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How To Produce A Film Using SEIS

So, MAD MAX FURY ROAD producer Iain Smith gave us all a shot in the arm about film production yesterday … But it’s all well and good SAYING we need to be brave and bold, HOW do we do it??? So, many thanks to @MarkMacNicol, a Bang2writer and LSF Talent Camper from last year’s intake who’s decided time waits for no (wo)man and istaking the bull by the horns … He WILL get his films made, using SEIS and film tax credits, thus taking on the role of producer!! OUTSTANDING!! Mark breaks down this complicated-sounding venture into just seven or… Read More »How To Produce A Film Using SEIS

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How To Beat The Gatekeepers

Read Phil’s previous guest post on B2W, Is Your Screenplay Ready? AKA 12 Qs To Ask Of Your Writing, HERE. Many thanks to Phil Gladwin, head of Screenwriting Goldmine, for getting in touch with this eye-opening graphic on how to beat “the gatekeepers”, such as script readers, not to mention the MANY other people up the chain! Yikes! Over to you, Phil: “I get a lot of questions about the UK TV industry, and how it all works … So, after a few of those arriving all in one day, I sat back, just mostly for my own amusement, to draw… Read More »How To Beat The Gatekeepers

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4 Tips For Building Your Screenwriting Competition Submissions Strategy

Screenwriting Competitions can be an excellent way to ignite your screenwriting career. Benefits may include: Circulation of your script to producers/agents, garnering industry attention Networking opportunities with industry professionals Marketing soundbites to include in cover letters or on your website The motivation of a deadline Strengthen your writers’ CV (aka resumé) Boost you confidence in your abilities as a writer Script analysis with an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of your script $$££€€ cash prizes BUT … there are now so many screenwriting competitions, preparing submissions is time-consuming and can set you back quite a bit of $$££€€. So… Read More »4 Tips For Building Your Screenwriting Competition Submissions Strategy

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5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

Getting Your Facts Right Writing historical fiction, I have come to learn, is like navigating a slippery slope along a precarious cliff. God forbid you get facts wrong. Anyone who knows anything about the time period you are writing about will let you know that you did: in the reviews, on the internet, for all to see. Let’s face it. Getting the clothing down, the setting, the politics and social graces of the times is the easy part. Keeping people entertained in another time period is what makes the story a story. So I have had to take liberties with… Read More »5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

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Producer Case Study: 4 Reasons I Optioned A Screenplay

I first came across Phil Peel’s work as part of my 2012/13 “Pitch Me” comp and enjoyed his screenplay, PHOEBE LANGTRY, a huge deal. I was also privileged to help edit his fab, fun (yet grossly titled!) comedy short film, JOHN LENNON’S TURD (you can read Phil’s own guest post on B2W about the film, HERE). So when producer Jason Attar contacted me asking if I knew any screenplays or screenwriters worth a punt on, I had no hesitation recommending Phil! Now Jason’s back, looking for MORE great writers for his new writing initiative, so I thought it would be a… Read More »Producer Case Study: 4 Reasons I Optioned A Screenplay

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Authors & Book Rights: 5 Key Truths

I became aware of  @Tom_Chalmers on Twitter via his publishing company @Legend_Press, who are currently running the Self Published Book Of The Month initiative with The Guardian Newspaper. I thought this sounded such a great idea, I Skyped with Tom recently; he told me all about his other company, IPRLicense and how understanding licenses can benefit Indie Authors in going after lucrative deals, so I asked him to write this guest post for us as part of B2W’s Indie Authors Week. Enjoy! There’s a famous exchange in a court room which continues to be one of the most quotable scenes in… Read More »Authors & Book Rights: 5 Key Truths

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3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

   Self-publisher. Vanity Press. Independent Author. You say tomater, I say tomato, right? Not at all. Unless you’ve been locked in Christian Grey’s Red Room of Pleasure for the past few years, you’ll be aware of the self-publishing revolution. The success stories are fifty shades of publishing folklore – but it isn’t universally good news. Now that any muppet with opposable thumbs can become a published author, it’s incredibly hard to make your work stand out. Assuming you haven’t chosen traditional publishing – or it hasn’t chosen you – there are broadly three ways to get your book out there:… Read More »3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

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12 Things To Think About Before Rushing Into Self Publishing

“So, you’re a writer. And what exactly do you write? Ah, interesting, so you write a little like…?” OMG, has your heart just sunk? How many times have you gone into a meeting, all pumped up and ready to sell your soul? And then it comes, that sneaky little searching question, the answer to which tells the publisher or producer – whoever – whether you have that original voice that makes them want to work with you. Standing out from the writing crowd is hard. Standing out and making a living from it is even harder. So the lure of… Read More »12 Things To Think About Before Rushing Into Self Publishing

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10 Ways To Kill Your Writing Career DEAD (And 3 Great Clues To Improving Your Chances)

This week I’m turning over the blog to narrative structure goddess Linda Aronson for some tough love  … She’s definitely given me a run for my money in the “smack talk” stakes! Thanks Linda 😉 1.    Impersonate what you think is “writerly” behaviour. I was once in an elevator at a very prestigious film school with some students. They were unaware who I was, and quite unselfconsciously they started to discuss their major graduation piece, a short film, due very shortly.  None of them had properly started it. One had an aunt who, he claimed, was quite a funny character… Read More »10 Ways To Kill Your Writing Career DEAD (And 3 Great Clues To Improving Your Chances)

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2 Laws Every Screenwriter Should Know

Laws You Should Know There is a lot of legal groundwork to cover before writing a script – anything you create which goes into the public eye will come under scrutiny from a number of organisations, and any breaches could land you with serious legal and financial troubles. Of course, these kinds of issues may also prevent your work from ever being produced or may even inhibit screenings once a film has been made. Understanding the legal implications of screenwriting before proceeding is the best way to prevent any future issues. We know this sounds pretty daunting, but the pieces… Read More »2 Laws Every Screenwriter Should Know

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