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2ND & 3RD PLACES: $1,923 in cash and prizes:
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•	Movie Magic Screenwriting software ($250 value) Blockbuster story-development software ($295 value).
•	Coverage from Script Alley ($150 value) Six month subscription to Script Shark's Spec Market ($30 value)
• • •	Free regular admission to Screenwriting Expo 7 ($149 value) One free ticket to Golden Pitch at Expo 7 ($25 value, plus selection priority) Subscription to Creative Screenwriting magazine ($24 value)

	SUZANNE'S PRIZE--BEST LOVE STORY OF 2008: $4,502 in cash and prizes:
•	$2,500 cash
•	Regular pass to 2008 Screenwriting Expo ($149 value)
•	Five free Expo pitch tickets ($125 value, plus selection priority)
•	One free year of Hollywoodbyphone ($564 value)
•	Free Truby Blockbuster software ($295 value)
•	Full set of Creative Screenwriting educational DVDs ($750 value)
•	Free Truby Love Story software ($95 value)
•	Free one-year subscription to Creative Screenwriting Magazine ($25 value)
• •	The winning script will be sent to producers, agents, and managers who have asked to see this Special Jury Prize winner. The synopsis and logline will be sent to over 300 agents, managers, and development executives who have requested it.

TOP 10 FEATURE SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
•	Synopsis mailed to over 350 agents, managers, and development executives who have requested it.
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TELEPLAY PRIZE (TWO WINNERS)
•	$500 cash
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EVERYONE WHO ENTERS
• • •	15% off Script Shark coverage 15% off Script Alley coverage, 15% off FilmTracker subscription One free month of Hollywoodbyphone.com.
•	$5 off any Coverage, Ink service.

Entrants will receive an e-mail with information on these gifts when the contest announces semifinalists.

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In addition to the above prizes, winning or placing in a high-profile screenwriting contest can open significant doors for your career in Hollywood. The AAA Contest and Creative Screenwriting will do everything possible to promote our winners and finalists to the industry.

Events Activities and Things To Do

2/29/2008 11:59:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Writing the Reality TV Show - Monday night!
Posted by chad

Hey, TV writers and producers--

If you're in L.A. and interested in knowing how to develop and sell the next Dancing with the Stars or Millionaire Matchmaker, I'm teaching a 3-hour reality TV seminar at mediabistro.com this Monday night, and I'd love to see you there! Here's the scoop...

WRITING THE REALITY TV SHOW
When: Monday, March 3, 7-10 pm
Where: mediabistro.com, 7494 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 303, W. Hollywood, CA 90046
Cost: $65
To sign up: Call Stefanie at 310-659-5668 or click HERE

Check out this webpage for more information... or here's the little blurb about it...

American Idol. Deal or No Deal. My Super Sweet 16. From the multi-million-dollar series of broadcast television to the low-budget niche shows of cable, reality programming dominates television. But are reality shows really "reality?" How much planning and production goes into unscripted storytelling? And, most importantly, how can you get in on the action?

This seminar lays the groundwork for anyone wanting to break into the lucrative world of reality TV. We'll look at various types of reality shows and what makes them tick, from docu-dramas and docu-soaps (Rob & Big, Laguna Beach) to game shows and elimination-style competitions (Hell's Kitchen, Survivor) to personality-driven and "aspirational" series (Tasty Travels, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition).

We'll then discuss how to conceive, develop, and sell your idea. What are the critical elements of a pitch? Should you attach talent? Does your series work as a strip? We'll explore how to structure your reality pitch and get it to the right people. Who are the major players? When should you attach a senior producer? What networks are best for your concept? Whether you're a writer, producer, or host, reality television's waiting for you.

In this seminar, you will learn:

The difference between reality shows, and how to pitch them accordingly
The critical elements every reality show and pitch must have
How to structure a pitch both verbally and as a written document
How to pitch to networks, studios, and production companies
When to attach hosts or producers to your idea, and when not to
What to expect when you're making your pitch, and what happens when you leave

Events Activities and Things To Do

2/27/2008 3:22:04 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The WGA Ratifies Its New Deal
Posted by chad

Hey, screenwriters--

Half an hour ago, the Writers Guild of America announced that membership had voted to ratify the new AMPTP contract, putting an official end to the tumult and negotiations that had caused the 100-day writers strike.

Here's the official email from the WGA...

