By Blake Snyder.  Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions.  Book review by David S. Lee

August 27th, 2011 will see a first for our publisher.  Michael Wiese Productions is putting on their first-ever conference about The Future of Story, taking place at LA Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles.  Pen Densham will personally be leading a panel along with several other top MWP authors at this all-day event.

In anticipation of this exciting gathering, below are seven 150-word articles written by featured MWP authors.  For more information about The Future of Story Conference, visit: www.mwp.com/thefutureofstory

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY’LL STAY THE SAME

by Pen Densham

It’s very exciting to see the development of technology and its affect on the creative arts, but I profoundly believe that the stories that we tell in the future will remain biologically bound – i.e. the love stories, stories of human endeavor, conflicts between rivals and, as I always jokingly say “the avoidance of being eaten” stories like Jaws, Alien and Jurassic Park. The laws of nature, which have taken millions of years to evolve, do not change quickly. But the dynamic approach to communicating emotions, characters, and the human process will continue to be innovatively explored. We now live in an almost science fiction-like world where instant communication is available on almost any topic, and the visual literacy of our audience is immensely sophisticated. The audience craves innovation and that’s where we artists will fit in. I’m privileged to be running a panel at The Future of Story Conference on August 27th with several celebrated authors and futurists, and am looking forward to learning from them.

The Future of Story

By Ross Brown

Humans crave story. We’ve told stories in caves, read stories by candlelight, and now we upload stories to the Internet – which is exactly where the future of story lies. Webisodes, streaming movies and television, blogs, and e-forms as yet unknown will all be part of the explosive growth of story because on the Internet, there are no gatekeepers. You don’t need a publisher, or a TV network, or a movie studio to give you permission to tell your stories. If you’ve got a story to tell… do it! Write, create, upload, and find your audience.

One other thing: you must learn the craft of story. Because audiences don’t want just any old story; they want good stories, well-told. That means you must master structure and character. The smartest story people in the business will be at the Future of Story Conference to discuss these issues and more. See you there!

People Will Always Want a Good Story

By Paul Chitlik

We know that people will always want a good story. What we’re not sure of is the delivery system. Your story could take the form of thirty 3-minute webisodes. It could be viewed on an iPad, an Android phone, a netbook, or a giant 3-D screen. What we do know is that the story must be gripping, the characters compelling, and the whole experience satisfying. To stake out a place in the extremely competitive market that we’re in, your script has to better than you ever thought it could be. You’ll have to go through ten, fifteen, even twenty drafts (Don’t panic; that doesn’t mean a complete rewrite each time.) to stand out from the crowd. Consider rewriting part of the natural process of getting your script into the best shape it can be so that it can then be applied to any of the new media.

Let’s talk more about this and other story questions with my fellow MWP authors on August 27^th at the Future of Story Conference.

Excerpt from the 3rd Edition of Writing  the  TV  Drama  Series

By Pamela Douglas

Television has swung widely in the past few years. Quality drama series were supposedly killed by cheap “Unscripted” shows, but hour dramas actually grew instead. Broadcast networks themselves were “dead,” with the rise of cable and internet viewing; but, guess what, broadcast audiences increased while cable also grew.

Now that filmmaking equipment is inexpensive, some claim that professionally produced full-length shows will be replaced by home-made productions. Right. Everyone really wants to see Junior’s series in which he bursts out of a closet in a sheet rather than The Walking Dead. I even hear that television itself is a zombie killed by internet fever. Gimme a break.

No matter what happens – you are what everyone needs. You bring the content. If you create credible characters with enough depth to develop long narratives, if you are insightful in telling the stories of our times and our relationships, if you acquire the craft to make the world of your script compelling on screen, then wonderful opportunities lie ahead in TV. I’ll tell you about those at The Future of the Story Conference.

THE FUTURE OF STORY

By Jen Grisanti

“The Future of Story” is about reflecting on life and evolving as we move forward. Story progresses as we do and mirrors back the changes we see in the world. As storytellers we interpret life through a variety of lenses and shades, drawing from our own well of emotional truth and revealing it in the stories we tell. As our truth grows and progresses, the stories that we tell emerge from this experience. Story started in a place of simplicity and positivity. Now it has grown into a place where we covet complexity, flaws and a balance of dark and light because this is more universal to what we experience. We want to feel story — we want it to resonate with us. The future of story will empower us because it will come from a place of greater depth, resonating from the ever-changing lives of our storytellers. I look forward to exploring this concept further with my fellow stoytellers at The Future of Story Conference.

