Friday, February 17, 2012

Scripts & Screenplays Wanted By Producers

A lead of mine emailed me this list of producers looking for scripts. Check it out. 

SCRIPTS WANTED
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Heitmann Entertainment - Seeking Psych Horror Screenplays
---------------
We are looking for completed feature-length horror and psychological horror scripts. We really just need material that is smart and concept driven, not relying on gore or torture, i.e. material in the vein of "The Strangers" or "Insidious."
Budget will be between $1million and $5million.  WGA and non-WGA writers may submit.
Our credits include "The Sensei" and "Monsterpocalypse."
To submit to this lead, please go to:
Enter your email address.
Copy/Paste this code: dpzx0m6c65
NOTE: Please only submit your work if it fits what the lead is looking for exactly.  If you aren't sure if your script fits, please ask InkTip first.
---------------
Life Productions - Seeking Remote Early 1900s Scripts
---------------
We are looking for competed feature-length scripts with stories taking place at the turn of the century (early 1900's), set in a remote location (think the Montana wilderness), where the central character has to protect his or her loved ones from harsh elements, an unforgiving environment, or an animal, i.e. stories in the vein
of "The Grey," except ideally set about a century ago. Stories should take place in no more than three locations, with the bulk of the story taking place in one specific isolated location, like a house or an encampment. 
Budget will not exceed $1million. WGA and non-WGA writers may submit. 
Our credits include a number of award winning shorts which landed us a deal with Sony.
To submit to this lead, please go to:
Enter your email address.
Copy/Paste this code: vxnwtsx8d7
NOTE: Please only submit your work if it fits what the lead is looking for exactly.  If you aren't sure if your script fits, please ask InkTip first.
---------------
REMOTE productions - Seeking Scripts Set in Serbia or Eastern Europe
---------------
We are looking for completed feature-length dramatic scripts that take place in Serbia or Eastern Europe.  By this we mean that the subject matter should be fairly serious, a "festival film," perhaps with crime elements.  At this time, we are only open to scripts that are currently set in Serbia or Eastern Europe as we are not interested in scripts to adapt.  We are NOT open to comedy scripts or big action (no "007" or "Die Hard").
Budget is open.  Both WGA and Non-WGA writers may submit.
Our credits include "The Belgrade Phantom."
To submit to this lead, please go to:
Enter your email address.
Copy/Paste this code: yaq7wdej7s
NOTE: Please only submit your work if it fits what the lead is looking for exactly.  If you aren't sure if your script fits, please ask InkTip first.
--------------- 
Additional Companies Seeking Scripts/Writers
---------------
Below are more companies seeking scripts. 
Be advised: 
A. These leads go out without contact details to the free Inktip  Newsletter, so there is a lot more competition for them. 
B. To receive the contact details so you can actually submit  your script to the company you need to pay $50 for a  four-month subscription to Inktip (half price if you have a script on the site!).
For more information about the Preferred Newsletter go  here: 
If you are a member to InkTip.com check out the follow. You can query them if you are not a member, but you will have to pay. Inktip is pretty credible. Several of my clients have sold scripts using it.

