Well, will you look at that? Origin, the short film I wrote & directed this year (for those of you new to the blog), has got its own page on IMDb. The film is a supernatural drama/mystery about a woman who tries to keep her family together when her son falls ill after he's bitten by a mysterious creature. It stars Katy Carmichael, Lee Ross and Jack Blumenau.
And hey, if IMDb says I'm a producer and director now, then who am I to argue? I think the page has been created because of IMDb's links with Withoutabox, the film festival submission site, which I've recently joined. I'm doing my best to update all the credits and have sent IMDb a full list of the Associate Producers. A few names have started to appear so everyone should get their credit in due course.
I'm currently in the final stages of post-production. Sound/music mix next week, then the grade/DI the week after. Then it should be done! Good times. If you haven't checked out the website and trailer, then what are you waiting for?
Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of writing my second episode of EastEnders, which won't go out until Friday 13th November, 2009. It's an exciting episode, with lots of juicy story lines going on, so I'm getting stuck in as much as I can. I should get notes on my first draft this week (always a nervous wait) and then we'll see how everything is shaping up.
Have you been watching Torchwood this week? It's been great, hasn't it? And TV's James Moran continues to demonstrate his rising excellence by penning last night's humdinger. Viewing figures actually went up from the previous night, and they only do that when the story engages the audience to stick around until the end. Fantastic stuff from the blogging/Twitter legend. He's setting the bar high for us to follow. Let's hope we can keep up.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
William Akers: Notes
Daniel Gritten won the ticket to attend the William Akers' talk on screenwriting last week. Daniel has written for radio, theatre and film. He currently has a screenplay in development with Milkwood Pictures.
I asked him to jot a few notes on the Aker's talk. Here's his report:-
---
William Akers Talk: Fatal Errors Beginning (and Experienced) Writers Make
William Akers has one ambition for your screenplay: to make it so good that the bored, busy, impatient, frazzled Script Reader finishes reading it. Too modest an ambition? Any one who has ever critiqued scripts will tell you not. During his recent London seminar, Akers described how beginning writers might achieve this.
Based on his book, Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways to Make it Great, Akers provided a checklist for the screenwriter to improve their own work. The aim is not to beat the Reader, but to help the Reader. Help them visualise your scene, help them hear your characters, help them avoid distraction. In focussing on the mechanics of the industry and the importance of holding the Reader’s interest beyond page 10, Akers’ advice is more applicable to those polishing their screenplay than those staring at a blank sheet of paper. There are no dogmatic principles of story structure or mythic archetypes. Rather, in his cool Southern drawl, Akers relayed practical screenwriting nuggets gleaned from 20+ years of making a living in the ‘Entertainment Business’.
Here’s a couple of insights that chimed with me:
Names
Names are a common cause of grief for all writers. Akers was hot on names. A common mistake writers make is giving characters names that rhyme:
Donny
Sonny
Lonny
The audience laughed, but go back and look at your screenplay. Apparently, it is a common pitfall. As indeed are alliterative names:
Jim
John
Jane
Avoid these mistakes, and use names of differing length. Thinking of the harried Reader, it must be easier to keep distinctions clear when reading “Hieronymus” and “Mike” than when reading “Tom” and “Tim”. Akers directs writers to IMDb, find a cast list which you then mix up, and combine first and last names. Simple, effective advice.
Scene Description
Akers notes that writers tend to ignore scene description. It’s not fun. It’s not sexy. But it is important. Your aim is to make sure the Reader understands what you want them to understand. As an example:
Bob picks up the body.
Akers assumed that ‘body’ meant the character was dead. But the writer just wanted the character unconscious. As the reader, Akers had to go back and re-read to understand what was going on. The words that go on the page are important. Just as important are the words that don’t make it. He advises the use of active verbs only; go through your screenplay cutting ‘to be’ and ‘is’. Also falling to the red pen are all ‘stands/walks/begins’, all adverbs and ‘seems/appears’.
Akers also drew attention to what he described as ‘Image Order’.
Andrew Jackson was captured and wounded by British soldiers.
Was Jackson handcuffed, then shot? No, the other way around. So help the Reader create the mental pictures in the right order.
