Factory News
Upcoming Writers' Factory events

Opportunities
Screen writing competitions and other opportunities

Events
Screen writing events and classes

E-BULLETIN: July 2011

Welcome to the Writers' Factory's E-Bulletin for July 2011.

These monthly bulletins contain information about future Writers' Factory courses as well as information relevant to screen writers across the UK and internationally. The Writers' Factory E-Bulletin is divided into three sections: Factory News, Opportunities and Events.

We would appreciate any feedback you have on our
E-bulletin and if you have any information that you would like circulated to our subscribers, please email this to info@writersfactory.co.uk by the end of the first week of each month.

Events
Creative Scotland Investment Surgeries
Scottish Screenwriters - Welcomes New Members
Write Camera Action
BAFTA and Rushes Soho Shorts - Short Filmmakers'  Market
Syd Field Mastering the Craft of Screenwriting 
Serious Screenwriting 2011 BAFTA - Screenwriters on Screenwriting Channel
Euroscript - Screenwriting Courses and Events
Read more

Factory News

Writers' Factory Introduction to Screenwriting
Edinburgh Skillset Screen & Media Academy
Location: Edinburgh, UK
Dates: October 2011 - March 2012

The UK Film Council commissioned the Writers Factory syllabus to provide writers with foundation skills in screenwriting, and it’s now a well-established part of Scotland’s creative writing landscape. The course takes place over 22 weeks and encourages you to explore more fully your storytelling instincts, study the craft of screenwriting, workshop with your peers, and develop and write a commercial ten-minute film.

It’s delivered by multi-award winning Edinburgh-based film and television producer, screenwriter and experienced Writers’ Factory lecturer, Nigel R. Smith. Trained at the Media Business School in Spain and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the US, Nigel’s many and varied credits include children’s space adventure sitcom Intergalactic Kitchen and Tartan Shorts, Cry for Bobo, for the BBC.

For more details, visit http://bit.ly/mXhU7z

The Writers’ Factory courses have been highly successful in developing screenwriters, many of whom have gone on to produce short film scripts or pursue their interest in writing at Film School. All courses are screen-industry approved and are delivered by experienced screen industry professionals.  Courses offered through the programme include:

Introduction to Screenwriting Express
Run over 2 weekends, this course is designed to help students explore storytelling instincts and the craft of screenwriting and offers the opportunity to develop and write a commercial ten minute film. 

Introduction to Screenwriting
Delivered over 22 weeks, this course is designed to help students develop a range of skills and critical facilities in the field of screenwriting and offers them the opportunity to develop and write a short screenplay.

Feature Film Course
Delivered over 22 weeks, this course is designed to help emerging screenwriters to develop a range of skills in the field of feature film writing and offers them the opportunity to write a feature length screenplay. 

*You must have completed the Introduction To Screenwriting course or have a relevant qualification in order to participate on this course.

Training for Trainers
These courses are open to experienced screenwriters, script consultants and development producers who would like to run courses training emerging writing talent.

Visit www.writersfactory.co.uk for details on current courses

Opportunities

Creative Futures Screenwriting Residencies - Apply Now!
Playwrights' Studio, Scotland and Creative Scotland
Location: Scotland wide

Creative Scotland’s ‘Creative Futures’ is an ambitious programme of residencies and related activities designed to promote the professional development, vision, connectivity and ambitions of Scotland’s creative practitioners and organisations.

Screenwriting Residencies - Apply Now!

Our inspirational aim – to produce best screenwriters in the world.

The programme consists of a residential training programme in Scotland, which will support you over a five month period to develop a specific script. Participants will work with high level experienced mentors, including mentor tutors from Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam. There will be three residential meetings with writers expected to work on their film between meetings.

Selected participants will also be given the opportunity to present to potential producers at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June 2012.

The workshop weekends will take place in November 2011, February 2012 and April 2012. This valuable development opportunity is free of charge to participants.

Full details are available at http://bit.ly/iSUIjZ

360 Narratives

This project aims to bring together around twenty talented and successful individuals, who create in narrative forms, so that they can develop ideas and methods of working that will enable them to benefit from the possibilities of 360 degree multi-platform content creation. They will have a chance to further capitalise on their creativity in new as well as more traditional formats.

