MY FIRST SHORT FILM

I had a pleasant surprise when I opened up Facebook this morning. Right at the top of the most recent stories was a post from my good friend Arne Reidar Mortensen with the simple words... 'Remember this one?'

And there it was the link to the You Tube video of my very first short film - you can watch it here - shot by Arne and his friends and broadcast on TV Vest in Norway way back in 2008. It also made the local Norwegian papers. It brought back some great memories, specifically the excitement of production and the anticipation of seeing my words translated to the screen for the very first time. A lot has happened with my career since then, but I'll always look back at AGN with a great deal of fondness and pride.

Short films are a great way of showcasing your writing talent and they're easy to make. Have you got a smart phone with a camera? Then you can go and film something. Rope some friends in to help you make it. Upload it to You Tube. Get yourself and your writing out there. Proactive people get noticed. There's simply no excuse for sitting on your backside and doing nothing.

It doesn't matter if the first one you make is rubbish, you'll learn from it. The next will be better. And the one after that will be even better still.

Go make a short film. What do you have to lose?

Happy Writing.

BLOG PAST - SUBTEXT

This blog was originally posted on Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Writing subtext in dialogue should come automatically to writers, but I still see a lot of on the nose dialogue in the scripts I'm sent to read. So how can you prevent obvious dialogue creeping in and make sure your screenplay is layered with rich subtext?

The way I do it may not work for everyone but at least it will give you an idea of how easy it is to weave subtext in. For me it's like building blocks, you start at the bottom and build up. When I write a first draft I always write the dialogue in plain English so I know exactly what is happening in any particular scene. I don't try and hide what is being thought by the characters, I just write it plain and on the nose.

GEORGE

I was just wondering how are you and Sam getting along, have you patched up your differences yet?

RUTH

No, I hate him... in fact I wish he was dead.

When I sit down and do another pass on the first draft I will look at the dialogue in every scene and decide how I'm going to get rid of the obvious dialogue and replace it with subtext.

GEORGE

(careful)

I saw Sam the other day.

RUTH

(abrupt)

I fancy a tea. Want one?

This is why subtext is important. It's not what the characters say, it's what they don't say and what they imply. The first example is too obvious while the second shows how reluctant George is to mention Sam and equally how much Ruth is determined not to talk about him. Ruth's reaction illustrates just how she feels about Sam without stating the obvious.

So if you're stuck on how to write subtext then just write it plain English to start with, then go back and try to hint at what you want to say, without actually saying it in an obvious way. Your screenplays will be richer for it.

TITLES

A good title is important. Get it right and it helps to sell your screenplay. Get it wrong and you risk losing your audience before they've even turned to page one of your screenplay.

Here are some some examples (including a couple of my own) to help you see what works and what doesn't.

'SNAKES ON A PLANE'

 Short and to the point, you know instantly you're getting an action movie set on a plane full of snakes. It practically sells itself. A marketing dream in fact. Bet they didn't have to spend much money at all on marketing the film. I remember the excitement over the title, the internet buzz and the word of mouth. It had an inbuilt audience even before the film had finished shooting. Snakes on a mother frickin plane!!!

'THE ROARING FORTIES'

The original title of a football sitcom about six men in their forties, written by Brendan O'Neill and myself. My agent hated the title, said it conjured images of a historical drama either set during or after WWII. She was right. Needless to say the title has now changed to something more suitably footbally.

'WHO KILLED NELSON NUTMEG?'

The brainchild of my friends Danny Stack and Tim Clague. 'Who Killed' instantly lets you know this  is a mystery waiting to be solved and the name 'Nelson Nutmeg' can only mean one thing... comedy! As a low budget film it won't have much of a marketing budget, if at all, so the title is important in hooking the audience in from the get go.

'THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN'

I tend to keep my titles short, one or two words if possible. Although this title tells you exactly what the film is about I do feel it's too long and might have put people off going to see it. Let's put it this way, if you're queueing at the cinema, with loads of people waiting impatiently behind you itching to get their ticket and popcorn, you don't really want to have to spout this mouthful when paying for your seat. What title do you think would have worked better?

'JUMANJI'

Complicated or unusual titles can be confusing. Being a little dyslexic I hate having to ask for a ticket to see a film I have trouble pronouncing. Also you can never really be sure of what you're getting with a cryptic title. For those of you who haven't seen the film, what does this title conjure up for you? Those of you who have seen the film will know it's the name of the board game that sucks the players into a real-life jungle filled with dangers, from which they have to escape. For me it doesn't really say 'children's adventure film', because unless you know the title refers to a board game you might be left scratching your head wondering what the hell it's actually about. If you make your title ambiguous or cryptic you've already lost part of your potential audience. Don't make it difficult for them to choose your film.

'PLAYGROUND'

This is the title for a thriller feature I was commissioned for, set in the world of African child soldiers. The title suggests innocence and its loss, friendship and bullying, joy and sorrow and all those emotions and challenges evoked when we remember our own childhood in school playgrounds.

So as you can see titles are very important. Some work. Some don't. So don't always go with your first choice, like your first draft of your screenplay play around with it, change it, think on it and make it better.

Happy Writing.

FIRST DRAFT - PART THREE

So here are the rewritten opening pages of my thriller feature.

FADE IN:

EXT. CITY - NIGHT 

A myriad of coloured lights twinkle across the bustling metropolis.  Always busy.  Never sleeping.  Eight and a half million strangers sardined within its boundaries. 

It appears deceptively peaceful.  It won’t be for long. 

EXT. INNER CITY HIGH-RISE - NIGHT 

A tall, ugly concrete high-rise that may have once been called luxury, but is now just old, worn and dirty, like its inhabitants. 

