BlueCat Screenwriting announces a call for entries for the BlueCat Fellini Awards.

Join the BlueCat community in January for a unique opportunity to celebrate the birthday of filmmaker Federico Fellini with the BlueCat Fellini Awards.

To honor Fellini’s uniquely creative spirit, and to provide each screenwriter a new screenwriting competition experience, during this special one-time contest, BlueCat will offer TWO ANALYSES for each screenplay. Your submission will be read by two different readers, receive two sets of detailed analyses, along with two sets of numerical scores used to judge your screenplay.

Further honoring the visionary Fellini, we are accepting Short Screenplays (5-40 pages) and Feature Screenplays (70-130 pages).

The final deadline is Fellini’s birthday, January 20th, at midnight PST.

Five winners will be chosen, with each winner receiving a MacBook Pro plus Final Draft software, or the cash equivalent. Each winner will have the option to select cash for either, or both prizes.

Finalists will be announced on April 15th, and the five winners will be awarded on May 15th. All analyses will be returned by April 1st.

Entry fee is $60.

Join BlueCat in January to share your work and honor one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers of the 20th century.

SUBMIT YOUR SCREENPLAY: http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com

BlueCat Screenplay Competition
PO Box 2635
Hollywood, CA 90078

Website: http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlueCatPictures
Facebook Fan Page: Facebook Fan Page

Babz Buzz

Each month Literary Agent, Babz Bitela of Silver Bitela Agency talks soup to nuts about screenwriting.

The subject is The Shape of Things to Come – how the industry is changing.

Babz also talks about

• Timing and Tone
• Floored by Kevin Haskin and Jason Bortz – (SimplyScripts Radio appearance)
• Waiting
• A Christmas Carol
• Fame and Success
• Things to Come
• Tron and Tron Legacy
• Props
• Inception
• Kurosawa
• Viral Media
• The Art of Regifting
• Babz Black List
  • Floored by Kevin Haskin and Jason Bortz – “Hannible Lector-esque without the Hanible Lector weirdness”
  • Long Shadow Woman by Craig Clyde (SimplyScripts Radio appearance) – Turn of the century Arizona. An outcast woman and a wounded Apache boy. One will teach. One will learn. Both will change.
  • LazerBladers by Robert Powers
  • Clause 13 by Craig Savin
  • Queen of the Mist by Richard Broadhurst

Talk about this Babz Buzz podcast on the Discussion Board

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Babz Buzz is produced by Michael Cornetto and released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 license^*

Music provided by Incompetech

You can subscribe to Babz Buzz as well as SimplyScripts Radio and the occasional iScript on iTunes

^*In English, this podcast can be share with others as long as you mention the site and link back, but you can’t change it in any way or use it commercially.

Babz Buzz

Each month Literary Agent, Babz Bitela of Silver Bitela Agency talks soup to nuts about screenwriting.

The subject is Your Questions.

