Check-check-check ‘em out:

Kitsune Noir highlights the creative efforts of artist James Ward, who uses plates as his canvas.

Julie Gray is running another short scene contest, this time requiring you to use the words “knit two,” “purl two,” and “Tennessee.”  It’s due September 7th.

Scott Myers at Go Into The Story writes a post on how Billy Wilder (perhaps my all-time favorite screenwriter/director) writes a script.  Take notes.

Screenwriter Jeanne Bowerman offers a heart-felt and inspiring post on the positives of giving your all towards something and in return getting the bitch slap of rejection.

This print by Sam Brown needs to find it’s way into my office, and perhaps the writing area of most aspiring screenwriters.

With a 93 on my short about Chester the Squirrel, I just made the cut.

From the top 12, a team of 7 readers have chosen their favorite 3 scenes and should be announcing them soon.

Congratulations to the top 12 (find the official list, here):

95) Ian Murillo
94) Dries Coomans
94) Walter Thompson
95) Philip Schneider
94) Lisa Scott
94) Crystal Ann Taylor
93) Kimberly Nunley
93) Tim Harding
93) Rich Frost
97) Diane Lisa Johnson
93) Erik Fetler
95) Marcus Leary
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On another note, my feature, My Brother Mick, failed to make it into the top 10 of Script Doctor Eric’s 2010 Screenwriting Contest.  Congratulations to the ten who are still in the running!

COMPULSIVE LYOR by Erin Frankfort
CONTRACT by Jerod Brennen
DREAMING OF ME by Traci Peterson
HORROR COMIC by Stephen Hoover
IN DEAD COMPANY by Sophia Branson
KILLSIGHT by Josh Barbee
PICK YOUR KIDS by Jonathan Kuhn
REFLECTION by Dennis Shutty
SHORT TERM FORECAST by Brad Sorensen
THE REBOUND GUY by Lisa Super

For the first time, Julie Gray at Just Effing is asking for a $1.25 entry free to compensate for the large number of entries and the time it takes out of her day.

You’ve got to have your entry in by Wednesday, May 5th at 12am PST.  Winner gets $25 to Amazon and a fifteen minute phone convo with Julie.

Read more about the contest, here.

Photo by Balakov

Here is the prompt we had to follow:

Your protagonist is crushed. His or her plans have been dashed; his objective now appears impossible. And yet if he throws in the towel, bad things will happen. Write a scene in which a mentor, friend, love interest or enemy rallies or provokes your protagonist in an unexpected way. Be sure to give us your best dialogue here as your protagonist comes around and rises – or falls — to the occasion.

I got my own entry in last night.  You can hit the jump to read my submission.  As per usual, feedback, whether good or bad, is welcome.

Scripped Unknown Sender Contest

Scripped and Mr. de Souza are co-sponsoring a 3-7 page short script competition, wherein twelveeither lucky or talented or some combination thereof winners will receive cold hard cash, the possibility to direct their winning episode, and the ego-stroke of seeing words they wrote turn into moving pictures with sound coming out of them. Keep your script 3-7 pages and follow the faux-verite/found footage concept of the series. You can see the trailer by clicking on the poster on the site and watch episodes by clicking here. (Due March 31st, Cost: $15, Prizes: 12 finalists get $100, mentorship from Steven, option to post for community production, publicity)

Thank you to Gail Moss for the heads up on this one.

The Seven Rays Adaptation Contest

Take a scene from THE SEVEN RAYS and turn it into a killer screenplay scene, 2-5 pages. Find that special scene that speaks to you and inspires you to get cinematic!  Use the book as a springboard for your untapped creative energy, and put it on the page. This is a chance for screenwriters of all ages to explore a different side of the craft of screenwriting:  the art of adaptation. (Due May 21st, Cost: $20 , Prizes: consultation with writer and director, Jessica Bendinger)

Here’s my submission for the single-page contest, which had to use the following words: paramount, agent, jelly fish.

Any feedback is always appreciated.

I just focus on this list:

1.  My wife

2.  My friends/family

3.  My health/working out

4.  My writing

5.  Chores/Errands/Neverending bullshit to-do’s

I want to be a professional screenwriter one day, so seeing it down at #4 may seem ridiculous.  However, I’ve had to just accept that I will always put the people important to me above my professional goals. 

And actually, when I tailor my daily schedule in such a way and prioritize my time with that list in mind, I’ve found that my writing is stronger and comes easier because my mind is at peace that the most important aspects are covered.