Perhaps all this seems obvious, but groaning slush piles suggest otherwise. Akers’ advice (available via his website, where his book is also available) is an immensely practical tool for those difficult rewriting days. Take his advice, if not for your own sake, then for the sake of the poor Reader.
---
Thanks, Daniel!
I asked him to jot a few notes on the Aker's talk. Here's his report:-
---
William Akers Talk: Fatal Errors Beginning (and Experienced) Writers Make
William Akers has one ambition for your screenplay: to make it so good that the bored, busy, impatient, frazzled Script Reader finishes reading it. Too modest an ambition? Any one who has ever critiqued scripts will tell you not. During his recent London seminar, Akers described how beginning writers might achieve this.
Based on his book, Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways to Make it Great, Akers provided a checklist for the screenwriter to improve their own work. The aim is not to beat the Reader, but to help the Reader. Help them visualise your scene, help them hear your characters, help them avoid distraction. In focussing on the mechanics of the industry and the importance of holding the Reader’s interest beyond page 10, Akers’ advice is more applicable to those polishing their screenplay than those staring at a blank sheet of paper. There are no dogmatic principles of story structure or mythic archetypes. Rather, in his cool Southern drawl, Akers relayed practical screenwriting nuggets gleaned from 20+ years of making a living in the ‘Entertainment Business’.
Here’s a couple of insights that chimed with me:
Names
Names are a common cause of grief for all writers. Akers was hot on names. A common mistake writers make is giving characters names that rhyme:
Donny
Sonny
Lonny
The audience laughed, but go back and look at your screenplay. Apparently, it is a common pitfall. As indeed are alliterative names:
Jim
John
Jane
Avoid these mistakes, and use names of differing length. Thinking of the harried Reader, it must be easier to keep distinctions clear when reading “Hieronymus” and “Mike” than when reading “Tom” and “Tim”. Akers directs writers to IMDb, find a cast list which you then mix up, and combine first and last names. Simple, effective advice.
Scene Description
Akers notes that writers tend to ignore scene description. It’s not fun. It’s not sexy. But it is important. Your aim is to make sure the Reader understands what you want them to understand. As an example:
Bob picks up the body.
Akers assumed that ‘body’ meant the character was dead. But the writer just wanted the character unconscious. As the reader, Akers had to go back and re-read to understand what was going on. The words that go on the page are important. Just as important are the words that don’t make it. He advises the use of active verbs only; go through your screenplay cutting ‘to be’ and ‘is’. Also falling to the red pen are all ‘stands/walks/begins’, all adverbs and ‘seems/appears’.
Akers also drew attention to what he described as ‘Image Order’.
Andrew Jackson was captured and wounded by British soldiers.
Was Jackson handcuffed, then shot? No, the other way around. So help the Reader create the mental pictures in the right order.
Perhaps all this seems obvious, but groaning slush piles suggest otherwise. Akers’ advice (available via his website, where his book is also available) is an immensely practical tool for those difficult rewriting days. Take his advice, if not for your own sake, then for the sake of the poor Reader.
---
Thanks, Daniel!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Story Vault: Intercut?
Hello new readers to the blog! How are you? You look very well, if you don't mind me saying so. Have you been out in the sun? Smashing. Now that you're here, don't be afraid to dip into the archives, or the 'story vault' to give it its poncey name (link on the right there, just a little bit down).
We've covered a lot of ground on the blog over the last few years so if there's a particular screenwriting subject or area you're interested in, chances are there's a post on it. If there isn't, please feel free to shout and I'll do my best to oblige. If anyone has any questions or screenwriting issues they'd like to go over, even if we've covered it already, then that would be d'groovy also. I've got my head down at the moment,ducking hitting my deadline for EastEnders, so here's a post from this time last year about intercutting in a script. Mind the buses, now.
---
Wyndham: What's the best way to tackle two long scenes in different locations which happen at the same time and both of which continue at some length. Can you treat them as one long intercut or is it important to always treat them as separate scenes entirely?
Intercut is most common in telephone conversations (or, y'know, telepathic conversations like with Vader and Luke in Empire Strikes Back). For these types of scenes, it’s a simple case of cutting back and forth between the characters. This helps to maintain an easy-to-follow continuity for their conversation. Formatting wise, you can either state where each cut occurs, i.e.
