Charlottesville Unemployment Reaches 7%; Albemarle County Reaches 5.3%

The number for the entire Cville Metropolitan Statistical Area is 5.9%, nearly double that of 3% at the same time last year. Read The DP article.

Latest Case Shiller Index Falls 18%

The Index for April, reported June 30, 2009.Click for larger image in new window.Barry Ritholtz Big Pictures the numbers: "The reduced collapse speed (another one of those famed 2nd derivatives) is primarily a function of foreclosure moratoriums. The overall trend in housing remains weak, with soft demand, excess inventory and heavily indebted consumer unlikely to effect a V-recovery."And

More Bad News For County's "Green" Belvedere Development

The DP has details on losing the line of credit that would have gone toward infrastructure. The County may have to step in. What a shocking turn of events. Read here.Related ReadingHauser Homes Seeking to Sell Belvedere StakeChurch Hill Homes Mass ForeclosuresChurch Hill Not Paying SubsSpence, Schmidt Foreclosures

Market Snapshot - Recent Albemarle County Asking Prices - Above Assessment

We followed a hunch and looked into the Asking Prices for some new listings in Albemarle County on a couple different days. Though Assessments have been declining for several years now, so much so that the County is having significant revenue shortfalls and cutting services, Asking Prices remain up. In many cases Asking Prices have "bubble valuation" over previous purchase price, and are also

"Housing Hallucination" - Unsold? Turn It Into A Rental

Business Insider is tracking a phenomenon which they term "The New Housing Hallucination." The 'hallucination' is this idea: "We'll rent for a year and then sell when the market comes back."This phenom has been under way in Cville/Albemarle for a couple years now, growing into a strong trend in 2008. Now, in 2009, there are properties that have been for sale for more than a year which are

Story Vault: Intercut?

Hello new readers to the blog! How are you? You look very well, if you don't mind me saying so. Have you been out in the sun? Smashing. Now that you're here, don't be afraid to dip into the archives, or the 'story vault' to give it its poncey name (link on the right there, just a little bit down).

We've covered a lot of ground on the blog over the last few years so if there's a particular screenwriting subject or area you're interested in, chances are there's a post on it. If there isn't, please feel free to shout and I'll do my best to oblige. If anyone has any questions or screenwriting issues they'd like to go over, even if we've covered it already, then that would be d'groovy also. I've got my head down at the moment, ducking hitting my deadline for EastEnders, so here's a post from this time last year about intercutting in a script. Mind the buses, now.

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Wyndham: What's the best way to tackle two long scenes in different locations which happen at the same time and both of which continue at some length. Can you treat them as one long intercut or is it important to always treat them as separate scenes entirely?

Intercut is most common in telephone conversations (or, y'know, telepathic conversations like with Vader and Luke in Empire Strikes Back). For these types of scenes, it’s a simple case of cutting back and forth between the characters. This helps to maintain an easy-to-follow continuity for their conversation. Formatting wise, you can either state where each cut occurs, i.e.

INT. DANNY’S OFFICE. DAY

DANNY
With me so far?

INT. WYNDAM’S PLACE. DAY

WYNDHAM
I think so, carry on.

Or set up the first cut to establish that they’re in separate locations, then state INTERCUT AS NECESSARY so the director/editor knows what to do. This can be helpful to let the flow of the scene work to better effect on paper (i.e for the reader/exec).

Now, to get to the meat of the question. What’s the best way to tackle two long scenes that happen at the same time and at different locations? I presume we’re not talking about a simple telephone exchange then. But no need to panic. I’d say it’s perfectly valid to intercut scenes in this way, SHOULD IT BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE STORY. If it’s harming the narrative flow, then it might be better to treat the scenes separately.


** SPOILERS FOR SILENCE OF THE LAMBS & THE GODFATHER ahead **

This type of intercutting is generally used for three purposes. CONTRAST, SUSPENSE and SUMMARY. And a lot of times, all three. A classic moment in modern cinema beautifully highlights contrast and suspense. Silence of the Lambs - when the FBI and Clarice Starling arrive at Jame Gumb’s house. A tense intercutting sequence reveals that the FBI are at a different house entirely, and Clarice is by herself chatting to Mr Gumb. This link for the script doesn’t have page numbers but do a search for “WIDE ANGLE on what appears to be, at first, a calm, ordinary neighbourhod”, and that would be a good place to start reading.