**
Company A
**
We are looking for completed feature-length horror scripts (hauntings/ghost stories only) inspired by true stories or true events, i.e. hauntings/ghost stories from around the world.
Budget is open.  Both WGA and Non-WGA writers may submit. 
For more information on gaining access to this lead, please see
**
Company B
**
We are looking for completed feature-length contemporary, family-friendly, Christmas movies that will be suitable for cable TV.  Note that we're not looking for fantasy material, so no elves or red-nosed reindeer, please.  We need stories with families and/or loveable pets set against Christmas.
Budget will not exceed $2million.  WGA and non-WGA writers may
submit.
For more information on gaining access to this lead, please see
**
Company C
**
We're looking for a character-driven subtle suspense/thriller/drama about a spy or assassin. The keyword is subtle, like the film "The American," not extravagant Bond/Bourne explosions. The less dialogue, the better. We'd prefer the hero to be a European female, but we're flexible. It should be set in Las Vegas or another city that can easily be re-written for Las Vegas. We really hope to find some new twist on the genre that we haven't seen 100 times before.  Again, the story should be character-driven with subtlety like in
"The American" instead of "Smokin' Aces." 
Budget will not exceed $600,000.  Both WGA and Non-WGA writers may submit.
For more information on gaining access to this lead, please see
**
Company D
**
We are looking for completed 1-hr pilot scripts in both drama and comedy written for a male lead role aged at least 40 years old.  We already have casting in mind, so the script must already be written and centered on this casting requirement (principal role, not a supporting character).  Think Steve Buscemi in "Boardwalk Empire," or Dustin Hoffman in "Luck."  This would be for cable, so the series can be edgy.  In other words, if it's a comedy, it should be a 1-hour with edgy content in the vein of "House of Lies" or "Californication."  We prefer lead characters that aren't overly stern, or at least do not play authoritative or law enforcement characters.  We are not open to police procedurals.
Budget is open.  Both WGA and Non-WGA writers may submit.
For more information on gaining access to this lead, please see
**
Company E
**
We are looking for completed ½-hr or 1-hr adult comedy teleplay scripts as samples for a possible writer-for-hire opportunity.  We are developing a television series that has the humor style (and rated-R leeway) of "Entourage," so we are NOT open to samples that are more intended for broadcast networks (i.e. no "The Big Bang Theory" specs or pilots intended outside of HBO or cable).  Other than "Entourage," something in the vein of "Bored to Death," or another HBO comedy series may work.  If you are submitting a pilot script rather than a spec of an existing series, please indicate so in the personal message space provided.   If your pitch interests us, we will request the complete scripts for further consideration.
Budget is open.  Both WGA and Non-WGA writers may submit.
For more information on gaining access to this lead, please see
And that's it.
********************************************************************

Go forward and win!
********************************************************************
If you need help with formatting your script, try my editing service for screenplays.


Screenplays
Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

  •  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
  •  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.


Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee
 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

  •  Introduction
  •  Development
  •  Climax
  •  Conclusion
  • Character development 
  •  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 


Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or call at (360) 696-4298. address or ask for Frances.




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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Screenwriting: The Story Beat

People keep emailing to ask me what a 'story beat' is.


It's a word I use all the time, and it's a word that people in the industry in the UK use all the time, and it's a word that can be a little bit slippery. It's very simple. A beat means 'Something That Happens'. But, a little like a fractal, a beat can be made up of other, smaller beats. Each of these smaller beats can be made up of other, even smaller beats, then on and on down, seemingly forever.


For example.


"Grow, story! Grow!"
You could call each of these big story events a beat: 


1. John is all alone. 
2. John meets Jane.
3. John loses Jane.
4. John wins Jane back. 
5. Wedding.


These are the main plot point making the story. You'd definitely talk at that level of detail when you are
sketching out the overall shape of a story. Later on, when you're happy that that part of your story definitely
runs along those lines, you'd break those five down into more detail.


Look at beat 4. John wins Jane back. Let's break that down, into a component set of possible beats:


1. On his way to the match, John runs into Jane. She offers him a lift. Desperate to talk, he calls his friends, says he'll meet them later, and hops into Jane's car. 
2. They row over his football obsession and she kicks him out of the car. 
3. He's stranded. Middle of nowhere, no cabs to be seen.
4. He calls his friends - they're already inside the ground. He's going to have to make his own way there. 
5. Desperate to get to the match, he flags down a passing bus. 
6. But the bus is full of supporters of the opposing team. They see his team shirt, and close in on him to teach him a lesson.
7. He wakes up in bed in hospital - to find Jane there. She has been waiting by the bedside, terrified she will lose him. 
8. He takes his chance, she proposes. The shock has shown her she can't live without him, and she accepts gladly.


And of course, to get to what you'd see on screen, you'd break each of those beats down even further, to yet another, even more detailed set of beats.


Look at beat 3, "He's stranded", and break it down into yet another set of beats:


1. John falls out the car, Jane zooms off. 
2. He tries to flag down a passing car. No luck. 
3. He realises there is a bus stop over the road. He runs - misses the bus, which zooms off without him.
4. John does a war dance of anger and stress.
5. He looks round. No more traffic in either direction.
6. He starts to walk.


So really, what's contained in a beat depends entirely on the level at which you are currently thinking about the story. The way I write involves a great deal of playing around with beats like this, working and reworking a master list of beats I call a beat sheet or more simple 'a scene by scene story outline'. Creating one allows you to visualize the story in sequence and play the whole story out in your head. Then move to writing the actual scenes and dialogue. 

