And your thoughts... This is a tool I'm creating for the upcoming workshop. I told ya'll there was a lot going on behind the scenes! Great Characters - Session 2 - The Diner Test

Hello dear Forge ! This week I did something really, really cool in Paris: I went to a week-long training with producers and script doctors to work on my pitching skills for my feature film "The Red Arch". Not only have I learned A LOT about the French film industry, but specifically, I have learned that my feature film will be extremely hard to produce in France, for budgetary reasons (French cinema doesn't have the same production budgets as the US unfortunately). The producers I met did not exactly say "it will never be produced" but that's clearly what they meant. They strongly suggested I try pitching in the US directly and not lose time in France. The issue : I have 0 contacts in the US! 🇺🇸 So, I was wondering if enrolling in pitching contests could be a good strategy to start meeting people and maybe get some contacts. Do you have an idea of interesting contests that I could participate in ? Or any opinion on this ? As always, thanks for your companionship (makes me feel less alone 😅🫶🏻)

It was a solid time. Everyone is making progress. We talked about unpacking our stories and how to do that in an effective way that doesn't let all the tension out of our story. Killing our darlings was another topic, and learning to be ruthless with our scripts for the sake of making them pop. Making sure our characters are well-rounded before anything ever happens. and just the positive energy of a group of writers in the story together. A shout-out to first-timer on the sprint calls @Tasha Kelly see you all soon!

No excuses. You want to say you're a writer you have to write. But if you're not in a writing state of mind get up and network. I network, with 10s of people daily. Actors, assistant directors....today I received a response from my all pro voice actor from Tokyo whose natural baritone is like Jim Morrison. His response to my email about his role as the protagonist voice actor, in the movie under production: Sounds like fun! I will have to pick up a new headset with a microphone because I'm in Hawaii and then Vegas for the rest of the month. Doable. I will send you what i can do and if it's good i will look at renting a studio for an hour or two. Sincerely in your service, ______________________________ Get out there. Present yourself.

Sprints are incredibly helpful in a similar way that table reads are, as they bring into play the needed social aspect of screenwriting. We spend so much time alone that bringing our pages to a group of people is essential for improving them. We're too close to our work to be objective. Drop-ins are encouraged Come in, leave your camera off, be with a group of fellow writers, and do whatever it is you need to do. Maybe it’s paying bills, planning out your week. Proximity, I think, is important. Embrace the Chaos! Screenwriting is messy. Be okay with showing up with rough pages. It took Michael Arndt 100 drafts to get his Oscar-winning screenplay, Little Miss Sunshine, to a great place. Now, some may say that's a daunting thought. My feeling when I heard him say that was relief. Yes, relief because it means I don't have to get it right the first, tenth, or 20th draft. Controlled Times and Tangible Outcomes When I’m off my game and I’m overwhelmed, setting strict time limits to just get something done is very effective. 20 or 30 minutes, or, as we do on our sprints, 50 minutes and they fly by. Get something specific done in short time frames with us. Round Table Struggles and Successes: We allocate about 10 minutes between sprints to chat about what progress we’re making or what we’re struggling with. There’s a synergy that happens when a group of people trying to achieve the same thing are together, and we express things that we all can relate to as writers. Those who come are aware of the value, but I’m actually writing this for those who have never come. Yes, I realize sometimes work, family, etc., take up our time. No judgement here. We have sprints on Mondays and Saturdays. Remember, there's no pressure to reveal anything; just come and be with other like-minded people.