Cameron Chapman's Blog, page 2

A Few Great Short Films

Doing a little research tonight by watching some short films, since I’m working on my first comedy short film script. And I thought I’d share a few I liked. Enjoy!

WARNING: Not for young children unless you want an awkward talk with them.

There comes a time in every parent’s life when the harsh reality hits — their child is growing up. And with that realization comes an event, a moment, faced with fear and trepidation, when said parent takes time from their busy day to have a special chat with their child, a talk if you will. And as with all parenting moments when dads are in charge, it goes horribly, horribly wrong.

The comedic slice-of-life short THE TALK is about such a parenting moment mishap. Starring the immensely talented JOHN HOOGENAKKER (Public Enemies, Empire) and lovable rising star ISABELLA CROVETTI-CRAMP (Joy, Colony) it is a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of parenting — of epic proportions — and reminds us that life is not always as it seems.

 

After managing to get the number of Dawn, a cool girl that he meets in a queue for coffee, Mark could be forgiven for being pleased with himself. There’s just one problem… they’re still in the queue. Feeling the pressure to stay cool and interesting, Mark soon finds himself drowning in an ocean of his own awkwardness and insecurities. This is a comedy about why, sometimes, it really is better to quit while you’re ahead.

 

Dude loses last two digits of girl’s number.

Tries every combo to find her. It’s funny.

 

Desperate to find the man of her dreams, sweet and plain Ava tries a last ditch effort, speed dating. But the absurd cast of characters she encounters makes her wonder if being single is not so bad after all.

Writing the Super-Short Short Film

I’m a fan of short short films. Like, films under 10-15 minutes tops. I kind of feel like the space between at 10-15 minute short and a feature (or TV pilot) is pointless. At least with the career goals I have.

I have a short I really want to produce that will end up right around 10-12 minutes (Wildflower). But, it’s going to require a decent budget. Not huge, but more than pocket money. And I have yet to find an animator to collaborate with (it’s partially animated). So at this particular moment, it’s on temporary hold. I’m hoping I’ll get to it this year, but if I don’t, that’s ok. I have other goals, too.

In the meantime, I really want to just dive in and produce and direct a short film before winter is over. That means there are a few restrictions:

Needs a small cast and crew. The bigger the cast and the bigger the crew, the longer it takes to get everything coordinated. Especially when it’s a short where no one is getting paid.
One location is best. Two at most. Again, this has to do with coordinating everything.
Interior locations are safer. Winter weather in Vermont is temperamental at best. I’m leaning toward a bar location. Or possibly a coffee shop.
Something that can serve double-duty. I’m in the early stages of a romantic comedy script about online dating, so I’m leaning toward writing something in the same genre, and maybe even with the same characters, so that I can later use it as a proof of concept for the feature.

My goal is five pages. I want a beginning, middle, and end (so not a vignette-style piece). I want it to have decent conflict. I don’t want to do anything resembling slapstick comedy. It should be smart but not pretentious.

I want something that is marketable and good. I know, tall order for a short film.

My plan is to get this written this weekend. A short like that, once I have it outlined, usually takes me less than an hour to write. And maybe another hour to revise before sending it out to some trusted readers for notes. And then I’m going to jump right into pre-production and get this thing made.

Speaking of, if anyone in the Vermont/northern New England area is interested in helping out, get in touch!

The Value of Positive Self-Talk

As a writer, as someone who deals in words all day, every day, I’ve recently noticed how subtle changes in the way things are phrased made such a huge impact on how they come across. I know, I should have figured this out a long time ago. And I guess when it comes to writing things, I did. But I didn’t think about it in terms of the way I think and the way I talk to myself.

And woah does it make a difference. Because I realized that for the past few months, my self-talk/inner monologue/whatever you want to call it has sounded like a whiny little bitch. And the thing is, I’m not a whiny little bitch in real life.

I’ve started really examining the language I use when talking to myself. And it really is changing my outlook and perspective on the world and my place in it. Here’s what I’ve found.

Get Rid of “Just”

Just is the bane of my existence. It’s a weak word. It makes anything it’s attached to weak and/or whiny.

