Max Adams guests on USA Scriptchat: How to Get Read December 29, 2013

As our final guest of 2013, Max Adams @CelluloidBlonde guested with the topic: The Do's and Don'ts to Get Your Screenplay Read, Sold, and Produced. Enjoy!

You can also read the Max Adam transcript on the Storify site. 

Max Adams on USA Scriptchat: Do's & Don'ts to Get Your Screenplay Read, Sold, & Produced - December 29, 2013

Max Adams @CelluloidBlonde to guest on USA Scriptchat on December 29, 2013, talking Do's and Don'ts to Get Your Screenplay Read, Sold, and Produced. 

Join us at 5pm PST on Sunday night, December 29th.

Max Adams is an award-winning screenwriter and author of The New Screenwriter's Survival Guide; Or, Guerrilla MeetingTactics and Other Acts of War. She has written professionally for Columbia Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Tri-Star Pictures. Organizations she has lectured and/or taught at include USC, Austin Film Festival, Film Arts Foundation, New York Film Academy, Gotham Writers, University of Utah, and the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. She is a former Writers Guild of America West online screenwriting mentor, is the founder of two international online screenwriting workshops,is a University of Utah associate instructor and is the founder of the The Academy of Film Writing. Her produced feature films include Excess Baggage, The Ladykillers, and One For the Money.

Did you miss #freeshitday? Transcript is here!

#freeshitday took on a life of its own on Twitter yesterday. In case you missed it, here's the transcript. You can also read it on the Storify site. 

If you have any free shit you want to give away, leave links in the comments below! 

It truly is better to give than receive. 

Happy Holidays! 

Jeanne

USA Scriptchat Transcript: Holiday Film Genre December 15, 2013

TOPIC: Holiday Film Genre

Zac Sanford @zacsanford moderated this week's USA Scriptchat, leading a discussion on everything relating to writing holiday films. Enjoy!

You can also read the transcript on Storify site here.

USA Scriptchat Transcript - Guest Chad Gervich Talking Agents - December 8, 2013

Euro Scriptchat Transcript - Writing for Radio - 8th December 2013

Have you ever thought of writing for radio? Tonight we shared tips on writing for Radio and why it's a good idea to give it a go.

Moderated by Teenie Russell.

You can read the chat directly on Storify here.

Chad Gervich to Guest on USA Scriptchat December 8th!

Don't miss this Sunday's guest, Chad Gervich, talking all things agents! 

5:00 PM PST

Join the chat at HERE

Chad Gervich is a television producer, bestselling author, and award-winning playwright.

As a writer and producer, Chad’s credits include E!’s hit comedy After Lately, starring Chelsea Handler, Disney Channel’s sitcom Dog With a Blog, ABC’s Wipeout, Cupcake Wars, and others.  He created Style Network’s hit comedy/reality show, Foody Call, before going on to write, produce, and develop shows (both scripted and reality) for ABC, FOX, Warner Brothers, Endemol, CBS Studios, TruTV, Fox Reality Channel, Food Network, and the Weinstein Company.  He also recently completed a sitcom development deal with Twentieth Century Fox.

Prior to producing, Chad spent five years as a development executive with the Littlefield Company, former NBC president Warren Littlefield's production company, developing pilots and series for NBC, ABC, FOX, UPN, the WB, and Paramount. 

Chad has also worked in production on shows such as Star Search, The Wanda Sykes Show, The Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards, and Malcolm in the Middle.

As an author, Chad’s best-selling TV-writing handbook, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writers Guideto the TV Business (Random House/Crown), debuted in November, 2008, to massive critical acclaim.  (Booklist called it “the most informative book ever written about the television industry.)  It has become television’s go-to “bible” for writers, producers, executives, and assistants throughout Hollywood, and is now being used as a textbook in several studio and network training programs, as well as at universities throughout the U.S. 

Chad also authored the best-selling Psych's Guide to Crimefighting for the Totally Unqualified, a tie-in with USA's hit series Psych, which hit shelves in May, 2013, and immediately shot to the top of Amazon’s bestselling charts.

His third book, HowTo Manage Your Agent: A Writer's Guide to Hollywood Representation, helps writers and producers understand and navigate today's world of literary representation; it’s due from Focal Press in the fall of 2013.

