Scr(i)nk

Seven Great Cinematic Satires

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:59:00 +0000

by Jason Davis

Ever since Aesop compiled his famous fables, satire has been art's way of criticizing the status quo or, on occasion, foretelling a dire future that will come to pass if mankind doesn't mend its ways. Whether it's Jonathan Swift suggesting that Irish babies could solve the dietary dilemma of the poor or Charles Dickens highlighting the iniquities of post-industrialization England, exaggeration points out subtleties too often obscured in everyday life.

With the advent of cinema, satirists found a new venue with which to wage a witty war against the ills of modern life. This week, CS Weekly points out seven great film satires and offers a little writing lesson to take from each. So hone your pen to razor sharpness and -- on the off chance that you didn't know that "Rosebud" was the sled, that Verbal was Keyser Soze, or that Darth Vader was a whiny little twit--be careful, there are some spoilers ahead.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Terry Southern & Peter George (Kubrick directed)
Based on the novel Red Alert by Peter George
The Lesson: Global nuclear was is bad.
The Writing Lesson: Why go for subtlety when you can name a character "Jack D. Ripper" and really cut to the chase?

Peter George's Cold War thriller Red Alert got a radical makeover when director Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange) and screenwriter Terry Southern (The Magic Christian) realized that the only way to reasonably face nuclear annihilation was to laugh. Dr. Strangelove could have been the direst depiction of world affairs ever committed to film, what with a sexually frustrated (not to mention barking mad) USAF general launching a nuclear assault on the USSR. The resulting debacle of spin-doctor diplomacy could induce a suicidal depression if not for the facts that General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) is terrified of the Russian Ambassador (Peter Bull) seeing the threat board, that President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) is "really very sorry" that this has happened, and that his adviser, Dr. Strangelove (Sellers, again), thinks the best option is to embrace polygamy in underground bunkers to repopulate the species.

M.A.S.H. (1970)

Screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr. Based on the novel by Richard Hooker
The Lesson: In battlefield surgery, a martini does not constitute malpractice.
The Writing Lesson: If your characters, no matter how mad, make more sense than the situation they're in, your waging a winning satire.

Chaos reigns when Doctors Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and Augustus "Duke" Forrest (Tom Skerritt) are drafted into the Korean War and assigned to the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, where the war mangles patients faster than the besieged medics can sew them up. Ring Lardner, Jr.'s (The Cincinnati Kid) adaptation of Richard Hooker's novel is supplemented by copious improvisation on behalf of the cast and amusing camp announcements added in post-production by director Robert Altman (The Player). The film finds disparate personalities forced into untenable circumstances that bring out the best in surgeons like Hawkeye and Duke while showcasing the worst in their immediate superior, Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall). Though episodic in nature, the film's set pieces combine to create a chaotic gestalt that eventually erodes all the intellectual underpinnings of the war and leaves the human cost as the only figure worth considering as the screen goes dark.

Network (1976)

By Paddy Chayefsky
The Lesson: Reality TV signals the demise of Western civilization.
The Writing Lesson: Try to predict the future, and then regret it when you do.

The tale of news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch), whose on-air descent into madness is exploited into ratings fodder, Network is a 20th-century satire that has become a 21st-century reality, resulting in an enduring classic of one medium and a scathing indictment of another. Paddy Chayefsky's (Marty) disturbingly prescient assault on the ratings war finds the UBS network, under the cutthroat guidance of Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway), turning the evening news into an instrument of entertainment rather than education. Viewers tune in with the expectation that Beale's ravings will eventually lead to his suicide, a notion that subverts the whole point of television news and seems despicably similar to the worst of modern reality TV. A tragedy of Oedipal proportions, Network has the benefit of its author's experiences during TV's golden age and loses none of its power as each succeeding minute brings it closer to reality.

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

Written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin (Jones also directed)
The Lesson: Always know who you're following and why you're following them.
The Writing Lesson: In satire, nothing is sacred…especially if it normally is.

