a far away city

BSSC 2010

2010-05-02T16:55:00.002+01:00

The British Short Screenplay Competition is now accepting submissions. The early deadline is Monday 31st May and the final deadline Monday 5th July. The winner of The British Short Screenplay Competition will have their screenplay produced by Kaos Films.

It seems like only yeaterday the last one closed! I've got to the semi finals 3 times out of the last 4 years, so time for one more push!

Anyone else entering this year?

www.kaosfilms.co.uk/bssc/rules

Treme Trailer #3 (HBO)

2010-04-25T11:30:00.001+01:00

Opportunities

2009-12-17T18:16:00.005Z

Euroscript Screen Story Competition 2010

Deadline: midnight 31st March 2010

Now in its 16th year, the Euroscript Screen Story Competition 2010 is an opportunity for screenwriters to develop their scripts to a high, marketable standard through an intensive, creative and focused script development programme.
1st PrizeThe winning writer will receive one-on-one professional guidance to develop his/her screen story from treatment or first draft.

DEADLINE: 31st March 2010

FEE TO ENTER: £35 per treatment.

http://www.euroscript.co.uk/about_competition.html
　
Submissions for next year's Digital Shorts now open!

Digital Shorts is the South West region’s key development and production initiative for new and emerging filmmakers.This year, we’re looking to commission 4 films, with running times of no more than 10 minutes, at budgets of between £10,000 - £15,000. All themes, styles and subjects will be considered including animation and documentary.

The commissioned films will be drawn from a ‘development pool’ of 8 projects/ filmmaking teams who’ll be supported through an intense 8-week development phase. Working with a professional development executive, producers and other collaborators, you’ll advance your chosen project to the point at which it can be ‘greenlit’ into production through the programme.The 4 greenlit films will go into production over Summer 2010, for delivery in August 2010.

http://www.swscreen.co.uk/how-we-can-help/digital-shorts.html
　

SWF 09 - Techrec

2009-10-03T11:36:00.008+01:00

Only three weeks to go until SWF 09. Excited? I went to the Technical Recce at The Cheltenham Ladies College yesterday, and it’s a fantastic venue.

One thing - It’s a bigger, more sprawling site than the Manor by the Lake. Wandering round the college yesterday was a bit like the first day at big school. Not in the head-flushed-down-the-loo*-by-the-bigger-boys-sense, but in the sense that the campus seems huge. There will of course be maps, and highly trained runners to ask directions from, but be prepared to take a while to get acclimatised. The programme has been designed to give plenty of time between sessions, so hopefully that won’t be a problem.

IT**was a problem last time, but the college has its own state of the art IT (and isn’t located near a secret government communication centre,) so that should be better this year.

Transport might be more of a problem (Pity the poor sucker who has to coordinate that!) There will be no direct trains to or from London that week, so anyone travelling from London will have to change at Bristol - the current advise can be found at http://www.screenwritersfestival.com/railtraveldisruption.php but obviously check well before you travel.

There is also NO PARKING ON SITE, and you will be very, very lucky to find a road without parking restrictions to park on. Most of the central hotels are within walking distance of the college, and the Travelodge is about 10 minutes by bus, so we’re*** recommending delegates leave their cars at their hotels and walk/bus/taxi it.

btw, The Queens Hotel will be the venue for the Post-Festival drinks Monday till Wednesday. Thursday drinks venue TBC.

Might be an idea to check with your hotel/ landlady how far where you’re staying is from the college, if there’s a bus connection etc. Any questions about Cheltenham, or the festival itself, then post them here and I’ll try to answer them, or find someone who can.

The provisional schedule is available now. http://www.screenwritersfestival.com/programme-2009.php Hopefully more names TBC, including (hopefully) one household name (who‘s not a writer.)

Oh and one more thing - Hypnotism is expressly forbidden by the terms of the Festival‘s contract with the college. You have been warned.
　
　
　
* Speaking of which, it‘s also one of the few places in the country where there shouldn’t be a queue for the ladies - there are only 2 gents on the whole site!
**That’s I.T. obviously, not the eponymous Big Bad from the 19?? Steven King novel ‘It’.
***Feels strange to say ‘we’ - it’s not like I’ve had that much to do with setting up the festival so far!

Writing Full Time In Your Spare Time - pt 3

2009-08-01T11:52:00.005+01:00

Last time I ended with a question: How? How do you find the motivation to write when you‘re working full time?

It’s taken me a while to get back to that one, because frankly I have absolutely no idea.

This week, I did 4 hours writing Sunday and 3½ hours Monday. Sounds admirably consistent, except for 2 things: 1)I was day off Sunday, and worked all day Monday; 2) I actually did 3½ hours writing Monday, as opposed to 4 hours staring at the laptop and occasionally sighing.

I wish the fired-up motivated Monday me could tell the shiftless, struggling Sunday me how he does it. The truth is, some days you’re in the mood, and it all flows, and some days you‘re not and it doesn‘t.

But I do write when I don’t want to, and that counts for a lot - if you only write when you‘re in the mood then you have a hobby. It’s all very well saying you shouldn’t force you muse (man,) but you have to put the hours in. Ok, there are times when you need a break, when you need to get away from it. But I always try to err on the side of carrying on, however hard it is.

The key word here is professionalism. In the day job, I sometimes feel tired, de-motivated, frustrated, bored. Sometimes, you’ll be stunned to hear, I don’t want to be there. If you have job that doesn’t at least sometime makes you feel this way, then you are very, very lucky. Please e-mail me your address so I can kill you, ear your skin to your job and take over your life.

The point is, I never, ever say “fuck it, I can‘t be bothered with this,” and go home and watch a DVD instead. I’d have to check the company’s disciplinary procedures, but I’d probably be sacked if I did. But when I’m writing, I do sometime say “fuck it, etc…” Why? Because when I‘m writing I’m my own boss and frankly I’m a bit of a soft touch.

So that brings us back to the original question - How do you find the motivation to write?

You just have to decide to do it. Then do it. It’s as simple and as hard as that. Apply bum to seat. Write. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.

Some people are more naturally driven. Anyone who’s ever met Adrian Mead wouldn’t be surprised that he managed to write while doing two jobs 6 days a week - the man’s a positive mountain of energy! But the idea that some people can do it, and more specifically, the idea that you’re not one of them, is dangerous. If you think you don’t have the motivation, then you won’t - it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

A wise man once said, “Do, or do not. There is no try*” Now objectively, this is not true. You can of course, try and fail. But subjectively if you believe that you will succeed, then you’re more likely to.

I’ve had a bit of competition success lately, and I’ve also started writing more - I’ve got back to doing 20 hours a week consistently. These facts are probably not unrelated. But of course I had to find the motivation to write the script that did well in the first place.

Which brings us back to sitting down to write - once you get into the habit of writing, you get better at it. Then you get some good feedback, it motivates you, and you build up a bit of momentum. The more you practise, the luckier you get.

So you have to find that initial motivation from somewhere - passion, ambition, revenge, competition. Believe that you have the choice. Believe that it is in your power. And if you don’t believe it, do it anyway!

* alright, a wise muppet.

...but no cigar.

2009-07-24T12:32:00.002+01:00

Didn't make the finals of Bluecat, which is a shame, as this is the stage where cash prizes are involved, and I need a new laptop! I'm happy with the run I had though, and there's still Page.

Congratulations to the finalists!

Writing Full Time In your Spare Time Pt 2

2009-07-18T16:21:00.004+01:00

So last time we left out intrepid hero (me) at a turning point - having to give up writing full time and get a proper job. That was late 2007, and disappointingly no one has given me any large sums of money not to work since then (the selfish swine.) So I write part time.

I work from 545am till 3pm,* which in theory gives me extra time to write. In practice, getting up at 5 every morning (and sometimes only getting a ¼ hour break!) is surprisingly tiring, so more often than not I tend to flop and/or sleep in the afternoons.

I aim to write 20 hours a week. I don’t succeed very often. When I was really fired up, after last years Screenwriter’s Festival, I blogged every week how many hours I did. It was kind of motivating to think I‘d have to report failiure to the blogosphere if I didn‘t get it done, and to get all the “wow, well done” comments when I did.

Of course it didn’t last. Last week was the first time in ages that I managed to get 20 done in a non bank holiday week. It’s hard enough dragging my sorry arse up every morning to work for T***o. If you factor in the writing then that’s a 60 Hour week. Every week. It doesn’t leave much time, or energy, to have a life, a relationship, or mooch around watching cricket/ DVD‘s.

I don’t say this looking for sympathy. I know there are people who work even longer or more unsociable hours, who have long commutes and family commitments who manage to write. Adrian Mead’s story is an inspiration - he managed to write while working two jobs (hairdresser by day, bouncer by night) six days a week. If that’s possible, anything is.

Quitting the day job and writing full time really isn’t practical for most people unless they have a private fortune, or a rich and very understanding partner they can sponge off, or they go live under a bridge and write. The latter option is the only one open to me, and then I’d have nowhere to plug in this battered old laptop so that wouldn‘t work so that wouldn't work.

Bottom line is if you want to write, you’ve gotta write. I remember someone at the first Screenwriter’s Festival asking what if you had a really good idea, but you didn’t have time to write it? I can’t remember the exact answer, but I’m sure it wasn’t ‘get a note from you mum and we’ll give you some money to write it. No actually we‘ll give you money and write it for you.”

We’re all grown ups here. I’m sure we all know the world doesn’t owe us a living. Screenwriter Dan Reed, also at SWF 07, said he remembered getting up to write at some ungodly hour when had the flu, thinking if he didn’t do it, then there was someone else out there who would. That really stuck with me.

It’s a competitive business out there. There’s a lot of talent around. Last time I checked the BBC writersroom get 10,000 scripts a year. I’m sure not every un-produced writer sends a script in every year. I’ve sent scripts in 2 out of the last 4 years, so using this ever so slightly unscientific sample lets say there’s 20,000 of us out there. And then there’s the season pros you’re competing against…

Now you could rely on being better than them, or luckier than them. Trouble is, you can’t control how talented or how lucky you are. What you can control is how hard you work.

You might say that this is easier said than done, and you‘d be right. Next time (Sorry I didn’t intend for this post to turn into an epic 3 part trilogy!) I’ll answer the $6 million question - How?

In the meantime, how do you do it? What motivates you? Do you set yourself targets? If so, in pages, word, hours? Is there anything you’ve changed that’s increased your productivity?

Now, all that talk of working hard is tiring, I’m going for a little lay down. ;)

Later.

* I’m a Space, Range and Merchandising team leader for Tesco. “Working at Tesco” seems to have reached the culture as a kind of nadir. There was an article in the Mirror a while about those teenage suicides in Bridgend. They asked a lad what it was like being young in that town, why so many kids thought the only way out was to top themselves. He told them that it was crap, there was nothing to do, no future, and the topper was that the best he had to look forward to was working at Tesco. The Observer had an article about the credit crunch where some posh bint who’d lost her job said “I’d even work in Tesco!” as if it was like going on the game. (Actually if you go on the game the pay’s better, and you get to lie down while you’re being fucked ;)

:)

2009-07-16T16:11:00.001+01:00

"2009 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Semi-Finalists

We are very happy to announce our 2009 BlueCat Semi-Finalists.
This list represents approximately the top 1 percent of over 3200 submissions received this year.

Congratulations to this very select and talented group of writers. What incredible work we received from all entrants this year.

Finalists will be posted on July 23rd.

Warmly,
Gordy and Heather"

Writing Full Time in Your Spare Time Pt 1

2009-07-13T12:37:00.002+01:00

Before I wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be a fighter pilot.* Which is a round about way of saying it’s been a long time (baby) - I’ve probably wanted to be a writer since I was 11, 12, so over fifteen years (Alright, no sniggering at the back, well over 15 years.) I don’t remember when I decided this, or even why. All I remember is that, like a lot of people, I wanted to write for Doctor Who. Probably wouldn’t say no now if the Moff called.