Then of course there’s the famous sequence where Michael Corleone becomes godfather to his sister’s child while his orders to assassinate the heads of the five families get carried out. This provides contrast and summary. The contrast is of Michael Corleone being a religious and family man - even renouncing Satan - while his men carry out the dastardly deeds (the summary of the action).

Suspenseful intercuts usually build to some kind of twist or reveal in the story. For example, we see a hero finally finding the treasure while cutting to his damsel in distress who is being tied up by the baddies. But when the hero opens the treasure, it’s empty, and we cut to the damsel being unbound by the baddies, a big smile on her face as she’s handed the treasure. That kind of thing.

Basic contrasting purposes are usually good for showing what various characters are doing at the same time. In a romcom, this could be a sequence where the girl tells her friends about her sensitive first date while we intercut with the boy’s beefed up version to his boorish mates (Summer Nights in Grease comes to mind).

I think the important thing to do is to treat ‘intercutting’ as a sequence (or mini-story) rather than simply cutting between two scenes. In other words, ask yourself what is the point of the key scenes being intercut in this way, and try to use each cut so that they develop to a satisfying conclusion. For Silence of the Lambs, it was the electrifying reveal that Clarice had to face the final showdown by herself. In The Godfather, it was the climactic moment where Michael Corleone had become everything he had tried to avoid. It’s not incidental that these two moments are the key dramatic issues of the story, so when done right, this kind of intercutting technique can work wonders.

Not sure if any of that is helpful. If anyone has any good examples of other intercuts, famous or otherwise, then do please share. All I could think of was Lambs and Godfather, and a few generic intercutting sequences in romcoms and the like. There’s bound to be loads more (The Deer Hunter hunting sequence intercut with the wedding?). As a last note, I would say that intercutting is not the same as a montage but they share similar qualities in their style and content.

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Realtors v. Appraisers

In the National Association of Realtors' press release for May Existing Home Sales, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun included some opinion:[T]he increase in sales is less than expected because poor appraisals are stalling transactions. Pending home sales indicated much stronger activity, but some contracts are falling through from faulty valuations that keep buyers from getting a loan.”Yun said the

New & Existing Home Sales Remain Down Nationwide

Existing Home Sales for May have been announced by the National Association of Realtors. "Existing homes" for this sales data mean detached houses, condos, and attached/townhouses.According to NAR: Sales rose 2.4% from April, which is to be seasonally expected. Sales declined YOY from May 2008 by 3.2%. National existing months of supply hovers at 9.6%, and the national median price was

Origin Website & Trailer

Let me introduce you to the trailer and official website for Origin, the short film I've been putting together since the beginning of the year.



The website has been kindly provided by the one and only Steve Andrews. The full list of Associate Producers, Special Thanks & Thanks credits are listed in the Cast & Crew section. A huge thanks to YOU and everyone involved in the Twitter Short Film Fund. These fund raising initiatives are now closed but my thanks again for your amazing generosity and support. It made such a huge difference to just about everything.

For more fun and photos, don't forget the Facebook page. Or you can follow the short film on Twitter, and/or follow me.

The trailer is playing ungraded images (but still look pretty good, I think) so I'm looking forward to the Digital Intermediate next month, which is when the film will be fully finished. Phew! What a ride.

Snapshot: Do Charlottesville's Latest Listings Indicate Lack of Move-Up Buyers?

We've posted about the lack of move-up buyers in this area, which helps keep the inventory high. The FTHB (First Time Home Buyer) is present, so transactions that are $300K and under account for most sales, and has lowered the median sold price. (Not asking prices; "sold" prices.) Lack of move-up buyers is also a nationwide trend. And it's trouble in any market. Keeps sellers trapped in

Free Ticket: William Akers Talk

You may have seen that William Akers is coming to London to give a talk about the "Fatal Errors Beginning (and experienced) Writers Make". William's a produced screenwriter and author of "Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make it Great" and, by all accounts, seems like one of the good guys. More details on William and his book can be found here.