Born to a Jewish prostitute (Terry Jones) down the road from the Bethlehem stable where Jesus was soon to be be laid in a manger, Brian of Nazareth (Graham Chapman) longs to join in the rebellion against the Romans, but instead finds himself mistakenly labeled a messiah by a revolutionary sect bent on making a martyr. A follow-up to the Arthurian antics of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian showcases the dangers of faith not tempered by reason. Brian repeatedly refutes his supposed divinity, only to encourage his would-be followers and their belief that the real savior would deny his nature. When he loses a sandal while evading them, they interpret the mishap as an instruction from on high to discard one shoe. Less sketch oriented than previous Python offerings, Brian's message could just as easily be applied to government as it is to religion, and the narrative marvelously mines every joke the pompous Biblical epics of the past avoided like a plague of frogs.

Brazil (1985)

Screenplay by Terry Gilliam & Tom Stoppard & Charles McKeown
The Lesson: Bureaucracy is the root of all evil.
The Writing Lesson: If the world you imagine gives you nightmares, you're on the right track.

Originally titled 1984 ½, Brazil is filmmaker Terry Gilliam's ode to bureaucracy gone terribly wrong. After a typo at the Ministry of Information results in the torture and execution of an innocent man mistaken for a terrorist, mid-level functionary Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) sets out to correct the error with a check for the widow. One thing leads to another, and Lowry's life is soon strangled by red tape in a world where plastic surgery is as prevalent as brushing one's teeth, fashionable ducts are all the rage, and prisoners are billed for their own executions. Gilliam's story, as refined by the wit of playwright Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) and frequent Python collaborator Charles McKeown (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), leaves no exaggeration un-inflated as it combs through the banalities of everyday life searching for commonplace annoyances to hyperbolize.

L.A. Story (1991)

Written by Steve Martin
The Lesson: You don't have to be crazy to live in L.A., but it certainly improves the experience if you are.
The Writing Lesson: Observe like Sherlock Holmes and regurgitate like Steve Martin.

It takes a few years of living in Los Angeles to fully appreciate Steve Martin's (Shopgirl) astute observations about the peculiarities of the city. When weatherman Harris K. Telemacher's (Martin) life is derailed by a freak thunderstorm, the magic of the city comes to his rescue in a satirical script with a softer edge than most. Indeed, L.A. Story is more of a love letter to the eponymous metropolis and, like Brazil, its charm comes from the world in which it's set. Freeway shootings, cleansing colonics, and an absolute amazement at encountering natural breasts seem completely plausible in the setting Martin's script establishes, and the movie relies on the overall ambience of strangeness to convey its narrative rather than a nonstop barrage of gags. Martin pays attention to his surroundings and recalls them with a unique wit that imbues the movie with both charm and humor.

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Screenplay by Jason Reitman (also directed)
Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley
The Lesson: Smoking is bad for you, but the choice to smoke is good…I think…
The Writing Lesson: Know what you're saying and why.

Thank You for Smoking inverts the traditional audience expectations by offering ostensibly evil tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Ekhart) as a protagonist who champions the right to smoke (and die of lung cancer) as being as American as apple pie. Conversely, the anti-smoking Senator Finistirre (William H. Macy) becomes the bad guy because his campaign doesn't care about America's lungs -- it's only a political position with which to pursue votes. Jason Reitman's (Juno) screenplay, based on the book by Christopher Buckley, expands Naylor's relationship with his similarly persuasive son (Cameron Bright) to blow off the haze of tobacco smoke and reveal that it's not what you sell, but how you sell it and why. With a character as strongly realized as Naylor riding a premise that makes even the most oblivious viewer take a beat to think about what's really being said, Thank You for Smoking establishes a satirical foothold in the new millennium and ensures that the movies will still cast a withering eye over society's seemingly boundless stupidities.

As South Park seems to prove with every new season, the human race has no paucity of shortcomings to serve as fodder, so there will always be room for a good satire or six on multiplex screens.

Jason Davis has been the DVD Manager for CS Weekly, a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.

Everybody Drinks Water

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:55:00 +0000

"My works are like water. The works of the great masters are like wine. But everybody drinks water."

Mark Twain

10TH ANNUAL SCRIPTAPALOOZA SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:50:00 +0000

REGULAR DEADLINE MARCH 5

http://www.scriptapalooza.com

Why should you submit your script to Scriptapalooza?

