Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Linda Frothingham announces: The Writers Boot Camp Fellowship - Deadline: Feb 24

From a friend of LINDA FROTHINGHAM of Chicago/Hollywood.com at Writers boot camp:
In case you are interested the WBC fellowship deadline is 2/24/11.
I have a promo code for 20% off. Its WIF211 (women in film code)

The Writers Boot Camp Fellowship
Educating Future Professionals
Writers Boot Camp has awarded over $250,000 in coursework to over 50 Fellows in the first year and a half of the Fellowship. Watch for news of our first development deal winner and producing partner in the next few weeks.
February Creative Categories

Deadline: Thursday, February 24

Feature Film: Romantic Comedy

Television Pilot: Half-Hour Relationship Comedy

When a Romantic Comedy or Comedy TV Series does break out, it can achieve a wide audience. But the challenge of anticipating the social zeitgeist a few years out--since it will take that long to fully develop your material through the many stages of work--renders most romantic and comedic pieces derivative.


Transcending cliche in these genres is not a no-brainer. Whether you're currently in love, or not, or still in a relationship following Valentine's Day this week, these genres require articulate characterization and relationship progression that is particularly electric.

The question is not only how to create a prescient comic platform but also how to complicate and extend the entertainment in a more thoroughly fresh way.


Application Changes and Submission Tips

Too many past candidates have underestimated the competitive nature of this Fellowship. Not even the winners so far have submitted material ready for the making. Even the ideas based on existing scripts are all works in progress, which means that you need to commit ideas that you believe in.
If you're planning to submit an idea, it will have to include more than just a set-up. The set-up in a feature story and the situation of a series can intimate potential, but it's the development of the middle of the story or story line that will provide the momentum of comedy and that will sustain the rooting interest of romance.


We've also added stronger guidelines in support of the questions toward encouraging you to choose a scene that matches the Premise Line and to submit a scene from the middle of the story or episode.

These choices could push you to a higher ranking and level of consideration. In these first five months, we have found that after the narrowing of the field to a smaller group of talented, professionally-minded candidates, it's the scene work (no more than three pages) that can differentiate a writer from the pack and create separation from the other worthy yet still equally rough-hewn ideas.We've made some changes to the application. First, for TV we've added a secondary question for the description of the series, which will complement the Premise Line. Next, we now require a single sentence description of the scene, which should encourage you to consider its intent.



For writers submitting TV pilot ideas, remember that half-hour scripts may be either single-camera film, formatted the same as feature films, or multi-camera sitcom, in which the page format is double-spaced. It's always helpful to compare your idea to the lineage of past and current shows and to articulate your vision accordingly.



We're looking for Fellowship candidates to submit a great idea and a scene that entertains in keeping with the potential of that clever idea. Many ideas cross over between the big and small screen. The main distinction between feature film and television is whether the idea feels like it can resolve itself in a single adventure, or if it indicates an ongoing, recurring source of situations and episodes.



The application deadline is Thursday, February 24 at 11:59pm!


Apply Now to Become a Fellow

Fellowship Details

Each month, the Writers Boot Camp Fellowship awards three $5000 full scholarships to our Online Professional Membership (OPM), including an opportunity to compete for an annual writing/development deal with Writers Boot Camp Productions and/or a studio, network or independent producer.

The Writers Boot Camp Fellowship is unlike any other in that a minimum of three awards are granted monthly, Creative Categories change each month, reflect viable genres and project parameters for both feature film and original television series and selection is only the beginning of the Fellowship process.


Monthly Creative Categories also include awards for diversity in subject matter and lead characters, as well as inspired writers based on personal experience and circumstances. After Fellows complete a project within the first six months of OPM coursework, they compete for the development deal with our sponsoring partner.


Writers Boot Camp encourages its current members and alumni to apply. If selected as a Fellow, your coursework will be extended, and as a Fellow you will be eligible to compete for the development deal six months after your selection.

Again, the deadline is Thursday, February 24--and winners wil be notified by Monday, February 28.


Candidates need the following to apply for the Fellowship:

An original idea for a feature film or television series pilot.
One scene (no more than three pages) conveying the entertaining potential of your idea.

A short paragraph on your goals and completed online application with fee.
A commitment of at least 10 hours per week for your creative and writing process through OPM.

Notification to winners and candidates is swift and the evaluation process is thorough, based on Writers Boot Camp's comprehensive, professional tools and creative guidelines.

For more info and to apply, go to writersbootcamp.com/Fellowship, or email Max Timm, Writers Boot Camp's Creative Director at mtimm@writersbootcamp.com.


In Writers Boot Camp's 20 years, its coursework has been distinguished by the emphasis on learning fundamentals while actually writing and completing scripts. Founder Jeffrey Gordon's proprietary tools and teaching process, first taught in his living room in 1989, have helped thousands of alumni.


Your referrals are important to us, so please ask candidates to tell us that they heard about the Fellowship from you!

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Posted by ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Screenwriter - Author - Eventologist
Chicago - IL USA

2-22-2011 - 4:55 PM CST

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