Upcoming Film Festivals deadlines, call for entries.

09 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by Floreva in Film Festivals, Movies, Writing

Tags

Hello Fellow oddjobbers,

whether you’re a young or experienced director, screenwriter, DoP, sound master, cameraman, creating doc, experimental, vid, music vid, short, feat. film or just a lover of cinema for the magic produced on screen,

please find hereafter some other FFest you might be interested in, to submit your work to or to attend, check their website for more info :

Enjoy and good luck!

Floreva

MANHATTAN
FILM FESTIVAL
New York, New York – USA
June 19 to July 3, 2014

DL for entries : 18 March 2014 (late DL)

CATALINA
FILM FESTIVAL
Avalon , California – USA
September 24 to 28, 2014

Reg DL : 20 March 2014

Unmissable Stops:
– Palm Springs International ShortFest
– Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition
– Revelation Perth International Film Festival

Calling All Screenwriters:
– Slamdance Screenplay Competition
– CineStory Foundation Screenwriting Awards
– The First Look Project

Quickly Closing Opps:
– London Independent Film Festival
– Brooklyn Film Festival
– San Antonio Film Festival
– VISIONFEST

The Good Story Competition: Change the World in Four Minutes
Filmmakers everywhere: The Good Story Competition is challenging you to tell the stories of everyday people in Asia doing good to improve the lives of others, and tell it in the most compelling and engaging way possible. All in under four minutes. It’s also a chance to snag cash prizes not just for yourself but for the people you feature in your video. You get to show off your creativity and help make a difference, all at the same time. Register now and submit your video by March 21, 2104 directly at http://www.ourbetterworld.org/goodstoryasia



Final Extended Deadlines – Exclusive to Withoutabox:
	CineStory Foundation Screenwriting Awards, Los Angeles, California, USA March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Derby Film Festival, Derby, United Kingdom March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	VISIONFEST, Brooklyn, New York, USA March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Albuquerque Film & Media Experience, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Milledgeville Film Festival, Milledgville, Georgia, USA March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	On Screen/In Person, Baltimore, Maryland, USA March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes, Cannes, France March 8, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	The Classic City International Film Festival, Snellville, Georgia, USA March 9, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	The Los Angeles International Student Film Festival, Pasadena, California, USA March 9, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	International Moustache Film Festival, Portland, Maine, USA March 10, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	The Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival, Sherman Oaks, California, USA March 11, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Rainier Independent Film Festival, Ashford, Washington, USA March 12, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Hill Country Film Festival, Fredericksburg, Texas, USA March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	London Independent Film Festival, London, United Kingdom March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	SAFILM – San Antonio Film Festival, San Antonio, Texas, USA March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

Big Deadlines Approaching Fast:
	Filmbox Movie Award Competition, London, United Kingdom Rolling Deadline

	Los Angeles Film and Script Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Meeting Rimini Film Festival, Rimini, Italy March 5, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	New York Los Angeles International Film Festival (NYLA), Encino, California, USA March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Revelation Perth International Film Festival, Hawthorn East, Australia March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

	West Field Screenwriting Awards, Averill Park, New York, USA March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Workers Unite Film Festival, New York, New York, USA March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Breaking Walls Thriller Screenplay Competition, Lewes, Delaware, USA March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	CINE Golden Eagle Awards, Bethesda, Maryland, USA March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	FILM-COM Financing & Distribution Market – Features, Television, Docs, Video-Gaming, Nashville, Tennessee, USA March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Family Resources Film Festival Gala, Davenport, Iowa, USA March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	International Moustache Film Festival, Portland, Maine, USA March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	London Independent Film Festival, London, United Kingdom March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Real to Reel International Film Festival, Shelby, North Carolina, USA March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Santa Monica Teen Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival, Glen Rose, Texas, USA March 8, 2014 – Late Deadline

	The Harvard College Film Festival, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA March 8, 2014 – Late Deadline

	BolderLife Festival, Boulder, Colorado, USA March 9, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Motor City Nightmares Film Festival, Milford, Michigan, USA March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition, Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Northside DIY Film Competition, Brooklyn, New York, USA March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Palm Springs International ShortFest, Palm Springs, California, USA March 10, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA March 10, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Sacramento Horror Film Festival, Sacramento, California, USA March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Studio City Film Festival, Studio City, California, USA March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

	COMEDY NINJA Film and Screenplay Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA March 11, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Oaxaca FilmFest, Oaxaca, Mexico March 12, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood (Spring), Los Angeles, California, USA March 12, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

	Los Angeles Movie Awards – Summer Session, Los Angeles, California, USA March 12, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA March 12, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Port Townsend Film Festival, Port Townsend, Washington, USA March 13, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	OREGON Independent Film Festival, Eugene, Oregon, USA March 14, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Colourfest Film Festival, Parramatta, Australia March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Prescott Film Festival, Prescott, Arizona, USA March 14, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Santa Monica Teen Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA March 14, 2014 – Late Deadline

	Short Sharp Film Festival, Coffs Harbour, Australia March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Southampton International Film Festival, Eastleigh, United Kingdom March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA March 14, 2014 – Late Deadline

Calls for Entry Just Announced:
	Fester: The Mindf*#k Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA Event Dates: January 1 to December 31, 2014 Rolling Deadline

