Red Planet Prize 2012: Round 2!

PHEW-WEE! We had around 1,800 entries this year. Amazing! I genuinely think this has been the highest standard yet. So many well-written scripts, and a lot of talent out there. Of course, that just made it harder for us to choose the scripts that went through to the second round! It was agonising, I don't mind telling you.

We had a very long list of 'maybes' that had to be whittled down to a manageable number for the 2nd round (around 10-15% of the total entries). When it came to the crunch, I think it was a combination of a strong or original idea matched with sharp and/or compelling writing that saw you through, not to mention a few that you just fancied taking a punt on in terms of raw talent!

As ever, making decisions like this can be very subjective, and no doubt very frustrating for those who didn't make it. Fret not! A rejection here is not a personal judgement on you or your talent; just a hardline decision on the scripts and ideas that we wanted to read more about. It was so, so, so hard. If I could have ushered 50 more scripts through, I would have.

I've seen some reaction on Twitter and blogs to being rejected. Most are remaining positive, which is the best way, but some are taking it very hard. Regardless of the opportunity that the competition provides, you should feel motivated to finish your script (if you haven't already), and to keep writing.

To succeed in this business, and to even get a breakthrough, takes a lot of hard grind and a bit of luck. It's not going to happen overnight (not usually anyway), so don't let a competition refusal, or any presumed 'industry opinion', sway you in your efforts. If you want to write, keep writing. Keep trying, keep sending stuff out, and see what happens.

I read recently about screenwriting that 'rejection is the norm, success is the aberration', but we should try to embrace and celebrate that, to inspire and push us, rather than let the rejection drag us down. Some rejections may take more time to recover from than others but ultimately you got to get back on that horse, and write on out to the sunset.

Red Planet 2nd rounders now have most of February to polish and finish their scripts, and then we really tear our hair out as we try to choose a final shortlist. I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON EVERYTHING as and when it happens. For now, back to writing.

Prequel to Cannes & B-REEL

As I type, it's the day before the Red Planet Prize deadline (Monday 16th January), so I'm sure a lot of you are getting your first ten pages ready to send *any* *second* *now*. I'll pretty much have my head down over the next few weeks reading the entries, not to mention busy with my own writing deadlines, but I just wanted to mention two networking events that might be of interest (especially to those local to Bournemouth/Poole): B-REEL and Prequel to Cannes.

First up, is White Lantern Film's B-REEL film networking and screening event, which this month takes place on Thursday 19th January. B-REEL is the only place in Bournemouth to see some of the world’s best award-winning short films programmed exclusively by FUTURE SHORTS, SHORTS INTERNATIONAL and DAZZLE FILMS. You can also submit your own short films to be screened through B-REEL SHORTS.

It all happens in the heart of Bournemouth at Pavilion Dance (great venue!), Westover Road, Bournemouth BH1 2BU. It's a top night out of short films and networking, so toddle along if you're free.

Also in Bournemouth, Rosie Jones has been running Prequel to Cannes networking event for the last few years, each time getting bigger and better than before. This year, she's pulled out all the stops, and has made the event a two-day networking and workshop extravaganza, taking place at the Lighthouse Poole (my absolute favourite arts venue, ever!).

I'll be doing a couple of workshops about being a jobbing writer and taking steps to be a director, Tim will be talking about his Cannes experiences (along with local legend Suki Singh), and Bang2Write will be doing a Pitch Factor, and there's lots more, so you MUST come along. Even if you're not from the area, it's quite cheap to travel down to Bournemouth for a day or an overnight stay, so we'd love to see you.

FULL RUNDOWN AND DETAILS OF EVENTS HERE.

There you go. I'm off to read some scripts. TTFN.

UK Scriptwriters Podcast: Goals

A quick shout-out for the latest UK Scriptwriters podcast, with me and Tim Clague, where we round up the latest news (Red Planet Prize, Prequel to Cannes etc) and discuss New Year goals (goals shmoals?).

