The Orange County Screenwriters Association
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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 12:28

Film Production

 Film Production in Orange County
October 20, 2009

For Immediate Release:

Sunday, October 25th, will mark the beginning of the end of a film production process started in May 2009 when Eric Hensman of Lennexe Productions (www.lennexe.com) approached the Orange County Screenwriters Association (OCSWA) (www.ocscreenwriters.com) after their inaugural event and said “You write it, we’ll film it.” 

Hensman’s idea: OCSWA would run a short script contest (The Make it Reel Scriptwriting Contest) and the winner of that contest would have their entry filmed by his production company - in other words, a true Hollywood professional experience that most writers would have to work years for. The winner, Brandon Tyra, is a local film student whose script "Harvey, The Chicken Racist" garnered the highest awarded points among hundreds of entries.

On Sunday, October 25th, the winning script will be shot (location TBD) with the goal of screening the finished film at the OCSWA meeting on Saturday, October 31st (10:00am) at the Regency South Coast Village Theater along with OCSWA’s Q&A panel with horror professionals from Hollywood.

Details are available on the OCSWA website and or by contacting Lennexe at (888) 690-VIDEO - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..



 

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Monday, 19 October 2009 22:10

Screenplay needed for a Family film

Los Angeles based production company is looking for a script for a project with the budget of $1M or less. It should be very contained - not too many locations, small cast, limited vfx, etc. Seeking a family film with the story centered around a child and an animal like "Black Beauty" or "Lassie Come Home".

Send your logline to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. (Please no attachments.)  Requests for a one-page synopsis to follow as selections are narrowed down.

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Monday, 19 October 2009 19:12

Casting Call

Lennexe Productions, an O.C. based Film Production Company
is shooting a Halloween Comedy Short Film this Sunday, Oct. 25th.
 
The comedy film is about Classic Hollywood Monsters
working in an Office setting.

The Film will be screened at The Regency South Cost Theater
on Halloween day by The O.C. Screenwriter's Association (OCSWA).

We are currently accepting head shots for the following:

1. Lead male, Harvey, Corporate Office Employee, 30-40
2. Lead Werewolf, working at Office- male, 30-40
3. Attractive Female Corporate Employee, 21-31
4. Bride of Frankenstein, 25-35
5. Boss, Female or male, 50-65
6. Dracula, male, 30-50
7. Bride of Frankenstein, 25-35

Please e-mail your contact info with a head shoot attached to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This is a non paying gig and it requires your availability for a full day this coming Sunday. Please only contact us if you are able to commit. Shoot for one day and see yourself on the big screen 6 days later. Copy, Credit, and Food Provided.

Looking forward to work with you!

 

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Monday, 19 October 2009 12:31

All That Glitters (from the book by Steve Eccelsine)

On September 19,2009 Producer Steve Eccelsine provided our membership with insight both sobering and joyous about the business of Hollywood.  Steve read one of my favorite essays from his excellent book "So You Want To Be A Producer" called "All That Glitters."  It shows a producer passionate and heartfelt but with an eye cocked askance on this silly business of making movies.

He has generously allowed us to post it here.  

A video reading by Steve is also available on the website for the book here 

ALL THAT GLITTERS
 
 

A lot of people choose to travel in life s slow lane. They tow the line, chugging along doing the speed limit, trying to get through the day without rocking the boat or being noticed. At every fork in the road, they take the path of least resistance and glide along under the radar. They never raise their voices or toot their own horns. Somewhere along the line they have, “Go along to get along” tattooed on their souls.
 
And then there are people in Showbiz. We have chosen to tromp on the accelerator looking to discover how fast this baby can go! This is a lifetime quest to determine how high is up? What’s next after we climb this mountain? Contrary to certain religious beliefs, this may be the one and only E-ticket we’re ever going to get so we better damn well enjoy each spin of the globe.
 
It is a study in opposites attracting. Everyone reading People magazine or watching through the fishbowl filter of Entertainment Tonight or Extra, Extra must think a busload of ADD kids has overturned and are running wild in the candy store. Looks like we’re hardly working while being paid a king’s ransom and having way too much fun! At least this is the image presented to those traveling in the slow lane. The truth of the matter is far less glamorous. Most of us inside the fishbowl are dedicated, hard working pros who hope to be proud of the work we do when we're lucky enough to find it. This is the part that they don’t see. Must never see.
 
There really is no advantage in shattering the illusion. If they ever knew how hard it is pursuing this dream, they’d be laughing at us instead of dreaming about being amongst us. What we want is their stability but we just aren’t willing to have the mind-numbing tedious life to get it. We are hell-bent on winning life's Trifecta: to work on projects we want to, with people we want to, and get paid what we ought to.
 
We voluntarily got suckered into this vortex, seduced by the lights, the glamour, and the pr omises. Nobody put a gun in our ribs and said, “Stick around, you won't believe what happens next!” We have missed numerous exit signs that would have taken us back to the real world. Nobody really prepared us for the slow roasting over the spit. Hah! It was in the fine print on page 27. Forgot to read the manual? Tough luck – there is no manual.
 
