European Podcast Nomination

Today is the last day of voting for the European Podcast Awards.

The UK Scriptwriters podcast is nominated for a gong in the 'Personality' section (wahey!).

If you listen to the podcast and fancy giving it a bit of support, then CLICK ON OVER to the voting page and give us your marks.

It only takes about 10 seconds (4 clicks, no sign up needed).

So, even if you've NEVER listened to the podcast, you could vote anyway because hey, that's what good blog readers do, OH YES.

And then catch up on all the podcasts you might have missed, and we can be, like, best friends forever. Totes.

Jack Thorne Interview

Did you see The Fades recently on BBC3? Excellent, wasn't it? Missed it?? Catch up on iPlayer!

The whole series was written by UK script whiz, Jack Thorne. I sat him down over Skype to chat about writing The Fades, Skins, Cast Offs, This is England 86 (and upcoming This is England 88), Scouting Book for Boys, etc.

In the interview, he talks candidly about why pilot episodes are so hard, how the insecurity of Twitter reaction was driving him insane, and his general approach to writing, amongst other things.

The full 30-minute interview is available FREE via Industrial Scripts' website (email sign-up required), and there's also plenty of other free interviews with top industry bods.

Well worth a listen!

By the way, the photo above isn't Jack. That's the teen lead from The Fades. Here's Jack (from his cameo in This is England 86 - or is he auditioning for The Fades, series 2??)

Red Planet Prize: Frequently Asked Questions

Or, RPP FAQ, FYI!

1. What is a single play?
A single play is a one-off story. For the purposes of the competition, this would be a one-off 60-minute TV script (typically 50 pages min - 80 pages max). In general, pilot scripts are more popular and common for submissions to the competition but feel free to submit a single play if you don’t have an idea for a pilot script.

2. What is a pilot script?
A pilot script is the first episode of a potential new TV series.

3. Will you accept 30-minute scripts or feature length (90-minute+) scripts?
No. 60-minute original TV scripts, please.

4. Is there any particular genre you’re interested in?
We’re interested in great writing, and don’t mind what genre it comes in.

5. Can I submit an adaptation I’ve written of a book/game/other source?
No. Original scripts only please, even if you’ve adapted from your own book/game/other source.

6. What’s a logline?
A logline is a brief description of your story idea. For example, ‘A British cop gets sent to the Caribbean to solve murders.’ A logline shouldn’t be mistaken for a tagline e.g ‘In space, no-one can hear you scream’ (from Alien).

7. Should the 100-word synopsis summarise the script, or the series as a whole?
Whatever you think best represents the idea, story or script.

8. For the first round of submission, why just the first ten pages of a script?
It’s a truth universally acknowledged in the industry that the first ten pages of a script indicate a great deal about a writer’s talent as well as how the script is shaping up.

9. If my first ten pages end in the middle of a scene, should I submit additional pages?
Please submit the first ten pages only, regardless of where the scene ends. Similarly, please do not send the full script at the first round stage. These will be immediately disqualified.

10. Can I enter more than once?
Writers can enter once as themselves, and once as part of a co-writing team. Multiple entries from an individual will result in disqualification.

11. Can I get feedback on my first ten pages, or on my script?
Unfortunately, due to the large number of submissions received, feedback cannot be given for scripts that are unsuccessful.

12. Should my script end on a cliffhanger?
That’s up to you, and the story!

13. I’ve rewritten my script that got rejected last year. Would it be a bad idea to resubmit it for this year’s competition?
Not necessarily. If the script represents your best writing, then feel free to resubmit.

14. When is the deadline?
16th January, 2012.

15. Should I wait to write the rest of the script?
We strongly advise that you write the entire script, as there will be little turnaround once we request the full script to read.

16. Can I submit a script that has been optioned by another producer or production company?
We want original scripts that have not yet been optioned or produced. If your script gets optioned (or an offer) whilst in consideration for the competition, please get in touch to let us know.

17. What happens if my first ten pages get through to the second round?
We will request the full script. Once all of the full scripts have been read and assessed, we will make a longlist of the scripts/writers we wish to put forward for the competition’s final stages.

18. What are the competition’s final stages?
A shortlist will be compiled. Tony Jordan and the other judges will choose a winner. We expect this to be around Spring 2012.

UK Scriptwriters Podcast: LondonSWF

If you don't listen or subscribe to the UK Scriptwriters podcast (hosted once a month by myself & Claggy), then you would have missed the latest edition where we look back at the London Screenwriters' Festival, and catch up on all the hottest screenwriting news (Red Planet Prize, etc).

Not heard the podcast before? You can click & play right here:

We've also been nominated for an European Podcast Award, so please do head on over and VOTE FOR US (takes 4 clicks, no email registration required). Nice.

In the podcast, I mention David Mamet's famous memo to the writers of The Unit. You can read it here.

And here's the link to my interview with Jack Thorne (writer of The Fades, This is England 86/88 etc), which you can download free via Industrial Scripts (where there's other interviews and info worth checking out).

ENJOY!

Red Planet Prize 2011/2012

The Red Planet Prize is back!

It's the best screenwriting competition in the world.

Here's why:

- FREE to enter.
- A truly amazing prize: £5k, a script commission and an agent (if you don't already have one).
- Lots of opportunities and mentorship for the finalists.
- Robert Thorogood, a finalist in the inaugural 2007 competition, developed his new BBC series 'Death in Paradise' via the Red Planet Prize.
- Many other finalists have launched their careers through the scheme and have worked, or are working, on other shows.
- Quite simply, it's a screenwriting competition by writers for writers.

Here's how it works:

- Submit the 1st ten pages of a 60-minute pilot or one-off 60-minute TV script. Any genre you want. A 100 word synopsis and a 16 word maximum logline is also required.
- If we like your first ten pages, we invite you to submit the entire script.
- A shortlist is compiled. A winner is chosen from an esteemed line-up of judges.

Full details and how to enter can be found on the website. And/or click here to read how and why the competition started.

THE DEADLINE IS 16TH JANUARY 2012. Plenty of time to think of a new idea, polish the first ten pages to an inch of their life, AND have the entire script finished in case it gets chosen for the second round.

GET WRITING!