More details and the application process will be posted soon at http://www.playwrightsstudio.co.uk/360narratives.htm

Fancy pitching your film to the executive producer of The King's Speech? Or someone working in Acquisitions for Momentum? That's just what Raindance London is offering you the chance to do. And if you're the winning pitch, you walk off with a hatful of cash too. For further details, visit http://bit.ly/nIddEp

Screen NETS (New Entrants Training Programme) is an advanced training programme to enhance and boost the skills, knowledge and contacts of new and recently entered practitioners in the Film and TV Drama Industry.

Applicants should be based in Scotland and have between 3 and 5 industry credits at trainee or assistant level (one credit required for Animation).   

Screen NETS will be delivered by Screen Academy Scotland at Edinburgh Napier University which is based at Merchiston Avenue in Edinburgh.

For further details, call  0131 455 2818 or visit http://bit.ly/qPBVVi

FST is delighted to announce the launch of two Creative Scotland Creative Futures Residencies:

Arts and the Economy
Arts and Equalities

Bursaries of up to £11,500 are available for each area to support an individual to carry out project in the area of Arts and the Economy or Equalities. Applicants may come from any sector within the Arts and Creative Industries, or be individuals working in the field of economics or an equalities specialist.    

Creative Futures is an ambitious programme of residencies and related activities designed to promote the professional development, vision, connectivity and ambitions of Scotland’s creative practitioners and organisations.

For more details on how to apply, visit http://bit.ly/lDUmJS

ScreenHI are looking to contract an aspiring editor familiar with Final Cut Pro.  This is a freelance contract being offered over six months, delivering a variety of offline and online content connected with the many projects ScreenHI are involved with.  

To express an interest in this contract, email ScreenHI at info@screenhi.co.uk and they will provide further details about the opportunity.

The UK's only MA degree in Television Writing has been devised by practicing industry experts, SHED Productions (Waterloo Road, Bad Girls, Footballers’ Wives) and Glasgow Caledonian University.

The one year course is tailored to honing your writing skills, developing your awareness of the television industry in this country and abroad, and introducing you to powerful players in the media who will help you throughout the course, and after.

You’ll become familiar with the world of TV fiction writing through working with two very experienced television writers Ann Marie Di Mambro and Chris Dolan who have written for television shows including Eastenders, Casualty, Taggart, River City, Holby City, Inspector Lynley Mysteries and a number of stage and radio plays.

You will also have a deep practical knowledge of writing both original and commissioned scripts, an awareness of how the industry works, and a black book full of crucial contacts as well as industry standard calling card scripts.

All successful students will also benefit from a year with one of London’s top agencies - McFarlane Chard & Co. (sponsored by Shed).

They're open for applications for September 2011 now. They ask for a writing sample, of not more than three items (short stories, extracts from plays or novels etc. and screenplays of course) which don't have to be published or performed.

Applications will be considered until the end of August.

They have a number of scholarships available from prestigious awarding bodies including Shed Productions, BBC Writers Room, Television Alba (for Gaelic speakers).

For more information on the application procedure, visit http://bit.ly/mz0edS

ScreenHI is going on the road this Spring and Summer to show off their fabulously talented filmmakers.  They will have a screening tent at some of the biggest festivals in Scotland including The Wickerman Festival, Belladrum Tartan Heart and Loopallu to showcase the best of Scottish short films made in the last 18 months.   Kicking off with the Celtic Media Festival in Stornoway later this month, they will also be visiting the Knoydart Festival and some further, as yet, unconfirmed events.

If you'd like your film to be considered please get in touch with ScreenHI on info@screenhi.co.uk

Get ready to take a bow. Tell British Airways your brilliant idea, and with Richard E Grant as your scriptwriting mentor, it could be your film being seen by an international audience of millions.

London will be transformed by the arrival of the Olympic Games in 2012. They want you to write an original story/script for a short film that takes its inspiration from this extraordinary event and tells of the changes it will bring about in people's lives. The film will be shown on flights in the run up to, and during, the London 2012 Games, while an edited version will also be shown as a pre-landing film.