	Brainwash Movie Festival, Oakland, California, USA Event Dates: July 18 to 26, 2014 March 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	La Costa Film Festival, Carlsbad, California, USA Event Dates: September 18 to 21, 2014 March 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA Event Dates: September 12 to 13, 2014 March 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline, No Entry Fee

	Ojai Film Festival, Oak View, California, USA Event Dates: November 6 to 13, 2014 April 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Indie Memphis Film Festival, Memphis, Tennessee, USA Event Dates: October 30 to November 2, 2014 April 2, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Slamdance Screenplay Competition, Los Angeles, California, USA Event Dates: January 23 to 29, 2015 April 8, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Script Pipeline Great Idea Contests, Santa Monica, California, USA Event Dates: July 15, 2014 April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	FilmQuest, Provo, Utah, USA Event Dates: June 30 to July 5, 2014 April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	SaMo Indie – The Santa Monica Independent Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA Event Dates: September 18 to 21, 2014 April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Louisville’s International Festival of Film, Louisville, Kentucky, USA Event Dates: October 9 to 12, 2014 May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Boston Jewish Film Festival, West Newton, Massachusetts, USA Event Dates: November 5 to 17, 2014 May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Imagine Science Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA Event Dates: October 17 to 24, 2014 May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Shriekfest, the Los Angeles Horror/SciFi Film Festival, Lake Mary, Florida, USA Event Dates: October 2 to 5, 2014 May 1, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Mill Valley Film Festival, San Rafael, California, USA Event Dates: October 2 to 12, 2014 May 16, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Nine Worlds Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival, London, United Kingdom Event Dates: August 7 to 10, 2014 May 23, 2014 – Regular Deadline

	Shore Scripts, London, United Kingdom Event Dates: November 1, 2014 May 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA Event Dates: November 7 to 23, 2014 June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Flagler Film Festival, Palm Coast, Florida, USA Event Dates: January 9 to 11, 2015 June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	HERO FEST – MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Laguna Beach, California, USA Event Dates: November 21 to 23, 2014 June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	The First Look Project, presented by Script Pipeline, Santa Monica, California, USA Event Dates: February 15, 2015 June 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Big Apple Film Festival (New York), New York, New York, USA Event Dates: November 5 to 9, 2014 June 30, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

	Beaufort International Film Festival, Beaufort, South Carolina, USA Event Dates: February 11 to 15, 2015 July 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

Sante Fe Film Festival and upcoming film fest deadlines

04 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by Floreva in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

film, screenwriting, Script

Hello oddjobbers

new year means new set of resolutions and goals, excellence to strive for and schedules to be followed.

Last year, I had the great opportunity (I worked wisely to make it happen, though) to go to the Santa Fe film fest and I met several people, and discussed various topics related to filming, low/zero budget short films planning, production and so forth. I was invited to the wrap-up party and to date, this event is one of the most memorable events I’ve been too since I’m a US resident. Like many fellow harmony seekers, I have decided to set out a bunch of new resolutions (because health, work, achievements, personal bliss and family and friend happiness are obvious resolutions to stick to, I don’t even mention that), and keep them in mind everyday during 2014 to follow through.

Since I’ve submitted script material to film fests, as a member, I happen to receive an update on every forthcoming film related events, fest, contests, etc. I’d like to post more about the subject, and I want to submit more material that I did last year.

I’ve gathered also information on a nearby Community Center to possibly enter a film-making program, whose founder and lead teacher had his students qualify for Cannes film fest in 202 (and win!). I need my transcript and then I can proceed with the enrollment.

Ok ,so now that I’ve shared that with you there’s no turning back…

Here some film fest some of you might interested in, either to submit a doc, a short, a feature, a script.

Enjoy and best wishes!

ATHENS INTERNATIONAL (oscar qualifying)
FILM + VIDEO FESTIVAL
Athens, Ohio – USA
April 11 to 17, 2014

THE IRON MULE SHORT
COMEDY SCREENING SERIES
New York, New York – USA
Monthly Screening Series

Circuit Biggies and Oscar Opps:
– Los Angeles Film Festival
– Seattle International Film Festival
– Nashville Film Festival
– Aspen Shortsfest
– Bermuda International Film Festival

Regional Favorites:
– Sonoma International Film Festival
– Maui Film Festival
– Chicago Underground Film Festival
– Sarasota Film Festival

And More to Explore:
– The European Independent Film Festival
– Chicago International Movies and Music Festival
– Script Pipeline Great Idea Contests
– Rainier Independent Film Festival

Please click on each link to land on the film fest website.

Enjoy and good work!

F; inspired.

On being a writer who learns and writes.

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Floreva in Books, Entertainemt, Movies, TV Series, Writing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

screenwriting, writing.

Time for reflection about being a writer.

When I was 14, I wrote a novel, not very long. And then, I destroyed it. It was too personal, too raw, too me and I was too vulnerable, or so I thought…I wrote dozens and dozens of poems and texts. I wanted two things : to be a writer AND to play on stage. I was an amateur theater actress and wrote in the school newspapers.

