submissions: Monday 13th March 2006
Successful applicants will be contacted by the Development Team via email, and will then be required to send in a complete screenplay draft of their project and a CV.
Further details about Open Eye Productions can be found on our website www.openeye.co.uk or by emailing the Development Team at admin@openeye.co.uk
The Legal Bit:
We acknowledge all writers' legal rights and submissions are read in strictest confidence. However, due to the volume of submissions, similarities in subject matter may occur between different writers. Open Eye therefore cannot be held liable if material similar to yours is received from another source and is subsequently commissioned or produced.“
And the deadline for Marchmont Films’ script competition is fast approaching - 31st January 2006 - so if you’ve got something ready, check it out.
Selasa, 10 Januari 2006
Timeshift: Skillset
The deadline for TimeShift applications has now been extended to Friday 3rd February.
Calling all female film professionals…
Backed by the European Social Fund Equal Programme, Skillset has partnered with the UK Film Council to deliver TimeShift a unique scheme which is set to break the mould in film production.
The scheme will provide 16 female film professionals (8 teams of 2) with job share roles on film productions. Each woman will receive £100 per working week towards childcare costs, which is in addition to the salary paid to the team by the production.
In addition, each production that recruits a team will receive £180 per working week per team (for example, a production hosting 2 teams over a 20 week period would be awarded £7,200).
Candidates should have a minimum of 3 years working experience.
Applications are now being accepted. You can apply to the scheme in teams of two in the following grades:
Production Accountants;
Assistant Production Accountants;
Production Coordinators;
Boom Operators;
Production Design Assistants;
Costume Assistants;
Art Department Assistants;
Prop Buyers;
Locations Assistants;
3rd AD's;
Assistant Editors.
Extended Deadline for application is 3rd February 2006. Those selected will be invited to take part in an interview on 14 th February 2006, so please keep this date free.
For further information about the scheme and to download an application form please visit www.skillset.org/timeshift or contact Arit Eminue on arite@skillset.org.
Calling all female film professionals…
Backed by the European Social Fund Equal Programme, Skillset has partnered with the UK Film Council to deliver TimeShift a unique scheme which is set to break the mould in film production.
The scheme will provide 16 female film professionals (8 teams of 2) with job share roles on film productions. Each woman will receive £100 per working week towards childcare costs, which is in addition to the salary paid to the team by the production.
In addition, each production that recruits a team will receive £180 per working week per team (for example, a production hosting 2 teams over a 20 week period would be awarded £7,200).
Candidates should have a minimum of 3 years working experience.
Applications are now being accepted. You can apply to the scheme in teams of two in the following grades:
Production Accountants;
Assistant Production Accountants;
Production Coordinators;
Boom Operators;
Production Design Assistants;
Costume Assistants;
Art Department Assistants;
Prop Buyers;
Locations Assistants;
3rd AD's;
Assistant Editors.
Extended Deadline for application is 3rd February 2006. Those selected will be invited to take part in an interview on 14 th February 2006, so please keep this date free.
For further information about the scheme and to download an application form please visit www.skillset.org/timeshift or contact Arit Eminue on arite@skillset.org.
Senin, 09 Januari 2006
Enought Links To Make You Drink
Breeaaathe...and... relax.
Tax return done.
Or should I say: "first draft" completed. Go back, revise and amend any errors before the deadline at the end of the month. Definitely getting an accountant this year...
Just when I thought I had exhausted all possible links, websites and blogs about screenwriting, there are literally hundreds I still haven't found or checked out.
The links on my right will remain but there are many others who deserve attention and a 'shout out'. So, while I'm too lazy to update my link section, here's a list (courtesy of James Moran, thank you James!) of the better blogs and sites that are out there, some more obvious than others. I'm so wiped out and lazy after filing the tax return, I'll just hand you over to James's list:
"John August: screenwriter of Big Fish, Chas and the Choccie Factory, Go - he answers questions, it's a really informative site.
Lee Goldberg: who writes mysteries and TV spinoffs. Funny, interesting, not much use for screenwriting info, but worth a gander.
The Thinking Writer: not updated often, although there is occasionally good stuff there.
Warren Ellis: comic genius behind Global Frequency and many others. Tons of interesting oddness, news links, and DON'T EVER click on a link where he says stuff like "this is foul", or "don't click this", cause it'll be a protruding hernia or something hideous.
Bill Cunningham: the direct to DVD master. Always interesting and useful. D2DVD stuff has to work and leave out any pointless scenes, so they're usually pretty economical, tight scripts. And he's good fun, too.
Javier Grillo-Marxuach: writer of Lost among many others. Slow at updates, but good value.