As a journalist, Chad writes for Daily Variety and pens Script magazine's weekly TV-writing column/blog, "PrimeTime."  In addition, he created and produced Morning Call Time, Hollywood’s first daily audio news podcast.  He also contributes regularly to Orange Coast, Script, Fade In, and Moving Pictures magazines, and is a Contributing Editor for Writers Digest magazine—the nation’s top magazine for and about writers and writing.

In addition, Chad teaches numerous classes and workshops around the world.  He has taught sitcom writing, pitching, pilot-writing, spec-writing, storytelling, and TV business seminars for universities such as UCLA, Vanderbilt, and California State -- as well as organizations like MediaBistro and Gotham Writers Workshop, and corporations like Nike and Warner Brothers.

USA #scriptchat Guest Guinevere Turner - Transcript November 24, 2013

We are very excited and honored to have had Guinevere Turner @turnerguinevere, screenwriter of American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page on as our guest. Be sure to not only read the fun below, but also check out her IndieGoGo video for her new project, Creeps.

USA Moderator: Zac Sanford @zacsanford

Or read the chat on the Storify site.

Guinevere Turner to Guest on USA Scriptchat November 24th!

Guinevere Turner @turnerguinevere is a writer, director and actor who has been working in film and TV since her 1994 debut film Go Fish. She went on to act in several films, including The Watermelon Woman, Chasing Amy, and Treasure Island.  Eventually she teamed up with Mary Harron to write American Psycho and then The Notorious Bettie Page. She was a staff writer and story editor on Showtime’s The L Word, and she played a recurring character on that show. She has written and directed five short films, two of which showed at Sundance, some of which played on TV and around the world, and some of which were completely ignored.

Currently, Guinevere is in pre-production of her feature film, Creeps. Check out her Indiegogo campaign for her fun video of puppets on drugs... oh yeah, puppets are the best marketing tool ever.

Join the USA Scriptchat community to discuss writing, directing, indie filmmaking, and anything else we can cover in an hour! 

Be there to meet Guinevere at 5pm PST using the #scriptchat hashtag.

Overcoming Obstacles Transcript - November 17, 2013

First 10 Pages Transcript - November 10, 2013

TOPIC: First 10 Pages

Scriptchat peeps chime in on what makes the first 10 pages shine. Some links to great articles too. Want a copy of The Hollywood Screenwriting Directory with contact info for over 2500 execs? Code "RETW11" takes 20% off until the end of the November 2013!  @jeannevb

Read the transcript below or on the Storify site.

USA Moderator: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman @jeannevb

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Crime Drama - 10th November 2013

Tonight we talked about Crime Dramas both in features and in TV.

You can read the transcript directly on Storify or just below.

Moderated by Teenie Russell.

USA Scriptchat Transcript: Navigating Hollywood Without an Agent - November 3, 2013

Tonight we talked about navigating Hollywood without an agent. As always, our scriptchat gang had a ton of tips for getting your script read, protecting your work, building your network and more. Enjoy! @jeannevb

Moderator: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman @jeannevb

The transcript can also be found on Storify.

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Jane Espenson and Brad Bell, 3rd of November 2013

Tonight on Euro Scriptchat we had the pleasure of being joined by writers Jane Espenson and Brad Bell. The duo shared their knowledge and tips on TV writing and creating the Online TV Series Husbands.

Moderated by Teenie Russell and Taro Russell.

You can also read the transcript on Storify.

Jane Espenson and Brad "Cheeks" Bell to Guest on Euro Scriptchat on Sunday the 3rd of November 2013

Euro Scriptchat is honoured to be joined by screenwriters Brad Bell and Jane Espenson on Sunday the 3rd of November at 12:00 PST (8pm GMT).

BRAD BELL is Executive Producer, co-writer, and star of Husbands, a marriage equality comedy that has become an online sensation and garnered positive notices from The Atlantic, USA Today, and The Advocate. The New Yorker hailed Bell as "the standout" in a rave review -- the only one that publication has ever given to a web series. Bell has been nominated for both writing and acting awards for his work on Husbands. 