--Grand Prize: $10,000
--2 writers got their scripts made into movies by LifeTime
--2 writers this year got their scripts optioned
--All the reading is done by 80 production companies
--Entertainment Weekly Magazine calls us 'One of the Best'
--We promote the winners, runners-up, finalists and semifinalists for a full year
--We are considered one of the best screenplay competitions by agents, managers and producers

About Scriptapalooza:

The Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition, was founded in 1998, and has generated heat, publicity and a reputation that demands respect. Scriptapalooza, Inc., along with its various divisions was created to nurture talent and create opportunities. Storytellers come from all over the world and from all walks of life, because of the simple fact that everyone has a story. Scriptapalooza's goal: to seek out that storyteller and honor their script with a grand prize of $10,000. Each year dozens of production companies and literary representatives sign on as participants to read our winners, resulting in many scripts being optioned, sold or outright bought.

Questions? Comments? call the office 323.654.5809
or email us at info@scriptapalooza.com

http://www.scriptapalooza.com

Call for Entries: The Accolade Competition

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:47:00 +0000

Deadline: February 15, 2008

Information: http://www.TheAccolade.net

Now in its sixth year, top-tier, international awards competition, The Accolade, announces its call for entries for moviemakers, television producers and videographers. The Accolade is a non-traditional, virtual venue. Awards go to those filmmakers, television producers and videographers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, short and feature films, television productions, animation and compelling documentaries.

The Accolade is a showcase for cinematic gems and unique voices. It receives entries from all over the world. Annually, a special award is given to a production that makes a significant contribution to social change or a humanitarian effort. The Accolade is an award recognized for its rigorous evaluation process by buyers and distributors; they are confident that winning productions are of high quality. The Accolade team works passionately to help worthy productions gain the publicity and distribution they deserve.

Go to http://www.TheAccolade.net for rules and entry form.

2008 Screenwriting Expo: Please Vote On Date/Location

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:39:00 +0000

Dear Friend of Creative Screenwriting and the Screenwriting Expo,

A few weeks ago, we surveyed both 2007 Screenwriting Expo registrants and potential 2008 attendees, asking for your preferred locations for the 2008 Expo.

We then went out and investigated numerous sites.

Now, we're asking for your final vote on two alternatives. It's quick-just click where it says below and respond to the few multiple-choice questions.

First, here are some of the key factors that went into this narrowing:

1. Los Angeles location.

Many respondents suggested other cities, especially New York City. We had to rule this out, we're sorry to say, due to practical realities. About half of Expo registrants come from the Los Angeles area, the other half from all over the world. We know that making half of you travel is an inconvenience. We apologize. But making 95% of all registrants, and most speakers, travel to a distant location would inconvenience everyone, reduce registrations, make it difficult to get great speakers, and raise our costs.

2. Prices of hotel rooms and food.

The way the meeting business works at hotels, we have to guarantee a certain number of guest room sales and a certain amount of food and beverage sales, or the hotel won't give us the meeting space. Some hotels with available space wanted guest room rates of $180/night and up, with commensurately higher food costs.

3. Size of venue.

The two Universal Citywalk hotels were suggested by many. Their combined meeting space is much too small. The same is true of a number of other choices.

So help us decide where to hold the 2008 Expo by voting here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Thank you very much.

Bill Donovan
Executive Manager
The Screenwriting Expo

Show It...Don't Say It!

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:33:00 +0000

by Curtis Kessinger (and many others)

I’ll be the first to admit I’m guilty of using dialogue for all the wrong reasons, but I’m changing my ways and I hope you do too. Following are a few tips for better dialogue.

Most people think dialogue is the best way to deliver the action, message or emotion of a scene, but in fact it can be the worst. Use dialogue as a last resort. Find a way to use visuals to deliver scenes to your audience. Avoid explaining, telling, or discussing something that can be shown visually. Analyze every bit of dialogue to see if you can figure out a way to show it visually and if you can’t, then that dialogue is worth saying.

Scenes can be more powerful when characters don’t say anything versus when they do. Use your dialogue wisely. We are compressing a story into two hours so every word has to count. Say as much as you can with the fewest number of words and avoid long speeches if possible. A well-written speech can be very powerful, but a poorly-written speech will have your audience heading for a popcorn refill.

Dialogue should move the story forward, reveal character and entertain us.

Dialogue should be authentic, manipulating, conniving, lively, and metaphorical.

The last word of a sentence of dialogue is the most important word. The last word contains the punch…the meaning…the impact. Once you have delivered the punch then it’s on to the next scene.

