Fall Deadline is Sunday

What's New, BlueCat?

The Official Newsletter of the

Bluecat Screenplay Competition

August 27th, 2013

IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:

Title Contest Semi-Finalists
Interviews with David Gordon Green
30 Greatest Films That Take Place During One Day
Writing Tools of Famous Authors
Dialogue Tips from GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
#BeTheChange: A Challenge to Writers
Universal Pictures Writing Fellowship
Business: Hollywood's Biggest Bang for Its Buck
BlueCat Finalist's Film to Premiere in Los Angeles
Selected Script: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
Upcoming Workshops: Omaha and Online

2014 Call for Entries

We are now open for submissions!

Official Call for Entries

Next Deadline: Sunday, September 1, 2013
Entry Fee: ($60 Features, $40 Shorts)

All entry fees increase after 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.

All submissions will be eligible for a Resubmission entry if received by the October 15th deadline.

Best Feature Screenplay

$15,000 Grand Prize

Four Finalists

$2,500 Prize

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:

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.

Elijah Wood produced Ana Lily Amipour's A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, set for release in late 2013.

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 DESCENDANTS, making it their second scripted show after RECTIFY.

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.

2014 Title Contest

Semi-Finalists

Here are our 50 Semi-Finalists for the 2014 BlueCat Movie Title Contest!

Help the BlueCat Staff determine the Top Ten by telling us on Facebook what titles you feel should win.

Please post your Top Three from this list, liking and commenting on your favorites (and not so favorites!)

Congrats and have fun!

A Love So Loud by Heather Ferrell

A Second Last Breath by Amanda Creiglow

American Buddha by Andrew Quinn

Asshole by Choice by Anil Gonnabathula

Backstabbing Betty by Kimberley Sutton

Blind and Dangerous by Leon Tidwell

Bury 'Em Deep by Stephen L. Stafford

BUTT by Josh Bassett

Children of the Sky by Jamie Duneier

Coney Island Whitefish by Bart Teracino & Dan Spellacy

Conquistador by Liam Goulding

Dating Picasso by Nicole Barrett

Drinking In Church by Kieran Angelini

Drunken Rat Bastards by Luis Cordoba

Fat Year by Marcy Jarreau and Jessica Stickles

Fountain of Ruth by Dante Savoy Love

From Somewhere by Tim Shaw

Guns and Butter by Adam Vander Schaaf

He Was a Teenage Sex Demon! by Scott Mooney

Hush The Moon Is Sleeping by John Preuss

If The Trees Could Talk by Michael Weinstein

In Between the Shades of Truth by Delilah Karenina Gámez

Killing Dolph Lundgren by Billy Good and Adam Kowal

Lies To Get Laid By by Torkjell Stromme

Motor City Burning by Sean O'Reilly

My Purple Bicycle of Insanity by Curtis Torchia

Nobody In My Family Has Sex by Carol C. Farrand

Once, Before I Knew You by David Anthony

Pretty Ugly Things by Kate Maracle

Requiem for a Beauty Queen by Wayne Coughlin

Rolling Dark by Paul J. Williams

Southern Discomfort by Matt Torina

Strange Dick by Matthew Kennedy

Superheroine and Her Father by Terezia Kontova

Take Your Grandma to Work Day by David Ngo

The Devil's Jokebook by Phil Clarke Jr.

The Graveyard Girl by Jamie Michael Perrington

The Incredible Frog Boy Is On the Loose Again! by Zach Jansen

The Postman's Letter by Ellen Johnson

The Sunny Side of Down by Luke Nuto

The Zombie Psychic by Gary Phillips

There is a trampoline at the bottom of the well by Dejan Stankovic

Tina Fey is My Friend by Melissa Kong

Turn Your Head And Cough by Barry Kelly

Unplugging Aunt Vera by Angela Page

Walking Cities by Anna Abrashina

Winning Isn't Anything by Rich Ehrenreich

Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mon by Debra Ehrhardt

You Don't Know Dick by Christine Lucas

Zen and the Supermarket Sample Lady by Scott Burton

Video Interview: David Gordon Green

Director of PRINCE AVALANCHE

DP/30: David Gordon Green, writer/director PRINCE AVALANCHE

David Gordon Green sat down for an interview with DP/30 last month. Green has directed comedies such as PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, fantasy films like YOUR HIGHNESS, and dramas like his feature film debut GEORGE WASHINGTON.

From DP/30:

"This conversation starts with DGG's earliest film experiences to the production of PRINCE AVALANCHE, starring Paul Rudd & Emile Hirsch."

DAVID GORDON GREEN

The Writing Tools of 20 Famous Authors

From Flavorwire

Flavorwire once again provides a peak inside the lives of famous writers. This time, they examine the tools of the trade.

