Ok... So I've been EXTREMELY busy trying to get the 2nd Annual Script contest sorted out for The website. We're absolutely ecstatic that we have 3 wonderful sponsors so far this year!!!
SellAScript.com
ScriptDelivery.net
BlakeSnyder.com
They are providing some amazing prizes for the contest that will provide our writers with some much sought after industry exposure.
I'm about 12hrs away from finally finishing the outline for the Pilot I've been working on. Having never written for TV before, there has been a bit of a learning curve. Although I have 30+ years of viewing experience I am finding it difficult to find the soul of the pilot. Thankfully, I have good friends who are not afraid to tell me when I suck (actually I think some enjoy it a little too much). So I've been listening and absorbing their comments and working with the ideas they are imparting in order to create something that is engaging, fun, exciting, and complete awesomeness made physical... Needless to say... its taking me a while to be awesome. BUT... I'm almost there. A few more hours tonight and tomorrow and I'll finally be able to start putting words in people's mouths.
I have also had the opportunity to get some more interviews for the site worked out. I am in the process of crafting some good questions for another interview that should be posted soon. Good times! Lots to do and keep me busy...
Meanwhile in my personal life... I'm moving! So now that I don't have any time at all to myself... ;) No it's good. The new place is huge, open, has multiple floors, and a basement I can turn into a video studio... I have an idea for a web series called FALLING. That's all you get... Just the title... and that its a one camera show that can be filmed in a basement. :)
Anyway... That's the update. Stop by the-GreenLight.com for more details on the 2nd Annual Script competition...
Peace!
- G
Showing posts with label Screenwriting Software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Screenwriting Software. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The-GreenLight.com 2nd Annual Script Contest
We are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Script Contest
Deadline:
May 30th, 2010 (early); July 30th, 2010 (regular); September 30, 2010 (late)
Notification:
Semi-Finalists: October 30th, 2010; Finalists: November 30th; Winners: December 15th, 2010
Objective:
Our mission at the-GreenLight.com is to provide new writers with helpful insight and tools to make there writing better.
Eligibility:
Open to all writers 18 and over.
Entry Fee:
$25 (by May 30, 2010); $35 (by July 30, 2010); $50 (by September 30, 2010)
Rules:
* Open to all writers 18 and over.
* Limited to first 500 entries
* Screenplays must not have been previously optioned, produced, or purchased prior to submission.
* Screenplays must be original work of applicant(s).
* Winning screenplay submissions written by 2 or more writers require all awards to be divided equally among the writers.
* Screenplays must be in English.
* Entrants must submit a completed entry form containing a Synopsis and Logline, screenplay and the appropriate fee according to the posted deadlines.
* Multiple submissions are accepted but each submission requires a separate entry form and fee.
* Finalists must then submit the entire screenplay within 7 days of the posted Finals Announcement\Notification.
* Finalists screenplays must be between 85 - 120 pages and be copywritten or registered with WGA\WGC. - Writer(s) should retain 1 copy of original script.
* The-GreenLight.com is not responsible for screenplays lost in cyber space, or stolen. (but if you have paid, and your submission is lost we'll work it out if you can provide the payment details.)
* Judges decisions are final.
* Electronic submissions only via the online entry form and email.
* Prizes may not be substituted unless agreed upon by the writer(s) and the-GreenLight.com.
* The-GreenLight.com reserves the right to cancel the contest due to lack of interest. Any fees collected will be refunded promptly to the Writer(s). Notification of contest cancellation will be made on the day following the Final Deadline. (Threshold is 25 entries min.)
* Submission of entry form and fees implies explicit acceptance and consent to the contest rules as listed above.
Awards:
All Selected Finalists will received written feedback from the judges.
1st place
* $150 Cash Award
* Certificate of Achievement
* SellAScript.com Prize package
* Save the Cat! Story Outlining Software from BlakeSnyder.com
* Notes from the Contest Judges
* Dedicated Promotional Page on the-GreenLight.com
* More to come...
2nd Prize
* $100
* Certificate of Achievement
* SellAScript.com Prize package
* Copy of Crafty Screenwriting: Writing Movies That Get Made by Alex Epstein
* Notes from the Contest Judges
* More to come...
3rd Place
* $50 Cash Award
* Certificate of Achievement
* SellAScript.com Prize package
* Copy of Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
* Notes from the Contest Judges
Honourable Mention
* Certificate of Achievement
* ScriptDelivery.net Prize Package
* Notes from the Contest Judges
Thursday, August 6, 2009
No News
Ok... well the title is a little misleading... I have a modicum of news... My news is that I have gone back to the feature I have been writing for the last 8 months in order to push through and get the last 40pgs written.
Now that the foundation for the Pilot is finished, I've decided to focus on finishing the project I was working on when this new brilliant idea popped into my head. I am going to finish the feature, then write the first episodes of "Cabal". Reasoning... nothing concrete... just you should always finish what you start. I'm kind of like a cat or a bird in that respect.. I get distracted from what I'm doing by the shiny new idea... It's hard to finish something if your mind keeps coming up with NEW somethings just as fun... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... I am forcing myself to finish the feature "Ghost Hunter" (working title) before moving onto the series. :)
I would also like to mention that Blake Snyder author of Save the Cat! and Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies passed away a couple fo days ago. I never met him, but the lessons he shared with the Screenwriting community have played a big role in my writing career.