I just wish…

I just want…

If this would just happen…

If I could just do this…

Yeah…that’s so not me. So I’ve pretty much eliminated the word “just” from my internal monologue. I don’t say I “just want” something, because it sounds like I think it’s unlikely or impossible that it would actually happen. Instead, I say I want something. I say I wish something was so (more on wish in a minute).

I say “If this would happen, then that might be the result” or “If I could do this, then that would happen.” See: way less whiny and way more proactive.

For more on why “just” is such a toxic word in general, especially for women, check out what Ellen Leanse wrote about it over on Women2.0. I’ve done a lot to eliminate “just” from my daily vocabulary, but for some reason I kept it as part of my internal vocabulary.

Wish vs. Hope

This is another big one that can make you sound whiny and self-defeating without meaning to. Let me see if I can explain this one in a way that makes sense outside of my head.

When you say “I wish” about something that could already be true, or that is in progress but undecided as of right this moment, you’re basically saying that you don’t think it will actually happen. This is particularly true when it comes to things that involve other people or your own skill.

As an example:

“I wish I could win that screenwriting contest”

vs

“I hope I win that screenwriting contest”.

The first one sounds like I don’t think I can win. The second one sounds like I want to win and am open to it happening.

But there are times when “wish” is appropriate. “I wish I had finished that screenplay in time to enter that contest” makes total sense. It’s past-tense, so obviously “hope” is no longer appropriate.

Other times “wish” is appropriate is when it’s a total long-shot and something is really unlikely to happen. “I wish I had $10 million to make my feature” or “I wish I could get Johnny Depp to star in my movie for no pay”. I mean, I guess either of those things could happen, but they’re so unlikely at this point in time that “hope” doesn’t really apply. I could say “I hope I can raise $10 million so I can pay Johnny Depp to do a cameo in my movie” is slightly more realistic.

This all has to do with believing in yourself. Saying “I hope something happens” leaves open the possibility that it could, and also doesn’t preclude you from putting in the hard work required to even have a chance of making it happen. When you say “I wish something would happen” it’s like you want the universe to hand it to you, without requiring any work on your part.

Repetition

This is another habit that is tough to break. My inner monologue was so repetitive. Like, it was the same thing, day after day, with no change. And it sounded something like, “I just wish blah blah blah” — puke.

What I’ve noticed is that since I turned my self-talk more positive and less whiny, I’ve been more inclined to actually make a plan to make these things happen. So instead of “I just wish I could win a screenwriting contest” I think things like “I hope I win X screenwriting contest”. And then I do something radical: I go over my “finished” screenplays again, make tweaks if I feel any are necessary, and then enter those contests. Imagine that.

This whole proactive thing means I’m less likely to just keep repeating the same thoughts over and over and over again. I think things, and then I think about how to actually make them happen. I think about what steps I can take in the direction I want to go in.

 

As creatives, we have to be careful to protect ourselves from negative self-talk. It doesn’t matter what your creative discipline is, if you’re constantly berating yourself, you’re affecting your creativity and your results.

We hear enough criticism from the world, either directed at us or at art in general. We need to take better care of ourselves. We need to figure out how to keep ourselves motivated, accountable, and productive without belittling ourselves or our efforts.

The Second Act Slump

I’m currently in the depths of rewriting a screenplay I started working on two years ago. The first draft was finished up in October, and I knew then that it was crap. Like, total crap. Like, crap to the point I wouldn’t even show it to anyone for notes.

But I knew that I could fix it. The basic idea was good. The characters were good. I just needed to give them a story they could really flourish in.

Skip to now. I’ve outlined the entire thing again, changed some major points, and finally started rewriting. I’m just moving into act two. And let me tell you, act two is my least favorite part of writing anything.

Because act two is potentially where it all falls apart. Act one, setting everything up, is pretty simple. There are specific steps you can choose to take that will get you from point A to point B. And act three is where you tie everything up, and as long as you’ve done act two properly, is also fairly simple to write.

But act two…man. Act two is hard. You have to get from the beginning to the end, with the proper pacing, ups and downs, character development, plot points, and B stories to keep a reader—and eventually a viewer—entertained.