At 16, I wrote down a list of titles for the books I would wrote and a corresponding list of names, the character’s names.This list I still have with me, by my side as I write all that now, for your eyes. I kept on writing, although I had to change my professional choices. Eventually, deeply buried in those marketing jobs, I forgot about my self essential and my real life . Then one night, in August 2010, around 3 in the morning…

…I woke up. I mean, I WOKE UP to my past aspirations. I was in the kitchen, sleep escaping me. My mind is racing. For various reasons, over various subjects. And a thin fragile thread, long forgotten, attached to the very essential part of my soul is hit by a light I thought I had lost years ago. It was given back to me.

The energy of the writing spirit.

Now, at this hour of night, that day, I wanted to fight for that. This was the fighting spirit meeting the writing spirit. Good! Let’s go on!

So, in the heart of the night, I let the sun rise. I wrote for 4 hours on my laptop. Characters knocked on the door of my mind, allowing themselves in, story unfolding neatly and energy increasingly awaking my creativity and my imagination…

Since then I have kept writing.

Now, I feel that I need to write more, to publish frenetically. I feel miserable taht I have not been able to give complete work to my publisher. I am affected by the virus of perfectionism. I rewrite, again and again, and again. I got stuck on sentences for days, to achieve the ultimate construction. Letting go is difficult, and reaching a satisfying level is complexly hard. Sometimes, I think I have not done much in those past months. So I decided to summarize it.

What have I done in those past months, then? (Apart from my daily duties, of course). I did my homework and my work. And I ‘m still on it.

Firstly, I have prepared myself to properly tackle the writing of a script (because I am also a film lover since an early age) so I have :

read about 15/ + books on the subject ( The little red writing book, The golden book on writing –what’s this fantasy about colours??-, How to write a damn good thriller, How to write a damn good mystery, The art & craft of storytelling, A writer’s guide to fiction, The Bible of screenwriting, Crafty screenwriting, Writing screenplays that sell, Writing is a verb –oh?, The writer’s book of wisdom, See Jane write : a girl’s guide to writing chick lit, How not to write a screenplay –appealing/disturbing title, hence brilliant, How to write what you want & sell what you write – long title, didn’t like the book, and 2 or 3 others.

shelled, analysed and studied about 40 scripts (and I am far from those 2/week I need to read!), among which Eve (Mankiewicz), Body Heat (for that subtext), The big easy, Ocean’s 11 & Ocean’s 12, The electric Horseman, Howards End, Being John Malkovich, 3 Days of the Condor, Sherlock TV ep, Luther TV ep, The Prisoner TV ep, The Mentalist 4 TV ep, Scrubs TV ep, West Wing 2 TV ep, Amadeus, The Godfather, Donnie Brasco, Maltese Falcon, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Barton Fink, Sleepy Hollow, O Brother, Stagecoach, Night of the Hunter, The big Lebowski, The Big Sleep, When Harry met Sally (yeah, for THAT scene, and see how it’s written), Some like it hot, etc…

read 7 modern plays (The Odd Couple -his and hers- , Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, The importance of being earnest, Ginger ale boy and Electric ballroom by Enda Walsh, one Shakespeeare…)

read 6 novels , including the wonderful War Horse, to relax

Secondly, I have written for myself (all) and my publisher (a very small part) and you, -soon to be mine agent (some):

a 433p techno-thriller , with 2nd and 3rd (same hero) in the synopsis -ripening room)
a 2x 150p drama novel (considering compiling to make one 300p book)
2 short-stories
a long-feature radioplay (53min)
a short film screenplay
another short film screenplay
a synopsis for another short film
an article about a painting exhibition
10 songs out of 12 for a musical project (with a music composer)
20 poems (some are 2 or 3p long)
4 detailed synopses for novels
2 detailed synopses for short-story
9 detailed synopses for a TV series
a synopsis for a noir feature film
1 fan fiction TV ep
a 1st draft for a 3-act play in need of rewriting, editing, finishing and trimming
bits and pieces to be assembled into projects
10 loglines /ideas for novel/Shortstory/script.
posts in a blog & tweets in a twitter account

I have relaxed in watching :

300 ( or more) films and TV Series episodes, of various genres. (Next thing, I must try Doctor Who) [I can watch Sherlock AND read the script in the same time while sipping coffee. I’m like Windows, I am multitask) [[Sometimes, I watch the entire series in a row until it’s über-too late]]

In the meantime, when I have an insomnia, I also have observed & studied my targets (thanks Writer’s Market and magazines and blogs and news) and prepared my business and marketing plans, established the communication plan, established a list of other contests I want to participate to. I have a new idea for a short…

I need a coffee, now. Strong, black, ultra caffeinated. Maybe I can just chew some coffee beans… It’s faster and a lot less fussier than brewing a mug ‘o joe…

It’s going to be a short night.

So long, Folks.

Coffee and films, what could go wrong?

What if…?

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by Floreva in Books, Entertainemt, Movies, Writing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Good story, screenwriting

The oddjobbers (writers, screenwriters and the kind) know that some of the best stories (apart from adaptations of literature pieces, remakes, documentaries, mockumentaries, historic and period dramas) started with a seemingly übersimple child’s game : “let’s make believe that…. (I am a princess in a pea pod shaped mattress; I am a dragon slayer; Ramses, King of Egyptian people; this mud is our chocolate pie and Mum is the Big laundrymatic Chief Lady; I have a hammer, I am a pop singer and I smash all my toys; MY name is Han Solo and YOU are Chewbacca; etc).”