From a distance we see a WORKMAN, tool box in hand, stride towards the graffiti scrawled front entrance. 

INT. LIFT - NIGHT 

DEXTER (53), the workman we saw moments ago, stands expressionless in the far corner of the lift. 

He wears a blue workman’s overall, baseball cap, brown hair underneath, glasses and a tool box.  A screwdriver in his breast pocket.  An ID card hangs from a strap around his neck. 

Tinny Muzak plays.  The halogen light exacerbates Dexter’s pasty skin and the dark circles under his eyes. 

A ping as the lift arrives at Dexter’s desired floor.  He exits into... 

FOURTEENTH FLOOR CORRIDOR 

Automatic lights flicker on, illuminate the pale green walls in a eerie glow.  The colour reflects off Dexter’s skin, makes him look like one of the living dead. 

Dexter walks to the far end of the corridor, halts in front of apartment one-four-five.  He knocks with a latex gloved hand.  A long moment... 

...then the door opens a crack. 

THOMPSON (33) peaks through, flashes a questioning look.  Dexter shows him his ID. 

THOMPSON

‘Bout time. 

Thompson opens the door wide, leads the way into... 

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY 

Dexter closes the door behind him. 

THOMPSON

Bloody thing’s been playing up all afternoon. 

Dexter pulls the screwdriver from his top pocket to reveal a cleverly disguised syringe... 

THOMPSON (CONT’D)

Fuckin’ freezin’ in here. 

...and stabs Thompson in the neck, depresses the button. 

Thompson half turns, surprised.  He tries to grab the now empty syringe but his legs give way.  He’s unconscious before he hits the floor. 

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER 

Dexter enters, deposits his tool box on the floor, opens it, takes out two empty pill bottles and one half full. 

He lines up all three on the lip of the bath. 

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER 

Dexter slips his hands under Thompson’s arms, hoists him upwards, with a gargantuan effort hefts him onto his shoulders in a fireman’s lift. 

A momentary stumble, Dexter steadies himself then carries Thompson carefully towards the bathroom. 

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER 

Dexter settles the unconscious Thompson in the bath.  He reaches into his tool box, extracts a bottle of Jim Beam and a funnel, presses Thompson’s fingers to the top, the body of the bottle and to all the pill bottles. 

Dexter discards the Jim Beam bottle top on the bathroom floor.  He opens Thompson’s mouth, uses the funnel to pour the whiskey and a few of pills from the half full bottle down his throat. 

A dying Thompson gags, pure reflex, vomits a little back up. 

Dexter sprinkles a few of the pills on the floor, then places the bottle into Thompson’s hand and steps back to admire his work. 

Satisfied, the funnel goes back in the tool box, the lid closed.  A phone vibrates in Dexter’s pocket.  He checks the screen. 

C.U. ON PHONE: A message from a contact listed as ‘BITCH!!!’ - “Have you REPLIED to the letter yet????????” 

Irritated, Dexter deletes the message, drops the phone into his pocket, picks up the tool box.  Ever the professional Dexter takes one last look around and then exits.

Besides the tidying, condensing and general improvements, there are two major changes in this version. The first is the absence of the YUMMY MUMMY.

Originally she was there to highlight the fact Dexter was trying to remain anonymous, by dipping his head so she couldn't see his face. However, on reflection I decided she really didn't serve a purpose. I feel the scene is significantly better without her and far more menacing than the slightly comical original.

The second was no longer having Dexter collapsing in pain. The original idea was that he was ill and motivated to take one last big job because of this. In the end I decided terminal illness was too cliche and swapped it for a intriguing text message instead. Again there is still the mystery - Who is the text from? What do they want? Why does Dexter ignore it? - this time I feel the answer isn't so clear and hopefully the reader will be further motivated to stick around and learn more.

I hope you've enjoyed this little exercise and it's helped you understand how another writer might construct their scenes.

Happy Writing!

MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL UK COMPETITION

The Manchester International Film Festival UK are running a competition in the run up to the festival  and there's a very helpful and sought after prize up for grabs. Get your entries in quick.

5 COPIES OF FINAL DRAFT 9 TO GIVE AWAY

In the run up to the festival JULY 10^th – 12^TH we have five copies of final draft 9 (or alternatively V.I.P. all access passes for U.K. residents/visitors) as prizes for anyone who can answer our advanced screenwriting question.

We didn’t want a simple generic question so we asked our mystery screenwriter to come up with something special and particularly difficult.

ADVANCED SCREENWRITING QUESTION:

       
What is the MORAL of the Oscar winning film BABETTE’S FEAST?

         

Answers to be sent to programming@maniff.com  (Subject line:  screenwriting question)

Winning answers (or as close to it) will be announced on JULY 12^TH.

Good luck!

Happy Writing!

FINAL DRAFT WRITER APP FOR IPHONE

I don't own an iPad so it's been frustrating to have to carry a laptop with me on my travels if I wanted to work on my screenplays. Now thankfully the lovely people at Final Draft have come to my rescue and provided an app for the iPhone. I am with joy!

It has the same functionality of the full version of the software, only simplified for my mobile. I love the fact I can ignore the majority of the functions, allowing me the freedom to just write while I'm out and I don't have to worry about anything else (unless I want to) until I get home and I can upload it to the full program on my computer. I find this an advantage as there's less opportunity for destruction and it really helps to focus my mind.

For those of you who want a little more you can still add general notes, lock pages, add and remove scene numbers, set up your page just how you like it, use character highlighting, smart type, headers & footers, title page and you can even change your page view.

Files can easily be uploaded or downloaded and you can work on files direct from your Dropbox account too, so you can take any of your screenplays, or other documents to work on at your leisure, anywhere you want. It's smooth, easy to use and comes with handy instructions on how to use it, not that'll you'll really need them it's that easy. And the best thing is it doesn't cost much.