The Future of Storytelling

By Chris Riley

The future of storytelling is firmly linked to its past. The primal human appetite to tell and consume stories will continue because the needs that fuel our storytelling will continue: our need to find meaning, to connect with each other, to reach beyond ourselves to something truer and better. Our technology, however, will change. The decreasing cost of the tools for creating cinema will put those tools in more hands. We must not think, however, that the wide availability of pencils and paper will turn us all into Tolstoys or Tolkiens. The hard disciplines of the storyteller remain. If we will tell the stories of the future, we must embrace those disciplines: excellence of craft, unflinching honesty in seeing and telling, a commitment to seeking meaning, devotion to enriching and ennobling our audience, and a refusal to treat the story or the audience as only a commodity.

In the Beginning was Story…

By Catherine Ann Jones

From the early beginnings of Hollywood a century ago, the movie moguls were interested in one thing: the story. “What’s the story?” Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer would ask, “Just tell me the story.” Even today – no matter what technological computerized wizardry abounds – Hollywood executives still decide which story will make it to the screen by hearing the story pitched or told to them.

First, you must discover meaning for yourself in the story you have chosen and then find the necessary form that can be meaningful for others. What is the emotional personal thread from your own life which can be woven into your story? Answer this, and you will have the key to meaning for yourself as the writer as well as for the audience, who will identify with your feeling.

Learn the craft as well as you can. Then create space within and listen to your story.  It will guide you.

20 MASTER PLOTS AND HOW TO BUILD THEM

By Ronald B. Tobias. Publisher: F.W Publications (October 2003). Review by Darshan Kembhavi

‘20 Master plots and how to build them’ is a broad overview of the various ways to strategize your writing plans based on the plot you are planning to work on. I personally never knew the difference between a plot and story and I think after reading chapters 1 to 5 in this book, I understood the exact nature of what a plot. The author in the simplest words explains that a plot is the blueprint of human behavior which when broken down in perspective of what story you want to tell makes so much of sense. Once the idea of plot has been explained and with that in your mind the books takes through a journey of understanding and breaking down 20 different master plots and how to tackle them with examples when you are writing.

The following are the key points that I took out of this reading are as follows:

1. Plot as a term: The first 5 chapters explain the meaning of plot. With the numerous definitions that the author uses and following it with an example makesDarshan Kembhavi CTPR 566

you ponder over the fact that all this while when you were sitting to write and thinking in these terms it wasn’t story but it was actually plot.

2.’The Choking Doberman’ story: The story which is used as the broadest example along with the rest of the films in the book is this story. The way it is broken down to explain the little nuances of how plot really works is well structured.

3. Story VS. Plot: The simplest way it has been explained under this section is as follows, Story is a series of events strung like a beads on a string however plot is a chain of cause-and-effect relationships that constantly create a pattern of unified action and behavior. So in simple terms for plot as a reader or the audience you are always asking the question, “Why?”

4. The lowest common plot denominators: Ronald B. Tobias does a fantastic job of breaking down the parameters for considering how to generate plots and using these lowest common plot denominators it becomes easier to understand the relationship between characters, places, events and be able to project the outcome.

5. The strong force: The common difficulties writers face when trying to figure out plots is something which resonates with everyone. This chapter explains the techniques which differ from individual to individual about how to write.

6. Triangles: The nature of connections and relationships between characters and people in any film is of so much importance. The author takes the example of the film ‘Rebecca’ where the ghost of Rebecca affects the relationship between all the 3 major characters of the film, the new wife, the husband and the housekeeper.

7. Prologue to the 20 master plots: There are 2 major plots which are ‘Forda’ (Stories of the mind) and ‘Forza’ (Stories of action). However based on this there is a derivation of others under each of these patterns.

8. Master Plot #5 – Escape I have always been a big fan of prison break stories and this chapter includes few of the best examples of that including the great Escape and Midnight Express.

9. Master Plot # 6 – Revenge My thesis that I am working on is a revenge plot and reading this chapter gave me such insight about dealing with consequences about my antagonist and protagonist in situations which compel one of them to do something and the other to react in a way that has nothing else but revenge. The author uses ‘Death Wish’ as an example here.

10. The other master plots: The rest of the master plots are interesting and very unique and different from each other. Now every time when I am going to sit to write about something particular all I need to do is look over the checklists mentioned at the end of each of these chapters and I know exactly how to get my plot down and begin to write.

In my book, Riding the Alligator, I include an “instant library” of book reviews by my graduate film students.  Based on the positive feedback we received from those, I decided to continue to share more reviews of other books you might find useful right here on the website.  Below is an assessment of On Writing by Stephen King, as reviewed by Adair Cole, with contributions by Alex Daltas:

Adair Cole 2010, 566 – Prof. Densham

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a mixture of guidebook and memoir.  King attempts to give aspiring writers the tools to become “good writers” through sharing his own life experiences.