Dingo Novel: comics writer posting his novel Dingo chapter by chapter.
Wil Wheaton: new address for his blog, again not much use for writing info, but usually interesting and heartwarming.
Neil Gaiman: you know the name, you know the game - if not, he's a comic, novel, movie and story writer, mainly well known for the Sandman comics, and the Neverwhere book and TV series. Full of interesting info, and random links, there's always something cool to check out here."
Again, thanks James for a great list.
And two more I came across recently:
Fellow UK scriptwriter & reader Lucy Vee's journal.
Deep Structure: Christopher Stack's muses on film from LA. We're not related but with a name like Stack, you know you can't go wrong...
Tax return done.
Or should I say: "first draft" completed. Go back, revise and amend any errors before the deadline at the end of the month. Definitely getting an accountant this year...
Just when I thought I had exhausted all possible links, websites and blogs about screenwriting, there are literally hundreds I still haven't found or checked out.
The links on my right will remain but there are many others who deserve attention and a 'shout out'. So, while I'm too lazy to update my link section, here's a list (courtesy of James Moran, thank you James!) of the better blogs and sites that are out there, some more obvious than others. I'm so wiped out and lazy after filing the tax return, I'll just hand you over to James's list:
"John August: screenwriter of Big Fish, Chas and the Choccie Factory, Go - he answers questions, it's a really informative site.
Lee Goldberg: who writes mysteries and TV spinoffs. Funny, interesting, not much use for screenwriting info, but worth a gander.
The Thinking Writer: not updated often, although there is occasionally good stuff there.
Warren Ellis: comic genius behind Global Frequency and many others. Tons of interesting oddness, news links, and DON'T EVER click on a link where he says stuff like "this is foul", or "don't click this", cause it'll be a protruding hernia or something hideous.
Bill Cunningham: the direct to DVD master. Always interesting and useful. D2DVD stuff has to work and leave out any pointless scenes, so they're usually pretty economical, tight scripts. And he's good fun, too.
Javier Grillo-Marxuach: writer of Lost among many others. Slow at updates, but good value.
Dingo Novel: comics writer posting his novel Dingo chapter by chapter.
Wil Wheaton: new address for his blog, again not much use for writing info, but usually interesting and heartwarming.
Neil Gaiman: you know the name, you know the game - if not, he's a comic, novel, movie and story writer, mainly well known for the Sandman comics, and the Neverwhere book and TV series. Full of interesting info, and random links, there's always something cool to check out here."
Again, thanks James for a great list.
And two more I came across recently:
Fellow UK scriptwriter & reader Lucy Vee's journal.
Deep Structure: Christopher Stack's muses on film from LA. We're not related but with a name like Stack, you know you can't go wrong...
Minggu, 08 Januari 2006
In the Money
If the time has come to take the plunge from cushy full-time job you hate to the uncertain freelance excitement (or hell) of writing for a living, then there’s one issue that must be resolved before you go any further on your adventure.
Tax.
The step from employee to ‘self-employed’ is a very basic one but there are one or two small matters to take into account before you forget, and d’oh!, you end up with a fine because of your innocence.
First of all, you have to tell the tax office that you’re now self-employed. If you don’t register your new job status within a certain period (I think it’s 60 days, but it could be fewer), then they’ll fine your ass for not telling them.
There are two things in life that I seem to have a complete mental block on how to do properly. DIY and Tax. And just like the letters DIY don’t seem to be in my alphabet, the word Tax is nowhere to be found in my vocabulary.
But that was then, this is now. I can now proudly boast of the basic knowledge required to steer your way through the jargon and dubiously posed questions of your tax return. (I can also put up shelves and other basic DIY tasks. I have pictures.)
Of course, you can pay someone to do it for you - an accountant - but if you’re just starting you won’t be able to afford one. There’s no other way around it, you’ve just got to learn the basics of bookkeeping and take responsibility for your income.
I am pleased to report that it is rather straightforward. Indeed, some may be reading this and are thinking: “it’s only tax, get over it”. But what do you do? Where do you go?
Check out the Inland Revenue’s Self Assessment Home Page. That will tell you what you need to know and where to go about setting things up.
If you’re not ready for that, why not locate your nearest tax office for the advice you need.
It may sound a bit remedial after these simple steps but there’s even help for the self-employed at this link.
Put off by the web? Want to speak to a human bean (sic)? Then punch in the numbers for the Self Assessment helpline: 0845 9 000 444.
And don’t, whatever you do, forget about National Insurance (NI). Basically, if you’re self-employed you pay ‘Class 2’ NI contributions (NIC) at a flat rate weekly amount of £2.10.
