BlueCat Logo

BC
What's New, BlueCat? 
                                        
The Official Newsletter of the

BlueCat Screenplay Competition   


July 8, 2014

IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:
  • Advice from BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman 
  • 3 SCRIPTS: Forrest Gump, The Hurt Locker, and Lost in Translation
  • The making of The Royal Tenenbaums -- directed by Albert Maysles
  • Wisdom from Robert Towne
  • Stephen King's Top 20 Rules for Writers
  • Advice from Frank Darabont
  • Robin Swicord on her writing process
  • BlueCat Workshop information
  

MOVIE TITLE CONTEST

deadline: AUGUST 1ST

 

All scripts submitted to BlueCat by AUGUST 1ST will be eligible for the MOVIE TITLE CONTEST.    

 

Our TOP 3 favorite titles 

will each receive a

cash prize of $250!   

 

All scripts submitted by August 1st will receive their written analysis by October 1st.

 

 
 
  

BLUECAT ADVICE VIDEO
From The BlueCat Blog


BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman on how many scripts a writer should have in their arsenal and how to be prepared for representation.  

 

WATCH THE VIDEO


THE MAKING OF THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
From Albert Maysles
 

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums (in four parts), co-directed by legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter).  

 

WATCH THE VIDEO

 

ROBIN SWICORD ON WRITING 
From The Dialogue
 

In this clip from The Dialogue's "Tricks of the Trade" series, screenwriter Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Little Women) discusses her writing process. 

 
Hey, Whaddya Say? 

 

"The single most important question, I think, that one must ask one's self about a character is what are they really afraid of? What are they really afraid of? And if you ask that question, it's probably for me the single best way of getting into a character. That finally is where stories are told... with a character that's real."

- Robert Towne

writer of Chinatown

 
SELECTED SCRIPTS
Three Screenplay PDFs

 

FORREST GUMP
by Eric Roth

 

 

THE HURT LOCKER
by Mark Boal
 
 
LOST IN TRANSLATION
by Sofia Coppola
STEPHEN KING'S TOP 20 RULES FOR WRITERS
From Open Culture
 
"First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story."   
 

ADVICE FROM FRANK DARABONT
From Film School Commentaries

 

In this clip from Film School Commentaries, Frank Darabont (writer/director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) gives some advice for aspiring writers and filmmakers.

 

WATCH THE VIDEO 

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 [email protected].
BlueCat Screenwriting Workshops
 
BlueCat Screenplay Workshops are an 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.

Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for LOVE LIZA, Gordy Hoffman has taught screenwriting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, as well as led workshops all over North America, Poland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. He has served as a panelist for the IFP Script to Screen Conference in NYC, Women in Film's Script DC Conference in Washington, DC, and the George Eastman House Film Festival, as well as a judge for the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowships in Minnesota. Gordy Hoffman founded the BlueCat Screenplay Competition in 1998 and remains its judge.

  

THE FULL SCRIPT WORKSHOP

Participants read all screenplays in advance of the workshop. During the workshop, Gordy provides direct and in-depth feedback on each screenplay, with everyone encouraged to contribute his or her own thoughts and concerns.

  

Each writer will leave with a great sense of what they can do specifically to improve their screenplay, as well as a better awareness of where they might properly develop as a professional screenwriter as a whole. Writers benefit from the direct focus placed on their screenplays by the workshop, along with the analysis of the other scripts.

  

Screenplays can be first drafts or rewrites, incomplete or partial, with first time writers and veterans all welcome. Scripts are due 10-14 days prior to the date of the workshop.

  

Note: Screenplays submitted to the workshop are not eligible to be entered into the BlueCat Screenplay Competition.

  

  

Regular Registration Option

Do you want to participate, but do not have a script to submit at this time? Regular registration for the workshop allows you to attend without submitting written material, read the scripts in advance and still participate in the discussion.

  

  


UPCOMING WORKSHOPS: 

 

Los Angeles - July 19th - REGISTER
(only 3 spots left)

 

Portland - July 31st -  SOLD OUT

 

Pittsburgh - August 4th - REGISTER
(only 1 spot left)

 

Online - August 14th - SOLD OUT

  

Los Angeles - September 14th - REGISTER 

 

Honolulu - September 20th - REGISTER

 

Online - September 25th - REGISTER

 

San Francisco - October 25th - REGISTER   

 

Please let us know if 

 

you'd like the BlueCat Workshop 

 

 to come to your town!

 

See you soon.  

 

     Youtube Instagram