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What's New, BlueCat?
The Official Newsletter of the
Bluecat Screenplay Competition
July 9th, 2013
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IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:
- 90 Minutes with William Goldman
- The Kurosawa Method
- Ang Lee and the Uncertainty of Success
- The 100 Greatest Female Characters
- Selected Script: THE PRINCESS BRIDE
- Screenwriting Tips from Quentin Tarantino
- Ten Great 2013 Movies You Can Watch at Home Right Now
- Back to the Camera Montage
- Willamette Writers Conference
- Upcoming Workshops: Philadelphia, New York, and online
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2014 Call for Entries
We are now open for submissions!
Official Call for Entries
Next Deadline: Thursday, August 1, 2013
Entry Fee: ($60 Features, $40 Shorts)
All screenplays submitted by August 1 will receive written analysis by September 1.
This year, BlueCat establishes one of the largest cash prizes in the world for a Short Screenplay, with a Grand prize of $10,000, along with an increase in our Feature prize to $15,000.
Students will be eligible to submit their short screenplay at a discounted rate of $29 for the duration of the competition.
Each Short Screenplay submission will receive one written analysis, while each Feature Screenplay entry will receive two.
Best Feature Screenplay
$15,000 Grand Prize
Four Finalists
Best Short Screenplay
$10,000 Grand Prize
Three Finalists
$1,500 Prize
The Cordelia Award
Best Feature Screenplay from the UK
$1,500 Prize
The Joplin Award
Best Feature Screenplay from outside the USA, Canada or the UK
$1,500 Prize
Movie Title Contest:
Three Winners $250 each
SUBMIT YOUR SCREENPLAY
Recent achievements by BlueCat Alumni include:
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Young Il Kim's script, RODHAM, a 2012 Blacklist Script, recently attached director Jason Ponsoldt (THE SPECTACULAR NOW). Young recently won the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant from Sundance, where he will write a biopic on Stephen Hawking.
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Aaron Guzikowski's PRISONERS, starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Melissa Leo, will be released September 2013. The Sundance Channel recently bought Aaron's TV pilot, THE DESCENDENTS, making it their second scripted show after RECTIFY.
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Ashleigh Powell sold her script, SOMACELL, to Warner Brothers, with David Goyer attached to produce.
- SOMACELL, along with RODHAM, were two 2012 Blacklist Scripts written by BlueCat Alumni.
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Spend 90 Minutes with William Goldman
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The Writer Speaks: William Goldman
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William Goldman is a two-time Oscar winner, earning awards for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. An accomplished author before approaching the world of film, Goldman discusses his career in great length in this interview.
Some highlights:
"I've been very lucky. I've only written movies I want to write - You gotta write what you believe you can make play."
"I would rather die than direct. I wouldn't know what the f--- to say to an actor."
"Screenplays are structure. Story is everything - It's hard! Do your job as skillfully as you can. And hope."
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The Kurosawa Method
From Corey Mandell
The life of a writer is no doubt a busy one. More so if you're not yet a full-time writer, and you must balance a day job and/or your family life. If you're struggling to find the time to write, perhaps you need to adapt a new approach to your writing schedule. Corey Mandell offers one method, employed by the great Akira Kurosawa, that could be useful. From Corey Mandell:
"Kurosawa knew that there would be plenty of days he wouldn't be physically, mentally or emotionally able to produce multiple pages. But there would never be a day that he couldn't write at least one page."
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10 Great 2013 Movies You Can Watch at Home Right Now
From Flavorwire.com
Too busy writing to make it to your local movie theatre? If you've been missing out on some of the early cinematic offerings from this young year, you can catch some great flicks from the comfort of your own home.
Follow the link below for selections from Flavorwire.com.
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The View: A "Back-to-the-Camera Shot" Montage
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And now for something fun. Thanks to AwardsDaily for posting this montage of "back-to-the-camera" shots.
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See Gordy at the Williamette Writers Conference
Portland, OR - August
Enjoy Gordy's workshops? The Williamette Writers Conference will be held August 2-4th at the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel. "Willamette Writers' goal is to provide and encourage a creative environment and support system for current and aspiring writers." Register and find out the details here.
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Ang Lee and the Uncertainty of Success
From JeffJLin.com
If success comes, it may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow. It might not even be this decade. Facing down long odds can be challenging, but persistence can pay off. Take Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, for example. The acclaimed filmmaker toiled for more than six years after being discovered before breaking out.
Follow the link below for a story about Ang Lee's long road to finding success.
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Written by William Goldman
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100 Greatest Female Characters
Here's a list of some of the greatest female characters to appear on screen. Any of your favorites missing? What are your thoughts on the rankings? Head over to Facebook or Twitter and let us know.
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Indievelopment: Your Career in Indie Screenwriting
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Quentin Tarantino on Writing a Script
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What's better than tips from a pair of two-time Oscar-winning filmmakers? Tips from three two-time Oscar-winning filmmakers.
Rounding out today's newsletter is a collection of tips from Quentin Tarantino. First, there's the above video in which Tarantino discusses the fear of messing up his own script. Then there are tips from the Wording Around blog and Film School Rejects. Enjoy.
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Connect With BlueCat!
Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, for your opportunity to win a FREE ENTRY. Recent Facebook topics include sharing ideas with others and uncomfortable notes received as feedback. Follow the conversation on Twitter and look for writing tips, videos, and screenwriting articles.
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Hey, Whaddya Say?
-- Two-Time Oscar Winner Ang Lee
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Advertise With BlueCat
Would you like to advertise in our newsletter? Interested in a dedicated e-blast? We have nearly 13,000 screenwriters who read our newsletter every week. To discuss, please contact Heather at info@bluecatscreenplay.com.
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BlueCat Workshops
BlueCat Screenplay Workshops are a one-day, intensive opportunity to certifiably improve your script in a small group environment, led by award winning screenwriter and BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman.
Your script will be read in advance both by Gordy as well as the other workshop participants; everyone receives in-depth feedback on their script from a number of different perspectives.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:
Online Workshop - September 26th - REGISTER
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