I’ve been following the Celtx software for some time. I currently use Final Draft for screenwriting, but I have a soft spot for free/open source projects.

Celtx has now released their version 1.0, which usually means it’s ready for prime time. I can’t say for certain that is true, but they have tweaked a lot of their features and added some new ones. I’m personally interested in the production tools: call sheets, prop lists, storyboard organization, etc.  I plan to try out the production features on our upcoming project. I’ll post my results.

Last weekend was Horrorfind Weekend.

As always, Timewarp Films had a table and we were hawking our films. It was nice to actually have a new one to offer. We weren’t able to get copies of Dead Hunt for last August’s show.

We shared space with our sister organization, Scares that Care (also run by Joe Ripple, our director). It really stole the show. We raffled off Ichabod, a creepy looking head on a stick, and conducted a silent auction–all for charity. It was a great success! We took in over $2000.

I spent most of the weekend hiding behind my laptop. I was updating a script for submission to the Bluecat Screenplay Competition. But I did pop my head up every once in a while to chat with fellow filmmakers, fans of Don Dohler and Timewarp Films (always a pleasure to speak with people that like your stuff), and, of course, the other Timewarpers helping out: Stewie, Rob (pictured; right), Zig, Colleen, Leanna (pictured; center), Eric, and the man himself, Joe Ripple.

Overall it was great fun. Unfortunately, the turnout wasn’t what they hoped for. But this was the first time in a new location, and March doesn’t bring out the fans like August does.

One highlight for me was getting to meet George Romero (pictured below). As a low-budget filmmaker, getting to meet a legend in the field is a real treat. He was taller than I expected, and a great guy to talk to. We shared our opinions on filmmaking, and he told me his favorite of his own films is Martin, a film I’ve wanted to see since watching Document of the Dead. Needless to say, I jumped on Amazon when I got home and ordered a copy.

Here’s a pic of the table. The barely visible Zig is behind the TV, Stewie is filming Rob taking the picture — exciting footage, it must be — and that’s me in the center, face buried.

Colleen, Leanna, and Eric pose to promote Dead Hunt.

And finally, a bunch of us went to the local Outback on Saturday to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

A very busy and tiring weekend, but a fun one.

Thanks to Rob and Stewie for the pictures.

This has to be the best strike video yet. Some of the best actors on TV, from Law & Order and Homicide, try and figure out what happened to a dead woman in a library–but they don’t have a script. It’s hilarious! Big thumbs up to the famous faces that are standing by the writers.

Two out of three ain’t bad.

I was elated when I heard I placed in Red Inkworks. It takes a lot of work to write a feature-length screenplay, and I can’t think of a better way to gage one’s writing ability than becoming a finalist in a contest (other than an option deal, I guess). Plus, the feedback they offered was excellent.

And today Screenplay Festival announced their semi-finalists, and there I was in the Horror/Thriller category. Boy, that felt good. Of course there are about fifty screenplays in each genre, so the competition is pretty stiff, but I’m hopeful.

My plan is to enter one more contest with this script before possibly starting to query production companies and/or agents. Placing in two out of three contests has given me some confidence, and I feel the changes I’ve been making to the script have greatly improved it. So it seems the time is approaching (after the strike, of course) when I need to get out there and build some interest. I do, however, plan to research the dos and don’ts of querying before navigating those treacherous waters.

By the way, the final contest I plan to enter is the Bluecat Screenplay Competition. Its early deadline is Jan 1, and I should be finished tweaking by then. Bluecat is not only high profile, it offers coverage to all entrants, and a hefty cash prize.

Three out of four would be awesome!

WGA horror writers chime in with a genre-themed video about the strike. It’s cute, and you get to see who wrote some of your favorite horror flicks.

Here’s another great video about the WGA strike. This one was created by writers of the Daily Show. It’s hilarious! And there’s a special guest near the end.

I have no stake in the outcome of the WGA strike, other than as a viewer of course. But this video does make a strong case for the writers.

What cha gonna do when they come for you? Drop your script and run like hell.

John August posted these links on his blog. Any aspiring screenwriter should get a kick out of these short films.

Script Cops, Ep1: Dom

Script Cops, Ep 2: McK

Script Cops, Ep 3: Traf

As I mentioned in a previous post, I entered a few contests to see how my first feature-length screenplay would fare against other aspiring screenwriters. Well, I’m happy to say that I was selected as a top-50 finalist (27th to be exact) in the Red Inkworks competition, the second contest I entered. Woohoo!

As a result, my script’s title and logline¹ will be posted on their Web site, and will also be e-mailed to various industry professionals, who may be interested in reading the script.

So, does this mean agents, managers, and producers will be beating down my door? That would be cool, but I have no illusions. I mean, I hope someone sees the listing and finds my story intriguing enough to contact me. But I doubt it’ll be that easy. This is merely the first step in a long process. Albeit, an important step for my confidence.

One reason I entered this contest in particular, besides the fact that it’s well reviewed on MovieBytes, is the feedback they provide. I found it very insightful, and was happy the suggestions were for minor changes only.

Folks, the notes alone were worth the entry fee. I highly recommend this contest for any new screenwriter who wants an objective opinion on his or her script–with the added benefit of possibly being exposed to “the industry”.

¹A logline is a brief description of a script, usually 1-3 sentences, that is often used as a calling card. Loglines are harder to write then they may seem, but can be invaluable in conveying the gist of the story.

Here are a few blogs I failed to mention in my previous post, Great Blogs for Writers.

Scriptwriting - Oscar-nominated Roger S. H. Schulman shares knowledge from his experiences writing for TV and film.

The Artful Writer - Craig Mazin, who wrote Scary Movie 3, talks about screenwriting, with a focus on the WGA.

Seriocity - TeeVee writer Kay Reindl (Haunted, Millennium, The Dead Zone) shares witticisms on genre writing for the boob tube. Block some time for these posts; they tend to be long.

The Rejecter - A literary agent’s advice to aspiring writers who want to get published. The bad news is about 95% of you won’t.