The thing about act two is that theoretically, you could do anything here. You can take a linear, logical path from act one to act three, or you can go off on a tangent and take your reader/viewer on a wild ride they weren’t expecting (but that still makes sense in the context of your story).

So the second act is stressful on top of being hard. And I’m now currently entering act two on this rewrite, and while I have it all very well mapped out and outlined, I’m still a bit nervous about actually writing it. This is where it all fell apart in the original draft. And this is where I typically run into issues with my writing. I’m honestly tempted to write the end now, and then come back to fill in the middle. Or just start writing pivotal scenes that I can then bridge together later.

I’ll keep y’all updated on how it progresses. Fingers crossed I can get to “FADE OUT” sooner rather than later…

Hot Guys on Instagram

I promise this relates to creativity and filmmaking. Really.

Just bear with me for a moment.

There are a TON of hot guys on Instagram. I follow a fair number of them (probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the people I follow on Instagram are guys I consider attractive. The rest of them are primarily either friends or cute bunny accounts). And there’s something I’ve noticed about the people (particularly women) who comment on photos these guys post.

They are  shameless in their comments. As in, they’ll make the most suggestive and/or blatantly sexual comments to these guys, like the guy isn’t going to see it.

I  sort of get it. It feels like these guys are other-worldly; like they wouldn’t actually be reading the comments people leave. But guess what? They do. Some more than others, but they pretty much all read at least some of the comments people leave for them. I know this, because they respond to those comments. And some of them will visit your profile and like your photos after you’ve left a comment. (This has happened to me a couple of times. So I’m speaking from personal experience.)

As someone who works in media, and who’s in the process of making films with actors who aren’t friends and family, I can’t imagine leaving these kinds of comments. Like, seriously.

Because the thing is, these guys are real people. They have mothers and sisters, some have daughters and wives and girlfriends (hopefully not wives and girlfriends at the same time, but I digress). And some of them are people I hope to work with in the not-too-distant future.

But do you think they’re going to take me seriously if they remember me as that woman who’s constantly leaving comments talking about how hot they are, or worse? Nope. Not a chance. Particularly if they’re not single (do you think their wife or girlfriend wants them going off to work with some woman who’s constantly hitting on them? I’m gonna go with “no”).

So I don’t leave inappropriate comments. Sure,  I’ll comment on their work. I’ll (obsessively) like their photos. I’ll strike up conversations. And you know what? They respond. They remember who I am. They comment on or like my photos. A few have followed me back. But the thing they don’t do is think of me as that  crazy woman who won’t stop leaving dirty comments on their photos. Because I’m never that woman in the first place.

And hopefully, when I eventually contact some of them regarding work (film roles   and such), they’ll consider my proposal as a professional, and not go running for the hills because they think I’m some obsessed stalker.

So all I would ask is that you think about the things you’re commenting before you say them. Would you say these things to some random dude on the street? In front of his girlfriend or wife? His daughter or mother? I hope not.

And guys, the same thing totally goes for you! Stop saying things to people online that you wouldn’t say to them directly in a one-on-one message  or in public.

My Morning Routine

I was working on an article for Skillcrush the other day and came across a website called My Morning Routine. You guys…I’m kind of obsessed. There are dozens of interviews with all kinds of creative and tech people about what they do in the morning.

A little confession: my morning routine SUCKS. I’m all over the place in the morning. But I’m really trying to change that this year. Partly because of my new house, and the fact that I would love to get up early enough in the morning once the weather improves to take a nice long walk and/or do some stuff outside every day before I start work. Which means I need to start getting up earlier now, so I’m in the habit once April or May hits.

So in an effort to make that habit more permanent, I’m going to answer the questions My Morning Routine asks, with both what my current habits are, as well as what I want my habits to be. Here goes!

What is your morning routine?

I’ve started (this week…) waking up at 7:30 every morning. If it’s a Tuesday or a Thursday, I hit snooze once and then get up, because those are my yoga mornings. On yoga mornings I get dressed (I set my yoga clothes out the night before so I don’t waste time searching for them).