You also pay ‘Class 4’ NICs as a percentage of your taxable profits. Go to the NI rates and allowances website HERE or call the helpline on 0845 302 1479 to help you set up the Direct Debit needed to pay your ‘Class 2’ contributions.
This may sound like I know what I’m talking about but I don’t really. These are the basics that you absolutely, definitely must know and organise. I’ve gone from being ‘completely hopeless’ to ‘a little useless’.
But to their credit, the Inland Revenue have made matters easier than I could have ever envisaged with their helpful website and the ‘submit your tax return on-line’ is a must if you’re a moron like me.
The Inland Revenue also have a team of ‘Small Business Advisers’. They’re the Revenue’s best kept secret. You never hear about them or know of their existence - I couldn’t even find any details on the Revenue’s website - but they’re there, somewhere, and they’re willing to help.
Basically, once you manage to find them (just phone the tax office and ask them where the hell they’re hiding them), they’ll arrange an appointment with you to discuss your situation and what you need to be aware of. If you can’t make it to them, they’ll come to your house! This service is free!
My guy came around and I offered him a home-made muffin to which he said if it cost more than £5, then he’d have to mark it down as a potential bribe! Ha! Anyway, he was extremely helpful. He explained the tax situation in basic terms that I could understand and more importantly, told me what I could claim as expenses.
So if you don’t get the answers or help you need from the above links at the Inland Revenue, try and track down the Small Business Advisers and they’ll do the trick.
Right, I’m off to fill in this year’s tax return. I got a reminder on Saturday which sent me into mild panic and confusion as it said ‘I had nothing to pay’ but ‘where was the tax return?’
You pay your tax in advance (based on an assumption of your first year’s earnings as a freelancer) so I had done that but in the haze of last year, I forgot to submit for 04/05, which I have to do before end of Jan. Now where’s that Small Business Adviser’s number, godammit?
Tax.
The step from employee to ‘self-employed’ is a very basic one but there are one or two small matters to take into account before you forget, and d’oh!, you end up with a fine because of your innocence.
First of all, you have to tell the tax office that you’re now self-employed. If you don’t register your new job status within a certain period (I think it’s 60 days, but it could be fewer), then they’ll fine your ass for not telling them.
There are two things in life that I seem to have a complete mental block on how to do properly. DIY and Tax. And just like the letters DIY don’t seem to be in my alphabet, the word Tax is nowhere to be found in my vocabulary.
But that was then, this is now. I can now proudly boast of the basic knowledge required to steer your way through the jargon and dubiously posed questions of your tax return. (I can also put up shelves and other basic DIY tasks. I have pictures.)
Of course, you can pay someone to do it for you - an accountant - but if you’re just starting you won’t be able to afford one. There’s no other way around it, you’ve just got to learn the basics of bookkeeping and take responsibility for your income.
I am pleased to report that it is rather straightforward. Indeed, some may be reading this and are thinking: “it’s only tax, get over it”. But what do you do? Where do you go?
Check out the Inland Revenue’s Self Assessment Home Page. That will tell you what you need to know and where to go about setting things up.
If you’re not ready for that, why not locate your nearest tax office for the advice you need.
It may sound a bit remedial after these simple steps but there’s even help for the self-employed at this link.
Put off by the web? Want to speak to a human bean (sic)? Then punch in the numbers for the Self Assessment helpline: 0845 9 000 444.
And don’t, whatever you do, forget about National Insurance (NI). Basically, if you’re self-employed you pay ‘Class 2’ NI contributions (NIC) at a flat rate weekly amount of £2.10.
You also pay ‘Class 4’ NICs as a percentage of your taxable profits. Go to the NI rates and allowances website HERE or call the helpline on 0845 302 1479 to help you set up the Direct Debit needed to pay your ‘Class 2’ contributions.
This may sound like I know what I’m talking about but I don’t really. These are the basics that you absolutely, definitely must know and organise. I’ve gone from being ‘completely hopeless’ to ‘a little useless’.
But to their credit, the Inland Revenue have made matters easier than I could have ever envisaged with their helpful website and the ‘submit your tax return on-line’ is a must if you’re a moron like me.
The Inland Revenue also have a team of ‘Small Business Advisers’. They’re the Revenue’s best kept secret. You never hear about them or know of their existence - I couldn’t even find any details on the Revenue’s website - but they’re there, somewhere, and they’re willing to help.
Basically, once you manage to find them (just phone the tax office and ask them where the hell they’re hiding them), they’ll arrange an appointment with you to discuss your situation and what you need to be aware of. If you can’t make it to them, they’ll come to your house! This service is free!
My guy came around and I offered him a home-made muffin to which he said if it cost more than £5, then he’d have to mark it down as a potential bribe! Ha! Anyway, he was extremely helpful. He explained the tax situation in basic terms that I could understand and more importantly, told me what I could claim as expenses.