However, I do have one niggle... on the iPhone 5/s typing is a little awkward, especially if you have large fingers, but with the larger screens on the iPhone 6 I suspect this won't be much of a problem. As I said it is only one niggle and a little one at that. Otherwise it's a fantastic app and one you should be downloading today.

I really don't know how I've survived without it for so long. Thanks Final Draft!

SUMMER WRITING

It's hot! The sun is out! All your mates are going up the pub, having BBQs, or going down the beach! You want to write, but the call of the summer is too strong.

At the best of times it's hard to motivate yourself to spend a few hours each day sat in a dark room in front of a computer, putting words and punctuation together to form your latest screenwriting masterpiece. You don't need summer getting in the way of your career and equally you don't want to miss out on all that vital vitamin D. So turn this sunny weather to your advantage.

Load up what you're working on onto your laptop, grab your notes, get a nice cold drink with plenty of ice and go and work outside. Don't forget the suncream. Find a nice cool spot in the garden, in the local park or even at a table outside a coffee bar and get ready to write like your life depends on it.

Turn your wi-fi off on your laptop so you can't connect to the internet or email. Even better leave your mobile at home. Give yourself a page/word target for the day. Make sure it's just you and your work. Then get your head down and get on with it.

You'll be surprised at how much you can get done in such a short space of time. Without the internet and your email there to distract you, you should fly through the pages. Then when you hit your daily target you can pack up and bugger off to enjoy the rest of the day.

Don't punish yourself! Don't force yourself to sit in a dark room when you'd rather be outside. Go on, get out there and enjoy the sun while you write... you deserve it after all.

FORMAT RULES AND WHY YOU CAN BREAK THEM

There are two topics guaranteed to split opinion amongst screenwriters; grammar and formatting.

A few weeks ago I posted a rough version of the first few scenes of my latest spec thriller and found myself surprised at the backlash on Facebook focusing on the above two topics. I've already explained the reasons for publishing an unproofed selection of my first draft on the web and I won't go over those again, but I do want to discuss formatting rules and why you CAN break them if you so wish.

First of all I must point out that to break the rules you first need to know what they are. For those of you who are now thinking what's the point if you're going to break them anyway, you have to understand that to know how and where the rules can be broken you need to have a good understanding of how they work. Only then can you play and mess around with the reader's, or audience's perceptions and expectations. Not knowing the rules will lead to a very messy and incomprehensible screenplay.

I'm not going to go over the rules here, you can get that information more comprehensively elsewhere, but I am going to use examples of produced screenplays from two films, both of which impressed me, to illustrate what I mean; *LOCKE and *PHONE BOOTH.

SHOW; DON'T TELL:

This is a biggy, obviously because film is a visual medium. LOCKE (2013) is a brilliant example of how to break that rule and impressively so. The screenplay is about a construction manager Locke who walks out on his job and his family when the woman he had a brief fling with is about to give birth to their child. The majority of the screenplay is set in his car in real time, as he attempts to deal with the fallout of his decision by car phone, as he travels up the motorway to the hospital to be with the woman as she gives birth.

Obviously, with the main character confined to such a small space it meant the screenplay was always going to have to rely more on the dialogue than the action description, the 'SHOW' coming from the main actor's performance. Knowing this the writer used the action description as a guide for the actor to the main character's thought process. Consequently the screenplay reads more like a novel in places.

3  INT. LAND ROVER/EXT. CITY STREETS 3 

Ivan will now drive through city streets toward the M6 motorway, a couple of miles away. We will not blink as we study him as he drives...

Ivan is now confronting the crisis in his head. On the site he was in a familiar place but now he is on a journey and must necessarily begin to consider the destination and the place he is leaving.

His first decision is to make a phone call on his hands free car phone. This is an important component of the story so we should take some time establishing the mechanism. He has a long list of speed dial numbers, identified by names or locations.

He speed dials a number labelled ‘Bastard’...

IVAN

Hello, can I speak to Gareth? 

However, if this had been a spec screenplay the writer would not have been able to do this. By knowing he would also direct, it allowed the writer to break the 'SHOW;DON'T TELL' rule. The action isn't used to 'SHOW' the reader but instead inform the actor's performance. A reader coming across this in a spec script pile would most likely bin it and chalk the writer up as an amateur.

Only because the writer knew the screenplay formatting rules could he break them to make the film he wanted to. The resulting movie is better for it.

TOO MUCH DIALOGUE:

As writers we're always warned against using too much dialogue - again, 'SHOW; DON'T TELL'. The PHONE BOOTH (2002) screenplay not only breaks this rule but completely destroys it and becomes a master class of dialogue writing.

PHONE BOOTH is about a slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed and is forced to participate in the destruction of his life and all that he holds dear, as the hidden marksman stares at him down the sight of his high powered rifle. As with LOCKE the main character's confinement to a small space is key to the story, so how does the writer get around this obvious obstacle and make it more cinematic? The answer is he breaks the 'TOO MUCH DIALOGUE' rule and uses it to convey the main character's predicament, rather than using action description to do so.

What surprised me most about this script is that there is very little action description. It's almost entirely dialogue. Pages and pages of it occasionally broken by a line or two of action. In fact if you added up all the action and scene description I doubt it would total more than five full pages. The scene and action description is sparse and only used when absolutely necessary, flipping the rule on its head and swapping the roles of action description and dialogue.

