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What's New, BlueCat? The Official Newsletter of the
Bluecat Screenplay Competition
July 30th, 2013
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IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:
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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.
All screenplays entered by August 1st, 2013 will be automatically entered in our Movie Title Contest. Three winners will be determined by the votes of current 2014 BlueCat entrants and awarded $250 each.
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
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 James 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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Warner Bros Turns to the Black List to Find Screenwriters in Under-Served Demos
Started back in 2004 as a list of the top unproduced screenplays circulating around Hollywood, the Black List has evolved in recent years with new ways for undiscovered writers to attract attention.
Thanks to a new initiative with Warner Brothers, the Black List takes another step toward discovering unknown writers, this time focusing on unrepresented groups.
From Deadline:
"Warner Bros has made the first alliance between a major studio and Franklin Leonard's screenplay evaluation service. The goal is to give opportunities to scribes who might not otherwise get a chance. Using the diversity guidelines from the WGA's Executive Summary that shows how far out of the mainstream minorities, women and some other groups are in the makeup of working screenwriters, The Black List will recommend a short list of five writers every six months who come from what the WGA identified as an under-served scribe demographic."
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26 Minority Screenwriters to Inspire You
The Aspiring TV Writer and Screenwriter
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Shonda Rhimes (GREY'S ANATOMY, SCANDAL)
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Several newsletters ago, we shared a post from the Aspiring TV Writer & Screenwriter Blog featuring a list of female screenwriters. Thankfully, the blog has posted another inspirational list, this time featuring minority writers.
From The Aspiring TV Writer & Screenwriter Blog: " This 2013 report from the Writers Guild of America shows that just in TV staffing, the percentages still aren't great for women or people of color. But there are some minority screenwriters who have made a name for themselves both in film and television. This list includes some juggernauts, some up-and-coming writers, and writers who have been in the business for a few decades."
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Peter Suderman, of Slate, recently opined that the decline in the quality of films produced by Hollywood can be blamed on Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT formula.
Former development exec Stephanie Palmer took issue with his assertion, and offered her own reasons on her blog, Good In a Room.
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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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Bubblegum Princess
Friend of BlueCat
BUBBLEGUM PRINCESS
by Julie Gribble illustrated by Lori Hanson
From NY Media Works:
Our first book BUBBLEGUM PRINCESS, inspired by Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince Williams' fairytale romance, has been released! If you don't yet have the book, please consider grabbing a copy during our Big Bubblegum Book Buy, today on Amazon. "It's a charming, pink-drenched book based on a real-life, gum-chewing incident in Kate Middleton's life, reinterpreted for this special occasion. Kate's gum-chewing leads to true love with Prince Will." -- LA Times
THE BUBBLEGUM PRINCESS
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Sundance Channel's The Writers' Room
Episode One: Breaking Bad
The WRITERS' ROOM is here! Check out Academy-Award winner Jim Rash's show on the Sundance Channel. Episode one is now available online.
From the Sundance Channel:
"THE WRITERS' ROOM, hosted by Academy Award winning writer, Jim Rash, is all about the most innovative voices in TV today. Join us every week for a frank and revealing conversation about what we all love: television! With shocking and sometimes hilariously candid conversations, THE WRITERS' ROOM gives you a never-before-seen window into your favorite shows."
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The Daily Routines of Famous Writers
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Ray Bradbury
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How does your daily writing routine stack up against some of the greats? Follow the link below and read about the habits of some of history's finest writers. From Brainpickings.org: "Kurt Vonnegut's recently published daily routine made we wonder how other beloved writers organized their days. So I pored through various old diaries and interviews - many from the fantastic Paris Review archives - and culled a handful of writing routines from some of my favorite authors. Enjoy."
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25 Essential American Indie Films, 1988-2013
From Flavorwire.com
We're always on the lookout for film suggestions to share with our readers, so we're pleased to pass along this list from Flavorwire. They compiled a list of indie flicks dating back to 1988, choosing a top film for each year. From Flavorwire: " As summer movie season grinds on, one dumbed-down big-budget summer bomb following the next, it's tempting to give up on cinema altogether (at least until fall - and the 'prestige pictures' - arrive). But there are options. Go see an indie! Watch something new and good! Or better yet, catch up on some indie movie history. In the spirit of our year-by-year suggestions for must-read books and must-own albums, we've assembled a rundown of the essential American independent films from the past 25 years - by no means a definitive list, but a starting point."
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Written by Steven Soderbergh
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The Most Influential Movies of All Time
Thanks to recent efforts by the Arg! Team, we can now put a finger on the most influential movie of all time, at least according to the pages of Wikipedia. Follow the link below for details on their scientific approach. From Movies.com: " Wanna know what the most influential film of the past century is? Unless you're a complete movie nerd like us, you probably don't. But if you are like us, though, you will almost certainly enjoy this cool new infographic that breaks down how the biggest movies of the past 100 years stack up in terms of influence."
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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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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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