We've been doing some podcast extras over the last few months (Tim's interviewed Lord David Puttnam, I've interviewed Kill List's director Ben Wheatley & The Fades writer Jack Thorne, and other stuff), so we've put all the relevant links on the podcast's revamped Facebook page (previous group page being archived, or summink). So feel free to have a poke and a gander at all the extra goodness, or say hello, or suggest a topic, or all three! Whatevs that doth float ur boatz.

Anyway, thanks for listening, downloading, sharing, subscribing, delete as appropriate. In the cover photo, we're impersonating a pose by Laurel & Hardy. Uncanny, no?

Fleabag Monkeyface

Fleabag Monkeyface is CiTV's new animation series. It's quite a big deal because it's their first UK commission in five years.

The series is based on the best-selling books by Knife & Packer. The mighty writing duo also lead the way for the TV series, together with producing partners Impossible Kids, Sparky Animation and Walker Books.

I'm delighted to say that I've written six episodes for the show (one of which was on Boxing Day; always nice to contribute to some Christmas telly!). It was huge fun to write, as it revels in everything gross and OTT-humour.

If you like a bit of gross-out fun (farts, bogeys, smelly diapers, evil villains, evil budgie henchmen etc), then Fleabag Monkeyface is the show for you. I mean, the kids. It's the show for the kids. Yes.

I'm currently writing more kids commissions with The Octonauts, which, if you haven't seen or heard about, then you must watch IMMEDIATELY (CBBC/Cbeebies daily).

In other news, right before Christmas, I had the opportunity to direct a short film, thanks to White Lantern Film. It's called After School Club and it's a fun, visual piece written by Nell Denton (only one word of dialogue) about two bored housewives who liven up their daily routine with a fight in the woods. We hope to have the film ready for a screening at the Southern Script Festival (where Nell's script was picked up) in February/March.

Also, last year I wrote a short film for director Adrian Tanner, which stars Roger Allam as a legendary guitarist with stage fright and, equally worse, a blocked toilet. Can the local plumber, who happens to be an obsessive fan, be the cure for both problems? WATCH THE FIRST TRAILER HERE!


What else? The deadline for this year's Red Planet Prize is fast approaching (don't forget the FAQ!), so I'm going to be busy reading the entries, as well as keeping my head down with some of the above, and a few other writing gigs that are on the go.

So, there may be some radio silence but I'll pop my head up every now and then to shout with some breaking news and key updates.

2012. Have at it!

Christmas TV!

Now then, to get you in the festive spirit (and to round off the blog for 2011), here's an embarrassing clip of me on Irish telly, from December 1992, reviewing The Muppet Christmas Carol for RTE's Jo-Maxi (remember the other review that I posted earlier this year?).

WATCH OUT WINKLEMAN, FILM2012 IS MINE!

It's been an interesting 2011, and a busy run up to the holiday break, so I'll have an update on everything in the New Year.

Until then, Happy Christmas!

Ben Wheatley, Kill List interview

More podcast-extras and interviews for you, this time in the shape of a half-hour chat with Ben Wheatley, writer and director of Kill List, the low-budget UK thriller that got everyone excited/horrified this year. He gives great value in the interview, full of passion and insight, worth checking out.

Here's a clip of Ben talking about film as a 'memory trick'.

We also refer to one of his self-made virals that got him a lot of attention. Here it is: 'cunning stunt' (you can follow Ben on Twitter here)


The interview (and more like it) is for Industrial Scripts' Insider Interview series, and you can download them here for free (email reg required). Previous interviews include Jack Thorne, actor Tom Hiddlestone, King's Speech producer Gareth Unwin, amongst others.

Podcast Extra

A bit of a UK Scriptwriters extra for you.

Tim interviewed Lord David Puttnam, as you do, so asked him about what he thinks about scriptwriters and scriptwriting.

If you're a young scrippersnapper and don't know who Lord Puttnam is, well, at one point in the 1980s he was THE film industry in Britain, and briefly (but less successfully) in the US. The man's a legend. Thanks for the clip, Tim!