I let my dog out and fill her water bowl at least twice. I check that my rabbit has some hay and water left in her cage, and fill either if necessary. Around 8:15-8:20 I head out to get to my 8:30-9:30 yoga class. I used to go to the 10-11:30 yoga class, but have found it just doesn’t consistently fit into my schedule. So I’ve switched.

When class gets out at 9:30, I go to the coffee shop on my way out and get a dirty chai with two espresso shots, and then head straight home for my 10am daily stand-up meeting.

If it’s not a yoga morning, then I tend to linger in bed till 8am (sometimes later, but I’m trying to stop that). Sometimes I grab my iPad and write or read, and other times I just check Facebook or whatever on my phone. I’m trying to break this habit, and either do something productive from bed (like reading or writing), or just get up.

I make coffee (French press) or tea, and do the same routine with the dog and bunny. Then I head to my desk and do a little planning for the day before my 10am meeting. Occasionally I have meetings before 10, but it’s rare. Different time zones mean we generally don’t get too early of a start. If I somehow manage to get back to my desk significantly before 10am, I’ll try to knock out at least one task before 10.

After my daily stand-up, I either have meetings or start tackling my to-do list for the day. I use a paper to-do list, in a planner I custom-made to fit my needs. Sometime between 11 and 12 I usually grab something to eat.

You might notice that breakfast is generally absent from my mornings. I rarely eat breakfast unless I’m going to be out for the day. I prefer to skip straight to lunch, although I generally have dinner early and then a heavy snack later, so I guess I just push “breakfast” back till noon.

As far as what my ideal morning would look like: I’d love to get up by 7am and actually get out of bed right away. I’d also like to start adding a walk to mornings when I don’t go to yoga, but since it’s winter right now I haven’t. That’s a springtime goal. Although I’ve been trying to get up and dance around for a bit when I wake up, to get the blood pumping and really wake myself up.

I’d also like to set aside more time to do personal work in the mornings, like blogging or working on screenplays.

How long have you stuck with your morning routine?

Four days.

How has your morning routine changed over recent years?

I used to get up super late. It wasn’t uncommon for me to crawl out of bed fifteen minutes before my 10am meeting. Then I was groggy and had a hard time really starting my work day at a reasonable hour. Getting up earlier gives me time to be fully awake before I really start working.

What time do you go to sleep?

I have a bad habit of staying up until 3am working. I’ve been making an effort to go to bed by 1 lately. I’m set if I get 6 hours of sleep.

Do you do anything before going to bed to make your morning easier?

If I have yoga in the morning, I set my clothes out the night before. Other than that, I don’t do a whole lot at night, preferring to use whatever time I can eke out between finishing work and going to bed to relax.

Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?

I always use an alarm (even on weekends) and I always hit snooze. I will sometimes set my alarm 9 minutes earlier than necessary just so I can hit snooze.

I view it as a luxury. I have a really comfortable bed. Once I’m out of bed, I’m on the go pretty much non-stop until I crawl back into bed at night. So taking a few minutes in the morning to just relax and be cozy is important to me. The habit I’m trying to break is hitting snooze more than once or twice. Because sometimes I’ll hit snooze for over an hour…

How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?

I don’t do breakfast in general. I don’t like to eat until I’m actually hungry, and I’m rarely hungry when I wake up. I have coffee, and sometimes I’ll drink part of a protein shake, but other than that, I usually wait till lunchtime.

If I do decide to have breakfast, I generally go with either eggs or a smoothie.

Do you have a morning workout routine?

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I do yoga for an hour. I want to incorporate more yoga into my routine at home, but haven’t been very successful yet. On days I don’t do yoga, I’m trying to remember to dance around in the mornings when I get up to get my blood flowing and start my day off awake.

Do you have a morning meditation routine?

I don’t. I prefer to meditate constantly throughout the day. I copyedited a book a few years ago called The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing and it completely changed my outlook on and approach to meditation. I highly recommend it.

Do you answer email first thing in the morning, or leave it until later in the day?

I generally check my work email right before my first meeting of the day. My personal email only gets checked if I have an important-looking notification on my phone.

Do you use any apps or products to enhance your sleep or morning routine?

I don’t have any apps for sleeping at night, but I do use Pzizz for taking power naps in the afternoon. The only app I use in the morning is Songza, which is about to be taken over by Google Play. I’m still pissed about that.