What tools do you utilize to write? Head over to Facebook and let us know.

WRITING TOOLS OF FAMOUS AUTHORS

#BeTheChange

@MysteryExec's Challenge to Write Better Female Characters

A recent post from "Go Into The Story," the official screenwriting blog of The Black List, relates to the ongoing troubles in regard to the representation of women in Hollywood that we have discussed in previous newsletters.

Follow the link below for the post that relays a barrage of Twitter messages from someone known as "Mystery Executive," who challenged writers to write better characters.

From GITS:

"As cynical, beat up and downtrodden any industry insider may be working the hours they do, I have never met one who hasn't desperately wanted to crack open a new script and be wowed by what they read. Safe to say that goes for @MysteryExec as well. For all we know, @MysteryExec may be some community college dropout working as a stock boy at a pissant Radio Shack in Pacoima, but when he goes into #BeTheChange mode, it doesn't matter: He is a prophet crying in the wilderness, proclaiming the truth from high atop Mount Twitter."

#BETHECHANGE

Hollywood's Biggest Bang for Its Buck

From The NYTimes

A recent article from The New York Times analyzed the return on investment across several genres of Hollywood films.

The results? Documentaries and horror films provide the biggest payouts. Follow the link below for the full story.

From The NYTimes:

"The average movie earned 452 percent of its original production budget in global box office revenues, or about 4.5 times the budget. The genre with the biggest box office R.O.I. was actually documentary, with domestic box office returns averaging 12 times the original production budget, and global returns at nearly 27 times the original budget."

HOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST BANG FOR ITS BUCK

Selected Script:

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

Story by Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Screenplay by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

READ THE SCRIPT

David Gordon Green on the Future of Film

Tribeca

David Gordon Green & Chris Hardwick at Tribeca's Future of Film - Full Video

In recent months, we've heard from the likes of Spielberg, Lucas, and Soderbergh on the future of film. Here's one more point of view, perhaps a bit more refreshing than others. Take a look and let us know what you think of Green's point of view.

From IndieWire:

"In the fifty-five minute interview below Green discusses his work, up to and including PRINCE AVALANCHE, how the film business shapes what he does, and the various ways in which he tries to transcend genre. The most interesting discussion details why Green jumps from both the big and small screen (which he also explained here); it's a method, he explains, that "takes the pressure off" and allows you to tell the studios where to shove it. It's a serious juggling act that has paid off for Green, as he defies expectations and just does what he wants to do."

DAVID GORDON GREEN ON THE FUTURE OF FILM

30 Greatest Films That Take Place in One Day

From TotalFilm.com

Talk about a time crunch. Fitting your script into a single day is a big challenge. Here's a list of 30 films that did it well.

Did your favorite make the list? Let us know.

30 GREATEST FILMS THAT TAKE PLACE IN ONE DAY

10 Screenwriting Tips from GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

Dialogue Tips from ScriptShadow

In the latest edition of ScriptShadow's "10 Tips," dialogue is the highlight, with Carson Reeves dissecting the "razor-sharp dialogue" featured in David Mamet's adaptation of his stage play, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.

From ScriptShadow:

"What's so great about GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS is that the characters never say anything unless they want something."

TIPS FROM GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

Universal Pictures Launches Emerging Writers Fellowship

From TheWrap.com

In case you missed it...

Universal Pictures recently announced a new fellowship for screenwriters. Applications will be accepted starting in September. Ten finalists will be interviewed in Los Angeles, with up to five fellows being chosen. Check out the link for all of the details.

From TheWrap.com:

"Emerging writers who are chosen to participate in the program will work within the studio to hone their skills and gain access and exposure to Universal executives, producers and other key industry professionals."

UNIVERSAL PICTURES FELLOWSHIP

2012 Finalist Zeke Farrow's Film BEST KEPT SECRET to Premiere in Los Angeles

Q/A with filmmakers on Sep. 8

BEST KEPT SECRET trailer

2012 Finalist Zeke Farrow's film, BEST KEPT SECRET will make its L.A. debut next month. For screening info, visit the Laemmle website here.

About the film:
"In BEST KEPT SECRET a Newark, NJ teacher struggles to prepare her students with autism to survive in the brutal world that awaits them once they graduate."

BEST KEPT SECRET

Connect with BlueCat

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook and become part of the BlueCat community. You'll be able to stay up-to-date on the latest developments with the competition, and take part in contests to earn a free entry!

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.

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:

Omaha - September 5th - REGISTER

Online Workshop - September 26th - REGISTER

Los Angeles - October 26th - REGISTER

Austin - October 30th - REGISTER

Austin - November 3rd - REGISTER

Los Angeles - November 23rd - REGISTER