I’m heading back to the UK tomorrow, and I’ve had the most inspiring few weeks in South Africa. Our Pitch winners are absolutely amazing. Our judges’ panel was unanimous in the selection of an unprecedented two winners!

I’ve had a chance to work with both winners personally and we will continue development work over Skype.

We also presented six Master Classes in Pitching and Adaptation at area film schools. It’s been a whirlwind of activity.  I enjoyed every minute but I must say–  it’s good to be back in my UK home.

In the next couple of weeks, I’m heading off to Belgium to work on a long-running television series.  I’m prepping to return to the USA in the beginning of April.  It seems I’m always on the move… I’m like Waldo! Who knows where I will pop up next.

I do love traveling. It’s one of the perks of my job. I get to go and do what I love in places all around the globe. It’s a real privilege to make new friends and experience different cultures.

But it will be good to get back to the US and have a base near family for the next few months. To quote Ferris Bueller:

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

I’m in South Africa for a few weeks, and am involved with The Pitch South Africa, an expansion of the “Enter The Pitch” competition that I’ve been involved in for many years now.

I’ve been working with some incredible South African filmmakers, and I’m so inspired by the talent of the finalists both here in South Africa, and back in the UK where this year is going to be the 15th anniversary of Enter The Pitch!

I wanted to share with you our 6 brilliant finalists, pitching their short films based on, or inspired by, The Bible. See what you can take from their pitches for any pitches you might have to make going forward.

We’ll be announcing the winner soon, and I’ll make sure to announce it in an upcoming post.

Relevé

Language of Love

No Where To Run

Black Jackets

The Second

Today

This is the first year launch in South Africa.  Enter the Pitch has been going strong in the UK for about a decade.

In both locations, the competition is the ultimate adaptation challenge.

Entrants are asked to make a two-minute pitch adapting a Bible story, character or situation as a short film for the big screen.  The film can be set in any era (past, present, or future), in any tone or style (thriller, space odyssey, mystery, love story, etc.).  The artistic choices are endless.  The only caveat is the film must stay true to the emotional heart of the original story.

Lust, violence, betrayal, romance, war, murder, fidelity, greed, forgiveness all figure in the collection of books we call the Bible. Every human situation and conflict is represented. The story possibilities are endless.

Successfully adapting one of these stories will teach you how to how to adapt any kind of material.  I am the development consultant and I help the pitch winner every step of the way. It’s a fascinating process and one I hope you consider being a part of.

The UK Enter the Pitch Competition

The SA Enter the Pitch Competition

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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We spent ours in sparkly, musical, baroquely beautiful Vienna.  Here’s a little photo essay of our holiday.

I have been away from Norway for a while. When I arrived, I realized how much I missed working in Oslo. The Drama Days summit was wonderful.  Interesting panels and most of my local professional colleagues in one place!!  I did a short lecture on The Emotional Toolbox and the following day a full day workshop.

I had a great weekend off– well, sort of off.  I had several project synopsis to read in preparation for one-on-one consultations for the Norwegian Film Institute.  Excited to meet all the writers.  Several of the projects have already been commissioned by the NRK (Norway’s equivalent to the BBC).

Some great drama and comedy shows are coming from the network– I particularly loved Norsemen, a wacky comedy, Valkyrien, a wonderful medical thriller, and Occupied,  a show about the stealth takeover of the Norwegian government by Russia for the oil and gas resources (on TV 2).  You can catch all of this on Netflix!

Here is a great video that gives a taste of Oslo:

I am on my way to Copenhagen as you read this.  Looking forward to a wonderful time meeting new and old friends. The conference has a big treat in store, a boat ride to a fantastic dinner location.  Then back to Bristol for just enough time to unpack and do laundry. Then I am immediately on to Amsterdam! Watch my ETBScreenwriting  INSTAGRAM for pictures,

This is typical of my schedule, I’m a frequent traveler, traveling back and forth between the UK and (mostly) continental Europe and Scandinavia.  I’m not quite in the same league as the main character in “Up in the Air.” In that film, George Clooney plays a frequent flier who is on the road 270 days a year. As Clooney’s character reports, the difference between having to check luggage and fitting everything into a carry-on is a week’s worth of time spent waiting in line.