So if you don’t get the answers or help you need from the above links at the Inland Revenue, try and track down the Small Business Advisers and they’ll do the trick.
Right, I’m off to fill in this year’s tax return. I got a reminder on Saturday which sent me into mild panic and confusion as it said ‘I had nothing to pay’ but ‘where was the tax return?’
You pay your tax in advance (based on an assumption of your first year’s earnings as a freelancer) so I had done that but in the haze of last year, I forgot to submit for 04/05, which I have to do before end of Jan. Now where’s that Small Business Adviser’s number, godammit?
Kamis, 05 Januari 2006
Giz a Job in Film
So there are a number of opportunities and avenues towards TV that will get you the kickstart and contacts you need for your career. Do the same exist for film?
Well, yes and no.
It is probably fair to say that the world of film is a much more closed shop than the vast corridors of TV. But that doesn’t mean that the shop is closed to you. You can be canny enough to figure out their opening times and raid the store for everything they’ve got.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that to get by in this world it’s “who you know rather than what you know” that will determine your fate. But what is not added to this adage is that while someone you know might get you the opportunity, it’s down to your talent and hard work to ensure that the nepotism or favouritism is justified. Otherwise, in the immortal words of Donald Trump: “You’re fired.”
The notion of ‘six degrees of separation’ should probably read ‘three degrees of separation’. You’d be surprised how tenuously you can link yourself to someone who has some tie to the industry and who might, just might, be able to swing something your way.
Your cousin’s wife’s sister could work for a post-production house and might be prepared to have a word with her boss about the possibility of getting you in as a runner, or in dispatch, or hell, just sit in on some edits and learn a few things.
I think that perhaps people, especially those ‘new and naïve’ to the business, go to the Cineplex and check out what’s on offer and think there’s no way of breaking in. But that’s the high profile of cinema. The top-end of production and distribution. You can’t just walk into that arena without earning your stripes first.
Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of films being made, every day. These include shorts, low-no budget features, pop promos, commercials and corporate videos. And while they’re generally crewed up quite quickly, there’s still that small gap of uncertainty for a production manager when he/she has to consider: “who can I get as a runner? What about a production secretary?”
This is where you come in. Your unbridled passion and enthusiasm will have generated some momentum where you’ll find yourself in a position of contact for these people. Those that casually check out the scene and back out because there’s not enough opportunity are the has-beens not the wannabes.
So what is out there? You know it already. Despite the occasional weary criticism from its own members, Shooting People is practically recruiting every day for films, shorts and scripts. It may be payment on a lo-no-deferment basis but remember, everyone’s got to start somewhere.
They’ve recently started a New York division too. Very exciting. And don’t forget Talent Circle and UK Screen who provide a similar service.
Screen International is the film industry trade mag for the UK and will sometimes slip in an advert for development peeps.
You could try the reliable approach of writing to film companies with your CV but as everyone does this, it really has to be a good letter, practically a winning pitch of yourself for it to work. Although if you’re wily and witty enough, follow it up with a phone call (see previous post for TV) and see how far you can get.
Working Title Films have an annual (open) internship called ‘Action’. Check the website for details. “The successful candidates will spend 12 months with Working Title on a full-time basis with the development and production teams”. The deadline for this year is February 22nd 2006. This is an amazing opportunity. Make sure you’re first in line. Annihilate the opposition with your commitment to film.
Are there any more opportunities? Probably. If anyone knows of something else, please share. Apart from that though, it’s down to the contacts you make or any industry relatives you might (tenuously) have. A friend of mine’s mother is a housekeeper for a friend of Frank Stapleton, the ex-Irish and Manchester United footballer, and I have enjoyed tickets at Old Trafford because of this vague connection (although I must stress, I am not a United fan).
My mother’s cousin worked in special effects in Ardmore Studios and lo, my first break in film was born. But after that, and I don’t mind saying so, it was all me. I even got a job doing on-air reviews for a youth magazine show on RTE just because I approached them at the right time and with the right tone (my screen test however was quite nervy but he gave me a shot anyway because my film reviews were good, bless you Philip McGovern). And then I came to London and you know the rest.
Well, yes and no.
It is probably fair to say that the world of film is a much more closed shop than the vast corridors of TV. But that doesn’t mean that the shop is closed to you. You can be canny enough to figure out their opening times and raid the store for everything they’ve got.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that to get by in this world it’s “who you know rather than what you know” that will determine your fate. But what is not added to this adage is that while someone you know might get you the opportunity, it’s down to your talent and hard work to ensure that the nepotism or favouritism is justified. Otherwise, in the immortal words of Donald Trump: “You’re fired.”