For a long time, there was one slight flaw in this masterplan: I didn’t actually do any actual writing. Then in my last year at uni I slipped a disc, and I was on the sick for a year after I left. I was bored, poor and immobile, so I started to write. I had an op, the DSS said I was fit for work (bastards!) so I got a summer job as a live in pot scrubber in an activity centre.

That was, er, an experience, ** so I wrote a script about it. It was my first vaguely - and I mean vaguely - coherent script. Then the DSS said I had to get a job (fascists!) So for the next 10 years I worked full time (In Littlewoods, then Index.)

I sort of vaguely planned to start writing in my holidays. I even occasionally dug out some of the scripts I’d written and thought hey, these are pretty good. (I was wrong.) I thought about writing, about being a writer, I even imagined I was a writer, but I never got round to any actual serious writing.

Then in 2005, I got made redundant. I was Management by then, I ’d been there ages, and I’d just got a raise, so I got a pretty decent redundancy settlement. Bottom line was, if I was careful with the money, I could get away with not working for 2 years. Good times, as the young people say.

This was my big opportunity. If I didn’t write now, then I was never going to. So I started to write. I built it up until I was regularly writing 45-50 hours a week. More if I had a deadline. People were impressed when I told them this, but I figured if I was capable of working silly hours for a company that would, frankly, sell me off for body parts if they could get away with, it then I could do it for myself.

Eventually, the bank decided that I didn’t have any money left (of course, we all know about there accounting practices now.) So I had to *shockhorror* get a job in the real world. I’d have to write, like most of us spec monkeys in my spare time.

So how’s that working out? Well I’ve already gone on too long, and as I worked till 4 AM last night I’m gonna do a little bit of proper writing then go for a nap. Part 2 to follow soon. Soon-ish.
Later

*I also wanted to design the planes - I used to do elaborate drawings of made up planes with cool names like the Phantom and Lightning. These may be the names of actual planes, I’m a bit out of touch with the whole fighter plane scene. I used to have loads of model aeroplanes suspended from the ceiling (I know you‘re not supposed to, but I was a kid, sue me.) I used to spend hours making them with my Dad.
Then one day, I decided I was too old for model aeroplanes. So, rather than pack them up and put them in the loft, I chucked them out the window, one by one, to see them smash. For some reason, the memory of this really upsets me. It almost feels like my teenage self was smashing up little me’s toys, and makes me want to go back and give the skinny (!) little bastard a clip round the ear. (And while I’m at it, tell him to stop sulking and learn how to talk to girls.) Sorry, wandered a bit off topic there.
** don’t ask okay? Just don’t

Yet more competition news!

2009-07-02T16:30:00.003+01:00

I've reached the Quarter Finals of the Page International Screenplay awards, which is the top 10% (or so they claim - it's actually one of 553 scripts remaining out 4394 submitted, which is 12.6% if you want to be pedantic.)

2009 Screenwriters' Festival - Preliminary schedule

2009-06-30T19:31:00.004+01:00

Scratching your head, wondering roughly what will be going on at SWF'09? Well wonder no more: The Preliminary schedule is here!

More competition news

2009-06-25T20:59:00.002+01:00

Second Round! Page International Screenplay Competition! (Top 25%!!) Too tired proper sentences to write!

Night Night.

Why don't you...?

2009-06-21T11:51:00.008+01:00

I’ve been watching Mad Men Season 1 on DVD, and it inspired me to post. Not about the intelligence and subtly of the scripts*; nor the depth and perception of the characterisation, or the sheer quality of the acting; not even the breathtaking beauty of the design and photography. No, what I wanted, need to say was about… the blurb on the sleeve.

Specifically this quote, from Metro: “AS NEAR TO GENIUS AS TV GETS”

As near to genius as TV gets. As near to genius as the dumb, humble, upstart medium that has given us The Wire, The Sopranos, Shameless, I Claudius, Buffy, The Singing Detective, Fawlty Towers, Cracker, Dexter, Doctor Who, Band of Brothers, Edge of Darkness, Boys from The Blackstuff, Blackadder, The Simpsons, Hustle, The West Wing, Twin Peaks, The Twlight Zone, Generation Kill and The Clangers gets?**

Paxman recently called the public a "bunch of barbarians" because watching TV is our favourite leisure activity, which David Mitchell brilliantly dealt with here evoking the memory of Why Don’t You (Just Switch Off Your TV And Do Something Less Boring Instead?) There’s an ad that crop up occasionally on the BBC encouraging people to read that perfectly sums up this snobbery. It shows celebs reading aloud - not just poetry and literature, but trashy romances and and celeb gossip magazines. The message from Auntie to the proles is clear: TV bad. Reading good. In other words, you’re better off reading Mills and Boon than watching, say, The Wire or the Beeb’s searing Iraq drama Occupation

Of course there’s a lot of crap on the telly. But guess what? 90% of everything is crap (It’s called Sturgeon's law) You could even argue that TV is the most exciting medium at the moment, certainly in America.*** Can you name a body of work in any medium as entertaining, as exciting, as innovative, as insightful as the output of subscription cable TV networks like HBO and Showtime? (The Sopranos, The Wire, Dexter, Mad Men etc.) Because if you can, I’d love to read/watch/listen to it.****

*although if I was I’d certainly include this key line from the Pilot “So we’re supposed to believe that people are all living one way but secretly thinking the exact opposite? That’s ridiculous,” spoken by repressed homosexual Salvatore Romano that prefectly captures the tension between appearence and reality that is arguably the shows dominant theme. But I'm not going to.

**and of course Blake’s 7

***British TV struggles to match it despite the occasionally Red Riding, The Devil’s Whore, the aforementioned Occupation, but doesn’t have the budgets to (and/or the will??) to do it as consistently.

****Film Animation is the only example I can think of - the mighty works of Pixar and Dreamworks.

Purrr!

2009-06-16T18:06:00.003+01:00

Just found out I've got to the quarter finals of the Bluecat screenplay competition (along with over 600 others. It's the top 20% of 3200, but it's a start.)

Later.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

2009-06-06T09:02:00.001+01:00

That is all.

True Blood

2009-05-26T15:09:00.006+01:00

HBO's True Blood is set to air on the FX Channel over here July. Check out the trailer here. It looks great - sex, religion, naked women and dead animals. Sounds like a normal Saturday Night down here!

"Thanks to a Japanese scientist's invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed from legendary monsters to fellow citizens overnight. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures "coming out of the coffin." Religious leaders and government officials around the world have chosen their sides, but in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the jury is still out.

Local waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), however, knows how it feels to be an outcast. "Cursed" with the ability to listen in on people's thoughts, she's also open-minded about the integration of vampires — particularly when it comes to Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), a handsome 173-year-old living up the road. But as Sookie is drawn into a series of mysteries surrounding Bill's arrival in Bon Temps, that tolerance will be put to the test.

A sexy, scary new drama from 'Six Feet Under' creator Alan Ball, 'True Blood' delves into the meticulously-crafted world of novelist Charlaine Harris. Described by the Emmy®-winning Ball as "popcorn for smart people" and featuring a colorful cast of local misfits, 'True Blood' promises an intense ride."

It's set to air on the FX Channel over here July-ish.

Dollhouse - UK Premiere.

2009-05-16T12:06:00.003+01:00

"The SCI FI channel brings you the brilliant, Dollhouse by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon. Premieres at 9pm on Tuesday 19th May. The lives of an elite, underground group of beautiful and seductive operatives known as the "Dolls" are revealed in Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku as Echo, who is part of a highly illegal and underground group known as the "Actives," or "Dolls." Echo is imprinted with any number of new personas that fit her assignments. Afterwards her thoughts, feelings and experiences are erased. She enters each new assignment with no memory of before. Or does she? As the series progresses, Echo becomes increasingly self-aware and hungers to discover her true identity."

http://www.scifi.co.uk/shows/dollhouse/

word is not as good as Buffy, but worth sticking with as the arc really pays off in the second half of the season.

Two Imposters

2009-05-08T15:57:00.002+01:00

After an early year flurry of competition entering, the first results are in -

Didn't make the final cut in the Euroscript competition, but got some great feedback.

However, I'm a finalist in the script_1 competition run by something called SWF. Hoorah!

BAFTA and The Script Factory present Serious Screenwriting

2009-04-25T08:51:00.003+01:00

"If you are serious about a writing career in the British film industry then join our two-day networking and training event.

Fri 5 & Sat 6 June 2009BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London W1

If you are serious about a writing career in the British film industry, this two-day networking and training event is meant for you. Our aim is to help you ensure that your talent, passion, energy and time are invested in projects that are genuinely screen-worthy and that, after two days with us, you are clued up about the opportunities which exist for getting your films made.

It works like this: mornings are dedicated to Script Factory training sessions (we assume that all attendees have a working knowledge of screenwriting theory so sessions are focussed on areas that cause difficulties for many of the writers that TSF work with); then, afternoons are devoted to sessions with a fantastic array of established industry guests who will offer lessons learnt from the frontline of filmmaking.

Serious Screenwriting costs £185 + VAT (total £212.75).

To make your booking please call The Script Factory on weekdays between 10am-6pm on 020 7851 4890 with your credit or debit card details, or email jeni@scriptfactory.co.uk with any queries"

More info here.

Obscure and Underrated British Films # 2 - Yield to the Night

2009-04-15T20:38:00.006+01:00

Yield to The Night isn’t quiet what I expected. All I’d seen of it was a clip of the sensational (in both senses of the word) opening sequence, where a cold, beautiful busty blonde shoots down a woman in a fur coat. It more than lives up to the rather wonderful US title - Blonde Sinner. It’s fast, flashy, amoral, all strange angles and sharp cuts, like something from a Sam Fuller film. But as the film develops, it becomes something deeper and richer, and the last scene is complete contrast - sombre, intelligent, moving and deeply moral.

This is perhaps writer Joan Henry and director J Lee Thompson ‘s greatest trick - wrapping a political message and a sensitive character study in such an appealing package. The film is an anti hanging polemic, but the filmmakers doesn’t make it easy for themselves. Thompson said “For capital punishment you must take somebody who deserves to die, and then feel sorry for them and say this is wrong. We…made it a ruthless, premeditated murder."

They succeed brilliantly - not only does Mary Hilton kill in cold blood, she doesn’t repent. She’s moody, temperamental, but ultimately utterly sympathetic. A lot of this is down to Diana Dors, who is incredible. She was more known at the time - and since - for her figure and her private life - her to delivering this kind of performance is like Kelly Brooke or Abi Titmus suddenly turning into Kate Winslett.

And it’s her performance, her presence, that ultimately make the film iconic (Morrissey used an image of Dors from the film on The Singles cover.) In the prison scenes, without make up, she’s even more beautiful than in the more glammed up flashback scene - this is a real old fashioned, light-up-the-screen star performance. Apparently not many of her films stretched her as much as this, but if this is her one great role, then it‘s enough.

I met Diana Dors once, when I was young (she died in 1984, so I must have been under 12.) She was opening a Fun Run that my Dad was taking part in. I remember being told to go up to get her autograph. Of course, I had no idea who she was. All I remember is a a big lady in a fur coat with a huge white Rolls Royce. I wish I remembered more. She seemed like someone who enjoyed life and had a sense of humour about herself - she once described herself as “rather like Britain's naughty seaside postcards”

I’ll try to do this more often. Later.

Stories

2009-04-06T10:14:00.004+01:00

Three things struck me about Watchmen, from a screenwriting point of view. The first was how the plot moves, or rather how it doesn’t move. The second was how little this matters.