1. “What follows is an attempt to put down, briefly and simply, how I came to the craft, what I know about it now, and how it’s done. It’s about the day job”.

2. “…most books about writing are filled with bullshit… one notable exception to the bullshit rule is The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White”

3. “I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction and poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it”.

4. “[G]ood writing can be simultaneously intoxicating and idea-driven. If stone-sober people can fuck like they’re out of their minds while caught in that throe-can actually be out of their minds while caught in that throe-why shouldn’t writers be able to go bonkers and still stay sane?”.

5. “If [my wife] had suggested that the time I spent writing stories… was wasted time, I think a lot of the heart would have gone out of me… writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference”.

6. “[N]o matter how much I want to encourage the man or woman trying for the first time to write seriously, I can’t lie and say there are no bad writers. Sorry, but there are lots of bad writers”.

7. “[G]ood writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of style)”.

8. “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.”

9. “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right — as right as you can, anyway — it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.”

10. “[I]t is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.

11. “[I]f you don’t want to work your ass off, you have no business trying to write well-settle back into competency and be grateful you even have that much to fall back on”.

12.  “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy. Some of this book-perhaps too much-has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it-and perhaps the best of it-is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink”.

By Pen Densham

FEBRUARY 23, 2011

I have immense respect and empathy for those of you willing to act. As a writer-director, I get to hide behind the camera and send my scripts out to audition for me. You are visibly and personally exposed from the audition to the edit, yet you frequently sacrifice control of your final work to people like me. Wow, that is courageous, and I respect that trust immensely.

I hate rules. I quit school at 15 to get away from them. But my biggest rule when I work with an actor is: Ignore everything I say that goes against your creative instincts. Help me find what works for you. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t challenge you to grow or discover. But storytellers are in the business of casting spells on our audience. How that process happens is mysterious and sacred. Possibly it comes from a very personal and sometimes painful place. It is my job to support you working from your best place.

I have probably learned more from directing inspired actors than I have given back to them: Morgan Freeman, Robin Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Johnathon Schaech, Paul Sorvino, Emile Hirsch, Jackie Earle Haley, and Kevin Bacon. They search and strive for that shedding off of everything that doesn’t bind to the most truthful interpretation of the moment.

When I am casting actors I don’t know, I always run their reels to the most emotional scene I can find. A quiet dialogue reveals very little, but a character under tension or distress quickly rings false or true.

Robin Wright put herself through immense pressure and pain to interpret my Moll Flanders for me. I had always believed that directors who called for take after take were just indecisive. But one or two times, my tight schedule and budget forced me to capture a three-minute scene in a single shot. Robin and I had an immense trust. I asked her 13 times to shoot the same high-voltage scene with Jim Sheridan, who played a priest who had molested the 17th-century woman. Thirteen times my gut said we hadn’t found the truth. I hated myself; it was like putting a thoroughbred on the racetrack over and over and whipping her to the finish line. And yet I couldn’t give up; I felt that would betray all our efforts on the film.

I asked Robin for a 14th take. Exhausted, not feeling well at the time, she had the courage and commitment to trust my instincts and gave me one more. In some weird, immeasurable way, we all knew that take was “real.” It was true. Totally undefended acting that submits to the moment, that delivers even the micro expressions, rivets us with its unmannered observation of emotion.

Nature seems to create and use very little that is not useful to survival. I am convinced we are driven to watch drama to learn how to better our own survival. We need to learn how to improve our status, how to find a good mate, how to avoid being betrayed. Our natural instincts are to observe and learn from the emotional paths of others without having to suffer their fate—or sometimes to emulate their paths to success. It is impossible to model off an untruthful performance. It just doesn’t trigger us emotionally.

As a writer, I have discovered that my best stuff comes when I surrender to my inner voice, almost like taking dictation. And I believe that when you surrender to your inner, emotional cosmos, it transcends writing or direction. You are drawing from the magic roots of your psyche, and your work can become a thing of truth and wonder.