The screenplay's dialogue is a masterly example (if you know of a better one please let me know) of how words can convey action, emotion and atmosphere. The writer uses every single word of dialogue so carefully and expertly there is little or no need for action description. As a reader you don't need great swathes of action and scene description to describe what's happening and how people react both physically and emotionally to events. By doing this the writer creates an incredible, frenetic pace, under pinning the tension and urgency the publicist experiences trapped in the phone booth by the unknown sniper. The dialogue literally puts the reader in the phone booth with publicist, forces him/her to feel exactly what the character feels. It really is a spell binding screenplay.

 STU 

 They're all lying.  Nobody saw it because it didn't happen. 

 RAMEY 

A man is dead but it didn't happen. 

STU 

Not on account of me!  This is like some bad dream. 

RAMEY 

You're walking through a bad dream and you can't 

wake up.  Do you want to wake up? 

STU 

I'm trying. 

RAMEY 

And in this dream, you killed that man.  He was 

bothering you so you iced him. 

STU 

No. 

RAMEY 

Then who did? 

VOICE 

Don't tell him, Stu.  Or it'll be the last thing he 

ever hears.  His blood will be on your hands.  

STU 

(to Ramey)  

I don't know. 

RAMEY 

But you saw it happen? 

STU 

Yes. 

RAMEY 

You were the closest one to him. You must've seen who did it. 

STU 

No. 

RAMEY 

We're trying to be honest with each other, aren't we?

I particularly love the above scene as you can literally sense the publicist's (Stu) panic as he tries to talk his way out of the murder of a pimp shot by the sniper holding him hostage in the phone booth. The cop (Ramey) believes Stu did it and tries to talk him into surrendering, while the sniper (Voice) puts pressure on Stu and denies him the ability to prove his innocence.

As long as you are familiar with the rules of screenwriting there is no reason why you can't bend or break them to tell your story in a unique way that defies the reader's expectations. Ultimately this will make you stand out and above from all those other writers continually trying to pimp their formulaic screenplays.

Happy writing!

*Excerpts of screenplays used for educational purposes only and copyright remains with the original writer, production company and studio, etc.

FIRST DRAFT - PART TWO

I learnt a lot by posting the first few scenes of my latest spec last week. Some expected, some unexpected.


I posted the scenes for two reasons...

1. Let's face it, as writers we never really get to see a proper first (vomit) draft other than our own. Writers are very precious about letting other people seer their work until it has been rewritten a million times and proof read at least once by the grammar Nazis. I thought I'd be different and allow my fellow writers a chance to see how another writer works and what my raw first drafts look like - purely for educational purposes. Some called it brave! Some called it foolish! Some just didn't get it!
2. Primarily I wanted to see if the scenes worked, if they were enough of a hook for the reader to want to know more.

What I didn't expect to happen...

1. My spelling errors to be pointed out.
2. To be pulled up on format.
3. To be criticised on pace.
4. For fellow writers to argue with each other over whether these issues should have been pointed out in the first place.
5. A director to read it and then request to read the rest of the screenplay.

What I did expect to happen...

1. For people to be drawn into Dexter's story and want to know more.

What I learnt...

1. As writers it's easy to get hung up on format, pace, spelling and grammar (all of which are important) and forget that we are first and foremost story tellers. If we focus too much on these 'rules' our stories can suffer, their originality diluted or even lost - our work can become formulaic and dull. Be aware of the 'rules' but also be happy to break them if you think your story will benefit.
2. Everybody has an opinion, most of them different, and these opinions can lead to personal attacks when people think others are attacking their validity.
3. Some people get very angry if their opinions aren't listened to, are ridiculed or even attacked.
4. We're writers. We're a community. We should be supportive of each other while being prepared to offer constructive criticism when asked. Under no circumstances should we be attacking each other. We should be united and supportive...always!
5. Write the story you want to write. You can listen to others' opinions but never forget this is your story and you should never let anyone dictate how you write it... unless they're paying you, or it was their idea in the first place, even then you can negotiate.
6. Opportunities can come from anywhere, you just need to make them happen.

Overall I'm happy with the results of the blog post and now, because of the mostly positive reaction, I'm thinking of re-posting the same scenes again after each rewrite so my fellow writers can see how the scenes evolve from draft to draft.


Remember - play nice!


Happy writing.

THE FIRST DRAFT

It's taken nearly a year what with being busy and all, but I'm finally nearing the end of a new spec thriller. So in celebration of the fact I'm going to give you a sneak peak at the first few scenes below. Hope you enjoy them and feedback is always welcome... even the negative.

FADE IN:

EXT. CITY - NIGHT

A myriad of coloured lights twinkle across the bustling metropolis.

Always busy.

Never sleeping.

A tall apartment block that may have once been called luxury, but is now just old, worn and dirty, like its inhabitants.

From a distance we see a WORKMAN, tool box in hand, stride towards the front entrance.

INT. LIFT - NIGHT

DEXTER (40), the workman we saw moments ago, stands expressionless in the far corner of the lift, next to the button panel.

He wears a blue workman’s overall, baseball cap, brown hair underneath, glasses and a tool box.  A screwdriver in his breast pocket.  An ID card hangs from a strap around his neck.

Tinny Muzak plays.

The halogen light exacerbates Dexter’s pasty skin and the dark circles under his eyes.

The lift pings.  The doors open.

Dexter sinks back further into the corner of the lift.

In steps a YUMMY MUMMY, all tattoos and hair extensions.  She gives Dexter a brief cursory glance, before leaning across him to press her desired button.

YUMMY MUMMY

You’re working late.

Dexter doesn’t acknowledge her, drops his head so his cap peak shields his face.

The Yummy Mummy snorts, turns her own head away in annoyance at his rudeness.

Nether Dexter or the Yummy Mummy glance at each other, eyes fixed on the lift wall in silence.  They might as well be ten feet apart, not two.  It’s an awkward few seconds.

The lift pings and the Yummy Mummy exits.  She doesn’t look back.