So that’s tip #1:  Travel Light.  Limit yourself to one cabin sized roll on bag and a compact computer bag. Being the first through customs, never waiting for luggage, and no one EVER losing your baggage is a tremendous advantage in my book. I can easily get two weeks of travel out of one carry-on.

Tip #2: Start with a Dark Base Color.  Personally, I’ve been transitioning from black to navy.  I think navy blue is more interesting than the more expected black. I am lucky to work in the entertainment business where the dress is casual.  I usually pack two pairs of navy business casual trousers and a dark pair of slim jeans. I also bring three nice tops, two sweaters, and a light leather coat.  A couple of soft tee-shirts (cotton and cashmere), and a night gown completes my basic wardrobe. I also usually throw in a packable light down vest.

Tip #3. Limit Shoes. I usually wear ankle boots or trainers on the plane and pack two pairs of nice flats. I’ve picked out trainers that can double as casual shoes– I have good sturdy suede ones.

Tip #4: Add Color with Accessories. I pack a couple of colorful silk scarves to brighten things up.  And I always wear a big soft cozy scarf on the plane.  It’s can be cold on board.

Tip #5:  Wear a Denim Dress on Board.  This is one of the best tips I’ve ever gotten from a fellow female traveler.  A loose denim dress and silky leggings are like wearing pajamas.  I bring a belt to cinch the dress pre and post flight. The denim dress can be dressed up for dinner at the location, while still being casual.

Tip #6. Find Tube and Pencil Versions of Makeup. They fit more easily in the required zip lock bags. Lipstick can double as a blusher.  I snag travel sized toothpaste at the dentist and 2 oz contact solution at the optician. I also have a travel size of my favorite Hermes perfume.  There’s no need to bring more liquid than that.  AND there are drug stores all over the world. Buy what you need on location and leave it behind when you go.

Tip #7: Save Your Back. A roll-on with a hook that holds your computer case counterbalances the load so that you can cruise through the airport quickly. If your bag doesn’t have such an add-on bag strap you can easily buy one.

Tip #8: Test ALL Your Batteries. Make sure your rechargeables are fully charged (Kindle, iPad, FitBit, Computer). Know the capacity of your batteries. You might be surprised by how long a trip you can make without lugging along a bag full of chargers.

Tip #9: Always Bring Backups. “A high-resolution scan of your driver’s license, passport, visas, and credit cards on the SD card of your smartphone or on your computer HD can be a life saver if anything is lost or stolen.  I also recommend a paper print out as well.

Tip #10: Put Medications in the Safe. I once had medication pilfered at a high-end resort. I didn’t notice until I ran out, way ahead of schedule. In some countries, there’s a big black market in prescription medicine.

All that is left is: Relax, bring a snack (food on board is iffy), listen to a downloaded audible book, and enjoy the ride!

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I am back in the UK at the end of August and will be starting a series of Screenwriting Roundtables starting in September. Watch this space!  I am anxious to get back to my secret weapon and screenwriting guru, Mr. Otto Longi.  His expert advice does come at a price.  Packing the toys and treats he requires.

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I am on my way to Perugia, Italy to work with the talented team from RAI, the Italian State Broadcaster, much like the BBC in in the UK.

Although it is very basic it’s always good to start with the five most important questions in constructing a story.

What Does the Character Want?

What the main character wants is a clear and simple ego-driven goal. It is something that directly benefits the main character that he or she can physically have or obtain. It is concrete. It is specific. It is the finite object of the character’s personal desire. For example: Win the championship trophy, get the promotion, pay the rent, solve the crime, buy the fancy car, steal the jewel, get the girl (or guy), etc.

To obtain the want, the character must abandon the need.

What Does the Character Need?

What the character needs is an inner ache or yearning that the character is unaware of, denies, suppresses, or ignores. It is a deeper, more abstract or intangible human longing. It is not physical or concrete. It is an emotional or spiritual urge or inner call to live up to one’s higher nature. For example: To become a better parent, to forgive another, to act with integrity, to find one’s faith, to become more altruistic, to be a more reliable friend, to face the truth, to love unselfishly, etc.

To embrace the need, the character must abandon the specific self-centered goal (or object of desire) and address more fundamental and far-reaching human concerns.

