Tuesday 17 December 2013

Industrial Scripts Newsletter November

I thought my followers may be interested in the latest Industrial Scripts newsletter:


Industrial Scripts is a London-based script development and training organisation, founded by leading UK script analysts and backed by major companies, delivering script development services to filmmakers.
 
  
 
INDUSTRIAL SCRIPTS NEWSLETTER - NOVEMBER 2013
 
Dear Karen,
 
The Industrial Scripts November newsletter is here, marking the last bulletin you'll read this year without the fog of flu or an office party hangover clouding your vision....
 
 
Industrial Scripts open through the holidays...
 
Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice or just taking a hard-earned break from work, Industrial Scripts remains open for script submissions throughout the festive period - so you can get a jump-start on that New Year's resolution to hone your script here.
 
Syd Field Passes Away
 
The Screenwriting world lost one of its giants this month, as trailblazing teacher Syd Field passed away on November 17th. Acclaimed by many as "the guru of all screenwriters", Syd's 1979 tome 'Screenplay' set the benchmark for three-act critical analysis and helped give birth to an entire sub-industry of screenplay deconstruction, laying the trail for Robert McKee, Christopher Vogler, Michael Hauge et al to follow.
 
 
Syd built on the rich but somewhat esoteric and academic works of writers such as Joseph Campbell, whose 'The Hero With a Thousand Faces' married ancient mythology to modern storytelling. Syd's accomplishment was to bring analysis out of a select few universities and make it comprehensible to the world at large - inspiring many a DIY screenwriter to take up a typewriter in their makeshift office - leading to a far richer world of storytellers and cinema.
 
Syd's work extended beyond his well-received and bestselling screenplay books - chairing committees with the WGAW, lecturing at USC, and consulting with a who's who of studios and production companies - even if you've not read his books, you've likely seen Syd's (invisible) hand at work on many Hollywood films. A warm and engaging speaker, he'll be missed in the screenwriting world. He made it seem so simple....
 
 
 
Major UK Screenwriting Opportunities
 
This month sees the BBC Writersroom and the Red Planet Prize open for submissions. These schemes represent amazing industry access for aspiring screenwriters; DEATH IN PARADISE writer Robert Thorogood was discovered through Red Planet's 2008 prize. Make sure your script is up to industry standard before submitting; BBC Writersroom deadline December 16th 2013, Red Planet Prize deadline January 6th 2014.
 
            
 
Industrial Scripts November Articles
 
Alongside our monthly shot of film intel delivered to your inbox, Industrial Scripts are rolling out articles on our news page mixing craft insight, industry analysis and some good old fashioned top-10 lists. This month's articles include an essential collection of must-follow Twitter accounts, a deceptively simple analysis of MIDNIGHT COWBOY's use of contradiction - and how many aspiring screenwriters would benefit from its lessons -before rounding out with a look at how to frame scenes in original expressions to maximise their impact - using rom-com BEGINNERS and its multitude of inventive scenes. 
 
“Twitter Accounts Screenwriters Must Follow”
 
"MIDNIGHT COWBOY - Lessons in Highly Effective Simple Screenwriting"
 
"Framing Scenes for Maximum Impact - Lessons from BEGINNERS"
 
 
Final Draft Free Upgrade Offer
 
Our sister software site Wordsworth Writing Store is running a tremendous offer on purchases of Final Draft – buy version 8 now, and receive a free upgrade to version 9 upon its release next year.
 
Ensure that your script hits the industry standard of presentation, safe in the knowledge that you’ll stay at the cutting edge with v9’s features.
 
 
 
Amusing Snippet of the Month - Honest Movie Trailers
 
We've all been sucked in by film trailers; the glossy production values, hints of sex and danger, and promises of life-changing experiences, all delivered in a bassy, earth-shaking voice (usually that of Don LaFontaine, and paid fantastic homage by Lake Bell in the recent IN A WORLD...) but let's face it, most of the time we're being lied to; the few choice cuts from a sub-standard product glammed up to ensure a mega opening weekend before word of mouth kills the product dead. "But the trailer looked so good..." we lament, wishing for two hours of our lives back.
                                                                                                                                                                             "Plot holes? What plot holes?"
 
Wouldn't it be refeshing if trailers told the truth? Thanks to the good folks at Screen Junkies for cutting through the spin to the dirty reality; their Youtube channel is chock full of honest trailers for Hollywood fare. From WORLD WAR Z to PACIFIC RIM and AFTER EARTH (a bad movie too far for their narrator) you can get the real deal on that latest blockbuster. They even respond to requests, so make your suggestions...
 