INT. DANNY’S OFFICE. DAY
DANNY
With me so far?
INT. WYNDAM’S PLACE. DAY
WYNDHAM
I think so, carry on.
Or set up the first cut to establish that they’re in separate locations, then state INTERCUT AS NECESSARY so the director/editor knows what to do. This can be helpful to let the flow of the scene work to better effect on paper (i.e for the reader/exec).
Now, to get to the meat of the question. What’s the best way to tackle two long scenes that happen at the same time and at different locations? I presume we’re not talking about a simple telephone exchange then. But no need to panic. I’d say it’s perfectly valid to intercut scenes in this way, SHOULD IT BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE STORY. If it’s harming the narrative flow, then it might be better to treat the scenes separately.
** SPOILERS FOR SILENCE OF THE LAMBS & THE GODFATHER ahead **
This type of intercutting is generally used for three purposes. CONTRAST, SUSPENSE and SUMMARY. And a lot of times, all three. A classic moment in modern cinema beautifully highlights contrast and suspense. Silence of the Lambs - when the FBI and Clarice Starling arrive at Jame Gumb’s house. A tense intercutting sequence reveals that the FBI are at a different house entirely, and Clarice is by herself chatting to Mr Gumb. This link for the script doesn’t have page numbers but do a search for “WIDE ANGLE on what appears to be, at first, a calm, ordinary neighbourhod”, and that would be a good place to start reading.
Then of course there’s the famous sequence where Michael Corleone becomes godfather to his sister’s child while his orders to assassinate the heads of the five families get carried out. This provides contrast and summary. The contrast is of Michael Corleone being a religious and family man - even renouncing Satan - while his men carry out the dastardly deeds (the summary of the action).
Suspenseful intercuts usually build to some kind of twist or reveal in the story. For example, we see a hero finally finding the treasure while cutting to his damsel in distress who is being tied up by the baddies. But when the hero opens the treasure, it’s empty, and we cut to the damsel being unbound by the baddies, a big smile on her face as she’s handed the treasure. That kind of thing.
Basic contrasting purposes are usually good for showing what various characters are doing at the same time. In a romcom, this could be a sequence where the girl tells her friends about her sensitive first date while we intercut with the boy’s beefed up version to his boorish mates (Summer Nights in Grease comes to mind).
I think the important thing to do is to treat ‘intercutting’ as a sequence (or mini-story) rather than simply cutting between two scenes. In other words, ask yourself what is the point of the key scenes being intercut in this way, and try to use each cut so that they develop to a satisfying conclusion. For Silence of the Lambs, it was the electrifying reveal that Clarice had to face the final showdown by herself. In The Godfather, it was the climactic moment where Michael Corleone had become everything he had tried to avoid. It’s not incidental that these two moments are the key dramatic issues of the story, so when done right, this kind of intercutting technique can work wonders.
Not sure if any of that is helpful. If anyone has any good examples of other intercuts, famous or otherwise, then do please share. All I could think of was Lambs and Godfather, and a few generic intercutting sequences in romcoms and the like. There’s bound to be loads more (The Deer Hunter hunting sequence intercut with the wedding?). As a last note, I would say that intercutting is not the same as a montage but they share similar qualities in their style and content.
---
We've covered a lot of ground on the blog over the last few years so if there's a particular screenwriting subject or area you're interested in, chances are there's a post on it. If there isn't, please feel free to shout and I'll do my best to oblige. If anyone has any questions or screenwriting issues they'd like to go over, even if we've covered it already, then that would be d'groovy also. I've got my head down at the moment,
---
Wyndham: What's the best way to tackle two long scenes in different locations which happen at the same time and both of which continue at some length. Can you treat them as one long intercut or is it important to always treat them as separate scenes entirely?
Intercut is most common in telephone conversations (or, y'know, telepathic conversations like with Vader and Luke in Empire Strikes Back). For these types of scenes, it’s a simple case of cutting back and forth between the characters. This helps to maintain an easy-to-follow continuity for their conversation. Formatting wise, you can either state where each cut occurs, i.e.
INT. DANNY’S OFFICE. DAY
DANNY
With me so far?
INT. WYNDAM’S PLACE. DAY
WYNDHAM
I think so, carry on.