The reason for this more abstract work is that once I've committed to dialogue in a scene I tend to fall in love with the scene, and it becomes much harder to cut, reshape and generally chop the story around - all of which is essential if you're going to find the best possible version of your story.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

How to Query Production Companies and Agents

"What's so funny? show me your query letters." 


Written by Hal Croasmun

I'm sure that writer would like to get their script read, but they forgot to use their writing skill to write an amazing query letter. If anything gives you credibility, it is the quality of your writing.

First, an important word that should describe your marketing materials...

Lure: Anything that entices, tempts, or attracts with the promise of gaining a pleasure or reward. Bait.

Here's a word you don't want associated with your query:

Repellent: Causing distaste or aversion; repulsive.

You want your query letter to attract, not repel. Here are a few "Do's" and "Don'ts" for the three parts of a good query letter, which are:

1. The Logline

 2. The Synopsis

 3. Your Bio

The key to each of these is to show the marketability of your script without saying the words "It is marketable because..."

Keep in mind that marketing your screenplay goes far beyond just creating the query letter - but cover some important basics.

ON LOGLINES:

1. DO write your logline or concept in a way that creates as much interest as you can.

DON'T write it as a "Poster line."

A line like "Three minutes from death. What do you do?" could describe a scene in a thousand stories. It works fine to start out a synopsis, but not as the logline.

2. DO give away the story.

DON'T be vague.

This one is important. Too many loglines go like this:

"A confused bride returns to her hometown to resolve the biggest issue in her life, but is shocked at what she discovers."

Do you have any idea what happens in that story? I don't. It is vague and leaves us confused.

Usually, this happens either because the writer is trying to maintain some sense of mystery about what happens in the story. But you've got to remember this one important fact...

...The Producer is making a BUSINESS DECISION.

They are looking for a story they can sell. They need to know that it works. Your job is to deliver that story. A vague logline doesn't intrigue as much as it makes a producer doubt your ability to tell a great story.

Imagine if you were calling an ad to buy a car and the seller said something like:

"The car is exactly like I described in the ad, but there is one thing I won't tell you about until you get here."

Does that intrigue you or scare you? Are you going to drive 30 miles to find out what that one thing is or are you going to call the next ad?

My advice: Give away the best part in the logline.

"A confused bride fights the Hillbillies who drugged and forced her into marriage, but changes her mind when she falls in love with her husband's brother... right before he is killed."

Don't worry about whether that is a great story or not. Just notice that you have a good idea of what the story is about. Do you see that?

BTW, I know this goes against what many screenwriting teachers tell you, but just remember the car analogy above. If the Producer doesn't know you, your story is your main source of credibility. So you want to communicate it as powerfully as you can.

3. DO get to the essence.

DON'T include needless details.

The logline needs to give us the story without a lot of details. In the logline above, notice that we haven't included info about the character's background, how she was drugged, where the Hillbillies house is at, why the Judge of this small town supports the forced marriage, or a thousand other details.

The job is to find the core of the story and deliver it in the most interesting way you can. You don't want to confuse the reader in any way. Instead, keep working with your logline until you have found the core of the story. That way, you are communicating as precisely as possible.

Overall, you want all of your marketing materials to LURE the producer into requesting your script. At the same time, you need to make sure none of them repel the reader. Remember, your query letter should be so good that producers and agents WANT to work with you from the first sentence.

Whether you are sending a query letter to an Agent, Manager, or Producer, there are three extremely important pieces of advice:

1. Keep it SHORT.

2. Hook them as soon as possible.

3. Make sure the writing is great!

Obvious, right? About 5% (that's right, five percent) of all query letters actually do all three of those.

Just do those three things and you stand above 95% of the query letters received by most companies.

For the second part of this article series, I'll give the short version of two important parts of a query letter -- the synopsis and the bio. The details are covered in the class I do below.

WHAT GOES INTO A SYNOPSIS?

You have a few paragraphs to deliver all of this.

Essence of the story.

Main conflict.

Imply beginning, middle, and end.

DO tell it in the most compelling way you possibly can.

DO use emotionally loaded words that deliver depth of experience to the reader.

DO give us some lead characters that A-list actors will want to play.

DON'T give any details that aren't appealing or intriguing. Details are important for the script, but often bog a pitch down.

DON'T give us a "book report" on your story.

Just keep reminding yourself that your purpose is to get them to request the script, not to know the story perfectly.