Dialogue should not discuss action which has already been seen by the audience or something that is going to be seen by the audience. If characters are planning something then don’t have them explaining exactly what is going to happen on the screen. They can explain a plan if the plan is not going to go as planned. The audience will be expecting one thing and you give them another, because your characters told them what was supposed to happen.

Dialogue has to be unique for each character. No two people talk alike. Everyone has a different viewpoint, different perspective, different vocabulary, different rhythm, different intellect, different pacing to their speech.

What characters say and do are two different things. Characters say one thing, but mean and do something else. They rarely say how they are feeling. Usually characters say the opposite of what they mean or feel. As an example male characters in horror movies rarely admit to being scared? Their actions and expressions show the audience they are scared, but they rarely admit to it.

Characters rarely talk in full sentences.

Characters talk in subtext. What they are saying is actually about something else.

Characters that know each other should avoid telling each other things they already know.

Avoid using clichés…be original. You are unique and original so your script should be the same.

All characters have strengths and weaknesses so no single character knows everything. They may say they know something to hide their weakness, but their actions show the audience the real truth.

Avoid using the words “yes” and “no”, because they are too on the nose…too on the money. It is the same way in real life…very few people say what is on their mind and give you a straight answer. They usually dance around the truth.

Dialogue that starts with the words “well”, “you know” and “remember” can slow down a scene.

Try to skip the normal introductions. Find a way to prevent characters from introducing themselves or introducing someone else in a normal manner such as “Hello I’m so-and-so” or “this is so-and-so.” It can also slow the momentum of a scene…especially if the audience already knows the character’s name from an earlier scene. If characters meet for the first time find a unique way to introduce them and have their names come out in other dialogue.

Eliminate words such as “hello” and “good-bye” when characters enter and exit scenes. Start the scene later and end the scene earlier.

Try to avoid using the word “this” when a character is pointing something out…the audience will see what the character is pointing/referring to and the word “this” can be eliminated.

I hope this helps you write better dialogue and I can’t wait to see your film on the big screen!

Thank you for your time. Now get back to writing!

Best wishes,

Curtis Kessinger
Film School Now!

Feel free to email me your comments: curtis@filmschoolnow.com

THE 7th ANNUAL FCPUG SUPERMEET: Tickets on Sale Now

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:32:00 +0000

The 7th Annual Macworld FCPUG SuperMeet

Join San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking, Boston and SF Cutters, and FCPUGs from around the world at Macworld for the largest gathering of FCP users and Gurus on the Planet.

Robertson Auditorium, Mission Bay Conference Center - UCSF
1675 Owens Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
Phone: 866/431.UCSF
Check out the space:
http://www.ahl-missionbay.com/gallery/index.cfm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2008 - 7:00PM - 10:00PM (Doors open 5:00PM)

Why? Because you need to learn something.
How Much? - $10.00 per person. $15.00 at the door. Ticket will include 2 raffle tickets.
Any raffle prizes? Of course.
Who should attend? - Anyone and everyone who wants to learn something
What's on the agenda? - It's Super Secret.

Tickets on sale NOW. Click here . .

http://fcpugsupermeet.eventbrite.com/

Buy your tickets Now - the MacWorld Final Cut Pro Users Network Supermeet has sold out for the last three years in a row, as ticket sales are now climbing, we anticipate a possible early sellout, maybe the organizers get to have a holiday meal.

Click this link to view . .

http://www.lafcpug.org/macworld_08.html

Raffle Prizes listed on the left, nearly $20,000 value of products and services and climbing.

Event Sponsors on the on Top Banner and to the Right - great education on who's who in digital video and film. Many of the Sponsors' top managers will be on-site at tables to explain their products and services, answer questions, and everyone has a great time. Click on the Logos and learn a lot about editing and producing Digital Video and Film.

Shelby Stricklin
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking
415/522.1200 ext.111
http://www.SFDigiFilm.com

Attend BAWIFT's Annual Not-to-Be-Missed Holiday

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:14:00 +0000

You are cordially invited to attend BAWIFT's annual not-to-be-missed Holiday Party.

DATE: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
TIME: 7:30 pm - 10 pm
LOCATION: The Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa Street @ Potrero, San Francisco, CA

Gather with Bay Area Women in Film & Television in celebration of all things seasonal with great music, food, drink and a chance to meet up with your fellow film and media folks, see old friends, meet new ones, or just enjoy the holiday cheer.

