Tag: Film Archive

Script Development Workshop

I attended a Script Development workshop today, run by the NZ Film Commission and the NZ Writer’s Guild

Today I went to a Script Development Workshop run by the NZ Film Commission and the NZ Writer’s Guild at the NZ Film Archive.

Steve Barr talked about Assessment and taking notes, and later went into Loglines. Kathryn Burnett spoke about Rewriting, giving exercises for responding to assessment in rewriting, and later went into Synopses.  Kath Athukata-Brown, a Script Executive at the NZFC spoke about changes in funding at the NZFC (in the Writer Development Loan, the Early Development Fund, and the Advanced Development Loan), and later went into Treatments.

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Peter Briggs

I had an awesome time at the Peter Briggs Writer’s Discussion Series.

On Wednesday 17, after The Lake meeting, Keryn and I went to The Film Archive to attend the final Writer’s Discussion Panel for 2011. The event was a discussion with Peter Briggs, who has been working in Hollywood as a writer for 20 years, and who wrote Hellboy. He is currently in Wellington in pre-production for Panzer 88 and Mortis Rex (which look to be fantastically awesome films!)

Peter Briggs article on the Script To Screen website.

Hellboy
Grar

This event is part of the 2010 Wellington Discussion Series brought to you by Script to Screen, Nga Aho Whakaari, the NZ Writers Guild and the NZ Film Archive

The discussion was lead by Jonathan King, (director of Black Sheep and Under The Mountain).

The discussion was fantastic. I was smiling the entire time I was enjoying it so much. Peter is humourous, jovial, a great storyteller (of course). He was telling us about how his script writing career is an example of how not to do it. He wrote the spec script for Starship Troopers (I love that movie). He wrote a spec script for Alien vs. Predator, but didn’t own the property. Through an amazing fluke of being in the right place, right time, it got picked-up. A one-in-a-million chance!

We heard about politics in Hollywood, and things to keep an eye out for as script writers. Script writers in Hollywood may find themselves earning money, but never getting produced! Peter had such a sense of humour and revelled in hilarious self-deprecation; it was great. And the tips were so wonderful.

Also, we got shown some concept art and told about his upcoming films – Panzer 88 and Mortis Rex. I’m excited already! The former, a team of German soldiers in WWII, and being hunted by a Jewish protective demon. The latter, the Romans are building Hadrian’s Wall, and are being attacked by dinosaurs! So. Cool.

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Documentary Seminar

Day 1 of the directing documentary workshop with Leeanne Pooley.

I was on a workshop today on directing documentaries, with Leeanne Pooley. It’s a two-day seminar at the Film Archive, presented in association with the Screen Director’s Guild of NZ, the NZFC, and the NZ Film Archive. I suppose also with Leeanne’s production company, Spacific Films. We got given a free copy of Take, the Screen Director’s Guild magazine, with a SDGNZ sign-up sheet. [But, I’m not a full-time student, so I don’t think I can take advantage of the student rate. Oh well, I probably won’t sign up yet then.]

Before the workshop, we were sent a DVD copy of Leeanne’s documentary on NZ male ballerina (ballerino?) Douglas Wright, called Haunting Douglas. The film has an amazing opening scene, btw. Douglas dancing naked with a candle. We were also asked to watch Pooley’s acclaimed documentary on the Topp Twins, Untouchable Girls. I watched it last night – again, a really good doco.

The first thing Leeane asked was whether we had googled her. Uh… no. She pointed out you should always google the person giving a seminar before you sign up or pay any money, to make sure that they know what they’re talking about. Lesson learnt – I’m googling now, in preparation for tomorrow.

For my Honours study next year, I was considering doing a documentary film. Within the first hour of the seminar, I realised that my possible topics need a massive amount of work before I shoot anything!

So far the seminar is going really well. Leeane knows her stuff. She’s given us a huge workbook of notes (so we don’t have to take our own), and a list of docos that we should see. Out of the list of 28 films, I had seen a grand total of 1 (The Corporation). So I went to Civic Video and got a few of them out. I just watched The Kid Stays In The Picture. (Fantastic. Really great). I’m considering watching Capturing The Friedmans, but I’m really tired. If it’s around 90 minutes, I’m gonna watch it tonight. If not, I’m saving it for later, along with The Fog Of War.

And, I finally remembered to take my business cards to a film event. I’ve swapped cards with some people in the workshop. Two thumbs up for me.

Eva Prowse Album Release

Eva Prowse’s album release is tonight … and I can’t go! Waaaaah!

I Cant Keep Secrets
Eva Prowe Album – I Can’t Keep Secrets

My friend Eva Prowse is having her album release tonight. I’m gutted that I can’t make it (as I have a meeting for The Lake, and then I’m attending the Script-To-Screen discussion with Peter Briggs, and then I’m meeting a friend about a job, and then have a skype date. Phew!).

For anyone who can make it, do go along. It’ll be fantastic! Eva was interviewed in The Capital Times this week.

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