Fancy going along to his talk FOR FREE? Yes, a blog exclusive for you (and because you've been so kind with the short film fund), I asked William if he'd give a freebie to attend his two hour intensive discussion where he will cover such topics as:

- How to tell if your idea is good enough to be a “movie.”
- The crucial importance of the Opponent.
- Making the Opponent the Hero’s agent of change.
- Why a One Line outline is crucial.
- Using a “Random Thoughts” outline to give your story depth.
- Conflict. It’s a good thing.
- An easy way to separate character's voices.
- Characters want to speak subtext, not text!
- Words on a page: how not to confuse your reader.
- Image Order... why doesn’t anybody teach this?!
- Words that weaken your writing.
- Cutting stuff to improve it.
- Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. How to approach it without going nuts.
- 7 Deadly Sins Of Screenwriting.
- A few thoughts on paranoia.
- Writing your way out of a hole.

The talk will take place at the Met Film School, Ealing Studios on Thursday 2nd July, 6.30pm-8.30pm. For your chance to attend for free, simply answer the following question:

"What famous movie about Arthur, King of the Britons was produced by the producer of Akers’s first film?"

Email me with your answer (dstack30 at hotmail.com) by Tuesday 23rd June, 12pm UK time. Then, all the names of those with the correct answer will be put in a hat and the winner chosen from there.

Good luck!

Coldwell Banker: Lack of Move-Up Buyers

The Prez and CEO of Coldwell Banker, who considers the Spring selling season over, says: "The more important 'move-up' buyers were absent and that is not encouraging." We've already noted the lack of move-up buyers in this area.

"American Dream" Element of Owning a Home Found Not to Apply

Those glib guys over at The Business Insider have an eye-catching headline: "Female Homeowners Sadder, Fatter Than Renters."Under discussion is a study, conducted by Grace W. Bucchianeri of The Wharton School of Business, that found female mortgageholders were 12 pounds heavier than renters, and not as happy. Even when controlling for other factors.But the study goes deeper than just the above

Buying A House? What Are the Closing Costs?

A new website can help figure out what closing costs you or seller will face, as well as offer suggestions for local and regional title services, inspectors, insurers, and so forth. But don't forget you need to remember to add agent fees, if you use one, which should be negotiated ahead of time. See Closing.com.

Mortgage Rates Down Slightly Week Ending June 18

According to Freddie Mac's survey, "Thirty-year fixed mortgages (FRMs) averaged 5.38% rates with an average 0.7 point, down from 5.59% last week." Bankrate said in a media statement, "“The concerns about eventual inflation that drove bond yields and mortgage rates higher have been tempered by the reality of continued weakness in the economy.” Other mortgage products were also slightly down from

Snapshot: Charlottesville - Albemarle Real Estate Market Mid-June 2009

During the past seven days ending June 15, 66 properties came on the local market: 40 in Albemarle County, 26 in Charlottesville (and more in the surrounding Counties).The following properties have their own "quirks" associated with the listings, which are symptomatic of this befuddled market, which has had declining sales and rising inventories since 2005.There are also two main "issues" with

Credit When It's Due

A lot of producers and execs won't consider a new writer who doesn't have a credit (often referred to as "an unknown quantity") but how does someone get their first credit if no-one is willing to give them a break? It's a catch-22 similar to trying to get an agent (the agent’s not interested until you’ve got some work but it’s incredibly difficult to get work without an agent). So what do you do?

Dedicate yourself to achieving that first credit, wherever you can get it. Forget about big Hollywood sales*, creating your own TV series or nabbing a commission on the next series of Ashes to Ashes. That ain't gonna happen. (It COULD happen but it'll take a great deal of luck and a lot of brilliance on your part.) Instead, think more strategically. Start building your profile from the ground up. Use your spec scripts as red hot samples of your original voice. Convince producers/script editors/execs that you're the next big thing, or at the very least, a writer who deserves some attention.