The notion of ‘six degrees of separation’ should probably read ‘three degrees of separation’. You’d be surprised how tenuously you can link yourself to someone who has some tie to the industry and who might, just might, be able to swing something your way.
Your cousin’s wife’s sister could work for a post-production house and might be prepared to have a word with her boss about the possibility of getting you in as a runner, or in dispatch, or hell, just sit in on some edits and learn a few things.
I think that perhaps people, especially those ‘new and naïve’ to the business, go to the Cineplex and check out what’s on offer and think there’s no way of breaking in. But that’s the high profile of cinema. The top-end of production and distribution. You can’t just walk into that arena without earning your stripes first.
Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of films being made, every day. These include shorts, low-no budget features, pop promos, commercials and corporate videos. And while they’re generally crewed up quite quickly, there’s still that small gap of uncertainty for a production manager when he/she has to consider: “who can I get as a runner? What about a production secretary?”
This is where you come in. Your unbridled passion and enthusiasm will have generated some momentum where you’ll find yourself in a position of contact for these people. Those that casually check out the scene and back out because there’s not enough opportunity are the has-beens not the wannabes.
So what is out there? You know it already. Despite the occasional weary criticism from its own members, Shooting People is practically recruiting every day for films, shorts and scripts. It may be payment on a lo-no-deferment basis but remember, everyone’s got to start somewhere.
They’ve recently started a New York division too. Very exciting. And don’t forget Talent Circle and UK Screen who provide a similar service.
Screen International is the film industry trade mag for the UK and will sometimes slip in an advert for development peeps.
You could try the reliable approach of writing to film companies with your CV but as everyone does this, it really has to be a good letter, practically a winning pitch of yourself for it to work. Although if you’re wily and witty enough, follow it up with a phone call (see previous post for TV) and see how far you can get.
Working Title Films have an annual (open) internship called ‘Action’. Check the website for details. “The successful candidates will spend 12 months with Working Title on a full-time basis with the development and production teams”. The deadline for this year is February 22nd 2006. This is an amazing opportunity. Make sure you’re first in line. Annihilate the opposition with your commitment to film.
Are there any more opportunities? Probably. If anyone knows of something else, please share. Apart from that though, it’s down to the contacts you make or any industry relatives you might (tenuously) have. A friend of mine’s mother is a housekeeper for a friend of Frank Stapleton, the ex-Irish and Manchester United footballer, and I have enjoyed tickets at Old Trafford because of this vague connection (although I must stress, I am not a United fan).
My mother’s cousin worked in special effects in Ardmore Studios and lo, my first break in film was born. But after that, and I don’t mind saying so, it was all me. I even got a job doing on-air reviews for a youth magazine show on RTE just because I approached them at the right time and with the right tone (my screen test however was quite nervy but he gave me a shot anyway because my film reviews were good, bless you Philip McGovern). And then I came to London and you know the rest.
Rabu, 04 Januari 2006
Giz a Job in TV
Getting your foot stuck in the swinging doors of UK television is not as impossible as you might imagine.
While you might have grand dreams and ambitions of being a BAFTA or Oscar winning writer, the humble truth of it is that everyone has to start somewhere.
The opportunistic tales about being spotted or a script being chosen out of the pile above the rest are not about you and are never likely to be. Forget about the stories that have catapulted Terry from Tynecastle to Hollywood glory.
If you want a career in the UK industry, you just have to get involved. Be prepared to work in a minor role - raise your cholesterol by sucking some eggs for a while - gain some contacts and then roll the dice to see what happens.
This particularly applies if you’re a graduate or someone still in their late teens/early twenties. But it doesn’t matter what age you are really. If you’re fed up with writing to an empty vacuum from your pad in Poole, then make some effort to be part of the process rather than continually complaining about the system.
Like most things, it’s a simple enough approach and procedure but takes a lot of hard graft, determination and luck to get a break. But if you’re not doing it, someone else is benefiting. So:-
Watch the credits of shows that you enjoy. Jot down the producer’s name and the production company who made the programme.
Write to the producer. Better still, telephone to see if the producer works at the production company full-time or if he’s freelance. Get to know the assistant. Be polite but don’t get chummy. Ask him about the chances of getting work (runner/pa/whatever) and ask who the best person to contact is about this.
Thank them for their time and then write to the producer. Tell them who you are, you love their shows and you want to work for them.
You won’t get a reply. That’s okay. Follow it up with a phone-call. Talk to the assistant. He’ll remember you and might like the sound of you, and promise to put your CV on top of the pile. You might get a call back, an opportunity might crop up, you never know. But you’ve just made a contact with the assistant, and that’s the name of the game.