Or set up the first cut to establish that they’re in separate locations, then state INTERCUT AS NECESSARY so the director/editor knows what to do. This can be helpful to let the flow of the scene work to better effect on paper (i.e for the reader/exec).
Now, to get to the meat of the question. What’s the best way to tackle two long scenes that happen at the same time and at different locations? I presume we’re not talking about a simple telephone exchange then. But no need to panic. I’d say it’s perfectly valid to intercut scenes in this way, SHOULD IT BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE STORY. If it’s harming the narrative flow, then it might be better to treat the scenes separately.
** SPOILERS FOR SILENCE OF THE LAMBS & THE GODFATHER ahead **
This type of intercutting is generally used for three purposes. CONTRAST, SUSPENSE and SUMMARY. And a lot of times, all three. A classic moment in modern cinema beautifully highlights contrast and suspense. Silence of the Lambs - when the FBI and Clarice Starling arrive at Jame Gumb’s house. A tense intercutting sequence reveals that the FBI are at a different house entirely, and Clarice is by herself chatting to Mr Gumb. This link for the script doesn’t have page numbers but do a search for “WIDE ANGLE on what appears to be, at first, a calm, ordinary neighbourhod”, and that would be a good place to start reading.
Then of course there’s the famous sequence where Michael Corleone becomes godfather to his sister’s child while his orders to assassinate the heads of the five families get carried out. This provides contrast and summary. The contrast is of Michael Corleone being a religious and family man - even renouncing Satan - while his men carry out the dastardly deeds (the summary of the action).
Suspenseful intercuts usually build to some kind of twist or reveal in the story. For example, we see a hero finally finding the treasure while cutting to his damsel in distress who is being tied up by the baddies. But when the hero opens the treasure, it’s empty, and we cut to the damsel being unbound by the baddies, a big smile on her face as she’s handed the treasure. That kind of thing.
Basic contrasting purposes are usually good for showing what various characters are doing at the same time. In a romcom, this could be a sequence where the girl tells her friends about her sensitive first date while we intercut with the boy’s beefed up version to his boorish mates (Summer Nights in Grease comes to mind).
I think the important thing to do is to treat ‘intercutting’ as a sequence (or mini-story) rather than simply cutting between two scenes. In other words, ask yourself what is the point of the key scenes being intercut in this way, and try to use each cut so that they develop to a satisfying conclusion. For Silence of the Lambs, it was the electrifying reveal that Clarice had to face the final showdown by herself. In The Godfather, it was the climactic moment where Michael Corleone had become everything he had tried to avoid. It’s not incidental that these two moments are the key dramatic issues of the story, so when done right, this kind of intercutting technique can work wonders.
Not sure if any of that is helpful. If anyone has any good examples of other intercuts, famous or otherwise, then do please share. All I could think of was Lambs and Godfather, and a few generic intercutting sequences in romcoms and the like. There’s bound to be loads more (The Deer Hunter hunting sequence intercut with the wedding?). As a last note, I would say that intercutting is not the same as a montage but they share similar qualities in their style and content.
---
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Origin Website & Trailer
Let me introduce you to the trailer and official website for Origin, the short film I've been putting together since the beginning of the year.
The website has been kindly provided by the one and only Steve Andrews. The full list of Associate Producers, Special Thanks & Thanks credits are listed in the Cast & Crew section. A huge thanks to YOU and everyone involved in the Twitter Short Film Fund. These fund raising initiatives are now closed but my thanks again for your amazing generosity and support. It made such a huge difference to just about everything.
For more fun and photos, don't forget the Facebook page. Or you can follow the short film on Twitter, and/or follow me.
The trailer is playing ungraded images (but still look pretty good, I think) so I'm looking forward to the Digital Intermediate next month, which is when the film will be fully finished. Phew! What a ride.
The website has been kindly provided by the one and only Steve Andrews. The full list of Associate Producers, Special Thanks & Thanks credits are listed in the Cast & Crew section. A huge thanks to YOU and everyone involved in the Twitter Short Film Fund. These fund raising initiatives are now closed but my thanks again for your amazing generosity and support. It made such a huge difference to just about everything.
For more fun and photos, don't forget the Facebook page. Or you can follow the short film on Twitter, and/or follow me.