"To Our Fellow Members:

Today, it is our pleasure to inform you that members of the Writers Guilds of America, East and West, have voted to ratify the MBA contract with 93.6% approval. With a total of 4,060 votes cast, the tally was 3,802 to 258. These numbers reaffirm the tremendous level of support and commitment our membership has continuously demonstrated over these last few crucial months.

We are also pleased to report that the trustees of our health fund voted yesterday to follow the recommendation in our strike settlement agreement to provide additional coverage and an extension of the earnings cycle for a full quarter (three months) to participants who would otherwise lose health coverage following an earnings cycle that included all or a portion of the strike period. Participants whose health coverage is paid for by points will only be charged points if they have ten or more points as of April 1, 2008.

As we close this chapter in our union's history, what we together have accomplished should not be underestimated. The 2008 MBA establishes a beachhead on the Internet and in new media that will guarantee our share of a potentially vast and bountiful future. Writers already are working on new media projects under this agreement and residuals must now be paid for streaming and downloads of our library of films and TV shows.

Language in the contract will allow us to monitor and audit these new technologies and new business models, but it will take vigilance on the part of our membership to make sure that original Internet writing is done under a WGA contract and with appropriate terms and conditions.

The same sort of vigilance will be needed to assist members of SAG and AFTRA. They are about to go through a similar process to the one we experienced. Their support of our cause was invaluable. We must use all our efforts and experience to support them as well. Further gains that they can achieve will have an immediate, positive effect on our contract.

We must take our newfound spirit and unity and use it to move our two unions forward. We look to the future and our newly revitalized member engagement to reaffirm writers as the first among equals in the most collaborative art form in history. As the last few weeks proved once and for all, we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Michael Winship
President, WGAE"

Industry Updates | The Writers Strike 2007

2/26/2008 8:33:27 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

TIP OF THE DAY: The Magic of the Prelap
Posted by chad

Someone once told me that if you hear something three times, it means the universe is sending you a message. Well, I haven't heard this three times yet, but a question came up in my writers group last week... and then I got an email yesterday asking almost the exact same question. And since I was never good with numbers, I figure two times is as good as three. So here ya go...

In my writers group, my friend Tony-- an up-and-coming screenwriter who optioned his first script last year-- was working on a new project and having trouble tying two scenes together. Here, take a look...

                                    MR. JACKSON
                    Sure, sure. Well, see you next
                    Saturday.

Daniela, precariously balancing her mother-load of hot dogs, shoots Trevor a less than pleased glance. (The problem was: we see Daniela's "less-than-pleased glance" here...)

INT. TREVOR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The place is totally seventies. Not hip, retro-cool seventies -- but musty, smells like Grandpa, seventies.

Trevor opens the door, pushing aside a pile of mail.

                                    DANIELA
                    Trevor, you promised you'd meet my
                    dad next Saturday. (...but don't
                      get an answer till here about what
                      she's less-than-pleased about.)

                                    TREVOR
                    Sorry, I forgot. How bout this --
                    you invite your dad to come to my
                    game. Huh? Afterwards, we'll grab
                    some grub... maybe a beer... maybe
                      two?

Although there isn't a huge amount of time between Daniela's "less than pleased" glance and the line that explains the glance, there's enough time that readers were saying, "Wait-- what? Why is she less-than-pleased? Did I miss something?" And even though they get their answer in a moment, any red flag, is enough to bump a reader out of your script.

So Rick, one of the other guys in the writers group, and I suggested using a "prelap" to move up Daniela's line.

Here's the thing about prelaps... I love them. I could write a whole script of prelaps. I have no idea who invented them, but I think I first discovered them while reading a Joss Whedon script a few years ago. And since Joss gave us Buffy and Angel, I'm perfectly willing to credit him with inventing the prelap.

The crazy thing is-- there's nothing all that special about them... except they do a great job of making a script feel genuinely cinematic, and when used correctly, they add shades of emotional nuance and foreshadowing.

Basically, a prelap uses a line of dialogue from one scene to end the scene preceding it, allowing the first scene to flow seamlessly into the second.

So here's what Tony did...

                                   MR. JACKSON
                    Sure, sure. Well, see you next
                    Saturday.

Daniela, precariously balancing her mother-load of hot dogs, shoots Trevor a less than pleased glance.

                                    DANIELA (PRELAP)
                    You promised you'd meet my dad
                    next Saturday.