The only difference is in the formulation : What if….?

And starting with this “what if…” postulate can lead you pretty far and produce some of the finest stories, provided your ideas are decently fueled with a good imagination. Forget narrow-minded or clichés things, unless you twist them enough to turn them into an interesting pattern.

Results can be good or… not so good.

Let’s have a closer look: (remember I talk fiction here, not historical facts nor period dramas).

Sometimes the results are just astonishing and we are being provided with great literature and films. (I leave the scientific or engineering part of this aside, its not my field).

For instance :

What if …a scientist wanted so bad to compete with God and created his own creature? Results : Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) and James Whale (1931) [+ numerous adaptations TV, films, theater and countless spoofs & cartoons.]

What if…an evil man, feeding only on human blood, could transform into a bat and contaminate each person he bites? Results : Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) and Tod Browning (1931) [+ numerous adaptations TV, films, theater and countless spoofs & cartoons.]

What if…aliens invaded the Earth? Results : The War of the worlds by HG Wells (1898), radioplay by Orson Welles (*wink*) 1938 and all the Alien Invasion literature & films influenced/induced by those geniuses [from The day the Earth stood still (1951) to Mars Attacks (1996) & Men in Black 3 (2012)]

What if …a priest wanted to protect his religious community from persecution and created an protector which later turns destructive? Results : The Golem (first writtten by Rabbi Eliyahu of Chelm (16th Century), then by Rabbi Yaakov Emden (1748), by Franz Klutschak (1841) and film by Paul Wegener (1921)

What if…a school director’s wife and his mistress teamed up to murder him to get rid of him? What if he DID not actually dies and sought revenge? Result : Les Diaboliques (The devils) by HG Clouzot (1955), (forget the remake w. Sharon Stone , it’s pathetic)
What if…pets and animals could talk and tell their adventures to a young Victorian aquarelist woman? Results : all Beatrix Potter’s books and Miss Potter (2006)?

What if…a zillionaire paid paleontologists to revive some defunct Dinosaurs species on an island, the team escaping a funest fate just in time? Results: Jurassic Park by M. Crichton (1990) and by S. Spielberg (1993) [and sequels, and spoofs and various others Jurassic monsters]

What if…a rejected secretary decided to turn love down, wrote a best-selling book about it- thus allowing other women to take control over their feelings, love and ensuing pain- to finally win the object of her thoughts turned true love? Result : Down with love (2003).

What if…a widowed woman who discovered that her husband left her broke, had an affair, eventually befriended the lover while developing a marijuana business to erase her debts and found love? Result : Saving Grace (2000).

What if…There was a secret passage to enter a famous actor’s mind for some minutes, allowing to control his mind and body? Result : Being John Malkovich (1999)

So many others.

Yet, sometimes the results are, well, you know…so so, to put it kindly.

For instance :

What if…we followed the life of several teenagers on their campus and recorded their abyssal stupidity and their gastric problems? (American pie*)

What if…we stuffed in so much SFX on screen, everyone will think it’s a GREAT movie? (Matrix, Thor, Iron Man 2, Spider man, Star Wars the Phantom Menace and the updated episodes, Titanic)

What if…we made any sequel of a any Blockbuster in the attempt to make as much money, based on the notoriety of the 1st film, hey? (Bad, bad, baaaaad idea, seldom good sequels, Jaws, Highlander, Rocky, Rambo…)

What if…we had NO viable idea but tried ANYWAY? The March of the Yellow giant Raspberry (it’s a joke), Sex lives of the Potato men* (it’s not a joke), Gigli (now really, a lesbian who sleeps with men?), Jersey girl (now really, again, a music rep in a BIG company who does not how to change his daughter’s diapers, chooses to lose his temper and trash his client Will Smith, ending in solo pleasures and a crazy Liv Tyler?), Cowboys and Aliens* –no comment- (2011).

What if…Abraham Lincoln was (secretly) a VAMPIRE HUNTER?….(Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter * 2012)

And, what if…. IN THE SAME TIME, Abe Lincoln chased Zombies*? (2012)(I think he might have had a seizure, if not already dead, and certainly had turned in his tumb)

What if…there is no proper script or plotholes or unsatisfying endings? 2001 : space odyssey (yeah, I know, you hate when I say that, but have a second look), Indy and the last Crusade( I know, I know, yet, plotholes around), Barton Fink (sorry, ending’s weak)

* Oh God, someone REALLY greenlighted that, you know, and put MONEY into it, and INFLICTED it to the world!

So long, folks, I have to find a greenlighter for my 15 min-script in which :

the protagonist gets a tip from a spaceship alien commander that his mother is the reincarnation of the American Pie (eaten by Lincoln in a theater) made of Potato slices found in the Tumb of Bigfoot, rescued by Indy while en route to the dentist for his pet Shark JAWSY the 6th, and that’s disturbing fact, because he tries to to fight his growing inner apetite (haha) for fame in participating in the “Yukon contest of the tough guys of the Woods” : being able to eat 999 fries in one mouthful (haha, again). Being connected with/to a potato mother presumably still alive in the stomach of someone (brought back to life per thunderstorm), the stakes are high and the obstacles, numerous. Will he burn out? (hahaha) .Good idea, hu?