The trailer is playing ungraded images (but still look pretty good, I think) so I'm looking forward to the Digital Intermediate next month, which is when the film will be fully finished. Phew! What a ride.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Free Ticket: William Akers Talk
You may have seen that William Akers is coming to London to give a talk about the "Fatal Errors Beginning (and experienced) Writers Make". William's a produced screenwriter and author of "Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make it Great" and, by all accounts, seems like one of the good guys. More details on William and his book can be found here.
Fancy going along to his talk FOR FREE? Yes, a blog exclusive for you (and because you've been so kind with the short film fund), I asked William if he'd give a freebie to attend his two hour intensive discussion where he will cover such topics as:
- How to tell if your idea is good enough to be a “movie.”
- The crucial importance of the Opponent.
- Making the Opponent the Hero’s agent of change.
- Why a One Line outline is crucial.
- Using a “Random Thoughts” outline to give your story depth.
- Conflict. It’s a good thing.
- An easy way to separate character's voices.
- Characters want to speak subtext, not text!
- Words on a page: how not to confuse your reader.
- Image Order... why doesn’t anybody teach this?!
- Words that weaken your writing.
- Cutting stuff to improve it.
- Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. How to approach it without going nuts.
- 7 Deadly Sins Of Screenwriting.
- A few thoughts on paranoia.
- Writing your way out of a hole.
The talk will take place at the Met Film School, Ealing Studios on Thursday 2nd July, 6.30pm-8.30pm. For your chance to attend for free, simply answer the following question:
"What famous movie about Arthur, King of the Britons was produced by the producer of Akers’s first film?"
Email me with your answer (dstack30 at hotmail.com) by Tuesday 23rd June, 12pm UK time. Then, all the names of those with the correct answer will be put in a hat and the winner chosen from there.
Good luck!
Fancy going along to his talk FOR FREE? Yes, a blog exclusive for you (and because you've been so kind with the short film fund), I asked William if he'd give a freebie to attend his two hour intensive discussion where he will cover such topics as:
- How to tell if your idea is good enough to be a “movie.”
- The crucial importance of the Opponent.
- Making the Opponent the Hero’s agent of change.
- Why a One Line outline is crucial.
- Using a “Random Thoughts” outline to give your story depth.
- Conflict. It’s a good thing.
- An easy way to separate character's voices.
- Characters want to speak subtext, not text!
- Words on a page: how not to confuse your reader.
- Image Order... why doesn’t anybody teach this?!
- Words that weaken your writing.
- Cutting stuff to improve it.
- Rewriting, rewriting, rewriting. How to approach it without going nuts.
- 7 Deadly Sins Of Screenwriting.
- A few thoughts on paranoia.
- Writing your way out of a hole.
The talk will take place at the Met Film School, Ealing Studios on Thursday 2nd July, 6.30pm-8.30pm. For your chance to attend for free, simply answer the following question:
"What famous movie about Arthur, King of the Britons was produced by the producer of Akers’s first film?"
Email me with your answer (dstack30 at hotmail.com) by Tuesday 23rd June, 12pm UK time. Then, all the names of those with the correct answer will be put in a hat and the winner chosen from there.
Good luck!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Credit When It's Due
A lot of producers and execs won't consider a new writer who doesn't have a credit (often referred to as "an unknown quantity") but how does someone get their first credit if no-one is willing to give them a break? It's a catch-22 similar to trying to get an agent (the agent’s not interested until you’ve got some work but it’s incredibly difficult to get work without an agent). So what do you do?
Dedicate yourself to achieving that first credit, wherever you can get it. Forget about big Hollywood sales*, creating your own TV series or nabbing a commission on the next series of Ashes to Ashes. That ain't gonna happen. (It COULD happen but it'll take a great deal of luck and a lot of brilliance on your part.) Instead, think more strategically. Start building your profile from the ground up. Use your spec scripts as red hot samples of your original voice. Convince producers/script editors/execs that you're the next big thing, or at the very least, a writer who deserves some attention.
Write a short film, get someone to make it or make it yourself. Credit! Write a sketch, have it performed somewhere, even if it's your mate's sketch group down the pub. Credit! Write a play. Produce it yourself. Credit! Write a radio play. Submit it to the Beeb, see if they want to commission it or, hell yes, produce it yourself. Credit! All decent ways of building your profile, and giving producers/execs a good reason to consider you as a writer who's a bit different than the rest. The BBC Writers' Academy will only accept submissions from those who have a professional credit. This includes radio/theatre plays. Get in there.
