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In this news letter:

• Women and minority writers still suffering in the US
• BAFTA Rocliffe to host workshop for new writing
• New production business for Northern Ireland
• Fancy a film/TV scholarship? Biomedical PhDs can apply
• A new controller for BBC2 and BBC4
• How international is a Welsh drama?
• Pitches
• From the Screenwriting Goldmine forums

Before I start on the news, just a quick reminder that the deadline for late entries to the Screenwriting Goldmine Awards is Thursday 24 April at 1.00pm London time. After that the entry fee will increase for scripts that are submitted as emergency registrations.

The absolute last, latest, ultimate, deadline is Thursday 8 May 2014 at 1.00pm London UK time – just two weeks tomorrow.

Don’t miss out!

More information and enter your script.

And don’t forget, you can get script feedback from the highly capable Si Spencer.

Are You a White Male Screenwriter? Lucky You…

The Writers’ Guild of America West is highlighting the difficulties facing sections of the Screenwriting community.

The 2014 Hollywood Writers Report analyses employment patterns highlighting three specific groups who have traditionally been underemployed in the entertainment industry: Women, minority, and older writers.

While it shows “modest gains for minority and women Television writers, such increases are offset by a continuing decline in employment for women and minority screenwriters, illustrating the stark reality that the entertainment industry remains an inequitable landscape.”

There have been some advances in the television sector, but the report’s author Dr Darnell M Hunt says “the story for Film, unfortunately, is not so good. Since the last report, there has been no progress for either group. Indeed, relative to white males, women and minorities have lost ground in the sector.”

Among the points made are:

• Women remained under-represented by a factor of nearly 2 to 1 among television writers in 2012, claiming just 27% of sector employment.
• Women television writers earned about 92 cents for every dollar earned by white males in 2012, up slightly from 91 cents in 2009.
• In the film sector, women writers fell further behind their white male counterparts in 2012, accounting for just 15% of sector employment (down from 17% in 2009).
• Women remained under-represented by a factor of more than 3 to 1 among film screenwriters.
• Women film writers earned just 77 cents for every dollar earned by white male film writers in 2012, down from 82 cents in 2009.
• Minority writers remain under-represented by a factor of about 3 to 1 among television writers.
• Older writers – particularly those aged 41 to 50 – claimed the largest share of employment in television and film, as well as the highest earnings in each sector. However, the relative status of older writers tends to decline rather rapidly beyond the age of 60.

You might want to check out the social media campaign employing hash-tags such as #awomanwrotethat and #hirewomenwriters to highlight projects, deals, and other written works involving women.

The full report will be published in June, but there is an executive summary.

Of course, this is all about the US industry. The same can’t be true in the UK. Can it?

An Evening Critiquing New Writing

BAFTA-winning television writer Paula Milne will be critiquing new writing at an evening event next week in central London.

The “platform for new writing and a networking event” is being organised by the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum. It has actors performing “three ten minute script extracts from applications sent in by emerging writing talent from all over the country. This event will concentrate on the art of writing for television Drama, and the pieces have been chosen by a script selection panel who have huge experience in this area.”

Ms Milne’s writing includes ‘The Politician’s Wife’, ‘Small Island’, and ‘The Virgin Queen’.

The event is on Tuesday 29 April at 7.00pm at Princess Anne Theatre, BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London. (It was initially due to be chaired by Sally Wainwright.)

To be part of the audience, book here.

Northern Ireland Launch for Two New Production Organisations

On April 19, Northern Ireland Screen tantalisingly made an announcement, “regarding the formation of two new film/TV-related companies in Northern Ireland.

Since then international media-based law firm SmithDehn LLP, has indeed confirmed it is setting up a European office, with new film and TV company Social Construct Media, in Derry-Londonderry.

The local newspaper says: “One of Social Construct Media NI’s first film projects will be a positive, uplifting, scripted drama featuring Northern Ireland, arising from ideas to be developed by a local, cross-community story collective.

“At the moment, Social Construct Media NI has a slate of three films and three TV series planned for shooting and post-production in Northern Ireland, starting as early as this autumn.”

Read the news coverage.

For Biomedical Docs With a Passion For The Screen

It’s rather specific, this opportunity, but is rather amazing should you fit the criteria.

The Wellcome Trust is offering a full scholarship to enable a biomedical science PhD graduate to study at the UK’s National Film and Television School (NFTS).

The scholarship will cover both the student’s two-year MA fees and living allowance. It is open to PhD graduates with a biomedical background who want to study NFTS courses in games design and development, directing fiction or screenwriting.

“The Wellcome Trust supports the brightest minds in biomedical research along with those who engage the public with it. With this in mind, the NFTS scholarship aims to broaden the possibilities for working scientists to move into the entertainment industries, to better represent and reflect science in games and film.”

Last year the Wellcome Trust and BFI launched a Screenwriting Fellowship in association with Film4, which was presented in 2013 to director Clio Barnard, an NFTS graduate.

Her latest feature film, ‘The Selfish Giant’, won the Europa Cinemas Label for the best European film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and won Best Film at the 24th Stockholm International Film Festival.

More information.

Might The BBC Broaden Its Commissioning?

An industry body representing the independent sector has welcomed reports that the BBC might be about to consider more external commissioning.

PACT is the trade association representing the commercial interests of UK independent television, film, digital, children’s and animation media companies. It has flagged up a report in Broadcast that suggested “the BBC Trust will broaden its review of the Window of Creative Competition (WOCC) to include BBC quotas.”