What is the Conflict Between the Want and the Need?

One of the most common problems with stories that don’t work is the lack of a clear and specific want vs. a deep and powerful inner longing. The want pulls us through the story. The need draws us deeper into or inside the character. If this bedrock conflict isn’t clear the story won’t add up to very much.

Does the Story Clearly Distinguish the Want and the Need?

Does the main character have a specific physical or concrete object of personal desire? What does he or she want? What is the concrete physical goal or specific objective? Does the main character actively pursue this objective through the story? Does the main character have a clearly delineated deeper human longing? What is missing deep inside the character?

What is the Price?

What is the main character willing to sacrifice or surrender to obtain the want or to embrace the need? Is there a high cost for each choice?  If the character obtains the want and lets go of the need the character pays a high price in unhappiness and emotional loss.

Does that mean that no character ever gets what he or she wants? We know that’s not true. Characters get what they want all the time. But this happens in a one of two ways.

1) The character gets what he or she wants and finds that it is hollow:

For example, in Jerry Maguire, Jerry (Tom Cruise) gets what he wants, to get back in the agent game by representing a major NFL player. He finds his victory is hollow and emotionally empty when he realizes he has no one to call or with whom to celebrate after a big win. This is when he returns to his wife and family and embraces what he needs.

In Dangerous Liaisons, Vicomte Valmont (John Malkovich) gets what he wants: To seduce the un-seducible woman. He finds his victory is poisonous when he realizes he has destroyed the only woman he has ever loved and who truly loves him. The story ends tragically with his death and hers.

2) The character lets go of the want and embraces the need and then, in the classic comedic turnaround, he or she finds something even better or finds that the want comes around on the other side:

In life, this is the story of a young couple that wants to start a family. What they want is a biological child. They try and try to no avail. They realize what they need is to make a family with a child who needs them. They adopt and are deliriously happy. What happens one year later? The wife gets pregnant. This happy turnaround happens enough in life that we believe it in fiction.

Or for example, in Pretty Woman, Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) wants to pay the rent. That’s why she picks up Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) in the first place. It’s why she stays with him over the course of the story. When he offers to meet that want by buying her a condo (and pay her rent in perpetuity) she turns him down. What she needs is to live a life of honesty and integrity. If she accepts his proposition she will always be a whore. She rejects his offer and it is that act of integrity that brings him back to her as a real suitor and a true partner (rather than as a man who is simply “buying” her).

The tougher the choice is, the better the story.

Does the main character pay dearly for whatever he or she pursues and chooses? The price is the end of the long road where the character comes face-to-face with the ultimate truth. Who is the character really? This supreme price is what the audience is waiting eagerly to see.

If the price is not high enough, the story suffers and the audience isn’t really invested in the outcome.

1.  Men here wear red pants– if you are in the UK that will read as underwear– so I mean trousers.  They also wear orange, bright green, pink, and turquoise trousers.  Men here are much more sartorially adventurous.  They also wear silk scarves, wool scarves, and cotton scarves which are meant to be decorative as well as warm.

2.  If someone tells you– “Oh it’s just 5 minutes further on” expect it to be about a 20 minute walk.  People here walk much much more than in the US.  They always vastly underestimate how long a walk it is between here and there.  Buy comfortable shoes.

3.  They also smoke more– much more.  Perhaps the walking counter balances this. But expect smoke to be wafting everywhere people gather outside.  Most places do forbid smoking inside restaurants and other public venues but the walking includes walking past lots of smokers.

4.  People live at much colder temperatures, especially in the UK.  Central heating is still an advertised special feature in apartment ads.  Maybe that’s why they smoke– to keep warm.  It could also be why they drink.  People drink way more, especially in the UK, than in the US.  I am talking about middle-aged professionals here– not kids.  Black-out drinking is not uncommon.  I’ve overheard several conversations between colleagues about this in my travels.  Or maybe it’s just the people in the entertainment industry?  Or just people I know.

5.  Whenever there is the least glimmer of sun people sit outdoors in cafes, etc.  It can be freezing cold but people still dine and drink outside if there is any spot of brightness.

6.  People actually take vacations.  Yes, they turn off their mobile phones, their email, and are unreachable– for weeks!  It’s called relaxing.  This is a concept Americans seem to have trouble grasping, especially in the television business.  I am getting used to it.