The story’s about the hunt for whoever’s killing costumed heroes, and why. At one point Rorschach finds a lead linking the conspiracy to a company called Pyramid Holdings. So, naturally, he investigates Pyramid holding. The only trouble is, there’s about an hours screen time between the two scenes.

Without the constant backstory, you could easily fit the plot into an hour long TV episode. McKee wouldn’t approve. If a story doesn’t constantly move forward, shark like, towards a third act climax then the audience will switch off, right?.

Well no. Watchmen is a brilliant, utterly gripping film that totally held my attention for 3 hours. This despite the fact that I knew exactly what would happen in every single scene, so faithful is the adaptation.

Which brings me to the third thing - how completely irrelevant the “What’s going to happen next?” factor is. This is supposed to be why we watch stories - to find out the ending.

This is something that’s been on my mind for a while. I happened to see two similar films in the same week a while ago - Control and Downfall. Both great films. Both are about charismatic right wing figures who kill themselves in the end.

Those spoilers alerts are a joke, of course. The vast majority of the audience would have known the endings of both films before they start. Furthermore, There’s a scene in Control where Ian Curtis gets married, then they cut to his wife hoisting up the dryer in the kitchen. In Downfall, the blonde folk singing Goebels children pop surreally throughout. If you know how Ian Curtis killed himself, or what happened to the Goebels children, then it adds to rather than detracts from the film.

There seems to be a trend towards adaptations and true stories recently. In other words, towards stories that are already familiar. When I finally caught up with the second series of Rome recently, I remember coming back from work excited I’d have the last episode to watch. But why? I mean, the outcome was hardly in doubt : Anthony and Cleopatra were never going win the day and live happily ever after. Similarly, I watched series 2 of Dexter and then read the (excellent) novel before I saw the 1st series.

Add to this genre films, where the good guys win, the mismatched couple get together, the tragic hero gets their comeuppance and you have the question in how many film is the outcome in doubt. How often are we surprised by the ending? Very few films do a Se7en or an Empire Strikes Back. Even these films we rewatch - I‘ve seen Se7en about 3 times, and The Empire Strikes Back god knows how many times.

I’ve got Ice Cold in Alex next on my to see list. Marvellous film, but I’ve seen it at least twice before. I know exactly how it‘s going to turn out - The DVD even has a still from the famous last scene on the cover! Which raises the question : Why bother watching films, consuming stories if we know the outcome?

Maybe it‘s because it’s the ride, not the destination, that‘s important. We watch films to be entertained. To learn about the world. To feel something. To laugh and cry. To be comforted or challenged, to escape from or engage with our world.

The story is just the delivery method for whatever emotion or sensation or idea the film is trying to convey or invoke or inspire. In focusing on just on the technical aspects of story, then we’re in danger of forgetting that it’s the content that the audience pays to see, not the craft.

The Devil's Whore 2 (Hopefully)

2009-04-04T14:42:00.006+01:00

From Broadcast

"The creators of Channel 4's English Civil War drama The Devil's Whore have begun working on a follow-up set during the Restoration period.

C4 head of film and drama Tessa Ross has given creator Peter Flannery and co-writer and executive producer Martine Brant seed money to develop a new series.

Brant said they were fleshing out storylines that would tackle the immediate aftermath of the four-part series, using Charles II's restoration of the English, Scottish and Irish monarchy in 1660 as a starting point.

The follow-up has yet to be formally commissioned as C4"

Unimportant things

2009-03-28T14:37:00.008Z

Memed by Lianne.

1) Put the link of the person who tagged you on your blog

2) Write the rules.

3) Mention 6 things or habits of no real importance about you. Please see below.

4) Tag 6 persons adding their links directly.

5) Alert the persons that you tagged them.

I’m tempted to say that everything about me is important, but these things are relative, so here goes -

1. When I was 17, I spent a night in the police cells. I was fitted up - it wasn’t me Guv. Honest.

2. My Grandad (pictured above) was an extra in the 1944 drama documentary Western Approaches, directed by Jack Cardiff.

3. My favourite song (right now) is I’ve Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding, especially the fade out at the end (Cryin with my heart and soul that I love ya, I love ya, I love YA, GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, I LOVE YA.)

4. I think I’m quiet good at impressions. Especially Michael Caine. I may, however, be deluded in this belief.

5. Someone once said I look like Kiefer Sutherland. Admittedly, she was a) drunk and b) not wearing her glasses, so it's possible she may have been deluded in that belief.

6. My job title is Space Range Merchandising Team Leader. I don’t know what it means either.

In return, I meme The Dali Llama, Salvador Dali, Ozzy Osbourne, Ossie Ardilles, The Wizard of Oz and Osama Bin Laden*,

*and Binners, don’t forget to leave a forwarding address. Not seen you since ‘01. Where you been hiding, you mad bastard? Hope u been keeping out of trouble.

Raiders of The Lost Ark - Story Conference

2009-03-12T18:12:00.003Z

Hello. I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my door. The Mystery Man has an epic transcript of a Raiders Story Conference between Lucas, Spielberg and Kasdan available for download here.

http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html

Enjoy.

Red Riding

2009-03-08T14:13:00.006Z

I was expecting big things of Red Riding after a week of laudatory reviews, and Part one was certainly a strange and grim fever dream of a film. It was technically brilliant in every department, not least the art design and cinematography, which gave it a wonderfully beige quality that eerily evoked old photos of the ‘70‘s. Unfortunately, it was shot with a strange detachment that made it hard to really engage with any of the characters. For all the fantastic actors featured, none of them seemed to have much to do.

The story was basically Chinatown set in West Yorkshire, with the ending of Taxi Driver tagged on, and this was the biggest problem - I just didn’t believe it. Bent coppers and dodgy property developers are a staple of 70’s drama, but these were just so damn evil it stretched credibility. Sean Bean was great as the smug, corrupt, racist, and (it’s very strongly implied) child murdering Property Developer. He‘s certainly a contender for villain of the year: He gets the police to torture and murder journalists, and to gleefully cover up his killing of women and children. Police violence and corruption was undeniably terrible and endemic in the seventies, but this sort of conspiracy is more at home in James Ellroy’s 1940’s LA than Yorkshire in the year of our Lord 1974.

The central case was very obviously inspired in part by the murder of Lesley Molseed and the false conviction Stephan Kisko, whose substitute is here presented as so obviously incapable of murder that only a conspiracy could explain everyone else believing his guilt. The truth was probably more prosaic - the police were under pressure to close the case, and willing to convince themselves and everyone else that the nearest available weirdo did it. It was about conviction rates, not conspiracy.

It’s the sort of institutional dysfunction that The Wire deals with brilliantly, and it‘s a tale that’s worth telling. Unfortunately, this story is told from the journalist’s point of view, so the investigation is seen here only from the outside.

David Fincher’s superb Zodiac is similar in many respects - telling the story of a famous crime from the 1970’s mainly from the point of view of a journalist, but Fincher sticks obsessively to the facts. In real life, Lesley Molseed wasn’t killed by an evil capitalist protected up by a corrupt establishment. She was murdered by a taxi driver, Ronald Castree, who was convicted based on DNA evidence in 2007.

Local short story competitions*

2009-03-03T15:15:00.003Z

Two short story competitions you might want to know about:

The inaugaral Bournemouth Short Story Competition (yup, another BSSC) is open for entries. Stories under 3000 words. Closing Date 31st March. £5 entry fee, top prize of £100.

http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Residents/Arts/short_story_competition.asp

The more established Bridport Prize advertises itself as the richest open writing competition in the English language, with a top prize of £5000! Yes FIVE GRAND! Stories under 5000 words. Entry fee £7, closing date 30th June.

http://www.bridportprize.org.uk/

I've just been honing an old short story that was 3,462 words down to fit the BSSC2 criteria. It's new length - 2,999 words. :)

*not just for local people

SCRIPTMARKET 2009

2009-02-26T19:43:00.005Z

Get it Noticed - Get a Meeting - Get it Made

FREE script report

FREE market workshop

FREE script meeting at SWF 2009

SCRIPTMARKET 2009 will open at 9.00am on Friday 27th February and will run until 5.00pm Thursday 30th April..

Even if you have written or optioned a great spec script, getting it noticed, getting feedback and getting meetings to progress it can be an uphill battle.

Script reports can be expensive and while you may resent some of the advice they give, feedback and script meetings are essential to the development of spec scripts in their journey to the screen.

Famous and successful Spec Scripts (a script speculatively written without a commission) include Joe Eszterhas' Basic Instinct, Shane Black's Lethal Weapon, M.Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, Gregory Widen's Highlander, Stev Pavlou's The 51st State, Zach Helm's Stranger than Fiction and recently Nick Schnek’s Oscar nominated Gran Torino, which was more or less ignored by Hollywood until Clint E. got his mitts on it.

Great films like these can and do come from unknown or emerging writers and producers, but how do you get anyone to pay attention? Scriptmarket can help kick start the process. One meeting won't get your script into production but it can start the journey of getting your writing on screen. For some people the script report is their first exposure to industry feedback and criticism.

http://www.screenwritersfestival.com/scriptmarket2009.php

May The (Royal Air) Force be with you.

2009-02-21T12:35:00.001Z

BSSC 2009

2009-02-16T20:51:00.002Z

I completely missed this announcement, from the British Short Screenplay Competition. Seems earlier this year :

"Friday, January 30th, 2009

We are delighted to announce the launch of the British Short Screenplay Competition 2009!
The early postmark deadline will be March 20th 2009, and the final deadline May 8th.

For more information and an entry form see the BSSC rules page.

Good luck!"

Click here for more details, and Let The Contest Begin.

Listen to Christian Bale go American Psycho!

2009-02-03T19:47:00.002Z

This is scary - listen to the mother of all diva strops, as the Batman star goes f##king ballistic with the DP on the set of Terminator for 'walking' while he is trying to act.

Click here for the full story, and click on the links to hear the rant in full!

Skins

2009-01-26T19:22:00.008Z

some young people yesterday.

I didn’t expect to like Skins. What I saw of the first series left me cold, so I skipped Series 2. That got better notices, but a quick skim through the on-line reviews suggests that this series hasn’t gone down as well - they all say it’s trashy, superficial and exploitative - as if that’s a bad thing!

I thought it was reminiscent of two great British film genres. Well, alright, one great one not so great. The former is my favourite unrecognised genre - The British Youth Movie. Films like Trainspotting. Quadropenia, Hard Day’s Night, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Tom Jones - Cool, irreverent, amoral, bawdy, a bit Rock and roll.

(It’s a peculiarly British genre, I think. The nearest Hollywood equivalent is the gangster movie - which is a telling difference. America’s cinematic rebels want to escape poverty by using violence to get rich. Ours want to escape the class system by having sex and getting wasted.)

Of course, Skins has no such sociological or political content. It’s not great art. The characterisation is as broad as the humour. In this way it resembles the Not-So-Great Genre - The British Sex Comedy. Films like the Confession series (The Carry On films were the PG version,) which Matthew Sweet points out in the best book ever written about British Film, Shepperton Babylon, had the distinction of being neither sexy or funny.

But Skin is genuinely funny and sexy. And that counts for a lot - too much TV is dull and/or worthy. Skins is fun. It may be a slightly guilty pleasure. But it’s a pleasure nevertheless.

TH. 2058

2009-01-21T15:46:00.007Z

Hello! You’re looking well. Is that a new hat? Proper update blog coming soon, but meanwhile I’ve got a short story up here. Ta to Lianne for the link.

The story's called ‘The Critic,’ and it begins -

I’m downloading these last thoughts direct from the gallows in The VirginJustice Trafalgar Square, so I will endeavour to be brief.

To read more, click here and the magic of the internet will transport to London, 2058. See you there.

Being Human.

2009-01-07T17:18:00.004Z

Okay, still planning on that proper update blog. But meanwhile, Being Human! Missed the pilot of the supernatual flat share drama (Well, it's a bit of an overdone genre, isn't it?), but absolutely everyone who saw it raved about it.