Regular TV favourites like ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ (both made by Hat Trick, seem to have a high turnaround of staff per season. The runners will move on to something else or become a researcher so that leaves a spot open. Be alert and aware, and pick the right time to contact.
The BBC advertise all their jobs through their website, the national papers and their in-house magazine, Ariel (which you can nab at BBC reception).
Check out Monday’s Media Guardian for all sorts of media jobs and opportunities.
Broadcast is the TV industry trade mag for the UK market. It astounds me that very few people wanting to break in to the biz know of its existence. Get with the programme. It’s on sale every Friday and has a regular ‘Appointments’ page at the back with lots of jobs available, from runner to researcher to AP to producer.
Channel 4 and Channel 5 don’t make their own programmes, they commission them to independent production companies. This means that there are opportunities to work in the commissioning departments for C4 and C5. Basically, you become a temp and then see if you can wangle your way to a more permanent position (which is a regular occurrence).
I got work at Channel 4 through the temp agency Career Moves. They probably do Channel 5 as well but all you have to do is phone up the personnel departments of each channel and ask what temp agencies they use and then go from there.
When I came over from Ireland in 1994, I temped around for six months (advertising, publishing etc) before I got the call from Career Moves asking me if I’d like a spot in Channel 4’s “Duty Office” (now known as Viewer Enquiries).
It was a two week stint and I stayed for two years. Again, this is a regular temping occurrence. It’s still one of the best jobs I’ve ever done. I got to know all about Channel 4, the programmes it made, the people responsible for them and how the commissioning process worked.
If you’re stuck between a runner and a researcher and are not quite sure what to do, then go work for Viewer Enquiries. It rocks. From there, I worked my way into the Entertainment/Comedy department and stayed for another two years before taking the plunge to write full-time.
All is not lost if you don’t know anyone or have no relatives in the business. I didn’t know anyone but as soon as you get that first temping assignment (for Peter Salmon when he was Head of Factual Programmes at C4), you start making contacts.
From my two week spell cramming Peter Salmon’s diary with meetings he didn’t want (“8.30am? Why Danny?”), I got in contact with Kudos Productions (who now make Spooks) and met with producer Stephen Garrett. He asked me what I wanted to do, to which I replied: “Everything!”.
His advice was pick one thing, stick with it and give it all you got. I left the office disagreeing with him (I know, nuts) until finally five years later, his advice hit home and I chose writing above all else.
But his advice didn’t mean ignore the possibilities and opportunities of working as an assistant and working your way through the TV programme (or whatever it is you're doing). He meant do these things as long as it gets you to where you want to be. Don’t just go from pillar to post without any final objective.
So, breaking in can be done and all the experience and contacts will enrich your life and help you get to your goal. At least, that’s the plan.
While you might have grand dreams and ambitions of being a BAFTA or Oscar winning writer, the humble truth of it is that everyone has to start somewhere.
The opportunistic tales about being spotted or a script being chosen out of the pile above the rest are not about you and are never likely to be. Forget about the stories that have catapulted Terry from Tynecastle to Hollywood glory.
If you want a career in the UK industry, you just have to get involved. Be prepared to work in a minor role - raise your cholesterol by sucking some eggs for a while - gain some contacts and then roll the dice to see what happens.
This particularly applies if you’re a graduate or someone still in their late teens/early twenties. But it doesn’t matter what age you are really. If you’re fed up with writing to an empty vacuum from your pad in Poole, then make some effort to be part of the process rather than continually complaining about the system.
Like most things, it’s a simple enough approach and procedure but takes a lot of hard graft, determination and luck to get a break. But if you’re not doing it, someone else is benefiting. So:-
Watch the credits of shows that you enjoy. Jot down the producer’s name and the production company who made the programme.
Write to the producer. Better still, telephone to see if the producer works at the production company full-time or if he’s freelance. Get to know the assistant. Be polite but don’t get chummy. Ask him about the chances of getting work (runner/pa/whatever) and ask who the best person to contact is about this.
Thank them for their time and then write to the producer. Tell them who you are, you love their shows and you want to work for them.
You won’t get a reply. That’s okay. Follow it up with a phone-call. Talk to the assistant. He’ll remember you and might like the sound of you, and promise to put your CV on top of the pile. You might get a call back, an opportunity might crop up, you never know. But you’ve just made a contact with the assistant, and that’s the name of the game.
Regular TV favourites like ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ (both made by Hat Trick, seem to have a high turnaround of staff per season. The runners will move on to something else or become a researcher so that leaves a spot open. Be alert and aware, and pick the right time to contact.