How soon do you check your phone in the morning?

As soon as I wake up. I use it as my alarm clock, so I inevitably see notifications when I hit snooze.

What are your most important tasks in the morning?

It varies from day to day. I almost always have some writing to get done. I consider yoga to be a top priority. I’m going to make taking a walk a top priority once the weather improves.

What and when is your first drink in the morning?

It’s generally coffee, unless it’s a yoga day, and then it’s water.

Do you also follow your morning routine on weekends, or do you change some steps?

I tend to sleep a little later (mostly because I stay up later). But otherwise I do the same things, just trading the meetings and day job work for personal projects. It’s rare that I go out and do things until afternoon on the weekends.

On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your morning routine to fit in with a different environment?

I’m pretty much never not home in the mornings. If I’m in a different environment, I like to adapt my morning routine to fit whatever I want to do on a given day.

What do you do if you fail to follow your morning routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?

It can put me in a funk. Especially if I skip coffee. Then I end up with a massive headache by mid-afternoon. But otherwise I’m not terribly tied to it yet. Hopefully that will change with time!

 

So there are my answers to My Morning Routine‘s typical interview questions. I would highly encourage everyone to go check out their site!

8 Reasons You Should Apply to Stowe Story Labs

Stowe Story Labs, held in Stowe, Vermont (a little over an hour from my hometown) each September, has been an absolutely pivotal experience in my life.

I was a Labber (what participants are called) in 2013, the first year the Labs were held. I almost didn’t apply, but my mother encouraged me to. And I’m so glad I did. Like I said: pivotal. I’m sure that if I hadn’t attended, I would not have gotten so serious about screenwriting and indie filmmaking. I’d still consider it a “hobby” instead of a passion and potential career path.

Now, I’m involved with the Labs as a volunteer, and wouldn’t miss it for anything. It’s the highlight of my year, professionally and often personally.

Anyway, if you’re a screenwriter, I highly recommend applying to the Fall Narrative Lab. And here are eight reasons why I think you should:

1. You get advice from amazing mentors

Seriously, Stowe brings together some amazing industry mentors. David Pope, Chris Millis, Mark Piznarski, Ellen Parks, Amy Hobby (who was just nominated for an Oscar!), Anne Hubbell, and so many others. And the best part is that they’re all very accessible throughout the Labs. The only real rule about chatting with the mentors is that we don’t pitch our projects unless asked to.

Here’s a photo of David Pope chatting with Chris Kratt (of children’s television fame) from the 2015 Labs:

A photo posted by Cameron Chapman (@cam_chapman) on Sep 12, 2015 at 3:00pm PDT

2. You’ll figure out how to pitch your story to directors, producers, and anyone else who can help get it made

Pitching is a huge part of the Fall Narrative Labs. Figuring out how to talk about your work with people you encounter in all sorts of situations is a key part of Labs. You’ll pitch peer groups and mentors until you get over any potential fear you have of the pitching process. The upside is that pitching is done in smaller groups now, as opposed to in front of the entire room like the year I attended.

3.  You’ll meet other screenwriters, creative producers, and directors from all over the country (and the world) at all different levels

Labs attracts screenwriters from all over the US, and around the world. There’s a strong Vermont contingent each year, but there are also a ton of Labbers from elsewhere. There have been participants from Australia, New Zealand, and Belgium (among other countries I’m sure I’m forgetting), as well as numerous US states. They bring a variety of experience and experiences to Labs, and everyone benefits.

4. Stowe is a beautiful town

Come on, this is Vermont. It’s GORGEOUS here in September. The leaves are usually just starting to change. And Stowe is one of the more beautiful places in Vermont to begin with. Just check this out:

A photo posted by Beckie Burr (@beckieburr) on Nov 5, 2015 at 3:27am PST

5. It’s a community

One thing that’s happening with the Labs is that we’re forming a community around it. Both by individual year, but also in general. We run alumni groups to keep in touch, and collaborations are starting to grow out of the connections made at Labs. And we’re all there to support and help each other in our careers.