INT. TREVOR'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The place is totally seventies. Not hip, retro-cool seventies -- but musty, smells like Grandpa, seventies.

Trevor opens the door, pushing aside a pile of mail.

                                    TREVOR
                    Sorry, I forgot. How bout this --
                    you invite your dad to come to my
                    game. Huh? Afterwards, we'll grab
                    some grub... maybe a beer... maybe
                      two?

Because the second scene's conflict now begins in the first scene, it carries you into the next. The scenes are tied together with the prelap, letting one flow right into the other without bumping the reader. Screenwriting magic!

(I know, I know-- I tend to get excited over little things, but come on-- you gotta admit: that's pretty cool.)

(Oh, and by the way-- no real comment on Sunday's Oscars. I'm still upset that no one put down The Bourne Ultimatum as a write-in nominee for best picture.)

Writing Advice

2/26/2008 3:16:06 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Thursday, February 21, 2008

"Oscar Picks" Follow-Up-- Thanks, Becky!
Posted by chad

Special thanks to loyal reader Becky, who read yesterday's Oscar picks and sent in this great video from the Upright Citizens Brigade...

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN AWARDS

Fun Stuff

2/21/2008 7:20:03 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Chad's Oscar Picks
Posted by chad

Hey, screenwriters--

The 80th Academy Awards are barely 72 hours away, so I figured it was time to have the only conversation more divisive than politics: OSCAR CHOICES. I gotta say-- overall, it's a pretty good batch of nominees, although personally, I would've created a new award for "Most Bad-Ass Movie I Could Sit and Watch Forever Without Getting Bored" and given it to The Bourne Ultimatum. I'm lobbying the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences to put that in for next year.

Anyway, here are my picks for this year. And-- since we're writers-- I'll start with the two most important categories...

Original screenplay
What I want to win: "Juno" - Diablo Cody
What I think will win: "Michael Clayton" - Tony Gilroy (the Academy never votes for comedies... although, to be fair, people love Juno, so we'll see...)

The other nominees:
"Lars and the Real Girl" - Nancy Oliver
"Ratatouille" - Brad Bird (story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird)
"The Savages" - Tamara Jenkins

What got completely robbed of a nomination: Knocked Up - the smartest, most honest romantic comedy in years (And to all the people who said it was misogynistic: A) you're wrong, and B) so what? Judd Apatow writes more openly and honestly about the pain and fears of masculinity than anyone else out there... and that trumps misogyny. If it was even misogynistic. Which it's not.)
What also got robbed of a nomination: Once - okay, maybe this didn't deserve a best "original screenplay" nomination, but it's certainly one of the most perfect examples of a musical-- on stage or screen-- in the last several years.

Adapted screenplay
What I want to win: "There Will Be Blood" - Paul Thomas Anderson
What I think will win: "There Will Be Blood" - Paul Thomas Anderson (although it could also go to "No Country for Old Men," which would be okay. Both were amazing movies, but "There Will Be Blood" stays with you in a way "No Country" doesn't)

The other nominees:
"No Country for Old Men" - Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Away from Her" - Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Ronald Harwood
"Atonement" - Christopher Hampton (Explain something to me... how did this steaming pile of Ambien get nominated for anything? Am I missing something? Do people no longer need romantic chemistry in their love stories? Is clear motivation not a requirement of twenty-first century screenwriting? Have we forgotten about "stakes?" Or are we allowed to forgive an agonizingly dull story as long as we have pretty pictures to look at-- and Kiera Knightley, which, to be fair, does almost forgive the whole thing. But not quite.)

Best motion picture of the year
What I want to win: "There Will Be Blood"
What I think will win: Again, a toss-up between "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country For Old Men"

The other nominees:
"Juno"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"
"Atonement"

Achievement in directing
What I want to win: "There Will Be Blood" - Paul Thomas Anderson
What I think will win: Again, a toss-up between "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country For Old Men" (although to be fair, I think There Will Be Blood is a more challening undertaking for a director)

The other nominees:
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Julian Schnabel
"Juno" - Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" - Tony Gilroy

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Who I want to win: Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"
Who I think will win: Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"