Floreva

PS : For science cum-what if… : http://what-if.xkcd.com/13/ (ANSWERING YOUR HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS WITH PHYSICS, EVERY TUESDAY)

Sherlock and me

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by Floreva in Creating, TV Series, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Benedict Cumberbatch, British TV, screenwriting, Sherlock, Steven Moffat

Sherlock.

What? (now, really…)

It’s obvious. Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock and you. Sherlock and us. Sherlock and the industry. Sherlock and me. We like Sherlock & the industry LOVES him.

As for me, I confess, I am a fan. I am a great fan, though I never enrolled in any Holmesian club (maybe one day?).

In 2010 BBC produced a new theme on an old classic. The modern take on the TV series, conceived by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss on a train while en route to a filming location in Cardiff, was bound to gain the affection of fans as well as neophytes. Sherlock, the much beloved sleuth that popped out of Sir Arthur Connan Doyle’s industrious mind got a dab of freshness and a makeover that left the audience astounded by the quality achieved.

The narrative is not news, of course (I refer to Moffat’s 2007 previous piece of art, “Jekyll” which I recommend you watch), the construction is rigorous, the script is perfectly written (I read one, it’s just what we oddjobbers dream to write), and the style is as immortal as Conan Doyle’s. Narrative finds please the modern watcher who has already experienced high photography quality, graphic novelties and inlays of modernity in the screen (remember, for instance, how Matrix had opened the path to perfectly trimmed slow motioned scenes). And the actors’ performances please our sense of comparison as they are as equally good/perfect/wonderful/impossibly amazing (choose) as Jeremy Brett and David Burke & later Edward Hardwicke. Benedict Cumberbatch is a unique & definitive Modern Sherlock, just as Brett was the ultimate period Sherlock. And Martin Freeman is just above all the Dr Watsons we’ve seen . Rupert Graves is this admiring Lestrade Sir Arthur described in the books and Andrew Scott is good news as Moriarty, pleasantly mad.

Netflix uploaded the Sherlock Season 2 recently, and last week I indulged in watching the 3 episodes in a single row. You think I am addicted? Well, ahem…

You see the show and you tell me if the whole thing isn’t anything but brilliant.

(Who else can say : “Uh. Breathing. Breathing’s boring.”, and makes you feel he really thinks it? Sherlock cum – Berbatch)

I’m hooked, I’ve turned the last scene in my mind hundred of times (in my sleep, thank whoever is to be thanked, because I have no time in daytime for such amusement, pages need to be inked and written, job must get done , contests participated in and publisher provided publishing with material!). I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!

The script writers have fulfilled their duties. The cliffhanger is teasing, audience skyrocketed, and we crave for more episodes.

This is currently one of the best shows to learn from, when you are a screenwriter, a director of the photography, a credits designer, and SFX creator (unless you care for BIG, BOLD, UNNECESSARY, or UNSUBTLE SFX). Not in order to duplicate, of course. To fuel creation and align to such excellency standards.

I had to divert my attention from Sherlock to reinvest my own projects and current works.

Sunday evening, I discovered Miranda Hart’s show ( I had a good laugh), and I liked it so much I ordered the DVD on the spot. (now, talk of a British TV series addiction). Very visual and known slapsticks, but who cares? Old tricks, you know… etc…etc…Have a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTf17cmPl0I

Pleasant day to you, dear readers. The 1st page of that short-film script awaits me…

Floreva

That’s entertainment.

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Floreva in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

entertainment, hero, Johnny Cash, Motivation, movies, screenwriting, Walk the Line

This morning, I went for a walk with some friends and the subject of movies came up. Tonight, I reflect on our conversation…

I’ll try to explain a little more what we talk about when we talk about the satisfaction induced by a good movie.

TV series, Movies, Plays… That’s entertainment and we love that. Why? Why do we love going into a dark room filled with strangers to watch people we are not even acquainted to, make their show for us? And why are we pleased afterwards? (I talk here only of good quality time, ok?)

We are especially pleased when our expectations -most of which we are not fully aware as they generally lie in our unconscious- are met.

We are satisfied and content when the characters are consistent, clearly established for what they are (Hero, Romance, Nemesis -stands between the hero and his goal achievement-, reflection -supportive to the outer motivation) and the plot carefully built and conducted.

We are satisfied and happy when we can anticipate what’s next, but not too much. We love surprises (well, good ones only).

We are satisfied when action is moving at a pace we can follow (not too fast and not sloppy).

We are satisfied when the dialogues are intelligent, funny, or memorable. (We, silverscreen and telly nerds, LOVE to quote our favourite heroes)

We are satisfied when we can adhere to the inner or outer motivations or the hero and when the stakes seem plausible and rise until becoming unbearable. (and better, when the situation we once experimented, or someone we know has, obviously not the case when the world needs to be saved by Superman)

We are satisfied when we can adhere to the means the protagonists choose to resolve their conflict(s) -driven by outer/inner motivation- and finally achieve their goals (even if it’s a little dirty secrets, look at the success of Dirty Harry or Dexter, he is a SK & mental, for Christ’s sake!).