6. You’ll make life-long connections

Okay, it might be a little early to say that you’ll make life-long connections when the Labs have only been happening for 3 years, but I can say that I’m still in touch with people I met at Labs the first year. And in the second and third years. We chat, we have coffee occasionally, we read each other’s scripts, we celebrete each others successes, and we support each other. I’m getting ready to start collaborating on a script with a Labber from 2014 that I met while volunteering. I have hopes of working with some of the Vermont-based filmmakers I’ve met, too.

7. You’ll become a better screenwriter

When I left Labs the first year, I had the knowledge I needed to fix the screenplay I had been working on for over 2 years. This was a script I had rewritten half a dozen times, but could never quite figure out what was wrong with it. I identified the problem right away in the first readthrough I did after Labs, and was able to fix it in less than a day. All because of the talks by David Pope and Chris Millis.

8. You’ll walk away from the Labs completely inspired

This is one of the reasons I come back year after year. The Labs are inspiring. The conversations, the lectures, the round table discussions, the entire atmosphere, is just one of the most inspirational places I’ve found. When I leave Labs, I’m also inspired and energized to get a ton of work done. I’m more productive in the month or two after Labs than at any other time of year.

So there are my top eight reasons to apply to the Fall Narrative Labs this year! I’m happy to talk about Labs with anyone considering applying (or accepted and unsure about going). Just shoot me a comment or an email!

Timeline to Pre-Production

One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to get a feature film into pre-production. Like, solidly into pre-production: casting, financing, and location scouting.

I have a “dream cast” in mind, partly because I like to cast my screenplays when I start writing. It gives me a very clear idea in my head of exactly who my characters are. Now, that doesn’t mean I can’t picture others in those roles, but it does make the writing process easier.

The screenplay I want to start pre-producing this year is currently titled Not Like This. That’s a working title and will almost definitely change between now and when I start casting. But for now it works. (For anyone wondering, the title comes from a song by Sasquatch, called Nikki, which is the name of my main character.)

Anyway, on to the title of this post: my timeline!

I finished the first (horrible) draft of the script in October.

I let it sit during November and worked on other things (like moving).

In December I started thinking about how I was going to take that horrible first draft and turn it into a screenplay I was actually willing to show people. Toward the end of December I started re-outlining and working through changes I needed to make.

By the beginning of January, I had a solid outline and a clear idea of what needed to be done. I’ve been doing pretty close to a page-one rewrite. I am copying and pasting some scenes over from the original draft, but much of what’s going into the second act will be entirely new, as will the entire third act.

The goal is to finish draft 2 by the end of January or the first week in February at the latest.

Then I’ll send it out to a few trusted readers for notes. These are people I’ve met through various writing endeavors, including Stowe Story Labs.

It looks like I’ll have the opportunity to peer-workshop a script at the Stowe Story Labs retreat this year (in May), and I’m thinking this will be the script I use for that. Getting more eyes on it, particularly from people who don’t already know me, is almost always a good thing.

I’ll finish up rewrites by the end of May, which means by June it will be ready to go into full-swing pre-production.

Now, because of the way I want to film and distribute this, I’m going about this a little differently. My #1 priority is to get a killer cast on board. I want to work under SAG’s New Media Agreement, which means distribution will happen primarily online. Because of that, I need a cast that has a serious online following. And not just followers, but true fans. My initial goal is to make sure that the five primary cast members, the ones with the most screen time, have a follower count that tops 4 million between the major channels.

Now, one of the people I really want to cast has a follower count of over half that, so it’s just a matter of making up the difference. Assuming I can cast him, that is.

So, casting is going to take up most/all of my summer. As soon as I get a couple of cast and crew members on board, it’ll be time to seek financing. My current plan is to crowdfund at least part of the budget, and hopefully find an investor willing to match that amount. I can, if absolutely necessary, make this film for $50,000. But my ideal budget is $600,000. At that amount I can pay everyone a better-than-livable wage, film with the equipment I want to use, and not have to use a complete skeleton crew. It’ll still be a very small production by Hollywood (and even indie) standards, but it’ll be adequate.