Pen Densham is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. His credits include the films “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” “Backdraft,” “Rocky II,” and “Houdini”; the TV series “The Outer Limits” and “The Twilight Zone”; and the book “Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing.” http://www.ridingthealligator.com

See the original article as published at Backstage.com

In my book, Riding the Alligator, I include an “instant library” of book reviews by my graduate film students.  Based on the positive feedback we received from those, I have decided to continue to share more reviews of other books you might find useful right here on the website.  The first one is below, an assessment of How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, as reviewed by Justin Slosky:

Justin Slosky 9/12/10 566- Prof. Densham

How to Win Friends & Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

I’d always wanted to read this book, just because it’s such a classic and has been around forever in pop culture (for example its title getting parodied by the book/movie How to Lose Friends and Alienate People). I was interested to see how this book- first published in 1936- could still be relevant to today. I’d figured that all of its “wisdom” would have been already picked over and reused by the 10,000 other self-help books that have been published since then.

I was pleasantly surprised that Dale Carnegie offered an approach to “handling people” (as he put it) that seems pretty fresh (especially in this “me first” era) and which I think would actually work well because it’s so common sense. Basically, Carnegie says that if you want to convince a person of anything (to hire you, to become your friend, to change their point of view), you need to focus on them, and their interests, and coming to understand their perspective. They see the world from their own lens, so if you want them to change, why would you pitch things from your perspective? You have to make things relevant to them, and show how you can help them.

Carnegie’s approach seems especially counterintuitive for Hollywood, where people like to talk a big game and boast about their accomplishments and power. In this world of extreme one-upmanship, you’d think that the best way to fight fire is with more fire. But Carnegie instead suggests that you do a judo move of sorts, and use their ego and need to feel important against them. By focusing on them- instead of boasting about yourself- you can disarm them and get through to them. This seems like one very effective way for an up-and-coming creative person to get through to a Hollywood agent/executive etc. I liked this book a great deal and would definitely recommend it to others.

Some key points I took away from this book are:

• Avoid criticizing Carnegie says that criticism doesn’t help you, and instead leaves a “sting” in other people that can leave them bitter towards you and unwilling to help you out or see things your way.

• Give people honest and sincere appreciation Instead of criticizing, take time to find the things people do that they do well or that you find interesting. Carnegie says you win with positive reinforcement. At the same time, Carnegie warns against “bullshitting” (in my words). People can easily sense false flattery and can resent you for it. Instead, pick things in other people that you genuinely like and admire, and compliment them about them. This disarms other people, and they are much more inclined to help a person who thinks well of them.

• Keep things focused on “you” instead of “I” Everybody has their own unique concerns, big and small. Another person cannot really care that much about your problems, because they have their own problems. So if you’re trying to convince somebody of something, it doesn’t make sense to keep saying “I”, “I”, “I”. For example, if you write a cover letter for a job, it doesn’t make sense to say “I want a job”, “I went to this school”, “I have these accomplishments”. The other person doesn’t fundamentally give a crap, for example, that you want a job. Instead, angle it to how you can (sincerely) help them. For example, say something like “You have a fast-growing businessthat could use my expertise in accounting to help handle your new accounts and help your business grow even faster.”

• Become genuinely interested in other people If you want people to be genuinely interested in you, you need to first become genuinely interested in them. You can’t expect people to just naturally come to you. If you want to gain access to somebody and be in their good favor, learn about them and their interests. Then you can ask this person about these interests and they will gladly talk to you at length about them and as a result think well of you. But again, you have to choose things you actually like and admire, or your interest will come off as fake and the other person will feel manipulated.

• People need to feel important Carnegie says that, more than anything else, people need to feel that their “importance” is acknowledged and appreciated by other people. This applies to everyone from the lunch lady to the CEO. You can disarm people by “showing” them that you appreciate their importance. That way, they won’t have to make a point of proving to you that they are important. If they already “know” that you think they’re important, their defenses will be lowered and they’ll be much more likely to help you.

• Remember people’s names Carnegie says that everyone’s favorite word is their own name. If you take the time to remember a person’s name, and show them that you remember it the next time you meet them, then you’ll “touch” that person. Very few people remember names, so if you do remember a person’s name that person thinks “He or she remembered my name. They must like me and consider me important enough to have remembered my name.” This seems like a small thing, but Carnegie claims it’s a great way to get people to like you and see things your way.

• Focus on being a good listener Find out what people are interested in, ask them about it and listen to what they have to say about it (with genuine interest) without interrupting them. Again, people like to feel important and admired, and this is a great way to “show” them that you consider them important. This is a great way to disarm people and have them remember you fondly (as being “a great conversationalist”).

• Avoid arguments Carnegie says that, even if you “win” an argument with somebody, you still really “lose” it. That person leaves with a “sting” from the argument, will be antagonized toward you, and likely still will be unconvinced of your point of view (and, in fact, may be even more hardened in their point of view). This is especially true if you win an argument in front of other people, making the person you beat feel even more belittled and drained of “importance”. Instead of engaging people in arguments, disarm them by telling them that you yourself may be wrong and that you can see the merit in their point of view. This way, they will be more receptive to your point of view and will be much more likely to come around to it.