It is possible to get a shot at EastEnders without a credit but you have to impress them in their Shadow Scheme first (and to be considered for this, they need to read & like your sample script, or previous work). Doctors is a good route for new writers. I think there's talk of a Doctors New Writing Scheme but I can't find any details yet (if anyone knows anything, post a link/comment, ta).
If you're thinking children's TV might be an easier way to get a credit, well it can be just as difficult and competitive as prime time drama. But fear not. Look further afield. There's a healthy European market for animation series, and they need lots of writers. MIPCOM and MIPCOM Jnr are two key festivals where the animation movers and shakers hang out. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to take a risk to try to find them.
You're probably feeling eager and frustrated to get your first credit RIGHT NOW. You probably think you're ready, that you can write just as good as the stuff that's on TV, AND that you could do better. Maybe so. But that's from the outside looking in. Once you get your foot in the door, the process of writing a commissioned piece of work becomes a different ball game altogether, and you soon learn whether you can cut it.
One thing is for sure: when your first credit does come along, it will feel right. It will feel earned. You'll be ready to kick some ass. All that hard work will have paid off. My first credit was on Doctors. They had a New Talent Producer at the time, and I pitched and developed ideas with her until Doctors HQ gave us the nod. I cried when they commissioned one of my ideas. It was such a big relief because I was pursuing an 'all or nothing' approach with my writing and I knew it was a significant stepping stone for my career.
Everyone's different. People will get lucky chances. Some will get hard earned breaks. Some will get wrongly ignored or rightly rejected. Rejections pile up for everyone so don't feel too disheartened. They should however become a bit more positive so that you know you're on the right track (Julian Friedmann has some good stuff to say on rave rejections over at his place) . Keep going, keep improving and keep writing and that elusive first credit will eventually come.
* selling your spec script, not enjoying a shopping spree in LA, obviously.
Dedicate yourself to achieving that first credit, wherever you can get it. Forget about big Hollywood sales*, creating your own TV series or nabbing a commission on the next series of Ashes to Ashes. That ain't gonna happen. (It COULD happen but it'll take a great deal of luck and a lot of brilliance on your part.) Instead, think more strategically. Start building your profile from the ground up. Use your spec scripts as red hot samples of your original voice. Convince producers/script editors/execs that you're the next big thing, or at the very least, a writer who deserves some attention.
Write a short film, get someone to make it or make it yourself. Credit! Write a sketch, have it performed somewhere, even if it's your mate's sketch group down the pub. Credit! Write a play. Produce it yourself. Credit! Write a radio play. Submit it to the Beeb, see if they want to commission it or, hell yes, produce it yourself. Credit! All decent ways of building your profile, and giving producers/execs a good reason to consider you as a writer who's a bit different than the rest. The BBC Writers' Academy will only accept submissions from those who have a professional credit. This includes radio/theatre plays. Get in there.
It is possible to get a shot at EastEnders without a credit but you have to impress them in their Shadow Scheme first (and to be considered for this, they need to read & like your sample script, or previous work). Doctors is a good route for new writers. I think there's talk of a Doctors New Writing Scheme but I can't find any details yet (if anyone knows anything, post a link/comment, ta).
If you're thinking children's TV might be an easier way to get a credit, well it can be just as difficult and competitive as prime time drama. But fear not. Look further afield. There's a healthy European market for animation series, and they need lots of writers. MIPCOM and MIPCOM Jnr are two key festivals where the animation movers and shakers hang out. There are opportunities out there. Sometimes you have to take a risk to try to find them.
You're probably feeling eager and frustrated to get your first credit RIGHT NOW. You probably think you're ready, that you can write just as good as the stuff that's on TV, AND that you could do better. Maybe so. But that's from the outside looking in. Once you get your foot in the door, the process of writing a commissioned piece of work becomes a different ball game altogether, and you soon learn whether you can cut it.