The twists and turns that our career takes often feels like trying to pick up that elusive bar of soap in the shower. We look terribly foolish doing it and we’re certainly in the right position for our daily bout with our opponent. One big problem is that we love pirouetting on thin ice, waiting for it to crack beneath us to see if we still have enough speed to reach safety without drowning or getting wet. Can’t really help ourselves because we're simply action junkies looking for our next fix.
 
Anybody who hasn’t written at least one acceptance speech while cradling that imaginary gold statue can now leave the building. I wonder what deceased funnyman Sam Kinn ison might’ve said at that moment? ………It would’ve been worth the price of admission.
 

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Saturday, 17 October 2009 14:19

Teenage Dirtbag (the movie, not anyone in particular)

 

Local Filmmaker Regina Crosby's heartfelt
and chilling story of love...and betrayal
 

JOIN US ON OCTOBER 20th
Tickets on Sale!

YOUR STUDENT or TEACHER I.D.
GETS YOU A GREATLY REDUCED RATE 
AT THE BOX OFFICE
redrum imageat the Regency South Coast Theater 

Tickets on sale online or at box office
the night of the screening!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 7:00pm
Q&A with writer/director Regina Crosby after film

 

film website


TEENAGE DIRTBAG intelligently tells the story of a popular high school cheerleader (Noa Hegesh) who is harassed by a delinquent classmate (Scott Michael Foster) until they are both placed in the same creative writing class. Through written words, they develop a strong bond of trust, companionship and love; but is it a bond that can withstand her elitist social pressures
and his brutal home life?

This film is inspired by true events.

Q&A with writer/director Regina Crosby after film.



 

 

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Sunday, 11 October 2009 20:02

John Woo at Screening

John Woo's latest "Red CLiff" will be at the Regency South Coast Village Theater this Thursday, October 15th.  John Woo will be at the screening to do a Q&A afterwards.

http://orangecountyfilmsociety.com/

West Coast Premiere
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 - 8:00PM

Regency South Coast Village Theatre
1561 W. Sunflower Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92704

Film screening followed by Q&A session with director John Woo

$10 for non-members.

 

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Wednesday, 07 October 2009 12:10

Surviving a Critique

First, my bona fides. I’ve been in a classroom either as a teacher or a student for the greater part of 23 years. I’m a professional writer now (with 18 produced films) and a teacher. This is just to tell you that I’ve seen my share of critiques, story meetings and spitballing sessions under many different circumstances.

My students occasionally run into problems with what is being said in class. Some are confused, some are devastated - some occasionally just give up. Although I typically don’t censor what’s being said, I also don’t allow anyone to be an idiot when they’re making comments so all in all it’s a pretty constructive session.

But it doesn’t matter how thick your skin, negative comments, even ones that are surrounded by sloppy kisses, sting. We all want our work to work; I don’t know anyone who isn’t a bit chafed by the fact that people don’t see the same value we do in our screenplays or novels.

Here’s a couple observations based on years of experience. Take them for what they’re worth (but don’t critique me or I’ll just perish.) :-)

1) No matter how rough any classroom critique can get, it’s nothing to what you’ll get in Hollywood. Either they’ll (producers, directors, etc.) arbitrarily tell you to change things and you have to do it without any input - which actually isn’t bad since that probably means they bought something from you - or they’ll do the ultimate of disrespecting you which is to ignore you and not comment about your work because they’re not going to buy your script. Trust me, that’s a lot rougher than hearing your narrative needs to be smoother or your punctuation is wrong.

2) Sometimes people in classes don’t read your work carefully. Hard to believe, isn’t it? You’ve slaved over a hot keyboard for hours, tweaked things just right, and here’s Joe Wanna-Be sitting in class reading your work just minutes before he’s going to critique it. Oh, yeah - I see it all the time. If any student thinks he or she is fooling us when we can clearly see someone scanning a work on their desk then they are deluded. So don’t take it so seriously - sometimes Joe is just focusing on a point in your work to avoid our (the teacher’s) scrutiny.

News Flash - producers don’t read your work carefully either so you should probably thank Joe for giving you a real life experience. I once sat next to a producer on a plane who had five scripts he was “reading.” He literally went through each page as if it was a photo instead of text. He treated the material like it was a flip book that had to ruffled as quickly as possible to get the effect of the little man running. When I mentioned this to him - in nice terms of course - he deflected and said he had already read the material once. Sure. And the check’s in the mail.

3) People don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. A lot of things get said in a critique group. Some are well-thought out, some are spur of the moment as the critique goes on. That’s one thing.

I’ve also heard statements like this before: “I don’t like your character.” What they probably mean instead is “I don’t understand your character” or “I’m not engaged by your character.” It’s a classic sociological phenomenon - we dislike or are disinterested by what we fear or don’t understand. Once someone understands something they are more likely to at least accept it - in general, okay? Don’t start jumping up and down and telling me how little I know about sociology - I’m just making a small point. Characters can be unlikable but understandable (or intriguing) and you will follow and accept them (think “Dexter” or the family in “The Godfather” or even Tony Soprano.) So listen to what people are saying but don’t always take their comments at face value. Try to understand the underlying reasons they are saying what they’re saying about your work and it will make more sense. Don’t, however, rationalize the negative comments. That gets you nowhere.