Well thanks mainly to the online response, it's back (with a new cast) for a full series later this month. Auntie are trailing it here.

Welcome to the Dollhouse

2009-01-06T18:35:00.001Z

"In Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku plays a young woman named Echo, a member of a group of people known as "Actives" or "Dolls." The Dolls have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas, including memory, muscle memory, skills, and language, for different assignments. They're then hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds."

from the shows wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollhouse_(TV_series)

Massive, massive Buffy fan, but for some reason the trailer doesn't blow me away. But Whedon can do little wrong in my eyes, so can't wait.

Dollhouse airs in The States in Feburary. No UK broadcaster has picked up the series at the moment, but it's from Fox and Sky are promoting on thier website, so do the math. http://tv.sky.com/ones-to-watch-in-2009/28

Lesbian Vampire Killers

2009-01-05T19:55:00.003Z

I really should get round to blogging more. In the meantime, here's a link to the first trailer for Lesbian Vampire Killers - either this years Shaun of The Dead, or this years Alien Autopsy.

Time will tell.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T IS DUE

2008-12-10T20:00:00.001Z

Today also marks the 41 anniversary of the death of Otis Redding.

This is very possibly the greatest song ever recorded. Enjoy.

Rise Summer Challenge - The Latest

2008-12-10T19:47:00.003Z

Just got this e-mail from the nice folk at Rise -

"Due to the high volume of scripts which we have received we hope to announce a winner some time in April. Rest assured, we will be contacting all the all the applicants via email and will post a winner on our site.

Thank you,

The Summer Challenge Team "

Anyone else enter?

Oliver Postgate RIP

2008-12-09T19:33:00.001Z

SWF 09!

2008-11-28T20:14:00.003Z

Just in - the first details of SWF '09

bong! New Venue - Cheltenham Ladies' College.

bong! New Time slot - Monday 26th to Thursday 29th October 2009.

bong! New Format - Monday 26th & Tuesday 27th October (emphasis on workshops and interactive sessions) Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th October (emphasis on case studies and transferable skills)

bong! The Prices - Two Day Ticket - £199.00 - (£250.00 after 30/04/09) Four Day Ticket - £345.00 - (£395.00 after 30/04/09) On sale from 17.00pm Tuesday 9th December 2008.

more details here, or e-mail kenny@screenwritersfestival.com.

So who's going??

Wer kennt den Weg

2008-11-24T20:42:00.001Z

The Devil’s Whore

2008-11-22T15:30:00.004Z

This is fantastic stuff. It’s basically The English Civil War seen through the eye’s of the feisty (and fictional) eponymous noblewoman, Angelica Fanshawe (Andrea Riseborough,) and the two men who are in love with her* : The aptly named Sexby, a Mercenary-turned-Roundhead played with great relish by John Simm, and her husband and cousin, nice but clueless aristo Harry Fanshawe (Ben Aldridge)

In the first episode, the Fanshaw’s marriage is eaten away by Harry’s insecurity, as the country is torn apart by Charles’ arrogance. The marriage scenes are especially well written and acted - there’s a wonderful turning point (I won‘t spoil it if you haven’t seen it) involving the line “as long as you‘re quiet,” followed by a sex scene that is erotic, tender and disturbing in turn.

The show does brilliantly recreates the confusion and turbulence of the times, although the one critism I’d make is that perhaps the history is not quiet as compelling as the fictional characters journeys. It all seemes a bit rushed at times - Charles is rebuffed by Parliament, flees to Oxford, forms an army, and the two side meet at the inconclusive battle of Edge hill - all between two sets of ad breaks! The show does bravely eskew the sort of info dump dialogue that historical drama is often saddled with, although this might be confusing if you don’t know your history.

But minor quibbles aside, this is unmissable stuff. And having googled the careers of Sexby and Thomas Rainsborough, it looks like it's going to get better, even if you're not the sort of person who gets excited by the prospect of the dramitisation of The Putney debates!

Visit the home page here, and you can catch up with the first episode here.

*and frankly, who can blame them?

Hellraisers

2008-11-16T17:51:00.003Z

Hellraiers tells of “The Life and Inebriated Times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole and Oliver Reed.” It's snappily written, and the mulitiple biography format works well - it’s like a greatest hits compilation with the boring bits left out. Consequently, it’s quiet literally packed with stories: How Burton answered the phone at Elizabeth Taylor’s place to find her then husband demanding to know what he was doing in his house. “What do you think I‘m doing?” said Burton. “I‘m fucking your wife.” How O’Toole was refused service at a pub because it was past closing time, and was so desperate for a drink that he brought the pub. How Reed once downed 126 pints in one day. How Harris was due to meet John Boorman for an audition over Sunday lunch, woke up at Midday, frantically dressed and hailed a cab, only to realise that it was already Monday!*

So is Hellraisers just a string of laddish anecdotes? Well no, not quiet anyway. However Sellars, his interviewees and the stars themselves try to spin it, there’s a real melancholy edge to this book** These four musketeers all did real damage to themselves, their careers, and their loved ones. Harris and Reed were phenomenally talented and charismatic performer who made themselves virtually unemployable for most of their lives. Burton’s affair with Taylor led to both her and his then wife attempting suicide.

Recommended.

*the film was Zadoz, so possibly a lucky escape there.

** and don’t know if it’s just me, but I find that biographies tend to be rather depressing anyway, as (SPOILER ALERT) the subjects tend to get old and die at the end.

Richard Burton reading Do not go gentle into that good night

2008-11-16T17:23:00.001Z

SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS

2008-11-07T20:51:00.002Z

I’ve been researching short screenplay competitions, so I thought I’d share.

Y’all know about the BSSC, right? But what about the CSSC? - yes the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. Like The BSSC they produce the winning screenplay, and it’s open to writers of all nationalities. Final deadline is 31ST December 2008, entry fee $35cdn

The Page International Screenwriting Awards have a short films category. They will begin accepting entries for the 2009 competition in December’

Gimme Credit Screenplay Competition provide feedback and produce the winning script, and are also an international competition. The extended late deadline is Monday December 1, 2008 entry fee for Super Short $29.50, Short $49.50

LA Comedy Shorts is also open to applicants living outside the US. Late Deadline: December 3, 2008 (fee $50) Extended Final Deadline: December 19, 2008 (Fee: $70)

There’s also the following contests that are now closed : The American Gem Short Screenplay Competition, and the Movie Script Short Contest.

Your local film agency runs Digital Shorts schemes - I think they’ve closed now. If you’re looking for feature competitions, then there’s this old post. A lot of these links come from moviebytes.com, and of course there Robin Kelly’s indispensable list.

Finally, I found this checklist from the 20/20 contest while I was looking, thought it might come in handy.

If any one else has knows of any short screenplay competitions, feel free to post below.

later

It’s been a long time coming...

2008-11-07T20:32:00.001Z

Blogging.

2008-11-01T11:17:00.006Z

There’s been a bit written about blogging recently, and not just on the blogosphere. The papers have recently carried articles like “Have blogs finally come of age?“ and “Is blogging dead.” As they do.

Closer to home, our very own Jason and Danny have written excellent articles/blogs about blogging. Now, some folks sneer at blogs - even The Doctor used “blogging” as a term of abuse! There‘s a lot of talk about “information overloads” and “the cult of the amateur,” and “user generated content taking over from traditional media.” This is seen as a bad thing.

I think this view is based on a fundamental misconception: That all this blogging, facebooking, my spacing etc is published material that seeks to replace books or newspapers. It isn’t. It’s a primarily a form of communication. It’s people talking to each other. To say that much of it is banal is to miss the point spectacularly. It’s like saying that the conversations people have in the real world debase the language of Shakespeare. The language belongs to the people, not just the poets and philosophers. A random reader may not care that “April is hungover, But it was worth it!! lol ;)” or “Jon hates his f***ing job :( ,” (or that Mike has finished his first draft,) but their friends do.

Besides which, is five pages of Wossie and Brand’s Unspeakable Crime against Humanity really any better? And have you read a newspaper columnist recently? I read one the other day ranting about their fridge being delivered late, or broken, or something (okay, I didn’t actually read it, just kind of skimmed past it tutting.) Danny says about blogs that “anyone can post a you tube video and a joke and call it a post.” *(ouch. See below.) Well, doesn't that describes the contents of most tabloids?

I’m a geek. I know quiet a lot about a few things, and I get frustrated by how wrong the papers can get it when they write about, say the Beatles or Doctor Who. Who fans out there: How many times have you read that Dr Who was created in 1963 by Terry Nation? It makes you wonder how accurate the stories about things that really matter are. And the press have the cheek to slag off wikepedia for being inaccurate!

At least us amateurs have passion. There’s a lot of crap out there on the internet, but there‘s a lot of great stuff written with passion, wit and insight (Just like the mainstream press in fact.) Blogs provide insight and information, but for me the best about them is that they allow you to keep in touch with people you would otherwise meet once and never again.

All this is a roundabout way of saying I’ve been neglecting the old blog recently (which is probably the phrase I’ve used more than any other in this blog!) Truth is I’ve been neglecting the writing too - I was going to do a "flaky meltdown post" about why, even though that breaks the second rule of blogging (Be Positive**) Then I got waylaid with this brief introduction on my thoughts about blogging! (Which kind of turned into a rant about the press didnt it? (With far too many brackets.))

But fuck it, this is just between us right? So coming soon, The True Confessions of a Spec Monkey: The Truth about Writing. ***

Speaking of which, I think I’d better go and actually do some now!

* which is a shame, cos I was going to post this from the most underrated film of the last year, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It’s a little gem of a film with all the wit and warmth you’d expect from The House of Apatow. But it also has a Dracula Musical. With Puppets!! Here’s that link again. Watch it. Then rent the movie. Hell, buy it - you’ll want to watch it again.

** The First Rule is “Don’t be boring.” Come to think of it, shouldn’t that be the first rule of writing?

*** I was going to call it "When it's Hard." snigger.

Leadership

2008-10-28T20:22:00.002Z

It's good to see we have the leadership we need to deal with these vital issues in these troubled times.

Best. Short. Ever.

2008-10-25T17:24:00.001+01:00

WTF?

2008-10-21T20:43:00.001+01:00

According to Sunday’s Observer, Nick Cave’s rather wonderful ‘Into My Arms’ is now popular as funeral music, with the ‘My’ in the title changed to ‘Your.’

Great song, but would you want to dedicate a song with the line “I don‘t believe in an interventionist God/ But looking at you I wonder if that‘s true.” to someone who’s just been struck down dead??

quotes

2008-10-15T20:18:00.003+01:00

Watched an episode of The Wire, then a Deadwood the other morning. The following quotes stood out :

“Witnessing the events of late in the east, oughten any depositer pause and consider before trusting his savings to a bank? ”

Alma Garret, Deadwood

“You know what the trouble is? We used to make shit in this country. Build shit. Now we just put our hands in the next guys pocket.”

Frank Sobotka, The Wire

'Nuff said

The Friday Afternoon Classic Film Clip #1 - A Matter Of Life And Death - Opening Sequence

2008-10-10T16:17:00.001+01:00

Title TBC

2008-10-05T10:24:00.003+01:00

19 hours writing each of the last 2 weeks. After The September Splurge of writing for Rise and Red Planet deadlines, I’m starting the next draft of Technicolor for Metlab. I say starting, but the trouble is, no deadline pressure = no urgency. I kinda treading the fine line between research and planning, and just plain phaffing* about. Also, trying to resist the siren call Season’s 2 of Dexter and The Wire. Not always succeeding. Damn those are good shows!

I’m sure y’all already know about the books by Russell T Davis and Adrian Mead? Well, okay then. No need to be like that. I was Just checking. Jesus!

