All over but the cryin'

So, as fall term limps to a close, we bid a fond farewell to our summer campers. They've completed their scripts, they can limp back under the rocks from which they scurried.

For the fall group, do NOT lose momentum over break. Write while you drink eggnog and open presents. You don't have time off... your first drafts are due week two of the new term.

Have a great holiday, but post to your blogs about it, because you're still supposed to be doing that.

Final Wrap Meeting

I'd like to get all workshoppers and senior projectors together for a final wrap meeting before the holidays. It'll be Monday, December 7th @ 10:30 AM. I'm trying to schedule the small screening room for a location.

I need to know in advance if you have a genuine conflict.

Looking For Pages

We're approaching the end of the term. If you're someone in the second term of the cycle, you need to be getting your final drafts to me. If you're in the first term of the cycle, you should be working towards your midpoint.

All of you need to update your blogs on the process of the script.

As usual, e-mail me with any questions.

Contest Posting

Contest with money and publicity: http://creativescreenwriting.com/aaa/index.html

New Class For Winter Term

If you've ever wanted to write your memoir or autobiography, then consider enrolling in: ENG 395, Section 002 Studies in Creative Non Fiction 3 credits

This is the first time this course is being taught. It’s a reading course with creative writing assignments. We'll be talking about the so-called 4th genre--Creative Non Fiction and reading memoir, literary reportage and autobiography to find examples of stunning, piercing work. Among the books we will be reading are: Mary Karr's LIAR's CLUB, (about dealing with a dysfunctional family, set in Texas) John Dau's, THEY POURED FIRE ON US FROM THE SKY, (an account of a Lost Boy of Sudan's heroic life) Tracey Kidder's, THE STRENGTH OF WHAT REMAINS, (about a Rwandan immigrant’s escape and life as a medical student in the US) and Frank Conroy's classic, STOP TIME (Wow! Is an understatement to describe the sheer beauty and force of this book, a classic which helped to invent the form). Then you will try writing your own chapters that we will review in a writer's workshop.

The class is open to all majors. Honors Program students can be take it for an Honors option, if they wish. It meets on T Th from 11:00 AM-12:20 PM and is taught by Writing Program Director, Harriet Millan. Hopefully, at least one of the authors we will be reading will visit our class. For more information, you can email Professor Millan at millanhl@drexel.edu

Another screenplay contest

http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/main/index.php

$10,000

Ivy Film Festival Screenplay Competition

Greetings from the Ivy Film Festival at Brown University!

In seven short years, the Ivy Film Festival has set itself apart from its peers by providing a unique forum for student filmmakers to exhibit their creative efforts. Completely student-run since its inception, the Ivy Film Festival was created by students for students, exhibiting the works of young filmmakers from around the globe as well as guest speakers, panels, and workshops by industry professionals. Past guests include Oliver Stone, Tim Robbins, Adrian Brody, Martin Scorsese, and Jack Nicholson. Attracting crowds of thousands to Brown University's campus, the Festival has emerged as the largest student-run film festival in the country.

We would like to invite your students to submit to our screenplay competition. While films are the focus of the Ivy Film Festival, we recognize screenwriting as an integral part of the filmmaking process. We have a myriad of events for screenwriters this year that will hopefully encourage many young writers, even those who have never submitted their work to a judged competition, to participate.

Students can electronically submit their screenplays for consideration in the 2010 screenplay competition until our final deadline of February 22nd, 2010, through Withoutabox.com. A link to our Withoutabox.com account can be found on the Ivy Film Festival website www.ivyfilmfestival.com. The screenplay competition is currently accepting both short-form (under 30 pages) and feature-length screenplays from undergraduate and graduate students. Submissions may be in any genre, and the winners will receive a cash prize. Additionally, outstanding work in Comedy, Drama, and other genres will be recognized.

During the festival (April 13th-18th) there will be a reading of the winning screenplays and we will be hosting forums with screenwriters currently working in the industry. All finalists will be notified and invited as VIP guests to the festival. We will provide them with housing, meals, tickets to film screenings, and passes to special networking events, panels and parties. We hope that screenwriting students will be able to attend the festival, and that these events will help make screenwriting one of the more visible and exciting aspects of the Ivy Film Festival this year and in the years to come.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or our Screenplay Coordinator, Lisa Weisdorf, with further questions or concerns at IFFScreenplay@gmail.com.