Full details are available at http://bit.ly/mFN5DJ

WE PLAY wishes to commission an artist/film maker to create a documentary film about WE PLAY for first screening at the WE PLAY EXPO and subsequently at UK and International film festivals.

WE PLAY is a four year cultural programme and the North West’s unique contribution to the build up and legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They are looking for a short film in video format of a maximum duration of 40 minutes. This film project will be contracted and managed by Preston City Council on behalf of WE PLAY as the co-producer and host of the WE PLAY Expo programme of events.

For full details and to download the brief, visit http://bit.ly/owxkKM

The Script Factory is offering one screenwriter a bursary of £1,000 and one year's development support, alongside free Script Factory training, a development meeting with Alison Owen, MD of Ruby Films, and an exclusive lunch with BAFTA/Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) at a top London restaurant.

For further details, email general@scriptfactory.co.uk

IdeasTap, the online arts and funding organisation, has teamed up with Sky Arts to launch a new bursary for young artists. The Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund will offer five young artists £30,000 each to fund their work for a full year. The fund is open to artists aged 18-30 living in the UK and Ireland, and is designed to bridge the gap between formal education and becoming a working artist.

The Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund is open to individual artists working in visual art, theatre, performance art, film, music, dance or literature. The scheme will also provide each artist with a mentor from Sky, who will help develop their skills and knowledge in the arts and commercial sector. The artists will also have the opportunity to showcase their work on Sky Arts – be it on TV, online or on demand.

The deadline for applicants is 19 September 2011. Two winners will be selected during this round of funding. The next round will open in early 2012 from which three further winners will be chosen.

For more information, and to apply for the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund, please visit http://bit.ly/lLvV25

Sixty Second Stories is a global survey of cinematic storytelling from a new generation of filmmakers.  Emerging filmmakers from all over the world are being asked to produce Sixty Second Stories - the best ninety stories will become a feature film.  The feature will premiere at the 2012 Berlinale, before playing festivals around the world.

To find out more, download an entry form and preview some of the other films submitted so far, visit http://bit.ly/oedONF

Production company Squarebox Yellow - with access to funding and distribution - are searching for their next project. If you have a feature length script you are looking to get produced then please get in touch with them on mara@makingugly.com

For examples of their work please visit http://bit.ly/gPOsz4

Events

Creative Scotland Investment Surgeries
Creative Scotland
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Dates: 28 July 2011

The Investment Surgeries are an opportunity for you to meet Creative Scotland staff who will be able to give you face to face tailored assistance with your inquiries about their Investment Programmes. They will be held around the country and will be scheduled regularly.

Thursday 28 July
12 – 1pm
Dundee Contemporary Arts,
152 Nethergate,
Dundee,
DD1 4DY

To register and for more information, visit http://bit.ly/mxEZrL

Most meetings will start off with a short Industry Talk and Question and Answer session, followed by workshopping of scripts and outlines in the second part of the evening.

Meetings are suitable for everyone with an interest in learning about Screenwriting, from those with no experience at all, to working professionals. Bring along work on the night and each piece to be workshopped should be no more than 10 pages.

For details of all the meetings, visit http://bit.ly/e1EHtW

A series of workshops for film writers, directors and actors for development and feedback.

Write Camera Action meet on the third Monday of each month at The Centre for Contemporary Art, 350 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow.

For more details, visit http://on.fb.me/lRHlPF

Screenwriting Courses and Events
Euroscript
Location: London
Dates: Ongoing

Euroscript’s goal is to facilitate the production of highest quality marketable screenplays for film and television. Euroscript comprises a team of experienced and diverse industry professionals including producers, working screenwriters, script consultants and film-makers

Training is at the heart of the Euroscript programme. They offer a wide range of courses and events to help develop your screenwriting, marketing and networking skills no matter your level, using experienced industry practitioners giving personal feedback on your work.

Euroscript offer a diverse range of: Day and Weekend Courses, Evening Courses, Project Development Workshops and Free Events

For all upcoming courses and events, please view the Euroscript monthly calendar http://bit.ly/h9BcMv

Writers' Factory @ Playwrights' Studio, Scotland
CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD
Telephone: 0141-332-4403 Textphone: 0141-332-3208
info@writersfactory.co.uk www.writersfactory.co.uk
Charity No: SC036767