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

BlueCat Screenplay Competition   


October 14th, 2014


ONE DAY TO

REGULAR DEADLINE!

  

Tomorrow, October 15th, is the last opportunity to submit your script and receive early written analysis by November 10th. After October 15th, you'll receive feedback by Feb 1st.

 

SUBMIT NOW

 

IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:

 

  • One Day Left to BlueCat Regular Deadline - October 15!
  • 3 SCRIPTS: Napoleon Dynamite, Sling Blade, and THX 1138
  • Damien Chazelle, writer/director of Whiplash on his short
  • Elements of Great Short Films from Script Magazine
  • 31 Days Around the World with BlueCat
  • Advice on writing short films from Gordy Hoffman
  • 7 Rules for Writing Short Films from Raindance
  • Beat Sheet Workshops offered by Save The Cat
  • Words of wisdom from Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski
  • Submit yourself to the BlueCat Community Corner!
  • BlueCat Workshop information

 

DAMIEN CHAZELLE, WRITER/DIRECTOR OF WHIPLASH
from The BlueCat Blog

 


 


 

Learn how writer/director Damien Chazelle made a Sundance-winning short film out of his feature script for Whiplash, and was then able to attract financing for the feature.


 

NOTES FROM THE MARGINS: ELEMENTS OF GREAT SHORT FILMS
from Script Magazine

 

 

Danny Manus walks you through ways you can make a great short film that will show off your writing skills and potentially launch your career. 


31 DAYS AROUND THE WORLD WITH BLUECAT!
From BlueCatScreenplay.com
 


 

Every day in October, we'll feature a different screenwriter from the worldwide BlueCat community on our website!


 




Based on the three best-selling books of screenwriter Blake Snyder, Blake Snyder Enterprises provides writers the resources they need to develop their screenplays and novels using Blake's acclaimed ideas and methods.

Since 2006 our Beat Sheet Workshop has helped hundreds of writers create the titles, loglines, and critical beats which became the foundation of their screenplays and novels. Learn more at www.savethecat.com . 

HEY, WHADDYA SAY?

 

 

"Go out and make something that reflects your interests, your tastes, and your ideas. No one will pay you to make something until you have a few things to show that you've directed. I got my start making short films on my own."
 

-Joseph Kosinski

Director, Obllivion, TRON: Legacy

SELECTED SCRIPTS
Three Screenplay PDFs

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE
by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess

SLING BLADE
by Billy Bob Thornton

THX 1138
by George Lucas and Walter Murch


7 RULES FOR WRITING SHORT FILMS
from the Raindance Film Festival

 

 

Stephanie Joalland shares tips for making your short film stand out and how to increase your luck on the festival circuit.

 

BLUECAT ADVICE VIDEO
From Ask BlueCat Videos 


 

"Why are short screenplays important?"

 

BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman talks about how writing and producing your own short films can help launch your screenwriting career.

 

 

  WATCH THE VIDEO 

 

HEY, WHATCHA UP TO? 

The BlueCat
Community Corner

 

BlueCat is continuing our new Community Corner in the newsletter where each week we feature what YOU'RE up to.    

 

Do you play in a band, paint, write books, draw, sculpt, make short films or web series, etc.? Do you participate in an arts organization our community should know about?

 

Share your accomplishments as well as upcoming fairs, shows, screenings, and gatherings by emailing:

[email protected]


 

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: 

 

  

Online - November 6th - REGISTER  

 

Los Angeles - November 8th - REGISTER

(Full registration SOLD OUT,  

regular registration still available)

 

 San Francisco - November 15th - REGISTER  

(Full registration SOLD OUT,  

regular registration still available)

 
 

Denver - November 24 -  REGISTER 

(only 1 spot left)  

 

Denver - November 25 - REGISTER  

(only 2 spots left)  

 

Online - December 4th - REGISTER  

 

Jacksonville - December 13th - REGISTER 

 

Los Angeles - February 21st - REGISTER

 

Salt Lake City - March 5th - REGISTER 

 

Please let us know if 

 

you'd like the BlueCat Workshop 

 

 to come to your town!

 

See you soon.