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Irene Gut Opdyke was an extraordinary person. As a seventeen year old Polish Catholic, having suffered unspeakable abuse at the hands of the invading Russian Military, she then found herself forced to be a Housekeeper for a Nazi Major. Realizing that her Ayran looks and fluent German gave her an advantage, she used her position to eavesdrop on SS plans for the Final Solution and warn the local Jews. Having become close to the Jewish laundry workers she oversaw daily, she took the extraordinary measure of hiding them in the basement literally beneath the feet of of the Germans when the Ternpol Ghetto was liquidated. They remained concealed there until the end of the War. But Irene's bravery did not come without huge personal sacrifice.....
Zoë Green and Patrick Given, co-founders of Script E.R have been hired by Good Deed Entertainment to write a feature film about Irene's inspiring life. Read the Deadline Hollywood announcement here
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Ah.. Oscar season has officially arrived. And with it, comes amazing interviews from the year’s most coveted actors, directors, writers, etc. The Hollywood Reporter posted a fantastic roundtable featuring the year’s top screenwriters: Jonathan Nolan (“Interstellar”), Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”), Chris Rock (“Top Five”), Graham Moore (“The Imitation Game”), Anthony McCracken (“The Theory of Everything”), Jon Favreau (“Chef”). Take a look at some highlights from the interview below. And if you have an hour to spare, you should definitely check out the full interview. The writers cover a ton of ground; from horrible first drafts, to wanting to be liked, to where their inspiration comes from. Truly interesting stuff. Do you guys have that perfect movie? What's the one script that you really wish you had written?  “I’ve got a purple yoga mat, and I have a little table about that size. That’s sort of what it looks like. I hoover; I find odd places to polish. Places that I haven’t seen in a long time; sometimes parts of my own body. And there’s a lot of crying in fetal positions.” – Emma Thompson.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Emma Thompson gave a wonderfully entertaining lecture at the BAFTA Screenwriters Conference in London last month. Equipped with props, (including a vacuum and the aforementioned yoga mat) she explained her unusual process of writing to the audience. Quirky as it may seem it makes you consider the type of environment a writer needs to feel comfortable enough to actually write. While many professionals would agree that real writers should be able to “create” at any time of the day, despite how they feel; it certainly helps when the mood is right. “I’ve sometimes made the analogy with eating. Why do you eat? You’re hungry. You are sort of in the mood to eat, and if you are in the mood to, the food tastes better; you’re more interested in what you’re eating. The whole experience is more “creative.” It’s the same thing in art except that, in art, the hunger is the need for self-expression.” – Aaron Copeland And let’s face it - writing a script isn’t easy. It can be a grueling, frustrating process that oftentimes leaves you a little more gray behind the ears or with patches of hair missing altogether. You’d be hard pressed to find a screenwriter who loves the entire process from start to finish. Having a solid conducive process can be the best way to kick start the creative process into gear. “I used to write late at night; I would start when my family went to sleep and just work until I ran out of gas. But now that I have to wake up at 6:30 and drive the kids to school and attempt to "exercise" so I don't die, the only way I can write is to just tell my assistant, "All right, we're going to start at 9 tomorrow, and let's unplug the phones for four hours." And it's awful. Usually I have to give myself a reward. So I'll say, "If I write a good hour, I'll watch one episode of The Wire." – Judd Apatow What’s your method to get the creative juices flowing? Script E.R. will be taking new patients at this year’s Great American Pitchfest (GAPF) at the Marriott Burbank. Come visit our table at the tradeshow on Saturday 21st June in between the spectacular array of master classes and events! Our co-founders and teachers will be advising on pitch strategy and consulting with current and aspiring writers. Saturday’s schedule includes talks and classes on Action Screenwriting, Pilot Writing, Spec Scripts, Getting an Agent and much more . Just a few of the notable participants are Shane Black, 3 Arts, Benderspink, De Line, Weed Road and Paradigm.
We’ll be launching a brand new and affordable service at the pitchfest - Script E.R. is now offering House Call: the opportunity to have your script carefully read by a WGA writer, followed by a 45 min phone conversation or in person meeting to review notes and strategy. Remember - never go out to execs with an inferior product! If you can’t make it this Saturday and would like to discuss our packages Inquire now! We’re delighted to be exhibiting at the 2013 Screenwriters World Conference West this Saturday, Sep 28th! This excerpt was taken from a great post from ScriptMag editor and conference speaker, Jeanne Bowerman, highlighting some of what to look forward to at the conference. For the full article, click here.
“Allow me to answer one important question I keep getting: "Why should a screenwriter attend a conference?" My advice is simple: To advance your career, improve your craft and build your network. Really. These events are that powerful. I promise. Screenwriters World Conference West has amazing sessions taught by experienced professionals in the industry. This is your chance to pick their brains face-to-face. These instructors have a range of experience from reading thousands of scripts, helping writers get produced, and creating successful, original content of their own (one to mention is Erik Bork, writer/producer of HBO's Band of Brothers and a personal hero of mine). Their expertise can help elevate your career and writing to a new level.” Conference attendees include Ed Saxon (Silence of the Lambs), Doug Richardson (Die Hard 2, Bad Boys, Hostage), Tom Schulman (Dead Poet's Society, What About Bob?, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and Robbie Fox (So I Married an Axe Murderer, In the Army Now, Playing for Keeps) amongst others. Writers in Hollywood- Raymond Chandler
The great Mr Raymond Chandler still has it painfully right on the life of the screenwriter after 80 years.... Some elements of the movie business may wax and wane but many of his philosophical observations on how writers are treated remain all too accurate. Read it and identify.... The Economics of Screenwriting- The Artful Writer This is one of the best and most concise articles we've read on how screenwriters actually get paid. What can you expect to earn as a 'baby writer? Once you're produced? What's the difference between selling a spec screenplay and getting hired on an open writing assignment? How much do you get paid at point of script sale or at 'commencement' of your writing services, and how much do you get if your project actually goes into production?
Bear in mind that Hollywood writers frequently get replaced mid project. So your lawyer should always advise you if your contract states that if the very large looking greenlit bonus will actually diminish quite considerably should you share credit with a subsequent writer.... Read on, and then talk about the finer points with your Script E.R mentor next time you stop by for class.
[Some advice & tricks for preventing the dreaded second act slump in screenplays. To give your tale a fresh direction and vitality, learn how to create new characters and stress. necessary for writing a gripping tale.]
After the midpoint, a screenplay often loses its way. This is the dreaded second act sag. A couple of techniques to avoid this letdown:
1. Introduce a new character. 2. Introduce a new tension. In older films, you will notice that rich, varied characters will often be introduced more than halfway through the film. For some reason, modern films shy away from this. But it's a perfect way to give your screenplay new direction and life. |
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