This could mean changes to the BBC commissioning quotas which currently guarantee 50% in house production and the rest split equally between independent companies and WOCC. For writers, it sounds promising and may open up more opportunities.

“Pact supports the BBC license fee – but that means that license fee payers should be getting the very best content for their money, regardless of who makes it,” said Pact Chief Executive John McVay.

“The BBC in-house quota is effectively putting a cap on what the market can supply. The UK production sector is creating some of the most exciting, creative and diverse content out there – and should be able to compete to provide this programming to the BBC and drive efficiency. The BBC quotas have shown that competition can deliver for BBC audiences. I’m delighted the BBC Trust will expand the terms of its WOCC review.”

More information.

A New Controller for BBC Two and Four

The appointment of the new controller for BBC Two and BBC Four may have some interesting outcomes for writers. As controller, Kim Shillinglaw will be responsible for all content on the channels – whether factual, entertainment, drama or comedy.

However, as she is currently Head of Science and Natural History Commissioning for the BBC, it is not known how she will approach the arty, fictional side of programming. BBC Four has also not been in the habit recently of commissioning original drama, instead, opting to buy it in.

Trying to read the runes for writers, Broadcast magazine’s coverage of the appointment suggests the appointment could be positive.

An article by Jane Kanter points out that the appointment has been generally well received, “with many praising her sharp creative instincts, decisiveness and enthusiasm for innovative programming. Some have also commented on her direct, ‘un-BBC-like’ approach.”

Ms Shillinglaw is “expected to bring more of an ‘entertainment sensibility’ to 9pm,” which her predecessor Janice Hadlow has tended to schedule with more factual programming. Despite or because of having wide experience in science and natural history commissioning, Broadcast is suggesting that being unfamiliar with non-factual commissioning, Ms Shillinglaw might relish the new challenges it will bring.

The article quotes an in-house scripted producer who argues: “As long as she trusts her scripted commissioners and doesn’t try to do their job for them, she’ll be fine.”

BBC Director of Television, Danny Cohen, has commented: “Kim has proved herself to be an exceptional creative at the BBC. She has an eye for scale and the bigger picture and seeks out distinctive, high-quality ideas.”

The Broadcast article. (Paywall)

Hinterland – BBC Four’s Newish Drama

Having suggested above that BBC Four has been shying away from original drama commissions at the moment, I ought to mention ‘Hinterland’, written by David Buckley and Ed Thomas, which starts on April 28.

This is “a major new bilingual detective drama series set in mid Wales,” and is a BBC Wales/BBC Four/S4C co-production. As it was originally broadcast on BBC Wales in January, I feel justified using the word ‘newish’ in the headline.

Cassian Harrison, Channel Editor for BBC Four, says: “We’re really excited to bring ‘Hinterland’ to BBC Four viewers, and alongside forthcoming Irish drama ‘Amber’, it represents a fresh new departure for us, showcasing the very best acquired drama from closer to home, on top of the many successful international dramas we already show from further afield.”

As if to underline the fact that BBC Four isn’t keen on commissioning locally, the press release says “this four-part series continues to reinforce BBC Four’s reputation as the true home of international drama.”

Hmmm … classifying a Welsh series being shown across the UK as “international” seems to be stretching it a bit. Is it the subtitles that give it that international feel?

By the way, the logline of ‘Hinterland’: “Having just left the Met police in London for a new life in Aberystwyth, DCI Tom Mathias has hardly had time to unpack before he’s called to the scene of a brutal attack at an isolated chalet in the sand dunes. The victim is believed to be a 64-year-old God-fearing woman Helen Jenkins, but she is nowhere to be found.”

More information.

Pitches

Here are a couple of pitches from Channel 4’s new Comedy Blaps. These are a series of short form videos available on Channel 4.com as well as Youtube, Vimeo and as a podcast on iTunes and Feedburner.

The first written by and starring Roisin Conaty is about “the brilliantly shambolic character of Marcella whose life consists of one night stands, ongoing therapy and waiting for pizza deliveries.

“It’s Marcella’s 30th birthday and this year she’s determined to sort her life out. Luckily she’s found a life coach who’s prepared to help with that mammoth task, but first she has to work out whose bed she’s in and why she’s covered in fried chicken.

“In episode two, it’s time to think about the future and her chances of making it as a country and western singer. And in episode three, Marcella has really made an effort… maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t need a life coach any more…”

‘Pond’ is a sitcom “set in the treacherous world of modern television commissioning, a world filled with bullshitters and arse-kissers. Armed solely with his sharp suits and flawed judgement, executive Ralph Michaels must secure a commission to keep his company afloat and his wife’s kitchen refurb on track. Even if that means pitching to Simon Swervy, a man with all the power and self-awareness of a diseased and insane Roman Emperor.”

Comedy Blaps are available at C4 or on Youtube.

From the Screenwriting Goldmine Forum

Have you taken a look at the SG forum yet?

Don Arthur has asked a raft of questions including asking about the impact of too short scenes, how to indicate a character is being sarcastic, and how characters can be written to show their reaction.

Paola wants advice on how to write two actions that are happening simultaneously.

Akin Glen has asked how to set up the action in a flashback scene.

Eudis asks about how to write a scene where there are two dialogues going on, and which then interact.

And RL Nice has felt compelled to “gush” about favourite character (arche)types.

And that’s it.

Well, apart from reminding you it’s Shakespeare’s 450th birthday today.

“There was a star danced, and under that I was born” as he once wrote.

Why not raise a glass to the old feller?

To your writing!

Phil