Script University newsletters

Here are the latest newsletters with details of upcoming courses and more:

 

Last Chance to Register!   Today, there are more film and television productions taking place every day than ever before. And every studio executive, director, A-List actor, and literary agent is on the hunt for fresh, original content. It’s up to you the writer to attract them, and there’s no better way than bringing them material already suitable for the screen. But with the competition breathing down your neck, and everyone looking for the next big story - how do you stay attached to your intellectual property long enough to sell it? And more importantly, how do you control the rights to your IP long enough to get a sale and maybe even a screen credit? This live webinar spells out in simple terms how to use and protect content found in the public domain, true stories, TV specials, and movie remakes; even public domain comic book superheroes you can base new, copyrightable work on. You’ll learn how to option books and graphic novels for either little or no money upfront, to adapt into a marketable spec script. We’ll even discuss how to resurrect a beloved old trademark that everyone is familiar with in order to rebrand it into an exciting new property. Each strategy will come with real-time examples of success, like cover the pitfalls every writer needs to avoid.   How to protect your intellectual property before marketing your script How to find, option, and sell material to Hollywood How to ensure that you stay attached to your intellectual property once it’s bought and much more! Writers who want to jumpstart their career with fresh and original intellectual property Writers who want to know how to protect their ideas from being stolen Writers who want to understand copyright, trademark, and fair use terminology Writers who want to secure intellectual property and then adapt if for the screen Writers looking to present themselves as a professional to the Hollywood industry   This Thursday! March 25, 2021   LEARN MORE & REGISTER!   Instructor: Jon James Miller   Jon James Miller is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and short story writer. His debut novel, Looking For Garbo a noir thriller was published by Amphorae Publishing Group and is a 2019 INDIES Book Award Finalist and 2019 MiPA Book Awards Finalist. Jon is represented by Jill Marr at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.      Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 United States