Babz also talks about

• 1 What stories can you tell us about scripts that started out as small innocent things and grew into different creatures, monstrous deviants than their original concepts?
• 3 Why do people who work craft service get treated so poorly on the set?
• 4 Seriously though, does it help to pitch a script if you have sequels in mind? Franchise is always attractive.
• 5 If I add the word “3D” to the end of my script title will it get more reads?
• 6 What genre is going to be hot in the spec world next year?
• 7 I think my scripts are definitely not for everyone. Any suggestions for writers who write weird stuff that most people don’t like?
• 8 Should those writers change their way or continue to write what feels real to them
• 9 What’s the appropriate turn around time for a script
• 10 Same question — but for edits/rewrites. Let us say an extensive rewrite, where you are given notes, and there will be alot of changes that are beyond superficial. “ASAP” has lost its meaning in today’s world — what is reasonable, and (generally, of course) asking for how much time is asking too much?
• 11 What makes people in your position balk?
• 12 Do you think there are any stories that have been told enough now?
• 13 When working with a client, is it more about a single property or the package deal?
• 14 Is it more about constantly developing new ideas or keep polishing that one big apple
• 15 Which client do you think is better to have in your stable?
• 16 The one with a polish complete script with solid concepts? Or…
• 17 The one with a fistful ideas in development, but only registered treatments up front?
• 18 Do coverage providers offer those services for script treatments as well as scripts?
• 19 Is it viable to pitch a writer to executives with only a treatment or synopsis?
• 20 What qualities in a script inspire you to take a chance with a new client?
• 21 How would you segregate or differentiate the categories of the producers seeking your company’s services? Big, medium and small organizations by percentage? Commercial, speculative productions and in-house corporate projects?
• 22 At SS we see a moderate amount of absolute nube “material” (including my own). Likewise, do you have a fair percentage of nube producers coming to you without a clue?
• 23 Would you consider the producers pretty good at what they do or do you run across the gamut on their products?
• 25 Across the five years you’ve been doing this what desired product trends have you noticed
• Mr Silver’s been doing this a while longer, right? What trends has he picked up on, as far as general, desired subject content?
• 26 It seems you’ve hit the market at a very unique period of history. You were doing this a few years before US unemployment started bouncing around the 10% mark. Are you seeing every Tom, Dick and Harry without a day job all of a sudden banging out “material” all over the quality spectrum? If so, does it make the industry more daunting being choked with “more product” of the previous quality? Is the Coverage business doing pretty well as a (suspected) result?
• 27 What does the agent industry buzz about behind closed doors? What articles in professional journals or seminars do you glaze over?
• 28 What would writers be surprised to know about many of the producers that come to you?
• 30 What are some professional disasters “other” agencies have had befall them? Almost happened to us; I literally hit a wall of disgust. I can’t speak for other agencies but for a while I was allowing writers to take the joy out of what I do.
• 31 Through the Babz Wants… thread there are many generic, standard genres your business receives requests for: action, comedy, thriller – nothing really specific. And there are the “niche” market small dog, Hispanic wedding, Irish setting, airplane comedies, horse scripts, Jewish characters, etc. requests.
• 31a Why does a production company look for such specialized screenplays that they don’t already have a director that can write that him/herself?
• 31b Like a real estate broker, the buyer is responsible for having the subject house inspected and it’s the local city/county inspector’s job for gross violations and issues – not the realtor’s, are there similar caveat emptors writers should know about directors and producers?
• 33 What industry agencies does everyone go “Oooo and Ahhh!” over? Are there villains, fools and other party animals? Can you name names?
• 34 What in the biz makes you go “WTH?! Ya’ll are… freaks/nuts/bonkers/whatever”?
• 35 What makes you groan, beat your head against the desk or make you want to beat the customer’s head against the desk?
• 36 Do you have a professional specialty—Does your agency?
• 37 What jobs does your company not touch with a ten foot pole? What can you not get enough of?
• 38 What impresses you about a producer and/or writer?
• 39 How many times have you seen a perfectly good deal get shot right down the toilet? What are the top three reasons?
• 40 What quality do writers need to hone on the page?

Talk about this Babz Buzz podcast on the Discussion Board

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Babz Buzz is produced by Michael Cornetto and released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 license^*

Music provided by Incompetech

You can subscribe to Babz Buzz as well as SimplyScripts Radio and the occasional iScript on iTunes

^*In English, this podcast can be share with others as long as you mention the site and link back, but you can’t change it in any way or use it commercially.

Babz Buzz

Each month Literary Agent, Babz Bitela of Silver Bitela Agency talks soup to nuts about screenwriting.

The subject is Coverage.

Babz answers your questions

• Script Coverage Definition
• Brian O’Malley
• Screenplayreaders. com
• 26 Tips About screenwriting
• ScriptQuack
• RichardBroadhurst.com
• ScriptPimp
• Development Hell
• Top Gun screenplay (DailyScript)
• Jaws
• Godfather
• Kirstie Alley
• Jim Starr

Talk about this Babz Buzz podcast on the Discussion Board

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Babz Buzz is produced by Michael Cornetto and released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 license^*

Music provided by Incompetech

You can subscribe to Babz Buzz as well as SimplyScripts Radio and the occasional iScript on iTunes

^*In English, this podcast can be share with others as long as you mention the site and link back, but you can’t change it in any way or use it commercially.

SimplyScripts Radio – The Mythic Edition: Interview with Pamela Jaye Smith

The panel talks to Pamela Jaye Smith about the tools of story telling and applied mythology.

You can check out Pamela’s site at PamelaJayeSmith.net. Pamela is the author of Beyond the Hero’s Journey

Show Notes

• Prometheus
• Pygmalion
• Applied Mythology
• Colors
• Production Designers
• Incredible Shrinking Woman
• Necco Wafers
• Inception
• Hollywood Myths
• Orpheus and Eurydice
• Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat!
• Myths in Stories
• The two types of Plots
• Joseph Campbell Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Hero’s Journey
• Pamela Jaye Smith’s Beyond the Hero’s Journey
• Chris Vogler’s The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
• Inner Drives
• Chakras
• Documentaries
• Alpha Babes: Women of Mythic Significance
• The Alpha Babe Academy

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SimplyScripts Radio is produced by Michael Cornetto and released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 license.

This episode the panel consisted of host, Michael Cornetto and panel members Pia and Don

Music provided by Incompetech.com.