You'll also have the chance to take part in our Raffle featuring amazing prizes and packages from esteemed local film and media companies, festivals, organizations, studios, schools, filmmakers and more.

BAWIFT's Annual Holiday Party has always been the perfect opportunity to connect with the women of BAWIFT and others in the film community, talk shop, catch folks up on current projects and make connections for the future.

If you are a member of Chicks-Chat or work in film or media in the Bay Area and have been "meaning to make it to a BAWIFT event" this is a great introduction.

By supporting our Raffle at the party (tickets are $5 each), you can win yourself a fantastic Prize, Package or holiday gift for someone at the same time you are helping support BAWIFT. Your support helps us to continue to provide our monthly events, networking opportunities, membership, website resource & Chicks-Chat User Group for women in film and media in the Bay Area.

COST:
Attendance to our Holiday Party (like all BAWIFT events) is Free for current BAWIFT members and only $5 for non-members and $3 for non-BAWIFT Members with Student ID.

The BAWIFT Holiday Party is open to ALL the BAWIFT community - both Men and Women alike - so feel free to bring your partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, colleague(s) you want to connect with the BAWIFT community, your co-worker, neighbor.

Let us know if you can make it by visiting our site and RSVP-ing on the evite link. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Verdi Club on Wednesday, December 12th.

Happy Holidays from the Board of Directors of BAWIFT!

Shelby Stricklin
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking
415/522.1200 ext.111
http://www.SFDigiFilm.com

UPCOMING FESTIVALS & CALL FOR ENTRIES: December 2007

Michael J. Farrand — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:33:00 +0000

THE BLACK MARIA FILM FESTIVAL seeks diverse, expressive and passionate short films and videos by independent makers. The festival is named after Thomas Edison’s motion picture studio, and is known for its support of spirited, cutting-edge and otherwise singular film and video. The Black Maria is committed to works that explore the potential of the medium to illuminate, provoke, enrich and engage viewers. The festival tours 60 cinematheques, colleges, museums, libraries and community organizations, from Maine to California and Alaska to Florida, reaching over 20 states across the USA. For more information, please visit http://www.blackmariafilmfestival.org.

Filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films to Northern California's fastest growing film festival by December 31, 2007. The 10th Annual CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL will take place in Northern California's Livermore Valley Wine Country Wednesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 20th, 2008. Over 60 feature films, shorts, music videos and documentaries from all over the world will be screened during the five-day event, where several Hollywood legends will be honored for their work in independent motion pictures. For more information about the event, visit the festival site at http://www.caindiefest.com.

The JACKSON HOLE FILM FESTIVAL’S regular submission deadline is January 31st, 2008. Submit now for a chance to be a part of a premier competitive film festival that keeps the spotlight on the independent filmmakers. Their 5th annual Film Festival will take place June 5-9, 2008. Eighty films will be screened to over 6,500 attendees. Lively evening events, unforgettable bands, high profile forums will enrich the festival and give filmmakers a chance to network with film industry veterans. Find out why past filmmakers are raving about June in Jackson Hole and be a part of a truly independent film festival. Visit them at http://www.jacksonholefilmfestival.org.

The PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL is now accepting films and screenplays for its April Festival. Go to http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com to submit your film today. The Phoenix Film Festival is the largest festival in Arizona and accepts features, shorts, animated shorts, student films and foreign films in both short and feature length. The festival has repeatedly been called "the best filmmaker festival" by filmmakers that have attended. The screenplay competition offers a cash prize and studio exposure.

The PORTLAND WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL (a.k.a. POW Fest) focuses on the cinematic contribution of women filmmakers from around the world. Scheduled for May 15-18 2008, the roster of events will be comprised of exhibition of films made by women, filmmaker panels and workshops. Check http://www.powfest.com or contact justjohnd@sourappleproductions.com for submission deadlines.

SAN LUIS OBISPO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL—March 7-16, 2008. Celebrates and supports the films and filmmaking community of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Located on California’s Central Coast halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, SLOIFF offers you the opportunity to showcase your film before a wide array of active and influential members of the international filmmaking community. Now accepting foreign and domestic features, documentaries and shorts. Regular Deadline: November 1, 2007; Late Deadline: December 1, 2007, Withoutabox Extended Deadline: December 15, 2007. Best of Competition Award is $500. To submit, visit http://www.slofilmfest.org.

The STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL, located on the campus of Stony Brook University on the North Shore of Long Island, is a filmmaker favorite. Big audiences, big screen. Go to http://www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com and click on Info Film to learn about the festival. No entry fee. Deadline May 1st.

The 14th annual VICTORIA FILM FESTIVAL presents the most exclusive industry event of the year. Trigger Points Pacific has only 50 openings for producers who'll have the opportunity of a lifetime to meet with 25 top industry acquisition execs in 30-minute meetings for incomparable access and results. With historic architecture and fabulous vistas, downtown streets are lined with theatres, shops, museums and cafes that provide the perfect backdrop for the home of the boutique schmooze. A great package is available at the legendary Fairmont Empress to make your business trip unforgettable. Online registration and information at http://www.victoriafilmfestival.com.

For more information on advertising in MovieMaker's FLASH e-newsletter, contact Ian Bage at 800/677-4424 or ian@moviemaker.com.

The Chicago Screenwriters Network

Michael J. Farrand — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:03:00 +0000

The Chicago Screenwriters Network

Founded in the spring of 1995 by Ed Bernero through messages posted on-line, then subsequently organized in the flesh by Christiana Miller, CSN has since grown at almost a geometric rate, with some fifty-plus members actively involved, and a west coast branch gaining momentum.

The members meet every month and welcome anyone who is interested to stop by, pull up a chair, and "plug in" to the network.

Recent "celebrity" guest speakers have included:

Harold Ramis who is a Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Actor of such films as Analyze This, Groundhogs Day, Ghostbusters, Stripes, etc.

Plus:

* Author and Screenwriting Consultant Linda Seger;
* Co-Headwriter of the Young and the Restless Kay Alden;
* Film Editor Maise Poi;
* Development Executive Eric Poticha; and
* many others!

Free DVD Box Set With Sign Up

Michael J. Farrand — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:58:00 +0000

Whether it's ghostly flicks, outlandish treats, wild west adventures or heart-stopping thrills you crave, MovieMaker has the ultimate DVD box set to carry you through the holiday season and the rest of the year-absolutely free with your paid subscription.

"Thanks-for-Giving" spreads the holiday joy with a free DVD box set when you sign up for 18 issues of MovieMaker at just $25 (a savings of more than 75% off the newsstand rate).

Choose from among four DVD 20-packs, courtesy of DVD Mega Packs:

*Beyond the Grave, a box set of 20 horror films that will not die with titles like Dead Men Walk, House of the Dead, The Night Evelyn Came Out of Her Grave and Revolt of the Zombies.

*Cult Classics, a collection of some truly bizarre tales, including Escort Girl, Slaves in Bondage, Chained for Life, Test Tube Babies and the iconic Reefer Madness.

*Mean Guns, a collection of spaghetti western favorites chock full of blazing saddles and damsels in distress with stars like Donald Sutherland and Dennis Hopper.

*Rule of the Gun, a set of high-flying action films with classic action tough guys like Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci.

This offer is only good while supplies last-and they're going to go fast-so sign up today.

Log on to https://www.moviemaker.com/subscribe/cs_holiday to take advantage.

MovieMaker Magazine: The Art & Business of Making Movies

Creative Screenwriting News
email: info@creativescreenwriting.com
phone: (323) 957-1405

CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2008 BlueCat Screenplay Competition

Michael J. Farrand — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:11:00 +0000

The BlueCat Screenplay Competition is open for entries of feature length scripts for our tenth year.

*Grand Prize:$10,000
*Four Finalists: $1500
*Every writer who enters receives written script analysis

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: JAN 2, 2008

All screenplays submitted by JAN 2 will receive their analysis by FEB 1 (entries must be received by midnight Wed, Jan 2)

Entry fee $50

SUBMIT NOW: www.bluecatscreenplay.com

Since 1998, BlueCat has become the screenwriter' s screenplay contest, with unmatched and genuine support for all writers. More community than contest, BlueCat writers rally, stopping, listening and looking for their space to grow as screenwriters.