We are satisfied to allow ourselves to grieve upon the difficulties they encounter and being upset to see them almost (almost) ready to let go of the fight/quest/willing-to-change. We are satisfied when we see them being THAT close to drift from their love/ goal/personal growth/saving of the world and finally kick bottom to be up again & to regain the stamina to continue STRONGER.

We are satisfied when they WIN. Or justice is done, conflict is resolved, truth revealed, and happiness or healing on the way. Unless it is the thing to understand that is – AT LAST- understood.

We are supersatisfied when the twist ending (when there is one) is strong, astonishing and brilliant, (exactly the opposite of what we expect).

Because that’s how we, humans, are built. And that’s what we need.

All we need is hope. And all we hope for is that our needs are fulfilled. Magically, we have a powerful tool to obtain the results: we can pick a movie and be fulfilled with whatever we need to keep us going on with our life and our responsibilities ad duties : joy, happiness, motivation, beauty, motive for thinking, determination, hope, courage, passion, understanding, knowledge, a break in our daily routine, a brain-spa, a good laugh, a good thrill, a good fright…in 3 words : a good moment.

As we go to the theaters to make that magic possible, for most of us, what we crave above all is a damn good screenplay.

What is a screenplay? It’s the body of the movie (or of the TV series episode), the structure, the rules organising the whole thing and keeping from falling apart, or ending with that awkward feeling of discontent, frustration or anger, because your need or your expectation has not been fulfilled…

Yes, a story follows rules, it’s not just -so-stories (;-p Rudy K.)

Long story short:

The HERO has a CONFLICT to resolve (INNER or OUTER).

(Example : in Walk the Line, Johnny Cash has INNER CONFLICTS (lack of self-confidence and struggle to become himself/ his growing love for June/destructive behavior) and OUTER CONFLICTS (an abusive father who prefers his eldest son and despises his son JR (Johnny Cash) & big bro loves his lil’ bro JR/ Mother says nothing/ his wife and children vs. his touring the country and his affairs/ his dealer tracking him down) to overcome.)

He has a MOTIVATION : INNER and OUTER (tangible) to change the situation

(Example : Walk the Line. INNER MOTIVATION : getting married/ then to win June’s love/ deal with his past/become himself, OUTER MOTIVATION : to break free from addictions/ come to terms with his father’s rejection/record songs.)

The HERO has GOALS to achieve and they sustain his MOTIVATION :

(Example : Walk the Line. Johnny Cash’s GOALS are : to overcome his addictions/become a singer/tour with June, Elvis and Jerry Lee.)

The HERO must deal with an OPPONENT (NEMESIS character) or ADVERSITY, preventing him potentially to achieve his GOALS. ADVERSITY must be visible and identified (The CIA, the terrorists, the police, a disease : does not work , even if a collective danger/obstacle, they must have a face, a name and they must confront the HERO individually in the end, disease can be personified by a disillusioned nurse or physician, or patient).

(Example : Walk the Line. MULTIPLE NEMESIS : Johnny Cash has to divorce his wife in order to be with June, his father must learn to respect him, the dealer must be well… dealt with, authorities must be convinced to let him play in prison)

The HERO can find help or support along his journey (REFLECTION character), even love (ROMANCE character).

(Example : Walk the Line. REFLECTION : Jerry lee, Perkins & Elvis. ROMANCE : his wife and then June)

In the end, the CONFLICT is pacified, the MOTIVATION is resolved (the hero has failed or succeeded at achieving his goal(s) , in every case, the HERO has gained personal growth, his journey is complete.

The end. That’s all folks!

What movie is your favourite and why?

DNA for dummies or Genetics and the screenwriter.

14 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies, TV Series, Writing

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

DNA, Genetics, Inaccuracy, screenwriting, Script

Is it just me? Or are you, dear reader, bothered too, when a nice piece -TV series or movie- does not play DNA by the rules?

Namely, the color eyes chart. Especially, when it’s clearly said/showed/brought to our knowledge that NO foul actions or adultery/messing around have EVER occurred in the life of Madam since she’s married*? So?

So how come that THIS happens :

“(Recessive*) Blue eyes father + (Recessive) Blue eyes mother = Dominant** Brown eyes child “? The off-springs should have (Recessive) blue eyes.

Unless… The father has transmitted one (Dominant) Brown to the bundle of joy to, UNBEKNOWNST to the screenwriter. Or props were not properly stocked and the person in charge lacked those colored eye lenses. Too bad…

Maybe it’s just me. I probably shouldn’t have been so much attentive as a student in 8th grade, I suppose. Or is it only because I was just better in genetics than in geology, and the knowledge has sunk in deeper and is still there? [I confess : I took my (sweet) revenge in excelling at genetics whereas I sucked at geology, AND I was being taunted by my biology teacher because my father IS a geologist. No kidding,”why my cousin has blue eyes and mine are only hazel ?” bore much more appeal than “feldspars K Al Si₃O₈ – Na Al Si₃O₈ – Ca Al₂Si₂O_{8″. And honestly, the sole interest I have in stones is when they are square-shaped, small, sparkling, red or blue, mounted on a golden ring]}

*(in “Downton Abbey”, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, his wife Cora, Countess both blue-eyed produce two brown-eyed daughters -Lady Mary and Lady Laura, or in the episode “The Hide” of the series “Foyle’s War” the boy is also affected of the same heritage; and some others I do not recall right now).