WHAT GOES INTO A BIO?

Your bio goes at the end of the letter and presents credibility for why you are the perfect person to write this story.

DO tell about any contests you've won or placed in. If you have multiple wins, give us the one or two most impressive ones.

DO tell if you're already an optioned or produced writer.

DO tell about any unique skills or background you have that qualifies you to tell this story.

Example for a gambling movie:

"Besides winning two Nevada Screenwriting Contests, I'm a three-time finalist at the World Championships of Poker held in Las Vegas."

In one sentence, we discover two reasons why this writer could be the perfect writer of a script on gambling -- contest wins and inside knowledge of the poker industry.

DON'T do any of the following:

- say you're desperate.

- beg.

- say anything crazy.

- tell about the bills you have.

- say you're going to quit screenwriting if they don't buy your script.

When you write your next query letter or any other marketing materials, remember to present your highest quality writing and lure the reader into contacting you for your script.

Present yourself as an attractive person to do business with. Show how your story is marketable and how you're the perfect person to write this story. Be brief, precise, and write powerfully.

Do that and you'll increase your chances dramatically.

I give special thanks to Hal Croasmun, President at Screenwriting U Location, for this article.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Japanese Pop: My Favorite Songs

Not long ago when some of my Japanese friends and I were discussing how Japanese anime has helped given world wide recognition to Japanese Pop music, they asked me some of the Jpop music I liked. I gave them a long list of artist and songs. They were surprised. Here are a couple songs I want to share with you. They are in Japanese, but the music is still beautiful.

"We Say Hello"- by Manami


"Change The World" - V6


"Every Little Thing" - by GRIP


'Rocks' from NARUTO by Hound Dog




This is a John Lennon song. It is one of my favorite of his songs. I just added it for you fellow John Lennon fans.
"Imagine" - by John Lennon


This is not a Jpop song, but it is a favorite of my Japanese friends.

"I will Always Love You"





POINT OF VIEW SHIFTS IN WRITING: PROCEED WITH CAUTION

by Traci Borum

“Which character tells the story?” That’s a crucial character-question writers must ask themselves in the planning stages of any novel. It’s usually followed by: “Should the story come from one character’s point of view, or more than one?” A tricky question, because incorporating multiple points-of-view can be a bit like juggling plates. Each character is tossed into the air for a brief time, highlighted, then another one takes its place. When handled well, this technique can be extremely effective, fluid. When handled poorly, it can end in disaster (plates crashing to the ground).

 Guest column by Traci Borum, who teaches Creative 
Writing at the college level. She’s written for Today’s
Christian Woman magazine, as well as the New Texas
Journal. Currently, she’s working on a women’s fiction 
series. She also runs a writing blog.  
However, if two important factors are considered, the results can be successful:
1) The “Transition” Factor: If not handled deftly, hopping back and forth between characters’ POV’s (especially in the same scene!) can become jarring. I once read a novel that offered one character’s POV for the first several chapters. As a reader, I settled in to know this character’s thoughts, became accustomed to the way her mind worked. Then—the phone rang. The character picked up the receiver and was given some tragic news. And when she hung up, WHAM! The reader was suddenly thrust into the other character’s mind (from the other end of the line). Huh?
There was absolutely no transition, no hint that the POV was about to shift in a major way. In fact, it was so jarring that I had to re-read the paragraph a couple of times for clarification. Even worse, I kept wondering how theother character—the one I’d spent so much time with—was reacting at that very moment. I wanted to jump backinto the main character’s POV again. I’d invested all these hours with her, and I didn’t care about this new character, this complete stranger. I felt frustrated, cheated. So cheated, in fact, that I quit reading altogether. I knew if the author used that confusing technique once, she would likely use it again.
On the other hand, Elin Hilderbrand’s novel is a strong example of how multiple POV’s can enhance a story. InThe Island, Ms. Hilderbrand first allows readers to see one character’s point of view. Then, when we know that character well, the POV shifts to a different character. But—it’s done so effortlessly that it feels natural. To avoid any confusion, the author gives a full break in text, then offers the name of the upcoming character as a chapter heading. The reader is fully prepared for the shift before it occurs.
2) The “Intimacy” Factor: If a reader spends only brief fragments of time with several different characters (rather than long periods of time with only one character), it stands to reason that the reader ends up knowing several characters slightly, rather than intimately.
I’ll use television as an example. Two of my favorite TV shows from the 80’s used an “ensemble” feel as a vehicle for storytelling. One was the extremely popular “ER,” and the other was the not-as-popular “Thirtysomething.”
For me, “ER” wasn’t as successful as “Thirtysomething,” in terms of acquainting the audience intimately with the main characters. Although ER episodes did manage to present substantive character development, they did so in quick bursts (usually scattered between medical cases containing characters we would never see again). Granted, the fast pace and content of “ER” didn’t lend itself to as much in-depth characterization as other shows. But it still left me wanting more.
In contrast, Thirtysomething incorporated a technique that became highly effective. Instead of having all ensemble characters make brief appearances in every episode—much like “ER” did—the writers typically devoted an entire episode to one or two characters only. And during those fifty minutes, the audience became well-acquainted with them, simply by spending more time in their presence. We got to see Eliot at work struggling in his job, then later at home, struggling in his marriage. Or Melissa, dealing with singlehood as well as her flailing career. The viewers’ focus wasn’t divided by other characters (or distracting storylines) during that particular episode. So, we were able to know those core characters intimately. Consequently, whenever the ensemble would congregate together in one scene, we knew each character so well that the dynamics between them crackled with energy and tension.

