I've submitted my romantic comedy to the Bluecat Screenplay Contest so that's fun. They provide notes with their entries so hopefully I'll have those by February. Script P.I.M.P. has also started their contest once again so once I receive my latest notes on my slasher film I'll be entering that contest as well. The problem with screenplay contests is that it takes so long to hear back, there are a few monthly screenplay contests floating around but I'm not quite sure of their legitimacy.
At any rate, BLOOD IN THE TREES went through its umpteenth rewrite and I think I finally have my narrative flow down well. The problem before (I hate when a problem is pointed out that's been there all along, I feel silly finally realizing something IS a problem) was that the narrative followed the characters along for the duration of the story. Essentially from page 25-90 the characters were all together doing their thing, so I've added in a complete subplot which allows breaks from the actions of the main characters as well as provides a different perspective on the events that are happening.
Tuesday I'll be submitting it back to the development service. Each time I get their notes back I seem to be a closer to where I need to be so hopefully I made a big jump with this. Just as a little motivation I read what happens to the people that are recommended by them, there are a couple dozen options, people finding representation, and a few movies that have been made, so that's good. It would also explain why it's so hard to GET that rating but I suppose I shouldn't mind going through the trouble of writing a great story.
Speaking of great stories I've gone fishing for some opinions on my romantic comedy and thus far everyone has really enjoyed it, so that's a plus. I actually enjoyed writing it more than the slasher film if only because my characters weren't brutally dispatched halfway through. It's nice seeing a happy ending, haha.
Ah, to the issue of a title. I still think BLOOD IN THE TREES is an okay title but there COULD be a better one. Just looking at the titles of horror movies out there, they're generally silly. I suppose mine rates up there on the silly scale but I'd like something a little stronger. BEHIND SUBURBIA was a decent title as well but for some reason I was the only person to think so and "it left the reader unsure of the genre of the film" ... so that's bad. I'd hate for people to expect a poignant drama of the struggles families have living a suburban lifestyle and end up with a bunch of dead teenagers. So if anyone has a horror movie title they've had laying around that they always wanted to use, send it my way.
My ultra low-budget mocumentary FINDING DAVID is just about finished. I know I've been saying that but the end of this month is the ultimatum because I want to get it into the Garden State Film Festival. I think it's decent enough to be in it. Well, after going last year I'm pretty sure it is, but of course I don't know what the heck they'll ultimately choose. Even so, we'll be getting a website for it set up soon enough and you can own your very own copy, exciting, no?
At any rate, I'll update once I get my notes back and have some more FINDING DAVID news.
Friday, December 12, 2008
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12 comments:
I am so proud of you. You have only been getting better, which eventually will lead to your recognition! You have so much talent! It's only natural you finally get recognized for it. And you WILL!
I feel so lucky to watch you evolve as a phenomenal talent!
Love always,
your not so secret admirer :)
You should be congratulated for venturing out on this journey.
But...
Realism alert!
I hope you understand that the 'notes' you receive from the screenplay competitions are given by people with about as much experience as you.
If you want to be a professional writer, act like one. Start working toward networking with producers. Competition winners are simply the best of the worst in the eyes of producers. And the costs of entering the comps can add up. You may be better off using that money to make phone calls to producers, travel to network, etc.
Thanks for the congratulations.
I look at competitions as a means to an end, more of a bargaining chip (or a way to get my name out there) than as a solution to getting my script out there.
I like the Script P.I.M.P. development notes because if I get a decent rating from them I'll have access to their database and can send query letters to more people with a bit of weight to them.
I'm a little stuck in terms of networking, aside from pitchfests where can I go? Who can I talk to? I'm a little in the dark about a lot of that end of things and could use some advice. I know I need TO do those things but I don't know HOW.
Here's the 'simple, but not-so-easy answer.'
If you are truly serious about a career as a screenwriter, get yourself to LA.
I know, I know...NYC has a great film scene (and personally I'd prefer living in NYC over LA), but it's not the same.
LA is the film center of the US and where the real networking opportunities and the vast majority of the jobs are. Why waste your precious time by not being where the action is.
The economy is in the tank, but that can't stop a dream. Maybe it's the best time to move to LA? Maybe not...
But your chance of having a REAL screenwriting career from anywhere other than LA is not fantastic. Sure, once you're established, you could practically live anywhere...but not at the start.
I speak from experience...
I have a year and a half left in my MBA program and my fiancee has that long left in her grad school program and then our plan is to move out to California.
So I will eventually end up out there, but I will keep plugging away while I'm in deal old NJ.
I'm 100% serious about going through with the screenwriting career (and maybe transitioning into directing as well) but I want to be able to support myself while I do it - so it's just biding my time for now.
Then you're on the right track! All the best to you.
holy shit, its mikem? how the hell are you?
Chud! I'm good, how have you been?
hanging in there man. you ever post on theforum anymore?
Hi Mike. Another Mike here. :)
I've read your blog for months, but I don't think I've ever commented. I just like the notion that there are other "aspirings" out there doing the exact same things, with equal vigor, that I'm doing to launch a career in screenwriting.
Great commitment!
I noticed you've submitted to BlueCat before, as have I. I've had three projects of mine go through their analysis and up until this last one, both were very positive and inspiring.
But this latest one...? Totally flippant and ironically, much less motivating than the excellent coverage (a "consider") given by Coverage Ink of that same script when it was less tight.
I was a bit shocked by that.
How do you feel about the feedback you've received from BlueCat? I know it's cheaper than real coverage, but how confident are you in the opinions you've received?
Additionally, I'm thinking about trying Script PIMP this month also. I typically send 3rd and 4th draft projects over to Coverage Ink in preparation for contest season. (I love those guys!) But I'm starting to wonder how you know a piece is truly ready.
I've read my scripts so many times, it's like I've seen this movie a dozen times already. It's hard to remain objective after 5 re-writes. Yet, it's even harder to know when a reader is shooting straight with you and honestly wants to help improve your work.
~Muse
Hi Mike,
Thanks for reading and commenting, I'm glad you did, it's nice to know people are out there :D
As for Bluecat I've also noticed the quality of their notes going down quite a bit, I think as they get bigger the time they spend on an individual screenplay is going down. As another commenter pointed out, they usually have people that get paid $5 a script to do their notes so they rush through as many as possible.
You also have to remember that people who are reading them are people like us and their rating is based entirely on their subjective view of the story. If you wrote a horror screenplay and they hate horror, guess who is getting a shitty review regardless of story quality?
Another contest where the coverage quality took a dive is the PAGE awards, I received a checklist back that was checked as "adequate" the whole way down and their notes said "decent story, interesting characters" and that was the extent of it.
The Red Inkworks contest run by Larry Myles gave me fantastic coverage this past year and he actually let me resubmit my work to him after I followed his suggestions to tell me if I was on the right path, I thought that was really above and beyond for a screenplay contest.
Script PIMP also gives great coverage, their notes are very detailed but I've also noticed their prices have been going up recently so that's something to watch out for. I've received four pages of notes from them that really pushed me in the right direction so that always helps.
Something that's free to consider if just find other screenwriters and exchange work with them, it's nice to have a fresh perspective on work, that's for sure, I know exactly what you mean by it's hard to stay objective after reading something over so many times. I'm always up for exchanging work, so let me know.
Good luck!
Mike
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