Dexter urgently presses the fourteen floor button repeatedly, lifts his head again as the doors close.

Finally the lift pings as it arrives at Dexter’s desired floor.

He exits into...

FOURTEENTH FLOOR CORRIDOR

Automatic lights flicker on, some missing, illuminate the pale green walls in a eerie glow.  The colour reflects off Dexter’s skin, makes him look like one of the living dead.

Dexter walks to the far end of the corridor, halts in front of apartment one-four-five.

He knocks with a latex gloved hand.

A long moment...

...then the door opens a crack.

THOMPSON (33) peaks through, flashes a questioning look.  Dexter shows him his ID.

THOMPSON

‘Bout time.

Thompson opens the door wide, leads the way into...

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY

Dexter closes the door behind him.

THOMPSON

Bloody thing’s been playing up all afternoon.

Dexter pulls the screwdriver from his top pocket to reveal a cleverly disguised syringe...

THOMPSON (CONT’D)

Fucking freezing in here.

...and stabs Thompson in the neck, depresses the button.

Thompson half turns, surprised.  He tries to grab the now empty syringe but his legs give way.

He’s unconscious before he hits the floor.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter enters, deposits his tool box on the floor, opens it, takes out two empty bottles of pills and one partially filled.

He lines them up on the lip of the bath, knocks the third one over, spills its contents.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter slips his hands under Thompson’s arms, hoists him upwards, with great effort hefts him onto his shoulders in a fireman’s lift, and carries him carefully towards the bathroom.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter settles the unconscious Thompson in the bath.

Dexter reaches into his tool box, extracts a bottle of Jim Beam and a funnel, presses Thompson’s fingers to the top and the body of the bottle, and to all the pill bottles.

Dexter opens and discards the Jim Beam bottle top on the bathroom floor.  He opens Thompson’s mouth, uses the funnel to pour the whiskey and a few of the scattered pills down his throat.

Still unconscious Thompson gags, vomits a little back up.

Dexter places the bottle back into Thompson’s hand and steps back to admire his work.
Satisfied, the funnel goes back in the tool box, the lid closed.

Dexter’s legs suddenly go weak, he doubles up, clutches his side in pain, drops to his knees.

Dexter struggles to catch his breath, waits for the pain to subside.

Finally he stands.

He exits on wobbly legs, holds onto the door frame for support.

Happy writing.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION - FINAL DEADLINE

Good Morning writers, yes I do know this is the second blog post this week (you lucky lot). Last night I received an email from the Austin Film Festival asking if I would let my blog followers know their Screenplay Competition final deadline is fast approaching. So yeah (cough) their deadline is fast approaching... enter now while you can, and yes you can enter online. Details below!

Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay Competition 

Final Deadline: May 20 

All submissions must be received or postmarked by 11:59PM PST on Wednesday, May 20
AFF’s Screenplay & Teleplay Competition is one of the most respected writing contests in the country with a rich history of championing and supporting writers.  For the first time ever, AFF will provide Reader Comments to ALL entrants in the Screenplay & Teleplay Competition for FREE!  In addition, all entrants receive registration discounts, with even bigger discounts when you place in the competition. Unlike other screenplay competitions, your experience with AFF doesn’t end after making the first cut. Second Rounders (the esteemed top 10-12% in each category), Semifinalists, and Finalists attend special panels, programmed specifically for them and not open to regular badge holders.  This year, AFF has an exciting line-up of sponsored award judges including AMC for the One-Hour Pilot category, the Writer’s Guild of America East who will provide three established WGAE screenwriters to judge the Final Round of the Drama category, Enderby Entertainment who will be looking for scripts with an original concept and distinctive voice that can be produced under $5 million, and Frank Darabont’s Darkwoods Productions who will be reviewing this year’s top Sci-Fi scripts.  May 20 is the Late (and Final) Deadline for screenplay submissions so enter yours before it really is too late!

Now accepting short and digital series scripts!
www.austinfilmfestival.com

JUGGLING

Do you work on one project at a time, or several?

I've been asked this question a lot over the last few years and the answer has changed a little in recent months. I think it's important to keep the ball rolling with regards to your career but I also think it's important to focus on a single project when you need to.

Most of the time I have several projects on the go at once, all at different stages so I'm not trying to write four first draft screenplays at the same time. Currently I'm finishing the first draft of a spec feature thriller ELEVEN, developing two outlines - one for a comedy horror feature I BELIEVE IN MONSTERS and the other for a TV mini series THE DEAD LIST - fleshing out characters for another feature thriller THE CHAIR, developing one page pitches for episodes of a proposed TV crime drama, polishing one page pitches of my own TV drama ideas, as well as constantly keeping in touch with my many friends and colleagues in the industry.

Now if I actually worked on all of those projects every day I would make very little progress on each one. Lately I have found that to be the case as I've flitting from one project to another almost on a hourly basis. Focus was needed. With that in mind today I'll mostly be concentrating on the outline for I BELIEVE IN MONSTERS so that my co-writer and I can begin the first draft of the script as soon as possible. I'm also aware I haven't written a pilot TV episode for quite a while and I'm aiming to focus on one once the Monsters outline out of the way.

To do this I intend to allocate three quarters of my day to focusing on Monsters and the other quarter on a couple of other projects, making as much progress as I can on all three. When one project becomes more urgent than the others I'll adjust my main focus to it, even if that means putting all other projects on hold so I can focus on just the one project. This is especially important when a commission comes in.

Basically what I'm trying to say is don't give yourself too much to do otherwise you'll stretch yourself too thinly, you'll lose focus on projects and they'll suffer because of it. They'll be weak, diluted and lacking the finer details that make great projects stand out. It's always difficult to flit from one idea to the next, spending such a short amount of time on each one. It's far better to pick two or three and focus on them for a few days, then focus on another two or three for the following few days. That way you'll make serious progress on all your projects without their intensity suffering as a result.