Write a short film, get someone to make it or make it yourself. Credit! Write a sketch, have it performed somewhere, even if it's your mate's sketch group down the pub. Credit! Write a play. Produce it yourself. Credit! Write a radio play. Submit it to the Beeb, see if they want to commission it or, hell yes, produce it yourself. Credit! All decent ways of building your profile, and giving producers/execs a good reason to consider you as a writer who's a bit different than the rest. The BBC Writers' Academy will only accept submissions from those who have a professional credit. This includes radio/theatre plays. Get in there.

It is possible to get a shot at EastEnders without a credit but you have to impress them in their Shadow Scheme first (and to be considered for this, they need to read & like your sample script, or previous work). Doctors is a good route for new writers. I think there's talk of a Doctors New Writing Scheme but I can't find any details yet (if anyone knows anything, post a link/comment, ta).

If you're thinking children's TV might be an easier way to get a credit, well it can be just as difficult and competitive as prime time drama. But fear not. Look further afield. There's a healthy European market for animation series, and they need lots of writers. MIPCOM and MIPCOM Jnr are two key festivals where the animation movers and shakers hang out. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to take a risk to try to find them.

You're probably feeling eager and frustrated to get your first credit RIGHT NOW. You probably think you're ready, that you can write just as good as the stuff that's on TV, AND that you could do better. Maybe so. But that's from the outside looking in. Once you get your foot in the door, the process of writing a commissioned piece of work becomes a different ball game altogether, and you soon learn whether you can cut it.

One thing is for sure: when your first credit does come along, it will feel right. It will feel earned. You'll be ready to kick some ass. All that hard work will have paid off. My first credit was on Doctors. They had a New Talent Producer at the time, and I pitched and developed ideas with her until Doctors HQ gave us the nod. I cried when they commissioned one of my ideas. It was such a big relief because I was pursuing an 'all or nothing' approach with my writing and I knew it was a significant stepping stone for my career.

Everyone's different. People will get lucky chances. Some will get hard earned breaks. Some will get wrongly ignored or rightly rejected. Rejections pile up for everyone so don't feel too disheartened. They should however become a bit more positive so that you know you're on the right track (Julian Friedmann has some good stuff to say on rave rejections over at his place) . Keep going, keep improving and keep writing and that elusive first credit will eventually come.

* selling your spec script, not enjoying a shopping spree in LA, obviously.

All Contracts Written: Through June 1 2009 Via CAAR MLS

Below are spreadsheets for all contracts in the Charlottesville MLS for May 2009. Realtor Greg Slater has provided contract data for the past few months, and what you see below is the result of his efforts. Greg has provided contract data for the City, and for the Counties of Albemarle, Greene, and Fluvanna. Earlier 2009 Contracts, January-April, may be found here."All contracts" means those

Nothing Is Working to Stabilize the Housing Market. So How About....

Nationally, housing prices are still falling, foreclosures are rising, and there's still an over supply of unsold new and existing homes. Mortgage rates are rising, putting into jeopardy pending contracts w/out ratelocks. Refi apps are going down. For the past couple of months, nearly 50% of all pending existing home sales have been foreclosures or short sales. Clearly, nothing is stopping

Charlottesville Albemarle Commercial Sector Shows Signs of Life. Sort of.

The Daily Progress' Charlottesville Business Journal reports that there seem to be some signs of life in the commercial sector. As reported by The Hook in April, Wendell Wood has clearcut a patch of land up 29 for a hotel, bank, and proposed chain restaurant. And Octagon Partners have proposed a Kohl's and hotel at Hollymead Town Center, home to Target.(Meanwhile, "Albemarle Place" remains,

1621 Bruce Avenue - Flip -$379.9K

New listing:MLS# 466461 1621 Bruce Avenue$379.9K3 beds / 2 baths1,768 sq. ft.ca. 1955Why would somebody attempt a flip in this day and age? No, it's not that they're insane. It's because, as anybody who has been looking in the past couple of years knows, there are periods when there's a large amount of inventory and little of quality re-sales available. Ranchers come on the market with their

1320 Kenwood Lane - Price Reduced $1.1M to $899.9K

Listing: "What if you could find the soul of SoHo in Charlottesville? .... masterpiece w/endless possibilities."

