WAGSTAFF

@Freely, I am writing screenplays and working towa...

2012-02-21T16:56:36.056-06:00

@Freely,
I am writing screenplays and working toward producing a film. Haven't had time to keep up with the blog.

I do have a non-fiction book on comedy writing (a history and 'how to') coming out later this year as well.

Thank you for your interest!

You quit writing, Mr. Hoover?

2012-02-21T16:07:49.199-06:00

You quit writing, Mr. Hoover?

He also teaches screenwriting for National Univers...

2011-08-14T21:28:12.473-06:00

He also teaches screenwriting for National University which is an online MFA program.

Just stumbled across this post when searching for ...

2011-03-15T05:40:27.011-06:00

Just stumbled across this post when searching for the aforementioned kind of sites. Nice little list and breakdown of pros/cons, thank you! Off to check them all out now and see if we want to produce any of them...

I'd revise that last comment to say, "Yes...

2011-02-08T01:54:57.072-06:00

I'd revise that last comment to say, "Yes."

Also if you want to get your name out there you ca...

2011-01-20T20:51:15.202-06:00

Also if you want to get your name out there you can write a simple story with something new. Have the film use and take place in settings you and a director have access to everyday. You live in an apartment and he lives in a house. You work in an office that you can access at night. Write the story with those locations with a few exteriors that aren't complicated. Make the film on a shoestring budget and go to festivals and you then spread your name to eventually get the big film sold.

To Mr. Yes or No: Maybe. But things will run th...

2011-01-09T22:16:46.359-06:00

To Mr. Yes or No: Maybe. But things will run their course. Focusing on the positives and looking forward to a great year. Lot of rewriting ahead.

Best of luck to you and thank you for the visit. Lot of info on this blog!

Great post! :) Memorable title, and also memorable...

2010-12-21T06:33:10.983-06:00

Great post! :)
Memorable title, and also memorable ideas.
Meaningful.

Happy Holidays!

Ha. Ron's done a number of posts on his blog....

2010-12-10T20:22:23.809-06:00

Ha. Ron's done a number of posts on his blog. This information is "out there" if you read enough books, visit boards, and was something I provided to my online workshop. Thanks for visiting.

Did Ron Aberdeen guest write this column?

2010-12-10T20:10:24.292-06:00

Did Ron Aberdeen guest write this column?

that was interesting, enlightening, and i bet i re...

2010-09-14T18:03:10.768-06:00

that was interesting, enlightening, and i bet i read it again...
thanks

Steve: How'd you like the CELTIX gram? Just d...

2010-08-15T19:40:41.824-06:00

Steve: How'd you like the CELTIX gram?
Just downloaded it. So used to doing this simply without a program.

Write on, right on.

MARK11

Insightful, what a great post. It is wonderful th...

2010-07-01T09:44:24.867-06:00

Insightful, what a great post. It is wonderful that this professional writer takes the time to post, and to work with other writers. I noted that recently in 2010 he was honored by Creative Screenwriting as a Scriot Consultant and Cream of the Crop. Considering his post his honor is very well deserved. Thank you for sharing your expertise Mr. Bork!

I agree it is a very useful website. Wasn't qu...

2010-06-30T00:16:27.135-06:00

I agree it is a very useful website. Wasn't quite glad when it merged with Zhura though [hint: I enjoyed the pleasure the site had to offer through its free services, community of writers to interact with (made a few friends along the way. Haha), and so many other exciting features] However, what I'm glad about is that since being on Sripped, The same atmospheric condition has been somewhat maintained....

Serwus,
Ayokunle Falomo.

Stephen, you forgot to mention that you are a fina...

2010-06-28T10:09:04.327-06:00

Stephen, you forgot to mention that you are a finalist in the Ed Burns Scripped contest. Don't be so modest, and good luck!

Easiest way to copyright is using the online syste...

2010-06-15T09:12:53.417-06:00

Easiest way to copyright is using the online system. It's a bit antiquated but can process immediately. Not sure re P.O. Boxes but I'd think so. You'll have to check the site. Note also that copyright info is PUBLIC RECORD. Can be searched using the database to determine who holds the copyright and contact address.

Can a PO Box be used for the address?

2010-06-15T09:06:27.868-06:00

Can a PO Box be used for the address?

Dan, FAMILY GUY is fond of doing the 'beat ...

2010-06-03T12:03:16.217-06:00

Dan,

FAMILY GUY is fond of doing the 'beat the dead' horse joke, e.g. the firing at the cave monster's stomach in the recent EMPIRE spoof.

Comedy is the reversal of our expectations. We expect new information and repetition defeats that expectation. The "Alan-a-Dale" bit looks to be the short musical opening to a sketch about a Robin Hood-esque character. But it's not. It just keeps going and going and going...

There is a 'cringe' factor involved in the joke as we go from frustration to laughing. But that's far afield from Kaufman's Tony Clifton Land where the very nature of comedy is questioned.

Nice clips, Stephen. I think the SCTV sketch has ...

2010-06-03T02:55:42.532-06:00

Nice clips, Stephen.

I think the SCTV sketch has too many jokes in it and the giant shoes bit is just too broad of a joke for this very specific sketch.

I didn't know the character "Alan-a-Dale" so I was a bit fuzzy on that one for a while, but I stuck with it and the bit unfolds nicely.