The other nominees:
Johnny Depp - "Sweeney Todd”
George Clooney - "Michael Clayton"
Tommy Lee Jones - "In the Valley of Elah"
Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"
Who got completely robbed of a nomination: Matt Damon for "The Bourne Ultimatum" (okay, maybe not really-- but if there were an award for "Coolest Ass-Kicker," he'd have it sewn up)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Who I want to win: Laura Linney - "The Savages" (I know it's weird, but I love Laura Linney. She should win everything, as far as I'm concerned. Every movie should just star Laura Linney, playing everything. If she starred in the next Jason Bourne movie, my head might explode.)
Who I think will win: Marion Cotillard - "La Vie en Rose"

The other nominees:
Julie Christie - "Away from Her"
Cate Blanchett - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Ellen Page - "Juno"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Who I want to win: Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"
Who I think will win: Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"

The other nominees:
Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook - "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson - "Michael Clayton"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Who I want to win: Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"
Who I think will win: Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"

The other nominees:
Ruby Dee - "American Gangster"
Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"
Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

Best animated feature film of the year
What I want to win: "Ratatouille" (Brad Bird may be one of the smartest, most creative storytellers working today)
What I think will win: "Ratatouille"

The other nominees:
"Persepolis"
"Surf's Up" (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Did anyone see this movie?!)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
What I want to win: Jonny Greenwood's score for "There Will Be Blood," which somehow didn't even get a nomination. What do you expect from the same people who keep falling over Atonement?
What I think will win: "Atonement" - Dario Marianelli

The other nominees:
"The Kite Runner" - Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" - James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" - Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" - Marco Beltrami

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
What I want to win: "Falling Slowly" from "Once" - Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (if you don't own this CD-- BUY IT. Today.)
What I think will win: "Falling Slowly" from "Once" - Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

The other nominees:
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" - Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" - Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" - Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" - Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

Achievement in art direction
What I want to win: "The Golden Compass" - Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
What I think will win: "There Will Be Blood" - Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

The other nominees:
"American Gangster” - Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" – Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"Sweeney Todd" - Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Achievement in cinematography
What I want to win: "There Will Be Blood" - Robert Elswit
What I think will win: "There Will Be Blood" - Robert Elswit

The other nominees:
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" - Roger Deakins
"Atonement" - Seamus McGarvey (to be fair, this is the one nomination I think this film deserves; unfortunately, gorgeous pictures don't make a story)
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" - Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design
What I want to win: "Across the Universe" - Albert Wolsky
What I think will win: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" - Alexandra Byrne

The other nominees:
"Atonement" - Jacqueline Durran
"La Vie en Rose" - Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd” - Colleen Atwood

Achievement in film editing
What I want to win: "The Bourne Ultimatum" - Christopher Rouse (come on-- if there's one thing this film does deserve, it's every technical award it's up for-- its action scenes and camera work are extraordinary)
What I think will win: "There Will Be Blood" - Dylan Tichenor

The other nominees:
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" - Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" - Roderick Jaynes

Achievement in makeup
What I want to win: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
What I think will win: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

The other nominees:
"La Vie en Rose" - Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" - Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji

Achievement in sound editing
What I want to win: "The Bourne Ultimatum" - Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg (this movie was made by its sound... the scene where Jason Bourne chases Desh across the rooftops, and the fisticuffs in the apartment may be my favorite action scene from any movie ever)
What I think will win: "There Will Be Blood" - Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood (although I think the dark horse here could actually be "Transformers")

The other nominees:
"No Country for Old Men" - Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" - Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"Transformers" - Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

Achievement in sound mixing
What I want to win: "The Bourne Ultimatum" - Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
What I think will win: "Transformers" - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

The other nominees:
"No Country for Old Men" - Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" - Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" - Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe

Achievement in visual effects
What I want to win: "Transformers" - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier
What I think will win: "Transformers" - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

The other nominees:
"The Golden Compass" - Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" - John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier

Categories I am completely unqualified to comment on, so I'm not going to comment on them:
Best documentary feature
Best documentary short subject
Best animated short film
Best live action short film
Best foreign language film

Fun Stuff

2/21/2008 4:48:46 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Harlan Ellison on Getting Paid as a Writer (oh my God-- I love this!)
Posted by chad

Thanks to Kate at FishbowlLA for finding this video, but OH MY GOD-- IT'S INCREDIBLE. A quick bit of backstory... yesterday, UnitedHollywood.com posted a recently-written-- and fairly pissed off-- response to the WGA-AMPTP deal by sci-fi guru Harlan Ellison. I don't necessarily agree with him, but his passion is AWESOME. Even more awesome is this video from

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