We'll nutshell the issues: the house may have the soul of SoHo, but the neighborhood does not: it's the Rutledge section of Cville, aka Meadowbrook Heights, near Charlottesville High School.

The neighborhood also does not have the "soul" of lots of cash: this unique, beautiful

1868 Edgewood: Asking Price = 100+% Increase in 8 Years

New ListingMLS 466382 - $875K4 beds, 2.5 baths, 2225 sq ft$393 sq. ft.ca. 1929Listing: "sweet cottage"This street is part of a micro-neighborhood between Rugby Road and Barracks Road/Rte. 29, close to UVA, which has seen 100++% price increases over the past decade, nearing the $1M mark, for houses that are relatively unassuming.1868 Edgewood asking price = $25K above assessment.Transfer history:

3434 Fosters Branch Road Doubled in Value; Now Back to 2004 Price

MLS #466296 - $859,0003434 Fosters Branch Road4 bds 3.5 baths, 2900 sq feetca. 1999; 8.5 acresAlbemarle - Stony Point (north of Cville, south of Barboursville)Assessed $794,600By "2004 Price" we mean a number between the 2002 and 2006 prices; 3434 Fosters Branch Road changed hands a lot in its short life. High demand, doubled in value.Transfer History10/2006: $999,800Deed book: 3313/488,

4899 Parsons Green - Price Reduced: $1.1 Million to $799,900

MLS 4593374899 Parsons Green LaneGreenwood, Albemarle County4 beds, 2.5 baths; outbuildings and amenities6.17 acresCa. 1760Price History:2008: $1.1M ListingJan 2009: $950,000Jan.-Apr. 2009: $899,900Now: $799,900Assessment: $560,200. Good example of the problem with "assessments." They're not appraisals. Greenwood is a beautiful section of Albemarle; this is a historic house. But who's the

Film Fund Update & More

The Twitter Short Film Fund has been a great success! A huge thank you to all those who pledged, most of whom doubled the basic request of £5, and some who went well beyond. I am well and truly gobsmacked, and I can't tell you the difference it makes to the final stages of post-production. But of course, I can tell you. It stops me from going further into debt or tapping even more of my meager savings (I say meager; non-existent would be more accurate, especially as the production budget hoovered it up in a blink).

To change your pledge into actual wonga, simply make a Gift payment at PayPal (using dstack30 at hotmail .com). If that makes no sense to you whatsoever, simply use the link in the sidebar (under the About Me section) and select your preferred method of payment. Remember, the basic £5 donation entitles you to the extremely popular Get Your Movie Made booklet, which lists the contact details and key personnel of 22 leading film companies in the UK.

I've got three key stages of the film left. Music. Sound FX/foley. Grading. The music is being done by Laurie Peters (who's also an artist/animator, more notably for Ricky Gervais). Sound FX/foley is being taken care of by these guys, Andrew Wilkinson & Francis Lindsay: officially the coolest guys on the planet. For the grade, I'm getting a digital intermediate done by the good folk at Ascent 142/Soho Film Lab. I've managed to negotiate a good deal for all of this, thanks mainly to my executive producer Paul Sarony, who pulled a few strings. I still have to pay more than I can afford but that's where the Twitter Short Film Fund comes in to help soften the blow. Sweet.

All going well, the film should be 'in the can' by July. The website and trailer will be up before that but until then, the Facebook page provides lots of photos and behind the scenes shenanigans. Getting the short film to this stage has been hugely rewarding but also very time consuming and has distracted me from my writing routine, not to mention generating fears of what my next job might be. Luckily, my recent episode of EastEnders went down well and they've just offered me another commission, which I start next week. Woo-hoo! Absolutely thrilled about this, and will at least ensure that I can pay the bills while I put the finishing touches on the short.

It's all busy busy busy, go go go, but we're only half way through the year. There's still a great deal to do and lots I want to achieve, and we should be getting the Red Planet Prize underway again in the summer, so that's exciting. Yeah. Let's go to work.

