EDITOR’S NOTE: The following went out to those on the TVWriter™ e-mail list yesterday. Here it is for those of you who – OMG! – haven’t signed up yet:
|
A WORD FROM LB Yes, I know I used to send these newsletters monthly, but a funny thing happened over the past year or so. My plate, as my Uncle George used to say, has become pretty damn full. (He used to leave out the “damn” part, which I always felt insulted by, but that’s just me.) What I mean is that these days, in addition to TVWriter™ I’m also co-running two start-ups. The first is a company called SouthEast Asia Animation, an animation studio using facilities in Bangkok. And, let’s face it, if you’re going to use facilities, why not in one of the coolest parts of the East? The second is an extension of Cloud Creek Institute for the Arts called ACCIA. The first A in the name stands for Asia because ACCIA also is located in the Far East. Hong Kong, to be exact. It’s being backed by some farsighted Chinese entrepreneurs who see how much the need for knowledgeable, trained writers, directors, cinematographers, etc. is growing in China and have asked me to duplicate the original Cloud Creek Institute experience of using established talent to teach new talent…and new talent to energize the established pros. Both projects are exciting, and both demand hard work, not only from myself but also from my associates…and employees and students as well. What I’m leading up to here is an apology for not having been in touch for so long, and also for having had to cut back a bit on the number of posts we published daily on TVWriter™. Yes, there are a few less over the course of a week, but, to quote an old movie you’ve probably never seen but should, “What’s there is choice.” (PAT & MIKE starring Tracy & Hepburn, written by Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin. It’s a classic. Check it out!) Bottom line: With any luck, I’ll be able to keep to a quarterly newsletter schedule from now on…and with a little more luck, also be able to offer everyone who comes to TVWriter™ more opportunities to get into the biz via SEAA and ACCIA. Put in a good word for us with the spirits of your choice, will you? We’re definitely doing the same for y’all. And while we’re at it, here’s the latest at TVWriter™: PEOPLE’S PILOT CONTEST UPDATE As TVWriter™ true believers all should know, the 2016 People’s Pilot opened for entries a couple of weeks ago and will be open until the very last minute (or maybe second) of November 1, 2016. This year we’ve updated the PP to match recent changes in entertainment and make the contest not just a “television writing” thing, but one for shows intended for any and all electronic entertainment media. Whether the series you are creating is intended for broadcast TV, cable and satellite, TV, home entertainment/video game consoles, Big Media interweb outlets like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, or indie web channels and venues like YouTube, Vimeo, Funny or Die, or the show’s own website, it’s eligible for the new PEOPLE’S PILOT. Similarly, we’re open for entries regardless of what length you envision the episodes being or how many episodes you foresee it having. Genres also are entirely open. Whether you’ve written a drama, comedy, action, dramedy, anthology script for adults, for young adults, for children, or, what the hell, for opossums, the PEOPLE’S PILOT wants to see it. Is your pilot intended for live action? Great. And just as great if you see what you’ve written as being animated, or starring puppets, or little balls of clay, whateves. Are you hoping for your series to last forever? Envisioning it as a mini or limited series? It’s all good to us. We welcome everything you can think of. Category-wise, we’ve expanded from two to three. These are: 1) Scripted Series 1/2 Hour or Less (no matter how much less) In other words, scripts for shows that about anything that are intended to be broadcast anywhere, and will play from, oh, a few seconds to several hours long are cordially invited! Practically speaking, other changes include: PRIZES: TVWriter™ is now offering over $20,000 in prizes and entry bonuses, including: FREE FEEDBACK We’ve had free Feedback for awhile now and are constantly hearing how valuable it’s been. We think the Feedback alone is worth more than the price of admission and believe you’ll agree! FREE STORYTELLING PATTERNS E-BOOK All entrants will receive a PDF file of Larry Brody’s Storytelling Patterns in Genre Films booklet. Available nowhere else, Storytelling Patterns is a guide to outlining your scripts by using timeless story patterns and scenes that have proven time and time again to be invaluable to successful storytelling. NEW ENTRY FEE SCHEDULE The regular entry fee is $50 for each submission, with an Early Bird Special fee of only $35 for everyone entering in March and April. We also have a new Duo Discount that allows you to pay for 2 entries at the same time for a total payment of only $85 after the Early Bird Special expires. As in past years, we urge you to take advantage of the discounts even if your entry or entries won’t be ready before the discount period ends. You can upload your submissions at any time until the contest closes. The PEOPLE’S PILOT website is HERE The full list of Prizes is HERE The Enter Page is HERE Email LB personally with any questions HERE Winners, Finalists, and Semi-Finalists of TVWriter™’s past contests are or have most recently been on the staffs of MOM, CHICAGO PD, CHICAGO FIRE, PERSON OF INTEREST, THE WALKING DEAD, RIZZOLI AND ISLES, COLONY, GREY’S ANATOMY, ONCE UPON A TIME, SMALLVILLE, ROME, THE LEFTOVERS, the upcoming WESTWORLD and recently departed THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER, to name a few. We’d love to see you join them! TV WRITER UNIVERSITY UPDATE The next TVWriter™ Advanced Online Workshop, which will be the 154th in the past decade and a half, starts Wednesday, March 30, 2016 and considering how quickly it fills up, there’s no better time to sign up than right now. This is the workshop for writers who already know the basics and have a specific project to workshop with LB. The Advanced Workshop is limited to 5 students, so if you’re interested in getting in on the fun, you really should have a look-see at the Advanced Workshop info and sign-up form And if all goes according to plan Larry Brody’s next Master Class will begin in April or May at the latest. The Master Class is the online workshop for professional level writers who want to spend an intense month perfecting your current work. That means you have a draft of 60 pages ready to be read and tweaked. Or revised, or, who knows, maybe thrown away, but we don’t want to scare ya. Let LB himself analyze your story, plot, and characterization just as he would if he were producing your masterpiece. LB accepts a maximum of only 3 students at a time in this one so if you’re interested you definitely need to get more info and reserve your place ASAP Or find out more about everything TVWriter University is currently offering HERE That’s it for now. Our work here is done. The rest is up to you. Team TVWriter™ TVWRITER™ STAFF: |