Hurry, Course Starts Thursday!   Winning or placing in a screenplay competition is a great way to propel your writing career forward. Since the major writing competitions all receive thousands of entries, it’s crucial to make yours stand out. Many contests hire readers (script analysts) to first score the submissions and they choose which ones will advance to the judges. This course will teach you specific ways to drastically increase the readability of your pages, make your dialogue and description sing, and improve the clarity and structure of your script so you can have a better shot at advancing to the next round. You’ll also learn common pitfalls to sidestep that will help your chances of success. Finally, you’ll be introduced to which writing competitions are most beneficial to enter, and other resources to make the most of each contest season. Competitions can be expensive and time-consuming to enter but can open doors if approached in the right way. Rather than leaving it to chance, make sure you have a contest strategy and that your script is in the best shape it can be. This workshop is a one week intensive. There are three video lectures for you to view over the week, and one writing assignment at the end of the course for your instructor to critique.   What screenplay competitions look for in scripts Examples of categories used for scoring How to help make your script a “fast read” Ways to make your narration brief yet descriptive How to decrease your page count Tips to make your dialogue sound more authentic Places in a script where you can best show off your unique voice Proper script format and adhering to contest requirements Common pitfalls to avoid when submitting to contests and much more!     Course Starts Thursday! March 25 - April 1 LEARN MORE & REGISTER!     Instructor: Rebecca Norris   Rebecca Norris is a script consultant as well as award-winning writer, producer, and web series creator with her company Freebird Entertainment. Her web series Split won two Outstanding Achievement Awards at LAWebFest, was nominated for an Indie Series Award, and was chosen as one of WebVee Guide's Favorite Web Series of 2015. Rebecca has analyzed scripts for many companies, including the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, QED International (Fury, Elysium, District 9), the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, Screen Queensland, and ScriptXpert (Writers Store), and worked in script development at Southpaw Entertainment (August Rush, The Space Between Us). She's proud to announce one of her private consultancy clients recently won First Place in the Zed Fest Screenplay Competition!     Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 United States     Whether you're completely new to writing screenplays or you're an experienced screenwriter looking to add a new skill, Script University has a course for you, all from the comfort of your home! Click here to view the full course schedule >>   This Week's Webinar:    Sell Your Script Safely: How to Protect Your Intellectual Property Instructor: Jon James Miller Thursday, March 25, 1:00 PM PDT Hollywood is ravenous for content and the most desired source is pre-existing intellectual property, or IP. Many writers don’t realize the true value of securing IP until it’s too late. This live webinar will cover the process of how to secure and protect the underlying rights to your IP with strategies on how to stay attached to it once you’ve found a buyer.   Courses Starting This Week:    Start Your Own Script Reading Business - New! Instructor: Brian O'Malley This course will show you how to launch a script reading business of your own, from building a website using a simple web platform to creating your online shop to the basics of marketing online using social media and writing blog articles. Prepping Your Screenplay to Win Competitions Intensive Instructor: Rebecca Norris Winning or placing in a screenplay competition is a great way to propel your writing career forward. Since the major writing competitions all receive thousands of entries, it’s crucial to make yours stand out. This course will teach you specific ways to drastically increase your odds of making it to the final round and winning. Rather than leaving it to chance, make sure you have a contest strategy and that your script is in the best shape it can be The Fundamentals of Screenwriting: Give your Script a Solid Foundation Instructor: Donald H Hewitt Have an amazing idea for a movie, but don’t know how to begin writing it? In this course, you will gain the tools to structure your scenes, your acts, and your plots. This four-week workshop is the perfect introduction to the fantastic world of writing a script, from the fundamentals of the story down to the revision process.   Introduction to Playwriting Instructor: Paul Peditto There are few feelings more exciting than sitting in the back of a dark theatre watching live actors perform your words, while an audience laughs and cries or even shifts uncomfortably in their seats. Whether you’ve never written anything before, you’re experienced in another kind of writing, or you’re a playwright looking to sharpen your skills, this course offers clear, step-by-step guidance in the basics.   Hate being tied to a schedule? Check out our affordable Self-Paced Courses >> EXPERT INSTRUCTORS | CONVENIENT ACCESS INVALUABLE FEEDBACK   Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 United States   Protect Your IP Before It's Too Late!   Today, there are more film and television productions taking place every day than ever before. And every studio executive, director, A-List actor, and literary agent is on the hunt for fresh, original content. It’s up to you the writer to attract them, and there’s no better way than bringing them material already suitable for the screen. But with the competition breathing down your neck, and everyone looking for the next big story - how do you stay attached to your intellectual property long enough to sell it? And more importantly, how do you control the rights to your IP long enough to get a sale and maybe even a screen credit? This live webinar spells out in simple terms how to use and protect content found in the public domain, true stories, TV specials, and movie remakes; even public domain comic book superheroes you can base new, copyrightable work on. You’ll learn how to option books and graphic novels for either little or no money upfront, to adapt into a marketable spec script. We’ll even discuss how to resurrect a beloved old trademark that everyone is familiar with in order to rebrand it into an exciting new property. Each strategy will come with real-time examples of success, like cover the pitfalls every writer needs to avoid.   How to protect your intellectual property before marketing your script How to find, option, and sell material to Hollywood How to ensure that you stay attached to your intellectual property once it’s bought and much more! Writers who want to jumpstart their career with fresh and original intellectual property Writers who want to know how to protect their ideas from being stolen Writers who want to understand copyright, trademark, and fair use terminology Writers who want to secure intellectual property and then adapt if for the screen Writers looking to present themselves as a professional to the Hollywood industry   March 25, 2021   LEARN MORE & REGISTER!   Instructor: Jon James Miller   Jon James Miller is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and short story writer. His debut novel, Looking For Garbo a noir thriller was published by Amphorae Publishing Group and is a 2019 INDIES Book Award Finalist and 2019 MiPA Book Awards Finalist. Jon is represented by Jill Marr at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.      Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 United States     New Course from Brian O'Malley!   This course will show you how to launch a script reading business of your own, from building a website using a simple web platform to creating your online shop to the basics of marketing online using social media and writing blog articles. If you've completed our popular Scriptreading Certificate Program, this is the next step!   Writers with a love for script reading who've always wanted to work for themselves. Script readers who may be frustrated working for low pay at script contests and festivals. Aspiring and journeyman screenwriters interested in turning their skills into a home business.     Course Starts Next Week! March 25 - May 20 LEARN MORE & REGISTER     Instructor: Brian O'Malley   B. O'Malley started reading scripts in 1994, at the literary agency Media Artists Group. In 1997, he went to work as for legendary B-movie maverick Roger Corman (Little Shop of Horrors, Death Race 2000, Rock and Roll High School), and in 1999 assembled a team of top-notch script readers and filmmakers to launch the script coverage service Screenplay Readers.     Active Interest Media P.O. Box 20730 Boulder, Colorado, 80308 United States