Best regards,

Alex Hare

Screenplay Staff Member

Ivy Film Festival 2010

Contest information--

THE WRITERS PLACE MAY – OCTOBER 2009 SCREENPLAY CONTEST

ONLY 3 DAYS REMAING FOR EARLY SUBMISSIONS!

The Writers Place (TWP) May – October 2009 screenplay competition is in full swing. Submit your best script. Works by single or multiple authors welcomed. Single or multiple entries welcomed. All genres accepted.

EARLY ENTRIES must be submitted not later than 31 October 2009. Final (late) deadline is 15 November 2009.

SUBMISSION FEES:


Single Full-Length Screenplay or MOW (not more than 130 pages): $55
Single ½ Hour Short or Teleplay (not more than 45 pages): $35
Two Full-Length Screenplays or MOWs: $85 (two script limit)
Two ½ Hour Shorts or Teleplays: $60 (two script limit)
Late Fee: (submitted after 31 October): Standard fee + $10 per script

See TWP Web site at www.thewritersplace.org.

Make your submissions electronically – no paper, no envelopes, no postage, no hassle. Seehttp://www.thewritersplace.org/submission.php for electronic submissions.

Finalists announced 1 December 2009
Winners announced 1 January 2010

Film Fest Poster

Here's your first look at the official poster for the upcoming student film festival!

Untitled Film Festival Project

In case you've been living under a rock, the Drexel University Untitled Film Festival Project is looking for films to be submitted. Deadline is immediately! Also, take a chance at naming the festival. Submit your proposed festival name to NameTheFestival@drexel.edu along with all your contact information.

$$$$$Cash Prizes$$$$$$

Scheduling -- Workshop Classes

Okay, we're in week 6. The end of October draws nigh.

For those who started the cycle in the fall and are currently taking SCRP 380 or SCRP 495, I'd like to meet this Friday @ 11, in the crit area of the Cinema & TV offices. This is the same time/place as our first meeting.

For those in the second half of the cycle, SCRP 381 or SCRP 496, please e-mail me for individual conferences about your dr

Philly Area Event

Fall 2009 Broadcast & Entertainment Industry Career Day

If you have interest in the broadcast television industry, especially news production, you might want to check out this event on Villanova's campus.

Short Script Competition

In case you missed the e-mail blast, here's information on a short film script competition.

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC) is an annual writing contest, established in 2008, that seeks to celebrate excellence in short film screenwriting. In a digital age with waning attention spans, brevity truly is the soul of wit.

It is the belief of the CSSC that there are many festivals dedicated to short films: their viewing, reading and work-shopping. But there are very few, if any, competitions that celebrate and reward the writers of these marvelous works with a fully realized production using professional crews and talent.

CSSC does just that.

The competition will herald and reward the best and most successful writers of short film for the year (amongst all submissions received) with the ultimate prize: a professionally produced, live-action short film of the top first place (Grand Prize) award-winning scripted entry as determined by the industry judges. Runner-up prizes include cash, industry materials, software, and much more!

The CSSC is being administered and run by Year of the Skunk Productions. With a history of excellence, the competition's director is David Cormican (Director of Development with Year of the Skunk Productions).

CSSC is:

- the single-most competitive, prestigious, short screenplay festival in Canada
- a champion for screenwriters everywhere
- a launching pad for writers' professional careers through bold exposure, high-octane publicity and simply stunning production

TO REGISTER: please visit www.Screenplay-Competition.com and read through the Rules & Regulations, then click on "Enter Now" for submission instructions. The CSSC is open to writers from any country (although all script submissions must be written in the English language); multiple authorship screenplays are acceptable. The screenplay must be no more than 15 pages in length, comprising 1-15 minutes of screen time.

Early Bird Deadline: October 31, 2009 @11:59PM PST - CAD $35
Half-Time Deadline: November 30, 2009 @11:59PM PST - CAD $45
Final Deadline: December 31, 2009 @11:59PM PST - CAD $55
I-Missed-The-Deadline Deadline: January 31, 2010 @11:59PM PST - CAD $75

**STUDENTS-ONLY DISCOUNT SPECIAL**: From now until the Final Deadline (December 31, 2009), students may submit their screenplays for only CAD $25!