For those of you thinking the amount of work above is far too much, think again. It's no good spending six months on one project only for it to go nowhere. All professional writers juggle several projects at any one time. If you want to get ahead in the writing business then you have to be continually coming up with new ideas.

Happy writing.

THE BLACK LIST

Have you tried hosting your screenplay on the THE BLACK LIST yet? Well if you haven't done so you really should... and here's why.

It's a fantastic chance to get your screenplay in front of US based producers. So who actually reads the screenplays hosted on this site, I hear you cry? The list ranges from major Hollywood executives to small independent producers, over a thousand film industry professionals. 

Do they actually read British screenplays and contact the writers, I hear you also ask? Yes they do. I've had first hand experience of this and know it to be true. That's why I think it's a great opportunity for British writers and one not to be missed.

How does it work? Once uploaded your screenplay is read by a professional reader and 'if' recommended it is passed on to film industry professionals who have signed up to The Black List. So it's worth remembering it's advisable to only upload screenplays you are completely happy and confident with. If your screenplay isn't ready then you shouldn't upload it.

Does it cost the earth? Yes it does cost to host your screenplay, but what's that little amount compared to what you might get for selling your work? I feel it's certainly worth the outlay. There are also the submission call opportunities and the educational resources the website offers to consider. And all for a few quid every month. It is really a no brainer as far as I'm concerned.

Still not convinced? Here's what The Black List have to say in their own words. 

ABOUT THE BLACK LIST

The Black List is where filmmakers find great material to make films and great material finds filmmakers to make them.

It began as a survey. In 2005, Franklin Leonard surveyed almost 100 film industry development executives about their favorite scripts from that year that had not been made as feature films. That first list - many of which have been made since - can be viewed here. Since then the voter pool has grown to about 500 film executives, 60% of whom typically respond.

Over 225 Black List screenplays have been made as feature films. Those films have earned over $19BN in worldwide box office, have been nominated for 171 Academy Awards, and have won 35, including Best Pictures SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING'S SPEECH, and ARGO, and seven of the last twelve screenwriting Oscars. A complete list of Black List films is here.

In September 2012, we launched a membership site for industry professionals that functions as a real time Black List and screenplay recommendation engine. You can learn more here and sign up for membership here.

In October 2012, we extended our mission further by allowing screenwriters from the world to, for a small fee, upload their scripts to our database, have them evaluated by professional script readers, and subject to that evaluation and our recommendation algorithm, sent to our - at present - over 1000 film industry professionals. You can begin the process of being discovered here.

In November 2013, we began accepting original episodic material, providing access for aspiring television and webseries writers around the world.

The Black List is also home to Scott Myers' blog Go Into The Story, the official Black List screenwriting blog.

2013 Black List Annual Report

Why not give it a go and see how you get on.

Happy writing.

FREE STUFF

I love free stuff. Free stuff is good. So here's a great FREE resource from Borgus Films to help you grow as a writer. Don't say I never give you anything...

I thought you might be interested in telling your readers about our new tutorial series based on Alfred Hitchcock's forgotten television works. 

We cover topics of relevance to screenwriting such as: creating unpredictable characters, building suspense and anxiety, manipulating audience knowledge, focusing on simple story objects, and more. 

HITCH20 explores the twenty episodes of TV that Hitchcock personally directed.  Each episode of this series features guest appearances from various Hitchcock scholars and film gurus with their insights on what makes these gems of TV relevant to today’s screenwriters and filmmakers. 

Guest commentaries include: 

-William C. Martell (screenwriter for HBO and Showtime)
-Parker Mott (Film Slate Magazine)
-John P. Hess (FilmmakerIQ)
-Lesley Coffin (author, Hitchcock's Stars: Alfred Hitchcock and the Hollywood Studio System) 

Proudly sponsored by: 

Glidecam, Paralinx, & Michael Wiese Books. 

Reviews: 

"An oft unopened door inside the genius of the Master of Suspense."
  -- V. Renée, No Film School 

"Packed with insights."
   -- Lights Film School 

Official site: http://www.borgus.com/hitch20Watch all episodes free on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/borgusfilm

Enjoy!

SHORE SCRIPTS 2015 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION

Shore Scripts have launched their 2015 short and feature competitions, so if you have a screenplay ready be sure to enter. Find the details below.

SHORE SCRIPTS 2015 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION NOW OPEN

"Our mission is to discover new exciting screenwriting talent from around the world. We put the best scripts into the hands of the producers, production companies and agents that have the means to get them made. Shore Scripts has amassed a roster of the most respected industry Judges of any screenwriting competition in the world. They include both Oscar and BAFTA winners, and the Heads of Production at Working Title Films and Ridley Scott’s, Scott Free Films.

All of our 21 Judges will read the winning scripts.We have over 100 Production Companies and agents attached to read the best scripts that we send through to them each year. These do not have to be winning scripts. If we feel a screenplay is strong enough, and a good fit with a production companies slate, then we will send it through with the writers prior consent."

BLOG REWIND - REJECTION REVISITED Tuesday April 12th 2011

I've spoken about rejection and how to handle it before, but it's something well worth going over again as it's all too easy to forget that sometimes rejection does hurt.

It's important to build up a thick skin against rejection, but even if you do there will always be that one rejection too many that gets to you. We're all human and we all desire to be loved and liked; writers even more so I think. The important thing as a writer is not to let others see you're hurting and not to rant publicly about it. That is a big mistake, a big fat no no in media circles, and a sure fire way to get yourself a bad name. It's worth remembering that if someone Google's your name they might come across your moan and think you're hard to work with and avoid you. No one likes a moaner, not even other moaners.