In the end, when deciding to use multiple POV’s, take your story into account. Would the plot and characters be better served by using multiple POV’s or a single one? Then, study the technique. Read novels that handle multiple POV’s and learn from them (both where the technique succeeds and also where it fails. There’s much to be gained from observing what doesn’t work).
Whatever your decision, being aware of the successes and pitfalls of using multiple POV’s can expand your writing choices. And that’s never a bad thing!
I give thanks to Tracy for sharing this info. Please visit her blog. It has a wealth of information.


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New Literary Agents To Query

NEW AGENTS TO QUERY
Reminder: Newer agents are golden opportunities for new writers because they're likely building their client list; however, always make sure your work is as perfect as it can be before submitting, and only query agencies that are a great fit for your work. Otherwise, you're just wasting time and postage.
-------------------

1. Carlie Webber of the Jane Rotrosen Agency

She is seeking: young adult (any and all genres), horror, mystery, thriller, suspense, contemporary romance, humor, literary fiction, women's fiction. "More specific examples from my submissions wishlist: anything set in the grunge era; GLBTQ for YA; high-concept YA; genre mashups, like paranormal romantic suspense."


2. Erin Harris of Skolnick Literary

She is seeking: literary novels with compelling plots and international settings; literary thrillers and mysteries (She'd love to find the next Tana French!); noirs (especially starring headstrong female protagonists); and YA and middle grade novels that transport her to magical places.




NEED AN AGENT? CHECK OUT THE 2012 GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS It's here! The 2012 Guide to Literary Agents is finally in bookstores. It's a very exciting day. The book has submission information on more than 1,000 literary agents, and has category indexes for you to find reps that handle what you're writing. All listings are updated.
[description]

Besides the listings, the book has tons of helpful upfront articles on query letter writing, book proposals, synopses, how to start your book right, researching agents, avoiding scammers, and more.  Find it on Amazon here.

Ordering this book makes finding an agent easier than searching the web. Most of the agents are for books. Yet some do work with screen writers.

Friday, February 10, 2012

How To Create A Short Film

What makes a good story for a short film?

Compelling characters.
The temptation when you write a short film, and have less time to develop complex characters, is to write your characters in short-hand. If their behavior is simplistic and predictable, your story will be, too. Characters, particularly your hero’s, is the force that drives your story. Do not shortchange your characters! Give them the full range of human characteristics:

Physical: the character’s height, weight, gender, age, clothes they wear can all influence how your story develops.

Behavioral: there can be unexpected contrast between expected behavior and actual behavior (for instance, a psychiatrist who is obsessively re-arranging the pens on his desk). This disconnect between what is expected and the actual behavior of  he character is immediately intriguing –and often humorous.

A strong need: Character is ACTION. An action is what the character DOES in order to get what he WANTS. Energize  your story by making the hero’s need extreme. What the character wants, he wants passionately. He wants it more than  anything in the world. The need of the character must be immediate and urgent, especially in a short film.