For more information, please visit www.Screenplay-Competition.com or contact us at cssc@yearoftheskunk.com.

FYI - Script Comments

Just so you're aware, I'm off campus for most of this week and next dealing with an academic conference, a TV Pilot, and some dealss I can't talk about. I'm somewhat behind in my reading - who knew you'd actually get first drafts done on time? - but I will get to it in the near future. If you have any questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Prof. Graham Takes the Barrymore!

Prof. Bruce Graham, and his play Something Intangible, won seven Barrymore awards last night. Full details (and a picture of Bruce) can be found by clicking here.

Opportunity with MTVU

FYI-- This came via e-mail this morning:

My name is Adam Koscielski, Director of University Relations with mtvU, MTV’s college channel. I’m currently working with heads of Programming at MTV in an effort to find talented students at schools such as Drexel University with fresh programming ideas in the genres of Animation, Comedy, and Reality/Documentaries.

In what we’ve dubbed the MTV Development Fellowship, we will be bringing 15 students to MTV’s headquarters in New York this January to pitch their original show ideas to senior executives. Through this unique opportunity, these young people will learn firsthand how a show goes from an idea, to a green light, to getting a pilot produced and presented to test audiences. 9 of the 15 concepts will be given a budget of approximately $3K to be further developed. After final review, MTV could then budget up to $100K toward the production of an actual pilot for at least 1 of the ideas.

This is an exclusive opportunity, not being promoted on-air or on-line. I am conducting very specific outreach to the schools with the very best talent. Please share this information with your students and encourage them to share their portfolio of work and original ideas at http://www.mtvfellowship.com, and reach out to me directly for more information.

Some important notes include:

· Submissions can be uploaded immediately at http://www.mtvfellowship.com. The judges will review and fill the 15 spots on a first come, first view basis.

· Students can submit ideas as an individual or as a group. If in a group, one member will be responsible to upload content, but all members must create their own accounts.

· Submissions are acceptable in any format -- uploaded video, document files, jpegs, etc., -- and students can also describe their concept in the 'About Me' area. Only judges can see the submissions, the site is not for public viewing.

· Submitting content will require signature of a user content submission agreement. Students will retain all copyrights to their individual ideas during the preliminary submission process and are only providing MTV with the opportunity to consider their submission.

Adam Koscielski

Director, mtvU University Relations

MTV Networks

401 N. Michigan, Ste 1500

Chicago, IL 60611

312-836-0725

www.mtvU.com

LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD

Mark your calendars:

October 22 and 23 will have numerous events on campus featuring

Jonathan Baruch

Manager/Agent/Producer, Founder of Rain Management Group

It will be your opportunity to get all kinds of insider info on getting and keeping representation and generally negotiating the shark-infested waters of LaLa Land.

Keep yours eyes out for details later in the week.

Hey, Newbies!

There's a new list of links to all the workshoppers who are coming aboard in the fall term. Check out their blogs, leave them words of encouragement. And newbies, check out the blogs that have been going on for a term so you see what you're getting yourselves into.

Reminder for the second-termers: we're planning to meet on Friday morning, 11:00, in the small screening room.

Welcome Back - Start of Fall Term

SCRP Workshop and Senior Project students in the second half of the two-term cycle (SCRP 381, SCRP 496) should prepare for the first meeting of the second term during week 2. Tentatively, we will convene on Friday morning October 2nd at 11:00 AM. I'll announce the room as soon as it's confirmed. Bear in mind that the first draft deadline is next week as well.

Before You Ask Someone to Read Your Script

You should all, on general principle, read this article:

I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script

It gives insight into a professional's view of amateur writers.

SCRP Major Makes Good

SCRP Major Colleen Coffey's blog, Philly Theatre Talk, and the Twitter feed that goes with it, were recently named in the Top 100 Twitter Feeds for Film & Theater Students. Check it all out and start following! If you've done anything interesting lately, let me know, and I'll announce it on the blog.