Another example: If I tell you, in a critique, that your work is boring, I can mean several things. Pacing is a result of many, many factors including structure, scene structure/length, dialogue, use of cliche moments, etc.  

For instance, we’re usually told not to do monologues. There’s a good reason for that - they’re bor-ing. But if you’ve ever seen the closing statement Paul Newman makes in “The Verdict” written by David Mamet, then you’re seeing a brilliant exception to that rule. Even on paper, without Mr. Newman’s astounding skills as an actor, that speech is incredible. It truly rivets you to your seat. Most of us couldn’t write and deliver a monologue like that and make it work if it was a naked Angelina Jolie speaking our prose so sticking some like that in is sure to get the dreaded - this is boring.  Or at best, too long, cut this.

4) Sometimes a simple thing is all that’s wrong but people are not focusing on a simple fix - they’re making you feel like your whole work sucks. The best critiques are those that mention a problem and also offer a solution that gets your mind working. But not everyone can offer that fix; sometimes all they can give you is the problem. This is typical in any critique group.

So what do you do? You listen, nod and think about how to address the problem without tearing your entire work apart.

For example, you can act tangentially on a problem instead of directly. I’ve seen a script saved by simply putting a scroll or voice over in the beginning. Just framing the story can make everything click into place. Imagine “Star Wars” without the famous disappearing scroll? Or perhaps “Blade Runner” without the voice over narration. Or “Transformers” without the opening framing that occurs to set the story about why trucks are turning into robots.

When someone in class says “I’m confused by your story” think in terms of setting some framing in place at certain points, like the beginning - this is a simple fix that has major repercussions.  

Character issues? One moment or sequence is sometimes all that’s necessary to fix that. Think about how much less likable the Billy Bob Thornton character in “Bad Santa” would have been without the bar scene where we get the sense that he is dealing with deep, emotional pain.

I’ll try to update this list in the near future. In the meantime, think about what people are saying and get a total picture before you start slashing your script (or your wrists.)
 

Do good work.

Mark

Mark Sevi is a professional writer who teaches through the Irvine Valley College Continuing Education department.



 

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Monday, 05 October 2009 12:35

Arrested Development script in works

 'Arrested Development' script in works

21 hours ago | HollywoodReporter.com | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news » 

Narrator: Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything ... and just may get some of it back.

"Arrested Development" creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his co-executive producer James Vallely are working on a screenplay for the long-debated feature version of their short-lived Fox series. Even as they prep a new Fox comedy series with "Arrested" star Will Arnett, the writers are spinning more bizarre encounters for the eccentric, spoiled Bluth clan for possible feature production in the spring.

Imagine, which produced the TV show, and Fox Searchlight are producing the film.

Hurwitz had said that he wouldn't start writing a film unless all the main actors, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Arnett, Alia Shawkat, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor, were committed. Earlier in the year, speculation circulated about which wanted to return as the show's hyper-invested fans pushed from the sidelines and the actors themselves spurred excitement. »

 

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Sunday, 04 October 2009 22:34

New and Improved Website

Check out my new and improved website: http://www.torturechamberproductions.com/ 

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Saturday, 03 October 2009 22:52

Read the Contest Winners

Sorry it's taken so long to post these.  Congratulations to all who entered, not just those who won or placed.

By the way,  in case you didn't know, you can post files to the forums which means anyone who wants to begin a critique session can.

MAKE IT REEL SCRIPT to SCREEN CONTEST

WINNERS: 

  Brandon Tyra - 1st place: Harvey the Chicken Racist (in production)

  Gene Wagner - 2nd place: The Bowler

  Joe Swanson - 3rd place: Dawn of the Piggies

  Christopher Stires - 4th place: Death and Taxes 

  Sharon Holland - 5th place: Gongoma
 

HONORABLE MENTION:

  Kim Armstrong - Best Structure: My First Job 

  Anne Kruse - Best Title: Shoemantic Liaison 

  Gary Keene - Best Dialogue: Sunset Angels 

  Robert Semerau - Best Writing Style: A Kiss to Build a Dream On 

  Steven Sachse - Best Story Twist: Tres Generaciones

  Jeff Michaels - Most Creatively Disturbing: A Father's Love 

  Michael Orick - Best Setting: The Fiddler

  Chris Armstrong - Best Ending: Reverse the Curse 

  Daniel Angarita - Best Pacing: Borderline 

  Jessica Pollack - Best Melodrama: What Do You Want To Do That For?

 

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Thursday, 01 October 2009 17:01

If Mother Only Knew

 Check out the trailer for the MMA documentary I'm in.

http://www.ifmotheronlyknew.com/sizzlereel.html

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Page 18 of 19

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