Whatever. **

* or is it faffing??
** sorry, I didn’t mean it. Please come back. You know I still love you.

Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears

2008-10-03T17:09:00.001+01:00

...on a more mellow note

2008-09-24T18:58:00.001+01:00

“Write hard and true about what hurts.”

2008-09-22T20:02:00.005+01:00

So why the Cracker and Joy Division clips? Apart from them being great??

Well Tony Wilson says in the Joy Division trailer “Everyone else was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars. This lot were on stage because they had no fucking choice." He meant they had passion. They did want to be rock stars (and a lot of the reason they were burning the night Wilson first saw them was that they were pissed off about the billing) But they were doing something original. They has passion, energy. Soul.

There’s a great scene in Walk the Line where Johnny Cash blandly sings this bland Gospel Song in an audition for Sun Records. Another studio boss, the legendary Sam Phillips, cuts him off, saying “I don‘t believe you.” When an offended Cash asks his why, Phillips tells him “We've already heard that song a hundred times... just like that, just like how you sang it.”

“If you was hit by a truck and you were lying out in that gutter dying... and you had time to sing one song, huh? One song... people would remember before you're dirt... one song that would let God know what you felt about your time here on earth... one song that would sum you up... you telling me that's the song you'd sing?

“Or would you sing something different?

“Something real, something you felt? Because I'm telling you right now... that's the kind of song people want to hear.”*

Then Cash sings Folsom Prison Blues (“Ah shot a man in Reno/Jus’ to watch him die,”) literally finding his voice as he does, and the rest is history.

So, the Six Million Dollar Question: would you sing the song you’re singing at the moment? Or, would you sing something different?

See that’s something that’s been bothering me recently. I reread a couple of my old scripts recently, and they were not just better than I thought they would be - They were better than the stuff I’ve been writing recently. Sure they were rough, but they were more heartfelt, or more fun. I've become a hack. I‘ve improved my craft skills, and craft is vital. But sometimes we need reminding that there's more to writing than structure and arcs and act breaks.

Watch the Cracker clip, and imagine Fitz throwing away Field, Mackee…telling you to look inside and think what really matters to you, what you really want to write, how the world really works. How you really work.

One of my favourite ever quotes about music, about art, is from Mick Jones of The Clash. He said something like “The trouble with these modern bands, is that they leave you as they find you.” How will what you’re writing leave the audience?

*Edited Extract From ‘Walk The Line’ - screenplay by Gill Dennis & James Mangold

"No. Fucking. Choice."

2008-09-21T22:24:00.002+01:00

And the moral of the story is....

2008-09-21T19:51:00.001+01:00

I've been far away...

2008-09-21T19:31:00.005+01:00

On holiday from the day job, so 33.5 hours writing this week. Would have done more, but I was away for a few days.* I’ve finished the draft of my TV pilot, so just need to polish up the first ten pages and rocket them off to Red Planet. Also finished my Rise submission, and whisked that off.

BTW. I tried to have a day off from the writing today. Christ it was boring! How do people cope without writing to do? Don't they get bored?? Anyone know any real people they can ask???

And I’ll let you know tomorrow why I posted the Cracker and Joy Division clips above. See if you can spot the link**

Later.

* Though I did a few hours on the coach on the way up. And the way back. And in bed when the girlfriend was asleep. Don’t tell her though - It’ll be our little secret, ok?
BTW, Interesting that getting away from the computer freed the pipes - writing on the coach with a notebook on my lap, and no distractions let me completely rethink my metlab project.
** apart from Manchester, obviously.

Hello! Just passing through. Can't stop!

2008-09-15T13:16:00.003+01:00

Hello!

Did 20 hours writing last week. Scribosocial was rather wonderful, thanks to everyone who came - I'll post the rest of the photos here or on facebook soon. All in fantastic stereoscopic 3-D!*

One week, I'll do a Stuart Perry style blog a day. But not this week! Even though I'm on holiday from the day job, got tons to do. I'm away for a few days from tom, so trying to cram in as much writing as I can today .

Later.

*probably.

Whoo who!

2008-09-05T22:08:00.003+01:00

Did 30 hours writing last week (the bank holiday helped!) On course for 20 hours this week. But more importantly, I finished the exploratory draft of my rom com* (currently going by the slightly ropey working title of Summer Night)

I’d set myself the completely arbitrary deadline of last Sunday. That deadline whoosed meerily by, but I finally finished the draft Thursday. Partly cos I got stuck in the middle. Partly, I found something else to write (isn’t it amazing how having to write something fires you up with a burning passion for writing something else?? Tho I don’t have it as bad as the wonderful Paul Abbott) It was a script for an entry for this funky little graphic novel competition from the observer btw.

Summer Nights ain’t great. The tone is all over the place. The protagonist is the most boring character in it. The second act doesn’t work. The characterisation is inconsistent. Cos I was moving forward, I’ve occasionally left lines blank, I havent gone back and set up things I hadn’t realised I needed. I even threw in a completely new character who everyone knew on about page 60!

It’s rough as fuck, to be honest. But, I’m liking the characters, liking the humour. Loving the ending. After struggling through the second act, I caned the last twenty pages. I’ll have to see how it matures locked up in the script cupboard now. **

In other news, this week I have mainly been listening to Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour. There are two shows a week [one on Radio 2, one on 6 music] click on the links and you can listen to them on your computer! Really!! As the man himself says “music travels through the air, so it knows no boundaries”

As this clip proves! ***

*or is it a bromantic comedy?
** not actual cupboard
*** er, when I say 30 hours - there may have been some internet related slacking!

Only Forward

2008-08-25T09:33:00.007+01:00

20 hours writing last week, and more importantly, 26 pages of my rom com first draft. I was going to post about first drafts and stuff, but a) I’m too busy writing one, and b) The Arnopp covers it so well here. It’s a great reminder that you have to move forward and not worry too much if it’s a bit rough. (BTW Robin Kelly has great links for Romantic Comedy and Comedy articles)

I’m glad I read Sir Jason's ramblings when I did, cos my exploratory draft is way rough, but I am a script shark, moving relentless on towards the fade out. Oh yes I am. I’ve set a deadline of next Sunday to finish it, then I‘ll have a couple of to rewrite and polish for rise.

In over news, I got my feedback back from Lucy in her metlab hat, and it was good stuff - but (of course) it needs work. Working on multiple drafts for metlab have made me realise how unfocused I've been before - I've got loads of polished first drafts (and quiet a few second drafts) saved on my computer, but no scripts i've developed nearly as much as this. I always move on to something else.

So I've got another draft of that to do for metlab. And, on top of that, Danny Stack here has shamed me into going for Red Planet, so I'm reading a TV script a day from Lee's handy list here to prepare for that.

So I'd better get started!

Oh, and more details of the scribosocial here.

2008-08-18T14:50:00.002+01:00

Getting a bit tardy with the writers log - I did 23 hours the week before last (And I was planning on having an easy week!) Only 17 hours last week, but I had to help my sister move on Saturday, which is my usually my Big Writing Day.

I’ve been mainly working on Digital Shorts proposal (South West Screen had a (very) late call for applications after another project fell through) Now I’m focusing on my vaguely Apatow-esque currently-between-titles romantic comedy (vacbtromcom for short) It‘s (very loosely) based on the first feature script I ever wrote. I‘ve been meaning to rewrite it for ages - If I hadn’t got onto the Metlab scheme with another script, I'd have written it last year. It’s been nagging at me, popping into my head and jumping up and down squealing ‘write me! write me.’ I’ve been telling it, shh maybe later - I don’t have time.

There are a few competition deadlines in September, including the rise films summer challenge on the 26th, so I’ve decided to go for that . Okay, it wont be a fantastically polished draft, but at least the deadline gives me something to focus on - I know the characters, I know where the story is going (though not necessarily how to get there!) and I’ve got about 4 weeks to write it.

Starting…now!

Scribosocial by the Sea 2008 - The Bournemouth Ultimatum.

2008-08-06T15:46:00.002+01:00

We’re having an informal writers get together down here in Dorsetshire on Saturday the 13TH of September. Details of venue etc. TBC, but there will be drinking, merriment, and serious screenwriting discussions. But mainly drinking ;).

Some folks are even coming down from London Town and staying overnight, so all are welcome.

For more details, visit the facebook site here, e- mail me, or watch this space!

2008-08-03T10:28:00.002+01:00

Stephen King “I used to tell people I wrote every day except Christmas, but that was a lie - I used to write on Christmas Day as well.”

22.5 hours writing this week. Not too shabby, especially as I throttled back a bit since I sent my latest metlab draft off to on Thursday. I’m quiet happy with it - I had enough time since the last draft to put it away for a bit, re read it, then do another half-draft. Is it just me, or does anyone else get a feeling of anti-climax, almost loss, when they reach a deadline and finish a draft?

I’ve got back into the writing habit now - I’ve fallen back in love with it, which is good, cos I haven’t got time to slack for long - I’ve got a rom-com I’ve wanted to write for ages, that I’m going to try to tackle between metlab drafts; a proposal for Digital Shorts to work on; and a short story I want to write. And that’s just the tip of the project-iceberg I want to .. er, ram my writing bows into.

Hmm, didn’t really think that metaphor thorough, did I? ;)

Later

2008-07-28T20:57:00.004+01:00

This image was a cover piece for my unsuccessful animated Digital Shorts submission, The Doomed. It was just a little something I scribbled myself on the back of an envelope… no of course it wasn’t, it’s by a professional illustrator, the wonderfully talented Mr Paul C Watts.

Visit his website here.

Later

Writer’s Log, stardate 19.260708

2008-07-27T10:38:00.001+01:00

Last week, I did…

TWENTY FIVE FUCKING HOURS!!

I didn’t think I’d improve on last week - I had plans Thursday and Friday, but people bailed on me, so I had more writing time than I expected. Knowing I‘ll have to report back here has been a real motivation - it‘s certainly added a few hours when I was struggling in the middle of the week.

I work 6 till 2, and that helps. Even though it’s a really, really shitty job, it means I have the afternoons off which is great, especially this time of year. The downside is I’m too fucking knackered to do anything, but as the man so nearly said, feel the tiredness and do it anyway!

I’m writing to a deadline - so I’m motivated by fear of my slave driving script editor ; ) I don’t know if can keep this pace up - especially if means staying in on days like today, gazing out on that little tent of blue that writers with a deadline call the sky.

Must go, cos got more writing to do.

Later

Writer’s Log, stardate 13.190708

2008-07-21T20:40:00.001+01:00

As I said last time, I will blog every week with how many hours I spent writing, so (drum roll please…)

Last week, I did 24 hours writing.

Which I was quite chuffed about.

I thank you.

2008-07-17T19:22:00.003+01:00

A belated post from behind the scenes of The Screenwriters Festival 2008 - It already seems so long ago. It was a blast again, and even harder work than last year! I was a volunteer group leader in charge of parking and transport (or Transport Manager for the sake of brevity and the CV.) Or as Danny put it, I wandered round with a clipboard telling everyone I had a PA!

I ended up working from 9AM till near midnight the Monday, then 7AM till 11 at night on the Tuesday - I had so much to catch up with on Monday (a lot of the runners had been there setting up since Saturday.) then a lot to deal with Tuesday. Running the driving for the VIPs especially is very reactive - you can only plan ahead so far, and the plans often fall through - people don’t show when they said they would (I heard “my PA‘s off this week” a couple of times!), or suddenly want transport when you haven’t got any cars.

To give you an idea how manic it was, I phoned the Girlfriend Tuesday evening to apologise for only texting her once the whole day (which she wasn’t pleased about.) Whilst I was on phone, I had 5 calls on the radio, 2 phone calls on my other mobile (!), and someone come up to me with a problem! (BTW, The Girlfriend was even less pleased after that. Women, eh? Who can figure them?!?)

