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<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>From: "Kaos Films
Newsletter" <newsletter@kaosfilms.co.uk><br>
To: <mike.atienza@ucr.edu><br>
Subject: Kaos Films Newsletter<br>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:23:10 +0100<br>
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<br>
<h2><b>British Short Screenplay Competition</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>in association with</b></h3><br><br>
<br>
<h2><b>The National Film and Television School</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b><a href="http://www.kaosfilms.co.uk">www.kaosfilms.co.uk</a></b></h3><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>Only 16 Days to the Early Deadline Michael Grade Joins the Panel
of Judges Ask Arif Hussein the Founder of BSSC <br>
<hr>
British Short Screenplay Competition is sponsored by:<br>
Ascent Media, Kodak, Lee Lighting, Panavision, Pinewood-Shepperton
Studios, Screenplay Systems and Working Title Films</b> <br>
<br>
For details on how to unsubscribe from this newsletter please go to the
end of this document. <br>
<br>
<b>Only 16 Days to the Early Deadline </b><br><br>
The early deadline of the British Short Screenplay Competition 2007 is
less 16 days away. If you haven't mailed your submission yet do so now
and take advantage of the lower entry fee. Don't forget this year THREE
winners will go into production. No other screenplay competition in the
world offers a bigger prize package! And TEN runners-up will recieve
Movie Magic screenwriting software. PLUS all the finalists will be
invited to an interview with the panel of the top UK film school NFTS for
MA in Screenwriting by-passing preliminary rounds. <br>
<br>
But if you still need to brain-storm the last scene with your writing
partner who is not back from the Bahamas don't panic, the final deadline
is 22nd June.<br>
For Rules and Entry forms please
<a href="http://www.kaosfilms.co.uk">Visit the website by clicking
here</a> <br>
<b>Michael Grade Joins the Panel of Judges </b><br><br>
We are hugely honoured to welcome Michael Grade the current Executive
Chairman of ITV and arguably the most powerful man in UK broadcasting to
the panel of judges of BSSC. <br>
<br>
Michael Grade comes from a showbusiness dynasty, with his uncles,
impresarios Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont. He is the son of Leslie Grade,
the theatrical agent who booked stars like Bob Hope and Danny Kaye.
Michael Grade joined the Grade organisation as an agent in 1966 and moved
into TV in 1973 as Deputy Controller of Entertainment Programmes at
London Weekend Television.<br>
<br>
From LWT, Mr Grade moved on to BBC One in 1984, where he won many
admirers. Bob Geldof said nobody else would have had "the
bottle" to hand over a network for 24 hours to Live Aid in
1985.<br>
<br>
In 1988 he moved on to become Chief Executive of Channel 4. Mr Grade left
Channel 4 and in 1999 he became Chairman of the firm running Pinewood and
Shepperton Film Studios. In 2004 Mr Grade became Chairman of the Board of
Governors of the BBC. In November 2006 Mr Grade resigned from the BBC and
became Executive Chairman of ITV.<br>
<br>
<b>Ask Arif Hussein the Founder of BSSC </b><br><br>
In our last newsletter we promised to put Arif Hussein, the founder of
the BSSC in the hot seat again on your behalf and invited you to send in
the questions. We've been inundated with emails from our readers. So
let's go to the first question:-<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Arif, I've longed to be able to ask this question, and not
knowing the answer has held me back from submitting a script to the Kaos
short script competition. My question is: is there any chance of getting
to direct my script myself if it's chosen as a winner? In my case, I have
filmmaking training and short film directing experience, though I have
not yet done any paid/professional directing work. I also have theatre
directing experience and professional acting credits. Shane Vahey <br>
<br>
A: We often get asked this question and we've always said that despite
our relationship with the NFTS if the writer wants to direct their own
winning screenplay then we will include them in the mix when we are
appointing the director. We want the most qualified person to direct the
film. And qualified doesn't mean academic qualifications it means the
person with the best vision. But of course this year three winners will
go into production. So we will be actively looking for directors outside
the NFTS. But we do ask that you make your intention clear when you enter
the competition by stating on the title page that you wish to be
considered as director.<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Sir, I live in Tokyo, Japan. May I enter this competition or is
it for the British people only? Also does the screenplay has to be
written in English? - Haruko <br>
<br>
A: The BSSC is an international competition open to anyone from any
country of any nationality. We receive entries from over 120 countries.