BlueCat Screenplay Competition
Hollywood, CA 90038
www.bluecatscreenplay.com
www.myspace.com/bluecatscreenplay
info@bluecatscreenplay.com

INTENSIVE SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP ENROLLING NOW

Michael J. Farrand — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:05:00 +0000

San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking is now enrolling...

INTENSIVE SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP I

* Learn the art and craft of screenwriting
* Taught by feature film writer/director James Savoca
* Develop a solid idea for a script
* Produce a finished treatment to a feature-length screenplay

San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF), the most innovative film school in the Bay Area bridges the gap between traditional education and professional moviemaking. Utilizing state-of-the- art high def equipment and a professional sound stage, students make lots of movies, work on HD feature films, and launch their careers. Offering intensive, hands-on Digital Filmmaking Programs, Digital Filmmaking Workshops, NEW! Screenwriting Workshop and Acting for Film Classes.

For more info: http://www.sfdigifilm.com

Or call: 415/522-1200

Learn more at our next OPEN HOUSE & FILM SCREENING:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16 at 12:00 NOON
2565 Third Street, Suite 337
San Francisco, CA 94107

RSVP Online: http://www.sfdigifilm.com/open_house.html
Directions: http://www.sfdigifilm.com/contact.html

Thanks and we hope to see you here!

Send a Card to a Soldier

Michael J. Farrand — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:39:00 +0000

If you go to LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card, Xerox will print it, and it will be sent to a soldier currently serving in Iraq.

The cards are all drawn by grade-school kids across the country. You have to see them to believe them.

You can't pick out who gets your card, but it will go to some member of the armed services.

How nice it would be if everyone sent just one.

Send a card. It's free and it only takes a second.

(And it might leave you crying like a child like it did me.)

Script Sales Report: November 2007

Michael J. Farrand — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:56:00 +0000

Eighty script deals have been recorded since the strike deadline. Book deals and rewrite assignments comprised most of the volume. Spec deals and pitches were obviously nil, so there will be no monthly sales breakdown.

Notable deals included Sidney Lumet's original screenplay "Getting Out." Lumet, now 83, signed a two-picture deal with the production company Funky Buddha Group. The children's classic ALICE IN WONDERLAND will be adapted by Linda Woolverton and shot on 3-D by Tim Burton. Zanuck Company is producing.

Darren Aronofsky and Richard Siegel are set to write THE WRESTLER, a story of a down and out wrestler attempting to get back in the ring one last time. Mickey Rourke is set to play the title role.

Joe Stillman sold PLANET 51 to Handmade Films International. This story is set on a Planet whose inhabitants live in fear of an alien invasion. Their paranoia is realized when astronaut Capt. Charles "Chuck" Baker arrives from Earth. Befriended by a young resident, the astronaut has to avoid capture in order to recover his spaceship and return home.

Roman Polanski will direct a film adaptation of "The Ghost," the best-selling political thriller by Robert Harris. Random House Group, the book's publisher, said Polanski and Harris are collaborating on a screenplay. Filming is due to begin in northern Europe next year.

Finally, Eric Bress' FINAL DESTINATION 4, to be directed by David R. Ellis with New Line Cinema.

From Script Pimp December Newsletter.

Screenwriter As God

Michael J. Farrand — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:50:00 +0000

"Briefly -- I enjoyed this book immensely. Whether it's any good as advice to aspiring writers I couldn't say, but I hope its audience won't be limited just to them. It's made up of short punchy bits that didn't tax my attention span, and many of them were laugh out loud funny. It won't be appreciated by those who don't care for rough language, but, having read two of the author's previous works, I was pretty well prepared for that and found it actually rather milder than expected. It had little relevance to my own life & hard times, and it won't revolutionize my world. Nevertheless it was worth the time and money."

From Customer Reviews at Amazon.com.

Screenwriting Workshop with Marc Lapdula

Michael J. Farrand — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:43:00 +0000

REGISTER TODAY TO ASSURE YOUR SEAT

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP
With MARC LAPDULA
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
CHARLES COMMONS
10 EAST 33RD STREET
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21218

DECEMBER 8, 2007

ITEMS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE WORKSHOP:

FINAL DRAFT #7 Software: $190 (comes with 1 license and multiple activations for two computers)

--Copies of screenplays: 2 for $25 or $15 each -- there will be a big selection of classic, contemporary and just released titles. It's important to read screenplays if you really want to learn how to do it!