On Hiatus.

Term break. Time to recharge before the craziness of fall term starts. But, while you need to enjoy the time away from the structure of classes, you need to keep writing. Those of you in SCRP Workshop classes don't have much time left to complete your first drafts and you do not want to start the fall term already being behind. I don't want to get on your backs and you really, really, don't want me there.

Lest you think I'm sitting around in my underwear eating bon-bons as I write this, I want to stress that right now, we're in the very same boat. I'm re-writing a feature that's been hanging over my head for way too long a time. I want it done before the term starts, because then you all are going to be giving me more work than I can handle, right? Right.

Also, one last reminder that the brand new Comic Book Writing course is set to run in the fall. There are only two spots left, so either sign up or tell your geek comic friends about it. Register today, don't delay, comic stardom is only ten weeks away!

Final Workshop Meeting of the Term - Room

We'll be meeting Thursday, September 3rd, a 10:00 AM in the Small Screening Room for the final meeting of the term.

August Meeting Date

Workshoppers and Senior Projects - our final meeting of the term will be Thurday, September 3rd @ 10:00AM. I'll announce the space a soon as I have confirmed a room.

Screenwriting Contest of Interest

So, for those of you who constantly claim you write better under pressure, here's your chance--

The Creative Screenwriting Cyberspace Open

A sudden-death scene-writing tournament where you could win $3,000. Entry fee is only $12 and you might get some feedback on one of your scenes.

A Note From Our Sponsors...

Announcements/reminders for the week:

SCRP 380 Workshop/SCRP 495 Sr. Project Summer Term--

• Your first acts are due this week. I'm expecting to see all the pages tomorrow. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, since the calendar was clearly laid out in the syllabus.
• I'm sure we've discussed this before, but in case it slipped your mind, you should be writing forward, not revising your openings. For a successful script it's essential that you get a first draft completed early enough to give adequate time to revisions.
• Also on that note, do not wait for my comments before continuing to write. At this point, my feedback is based on the portions of the script you've actually written, which is very little in the total scheme of things. Save my comments for later, when you're actually revising.
• We will be having our final group meeting of the summer sometime over the next two weeks. I'll post the date and time as soon as it's set.

Comic Book Writing Class Information--

• The Comic Book Writing class with John Arcudi, set for the fall term, is filling quickly.
• If you're interested in registering, but were confused about the procedure, this is what you need to know:
• SCRP 270 Screenwriting I is the pre-requisite for the class. You must have screenwriting background before you get into this class.
• You can't register online. You need to go to the office (or e-mail them if you're out of town) and fill out an over-ride form.

As always, please e-mail me with any questions.

SCRP Program News

Faculty member Bruce Graham's play, Something Intangible, received 13 Barrymore Award nominations! Congratulations Prof. Graham! You can read the story online by clicking here.

Lost Joy

Well, we're now in that difficult part of the term where all the fun of the first couple of weeks has disappeared, the workload has increased, and everyone is desperately trying to figure out where they can blow off work so that they can meet other project deadlines and still have enough time to sit at the beach and/or get drunk on a regular basis. Sadly enough, the place everyone always tries to blow off work is Screenwriting Workshop. It doesn't take a crystal ball for me to figure this out, all I have to do is look at my blog reader and see how most everyone has left their blog fall by the wayside.

In a practical sense, this is hurting your grade because regularly maintaining a blog is one of the requirements of the class. In an existential sense, you're hurting yourself, because you're not writing all that you should. You need to keep in practice, and not just by cranking out script pages (although I'm not exactly buried under reading at this point). If you want to be writers, this is what it's all about, doing the writing. I know this part of the term is tough and it doesn't get easier the next couple of weeks, but you've got to keep up with this class. Make me do some work, keep writing.

Looking for pages...

SCRP workshop students: a gentle reminder I'm expecting to see opening sequences in my mailbox today. It's critical that you start writing your actual script and keep up the momentum on this project.

Comic Book Writing Class Official!

This fall, we've added a new class to the roster -- SCRP 465 ST: Comic Book Writing. For those of you interested in the graphic story-telling medium, there's even better news! The class is being taught by veteran comic writer and all-around great guy, John Arcudi, who's currently writing the Superman section in DC's Wednesday Comics, as well as Aliens, Predator, and BPRD for Dark Horse.