Of the past five winners two, Tom Beach and Hank Issac are from the US,
Two James Walker and Mark Cowling from UK and last year's winner Linda
Niccol is from New Zealand. Runners-up have come from Australia, Peru,
India, Italy, Iran, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil and Japan. The
screenplays have to be in English but later may be translated into the
native language if necessary for dramatic reasons. We have done this with
LIKE FATHER which was translated into Bosnian and THE STARS DON'T TWINKLE
IN OUTER SPACE was translated into Hungarian.<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Sir, Can you please tell me what is the budget of the winning
screenplay that you produce? Yours, Steve - USA<br>
<br>
A: I can't tell you what will be the budget on the winning films of 2007
because we don't yet have the screenplays in our hand. There are so many
factors that affect the budget, cast, location, period and so on. What I
can tell you is that the last three films we have already produced had an
average budget of $340,000 inclusive of all sponsorship package. THE
HANDYMAN was shot on location in USA, THE STARS DON'T TWINKLE IN OUTER
SPACE was shot on location in Hungary and LIKE FATHER was shot in Bosnia.
That is the biggest prize package of any screewriting competition in the
world. And of course in 2007 there will be three winning screenplays.
<br><br>
Q: Dear Arif, I know that we can submit a script again which has not won
in a previous BSSC. Has anyone ever done this and won , or gotten closer
to winning? Thank you, Eric Schneider - USA (2003 semi-finalist)<br>
<br>
A: Yes, anyone can re-enter their screenplay which has not won the top
prize previously. Many writers re-enter their screenplays. We always say
before you re-enter please check and see if you can improve upon what you
have done. One writer entered a screenplay three years running. First
year it only made first round. He rewrote it and entered it again next
year under a different title and it made it to the third round. The
following year he made the finalists. But each year there were major
rewrites. He worked hard and deserved the prize.<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Arif, Is it possible to get copies of screenplays of past winners
or runners up to get some kind of a feel for why they were successful? -
Danny Katz - Australia.<br>
<br>
A: We get this question from writers again and again. We cannot publish
the runners-up as we do not own the copyright on them. As regards the
winning screenplays we have been reluctant to publish them because we
feel it would spoil the film that will be produced from the screenplay.
But having said that we are publishing THE HANDYMAN screenplay. It should
be up on the website in the next few days.<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Arif, If I sign the release am I surrendering the rights to my
screenplay to Kaos Films? - Amanda - Singapore<br>
<br>
A: Not at all. The release allows us (the readers and the judges) to read
your screenplay without the fear of litigation in the future. You retain
all rights to the screenplay. When you win the competition you will be
asked to enter into an agreement which will assign the rights to Kaos
Films. <br>
<br>
Q: Dear Arif, What do you recommend a novice writer should do to better
their chances of winning the competition. Do you recommend reading any
screenplays, books? Thanks, Neil - UK<br>
<br>
A: There are lots of books a writer should read, too many to mention
here. But you can never read enough screenplays. If you want to write
screenplays then read screenplays. Read good ones and the bad ones. The
internet is full of websites which provide free to read screenplays. The
Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences has a huge database of screenplays
you can read online - if you can figure out how the site works! And many
other sites. The important thing is go to the site that have screenplays
in their original format.<br>
<br>
Q: Dear Arif, I have heard so much about the winning films you're
producing how can I see them? - Rita - India <br>
<br>
A: The Handyman has been screened in many film festivals around the world
and continuing to do so. I'm not sure if it's going to be screened in
India. If you're travelling look out for it or we're pleased to say that
it has acquired a distributor and we hope it will soon be available on
DVDs and will be broadcast on television. We will keep you updated via
our website.<br>
For Rules and Entry forms please
<a href="http://www.kaosfilms.co.uk">Visit the website by clicking
here</a> <br>
<hr>
British Short Screenplay Competition is sponsored by:<br>
<b>Ascent Media, Kodak, Lee Lighting, Panavision, Pinewood-Shepperton
Studios, Screenplay Systems and Working Title Films</b> <br>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Mike Atienza<br>
Student Services<br>
Departments of Dance, Music & Theatre<br>
ARTS 130<br>
University of California, Riverside<br>
900 University Avenue<br>
Riverside, CA 92521<br>
(951) 827-3343<br>
(951) 827-4651 FAX<br><br>
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