You can follow Brad Bell on Twitter at @GoCheeksGo

JANE ESPENSON is best known for her work in the area of science fiction television.  Her early work was primarily in comedy and included stints at Dinosaurs and Ellen.  She later moved to the hour-long format where she wrote for shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, The O.C., Gilmore Girls, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Game of Thrones and Torchwood: Miracle Day. She also co-wrote and executive-produced the Emmy-nominated Battlestar webisodes, and co-created Syfy's Warehouse 13.  She has written comic books, short stories and edited books of essays related to several of these shows.  She is currently proud to be a Consulting Producer of ABC's Once Upon A Time, Once Upon A Time: Wonderland, as well as continuing her work on the award-winning sitcom Husbands with her producing partner, Brad Bell, on the CW Seed.  

You can follow Jane (and her “Writing Sprints”) on Twitter @JaneEspenson.  

Make sure to watch Husbands Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3!

Great Endings Transcript 10-27-13

What makes a great ending? Moderated by Kim Garland

How all kinds of writing can help your screenwriting - Transcript - October 20, 213

USA Scriptchat Topic: You have scripts on your laptops. What do you do while you wait to sell them? Writers write. How far are you willing to go away from scripts to get your stories out there? 
Hollywood Screenwriting Directory GIVEAWAY

Moderator: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman @jeannevb 

View the transcript below or on the Storify site.

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Networking and Pitching in Prep for LSWF, 20th Oct 2013

In preparation for the London Screenwriters' Festival, delegates from previous years shared their tips on networking and pitching.

If this is your first year attending the festival, enjoy the read. You can also read the transcript on Storify.

Moderated by Teenie Russell.

USA #Scriptchat Transcript - Horror Genre October 13, 2013

USA Scriptchat TOPIC: Horror Genre

Zac Sanford @zacsanford moderates tonight's chat on all things horror.

You can also read the transcript on the Storify site.

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Fact vs Fiction 13th October 2013

Tonight we set off to explore how much fact is really needed in a fictional story. Do we ignore all that we believe to be a fact for the sake of the story?
When it comes to a Historical drama, how much license do writers have to alternate the sequence of events in order to tell a stronger more powerful version?

Hope you enjoy the read which can also be read directly on Storify.

Moderated by @teenierussell

FREEBIES at the Next 5 USA Scriptchat Sessions!

The Writers Store has given us FIVE copies of Hollywood Screenwriting Directory to give away to five lucky scriptchat participants! 


Want a copy of The Hollywood Screenwriting Directory with contact info for over 2500 execs?Code "RETW11" takes 20% off until the end of the November 2013!

With over 2,500 listings for Industry insiders from studios to independent financiers, the Hollywood Screenwriting Directory is the specialized resource you need for discovering where and how to sell your screenplay. Plus, it includes how-to instructions on script format, query letters, treatments, and log lines, so you can produce a professional submission. 

Come to one of the next five scriptchat sessions to get a chance to win a copy of your own! 

Here's our schedule for upcoming chat topics. All USA chats are at 5pm PST on Sundays.

Join us! 

Jeff Lyons and Jenna Avery Discuss The Enneagram - Transcript October 6, 2013

#Scriptchat TOPIC: Story development and The Enneagram with guests Jeff Lyons and Jenna Avery.

Jeff Lyons @storygeeks and Jenna Avery @jennaavery discuss story development, story structure and characters using The Enneagram. Lots of links to further your learning within the transcript, so bookmark them for your next project or rewriting your current one. Enjoy! @jeannevb

You can also read the transcript on the Storify site.

Euro Scriptchat Transcript - Guest Jeanne V Bowerman on Adaptations, 6th of October 2013

Tonight Jeanne V Bowerman talked about the process of adapting a novel to screen. The transcript is full of little gems and great tips from securing the rights to adapting the screenplay. Put your feet up and enjoy the read.

You can also read the transcript directly on Storify.

Moderated by Teenie Russell

Euro Scriptchat is joined by Jeanne V Bowerman on Sunday 6th October 2013

Have you ever thought of adapting a book to screen? Not sure where or how to begin?

Euro #Scriptchat is delighted to be joined by our very own Jeanne V Bowerman as we chat about Adapting a Novel to Screen.

Jeanne is the President of Impasse Productions and the Editor and Online Community Manager of Script Magazine, with a weekly column entitled Balls of Steel where she chronicles her fearless journey as a screenwriter as well as shares stories of other writers in the trenches. Beyond screenwriting, she writes teaches screenwriting webinars for The Writers Store.