-- Course packet: $25

GET REGISTRATION FORM ONLINE AT: www.wifvmd.com

Marc Lapadula is a full-time lecturer at Yale University, where he runs the screenwriting program in the Film Studies Department. Marc also lectures and conducts screenwriting workshops on both graduate and undergraduate levels at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University . He has also lectured on film and conducted screenwriting seminars at Columbia University Graduate Film School , as well as the Screenwriting Series at the Smithsonian Institution. He is a consultant for film producers and New Line Films studio. Marc produced the short film, 'Angel Passing', starring Hume Cronyn, which was screened at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Award at WORLDFEST, the Houston International Film Festival.

MARC'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Most recently Marc co-produced the film 'Mentor' starring Rutger Hauer, which premiered at THE TRIBECCA FILM FESTIVAL 2006. Marc also produced the film RAISE YOUR VOICE and has more films currently in production.

ABOUT MARC LAPADULA'S STUDENTS:

Yale Professor Marc Lapadula's students have won many major National Screenwriting Competitions (Disney, Nicholl, Chesterfield, and Austin to name only a few). Marc's students have been nominated for Emmy's for their writing on SCRUBS and FAMILY GUY.

Former students write for LAW AND ORDER, THE SIMPSONS, SVU, OLIVER BEENE, THE AGENCY, and STEP BY STEP. His student's have had their screenplays sold and made into movies like THE BREAK UP with Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn, CRY WOLF, MENTOR and others.

Something new is brewing at MovieMaker.com

Michael J. Farrand — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:39:00 +0000

It’s been months of testing and waiting, designing and comparing, debating and preparing—but it’s finally here: The all-new MovieMaker.com.

As the online component of MovieMaker Magazine, MovieMaker.com offers readers more of the content that you’ve come to rely on throughout the years. From the latest details on moviemaking equipment to financing strategies and interviews with cinema’s top players, MovieMaker.com is the place to go for daily and weekly updates on Hollywoood, Indiewood and beyond.

In addition to sneak previews of the bimonthly print version, the all-new MovieMaker.com will feature its own interviews, reviews, previews and content, while sharing in the magazine’s 15 years of articles and resources.

Log on now to check out the rest of MovieMaker’s exclusive interview with Francis Ford Coppola, parts of which were featured in the Future of Moviemaking and Summer 2007 print editions. The video interviews touch upon what this renowned moviemaker is doing now, why the upcoming Tetro is his most personal film yet and why it took the legendary Oscar-winning director so long to make another film.

Plus, enter to win new weekly and monthly prize packages from such companies as The Criterion Collection and Fox Home Video. Interact with others and make your voice heard in the new forums section and weekly polls, and check back daily for the entertainment industry’s latest headlines, or subscribe to the Newsfeed to get up-to-the-minute posts right on your homepage.

So drop by MovieMaker.com and find out what all the fuss is about. This month you can read interviews with director Ed Burns, producer Robin Swicord and Kevin Lima, director of current box office giant Enchanted. While you’re there, enter to win tickets to see The Golden Compass and $250 worth of goodies from The Criterion Collection.

We’ve got plenty more in the weeks ahead—so be sure to check back often for more on the latest on the art and business of making movies.

First-Time Writer Sells Comedy Spec to Universal

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:07:00 +0000

Newcomer Ben Frahm, who had been working as a special-needs teacher at a middle school, has sold his comedy spec Dr. Sensitive to Universal in a deal valued in the mid-six figures. Shady Acres will produce. The script, in the vein of Liar, Liar, is about a doctor with the world's worst bedside manner who undergoes a transformative experience that makes him overly empathetic. The screenplay was discovered by Frahm's reps at Underground Films through a query letter, and was developed for a year prior to going Shady Acres, where it was developed further.

From http://www.moviebytes.com/.

David Goyer Screenwriting Lesson

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:06:00 +0000

Can screenwriting be taught?

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Callie Khouri Screenwriting Lesson

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:04:00 +0000

Jim Uhls Screenwriting Lesson

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:03:00 +0000

Paul Haggis Screenwriting Lesson

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:02:00 +0000

Syd Field with Stuart Beattie

Michael J. Farrand — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:01:00 +0000