So I had a PA on Wednesday! - I say a PA, I had a runner assigned to help me. But PA sounds better. Part of the problem the first day was that we were quiet bottom heavy. We had a lot of runners this year - about 35 compared to the 25 ish last year - but we had too many of them standing round, even though we added the strand of group leaders (7 people were doing what 1 did the year before!)

The last two days, it calmed down a bit. I even got to see some of the talks, and speak to me fellow bloggers for more than 5 seconds at a time! I may have mentioned to a few of them that I had a PA. (I had to get in the Jag we had for VIPS (like TV‘s James Moran) with my PA, and I told Richard the Chauffeur to drive slowly until I saw someone I knew!)

Despite working ridiculous hours for no money, despite the occasional minor conflict, I had a wonderful time with a great bunch of people. And I came away inspired to write more. Writer-Mountain Adrian Mead said that most of us spec monkeys* don’t do nearly enough, and he‘s right. I worked more hours in the first day for the Screenwriters Festival than I had spent in the previous two weeks working at my own writing. This is not good. If I have the drive and motivation to work that hard for someone else, then I can do it for myself. If I can do 36 ½ hours of the day job, then I can work a few hours for myself.

Last week, despite having man flu and recovering from SWF, I did 18 hours of writing (and more on networking and blogging and other vaguely writing - related activities.) Not bad, but not good enough - I was aiming for 20. (I‘m working on the next draft of my metlab script, and it‘s coming along very nicely thank you for asking.)

So I’m going to post on here what hours I do every week. Which means a post (at least) once a week! And stay tuned for an important announcement about what‘s already being called** the social event of the year

Later

* he didn’t actually use the term spec monkey.
** admittedly, only by me

screenwriting competitions

2008-07-08T19:56:00.002+01:00

Some of my fellow runners were asking about screenwriting competitions, so here’s a post on everything I know on screenwriting comps - if anyone has anything to add, then feel free to post in the comments.

Here goes…

COMPETITION I KNOW ABOUT

There are loads of comps out there - generally they run once a year, so some of these might be closed for this year the year.

In the UK Red Planet launched at the festival, is the best.

The British Short Screenplay Competition (BSSC) is great, as they actually make the winning script (unfortunately, it’s just closed ) The regional film councils run Digital Shorts yearly - usually in the autumn. (you can find South West Screen here.)

Euroscript and Metlab (which runs through bang2write also run competitions that help develop your script as a prize.

Of the big American comps, Scriptapalooza is the most famous; Bluecat also offers feedback for a slightly higher fee; The Page International Screenplay Competition has separate prizes for different genres; Nicholl is possibly the most prestigious - it’s run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, don’t ya know.

Finally, there is an organisation calls itself the International Screenwriters Festival that runs some kind of live pitching competition. Might want to check this out tho, they sound a bit dodgy!

FINDING OUT MORE…

Apart from clicking on the links above, there are a few ways to keep in touch…

Lianne has a list on her blog Light and Shade that collates upcoming competition deadlines quarterly, so you can see what‘s coming up. Blogs in general are a good way of keeping in touch with what’s going on, picking up handy hints and ‘networking’ (industry jargon for making friends!) WARNING - They can become addictive, and seriously eat into yr writing time!

To name but three, Lucy Vee’s Bang2write is the most popular meeting point; Robin Kelly has lots of up to dates info; and Danny Stack’s Scriptwriting and Script Reading in the UK is the Daddy of UK writer blogs.

Subscribing to shooting people is also a great way of keeping in touch. You get a daily bulletin and discounts on writing stuff. You can also post on the bulletin, so if you have a question like “what are good writing competitions?” it will go in the bulletin and other members will answer in the next edition.

The BBC writersroom website is essential for many reasons. It has news on not for profit competitions (and occasionally runs it‘s own.)

SOME RANDOM ADVICE
- If you enter any competitions, read the rules.
- Make sure what you send is as polished as can be, not a first draft (writing is rewriting) - - Be realistic (but not too realistic!) about what to enter. I spent £££’s entering the first script I wrote into loads of competitions - that money could maybe have been better spent on professional feedback.
- Read the rules!
- Comps will not change your life. Even if you win, or get placed, you are unlikely to sell your masterpiece to Spielberg and become an instant millionaire. But any success will help build up a track record, and it can be one more step along the long, long road to success.

Phew! Hope that helps. Any further questions?

2008-07-05T12:27:00.000+01:00

SWF 08

2008-07-05T12:20:00.002+01:00

I’m just back from SWF 08 - had a blast, worked insanely hard as Transport Manager, saw lots of old friends, and met some fantastic new people. I’ll be posting about it properly soon. No, honestly. Regular readers will (both) know that I’ve been neglecting this old blog of mine recently, but that’s gonna change. Oh yes.

So look out for the phrases “Would you like to stroke Stuart Perry?,” and “Did I mention I had a PA?” (I had a PA, by the way. Just thought I'd mention that.) If anyone’s got any questions, feel free to post below. I’ll be putting up links to all the festival-related blogs I can find, so send ’em in. Meanwhile, for any new readers, here’s a link to last years (very, very extensive) post about driving for SWF ‘07.

Later

News flash! Here’s some posts just in from Messers Turner and A Crop, special limo riding guests David Bishop and TV’s James Brown… sorry, James Moran. Always get those two confused.

Add Some Music...

2008-06-22T10:36:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Lianne for memeing me.

The meme is for songs that you are into to right now. Now, I’ve got to confess, I‘m not as into music as I used to be. It used to be almost my whole life, which I guess is kind of sad. I still listen to music every day, obviously, but it’s nowhere near as big a part of my life now. I hardly ever buy new CD’s anymore, which I guess is also kind of sad, so the songs I‘m into right now aren’t going to be radically new, but here goes.

Duffy - Warwick Ave. Hey, this is new, so I’m down with kids really. Gorgeous song - Okay, it’s new music that sounds like old music, specifically Dusty Springfield. Speaking of whom…

Dusty Springfield - A Brand New Me. Getting Duffy’s platter inspired got me into Dusty again. Had Dusty in Memphis on heavy rotation in the kitchen the last week, but this song is the sound of the summer.

The Skatalites - Twelve Minutes to Go. The ska comes out with the sun. Perfect summer music, perfect writing music (no words to distract you,) perfect driving music - just perfect music.

Wake Up Boo! By the Boo Radleys - also summery perfection - found this CD in a second hand record shop. Used to spend far more time in record shops. I almost used to like record shopping as much as listening to it. See also reading about music.

True Faith - New Order - I feel so extraordinary, Something's got a hold on me/ I get this feeling I'm in motion, a sudden sense of liberty/ I don't care 'cause I'm not there, And I don't care if I'm here tomorrow/ Again and again I've taken too much, Of the things that cost you too much. I used to think that the day would never come, I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun/ My morning sun is the drug that brings me near, To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear/ I used to think that the day would never come, That my life would depend on the morning sun... When I was a very small boy, Very small boys talked to me/ Now that we've grown up together/ They're afraid of what they see/ That's the price that we all pay, When valued destiny comes to nothing/ I can't tell you where we're going, I guess there was just no way of knowing/ I used to think that the day would never come, I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun. My morning sun is the drug that brings me near, To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear. I used to think that the day would never come, That my life would depend on the morning sun…/ I feel so extraordinary, Something's got a hold on me/ I get this feeling I'm in motion, A sudden sense of liberty. /The chances are we've gone too far, You took my time and you took my money/ Now I fear you've left me standing, In a world that's so demanding. I used to think that the day would never come, I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun / My morning sun is the drug that brings me near, To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear/
I used to think that the day would never come/ That my life would depend on the morning sun... just though I’d get that off my chest.

Dinosaur Jnr. - Freak Scene/ Jesus and Mary Chain - Head On/ The Clash - I Fought the Law - When I was packing to move, I spent a happy afternoon listening to my old vinyl 45’s, and that’s the last time I remember getting really fired up by and passionate about music - loving it like I used to. These 3 song stood out. Rock and indeed Roll.
Rubber Ring - The Smiths. don’t forget the songs that saved your life, and the songs that made you cry/ Cos you’re older now and you’re a clever swine, but they were the only ones that ever stood by you.

Says it all really - I’m off to follow The Beech Boy’s advice, and Add Some Music To My Day. *

*okay, I know that’s 9 songs - I’m over compensating here! And I haven’t even mentioned Let’s Take A Chance by Lisa Richards, which I mention every musical meme.

Watch this film

2008-05-25T15:55:00.001+01:00

The Sorcerers is my new favourite film. It’s gothic horror set in swinging London -
a violent sci fi/horror about an old scientist (Boris Karloff) who invents a device that links his will with that of a young hipster (Ian Ogilvy) But as he and his wife (Katherine Lacey) control this actions, and experience what he experiences, they become addicted to the vicarious thrills. It easily transcends it’s exploitative (and to be honest, slightly daft) premise with sheer technical verve and the brilliant way it comments on the voyeuristic nature of cinema.

Director Michael Reeves only ever made one other movie - the equally stunning Witchfinder General - before his early death at the age of just 25. The documentary on the DVD makes mentions him in the same breath as Spielberg and Hitchcock, and they’re valid comparisons. Like both, Reeves was technically brilliant and a great manipulator. Like Hitch he had an ability to comment on human nature, and the nature of cinema, within the constraints of genre.

The comparison with Spielberg only serves to empathise what a tragedy his early death. At a similar stage of his career, Spielberg had made Duel and Sugarland Express - 2 really good little films, but just a taster of what was to come.

the god* ate my blog miss...

2008-05-12T19:08:00.002+01:00

Okay, I said I’d blog again 'later in the week' last time, although to be fair in didn’t say which week. I have been finding the old writing hard this year - hard to find the time and motivation, what with the hassle of moving and life and stuff. The funny thing is, I never really lost confidence in my ability, but I went through a period where I began to question why I bother. I wasn’t enjoying the writing as much, I thought I’d rather watch a DVD or read a book, or have a nap.

But I‘m settled in the new flat now, and I’m back, back, back. I’m starting to enjoy the writing again, and that’s the main thing - cos lets face it, if it takes ten years to make it (if you do) then you‘d be a fool to keep doing it if you don’t enjoy it. And at least I kept plugging away at it when I didn’t - I‘ve almost finished the new outline of my next metlab draft now, and I‘m nearly ready to start yer actual writing. And at least it isn’t a page 1 rewrite like the last draft so it should be easier than the last draft (famous last words!)

Catching up on the old blogs it looks like a few of you have been through a rough patch writing wise recently too (and that‘s just the ones that are admitting it.) Everyone goes through it, but it’s how you cope with it that counts - as Churchill said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasms.”

Happy writing one and all, and keep on keeping on.

*bizzare typo left in for comic effect

normal service will be resumed shortly...

2008-04-15T15:09:00.003+01:00

Hello all!

Been going for the Stuart Perry award for non blogging! Been a bit crazy here - moving into a new flat, and finishing my met lab draft before that. Not got the internet at the new place a the mo, so I'll blog some more later in the week.

Later.

Clarity

2008-02-27T18:38:00.002Z

(Very) Belated thanks to all who recommended film books - Mr Stack’s being particularly comprehensive. “Adventures in a Screen Trade” and “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” seemed to be them top picks, and they’re both fine books. I should also recommend Blockbuster by Tom Shone, it’s a great antidote to Biskind’s “Star Wars and Jaws killed real films” argument. After all, you can love the Last Detail, Chinatown and Mean Streets as well as Star Wars, Alien, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Even if you don’t agree with his arguement, it’s a great read.

Talking of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, there’s a nice little featurette on the What Lies Beneath DVD about Robert Zemeckis. Tom Hanks says of Zemeckis - “Bob has a great clarity. He’s great at focusing on the ‘red dot’ of what a scene is about and saying ‘how can we maximise that red dot?”