Think this was an influence on Andy Kaufman or today's "cringe comedy" style as per Larry David or Ricky Gervais? I'd say so. Looks to be ahead of its time. I can't decide if all the goofiness from the guys helps or hinders the sketch.

Hi Anonymous, I am the administrator at Circalit....

2010-05-21T03:52:14.737-06:00

Hi Anonymous,

I am the administrator at Circalit.com, and would just like to explain why your comments above are misinformed.

Let me just clarify, IF YOU TERMINATE YOUR ACCOUNT ALL ASSOCIATED CONTENT WILL BE DELETED. Obviously legal terms and conditions have to cater for all scenarios, and there may be rare cases where content stays on Circalit for longer than anticipated. Either way, we do our best to ensure that if you do leave, all your content leaves with you.

Regarding using your content anywhere on the Circalit website. Why do you have a problem with this? In order to get the best exposure for your screenplay we may decide to feature it on our landing page, or even in different parts of the screenplays section, or in other parts of the site, but rest assured that even if we display your screenplay in different parts of the site, it will never leave Circalit or be viewable by non- registered users. You are indeed the first person to raise such concerns over this.

We would never do anything to compromise the interests of our users. Being writers ourselves, we understand that safety of your screenplay is of primary importance, and rightly so. There are many sites out there ( i won’t name) who don’t take the same trouble that we do in protecting your work, and they are subsequently dangerous. This is why we have made it our mission to protect your screenplays as much as possible whilst also giving you the tools you need to share your screenplay to gain feedback and exposure.

You may have seen that Circalit strictly forbids downloading and printing, and we use a reading technology which even prevents your screenplay from being highlighted, copied and pasted. We also keep a paper trail of who has read your screenplay, in case that information is ever needed. Also please note, that no-one can read your screenplay unless they are a registered Circalit user.

I would strongly recommend you take a look at our ”protecting your screenplay” section in case you have further doubts about the safety of your screenplay. http://www.circalit.com/protection/

If you have any further concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Jack
Circalit admin
info@circalit.com

Have you read Circalit's rules? After you gra...

2010-05-20T17:20:02.566-06:00

Have you read Circalit's rules?

After you grant them the right to electronically copy your material in perpetuity, you can't even delete it:

"Content that you have uploaded to the Website, other than personal information and information from your profile may still appear on the Website even after your registration has terminated. Pursuant to the licence granted by you under these terms, we shall have the right to use your Content anywhere on the Website as we choose, at our sole discretion."

Who do these assholes think they are?

"Don’t turn your reader into a distracted mon...

2010-05-18T21:09:14.403-06:00

"Don’t turn your reader into a distracted monkey by including fascinating details that don’t pay off."

Ha. Great point.

Hi Anonymous, I am so glad you brought this up. ...

2010-05-18T13:22:44.718-06:00

Hi Anonymous,

I am so glad you brought this up. The thing is $75 coverage is not the same thing as a $250 consultation.

Getting notes from a reader is usually (not always) a one-way conversation, while working with a consultant is a dialogue. Between notes, phone calls, and emails, I spend hours and hours with each client and/ or their script. We work together.

Plus, one of my goals for the writers I work with is for them to improve as writers in general. Not just on their current script but on future scripts. So, that’s part of what I think makes working with somebody like me different. (And more expensive.) You get something very different.

But both are very valuable tools for improving as writers. And there are lots of other ways to improve too: joining writers groups, taking classes a local college. It’s just a matter of figuring out what you need.

I’d say, if you are getting excellent notes for $75, that’s awesome. I have gotten fantastic notes for free from other writers (usually in trade). And I’ve gotten terrible notes for $100 where I felt that the reader barely paid attention. So cost and value don’t necessarily go together. Getting good input is the bottom line.

As long as you are happy with the quality of the feedback you are getting, and as long as you are improving and you keep writing (!) then that’s what counts.

Best to you,
Julia

Yes, but why are some good readers expensive and o...

2010-05-18T07:50:29.132-06:00

Yes, but why are some good readers expensive and others are fair nd affordable. What is the difference between a $75 coverage and a $250 coverage?
When both notes are good and they are both good detectives.

C

When I was with the BBC I was filming out in Beiru...

2010-04-29T04:14:40.375-06:00

When I was with the BBC I was filming out in Beirut. We flew out there to do a story for World In Action...arriving there we were to meet a certain Colonel Bird, supposed fixer and Middle East Snickers sales manager and he would access our contacts to do the story! It turns out that there was no story it was a fiction invented by him...as a result we had to research and film another story on the fly. But what Colonel Bird did, was every time you told him a story, he had to top it. You would say you were in a camel race and won against 100 camels, he would claim to have raced against a thousand. You claimed to have been shot at by a tank, he's have been shot at by a gunship...and so it went on for the whole three weeks. My daily task was that at breakfast each day, I would come up with more and more absurd stories, which he would then have to top. After a few days, the Director would know what was coming, and would without fail blow orange juice, coffee or tea through his nostrils with laughter as soon as I started my spiel...in a war torn country it was one of the happiest and funniest times I had...and again demonstrates that the potential for climatic comedy lives in the strangest of places! Great Blog Stephen, Mike