Go and Google your own name right now and see what comes up. If any moaning, or anything negative comes up then remove the offending article, blog or Tweet. I did this the other week and found two very early, very negative blog posts which I later removed. Here's a few other important things you might want to consider.

Rejection isn't personal. No one ever died from rejection. Rejection doesn't mean your work is rubbish, it just means they didn't like it/or it wasn't right for them at the time. Someone else might like it and snap your hand off.

Remember, be positive at all times online and keep any negative thoughts behind closed doors. Your career will thank you for it.

SUPPORTING SUCCESS

Chris Lunt, nominated for a BAFTA

This week, after learning on Facebook of two friends recent bad experiences with producers, I was going to write a slightly downbeat blog about how to protect yourself against those minority of industry people who think it's OK to take advantage of us writers... then I checked my Facebook feed this morning and discovered the lovely and talented Mr Chris Lunt had been nominated for a breakthrough talent BAFTA. Sweet! An upbeat blog it is.

I always look forward to hearing about my fellow writers' successes. Let's face it, it's all too easy to focus on the negatives when you're stuck in front of a computer screen for days on end, so it's a genuine delight to hear someone is doing well, or are finally being recognised for their work. We're a community after all and any success, no matter how big or small, should always be recognised and celebrated by us all. Not only does it give us hope, but it drives us to be better writers, to get that TV pilot/feature film/ short film script we've been sitting on for the last six months finished. It stops us dwelling on the negative and spurs us on to bigger and better things.

So poo poo to the minority of industry people who take advantage of our talent and good nature and huzzah for nominations and recognition. Today is a great day to be a writer.

Jolly well done, Chris.

Happy writing.

HOW TO NETWORK LIKE A PRO PART 2: MEETINGS

Sooner rather than later in your career you'll be invited to meet with TV development execs. So what do you do? First of all you need to know what kind of meeting it is. These meetings usually fall into two categories for.

MEET & GREET:

They've already read your work, like it and simply want to put a face to name. They want to know what kind of person you are, what programs you like and if you're going to be easy to work with. When I say easy, I mean someone they're going to be happy spending a considerable amount of time either in person, or communicating with.

What they're looking for is a polite, intelligent person, who is open to ideas and not obstructive or precious about their work. It's a collaborative process after all and they want to know if you'll take their notes as they are intended and use them to improve your script. You can object to notes, but only in a polite way, while giving valid reasons for why you think the note, or notes, won't work. Hopefully you'll be able to come up with a great alternative they'll absolutely adore. If you can't and they insist you make those changes, they need to know you'll do so.

PITCHING:

They've read your project outline, like it, but don't think it's for them... however, they want to hear more pitches.

Personally I think this is the most nerve racking meeting of the lot and this is how I suggest you go about things.

Prepare around six brief pitches. Keep your pitch to under a minute, giving the development exec the essentials; TITLE, GENRE, FORMAT and the project's LOGLINE. After that, if interested in the project, they'll ask you questions. If a question throws you, be truthful and say you don't know and ask if you could think about it and come back with an answer later. Guaranteed the answer will pop into your head the minute you step out of the door, so a quick email later with the answer, will solve the problem.

If the development exec starts fidgeting, rolls their eyes, fiddles with their phone, looks bored or distracted, bring them back into the pitch and ask them a question; "What do you think of the main character?" or something similar. Engage them. Don't lose them.

Don't forget to breathe. Try and speak calmly and clearly, not in a rush and garbled. If you find yourself rambling, take a quick sip of the lovely drink they offered you when you arrived and take a moment to collect yourself.

THE PROJECT PITCH:

They like your idea and invite you in to discuss it further. They want to know more. They want you to sell it to them. You do this by preparing.

If you don't know your project inside out then how are you going to pitch it well enough that the development exec gets the full picture? You need to not only know your characters as well as you know yourself, but you also need to know your premise and have closed all those potential loopholes in your project. I know this sounds simple but it's easy to be too confident before a meeting and not prepare fully. If they ask you a question you need to be able to answer it there and then, but if not, ask them if you could come back to them with an answer, as above.

And most importantly show enthusiasm for your project, show them you believe in it, and more than likely they will too.

Good luck.

Happy writing!

HOW TO NETWORK LIKE A PRO

I'm off up to London tomorrow for a day of meetings with TV types, so I thought it would be a great idea to look back and revise a previous post on networking and how it will benefit your career. So here we go...

NETWORKING 

I have found by years of trial and error that the best way to get work, and make great strides in my career, is to put myself out there and meet and connect with as many people as possible. Am I just talking about producers and directors? No...I mean everyone, everyone even remotely connected to the entertainment industry, actors, casting directors, script editors and fellow writers at all levels.

And it's not good enough to just show a passing interest in other people's work, I believe you have be genuinely interested in what they're working on. If I'm not genuinely in them and their career then those people I'm talking to will soon start to suspect I'm sucking up to them  simply to further my career. Luckily I don't have that problem because I have a passionate love of film and TV and a general curiosity about people, so I find it a pleasure to talk to others (even if it does terrify me sometimes) and talk about what they are working on.

Remember it's all about them, not you, so never, ever go begging for work. Remain helpful, polite and never pushy. Talk to them, ask questions and avoid talking about yourself as much as possible. If you're asked a question try and answer it as briefly as you can, before you ask them another question. If like me this comes naturally to you, then it's a great advantage, otherwise you'll have to work very hard at it.

I used to keep a spreadsheet of people I made connections with, now there's a handy little app for the iPhone called CONNECTED that reminds me who I've had contact with, when and what we discussed. I couldn't live without it, as it can get quite confusing when I've have met literally hundreds of people, especially as I'm rubbish at remembering names. Some days I even need help remembering my own.