 
OPINION PIECE
 
The Bechdel Test, Women in Screenplays and Female Screenwriters
 
Gender studies has come to the foreground of the screenwriting world in recent weeks, as select Swedish cinemas have elected to put their films through 'The Bechdel Test', a short questionnaire about onscreen female representation. For those not in the know, The Bechdel Test has its roots in the musings of Virginia Woolf, and found expression in Alison Bechdel's 1985 comic strip 'Dykes To Watch Out For', in which characters debate the merits of women's representation in films. To 'pass' a film must;
 
1) Have at least two women...
2) Who talk to each other...
3) About something other than a man.
 
 
This is a great gag, and very quickly reveals the male-centric nature of most films and the accessory status of many female roles. However, its limitations are obvious - it is after all a punchy, short observation in a medium known for its brevity rather than a deep critical discourse into cinema and society. Taking it too literally - as is the case with the select Swedish cinemas - will lead to erroneous conclusions. A contained drama biopic about Angela Merkel at a G8 world leader's summit would fail, whereas a film which includes the recent internet joke 'two lesbians in bed talking about the Bechdel Test' would pass (of course, The Bechdel Test is designed to point out the lack of female relationships onscreen, as opposed to the lack of strong female leads - something lost in recent discussion). There is great intent to examine gender equality onscreen, but The Bechdel Test is a faulty measuring stick. But crucially, it does help raise awareness of a thorny issue in screenwriting.
 
Why are most films destined to fail this test? Though multi-plot films are becoming more common, for the most part western cinema focusses on the Hero's Journey; a set story from a single protagonist's life. As such, any scene which does not find relation to the protagonist's story is superfluous; secondary characters who discuss issues beyond the protagonist's plight are often wasting our time. And when the majority of protagonists are male, we see the cause of most films failing this test; male protagonists.
 
As one reader's experience analysing 300 scripts shows, approximately two thirds of spec scripts feature male protagonists, and around 90% of spec scripts submitted were penned by men. These numbers are broadly reflected in Industrial Scripts' experience, though we see a higher female ratio in the UK industry. However, the vast majority of scripts by female writers contain female protagonists. Is the solution to increased onscreen equality one of encouraging more female writers (targeting the content producers) or of encouraging more female protagonists to be written by a male dominated industry (targeting the content)? Or even shaping audiences to be more accepting of female leads (targeting the consumer)?
 
"Why yes, Michelle, I suppose you could do your laundry on their washboard abs"
And thus they failed the Bechdel Test for being overly specific regarding laundry location
 
Does either approach seem likely to succeed? Writers of either gender are often driven to express that which is familiar; whether in story world, role experience or characterisation. A male writer is more likely to write a male protagonist, just as an ex-spy might be likely to write spy tales (John Le Carre) or an ex-nurse might be likely to write a hospital set dramedy (Jo Brand's excellent GETTING ON). Experience shapes material. If men are to be criticised for writing too many male protagonists, then women too must be criticised for writing too many female protagonists. Should a well-rounded writer be able to excel in either camp? Does 'lack of experience' excuse men from writing female leads? Does 'there's enough men writing male leads' excuse women from writing male protagonists?
 
Will the industry ever find a balance in male-female writers? Casting an eye around screenwriting seminars, networking events and a production company's slush pile shows a great gender imbalance in participation, and this is perhaps to be expected. For many, though it may be their passion, screenwriting can be an inefficient life choice. Many hours of solitude, obsessing over a product which has a slim chance of ever succeeding; this behaviour, in many realms, is more heavily associated with men and one would expect an excess of male participants (and here there comes a whole world of discussion about the cause of gender behaviour - genetics, society, role models, reinforcement mechanisms etc).
 
Increasing the numbers of professional female screenwriters is certainly something the industry should hope for; but conversely, should the industry be encouraging more aspiring writers, regardless of gender? Agents' submission piles (or inboxes these days) are overwhelmed with scripts from poorly trained, novice screenwriters; it's THE X FACTOR auditions writ large on 120 pages of screenplay. Can the field of aspiring participants become gender-balanced by encouraging more female writers? Unlikely. It's a high-risk, low-reward life strategy, something which clashes with long-standing evolutionary gender divides. Participant equality is more likely to be achieved by discouraging so many men from trying to enter the field (similar in vein to the over-subscribed university system arising out of 1990's political policies), though no policy should ever try to limit voices from finding expression. More likely, 'aspiring participant' equality is not something which should be targeted by policy.
 