• Begin discussions in a friendly way and get people to say “yes” early on Carnegie says that it’s counterproductive to start any discussion confrontationally, and instead you should seek to disarm the other person through a show of genuine friendliness. Along these same lines, you should use the “soft sell” and early on get people to say “yes” to things that it is easy for them to agree to. Using this “slow ramp” approach, you can eventually get people to say “yes” to much larger things that at the beginning of the discussion they would never have agreed to.

• When nothing else works, throw down a challenge Everybody has a desire to excel, no matter at what level and in what position. When persuasion doesn’t work, the best way to get someone to do something better is to stimulate competition. People love a good game. If you can set up a game, people will want to win it and will naturally work as hard as they can to win it, no matter how insignificant the actual prize is. This gives people an opportunity to prove their worth, and to look and feel important.

According to Dale Carnegie, the key to convincing people of anything is to disarm them by focusing (with a sincere interest) on them and their point of view and making them feel important.

My good friend, former Trilogy television executive and current Director of Development for Universal Cable Productions, Ellen Rand, was kind enough to share this compiled list of available trainee programs for my USC students.  I thought it was such a great list I decided to share that with my web readers:

WRITERS PROGRAMS

ABC Daytime Writer Development Program

Organization: ABC

This program identifies and cultivates writers for daytime television who convey a diverse and unique point of view. Scripts written by these writers should have strong characterization and emotional engagement.

WEBSITE: http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/programs/programs_writings_daytime.html

Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts

Organization: USC

This program assists writers in the completion of a film or television script and seeks to deepen the participants’ appreciation for and comprehension of African-American history and culture.

WEBSITE: http://www.cosbyprogram.com/

CBS Writers Fellowship

Organization: CBS / NAACP / USC

This fellowship is awarded to USC students whose work offers a fresh perspective on the representation of minorities in entertainment. The program seeks to support and educate new voices from various ethnicities, cultures and financial backgrounds and introduce these writers’ ideas and voices to the screen.

WEBSITE: http://diversity.cbscorporation.com/page.php?id=26

CBS Writers Mentoring Program

Organization: CBS

This program provides participants with the opportunity to build relationships with network executives and showrunners. New and emerging writers will be supported in an effort to improve their craft and develop interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed.

WEBSITE: http://diversity.cbscorporation.com/page.php?id=23

Disney | ABC Television Writing Program

Organization: Disney / ABC

‘This program exposes aspiring writers to key executives, producers and agents. Writers will work one-on-one with a current programming or development executive to create a spec script of a current series. The goal of the program is to prepare & nurture the writers’ career.

WEBSITE: http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/programs/programs_writings_fellowship.html

Diversity Initiative for Writers

Organization: NBC

‘This program provides writers with the opportunity to be read and evaluated by NBC to fill a diverse Staff Writer position on a scripted NBC Primetime show. Writers are selected by showrunners, network & studio execs from a pool of agency submissions & other fellowship programs.

WEBSITE: http://www.nbcunicareers.com/earlycareerprograms/diversityinitiative.shtml

Film Independent’s Project:Involve

Organization: Film Independent

‘This program cultivates the careers of under-represented filmmakers to increase diversity in the film industry through one-on-one mentoring with film experts. Participants will be assigned to a team to make a short film incorporating a given theme. They will also attend monthly filmmaking workshops and seminars.

WEBSITE: http://www.filmindependent.org/content/film-independents-projectinvolve

Film Independent Screen Writers Lab

Organization: Film Independent

‘This lab is designed to help improve a writer’s craft, develop their voices, and take scripts to the next level. Writers will receive feedback from the lab instructor, outside advisors, and other participants.

The participants will be introduced to film professionals who can advise them on craft and the business through one-on-one meetings.

WEBSITE: http://www.filmindependent.org/content/screenwriters-lab

Fox Writer’s Initiative

Organization: Fox

‘Writers in this program will participate in a six-week ‘writer’s boot camp.’ Participants will be guided in executing scripts of quality equal to those purchased by Fox.

WEBSITE: http://www.fox.com/diversity/creative/writer_submission.htm

NALIP Latino Writers Lab

Organization: NALIP

‘In this lab, skill development will be encouraged by professional instructors. Works-in-progress will be directly mentored by other writers. Participants will attend workshop lunches on various legal, guild, and industry matters.

