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What's New, BlueCat?
The Official Newsletter of the
BlueCat Screenplay Competition
May 5th, 2015
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IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER: Read our Winner Interviews!
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2015 Feature Finalist
i
by Alex Rollins Berg
Q: What advice would you give to writers who are
just starting a screenplay?
A: Read! The more you read, the better you'll write. Reading is your fuel. Find time to write every day if you can, even on weekends. Technically you'll have more bad days, but they won't affect you as much, because you'll also have more good days - and some amazing ones. Don't worry about the marketplace. Let your passions and instincts guide you. Write something you desperately want to see. Write it from the heart.
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2015 Feature Finalist
Scriptures and Cigarettes
by Joseph O'Driscoll
Q: After all of your hard work, how do you know when a script is done?
A: I know my script's at 98% when I bring it to my weekly workshop and my five friends/workshoppers only have micro notes to give me, no large story or character issues or scenes that aren't working. This often takes months and extensive rewriting. They're tough customers and if there is an issue to bring to light, they will find it. At that point, I'll go through and address the final notes and consider it finished. I still go through the script and tweak lines every now and then though.
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2015 Feature Finalist
Taking the Toll - The Life and Life of Gilbert Booth
by Theodore Schaefer
Q: How do you overcome writer's block? Is this done as a team?
A: PL: What is the opposite of writer's block? I'm a victim of writer's deluge. I have boxes of ideas that can strike at any time.
TS: I think writer's block happens when you haven't been writing in a while. The best way to avoid writer's block is to always be writing more than one thing, they'll feed off each other. The moment you stop writing it takes time to start the engine of your brain back up. To overcome it, you have to force yourself through writing some really bad words that you'll throw out until the engine is fully revved again.
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2015 Feature Finalist
The Anxieties of Peter Wilhelm
by Palmer Holton
Q: What types of source materials have influenced your writing the most, and which ones in particular?
A: The biggest influences on me as a writer, especially on this script, have been writers like Terry Southern, Evelyn Waugh, and Ian McEwan. They all have different approaches to mixing "funny" with "creepy" at times, and that's something I really respond to. I actually wrote The Anxieties of Peter Wilhelm as a novel before trying to adapt it into a screenplay, and it was a lot of fun to find out what worked in one format vs. another.
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13 Ways to Keep Smart Movie Fans Happy by Indiewire's Anne Thompson
Indiewire's Anne Thompson offered the following tips to a roomful of independent theater owners.
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'Boyhood' Producer John Sloss on a Possible Sequel, How to Release Films Yourself and the Scene Heading Into Cannes
From BlueCat Blog
John Sloss discusses a possible Boyhood sequel, the new distribution landscape and why there's no longer an advantage to being a major studio.
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Dog Bowl Movie Merchandise
Support Gordy Hoffman's new short film, Dog Bowl, by purchasing a
hoodie or t-shirt!
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Follow us on Twitter!
@BlueCatPicture
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'This Is For The Writers!' A Coversation with Diablo Cody From the BlueCat Blog
Diablo's latest script, Ricki and the Flash, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Meryl Streep and Rick Springfield, opens August 7 (USA).
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SELECTED SCRIPTS
by Terry Hayes & George Miller & Brian Hannant
Pitch Perfect
by Kay Cannon
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ASK BLUECAT Video Series
Over our history, BlueCat's often been asked questions from our community, topics ranging from script formatting, improving dialogue or finding representation. BlueCat founder and judge Gordy Hoffman attempts to answers your questions in our video feature, Ask BlueCat.
Q. How important is structure?
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How Important is Structure in a Screenplay?
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Get Repped Now! Screenplay Competition
Final Deadline May 10th
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Story Cartharsis
THE SCREENWRITER'S PREQUEL
A great movie character needs a backstory. So does the writer of a great movie.
Catharsis Retreat-Like Seminar
August 1-8, 2015
La Caņada, California
FINAL APPLICATION DEADLINE: JUNE 1, 2015
The creation of every great movie starts way before the writer types "FADE IN." The concept must brew in the heart and mind of the writer in a prequel to the writing that will have everything to do with if the finished screenplay will work. At Catharsis, we are invested in you as a writer first of all - what do you bring to the table as a visual storyteller? What are your strengths in talent and training? What skills and information do you need to set you on a successful course? What medium of screen storytelling is the best starting point for you and the stories you have to tell?
Waive the $25 application fee:
Use promo code "noappfee" at checkout.
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