If Bradley Cooper undoes a few more buttons, would AMERICAN HUSTLE show greater gender equality? Does the fact that both a male and female character wear a perm show a subconscious symbol of equality from the writer's mind? Or is this article just an excuse to show Jennifer Lawrence pictures? Social analysis; tricky. 
 
When readers at Industrial Scripts see a female writer's name on a script we rejoice. Why? Because the script probably won't be bad. Not even winning an Academy Award can ever be a seal of excellence in the next project - but in our experience, the average quality of a female penned script is far higher than that of a male penned script and there is an abstract seal of minimum quality. Why? It likely comes down to that life-choice strategy. 
 
Women who pursue screenwriting likely do so from a careerist perspective, with greater investment in personal training and few produce amateur schlock. Its roots sit in that risk-reward, guardian-of-the-continuation-of-the-species role. 
 
Those women who do dip their toes in the screenwriting waters are armed with scuba tanks and flippers, and on average produce stronger work. Of course, 'on average' is eventually irrelevant; it is only the cream of screenwriters who will see their work produced and sustain long careers.
 
 
  It's okay; they're not talking about Hugh Hefner.
 
Making your film pass The Bechdel Test will achieve little for cinematic gender equality - but fundamentally questioning your approach to gender can help dramatically.
 
1) Does this character have to be this gender? Have I simply assumed their gender rather than consciously decided it?
2) Do my characters blindly conform to social roles? If so, why? Writing reflects society and rebellion without reason is often empty. But what am I subconsciously saying when repeating those roles? If I am breaking those roles, why?
3) Do I describe my characters through superficial traits, such as looks or choice of outfits? Are my female characters all defined by the way they look, specifically by stating their attractiveness? (please writers, enough of this!)
4) Am I using sex and allure to sell, or for story specific reasons?
5) Does my character matrix allow for female-female or male-male relationships? Would the story be improved by introducing either?
6) Are characters of both genders active in chasing their goals?
 
Each story is unique and has its own idiosyncratic requirements. But bear in mind some of these questions, and your work will likely elevate above the plethora of cliches and seen-too-many times scenarios which hamper many spec scripts.
 
In addition;
A gender test inspired by PACIFIC RIM, The Mako Mori Test
A great infographic on gender inequality in US film
 
WordsWorth Writing Store powers forward
 
 
We are delighted to reveal that our sister company, WordsWorth Writing Store , which opened for business in January, continues to build up steam with a whole raft of sales and customer interest.
 
 
 
In development for many months, the store stocks a comprehensive range of storytelling and physical production software, available at the most competitive prices and with brilliant FREE bonus packs, unique to us, attached.                                   
 
However what we're particularly pleased about is that we will be the first UK software company to provide ongoing phone support to our customers, so rather than tearing your hair out on hold to some call centre in Kenya you can call us any time if something goes wrong.
 
 
Unheralded Scene of the Month: COLD SOULS (2009)
 
In our "Unheralded Scene of the Month" section, our consultants nominate a classic film or TV scene, which in their view hasn't received the admiration it deserves.
 ***Warning: plot spoilers below***
 
Unheralded Classic: COLD SOULS
 
The film: BEING JOHN MALKOVICH infused with the melancholy of Paul Giamatti, COLD SOULS represents the feature debut of writer-director Sophie Barthes. A high-concept existentialist dramedy examining identity and art...
 
The plot: Paul Giamatti (playing himself) is an actor crumbling under the emotional weight of performing Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. When he sees an advert for a soul-storage company, he elects to lighten his psychological burden by undergoing a soul-extraction procedure. With his chickpea-like soul stored in a jar, Paul finds a balanced mental middle ground - but his art suffers immensely. Deciding he wants his soul back, Paul hits a slight snag - it's missing. Investigations lead to a Russian soul trafficker who wants to help his talentless soap actress wife...
 
The scene: After leaping into the great unknown with the soul extraction, Paul hits the boards for theatrical rehearsals. What results is the hilarious aftermath of an actor who cannot tap into truth or emotion - stilted, happy-go-lucky and completely inappropriate, leaving his lead actress and director bewildered - to the point of abandoning faith in their star player.
 
You can watch the scene here
 
Why it's unheralded: The film was largely unseen on release (taking $1.1m at the box office) and as with awards nominations, comedies are often overlooked. Yet this is a funny scene which also accomplishes a wealth of secondary functions.
 
