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ProSeries Alumni — A Thriving Community of Professional Screenwriters

Entries from August 2010

PS Alumni Script Optioned and Makes the Hollywood Reporter

April 30th, 2008 · No Comments

We are proud to announce that Vicki Rocco and her partner Amy Moreland had their script optioned. In the process, they made it to the Hollywood Reporter.
See the report of their success in the Hollywood Reporter:
Go To Article …

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Tags: Business & Craft · PSA Success Stories

Sherwood Oaks Notes — Day Three, Final

April 29th, 2008 · No Comments

Recent Community Blogs post — last installment of Rebecca’s notes from Day Three of the Sherwood Oaks event now available. Great stuff.
Go To Rebecca’s Blog …

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Tags: ProSeries Alumni Blogs

Martell On How To Describe Stuff

April 26th, 2008 · No Comments

“Screenwriting is distilled writing. Using the fewest number of words to create the greatest possible impact.
“… How do you fight the writer’s natural tendency to be verbose?
“… One of my tricks is to imagine I’m sending a telegram at 35 cents a word, and I’ve only got $2 and change in my pocket. Instead of […]

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Tags: Business & Craft

SAG-AMPTP Talks Going Nowhere

April 24th, 2008 · No Comments

LA Weekly’s Nikki Finke reports that “the negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the AMPTP are not making any progress with both sides very far apart and very frustrated.”
Go To Article …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Phil Gladwin On Contacts, Relationships, And Marketing

April 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Your script may get read, but it won’t go anywhere unless the right people read it.
Go To Phil Gladwin’s Place …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Inside The Writers’ Room — Leverage, Week 3

April 22nd, 2008 · No Comments

The amazing saga continues. Special Bonus — Links to “The Closer” video blog, another roomful of fun.
Go To John Rogers’ Place …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Documentary Filmmakers Freed In Nigeria

April 21st, 2008 · No Comments

Steve Miletich of the Seattle Times reports that “(a)fter being held for six days in Nigeria, four members of a Seattle-based documentary film crew arrived home Sunday, expressing hope their plight will call attention to what they called the destructive impact of oil production in the Niger River Delta.”
Go To Article …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Strong Reaction To List Of Writers Who Went Fi-Core

April 20th, 2008 · No Comments

Dozens of writers disagreed with WGA leadership’s decision to publicly identify and censure a number of writers who elected “financial core” status and continued to work during the recent strike. Strong comments were the order of the day at weblogs maintained by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, John August, and Nikki Finke.

Go To WGAw Site […]

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Tags: Business & Craft

Writing For Television — Which Shows Should You Spec?

April 17th, 2008 · No Comments

Veteran Ken Levine offers some valuable pointers on current practice aimed at landing a staff position.
Go To Ken Levine’s Place …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Inside The Writers’ Room — Leverage, Week 2

April 16th, 2008 · No Comments

The crew pranks a newbie, Rogers expounds the physics of index cards of the future, and a Reader Comment provides links to restickable glue sticks and dry erase paint. Meanwhile, from the looks of a February press release, “Leverage” could turn out to be a pretty cool show.
Go To John Rogers’ Place …

Go To A […]

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Tags: Business & Craft

SAG And AMPTP Begin Talks

April 15th, 2008 · No Comments

Bloomberg.com’s Andy Fixmer and Michael White report that “SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers … met today and exchanged proposals, the two sides said in a joint e-mailed statement.”
Go To Article …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Artful Writer Answers Question — Did The Strike Work?

April 14th, 2008 · No Comments

Craig Mazin’s back, with a post mortem on the writers’ strike and new contract.
Go To Craig And Ted’s Place …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Success May Begin With Gratitude, And Giving Back

April 13th, 2008 · No Comments

Lisa reports promising developments with a recent contact. In a sidebar, she notes unfortunate collateral damage tied to the foreclosure market, and how people can help.
Go To Lisa’s Blog …

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Tags: Business & Craft

Producers Find It Harder To Get Projects Going

April 11th, 2008 · No Comments

Variety’s Anne Thompson reports on the drastic studio climate change that’s forcing producers to reinvent themselves.
“Producers and directors once accustomed to pitching a project at a studio and getting easy development money are stymied. Now they need to build muscles and an arsenal of skills they never exercised at the well-greased, slow-turning studio wheel.
“Some are […]

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Tags: Business & Craft

Terry Rossio On Concept

April 10th, 2008 · No Comments

“… The Warner Bros. Hallway Test. It’s brutal, and it illustrates a simple point:
As a screenwriter, your choice of film premise is your calling card. Not your witty dialog, not your clever descriptions. Not your knowledge of structure and subplot and subtext.
“The very first decision you make as a writer — ‘what is my film […]

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Tags: Business & Craft