Interested in joining the panel? Send an email to radiosimply (at) gmail.com

Please, we’d love to have feedback on the show.

iTunes users can subscribe to the SimplyScripts feed and have the show automatically downloaded to your iPod. – Don

SimplyScripts Radio – The Haunted Doily Edition. Interview with Drew Daywalt.

The panel talks to Drew Daywalt, screenwriter, director and producer. You can watch some of his short films on Daywalt Fear Factory. Help fund Drew’s latest short horror, NAKED – a period fantasy/horror film at IndieGoGo.

You can follow Drew on Twitter.

Show Notes

• Stark Raving Mad
• Quentin Tarantino
• Haunted Houses
• Writing Horror
• Dreams of the Witch House by H.P. Lovecraft
• Fear
• Drag Me to Hell
• Writing for Studios
• The Shining
• Daywalt Fear Factory
• Fangoria
• Wes Craven
• Horror Filmmaking tips
• Polydeus
• FEARnet
• Suicide Girl
• Ringbearer
• The Queen Mary
• Hostel
• Naked – It’s 1736 in the New World, & 2 German hunters & their Mohawk guide hunt for a hideous demon who murdered one of the German pioneer children.

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SimplyScripts Radio is produced by Michael Cornetto and released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 license.

This episode the panel consisted of host, Michael Cornetto and panel members Pia and Jeff “Dreamscale” Bush

Music provided by Incompetech.com.

Interested in joining the panel? Send an email to radiosimply (at) gmail.com

Please, we’d love to have feedback on the show.

iTunes users can subscribe to the SimplyScripts feed and have the show automatically downloaded to your iPod. – Don

ScriptCrawler Coverage is an affordable alternative to most coverage services. ScriptCrawler is not run by a large corporate entity: instead, the gap between you and your analyst is narrowed, providing a more personal development process.

ScriptCrawler’s readers work for “Big Three” agencies like ICM and CAA, as well as major studios and production companies. They know what it takes to get a script in shape for Hollywood, and are aware of current trends and sales. Best of all, while other services take up to four weeks to return your coverage, ScriptCrawler turns it around in 7 days or less, with the option of a 48-hour Rush turnaround. Agents and executives expect that their coverage be accurate, insightful and delivered on time: why shouldn’t you expect the same?

As a special offer for SimplyScripts visitors, you can get 5% off all purchases using the coupon code simplyscripts38902. There is no use limit on the coupon code, so you can use it over and over again. – Don

MoviePoet.com announces the winners of the February 2010 short script competition. “Ace, Baby, Honey, Jack, & Spike”. Writers had to use one of these words in your Title, another as a Location, another as a Character, another in Dialogue, and lastly, another in the Action.

“Ace of Spades” by Matias Caruso ~ First Place
A croupier makes a bet with Death herself in order to save his lover’s life.

“My Last Ace” by JeanPierre Chapoteau ~ Second Place
A boy evaluates his own existence in a post apocalyptic world while he attempts to hold on to his friends and morality.

“Aces and Eights” by Scott Merrow ~ Third Place
During the Great Depression, with prohibition still the law of the land, “Honey” Baer and his dim-witted friend Jack try to make some money operating a still in Honey’s basement. Their enterprise seems to be working fine…until Jack finds a baseball.

Each month, Movie Poet runs a free online five page screenplay contest. On the first of each month a new contest is announced. During that month, you can enter your script. During the next month, you can read, vote, and comment on all the entries. Finally, during the third month, the results are announced.

Head on over to Movie Poet and give it a go. – Don

Thanks to Kathryn, my new best friend*, for the heads up on the fast approaching deadline for the 2010 BlueCat Screenplay Competition.

Reminder that the late deadline for the 2010 BlueCat Screenplay Competition, where every screenplay receives written script analysis, is coming up on April 1st (no joke!).

This year, BlueCat has created two new awards for international screenwriters, expanded early analysis deadlines and for fun, decided to have a best title contest to further support and find the new writer.

PRIZES

Winner receives $10,000

Four Finalists receive $1,500 each.

NEW! The best screenplay outside the USA, Canada and the UK will be awarded the Joplin Award and receive $2500.

COMPETITION DEADLINE

Late: April 1 ($60 entry fee)

Any screenplay submitted early and having received our early analysis can be resubmitted by April 1, 2010 for the reduced fee of $35.

SUBMIT YOUR SCREENPLAY: www.bluecatscreenplay.com

On another note:

*True Story: I’m taking a Human Factors usability course. At the beginning of class, each student was asked to introduce themselves and tell the class one interesting or unusual thing about themselves. I mentioned that I run a “fairly popular” screenwriting resource site. Kathryn, who sits two rows behind me asked, “Is it, by any chance, ‘SimplyScripts’?”

Totally made my day. – Don