Why it's great: This is the classic 'promise of the premise' scene, the trailer highlight reel for what happens when an actor removes his soul. It shows a character in a diametric position to their ideal; talentless and devoid of truth - and accomplishes this early in the film's running time. In the grand tradition of story-telling, it's a 'careful what you wish for' morality tale. In plot arc, Paul starts the scene on top of the world - happy and care-free - and ends it realising that he's made a terrible mistake; plot and character direction spin 180 degrees in a short space of time. This is also an example where the devil is in the details; a nonchalent Paul nibbles on potato chips as his director scolds him, and it subtly drops exposition regarding a time deadline ('curtain up' in one week). Crucially, this is a marriage of comedy and plot; too often films and spec screenplays stop to 'mug' and raise laughs, before putting the plot engine back in motion. This achieves story and comedy in one fell swoop; a big comedic set-piece which rests seamlessly in the unfolding tale.
 
 

 

 
SCREENPLAY SPEC-SPOTTER: NOVEMBER 2013
 
Information is power in the film & TV industries, so here is our vital burst of screenwriting-related intel for your mainframes!
 
Former Seth Rogan assistants Matt Bass and Theodore Bressman sell R-rated comedy pitched as BAD SANTA in the world of politics. Rumours that they simply transcribed Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's antics have at this stage yet to be refuted.
 
Brit-American writing partnership Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani sell coastal thriller spinning out from tragic accident which is covered up; revenge on the cards.
 
Christopher Wheeler's action-thriller script sells big, but picks up Craig Rosenberg for a re-write.
 
Joe Burke & Kevin Oestenstad make freshmen sales of thriller; a woman disappears after walking out of a small town cinema to answer her cell phone; can devoted husband track her down?
 
Cory Miller worked as an NYPD Internal Affairs investigator; he's parlayed that experience into a spec script sale to Lotus Entertainment.
 
Because writer-director Stephen Sepher has hijacked it as collateral for a group of bank robbers in his Las Vegas set action-thriller.
 
Brian Pittman and Rachel Long sell THE CIVILIAN to Millennium Films; Bourne-esque thriller sees a doctor mistaken for a spy; must complete the spy's mission to clear his name.
 
Jonathan Levine's follow up to WARM BODIES likely to star Channing Tatum.
 
Chris Parker script UNLEASH THE MULES picked up by producer Joe Roth.
 
Steve Hanulik's crime-thriller BLOOD TIES is picked up by Nasser Entertainment.
 
 
Anyway that's about all from us for another month, but just scroll down for details of our script development services and upcoming training courses, not to mention our exclusive Insider Interviews series.
 
The Industrial Scripts Team
 
Industrial Scripts, Europe's #1 Ranked Screenplay Consultancy
3rd Floor, 33 Newman Street, London, W1T 1PY
info@industrialscripts.co.uk
http://www.industrialscripts.co.uk
http://www.scripteditor.co.uk (Official Industrial Scripts Blog)
 
At Industrial Scripts we run premium, high-quality training courses which deliver serious value to participants. Our courses are tailored to suit the requirements of the industry, and are led by professionals with proven track records of success in their own individual area of the business.
 
For 3 and a half years we've been running training courses in script reading, low-budget filmmaking and screenwriting. We currently run 3 courses:
 
HOW TO WRITE A SCRIPT - SCREENWRITING FOR BEGINNERS is our first screenwriting course and has been designed for creative individuals who possess great ideas for films or TV shows, but don’t know where to begin. It delivers a huge amount of information, condensed into one intense day, to participants new to screenwriting, new to writing, or both. Focussing on both the writing process, and the industry writers find work in, the course aims to heavily de-mystify the process by which people become professional screenwriters, and help new writers navigate the sometimes precarious early years of the screenwriter.
Next course date: Saturday 21st December 2013
 
Our EFFECTIVE SCRIPT READING 1-day training seminar continues to go from strength to strength, winning consistently stellar feedback from participants...:


 
 
The course includes comprehensive contacts documents detailing all the paid script reading outlets in film and TV in the UK, and also offers attendees indefinite, ongoing email and phone support once the course is over. We can't turn you into a great script analyst overnight, but we can speed you up and save you a lot of time and effort in the process. Click here to book.
Next course date: Friday 20th December 2013
 

 

 
 
We formed Industrial Scripts to provide writers and filmmakers in the independent TV and film sector with high-quality, industry-standard script development services not usually available to them. Our consultants all have considerable experience working for and with the very best companies, and are currently very active in development (we don't believe in trading on past glories). We offer 15 different types of script development service, some are listed below, but you can visit our website to view them all...
"Should I spend 6...12...18...months of my life developing this project?" is a question that haunts many writers, who invariably have more ideas than man-hours. Here writers submit 10 loglines (without synopses), and Industrial Scripts will put them in order of excellence, encouraging writers to channel their efforts into promising ideas rather than, as above, wasting time and energy writing themselves to a dead end. This service also includes an overview (up to 250 words) on why particular projects merit more attention than others. 


