 Toronto Metropolitan International Screenwriting CompetitionThe Toronto Metropolitan International Screenwriting Competition rewards screenwriters with prizes and distribution to A-list executives that represent top studio talent. This year we are blessed to have some of the top names in the entertainment industry on our distribution list which includes professionals from New York, Toronto, and Hollywood. Last year's winner got a one-hour consultation with the top talent manager at Fictional Entity. "Excellent contest! Any screenwriting competition that can provide its winners with access to real industry professionals is a contest worth submitting. Few competitions can actually provide this opportunity. Toronto International is the exception!" Submit today! https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoNewMedia  San Francisco International Screenwriting CompetitionWant to be taken serious as a writer? Then enter a screenwriting competition designed for serious writers who write serious scripts. The San Francisco International Screenwriting Competition is dedicated to propelling the careers of talented writers dedicated to doing great work. Our winners are delivered to over forty agents, managers, and working producers. These are entertainment professionals who actually want to read your script. "Joseph and the SFISC team has been amazing in this time of madness! Fantastic communication and dedication to connecting their winners to the professional world. I'm truly honored to be recognized by such an amazing group!" ~Scott Nabat Submit today >>  Scriptapalooza TVWhether you are already an aspiring television writer or a writer interested in exploring other avenues, Scriptapalooza TV is here to promote careers in television and provide exposure for the undiscovered writer.
www.scriptapalooza.tv Screenwriting Be a Self-Starter but Seek Advice A paradox exists in the writers' room by Neil Landau A paradox exists in the writers' room. You need to absorb information and find your own way through observing how other people behave in the room, reading draft after draft to see how they evolve and come up from that early writer's draft through network notes and the process of refinement. If you get an opportunity to go on a location scout or to sit in on a music spotting, color correction or editing session, take advantage of it. Just sit there and absorb. You also have to be smart, politically savvy and diplomatic enough to know when to keep your mouth shut and when to open it. You need to learn not only how to write for a given show, but also how to read a room. One option is to say, "I take it that I'm here to observe and learn. If you'd like me to participate, please let me know. Tell me what's appropriate." That's a good question to ask on staff, because if you just assume things, you can alienate people and commit career suicide without even being aware that you've done anything wrong. Ideally, mentorship should naturally emerge in a writers' room from a hierarchy. It behooves them and the show for the more seasoned people to take the new writers under their wings and mentor and explain things to them. On some shows, in some writers' rooms, that does happen. But often people have their own scripts to write, their own problems, personal lives and multiple projects. You're not necessarily a responsibility they want. They want you to come in, be low maintenance, fend for yourself, not get in the way and be a professional. That means being a proactive yet humble listener and learner. |
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 Student Scripts for the Pandemic WorldFor the next couple of semesters (or until a cure or vaccine is available), we need to develop scripts that plausibly allow our actors to remain masked and covered. Writers need to think situationally. Under what settings would characters logically and believably be protectively clothed or partitioned? There are lots and lots of dramatic scenes that could support protective costuming and wardrobe… [Read more]  Horror Screenwriting Tips from Neal BellTip # 1. Respect the intelligence of your audience. Sure, there will always be an audience for your standard 'body-count' movie, where characters we barely know are dispatched in increasingly complicated ways. (Cf. the Saw movies.) But one reason horror's so popular today is because the new movies are good – they tackle difficult subjects (like grieving, in Hereditary), and they don't flinch. These new moviemakers seem to assume that their viewers are grown-ups, who recognize the horror (and the beauty, too) of simply being alive and aware. [Read more]  Pre-Production: How to Break Down Scenes as a DirectorIn this article, I will describe how I prepare for a shoot. When I go through the script, I write down a lot of notes about the beats of a scene, the turning points, the subtext, the backstories etc. All these notes help me a lot when I'm working with actors. The technique I use helps me to be precise, efficient and to add more depth to a scene. At the same time, I try to be open to new ideas, and I like the actors to offer me something. [Read more] Back-to-School Special Offer Save Up to 30% on books. Free Shipping on All USA Ground Orders.   Join the Screenwriting Forums Online |