One thing is for sure: when your first credit does come along, it will feel right. It will feel earned. You'll be ready to kick some ass. All that hard work will have paid off. My first credit was on Doctors. They had a New Talent Producer at the time, and I pitched and developed ideas with her until Doctors HQ gave us the nod. I cried when they commissioned one of my ideas. It was such a big relief because I was pursuing an 'all or nothing' approach with my writing and I knew it was a significant stepping stone for my career.
Everyone's different. People will get lucky chances. Some will get hard earned breaks. Some will get wrongly ignored or rightly rejected. Rejections pile up for everyone so don't feel too disheartened. They should however become a bit more positive so that you know you're on the right track (Julian Friedmann has some good stuff to say on rave rejections over at his place) . Keep going, keep improving and keep writing and that elusive first credit will eventually come.
* selling your spec script, not enjoying a shopping spree in LA, obviously.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Film Fund Update & More
The Twitter Short Film Fund has been a great success! A huge thank you to all those who pledged, most of whom doubled the basic request of £5, and some who went well beyond. I am well and truly gobsmacked, and I can't tell you the difference it makes to the final stages of post-production. But of course, I can tell you. It stops me from going further into debt or tapping even more of my meager savings (I say meager; non-existent would be more accurate, especially as the production budget hoovered it up in a blink).
To change your pledge into actual wonga, simply make a Gift payment at PayPal (using dstack30 at hotmail .com). If that makes no sense to you whatsoever, simply use the link in the sidebar (under the About Me section) and select your preferred method of payment. Remember, the basic £5 donation entitles you to the extremely popular Get Your Movie Made booklet, which lists the contact details and key personnel of 22 leading film companies in the UK.
I've got three key stages of the film left. Music. Sound FX/foley. Grading. The music is being done by Laurie Peters (who's also an artist/animator, more notably for Ricky Gervais). Sound FX/foley is being taken care of by these guys, Andrew Wilkinson & Francis Lindsay: officially the coolest guys on the planet. For the grade, I'm getting a digital intermediate done by the good folk at Ascent 142/Soho Film Lab. I've managed to negotiate a good deal for all of this, thanks mainly to my executive producer Paul Sarony, who pulled a few strings. I still have to pay more than I can afford but that's where the Twitter Short Film Fund comes in to help soften the blow. Sweet.
All going well, the film should be 'in the can' by July. The website and trailer will be up before that but until then, the Facebook page provides lots of photos and behind the scenes shenanigans. Getting the short film to this stage has been hugely rewarding but also very time consuming and has distracted me from my writing routine, not to mention generating fears of what my next job might be. Luckily, my recent episode of EastEnders went down well and they've just offered me another commission, which I start next week. Woo-hoo! Absolutely thrilled about this, and will at least ensure that I can pay the bills while I put the finishing touches on the short.
It's all busy busy busy, go go go, but we're only half way through the year. There's still a great deal to do and lots I want to achieve, and we should be getting the Red Planet Prize underway again in the summer, so that's exciting. Yeah. Let's go to work.
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I've got three key stages of the film left. Music. Sound FX/foley. Grading. The music is being done by Laurie Peters (who's also an artist/animator, more notably for Ricky Gervais). Sound FX/foley is being taken care of by these guys, Andrew Wilkinson & Francis Lindsay: officially the coolest guys on the planet. For the grade, I'm getting a digital intermediate done by the good folk at Ascent 142/Soho Film Lab. I've managed to negotiate a good deal for all of this, thanks mainly to my executive producer Paul Sarony, who pulled a few strings. I still have to pay more than I can afford but that's where the Twitter Short Film Fund comes in to help soften the blow. Sweet.
All going well, the film should be 'in the can' by July. The website and trailer will be up before that but until then, the Facebook page provides lots of photos and behind the scenes shenanigans. Getting the short film to this stage has been hugely rewarding but also very time consuming and has distracted me from my writing routine, not to mention generating fears of what my next job might be. Luckily, my recent episode of EastEnders went down well and they've just offered me another commission, which I start next week. Woo-hoo! Absolutely thrilled about this, and will at least ensure that I can pay the bills while I put the finishing touches on the short.
It's all busy busy busy, go go go, but we're only half way through the year. There's still a great deal to do and lots I want to achieve, and we should be getting the Red Planet Prize underway again in the summer, so that's exciting. Yeah. Let's go to work.
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