 
Coverage Report - £124.99 * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR
This report on feature-length scripts consists of 3+ pages of notes and feedback to help the writer move on to his or her next draft. This is most suited to writers either in the early stages of development (at 1st draft stage, for example) or right at the very end of the development process, when notes to help "tweak" the script are required, rather than offering substantial changes.
 
Detailed Development Notes - £269.99 * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR
Our Detailed Development Notes service delivers an extremely detailed analysis of your feature script, together with lengthy suggestions on how to move forward to the next draft. These reports run to 10+ pages, and offer a truly forensic analysis of the script, which will leave you in absolutely no doubt of how to improve the project and move it forward.
 
Script Doctoring - £ fee by negotiation * eligible for TALENT CONNECTOR
Through our resident Script Doctors we offer writers, producers and directors the opportunity to have their project re-written, doctored, polished, re-structured and significantly improved according to their requirements. Fees are by negotiation, to book any of our doctors to work on your project or to request a quote please contact us with as much detail as possible about your script, and your requirements.
FROM THE BLAST FURNACE: "THE INSIDER INTERVIEWS"

Industrial Scripts brings you The Insider Interviews - exclusive FREE content from leading industry professionals that you can't access, anywhere else. Click here to access these free interviews and either download them to your iPod, or read them online:
 
STORY Guru Robert Mckee
"Charlie Kaufman...what an as*...he's Mr. Theory! He's not an anti-theorist!"
 
Screenwriter Kevin Lehane (GRABBERS)
"I think the horror-comedy is a really tough genre...I wanted to write a monster movie, like TREMORS, or GREMLINS". Download the podcast...
 
Head of Development Sophie Meyer (Ealing Studios)
"If I had to boil it down to one thing it would be "does it make you care?" Download the podcast...
 
Writer-Director Ben Wheatley (KILL LIST, DOWN TERRACE)
"Short films are a waste of time...I thought if I was going to put in that much effort, I may as well try and make something I can sell..." Download the podcast...
 
Screenwriter Jack Thorne (THE FADES, THIS IS ENGLAND '86, THIS IS ENGLAND '88, THE SCOUTING BOOK FOR BOYS)
"I wrote 12 plays before I had anything produced..." Download the podcast...
 
Producer Richard Holmes (RESISTANCE, EDEN LAKE, WAKING NED, SHOOTING FISH)
“I thought to myself "this is filmmaking: doing something you don't want to do and for which you will probably be punished by God!”” Read more...
 
Film Journalist Nev Pierce (Editor-at-Large, Empire magazine) 
"Interviewing directors is my favourite thing...it can be thrilling if you're meeting someone you admire...to sit down for 2 hours with David Fincher...I feel incredibly blessed to have that kind of opportunity". Download the podcast...
 
Producer Gareth Unwin (THE KING'S SPEECH, EXAM) 
"I'd done something a bit daft just through eagerness and I said to someone within The Weinstein Co. - "I hear I'm not in Harvey's good books anymore" and she said "Harvey doesn't have good books, there's just people he hates less that week!" Download the podcast...
 
Actor Tom Hiddleston (THE AVENGERS, THOR, WAR HORSE, ARCHIPELAGO)
"(when the THOR call) came in I was just about ready to sing and dance...it was the longest audition process I've ever been through...". Download the podcast...
 
Literary agent Rob Kraitt (Casarotto Ramsay)
'I once sold a book to Tom Cruise - it was before he and Michael Mann made COLLATERAL. It was a big six-figure deal and doesn't happen very often.' Download the podcast...
[at the time of recording Rob Kraitt worked for AP Watt]

Literary agent Nick Marston (Curtis Brown Group) 
'There are these moments in agencies when one generation wants to leave and the other generation has to somehow find the money to take over... and in our case that came from the 'honey pot' of the Winnie the Pooh estate.'
Download the podcast...
 
Studio Executive Alexei Boltho (Paramount Pictures)
'A typical working day for me? Smoking cigars, that's about it really!' Read more...

Screenwriter Stuart Hazeldine (EXAM, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, KNOWING)
'I had to keep the faith, and finally the phone rang and it was a big agent from ICM in LA saying he had read my two scripts and wanted to take me on...'. Read more...

Screenwriter David Scinto (44 INCH CHEST, SEXY BEAST)
'GANGSTER NO.1 is one of the best scripts we ever wrote, sadly in other hands it was ruined. Bastardised. Mutated. Amateur.' Read more...

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