A graduate of Cornell University, she’s written several spec scripts, including an Expo Screenplay Competition finalist script - the adaption of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, with its author, Douglas A. Blackmon, senior national correspondent of The Wall Street Journal. The book — an exposé of how slavery didn’t end with the Civil War but was resurrected by white supremacists, businessmen and plantation owners and preserved for seven decades after the Emancipation Proclamation — has already dramatically revised conventional American history. It was a New York Times Best Seller, and has been reprinted more than a dozen times. A documentary based on the book appeared on PBS in 2012.

Her short film, Impasse, is in post production.

Website: Ramblings of a Recovered Insecureaholic jeannevb.com

Script Magazine Balls of Steel Column

Join us as we chat to @jeannevb on Sunday the 6th of October at 8pm BST!

USA Scriptchat Transcript: Judy Blume & Lawrence Blume on adapting Tiger Eyes the movie

Tonight on Scriptchat we hosted author Judy Blume and her son Lawrence Blume talking about their adaptation of Judy's book TIGER EYES for their new film of the same name.

Tonight's moderator was Kim Garland.

Euro Scriptchat Transcript - The Comedy Genre 29th September 2013

Tonight on Euro Scriptchat we talked about Comedy.

You can also read the transcript on Storify here.

Moderated by Taro Russell

Euro Scriptchat Transcript - Clichés 22nd Sept 2013

Tonight on Euro #scriptchat we talked about movie clichés. Which are the worst offenders? How do we avoid them? How can they be used effectively?

You can also read the transcript on storify.

Moderated by @teenierussell

The USA explored the same topic a few weeks ago; the transcript can be viewed here.

Judy Blume and Lawrence Blume to Guest on USA Scriptchat September 29th Talking Adaptations

Sunday, September 29th at 5pm PST (8pm EST) USA Scriptchat will be graced with the minds of writer Judy Blume @judyblume and writer/director Lawrence Blume to discuss adapting Judy's book, Tigers Eye @tigereyesmovie, for the screen.

Join us in welcoming Judy and Lawrence to our #scriptchat family!

Lawrence Blume and Judy Blume

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Tiger Eyes; Deenie; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 82 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers. She co-wrote the screenplay for Tiger Eyes with her son Lawrence Blume and it is the first motion picture adapted from her work.

Lawrence Blume was named among the "Ten Rising Stars of Comedy" by the Hollywood Reporter for his first feature length film, Martin & Orloff, which premiered at the 2002 US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and made its television debut on Comedy Central. His new feature film, Tiger Eyes, an adaptation of the young adult bestseller written by his mother, Judy Blume, has just been released in theaters and digitally in the US and Canada. Lawrence was the founder/co-owner of PostWorks, New York's largest post production company.  He is represented by the William Morris Agency and is a member of the Director’s Guild of America and Producer’s Guild of America.

More on Judy and Lawrence:

• Chelsea Handler's Slumber Party with Judy Blume.
• Judy Blume with Chelsea Clinton on Brian Williams' Rock Center 
• Judy Blume featured on a segment for PBS called "Makers" about women who made America great.

USA Scriptchat Transcript Jeff Richards: Be Your Own Producer Sept 15, 2013

Jeff Richards @jeffrichards guests talking with our scriptchat gang about the role of a producer and giving tips for those who are interested in producing their own film. Enjoy! @jeannevb

REMINDER: There's no chat next week (September 22nd) because of the Emmy's, but don't miss our special guests, Judy Blume and Lawrence Blume talking adaptation on September 29th with Kim Garland moderating!

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Subplots

It was a quiet chat tonight on the Euro chat, if you have any tips or questions on the topic, please add it to the comments section below.

Moderator: Teenie Russell @teenierussell

USA #Scriptchat: Your Script is Done. Now What? Transcript September 8, 2013

TOPIC: Your script is done. Now what?

See what our chatters advise on how to determine when you're script really is done. Once it is, do you pitch it, make it as an indie, go to a pitchfest? The options are as varied as the writers. Get some ideas you may never have thought of. Enjoy! @jeannevb


USA Moderator: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman @jeannevb

Euro Scriptchat Transcript: Open Topic 8th September 2013

Tonight's Open Topic focused heavily on Outlining and Character Background. Enjoy the read.

You can also catch it on Storify.

Moderated by Taro Russell