Notes from a Screenreader: Texas Hold ‘Em
Photo via Go Into the Story. The difference between a yes and a no in the first round of a screenplay competition can be summed up by a hand of Texas hold ‘em. You fold early, you didn’t post a blind, and your cards were bad enough to make you think, Why am I being punished...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: January 14, 2014
Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson at the 2014 National Board of Review Awards Gala. Photo via National Board of Review. Relishing every frame: in this montage of strong female stories, voices, and leadership. It must be the just-released trailer for the Athena Film Festival, which runs February 6 – 9 at Barnard College. Exchanging kudos should always be:...
READ MORENYWIFT Promo on the Streets of NYC
Production still from NYWIFT’s new video promo. (L-R): Lara Valery, Giselle Eisenberg, and Eileen Berger. Starting Friday, January 17, you can see clips of New York Women in Film & Television’s new promo video in the window of Tekserve (119 West 23rd St.). Aubrey Smyth, a NYWIFT member, donated her time, energy, and production company, Gingersnap, to...
READ MOREOscar-Nominated Director Gets Real
Director Lexi Alexander. Photo via Indiewire.com. Women & Hollywood has published an influential post by Lexi Alexander from her blog. It’s a must-read about gender inequality in film and why progress over the last several decades has been dismal. Here Alexander discusses a 1978 report on equal-employment practices in the film industry: Okay, so we know that people have...
READ MOREWeekly Film & TV News Roundup
Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will be hosting the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. Photo via NBC. And the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominees are… First Sasheer Zamata and now this?! New Year, new SNL (finally). Has 27-year-old producer Megan Ellison dethroned Harvey Weinstein? My love for Tig Notaro and her new EW talk show is boundless. Downton Abbey costume designer Caroline McCall explains the absence of...
READ MOREFlix Not To Miss: Oscar-Worthy Performances by an Actress
Now that the crisp winter air has arrived and films are trotted out for Oscar consideration, I highly recommend these spectacular performances by female actors in film. BEST ACTRESS Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. Blanchett’s turn as Jasmine, a fictional Ruth Madoff-like character, is virtuosic. She doesn’t shy away from showing us the ugly, manipulative...
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader: Why Now?
Photo via Go Into the Story. To perform well in a competition, your script has to be able to answer the critical question, “Why now?” Successful, readable scripts hinge on an event, the outcome of which has the power to change the life of the protagonist. A showdown, a mountain to climb, a home run to...
READ MORETerry’s Picks: January 7, 2014
Photo via sasheer.com. Rooting For: Sasheer Zamata, who recently joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. Zamata will be the first black female cast member since Maya Rudolph, and will appear in the episode airing January 18. Loving the Variety of Formats In: Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell, which screens at the MoMA’s Roy and Niuta Titus Theater on...
READ MOREMuse Awards Red Carpet Interviews by Hollywood.TV
“This is one of the most incredible honors that I could receive.” — Connie Britton being interviewed, along with Ellen Barkin and Robin Wright, by Hollywood.TV at NYWIFT’s Muse Awards on December 12, 2013.
READ MORENYWIFT Recap: Create the Buzz, Audience Will Follow
Cheree Dillion, Kristin McCracken, Gary Hustwit, Roz Murphy, Marisa Vitale, Angela Tucker, Elisabeth Holme, and Jorge Rivera. The power of social media in independent film is undeniable. Which is why filmmakers want to know how can social media can increase their film’s visibility and audience reach. Held on November 21, Create the Buzz, Audience Will...
READ MOREHey, Hollywood! Movies That Pass the Bechdel Test Make More Money
Infographic and quote from Vocativ. We analyzed the top 50 biggest box office movies of 2013 to see if they passed the Bechdel Test, which evaluates whether a movie has two or more women in it who have a conversation about something other than a man. It’s named after cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who wrote about it in her...
READ MORE2013 Year-End Film & TV News Roundup
Hit web series Broad City from Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. This week’s entry is a roundup of stories I felt were the most informative, inspiring, or entertaining of 2013. New York State extended the film tax credit program. These marketing, grantwriting, and consulting articles offer new insight. Comedian Tig Notaro hit her personal and professional stride. So inspiring. Woman-centered...
READ MORENotes from a Screenreader: Start by Finishing
Photo via Go Into the Story. In the same way that a recipe is not a batch of warm cookies on a baking sheet, an unfinished draft is merely an intention — and like raw dough, a story won’t show its shape until it comes out of the oven. Most contest submissions suffer from a half-baking....
READ MORESubmit It! Winter & Spring Calls for Entries
We’ve rounded up the top film festivals, writing competitions, and grants with winter or spring deadlines. It’s time to polish that script, shoot that video, upload that film. We’ll be updating this list as more submission dates become available, so check back often. Film/Video/TV Festivals, Contests, Labs & ScreeningsNashville Film Festival (WAB 1/10)LA Film Festival (1/10,...
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