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One of the “have to” items today is to finish a scene for a short page contest at JustEffing.com.  I unfortunately didn’t see it until this morning and it’s due at the end of the day today, but the winner gets to enroll into Julie Gray’s “Learn The Secrets of Readers” class for free (normally $500).  I’ve been dying to take that class, so I’d be lame sauce if I passed up the opportunity.

If you want to enter the contest, DON’T, because that means more competition.  In all seriousness to those who are interested, it requires a single page scene that uses the words PARAMOUNT, AGENT, and JELLY FISH.  See the full rules, here.

The weekend away completely recharged my battery.  Relaxing at baseball games with my wife and the nice weather was just what I needed.

Plus, I came back to find a job offer for another freelance writing gig and information about a new short scene competition in my inbox:

Last October, I participated in the Cyberspace Open online short scene competition.  Last year’s event was the first time the annual contest was done online instead of at the Screenwriting Expo, giving writers who couldn’t make the event an opportunity to participate.

Well, it looks like they’re going to have a Spring 2010 Edition.  I already threw in my entry.  Go here to enter or get more information.

What This Unique Contest Is And How It Works

The Cyberspace Open is an on-line elimination contest in which writers compete for three prizes of $3,000, $500, and $300.  In addition, we will give winners great industry exposure:

•  We will send 300+ producers the names and describe the achievements of the winners.
• The written scenes and videos of the three winning scenes will be posted on the Web, with an explanation of the tough conditions under which they were made.
• Also, we send feedback by email to all entrants. 

Like no other contest in the world, this contest tests your ability to write creatively for a movie or TV production on a tight deadline.  The skills it takes are very much like some of the key skills of a script doctor called in to fix a script quickly, or a TV writer working on a weekly show.

The Steps In The Elimination Contest
The Cyberspace Open is a four-stage elimination contest:

Round 1: A Weekend To Write A Scene: 100 Survivors
In Round 1, we post a scene premise at the web site on Friday, April 16, 2010 at or just before 5:00 p.m.   You will have until 9:00 a.m. Monday, April 19 to email your finished scene to the entry email address. That gives you an entire weekend to conceive, write, rewrite, and polish your first-round entry. 

What Round 1 Simulates:
We think of Round 1 as being much like this situation: A movie or show is being shot.  It becomes clear on Friday afternoon that a key scene is just not working.  You are called in to save the budget and schedule by writing a new scene over the weekend and delivering it to the producer (us) by 9:00 a.m. sharp on Monday.  The entire film/TV crew will be sitting around on the set Monday waiting for your words.  There is no margin for late delivery. 

Round 2: Absolutely, Positively, Must Be There The Next Morning
In Round 2, the 100 finalists who survive Round 1 will receive a new scene premise by having it posted on this page at 10 A.M. on Saturday, May 22, 2010.  These 100 finalists will have until 10:00 A.M. Sunday, May 23 to email it to the entry email address.

That timetable gives finalists 24 hours to conceive, write, rewrite, and polish second-round entries.

What Round  2 Simulates:
Round 2 is much like this situation: a movie or show is being shot.  It becomes clear on the morning that a key scene is just not working.  You are called in to save the budget and schedule by writing a new scene by the next morning and delivering it to the producer (us) by 10:00 a.m. sharp.  The entire film/TV crew will be sitting around on the set Sunday waiting for your words.  So there is no margin for late delivery.

The Three Winners Advance To The Live Round:
The three highest scorers among Round 2 finalists are  all prize winners.  They will advance to Audience Voting to determine first, second, and third place. 

Brand New And Very Cool: Winning Scenes Videotaped:
In this contest, each of the three winners will have his/her second scene videotaped:

• Actors will perform a reading of each of the three scenes before a camera/cameras provided by the Contest, which will be video recorded.
• The three videos of scenes and the scene texts will be placed on the Internet for viewing.
• Recipients of our CS Weekly E-Zine (approx. 80,000) will be invited to vote for a winner.  
• Voting will take place through an online survey system.  The three winning positions (first, second third) will be on the basis of highest score.  One vote will be allowed per IP address. 

Bonus For All Entrants: Brief Feedback On Your Scene. 
Judges will provide your score and feedback to you if you provide an email address.  Be sure your mail server does not block emails from the servers @creativescreenwriting.com and @screenwritingexpo.com in order to receive your score and feedback.

The videos will be available starting Friday.  It will cost something to view the movies, which will be interesting to see, because the filmmakers get to decide how much to charge for their own film.

Here are the trailors to each of the five movies that will be available for streaming:

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Julie Gray’s having another short single-scene competition.  This one must use the words pear, slay, and thickening.  The scene must be in by Saturday, January 23rd and 9pm PST.  Visit here to see official rules.