Register early, since this class is guaranteed to be popular and to fill quickly. E-mail me with any questions.

Senior Project Changes

Anyone who will be a Senior, graduating at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year, must take note that the Senior Project cycle of classes, SCRP 495/496, has been rescheduled to Fall/Winter, rather than Winter/Spring.  You will need to register for your senior project during the Fall term, and adjust the rest of your schedule accordingly.  The class should appear on the registration web area when registration opens at the end of the month.

News Quickies

Two bits of news today -- 

There will be a brand spanking new comic book writing class in the fall term. Details will follow as soon as registration numbers are firmed up, etc.  Watch this space, and tell your friends to watch this space for more information in advance of registration.

The brand new Drexel film fest (no name yet) will be running late in fall term.  Look for announcements on this space as well as campus-wide as details develop.

Screenplay Reading

SCRP Faculty Member David Greenberg has a table reading of a script coming up.  Details below:

SHADOWPLAY: Jennifer is afraid of her own shadow. You should be too.

Philadelphia Filmmakers Salon

This month's salon will feature a reading of Shadowplay, a screenplay by award-winning writer/director David Greenberg and local producer Chris Hicks.

Shadowplay is the story of a shy young painter who accidentally unleashes her inner demons when she attempts to seduce a man with magic.

If you're a filmmaker, screenwriter or actor and want to meet, connect and socialize with others, this is the place for you. This monthly event gives you the opportunity to see what projects members of the local film community are working on and gather in a casual setting. This is a free event.

Date: Sunday, July 26.
Time: 7-10 PM

Location: The Studio at Filmtech school, 2019 S. Juniper St. in South Philadelphia.
Website: filmtechschool.com
email: info@filmtechschool.com
Phone: 215-313-0123

The Problems With Sci-fi

In reference to ongoing discussions with some of you about the difficulties of writing sci-fi, here's an excerpt from Today's Salon Article Called "Why America is Flunking Science."

• Let's take these two halves of Crichton in sequence, as both embody important lessons about science in our culture. First, science in the entertainment media. Crichton had little patience for scientists' complaints about ridiculous sci-fi plots and wild scientist stereotyping. In a 1999 lecture before the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he countered such gripes with his own perspective on why scientists will probably never be very happy with the products of Hollywood. As Crichton advised, there are at least four important rules of movies that just don't mesh with the real process of research: "(i) Movie characters must be compelled to act. (ii) Movies need villains. (iii) Movie searches are dull. (iv) Movies must move." Crichton argued that real science, with its long, drawn-out intellectual processes and frequent dead ends, simply can't be reconciled with such exigencies. "The problems lie with the limitations of film as a visual storytelling medium," he concluded. "You aren't going to beat it."
• Crichton's words are worth heeding. People who care about science and want it to come off better in the mass media can't ignore his four rules of movie storytelling. They can't ask for entertainment products in which the characters do actual research (or at least not much of it). They can't ask for entertainment products that will be boring — a contradiction in terms. Rather, the goal must be to work toward finding ways of conveying information about science through film and other entertainment media without rendering them dull or unpalatable to audiences.

Room set for meeting

Next Thursday's meeting will be in the small screening room, UCross #030.

SCRP Workshop Meeting - July

Tentatively, we're going to meet next Thursday, July 16th @ 11:00 AM.  I'll announce the room as soon as it's secured.

Workshop Class - Assignment

Now that everyone's -- except for a late joiner -- blog has been posted, please take a look at them and help your fellow writers if you have any comments. We will have our July meeting next week. Date to come. Stay tuned.

Workshop Blogs

Congratulations to those of you who managed to meet the first deadline in the workshop class. Your blogs links are posted to the left. For the rest of you... *sigh*. Get on the stick.

Lit Class - Beware!

The first quiz has been posted on BB Vista. Please note, you need to watch a film clip of your choice before taking the exam. The film clips - from two different adaptations of Beowulf - are accessible under the "Film Clips" section on the home page.

E-mail me with any questions.