I already have locations in mind, so I’ll be approaching owners of those places to find out the feasibility of actually using them. I don’t see too many potential issues here, as there are a ton of potential locations, and I only need a couple. I decided to film in Vermont because of the network I have here. Sure, it means I don’t get tax breaks or other incentives, but at my budget level, having a strong network and personal connections is going to do me a lot more good.

So here’s the basic timeline:

January – May: Finish the script
May-August: Casting for the major roles! (Also starting to reach out to potential crew at this point)
June-?: Securing financing
August-?: Location scouting

This all hinges on writing a script that is absolutely essential amazing, that has parts in it that actors really want to play. Fortunately, that’s the one thing that is most under my control, and I feel like I have enough resources to pull that off (one of those times I’m really thankful I have a great network of screenwriting and writing friends who seem to always be ready and willing to give notes).

There are other parts of pre-production, of course, but these are the major pieces I want to get in order this year. If I can manage to get more done, awesome. But at least this will put me on the right track to film next year!

Stay tuned here for updates on the entire process. I’m thinking I’ll post at least one scene from the script when I get to a more polished draft. And while you’re at it, sign up below for exclusive content and updates you won’t necessarily find on the blog!

Lookbooks on Pinterest

Lookbooks have become an incredibly important part of pitching a film to potential partners, cast, producers, financiers, and anyone else involved in the indie film industry. It’s a visual representation of what your finished film will look like, feel like, and be reminiscent of.

I like to produce polished, PDF lookbooks at the end of a writing project. But while I’m actually working and nothing is finalized, I prefer to create lookbook boards on Pinterest!

Why?

It’s incredibly quick and easy to add and remove images from anywhere on the web (or to upload from a computer or phone)
Images are automatically linked to their sources, so you can always find the original source for an image you want to use elsewhere

You can make Pinterest boards public or private (secret, in Pinterest terminology). I use both types, depending on the project. Some projects I want to keep very private, while others I don’t mind sharing with the world.

If you want to check out some of my Pinterest lookbooks, here are some links:

Not Like This

Wildflower

Post-WWII Inspiration (this is for a currently-untitled project I’ve been working on off and on for awhile)

The Difference Between Flying and Falling

Two In Winter

You’ll note that some of those boards have character inspiration. Some of them are “dream casts” while others are just people who look similar to how I picture the characters, but aren’t necessarily who I would approach to cast.

Screenwriting Contests!

I was never big on entering screenwriting contests. I entered the Nicholl one year. But that was basically it.

Part of this was financial: entry fees on these contests can add up quick. When you’re talking about $30-40 apiece for early submissions, even ten entries over the course of the year add up. And when money was super tight (which it often has been in the past few years for me), that was just more than I could justify spending.

But, with my (awesome) new job, money is less tight on a regular basis. And that means I can afford to enter a contest or two every month. I’m still being VERY selective in which ones I enter, because I’m not going to throw away money entering contests that won’t do me any good.

That being said, I have entered quite a few contests in the past few months. To the point I’ve started tracking them on a spreadsheet.

I have three screenplays currently making the rounds.

First is a short, titled Wildflower. I wrote it at Stowe Story Labs in 2014 (on my phone, while standing in the back of the room), and then spent some time revising it in 2015. I’ve entered it in the ScreenCraft Short Film Production Fund, the PAGE Awards, and the Jameson First Shot contest.

Second is a pilot, for a TV series called Topsiders. That was originally going to be a web series, but I rewrote the first season into a pilot, and am really happy with how that worked out. I entered it in the ScreenCraft Pilot Launch contest, where it got nowhere. It’s currently entered in PAGE.

Then there’s Two In Winter, which is the feature that I consider my “baby”. I wrote and revised it over a number of years, finishing it in 2013. It’s mostly sat on my hard drive since then, until I decide to move it along into pre-production (I’m planning on making it my second feature). But I decided in the meantime, it’s totally worth entering it in some contests. Right now it’s entered in the Nashville Film Festival, and I’m about to enter it in PAGE.

There are a couple of other contests throughout the year I’ll likely enter, with these or with other scripts I have in-progress.

I’ll keep y’all updated on how things progress. I’d be super stoked if I make it into the quarter-finals in any of these contests.