The element of conflict.
Conflict is the result of what a character “want” (his goal), and the obstacles he must face to get what he wants. Those obstacles can be another character, nature, society, community. Those are called external obstacles. Sometimes, the obstacles are purely internal –an addiction, psychological issues resulting from a trauma, for instance. Watching the hero struggle against those obstacles is what makes a story interesting. Your job is to make the life of you character difficult! The character says: “I want this!” Say “NO!” to your character!

In the famous short film The Lunch Date, the worst possible obstacle for this wealthy, bigoted, hungry woman takes the shape of a homeless man eating her lunch. The more you intensify the pressure on your hero, the more fun it will be for the audience to watch your movie.

Structuring your story
A story, any story, has a beginning, a middle, and an end. In a feature film, each part has a specific function: you have  about 30mns of Exposition (the beginning) to introduce the characters and their world. The middle, called Confrontation, is about 60mns long. The hero goes on his quest to get or achieve something, encounters a number of obstacles that become harder to surmount as the movie progresses. In the third act (also called Resolution) hero must come faceto-face with the antagonist for the final showdown (or Climax). Then the world returns to a new order, and we get a glimpse of the future for the hero in this new world (the resolution). This can  take 10-30 minutes. A short film follows the same basic structure in which to organize all the elements of your story, and each “act” must accomplish the same function as in a feature. Yet, you do not have only  minutes to do the same job.

The first and most important rule-of-thumb: KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Start your story as late as possible: Start your story at the moment something is about to happen to the hero. In other words, choose the last possible moment to enter the story and still have it make sense.

• Create your hero and another main character. Everybody else is an extra.

• Use polarities to create your protagonist (hero) and your antagonist: think of personalities that are polar opposites in terms of values, age, tastes, social position, sexual inclinations, abilities, behavior, etc. This is a simple way to create conflict as you pit one character against his opposite, and let the situation play out between them.

Use Characterization: This means that you externalize the temperament, profession, social status, attitudes, thoughts and feelings of your characters through character behavior. In other words, you make their Backstory and internal life visible –visual- on screen. In The Lunch Date, the lady wears a fur coat, brushes past begging homeless people, speaks imperiously to the short order cook, polishes her fork before using it. All these elements are telling clues to the lady’s personality. Note that characterization is not caricature: although certain attributes allow the audience to identify the lady’s “type”
immediately, the details of her behavior reveal her unique personality.

Give your hero one Goal: Keep the character’s goal clear and simple. What the hero wants (or needs) to accomplish must be conveyed quickly.

Throw one major obstacle in the hero’s way: The hero faces one major external obstacle, and/or one internal one. In The Lunch Date, the lady must confront the homeless man  (external obstacle), and conquer her own obsessive cleanliness (internal obstacle) to get what she wants (the salad). What makes the scene compelling and funny is the attention paid to the details of both characters’ behavior and on the development of an improbable relationship.

Surprise us: The resolution: there is often a twist at the end of a short film, something that adds interest, or humor to a conventional ending. Its purpose is to make the audience think, or to make them laugh (or both). In The Lunch Date, the woman realizes that her salad –the one she really bought- is left untouched in the next booth. This makes her –and us- think about prejudice: we never doubted that the homeless man had stolen the lady’s salad when, in fact, he was generously sharing his meal with her. Beware the twist that solves the hero’s problem! If the lady had noticed the other salad (her own) sooner, the conflict would have come to an end without her having any active role in it. The lady would not have struggled to overcome her social and personal aversions. The story would be flat and uninteresting. The Lunch Date could have turned into another boring morality tale instead of winning an Academy Award!

Choose a few locations and choose them well. Remember for MMM filmmakers will only have twelve hours to shoot, therefore, when you write your scenes, keep the following parameters in mind for your locations:

     o Think of access and control: remote locations requiring driving for miles, or busy locations with a lot of traffic and noise will create insurmountable challenges for the teams.
     o Choose locations that are interesting yet practical: Dorm rooms tend to all look the same, but sets requiring extensive design will use up a lot of precious time to dress. You know campus and the immediate environs. Use your imagination!


Follow is the best example of a film short that I can think of. It is a Japanese anime short called Kigeki Comedy OVA You are welcomed to watch it. 

 During Ireland's War of Independence, a five year old girl set out to save her village from the English army, by trying to find the rumored skilled swordsman living in a nearby castle, who only takes books of a certain genre as payment, only known as the Black Swordsman. Watch the video:



Comedy (OVA)

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