Auditions for Falling Gnome Productions' 2009 Philly Fringe Production

Half Way Home is a Philly Fringe 2009 piece that will be held at

Studio 5 at the Walnut Street Theatre nightly during the week of

September 15th through 20th.

Auditions for Half Way Home will be held on July 9th, beginning at 5pm

and running until 9pm. The auditions will be held in the basement of

University Crossings, which is located at 32nd and Market, behind the

Firestone Tire. The entrance you should use is located at the back of

the building, right across from Caneris Hall on Drexel University’s

campus. The room number is 030, the small screening room. You will

have to wait in the basement lobby for someone to let you into the

audition room. If you need help, call 215.820.6362.

No monologue needed - we'll have a cold reading prepared for you.

Although auditions are open and anyone is free to come, it would be

helpful if you email Colleen at colleen.r.coffey@gmail.com in advance,

so that we have an idea of how many people will be attending the

audition.

The following at the performance dates and times.

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 - Dress Rehearsal - Time TBA

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 – 7:30pm

Thursday, September 17th, 2009 – 7:30pm

Friday, September 18th, 2009 – 8pm

Saturday, September 19th, 2009 – 3pm and 8pm

Sunday, September 20th, 2009 – 2pm

Show description - "When the local halfway house closes, a state

legislator takes a group of convicted sex offenders into his home. He

must ultimately decide what’s more important in his life – the group

of men he’s come to love and understand or his own family."

Cast - 3 men, 3 women.

Rehearsals for Half Way Home will be held on Monday and Thursday

nights and Saturday mornings (only TWO rehearsals per week until late

August). Weeknight rehearsals will be held from 6:30 to 9 and 11 to 2

on Saturdays.

Questions or concerns? Email Colleen Coffey at

colleen.r.coffey@gmail.com or call 215.820.6362 and she'll get back to

you ASAP.

Blog Reminder

For workshop students, please remember that you need to have your blog space established by the end of the week. Send me the link as soon as you've set it up. This literally takes 5 minutes, so do it as soon as you see this post. Log onto other student blogs to see where everyone is with their writing.

Lit Class Message Boards

SCRP 310's BB Vista space has been activated and the message boards opened. Post at will.

SCRP 380 Info

Since this has come up, I'll confirm that when you're looking at the syllabus schedule, Friday at 5:00 PM is the due date for any assignment in a given week.

Sean Arena posted his blog today. I won't keep making announcements about the individual blogs, but check the links any time you're on the page.

Blog #2

You can monitor Moira's progress through the thicket of swords at the Workshop de Fleming.

Action Rules!

Although these rules are meant as an advertisement for another magazine article, they're worth examining. 10 Things Action Movies Teach Us.

Summer Internship, Fall Co-op Opportunities

An SCRP Program graduate in the broadcast advertising industry has openings for a summer intern and fall cop-ops. If you're interested in writing ad copy and producing short video segments, this is a great opportunity. Contact Mandy Weger mweger@greatermediaphiladelphia.com.

First Blog!

Not wasting any time, Dan Fishman posted his blog right after class. You can find it by clicking here or by clicking on the link in the "Class Links" box to the left. If anyone's having any technical problems with this, please just e-mail me and I'll be happy to help.

Workshop Location

The initial pitch meeting for SCRP 380 is scheduled for the small screening room (UCross #030) tonight (Monday) @ 6:30 PM.

Need a summer job?

If you are absolutely desperate for a summer job, have a car and a cell phone, I have a contact at Verizon who's looking to hire people to sell Fios. Contact me at kaufhold@drexel.edu if you're interested.

SCRP 380/381 - Meeting Scheduled

The first meeting for the SCRP 380 Screenwriting Workshop I Summer Term 0809, has been scheduled for Monday, June 22nd, 6:30 PM. Location to be announced shortly.

Blog Launch, 3, 2, 1...

Well met, fellow screenwriters! You found the Drexel SCRP blog space. This will serve as a clearing house for class information, with links to individual blogs, announcements about various classes taught by Professor Kaufhold, and just general crap you should know. Mark this blog on your readers, feeds, etc.

Link for today: The SCRP 310 Lit For Screenwriters Reading List for Summer Term 0809