**Recessive means it takes two of them lads to be strong, dominant means it is stronger, even on its own. It’s not me, it’s the law of Genetics. It’s possible to have blue inherited eyes if one of your parents is brown-eyed and the other blue-eyed, provided at the upper level (grand-parents) one of them had blue eyes too and had transmitted the Recessive gene to the younger generation. It means that the recessive (i.e. non-dominant) is stored in the genetic patrimony and express itself oddly and randomly with another recessive gene.

Just as the script (and therefore, the show) must not bear historical inaccuracies, nor errors (such as continuity, plot holes, factual, visible crew, revealing, characters, police cars plates changing every other episodes…), it must get the DNA heritage done properly, don’t you think?

Super Screenwriter explains it better than me :

Twee-ee-ee-ee-eet, tweet, tweet, tweet

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by Floreva in This world we live in

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screenwriting

We all know the Everly brothers and their song “Dream, dream dream”.

Source : wikipedia, Everly Brothers

Have a try, replace the word “dream” by “Tweet” and you’ll get the picture. It works with the entire song, without becoming (too) silly 😉

I decided to bring some fun in my Tw*tter bio (life is so short, you know and a smile is always worth a bit of taking (small) risks* (my account being suspended?), and I have taken the pledge to “update” it everyother day, with a funny aspect of my life/aspirations/whatever momental inspiration, hence my post here.

*hey buddy, that’s “auto-derision” and ironic, of course …

Check it out and let me know if you smiled. Good day to you.

PS : More seriously : one screenwriting idea : “What if Julius Cesar was utterly shy and short-sighted, afraid of horses, and keen on playing chess all day but at one point got kicked in the ass coached by his wife to conquer the world ?

What do you think about that one?

Too Mel-Brook-ish ? Not new? (maybe)

😉

Tea and Thor, the though guy who changed.

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

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hero, screenwriting, Tea, Thor

It’s 4 pm, and at this moment, I need a cup of tea.

Coffee is more a morning affair, a routine to fuel my lack of energy to sit at my table (my desk, or an anonymous table in a coffee house or at the library), get to what I have to do, figure out how the things must develop onstage (for the musical project I am currently working on), finish the work, retrieve the scene where I left it (for the techno-thriller), having allowed the hero to breathe a little more before throwing him into an unbearable dilemma, when I switched the laptop the night before.

The perfect cuppa is better enjoyed with an episode of a great TV series, after 8 pm, when I am not out.

I am addicted to tea and telly paired together (well, not the telly, rather the TV series on the telly). While busy with my favorite vice, I can’t help but analyse the product I am served.

I suppose it’s what everyone suffering from the same disorder does : We shell the tricks of the screenplay, anticipating moves of the action or of some characters, expecting them to react in a particular way. I like it when I have a right guess, I feel the screenwriter has done his job properly, by having followed the rules and that the director has done a good job too with the clues, letting the audience to recall them on time and find the path to enlightenment. I like when the series is so cleverly crafted that if leaves me puzzled or amazed. It’s highly enjoyable when this feeling lasts a bit more and makes one smile. It’s always better when the trick/twist end/resolution is cleverly chiseled and not set on a short fuse.

For instance, I felt quite disappointed with “Thor”. But not with “Pirates, band of misfits” that I saw last Sunday.

Ok, so…Thor.

Thor is a nice guy. He is about the become king of Asgard.Check. Strong, big, handsome, chiseled 6-pack, charming smile, his father is proud of him. He is the hero. The hero is a though guy (with loads of special FX, too much), he wants war. Check. Special FX. Check. Special FX again. Cheeeeeeck.

Thor has a jealous brother, Loki (Nemesis character), conspiring against him. Check. But he is shot-tempered (Thor, not Loki. well, Loki too). This is his main drawback (coupled with an unquenchable thirst for revenge upon the people of Frost Giants). The Frost Giants interrupt and try to steal a casket, followed by Thor and his friends (reflection characters). Battle takes place.

(Special effects,I, II, III, IV)

Odin is terribly disappointed. His father, the king of Gods (all this is inspired by Norske tales and the marvel comics) banishes him from the Scandinavian Olympus and the brother is seeking to seize the throne after this banishment. Check.

Special effects.

Thor is a shallow, smooth character inside, a little guilty on the edges (well not that much) when he learns that his father is dying. Loki has layers that add depth to his dilemma (his is the adopted son of Odin, an offspring of a killed Frost Giant Chef).

Special effects.

Later, Thor faces the dilemma : inner motivation : striking back, showing he is not that short-tempered and he can change and become king . Outer motivation : to regain his father’s esteem and redeem his right to the throne (and regain his immortality and his powers). Check. Check. Check. Special FX.

On Earth, he meets Natalie Portman, the pretty scientist (she embodies both (a little) the reflection character and the romance character). She lives and work in a RV, with her assistant and a tutelary personification of the father (= authority, credibility, etc).

Special effects.Special effects.Special effects.Special effects.