512 N. 1st Street, Sold 2007 $1.3M - Now Asking $900K for House

Price drop of $400,000 or 30% for sale without the second lot (yard).This new listing, a stone Arts & Crafts, sits between 1st & 2nd Street in Charlottesville, in North Downtown.MLS 466202Ca. 1920, 5 beds/3 bathsAssessed $795KTransfer History:2004: $750KListed 2006: $1,450,000(2006 assessment: $618K)Sold 3/07: $1,300,000The listing refers potential buyers to The Hook's On the Block article from

On the Market For 603 Days - One Price Drop

MLS 445642 1630 Meadowbrook HeightsCharlottesville, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2420 sq.ft.On the market for 603 days with one price drop of $25K. Asking: $324,900 September 08 and before: $349,900Listing: "Priced below assessment of $352,000 - good value!One-owner home in Meadowbrook Heights, a trustee sale on behalf of a life estate; there's no "move-up" seller and no hurry.

Endowment Bleeding Ends at UVIMCO

After losing $1 Billion of the endowment last fall during the financial meltdown, the University of Virginia Investment Management Company made some coin in March and April. Do they have a new investment strategy?

June 1, 2009 - Local Snapshots and National News

In some RE professionals' estimation, there's only one more month left of the Spring selling season. But other agents/Realtors, particularly in this area, believe the season is longer: that sales can continue at a strong pace through July and even have a surge in August before the school year takes hold again.In any event, the beginning of this June, an important sales month no matter how you

Twitter Short Film Fund!

The UK Film Council (well, officially it's Maya Vision) turned me down for completion funding on my short film, which is disappointing. They had over 90 films to consider so I'm sure they had very tough decisions to make but it still hurts, especially when you take the time to put together what you hope is a strong application and a promising rough cut. No matter. It's not a major set-back. It just means I have to scrap the post-production pennies myself because there's no way I'm NOT going to finish the film. That would be nuts. The official website is nearly ready to go, as is the trailer, so I'm sure I'll let you know when these two exciting elements are live, baby.

Anyway, over on Twitter, I had a brain wave. The place is such a searing pulse of updates and exchanges at the moment, it makes every other networking site and blog seem sooo last week. I've been trying to keep up, and then I thought: what if every follower I had donated £5 towards the short film? Hmm, bit of a long shot. But how about if they pledged the fiver and no money would exchange hands until I reached a Twitter target of, say, £1,000? Hmm, better. I put the idea out there to see what the response would be like. Pretty damn good! Turns out it's a crazy idea that just might work.

The Twitter Short Film Fund was born! Of course, I know there are plenty of other short film funding schemes worthy of your contribution but I thought £5 wasn't an unreasonable sum to request especially as you get the booklet 'Get Your Movie Made' which lists the contact details & personnel of the leading UK film companies.

If you'd like some of that action, simply pledge your £5 to dstack30 at hotmail . com and I'll only collect the money once I reach the Twitter target of £1,000. £1,000 is only a fifth of the money I need to complete the film but it will go a LONG way in helping me get across the financial finish line. If you'd like to contribute more than £5 (the £50 Associate Producer, £25 Special Thanks and £10 Thanks options are still open), then email me for the details.

For those of you with money to burn, there's an Executive Producer credit with your name on it for the princely sum of £500. Hey, just sayin'.

BBC writersroom roadshow

The BBC writersroom is coming to the south west. Plymouth to be precise. Tomorrow! So, if you live in the area, make sure to pop along. It's free, and you get a chance to hand over one of your spec scripts! Details below or check out the link.

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"Ever wondered what happens to your script when you send it in? Exactly how we assess your work and what we're looking for? What grabs us and what puts us off?

Here's your chance to put your questions to the people who assess up to 10,000 scripts a year for the BBC. You can also bring your script to hand in to us in person - but please make sure it meets our guidelines.

Plymouth
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Tuesday 2 June

Theatre Royal
TR2 Production & Education Centre
12 Neptune Park
Cattedown
Plymouth
PL4 0SJ

To book a place on the guest list, email writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk with your name and Plymouth Roadshow in the title of the email."

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