Hot foot from the Southern Script Festival

Dan Pringle from White Circle, the corporate sector of White Lantern Film

Last weekend I could be found mingling with and tingling from all the exciting events that took place at Bournemouth University, at the inaugural Southern Script Festival. It was streamlined to suit and appeal to writers in particular, but also to producers and film folk; it did not disappoint.

It was peppered with an amazing line up of workshops and speakers across all genres of film and television. It was a heady fest of knowledge sharing and everyone left full to the brim with inspiration. My company Creative Thoughts Productions and the Prequel to Cannes networking arm was delighted to support it and the goodwill and generosity of those who have carved out a career in the biz, was just mind blowing.

Highlights for me were definitely Jonathan Harvey, Faye Gosling and Jeremy Paul a doyen of all things televisual since the 60's.

You might have missed it this year, but next year be sure to get along and enter any competitions going. You can see from the link just what was on offer. A & C Black donated no less than five Writers' and Artists' Yearbooks, Helen Jacey donated two signed copies of her book about female heroes and White Lantern Film sponsored the top script prize with a host of exceptional goodies, read about it here: http://www.southernscriptfest.co.uk/speakers.php

I'm still inspired and reeling from the networking introductions and being in such a positive vibe for a whole two days talking about films and writing and writing opportunities.

Script Competitions

Film Script Competitions:

Fancy £500?

Prequel the Sequel! Uh?

Explained... Prequel to Cannes is all about networking and Sequel to Cannes is all about the film script competitions. Short film and Features. Both are endorsed by the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook and full details can be found on the Prequel to Cannes website www.prequel.biz

Currently running: the 2010/11 Feature film script prize, closing date April 30th 2011... winners announced on 30th June 2011 - just in time for your summer holiday...

What do you get?

1. three pages of feedback on the merits and opportunities of your script as analysed by professional film industry script reader Lucy Vee from Bang2write (Blog: write here, write now)
2. The chance to win 1st Prize £500 or 2nd Prize £100
3. your script will receive the chance to be read by Level Films of Bristol, who are actively looking for new projects - in the event of any interest they work with the writer
4. publicity via the blog and the website

Judges: Patron - John Foster,

Jeremy Paul, Danny Stack, Tim Clague, Christine Aziz

Founder: Creative Thoughts Productions

Blog from a hot tin roof

Prequel

Welcome one and all...

The film business is a funny old game.

Nothing new you might say, but so many talented writers and film folk struggle to be seen amidst the throng, struggle to see their babies grow up, struggle to find the men in suits or struggle to raise the money to bring their film projects onto the big or small screen. Do you see a bit of a theme going on here? Yep, you've got it, the common denominator... struggle.

That doesn't mean to say that 'it' whatever 'it' is cannot be done, it just means that you have to be more proactive, forward thinking, inventive, cheeky or just downright fecking fearless when looking for ways to see your project through.

Finding out about how you can put your work in front of decision makers or people who hold the power in terms of helping you make things happen is, contrary to popular myth not an impossibility. It is all about connectivity, as a friend has recently found out when a book that was published back in 2006, has just been picked up an optioned with money attached to the film rights; this came about through a conversation over a breakfast networking event. You see, you never know who is queuing up next to you for their bacon and eggs..

In 2006 I was writing a series of articles for an arts magazine about the real independent filmmakers living along the South coast, people who spend every waking breath either living, eating, talking about or dying film and everything in-between. I was astonished to find so many talented folk living in my own backyard and I thought 'Wouldn't it be great if I could bring all these people together and provide agencies, funders and organisations who could help them to see their projects come to life'; you will note I often talk to myself.

With a bit of ignorance and a lot of gaul, I set about securing support and raising the all important jamoola and put on a film networking event and have done so every year since 2007. They have been a huge success and many projects have seen the light of day or fit into the work in progress category.

Some of the organisations who have supported the event are South West Screen, The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, UK Trade and Investment, Creative Dorset, UnLtd, Poole Arts Development, Lighthouse (Poole Centre for the Arts), HSBC, Southbank publishing, A & C Black, The Enterprise Pavilion, White Lantern Film and ArtsMatrix.

I would strongly urge any writer to break free from the confines of their room and their mind and get along to any film or writerly networking events that encourage collaborative interaction.

I hope you will join me and come along for the ride and I promise to post and share opportunities that may just help film folk put a bit of flesh on the bones of their ideas...