The BBC advertise all their jobs through their website, the national papers and their in-house magazine, Ariel (which you can nab at BBC reception).
Check out Monday’s Media Guardian for all sorts of media jobs and opportunities.
Broadcast is the TV industry trade mag for the UK market. It astounds me that very few people wanting to break in to the biz know of its existence. Get with the programme. It’s on sale every Friday and has a regular ‘Appointments’ page at the back with lots of jobs available, from runner to researcher to AP to producer.
Channel 4 and Channel 5 don’t make their own programmes, they commission them to independent production companies. This means that there are opportunities to work in the commissioning departments for C4 and C5. Basically, you become a temp and then see if you can wangle your way to a more permanent position (which is a regular occurrence).
I got work at Channel 4 through the temp agency Career Moves. They probably do Channel 5 as well but all you have to do is phone up the personnel departments of each channel and ask what temp agencies they use and then go from there.
When I came over from Ireland in 1994, I temped around for six months (advertising, publishing etc) before I got the call from Career Moves asking me if I’d like a spot in Channel 4’s “Duty Office” (now known as Viewer Enquiries).
It was a two week stint and I stayed for two years. Again, this is a regular temping occurrence. It’s still one of the best jobs I’ve ever done. I got to know all about Channel 4, the programmes it made, the people responsible for them and how the commissioning process worked.
If you’re stuck between a runner and a researcher and are not quite sure what to do, then go work for Viewer Enquiries. It rocks. From there, I worked my way into the Entertainment/Comedy department and stayed for another two years before taking the plunge to write full-time.
All is not lost if you don’t know anyone or have no relatives in the business. I didn’t know anyone but as soon as you get that first temping assignment (for Peter Salmon when he was Head of Factual Programmes at C4), you start making contacts.
From my two week spell cramming Peter Salmon’s diary with meetings he didn’t want (“8.30am? Why Danny?”), I got in contact with Kudos Productions (who now make Spooks) and met with producer Stephen Garrett. He asked me what I wanted to do, to which I replied: “Everything!”.
His advice was pick one thing, stick with it and give it all you got. I left the office disagreeing with him (I know, nuts) until finally five years later, his advice hit home and I chose writing above all else.
But his advice didn’t mean ignore the possibilities and opportunities of working as an assistant and working your way through the TV programme (or whatever it is you're doing). He meant do these things as long as it gets you to where you want to be. Don’t just go from pillar to post without any final objective.
So, breaking in can be done and all the experience and contacts will enrich your life and help you get to your goal. At least, that’s the plan.
Selasa, 03 Januari 2006
Character Vs Everything
“Writing screenplays is hard” is an assertion easy to grasp but this neat summary of the task doesn’t quite describe just how hard and difficult it is to get from page one to fade out.
There are so many aspects of screenwriting craft to consider and get right: concept, tone, pace, structure, visual narrative (cinematic), plot, dialogue, setting, theme. These areas can be studied, taught and learned but there’s one key aspect that is much more difficult to define and dissect.
Characters. The people that populate your story will be the main reason why the audience will want to stick around and be swept away by your concept, tone, pace, structure…
This applies to TV and film. Favourite dramas, sitcoms, movies of the week, whatever, all have a great foundation at their heart to make their ideas and story lines work. Great characters. Friends, Frasier, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Sopranos, ER, Queer as Folk, Cracker, Shameless, State of Play, The Office…
The tone, energy and humour of the show/film will largely come from the characters’ characterisation and behaviour. If a script is chugging along with two-dimensional characters who are contrived into a situation and provided with dialogue that isn’t credible, emotive or amusing, then the script is reading flat and uninspiring.
Kimberly Simi, writer of Casanova (the film version, not Russell T’s delightful romp), has this to say: “I think it's always a struggle to make sure your characters are engaging and have some basis in humanity so that people care about them. [But] at the same time, you need a plot that's interesting. You can't just have interesting characters, you have to have a plot that supports your characters. So I think the struggle is creating a plot that is worthy of your characters and characters that are worthy of your plot."
And therein lies the rub. So much advice from books and gurus will tell you how to mould the perfect plot with the pinpoint three-act structure but like moths to a scalding light, new screenwriters focus on the craft and forget about the care needed to make the characters work.
The week before Christmas, I went to Dublin to attend a meeting with Parallel Films who are developing one of my scripts. Previously, I took their (valuable) notes and went away to write a new draft. I was pleased and confident that I had strengthened the characters and structure, and made the script a much more appealing and rounded story.
They hated it. They thought it had taken a step backwards (from the first draft), and worse, that it felt like it had been written by a different writer. They were very disappointed. All because of one glaring inconsistency (for them): the characters. They felt my rewrite lost sense of who the characters were and what they wanted.