Now that the foundation for the Pilot is finished, I've decided to focus on finishing the project I was working on when this new brilliant idea popped into my head. I am going to finish the feature, then write the first episodes of "Cabal". Reasoning... nothing concrete... just you should always finish what you start. I'm kind of like a cat or a bird in that respect.. I get distracted from what I'm doing by the shiny new idea... It's hard to finish something if your mind keeps coming up with NEW somethings just as fun... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... I am forcing myself to finish the feature "Ghost Hunter" (working title) before moving onto the series. :)
I would also like to mention that Blake Snyder author of Save the Cat! and Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies passed away a couple fo days ago. I never met him, but the lessons he shared with the Screenwriting community have played a big role in my writing career.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Screenwriting Software?
Hey...
So the other day a co-worker popped into my office to tell me that the printer in his Department wasn't working. No big deal... I pressed the "online" button and presto! My work was done. However, on our way out the door he said "Oh, I meant to tell you that my son likes to screenwrite plays...". I guess he had seen the Website the-greenlight.com but had no idea I was a hobby writer. I always have time to chat about writing, so I asked the question "What does he like to write?"... I had a moment, I saw Bill Engvall in my minds eye, and the words Here's your sign" echoed through my head... "Movies!?!?" he replied.
He went on to tell me that his son had just finished writing a script for a feature length film, about 53 pages he said. "It's really good!" He exclaimed. Excited, I asked what it was about, and he said Pirates. Ask any of my friends... I LOVE PIRATES! I enquired about the plot, and how long it took him. That's when things got interesting. He said it took him a little over a year to get it all done. I wasn't going to comment about how long it takes to write a script since I'm still working on one I started nearly a year ago... But I did say it sounded a little short for a feature. Lowering his head, my coworker said. "Well, he got pretty frustrated because he was doing it in a word processor and was struggling with it". OMG! I couldn't imagine trying to write a script without some sort of program specifically for formatting and editing. What a nightmare! Now, don't get me wrong, it can be done. I'm sure it was in the days before Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter, but geeze! Why would you do that to yourself????!?!?!?!?!?!?
Go and buy some software! Buy it right away! Don't spend hours bashing your face on your keyboard because "for your convenience" your word processor is guessing what you are trying to do and changing all you tab stops and options. Don't do it! Just go... If you can't go directly to a store, eStore, or other retailer... Look on eBay for a used license... BUT buy the software. As an indicator of how prolific the use of these programs are, I would say that 95% of the contests I've entered accept .fdr documents. For that matter... So does the Writer Guild online script registry!
No wonder the poor guy got frustrated. Probably cut his script short to get away from it. Anyway, I suggested to my Co-worker that if he wanted to encourage his son, he should invest in some of the software for him. I gave him a list of the products and websites he could visit for some demo software. To be honest though... it's what you're comfortable with. If you are comfortable bumbling around in a word processor then by all means, do what you do, and don't give me a second thought. My experience has been that I spend more time being anal about the formatting of a script when I'm not using a particular package that the writing suffers. And it doesn't always need help to suck! So, I'll take one less headache, and a ounce of additional focus any day.
I also sent him back to the-greenlight.com for a look at the download section where I have posted my story outline worksheets, character development sheets, and a few other things that could help.
You should check them out too!!!!
Peace
- G
So the other day a co-worker popped into my office to tell me that the printer in his Department wasn't working. No big deal... I pressed the "online" button and presto! My work was done. However, on our way out the door he said "Oh, I meant to tell you that my son likes to screenwrite plays...". I guess he had seen the Website the-greenlight.com but had no idea I was a hobby writer. I always have time to chat about writing, so I asked the question "What does he like to write?"... I had a moment, I saw Bill Engvall in my minds eye, and the words Here's your sign" echoed through my head... "Movies!?!?" he replied.
He went on to tell me that his son had just finished writing a script for a feature length film, about 53 pages he said. "It's really good!" He exclaimed. Excited, I asked what it was about, and he said Pirates. Ask any of my friends... I LOVE PIRATES! I enquired about the plot, and how long it took him. That's when things got interesting. He said it took him a little over a year to get it all done. I wasn't going to comment about how long it takes to write a script since I'm still working on one I started nearly a year ago... But I did say it sounded a little short for a feature. Lowering his head, my coworker said. "Well, he got pretty frustrated because he was doing it in a word processor and was struggling with it". OMG! I couldn't imagine trying to write a script without some sort of program specifically for formatting and editing. What a nightmare! Now, don't get me wrong, it can be done. I'm sure it was in the days before Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter, but geeze! Why would you do that to yourself????!?!?!?!?!?!?
Go and buy some software! Buy it right away! Don't spend hours bashing your face on your keyboard because "for your convenience" your word processor is guessing what you are trying to do and changing all you tab stops and options. Don't do it! Just go... If you can't go directly to a store, eStore, or other retailer... Look on eBay for a used license... BUT buy the software. As an indicator of how prolific the use of these programs are, I would say that 95% of the contests I've entered accept .fdr documents. For that matter... So does the Writer Guild online script registry!
No wonder the poor guy got frustrated. Probably cut his script short to get away from it. Anyway, I suggested to my Co-worker that if he wanted to encourage his son, he should invest in some of the software for him. I gave him a list of the products and websites he could visit for some demo software. To be honest though... it's what you're comfortable with. If you are comfortable bumbling around in a word processor then by all means, do what you do, and don't give me a second thought. My experience has been that I spend more time being anal about the formatting of a script when I'm not using a particular package that the writing suffers. And it doesn't always need help to suck! So, I'll take one less headache, and a ounce of additional focus any day.
I also sent him back to the-greenlight.com for a look at the download section where I have posted my story outline worksheets, character development sheets, and a few other things that could help.
You should check them out too!!!!
Peace
- G
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