Signing up to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help with the process, but you must remember everyone will read what you write so keep a separate account for personal use and gobbing off, and one for professional. You are what you write after all.

Personally I chose to only have one account on each site, as it would take too much time to keep up with separate accounts. Therefore I have to be very careful not to Twitter or Facebook when I come home from the pub and think it's funny to post a picture of my bum. General personal stuff is fine, it makes you appear human, just as long as it's not offensive.

There are plenty of other places to go and meet like minded  professionals including festivals, such as the London Screenwriters Festival, held every October in London. Not only will you meet a ton of writers at various levels, but also producers, directors and script editors. LSWF has now become so big it is now the most 'must attend' event on the calender. If you're thinking 'I can't afford to go', and you're serious about your career, then what you should actually be thinking is 'how can I afford NOT to go?'

There are also many other festivals, workshop and other great opportunities to network, set up by various well known and respected media bodies you should be looking at. You might even want to consider going on courses aimed at up and coming directors and producers... why? Because you'll probably be the only writer in a room full of hungry people who can get you screenplays made.

Writing ten or fifteen short scripts and offering them free to up and coming directors is a great idea to get your name and work out there. Plus if any are made it will give you something to be proud of and a credit on your CV. A good place to find directors is on Shooting People, Twitter and Facebook. Always remember to check out the directors previous work first to see if it's of the quality you want your short to be and if they are intending to place the finished film in festivals. That last bit is important as this will increase your exposure.

THE CALLING CARD SCRIPT

This is the one that best showcases your writing. It is not designed to ever get made (you're lucky if it does) but to show others what you can do. Make sure it is the best it can be before you send it out, as a sloppy, poorly written script will not impress anyone. And you need to send it out...to everyone - production companies first and places like the BBC Writersroom and Industrial Scripts, and then to smaller producers and directors and actors and just about everyone, but with this second group of people only if they request to read it first.

And this is where the networking comes into its own. If you've done your job properly people will also be genuinely interested in knowing what you are up to and might ask to read your script. If they like your work they might even offer you some work.

It's really all about building relationships, making friends and creating an awareness of your work. Do this and eventually people will come to you when they need a writer and one day you might even get paid for it.

PLAY NICE

The media business is a small world.

Behave badly, or develop a reputation for being awkward and people won't want to work with you. Hand your screenplays in late, or in an unacceptable, unfinished state and you'll be deemed unprofessional. People talk to each other in this business and reputation is everything.

It amazes me then that there are some people out there who still behave badly towards others. Luckily I've only met a handful of people like this and it's no surprise that in the majority of those cases I've never heard their names mentioned again, in relation to media career progression.

Don't be a plum! Don't sabotage your own fledgling career! Don't piss on people you might have to work for in the future! Here are a few of my simple rules to help you on your way...

• Always be polite, even if you don't like the person.
• Always be flexible where you can.
• Never be rude if you don't agree with something. Present your case in a calm and logical fashion and if they still don't agree with you, move on.
• Always honour your agreements.
• Always hand your work in on time (earlier if you can).
• Always make sure your work is the best it can be.
• Never continually bother people when you approach them. If they don't reply back immediately they might just be busy.
• Never be rude or derogatory about other people's work.
• Always be professional.
• Never be angry or vengeful.
• Never rage against rejection.
• Always remember it's never personal.
• Always double check what you put out on social media.
• Always have a smile on your face.

If you want to get far in this business if pays to play nice.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

There have been times in my career when I've seriously considered packing it all in and walking away for good. Where the promise of a regular income and a steady job seemed a whole lot better than the continuing struggle to get anyone to like my work, surviving on nothing but a few pennies a week.

Yesterday I read Lisa Holdsworth's excellent blog on rejection - read it HERE - where she nailed what it's like to be a writer and how we deal, or fail to deal with rejection. Every one of her points hit home and at the end of the blog post I was actually sniffing back tears.

She actually got me, got what it means and feels like to have my work rejected, and for once I felt I wasn't alone. That's the hardest part I think, the feeling of being alone and isolated with your 'shame' and 'anger', knowing that your family and friends, even though they mean well, don't really understand the crippling effect of being told 'NO'.

All writers face rejection, it's an occupational hazard. Every writer will at one time or another have to face it. But whether it's a project you've been working on for months that gets rejected or you're dumped from a project in favour of someone else, the mark of a great writer is that they learn to deal with it and move on. Yes the bad times can hurt as much as a kick in the fluffy bits - I've even had to sell my book collections and DVDs just to be able to eat on a couple of occasions when money was so tight - but I've learnt that nothing is forever.

Sometimes as writers I think we set up ourselves for most of our falls, happily telling everyone that will listen about a possible new project that physically and emotionally excites us, only later for it not to go ahead. It's hard not to share our excitement over possible projects with others. We see people so rarely that when we're asked what we're up to the temptation to blurt out every little detail is overwhelming.

Some writers are better at keeping things to themselves than others. Personally I'm crap at it and I'm sure it makes the rejection harder to deal with when you're asked..."What happened to your Vampire vs Robots project you told me ITV were interested in?" and you have to inform them ITV decided not to go ahead with the idea.

But it's not all bad. Us writers wouldn't do this for a living if it was.

There are days when you feel like nothing can dent your amour, that you're invincible and everyone loves you and what you do, when you just want to sing from the rooftops and tell everyone how well things are going. Those precious moments when a development exec says, "we really love your writing and we'd love to work with you," are the highlights that have us punching the air, strutting down the road as if we own the world. And for those few treasured moments, we do.

We are giants! We are superheroes! Our words are platinum! Our ideas genius! And the world is a beautiful place once again..!