It was the worse reaction to one of my scripts, ever. And I got paid! I sat there, in the producer’s house, gobsmacked. The writing was good, no question (towards the end of the meeting, we discussed the possibility of me writing for a TV series they’re making) but the new scenes and structure had altered some of the characterisation of the key characters, and they were too disconcerted to appreciate all my finely honed craft.
I disagreed with them. I felt the script, and characters, were stronger but it wasn’t a case of “I’m right, you’re wrong”, it was a fascinating and compelling exercise to listen to their response and learn why they felt that way.
If this had happened a couple of years ago, I would have probably bawled my eyes out and thrown a silent tantrum but instead of feeling sensitive and insecure, I was calm and even about their reaction as opposed to what I had intended in the script (more people have read the script and opinion is divided: some love the new draft but Parallel dislike it and they’re the ones who’re paying).
Focus on the characters. Get them right. Clarify their motivation and characterisation, and keep them consistent whilst developing their emotional journey throughout the story. It's best not to confuse or mislead the reader/audience with ambiguous character behaviour. Try not to contrive a plot or situation to fit the characters, it's better to dramatise the characters’ needs and conflict so that it becomes the body of the drama.
And don’t forget the pace, tone, structure, dialogue, subtext, visual narrative, plot, setting, theme…
Writing screenplays is hard? Damn straight.
There are so many aspects of screenwriting craft to consider and get right: concept, tone, pace, structure, visual narrative (cinematic), plot, dialogue, setting, theme. These areas can be studied, taught and learned but there’s one key aspect that is much more difficult to define and dissect.
Characters. The people that populate your story will be the main reason why the audience will want to stick around and be swept away by your concept, tone, pace, structure…
This applies to TV and film. Favourite dramas, sitcoms, movies of the week, whatever, all have a great foundation at their heart to make their ideas and story lines work. Great characters. Friends, Frasier, NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Sopranos, ER, Queer as Folk, Cracker, Shameless, State of Play, The Office…
The tone, energy and humour of the show/film will largely come from the characters’ characterisation and behaviour. If a script is chugging along with two-dimensional characters who are contrived into a situation and provided with dialogue that isn’t credible, emotive or amusing, then the script is reading flat and uninspiring.
Kimberly Simi, writer of Casanova (the film version, not Russell T’s delightful romp), has this to say: “I think it's always a struggle to make sure your characters are engaging and have some basis in humanity so that people care about them. [But] at the same time, you need a plot that's interesting. You can't just have interesting characters, you have to have a plot that supports your characters. So I think the struggle is creating a plot that is worthy of your characters and characters that are worthy of your plot."
And therein lies the rub. So much advice from books and gurus will tell you how to mould the perfect plot with the pinpoint three-act structure but like moths to a scalding light, new screenwriters focus on the craft and forget about the care needed to make the characters work.
The week before Christmas, I went to Dublin to attend a meeting with Parallel Films who are developing one of my scripts. Previously, I took their (valuable) notes and went away to write a new draft. I was pleased and confident that I had strengthened the characters and structure, and made the script a much more appealing and rounded story.
They hated it. They thought it had taken a step backwards (from the first draft), and worse, that it felt like it had been written by a different writer. They were very disappointed. All because of one glaring inconsistency (for them): the characters. They felt my rewrite lost sense of who the characters were and what they wanted.
It was the worse reaction to one of my scripts, ever. And I got paid! I sat there, in the producer’s house, gobsmacked. The writing was good, no question (towards the end of the meeting, we discussed the possibility of me writing for a TV series they’re making) but the new scenes and structure had altered some of the characterisation of the key characters, and they were too disconcerted to appreciate all my finely honed craft.
I disagreed with them. I felt the script, and characters, were stronger but it wasn’t a case of “I’m right, you’re wrong”, it was a fascinating and compelling exercise to listen to their response and learn why they felt that way.
If this had happened a couple of years ago, I would have probably bawled my eyes out and thrown a silent tantrum but instead of feeling sensitive and insecure, I was calm and even about their reaction as opposed to what I had intended in the script (more people have read the script and opinion is divided: some love the new draft but Parallel dislike it and they’re the ones who’re paying).
Focus on the characters. Get them right. Clarify their motivation and characterisation, and keep them consistent whilst developing their emotional journey throughout the story. It's best not to confuse or mislead the reader/audience with ambiguous character behaviour. Try not to contrive a plot or situation to fit the characters, it's better to dramatise the characters’ needs and conflict so that it becomes the body of the drama.
And don’t forget the pace, tone, structure, dialogue, subtext, visual narrative, plot, setting, theme…
Writing screenplays is hard? Damn straight.
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