In one of the Potdoll’s film book recommendations, MacKendrick On Filmaking, Alexander MacKendrick states that “Obsurity is rarely a virtue,” and quotes Truffaut: “To those who question whether clarity is all that important, I can only say that it is the most important quality in the making of a film” Clarity. What’s your script/scene about? And is that clear to the audience?

2008-02-21T19:09:00.000Z

I keep faith

2008-02-15T05:36:00.002Z

Billy Bragg has a new record out! Hoorah! Read more here, and Listen here.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

2008-02-11T16:16:00.000Z

In his book Hollywood England, Alexander Walker quotes Joe Losey - “the film industry constantly rejects what it is crying out to have repeated the next year.” Walker also uses the famous quote, “In this business, nobody knows anything for sure.” For instance, you probably think you know who said that, don’t you? It was, of course Bond Producer Harry Saltzman, from an interview with Walker from 1972, over ten years before Adventures in the Screen Trade was published. (He was talking about the reaction to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, the source of lines like “All the rest is proganda.” “What ever people say I am, that‘s what I‘m not.” and “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” Hence the title.

Walker’s British Film Trilogy is very good (and the most recent volume Icons in The Fire is required reading.) Probably the best - certainly the most entertaining - book I’ve ever read about the British Film Industry is Shepperton Babylon by Matthew Sweet (The Whole Equation by David Thompson is the most fun about Hollywood)

Anyone else got any film book recommendations? In fact, let’s make that a meme! We haven’t had one for a while! Chip, Lianne, Lucy, Danny, and the Potdoll - I meme thee!

randomness

2008-02-06T05:23:00.000Z

Okay, neglecting the blog again. It’s 430 AM and I can’t sleep, so a few random points.

Metlab - had a very productive meeting with Lucy and John, despite the odd (and I mean that in both senses of the word) suggestion about including more necrophilia from John! (He’s from Salisbury.) Got lots to go on, and I’ve done a rough draft of the new outline - it’s a page 1 rewrite unfortunately. Met the wonderful Chip and (very briefly) Elinor and the myterious and blogless Grant, and saw the Potdoll again (almost as briefly.) She's a lot less china-y in real life.

Having a short break from Technicolor to write my BSSC entry. I’ve got an animated short, so I’ll enter that too. Might enter 3 this year!

New Order Lyrics - Temptation is one of my favourite songs, and randomly look up the lyrics the other night, to find out they aren’t what I thought they are - or are they? Every lyrics site I looked at had more or less the same lyrics, for instance, the line I always hears as

From time to time, I find I've lost some meaning

I was a virgin to myself, I do believe

Is supposedly

From time to time, I find I've lost some need

That was urgent to myself, I do believe

Now listening again, it STILL sounds like the former. So are all the sites wrong? Are they all plagiarising each other? Or is it me?? The thing is, if I’d read in 4 books that the lyrics were not what I thought they were then I‘d believe them. It’s happened before (I misheard virtually all of the mighty White Man in Hammersmith Palais by the Clash, for example “It was Four Tops all night” became “it was fucked up all right“) but the thing is, with the internet I don’t know for sure.

All this information at your fingertips is great, but what use is it if you cant believe it? I came across the Wikipedia entry for the Screenwriter’s Festival too yesterday - I scrolled down, saw they had an entry for volunteers - Yey! I’m on wikipedia, I thought! But woe, the list is wrong - they’ve put the list of the first years volunteers in for both years. Fascists!

By the way, who’s going this year?? I probably am, probably as a volunteer. Which reminds me, I’ve got to get back to them.

Off to count some drinks now.
Later.

White Man (In Hammersmith Palais) - The Clash

2008-02-06T05:20:00.001Z

New Order - Temptation

2008-02-06T04:58:00.001Z

FILMMAKERS ON ADAPTATION

2008-01-24T16:15:00.000Z

In honour of Lianne’s adaptation group, here’s a few quotes on the subject.

HITCHCOCK: “Crime and Punishment is someone else’s achievment…Even if I did (adapt it,) it probably wouldn’t be any good. In Dostoyevsky‘s book there are many, many words and all of them have a function.”

“What I do is read a story only once, and if I like the basic idea, I just forget all about the book and start to create cinema. Today I would be unable to tell you the story of Daphne Du Maurier’s The Birds”

Ethan Coen on how they adapted No Country For Old Men “One of us types into the computer, while the other holds the spine of the book open flat.”

Which brings to mind the old story* that John Huston got his secretary to type out The Maltese Falcon in screenplay format before going on holiday. Jack Warner then got hold of the transcript thinking it was the final script, said he loved it and not to change a thing! Huston subsequently won an Oscar for script of Maltese Falcon. So it’s an easy job this adaptation lark!

* to be taken with a pinch of salt, like all old Hollywood tales.

HITCHCOCK ON…PREMISE

2008-01-14T18:18:00.000Z

I’ve just finishing reading Hitchcock/Truffaut, and it’s an excellent film school. Here’s a couple of sample quotes about Premise:

“I always feel comfortable with a project when I can tell the story in a very simple way, from beginning to end, in a fairly abbreviated version. I like to imagine a young woman who has been to see the movie and goes home very satisfied with what she’s seen…
Her mother asks her, “What was it about?”
And the girl replies, “Well it was about a young woman who so and so…”
Well I feel that before undertaking to shoot a movie one should be able to do just that, to satisfy oneself that it can be narrated just as clearly, the whole cycle”

“It‘s as if you‘re going to put up a building. You have to have the steel structure first. I‘m not talking about the story structure, but the concept of the film itself. If the basic concept is solid, then things will work out”

And you thought that all that pitching and 25-words-or-less malarkey was a new thing! BTW, Euroscript are running their Pitch and Premise workshop Saturday. More details here if you’re interested. I went last year, and I cant recommend it highly enough.

I’ll post a few more quotes when I feel like it. Meanwhile, here‘s a link to Amazon page for Hitchcock/Truffaut, and a bonus quote:

“charge the screen with emotion.”

Fred Ginger - Night And Day Fantastico!

2008-01-12T10:00:00.001Z

From David Thompson's "Biographical Dictionary of film"

"There is a good for arguing that, in the event of a visit from creatures from another universe ignorant of cinema, one would do best to show them some steps of Astaire as the clinching evidence of the medium's potential
"Astaire is the the most refined expression of the the musicla, which in turn is the extreme manifestation of pure cinema" Discuss.

New Year? What do you mean there's been a new year? What was wrong with the old one??

2008-01-09T18:47:00.000Z

Belated New Year wishes from the faraway city!

I had some time off from writing over Christmas (and felt really bad about it!) and I’ve been busy rewriting my Metlab script TECHNICOLOR since then, so not much time for blogging.

The script is still rough and raw, and there are things I know need working on, but overall I‘m happy with it. I managed to solve my, er length problem - The exploratory draft was 75 pages long, but I‘ve managed to get it up (behave!) to 90 without padding it out (much.) Originally, there was a huge info dump in the first scene, so I’ve cut that and made the protagonist work for the information more. I sent it off Monday, so I’m waiting for the feedback from my lovely script editor. I’m sure she’ll be gentle with me! ;)

So since everyone else did it last week, here’s my brief review of the year!

I had quite a good year, writing wise. I got onto the metlab scheme, and got to the semis of the BSSC again. Which is nice. I think I’ve improved as a writer - THE GIBBET, my BSSC script, is easily the best thing I’ve ever written; I’ve become better at story; I'm getting more visual in my writing; and I’m started to rewrite more instead of just polishing. Character is a development issue, and I am worried that I‘ve improved at story and structure at the expense of voice, but generally I‘m heading in the right direction.

One issue was that I didn’t do enough feature spec writing, so I need to focus on that more this year. Spent too much time ameboing on BSSC, Digital Shorts, SFX Pulp Idol, Make your Mark on Film, The Bridport Prize, Euroscript etc, etc. (I worked out that metlab was the 31st competition I entered in the last 2 years!)

I only wrote one new feature, THE FEARLESS, a sci fi thriller, which didn’t turn out very well, but I’ll come back to it one day, cos it’s a good idea, and the structure is reasonably sound.

I spent quiet a lot of time rewriting DRAGONS, my fantasy epic. Entered it into a loads more competitions, where it did absolutely nothing, although last year’s draft got a full read from BBC writersroom, and script reader Jo Rose thought it was good enough to submit. It is an absolutely ridiculous thing for a spec monkey to try to write, but I love it to bits, so I‘ll probably to give it another crack.

So many ideas, so little time! I was planning on writing a rom com called ONCE AGAIN this winter - I submitted it to metlab along with Technicolor, so I‘ll definitely write at least one draft of that this year. Of course, the main focus is metlab and Technicolor, but I’m also thinking about what to do for the BSSC this year (3 scripts ?!?) and I'd like to get a short made at some point.

But the best thing that happened this year was getting out and meeting people. Before this year, I didn’t know any other writers, and I’d put off the whole networking thing. I attended Euroscript’s Pitch and Premise Course. Adrian Mead’s Insiders Guide to TV, 2 WGGB events, The Script Factory’s Script Reading course this year, but best of all was driving for the Screenwriters Festival (BTW, I found out this week that Steven Soderbergh worked as a volunteer driver at the Sundance Festival the year before he got his big break!)

I blogged about meeting people like Bill Nicholson and Ashley Pharoah here, and here. And here. And here. Here too. Also here. Okay, got a bit carried away there!! But the highlight of the SWF, and of all the other courses and events, was meeting so many fellow spec monkeys, and of course, keeping in touch with y'all via this blog, not to mention ‘meeting’ the rest of you out there in the scribosphere.

So here’s wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New (-ish) year!

All the best

Martin

:)

Interruption to Service

2008-01-02T18:27:00.001Z

We are sorry that all our bloggers are busy at the moment. Your visits are important to us. Please be reassured that Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience.

Merry Christmas one and all!

2007-12-24T06:10:00.001Z

FADE OUT

2007-12-12T10:12:00.000Z

Finished my splurge draft of Technicolor. Hoorah!

Turned out to be 75 pages in the end, so could have been worse (It was looking like I was going to struggle to reach 60 a one point!) The protagonist receives a lot of information in the first scene, so if I can make him work for that more, then I should be able to expand it without just padding it out too much. Gonna have some time off* for the rest of the week, then rewrite the 1st act and polish to get it ready for January 8th deadline.

I cheated and went back and (gasp) polished it as I was going a bit, which actually helped give me some momentum - I suppose the trick is to not overdo it and get bogged down with the polishing. I’m quiet happy with it at the mo. It’s rough, but I think all the work I did beforehand on story has paid off. Falling down on character a bit, as usual, but the thrill and shocks and sex are there - It’s definitely an 18! (John wanted it to be an 18 for commercial reasons - and it is being edited by Lucy!!)

* time off from writing that is, gonna be lugging several tons of beer in that time!!

update

2007-12-10T07:20:00.001Z

Plodding away at my metlab script, Technicolor. Making slow but steady progress in my spare time (it’s hard work this work business isn’t it? I‘d forgotten how much fun xmas in retail is!) It’s way too short at the moment - I‘m 55 pages in, and the first draft is going to end up about 70 pages long! I’ve already got ideas for expanding the first act a bit tho, so I’m sure it’ll work out in the end. I’m just trying to keep the momentum and keep going forward to get it finished at the moment.

I’m pretty happy with it other than that, and the deadline is 4 weeks today, so there’s plenty of time to sort it out.

It’s partly about cinema and nostalgia, and the way we relate to film, so this lovely film made by my fellow Cheltenham driver Izzy TC seems appropriate. Enjoy.

I'm Beowulf, and I'm ’ere to kill your mons-tah!