7.  Things are more expensive here.  People tended to have fewer really nice things and not all the cheap crap that Americans tend to horde.  What they do have they use a lot and enjoy.  Yes yes there is cheaper crap over here but there is somehow a different mind set about things.  Physical evidence is the general lack of gigantic closets and tons of storage space.  This is not necessarily a matter of room size.  A good-sized bedroom might still have no closet and a just a medium sized wardrobe– a few shelves and a small single rack to hang clothes.

8.  Dining is a form of pleasure.  It takes much longer to be served at restaurants and no one rushes the bill.  People linger and talk.  There are certainly American fast food places but when having dinner with friends or colleagues it is a much slower process.  Waiters aren’t rushing to “turn over” the tables.

9.  People here are much more knowledgeable about the US and elsewhere than Americans are about anywhere. In general, they understand the mechanics of the US political process better than a lot of Americans or will quiz you on this to improve their understanding.  They are absolutely astonished at the lack of affordable healthcare and mass shootings of children– and the seeming lack of will to do much about either issue.

10.  They are much more energy conscious.  They drive smaller cars.  In the UK they have individual switches to turn off the current for each plug.  They seem to recycle more and don’t have the animosity some Americans have about alternative energy sources.  Germany, for instance, gets the vast majority of its electricity from solar power.  It’s not a particularly sunny country but they have developed the technology to improve on performance.

No things are not perfect here.  We all know about the economic troubles everywhere.  And yes you can complain about “socialism.”  But I am enjoying my time here and it is changing me, in lots of ways for the better.  I find my self collecting experiences rather than things– yes yes I know I did some shopping in Milan– but I bought a couple of really nice, if a bit expensive things.  I am learning a lot about myself and others.  There is nothing like travel to enrich perspectives and broaden personal horizons.  I am doubly blessed to be working on the stories of other cultures and having the deep intimate conversations that storytelling stimulates.  It’s been a great three months.

Character Map Workshop – April 29

• What tools are in storyteller’s Emotional Toolbox?
• What determines a character emotional power in a story?
• How does a storyteller create fictional characters that always “ring true”?
• What is the Character Map?
• What six questions define a character?
• What are the four dynamic conflicts that motivate any character’s actions?
• Character Map demonstration/exercise:
• How does emotion generate action?
• What key emotion does the hero/protagonist always share with the villain/antagonist?
• How does the antagonist attack or tempt the hero emotionally?
• How do heroes/protagonists fall to the ”Dark Side”?
• What must the protagonist surrender in order to prevail in the story?
• What important emotional step must a character take to complete his/her emotional journey successfully?

Thriller Workshop – April 30

• Emotion Power vs Genre
• What is a Thriller vs a Detective Story vs a Crime Story?
• How motivation and character determine Story Type
• What is the Power of Truth?
• How the Power of Truth propels a protagonist through the thriller plot line and creates an emotional bond with the audience.
• How great story twists develop Power of Truth themes of loyalty and betrayal.
• How deceit and deception keeps the audience off balance.
• How storytellers can increase mistrust and suspicion by turning allies into enemies and enemies into allies
• What drives a Power of Truth story?
• How storytellers create a compelling internal emotion dynamic for a thriller protagonist
• How the motivation and psychology of a male protagonist differs from that of a female protagonist.
• How non-traditional narrative structure is created through character development.
• How storytellers can re-imagine and refresh this popular film genre and make it uniquely their own.

RomCom Workshop – May 2

This program will help you get to the heart of one of the most beloved film genres. Great ”date movies” are often the biggest box office hits. Most other kinds of films have a love story or buddy subplot.  The program includes a complete discussion of:

• How the Power of Love drives the protagonist through the story
• How to couple and uncouple lovers or buddies in sequences that are both entertaining and emotionally moving
• How to develop the psychological pairings that create the most sparks and ignite the hottest romance
• How to use the three key elements that make the romantic journey interesting and worthwhile
• How to establish the qualities of attraction and repulsion that keep the characters and the audience off balance
• How the motivation and psychology of a male protagonist differs from that of a female protagonist
• How to re-imagine and re-invent this enduring film genre and make it uniquely your own