WEBSITE: http://www.nalip.org/nalip/NALIP-Programs-LWL.html

National Hispanic Media Coalition Writers Program

Organization: NHMC / ABC / NBC

‘This program is designed to prepare and place Latinos in writing jobs at major television networks. The participants will be familiarized with the format of specific shows currently on the air. Network executives will mentor the participants with the goal of staffing them on shows.

WEBSITE: http://www.nhmc.org/writersprogram

Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship

Organization: Nickelodeon

This fellowship is designed to develop and staff writers with diverse backgrounds. During this 1-year salaried program, writers gain hands-on experience writing specs and pitching story ideas. They will also have the opportunity to nurture relationships with showrunners, producers, and executives.

WEBSITE: http://www.nickwriting.com/

Outfest Screenwriting Lab

Organization: Outfest

‘This is an intensive 3-day workshop where participants work closely with mentors who will critique and encourage their work. The lab includes sessions with other industry professionals and career development advice.

WEBSITE: http://www.outfest.org/accessla/swl.html#read

Sundance Institute Feature Film Program

Organization: Sundance

‘This program is designed to support and encourage a rigorous creative process focusing on original storytelling. There is a year-long continuum of support from development to production to post-production and on through festival strategy, marketing, and distribution.

Participants receive a range of tailor-fit assistance through the entire process.

WEBSITE: http://www.sundance.org/programs/feature-film/

Tribeca All Access

Organization: Tribeca Film Institute

‘This program provides established & emerging filmmakers with access to industry professionals to help make their films. Filmmakers will receive a $10,000 grant, one-on-one meetings with representatives, career development workshops, and informationals panels with filmmakers.

WEBSITE: http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/taa/about/

Warner Bros. Writers’ Workshop

Organization: Warner Bros.

‘This program is designed to help writers obtain a staff position on a Warner Bros. show. Participants will attend weekly lectures featuring showrunners, directors, actors, and agents.

WEBSITE: http://writersworkshop.warnerbros.com/apply_now.php

Women in Film Mentoring Program

Organization: WIF LA

‘This mentoring program nurtures emerging talent through one-on-ones with established professionals for a year. It provides women with the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of the industry’s deeper workings through hands-on experience. It is only open to WIF members.

WEBSITE: http://www.wif.org/index.php?Itemid=93&id=271&option=com_content&view=article

Writers on the Verge

Organization: NBC

‘This program is designed to further develop emerging writers on the brink of success. The goal of the program is to staff as many writers as possible on NBC primetime series writing staffs in an effort to encourage diversity.

WEBSITE: http://www.nbcunicareers.com/earlycareerprograms/writersontheverge.shtml

DIRECTORS PROGRAMS

Assistant Directors Training Program

Organization: DGA

‘Trainees participate in on-the-job training to become Second Assistant Directors.  They complete 350 or 400 days of paid, hands-on work on actual film and television projects and attend a number of mandatory seminars on various aspects of the industry. Each trainee who satisfactorily completes the program is invited to join the Guild.

WEBSITE: http://www.dga.org/affiliates/tp_gi.php3

Disney | ABC DGA Directing Program

Organization: Disney / ABC / DGA

‘The goal of this program is to find diverse potential directors for ABC series. Participants shadow veteran episodic directors and create relationships with network and studio executives within ABC.

WEBSITE: http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/programs/programs_directors.html

Film Independent Directors Lab

Organization: Film Independent

‘This lab teaches participants how to work with actors. The participants will mini-produce and workshop scenes from their features in an eight-week intensive program. They will be given camera and sound packages and have one-on-one consultations with Film Independent’s Filmmaker Advisor.

WEBSITE: http://www.filmindependent.org/content/directors-lab

Sundance Institute Feature Film Program

Organization: Sundance

‘This program supports and encourages a rigorous creative process focusing on original storytelling. Participants receive a year-long continuum of support from development to production to post-production through festival strategy and marketing/distribution. Participants also receive a range of tailor-fit assistance through the entire process.

WEBSITE: http://www.sundance.org/programs/feature-film/

PRODUCERS PROGRAMS

ABC Studios Production Associates Program

Organization: ABC

‘Candidates will be exposed to production management, finance, business & legal affairs. This program boasts a 100% job placement success rate.

WEBSITE: http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/programs/programs_production.html

Film Independent Producers Lab

Organization: Film Independent

‘This lab is designed to help filmmakers develop skills as creative independent producers during this seven-week intensive program that introduces participants to film professionals and independent producers. During this lab, fellows develop a strategy and action plan for bringing their projects to fruition.