2007-11-29T08:06:00.000Z

This is a fantastic film: intelligent, beautiful, visceral, sexy, funny. It’s great to see a film that delivers on the blockbuster thrills, but also makes you think. The plot twist screenwriters Giaman and Avary have added is inspired - I won’t spoil it, but it relates to the second battle (pictured - and no she wasn‘t all naked and gold and curvy in the poem, and yes there is a good reason for it)

It’s a great example of the saying that if life is one thing after another, drama is one thing because of another, and…well I won’t spoil it, but the twist also relates to the central theme of storytelling, and …look, just go see, ok?

If there’s any justice, then it'll win an screenplay oscar. There isn't, and it won't (Something dull and worthy like Atonement will) But hopefullyRay Winstone's delivery of the line “I am Beowulf, and I am ’ere to kill your mons-tah!” will do down in history with “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off” and “You talking to me?” as one of those lines that everyone quotes. Fantastic!

Phillip Palmer has more here. Official site here.

Soidarity

2007-11-28T08:53:00.001Z

Hello!

2007-11-21T07:29:00.000Z

Hello! Long time no blog, how the devil are you all?

I've been busy working on my metlab script. Almost finished the outline, so I'm going to start writing it next week. Met my script editor yesterday*, and she had this sage advice: "get writing, bitch!"

Had to get one of those job things - my redundancy money's nearly run out, so I've got an xmas job working on Wines and Spirits at Tesco. It's hard work this work lark, isn't it? Still gonna try to do 25 hours a week writing.

And finally, for those of you not on thier mailing list, The Screenwriters Festival have announced (drumroll) THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITERS' FESTIVAL - TUESDAY 1st TO THURSDAY 3rd JULY 2008 They want your suggestions - so "whether it is a guest speaker you would like us to try and get or a session suggestion you feel should be covered or explored, please e-mail us at info@screenwritersfestival.com ."

If you didn't go and you want to know what you missed, or you did and want to wallow in nostalgia for the summer of '07, there's a review of this years festival here, (where they claim to know where I live!) and you can still watch the offical video blogs here, and blagging Andy's here - where you can play spot the Arnopp!

*actually went for a coffee with Lucy, Danny and Dom, but "met my script editor" sounds like I was working rather than skiving and listening to Lucy slagging off every film ever made ;)

Success!!

2007-11-10T17:21:00.000Z

I got onto the metlab scheme! Hoorah!

For those that don’t know, the scheme is being run by John Sweeney of the London Metropolitan University. He’s looking to develop a slate low budget but interesting and commercial films, based on the theories in his book - Successful Business Models for Filmmakers.

They’ve selected 4 spec monkeys (including me! Sorry did I mention that already?) We’ve got to meet with John and his script editor - our very own Lucy - every 6 weeks for 9 months, and at the end of it they‘ve got some big companies willing to look at the slate. Should be fun, and I’ve got a deadline to deliver a first draft by 8th January. So big up to Lucy for the heads up on that.

In other news, I didn’t get to the Finals of the BSSC, the shortlist for Digital Shorts, or the Red Planet shortlist (but props to Andy C, who did) Worked out I’ve entered about 31 competitions/scheme in the last two years, so one success, and two and a bit* near misses ain’t bad at all.

I’ve also won a 3 month free trial for lovefilm.com, thanks to those nice people at Euroscript. I got my first DVDs this AM, including the first part of Doctor Who Key to Time Box Set. Been looking forward to watching Episode One all day - Tom Baker. The Time Tunnel Titles. On a Dark Autumn Saturday Evening. After the football results. Mmm. Marvellous. Enduring image, isn’t it? Hmm?

If you need me, I’ll be behind the sofa : )

* I got to the ¼ finals of one competition, but so did about 2000 others, so I‘m not counting that.

Memed again!

2007-11-08T13:58:00.001Z

From Lianne this time - pick a song that inspires you to write something, post the lyrics here and then post the video if you can.

I was going to talk about the sublime Hickory Wind by Gram Parsons. When I was at Uni, long ago and far away, I used to listen to a tape of GP/Grievous Angel when I couldn’t get to sleep. Hickory Wind was near the end of the second side, so if I was still awake when I got to it, then I knew I probably wouldn’t get to sleep. One of the lines in the song goes: “It's hard way to find out that trouble is real, In a far away city, with a far away feel” Hence the blog title.

However, there isn’t a decent version of that song on You tube, so instead, in Solidarity with our American colleagues, heeeeere’s Billy

Memed!!

2007-11-03T17:25:00.000Z

Memed by Lucy. Okay Five things I’m proud of but others would consider lame. Lucky the question wasn’t Five things I’m NOT proud of but others would (rightly) consider lame!

1) I am a Doctor Who fan. A Sci fi geek. Trouble is, that’s no longer something to be ashamed of. The geeks have inherited the Earth! I remember buying DWM in WHSmiths just after the first new series had aired, and the young lady on the till saying “Dr Who?” in a voice that I took to mean *sad!* before continuing: “When‘s it coming back then?” Wasn’t it better when these things were secret guilty pleasures? Well, no. As The Smiths said, them were rotten days.*

2) I stayed in and watched Music and Lyrics with The Girlfriend last weekend. Now I could say I tolerated it for her sake, but the truth is: I liked it. I even cried a little bit at the end. Oh yes. And I was sober. I don’t mind Rom Coms anyway. Why are lame films about lurve considered, well… lame, but lame films about killing people are cool? Don’t get me wrong, I like both, but who decides these things? And why do we listen to them??

3) I prefer staying in with The Girlfriend watching lame Hugh Grant movies** to going out these days. Yes, I am old and boring, and (nearly) old enough not to care.

4) I am happier working than “chilling” - Arnopp blogged about this somewhere here and he’s right. Me get bored when have nothing to do. Me like to work. Me trying to convince myself of this as will have to get paid work soon.

5) I will kill again. Only joking. or am I?? Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Right, I meme Stuart , Jon, Oli, Pillock and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Or Robin if any of the above are too busy appeasing any human rights abusing tyrannical Oligarchs.

* being a Smiths fan - also no longer lame.

** Not exclusively Hugh Grant films, I mean I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m some huge Hugh Grant fetishist, I mean I‘ve only dabbled a few times, ok? I can control it, it’s not a big thing. Why are you all looking at me like that??

Slightly Obscure and Underrated Film List #1 - Old British Films (PART ONE)

2007-10-29T19:43:00.001Z

Snappy title, eh? I was inspired by Andy’s list here to do something similar. I didn’t want to repeat any of Andy’s choices, so no The Innocents, Dead of Night, or Went the Day Well? Bah!

##SPOILER ALERT! - spoilers for SABOTAGE and WITCHFINDER GENERAL ############

1. Seven Days to Noon - Tense 1950 thriller about an unhinged scientist who threatens to blow up London with a stolen nuclear bomb as protest against the arms race. Similar in it’s matter-of-fact, almost documentary tone and style to the later The Day The Earth Caught Fire. Filmmakers The Boulting Brothers, (who are best known for their comedies and the superb 1947 adaptation of Brighton Rock ) seem to have a lot of time for the motives, if not the methods, of the mad scientist, sympathetically played by Barry Jones.

I first saw it years ago as an afternoon schedule filler, and I’ve never seen it written about anywhere before or since. It certainly deserves to be far better known than it is, so if you ever see it hanging round the afternoon schedules, then spare it a few hours of your time. You won’t regret it.

2. Quatermass Xperiment - The late, great Nigel Kneale disliked Val Guest’s adaptation of his classic BBC SF series about an astronaut who comes back infected by an alien parasite (and he hated Brian Donlevy as Quatermass) The big, bruising American heavy Donlevy may be miscast as the eponymous scientist, but Guest does a great job. Again similar to Seven Days’ almost documentary style, he makes great use of the still bomb damaged London, and there‘s a chilling performance from Richard Wordsworth as the doomed astronaut.

For my money, (controversy alert!) it’s Hammer’s best film. See also their versions of Quatermass II and Quatermass and the Pit; and it’s also worth checking out what remains of the hugely influential BBC series. Incidentally, an old ex library copy of the TV script of Quatermass and The Pit was the first script I ever read.

3. The Small Back Room - A minor Powell and Pressburger classic - Conway’s got Blimp, the swine and I was tempted to go for A Matter of Life and Death, or Black Narssisissis,* but they‘re not obscure or underrated. This is yet another b&w thriller, this time about an alcoholic bomb disposal officer battling with his demons, and features one of the greatest ticking bomb climaxes.
For more obsure Powell and Pressburger fum, see also One of Our Aircraft is Missing or the lovely and strange A Canterbury Tale.

* not actual spelling.

4. Sabotage - Talking of ticking bombs, Sabotage is a Hitchcock thriller based on Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent. Hitch has a lot of self referential fun with the dastardly foreign terrorist and his innocent English wife living in a cinema, with the audience laughing at comedy violence on screen while “real” violence occurs behind it. It’s famous for the scene where a small boy unwittingly carrying a bomb on a bus, and the bomb actually goes off. (This was 1936 when the idea of people blowing up London buses was strictly fantasy.)

(The 39 Steps is not obscure or underrated at all, but it virtually invented modern action cinema, and stands up brilliantly.)

5. Witchfinder General Hammeresque in it’s portrayal of ye olden times, but far more morally complex than Hammer’s films, and far more modern in its concerns. And it‘s also a lot gorier! Witchfinder General is a truly horrific horror film, partly because the monster, Matthew Hopkins, played by an unusually restrained Vincent Price, is all too human (and a real historical figure) It‘s mans inhumanity to man (and woman) that is the big bad here, not some fictional creature of the night.

The ending, where the hero brutally hacks Hopkins to pieces kills and ends up as twisted as he is, is still uncomfortable viewing, even if the “violence begets violence” moral has entered the mainstream now.

Okay that got a little out of hand, for a simple list! (*coughs* displacement activity.) I’ve done most of Part Two too, but I really should do some writing, so I’ll spare you that for a few days!

In other news I’ve got onto the shortlist for Metlab, got an interview a week Monday, so big up to Lucy for spreading the word on that. Still not heard from South West Screen - the Digital Shorts interviews are Wednesday and Thursday - so not looking hopeful for that…

later.

Must Love Jaws

2007-10-22T18:42:00.001+01:00

BSSC

2007-10-16T12:09:00.000+01:00

Just found out I've got through to the semi finals of the British Short Screenplay Competition, matching last years achievement. :) Only one of the two scripts made it though!

Still waiting for the SWSSDC...

mountains

2007-10-13T13:49:00.000+01:00

Sent my Digital Shorts Proposals and Metlab submission out this week. Waiting for the results of them and Red Planet, Southwest Screen Screenwriter Development Competition (why do schemes from public bodies have such unwieldy titles?), and (most of all) BSSC.

Meanwhile I’ve decided to concentrate on feature specs for the rest of the year. No more amoeba-ing! Looking at the UKFC First Feature Film Develpment Programme (see what I mean?) reinforced that I need a good sample script, so I’m gonna spend the winter working on my low budget RomCom Buddy Movie Once Again, and Mega budget Fantasy Epic Dragons. They’re both several drafts in - I first wrote Once Again about ten years ago - Both need radical rewrites, but I‘ve got a plan, so I’m confident that I’ll nail ‘em with theses drafts.

James L Brooks in the latest Creative Screenwriting Magazine says “Does anyone do the first draft without hoping that it‘s the last draft?” and he’s been doing since the 1960’s! But isn’t that true of every draft? If a draft is a mountain you have to climb, you don’t want to think that at the top you’ll find… a dim, distant view of the next mountain. (Which I suppose is why it’s so tempting to pitch your tent and insist you reached the highest peak you can?)

I could go on (readers giving you feedback = sherpas, Outline = a map, etc) but the mountain metaphor started over at t’other faraway’s place here, and she tells a far more interesting tale.

Later