Thor is accustomed to be served by servants, right? He does not know how to clean a table, cook an egg (furthermore in a kitchen on our planet, he is a God from Above the Clouds), or understand why it’s important to be polite to others, right? (Special effeeeeeeects)

He must face a dilemma : he must understand that making war is bad bad bad. He should be torn between his blossoming attraction for Natalie and his duty and his anger to show his father that he has all rights to seek revenge over the people from the icy world, right? Especially when his brother comes down to whisper the song of war and brute force to crush them and regain his throne, right? His brother wants to use those feelings to destroy Thor forever, and seeks to excite his appetite for blood and fight. The audience expects to see the dilemma plastered all over his blond face, his hands twisted with remorse and regret and duty and courage and anger…

It must, it should, it needs to last some minutes, and could be shown in several micro-scenes, inserted in the flow of the linear construction of the timeline, even in parallel actions, to add tension and thrill and build the suspense.

But not Thor. He does not give a toss to our expectation of tension, thrill, or supense. He has his magic hammer (well, ok, ok, it is still stuck in a mud bed, with all the FBI, CIA, whatever agency agents all around sent to observe the unknown device, and the rain is pouring, and it’s night and it’s thunderstrom everywhere, and Thor escapes the security to retrieve his hammer and he meets Natalie again and….), his blond suntan skin and his surfer hair, he is tough (remember?) AND he has changed.

We know that because he said so, while piling the eggs sunny-side-up into Natalie’s plate, a tea towel thrown over his shoulder, with a nice apron and a perfectly peaceful gaze at his bro, Loki, who just can’t believe his ears (just as the audience, BTW, this was dumbfounding, I daresay).

“WHAT? No war? what about your anger, and your will for revenge? And regaining your hammer and its power and your powers? Those people are our ENNEMY from the beginning of time, blablabla…” (he tries really hard to shake the king-to-be-banished-but-not-really-and-already-forgiven-by-Daddy). Special effects.

But no. It’s written in the script, so there goes Thor : “I HAVE C-H-A-N-G-E-D, nanana… No war. Peace and love, bro. “

Can you believe that? What happened to the screenwriter? Why frustrating the audience like that? There are rules, in the good book of screenwriting rules.

See? Special effects can’t be all. And I need a tea. Tea and Thor, the guy who changed. Not the perfect match. Too bad, it was promising, even the second seeing is frustrating.

So long, though guy.

Floreva, TVseries addict forever.

Café littéraire

18 Friday May 2012

Posted by Floreva in Cafés, Caffeine, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

authors, Café littéraire, Nemesis, Paris, screenplay, screenwriting, Vienna

As the day begins, this is what I am given, while driving towards the city. It is 6.55 am. A pinkish mist coats the hedges and the lawns I pass by. Sky promises to be bright blue. There is little traffic before I hit the feeder leading to the centre of the Metropolis. The ideas and whereabouts regarding the writing I am battered in start to roll in my mind. I am making corrections and adjustments already, in the quietness of my car.

I enjoy the rising of the sun. Anywhere I can. It feeds my need for beauty and aesthetics in the simplest possible way. Like a token of joy. I think of the characters I must deal with today. Their motivations, their interactions with others, their conflicts, their nature, the drama, the laugh…

Then, moments later, I sit in front of a freshly brewed coffee. With my laptop, I can carry my work office everywhere. I connect through WI-FI and voilà.

A glance around me, and I dive into the thoughts nurtured by the latest movies or series I watched, or the current piece I am working on, and that I have sorted out during my earlier driving.

The day develops while I keep writing, proofing, correcting, changing, cutting scenes…My brain races. So much to do, so little time. I take a second coffee, then a third. My heart beat quickens a bit. I begin to be very caffeinated. I drink water. I gaze at the walls when they are decorated. When I am stuck in a scene in the screenplay, it is utterly helpful to let fresh air (metaphorically speaking) rippling on the ocean of the codes and conventions one follows to build characterization or inner conflicts.

When Nemesis escapes you, close your eyes and smell the coffee.

It sometimes induces a loop in the field of the work I have to do, like a breath of fresh air.

Writing in a café is highly pleasurable. It makes a daily task blissful. Cafés littéraires, as they are called in France. Cafés or coffee houses where one writes or discuss literature (or politics).

It connects us with all those beloved authors, and allows a spiritual communion to the magnificent prodigy of human nature : crafting sentences and words to craft and explain our lives and the future.

Coffee and writing, seemingly so intimately bound to speak of our human conditions. The best could be found in the cafés in Vienna, the coffee hours held in the Salons in Paris, London, St Petersburg in the past centuries, where ideas for better everything where sketched and refined.

The warmth of the anonymous company of fellow beings. The observation of nature.

A microcosm accommodated within 4 walls and processed by a coffee machine.

Long live the cafés and coffee houses, where we can seek and find matter for writing, fuel for our thoughts, and nicely light ephemeral connections through a smile or a inconsequential gaze.

Café culture addict

~ Drinking tea, observing society and writing stories in cafés

Tag Archives: screenwriting

Upcoming Film Festivals deadlines, call for entries.

Sante Fe Film Festival and upcoming film fest deadlines

On being a writer who learns and writes.

What if…?

Sherlock and me

That’s entertainment.

DNA for dummies or Genetics and the screenwriter.

Twee-ee-ee-ee-eet, tweet, tweet, tweet

Tea and Thor, the though guy who changed.

Café littéraire

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