WEBSITE: http://www.filmindependent.org/content/producers-lab

Producers Guild of America Workshop

Organization: PGA

‘This workshop is designed to foster the development of diverse voices. It focuses on participants’ projects by helping them though seminars and master classes. The program also includes one-on-one mentoring with a member of the Producers Guild.

WEBSITE: http://www.pgadiversity.org/index.php/diversity-workshop

Production Apprentice Program

Organization: NBCU

‘This program will expose candidates to all departments of physical production, including studio and set. The goal is to foster talent seeking positions in television production.

WEBSITE: http://www.nbcunicareers.com/earlycareerprograms/productionapprentice.shtml

Sundance Institute Cretaive Producing Fellowship & Lab

Organization: Sundance

‘This lab focuses on indentifying, optinioning, developing, and pitching material, as well as raising financing, hiring crew, navigating sales, distribution, and marketing. Participants’ creative instincts, communication & problem-solving skills will evolve. This year-long fellowship includes attendance to the Sundance Film Festival and mentorship from top industry advisors.

WEBSITE: http://www.sundance.org/programs/creative-producing-fellowship-and-lab/

When John Watson and I first came to Hollywood, we decided to meet with the marketing analysis people at Universal.  We asked them one question: what do audiences want in their feature films?

The answer that came back was stories that were “new”, “interesting” and “different”.  Although the studios themselves were always puzzled on how to sell something they’d never seen before, they also knew the power of originality.  If you take Steven Spielberg, for example, there really was no movie like Jaws before Jaws, or E.T. Close Encounters was also highly original.  And to this day, Spielberg still brings audiences to theaters because they know they will experience things they’ve never seen before.

This means that there is a strong market for well-crafted, original ideas.  But it also may be part of the responsibility of the writer to support their scripts with tools that help the buyers see how to market their creations.

The most effective way we have seen that is to describe brand new ideas in terms of older successes – i.e. Alien is really “Jaws in space” – or Jurassic Park is “Jaws on land”.  By making it seem familiar, the studio can then understand how to sell your product.  My pitch for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was ’Robin Hood meets the pacing and grit of Raiders of the Lost Ark’.  Until I framed it that way, the studios could only picture men running around in tights (which, ironically, ours paved the way for Mel Brooks to do – again).

In creative screenwriting where you decide to be original, almost all things that are considered original and follow film structure will still be building on the legacy of earlier movies and extending off them.  Sometimes, great ideas can be even discovered by literally trying to mix two successes together into a creative discovery.  Some things that at first sound like crazy ideas can actually result in very fertile concepts – off the top of my head I just combined the ‘The Exorcist meets The Great Escape‘, and I get: a small group of priests volunteer to go into hell to rescue some innocent souls. Hey, that’s not too bad!  This kind of creativity is called “bi-association” and can be effective in creating familiar-but-new stories and a method to getting to truly creative screenwriting.

The greatest joy as a writer is putting your own mark on your own voice.  Actors, directors, and even those jaded studio execs can be moved by the power of originality and creative screenwriting.

It is always challenging for creative people to enter into the unknown.  Sometimes it’s hard to get ideas to come.  Other times it’s hard to validate your ideas.  But you are not alone.  Almost anyone who writes has doubt.  By becoming a writer you have elected to become an artist.  It is a risk that you will not always be recognized for your qualities.  With that risk also comes the reward when what you’ve written creates a film that can live for generations.  It is not a career for the faint of heart, but it is an amazing opportunity to learn about yourself – and sometimes get paid for doing it.

About the Author:

If you found this article helpful you might like to visit http://www.RidingtheAlligator.com where you’ll find more great information about creative screenwriting and effective film script writing strategies.

There is no right way to approach scriptwriting – and there is no wrong way.

Approach the process as an exciting exploration of what best brings out your creativity.  Sitting with a computer, listening to music, going to the attic and plopping down with a pad and pencil, taking file cards and making notes on the beach… whatever method helps you download ideas from your subconscious is the right way.  Here are some tips for finding your own process in scriptwriting:

• Ideas are rarely formed logically. They usually result from a brainstorm and are not fully developed when first formed.  Don’t reject them.  Don’t think that you can follow steps or check off a list of tasks to get your initial idea turned into a screenplay because that isn’t how it works.  As you collect ideas, intuitions, and notes, they may naturally form together like a snowball rolling down a hill, or they may take some time for you to sort through them, allocating them to the different possibilities they suggest for character, story, structure and events.
• Some writers start in the middle, at the plot climax, or even at the end of a story and work their way back to figure out the rest. You can let the jumping off point choose you.  I’ve written scripts because I found my ending first, and then discovered the rest of it.  I’ve discovered scripts because I had an opening.  Don’t assume that you have to start at the beginning and write until the end. Scriptwriting is almost never that simple.  While it is possible you may be able to start and the beginning and work to the end, sometimes it can be like working up a portrait from pencil sketches to the finished oils, adding ideas layer by later, rubbing out, adding new ideas as you see the results.  It is a journey of discovery and you should not criticize yourself for not writing in a straight line.    This process is almost like imagining up the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and then toying with them until you find the ways that satisfy you, that make them fit together.  You will be surprised at how helpful and how easily the pieces will fit together.
• Your idea is like your child.  I’ve always said ‘ideas are like small children – if you shout at them they go away’.  Don’t be critical or difficult while your child is learning to walk.  Encourage and nurture it as it learns and grows.
• I  break down the story creation process into three, simple elements, my all important parts of scriptwriting: My word for the overview is “The Thesis”, or the moral direction finder for the story, and what it intends to teach.  A very simple, human concept becomes your key, like ‘being rich does not make you good’, ‘a timid man can become a hero’, ‘a child can have more wisdom than his/her parents’. That emotional goal is carried in the character (or characters) you focus on.  They manifest the plot’s emotional purpose through a defining life experience that they have to overcome and leave behind which I call “The Nugget”.   For instance, ‘the rich man’s father beat into him that all people were really only after his money’ and the protagonist must learn to trust and love other people before they will trust and love him.  These Nuggets are simple, painful human issues that the key characters must struggle with and overcome.  What I call “The External Story” are the events that wrap around the character’s journey.  The External Story serves to illustrate and bring out the character change.  Example: While the wealthy man may be learning to trust, as a basic human issue, The External Story is the time and place that this is set in and can be a comedy/science fiction plot/a thriller – any approach that appeals to your creative sensibilities.  But bear in mind the audiences will always feel and emote with the characters’ Nugget as the main way that they learn about human nature from your creativity.
• The act of writing is always fraught with uncertainty.  We question whether we are capable or will get to the end of our script and frequently we see others succeed and wonder if we should not copy their style and approach as that might seem “commercial” or “successful”.  But I am firmly convinced that it is not writing from your natural voice and it is less likely to feel vibrant, original and exciting to the people who can get your script made because it feels like an imitation rather than an original.  And an imitation written without genuine heart and passion will more often than not be unlikely to sell.

My rule is to ignore everything I say that works against your nature, but I believe these tips – if they make sense to you – can be effective guides to helping your scriptwriting process.

About the Author:

Pen Densham is an Oscar nominated Hollywood filmmaker and the author of “Riding the Alligator”, a book about screenwriting techniques, structuring stories and creating compelling characters that stars will want to play.   If you found this article helpful you might like to visit http://www.RidingtheAlligator.com where you’ll find more great information about scriptwriting and how to sell a screenplay.

Want to sum up the most powerful approach to screenwriting in a single word: “PASSION”

Here are some reasons that passion matters so much to screenwriting success:

• Your passion can be magical, powerful and inspirational.  If you choose to write from the heart the stories that give you the most powerful feeling of discovery and purpose, there is more chance that you will, as a screenwriter, stay with these projects through the most difficult times and will continue to fight for your success.  This is because they are part of your spirit and if others fail to see their value, your own belief system will keep you fighting through the rejections.
• There is a very large number of scripts that get written and few get made – but if you write from that inner voice those stories that are emotionally important, you are strengthening your screenwriting muscles, reinforcing your natural skills and are creating material that others are more likely to see as rich, fresh, and identified with your personality.  We value that in all great authors, whether a Steinbeck, a Dickens or a Stephen King.  They write from their passion and the audience can feel it.
• Passion helps keep writers going. You can think of your craft as a fire, and of critics and naysayers as a water hose. Passion will be the fuel that keeps that fire going no matter how many people try to put it out. You will take bigger risks, bounce back from rejection, and fight harder and longer for your ideas.
• Screenwriting can be a lonely career, but it can also be incredibly rewarding, as you are given permission in your life to explore and translate into art the experiences and emotions that resonate from your own vision of the world.

Passion on its own is no guarantee of success, but nor is trying to guess what others want and writing things that you do not believe in.  Of the two, passion will be the more enjoyable path.

About the Author:

Pen Densham is a Hollywood filmmaker whose movies and TV shows have grossed over $1 billion dollars.  He is the author of “Riding the Alligator”, a book about screenwriting techniques, structuring stories and creating compelling characters that stars will want to play.  If you would like to learn tips to help sharpen your screenwriting skills, visit http://www.RidingtheAlligator.com where you’ll find more great information about a career film script writing.