ASVW.com - A ScreenWriter's View - Grand Opening

The Website Edition
A ScreenWriter's View "the website", located at http://www.asvw.com, is now open.

ASVW.com is a community where screenwriters connect to share opinions, views, news and more.

It all starts with one of the most comprehensive forums on the Internet about screenwriting. Members can contact one another directly with personal messages, become a member of a group or just post information to the forums.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or an amateur learning the craft, register today and share your insights at, A Screenwriter's View.

Sign up and start posting!

ASVW.com is currently seeking Moderators.
If you have an interest in becoming a moderator at ASVW.com, start making good posts. We'll keep an eye out for members who have a strong interest in our forums. If you make quality posts, we'll contact you about becoming a moderator. So get posting!

The Blog Edition
Blog regulars to this site will see a new look soon. The re-design of the blog is underway. Its scheme will match the new ASVW.com website.

I would like to thank the readers of A ScreenWriter's View blog. I hope you'll continue to visit often and become a part of the ASVW.com community.

Writer's Digest - Writing Competitions

Writer's Digest sponsors several writing contests annually. If you'd like to receive contest news via email, subscribe to the Writer's Digest Competition Update.

Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
The 74th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition has ended. Winners will be announced in the November 2005 issue of Writer's Digest. A list of winners will be available on this site at that time. You may also purchase a copy of the 74th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition Collection sponsored by Outskirts Press . The Collection, published in November 2005, will contain the Grand Prize and 1st Place winning manuscripts along with the names of all 1,001 winners.

The Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition
Deadline: 12/1/2005

Show Us Your Shorts! Writer's Digest is now accepting enties in the 6th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Win over $5,000 in cash and prizes. Click here for guidelines and an entry form.

Congratulations to the participants in the 5th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition. Check out a complete list of winners. Winners appear in the June 2005 issue of Writer's Digest.

Your Assignment #186 (November 2005)
Deadline: 7/10/2005

Win $100 in Writer's Digest Books: Click below for the full "assignment" and entry rules.

All about Your Assignment: Author Collaboration
The winners of Your Assignment #182: Your Future Assignment (and other previous winners)

Your Assignment #56 For Kids (July 2005)
Deadline: 7/10/2005

Attention kids ages 13 and under-a special monthly assignment just for you. This month: Winners receive online publication, gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, and more! Check out this month's assignment.

All about Your Assignment For Kids: A lá restaurant
The winners of Your Assignment #55 For Kids: Monster Creation (and other previous winners)

Chronicle
The next deadline for the Writer's Digest Online Chronicle Competition is 7/25/2005. Entries should not exceed 500 words and must be submitted electronically. Submit your entry today.

Current Chronicle Winner: If I Didn't Write, I'd Be Enormous, by Jessie Churchill Guidelines and previous winning entries

Inkwell Newswatch

Are you IN yet?

Inkwell Newswatch (IN), a no charge literary ezine and writers' resource publication. IN provides 'how-to' on writing fiction, non-fiction, journalism, screenplays, stage plays, comedy, internet, TV, radio, poetry and more. All forms of writing information available, plus profiles, interviews, features and professional resources for editors, journalists and writers. Published by the Freelance Writing Organization - Int'l.

If you're serious about writing, you have to get IN:
http://fwointl.com/LMPmail/link.php?id=3c24af1it_IN

The Screenwriters' Summit

scr(i)pt magazine and TV/Film Seminars present...

THE SCREENWRITERS' SUMMIT

+ Pitch Night with Robert Kosberg! Syd Field, John Truby, Michael Hauge and Jeff Kitchen. Los Angeles * June 25-26, 2005

Four of the biggest screenwriting teachers in the world come together in
Los Angeles the weekend of June 25-26, 2005 for the first Screenwriters'
Summit. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear 4 masters of the
craft each present a full half-day class (specific course outlines below) based
on their unique teachings on the art and craft of screenwriting. It promises
to be an incredible weekend!

As an added bonus, Hollywood producer and "Pitch King" Robert Kosberg
joins us for an amazing evening seminar on pitching. Learn how to pitch your
scripts from the master, and participate in a Q&A session...and even pitch
your own script to him!

All four classes - Field, Truby, Hauge and Kitchen - plus the special pitch
class/session with Robert Kosberg are only $295. Register early to guarantee a seat!

Topics covered will include:

SYD FIELD
-----------------------------------------
- Structure & time in the screenplay
- Revolution/Evolution
- Two Incidents
- What makes good character? (Dramatic needs, POV, Attitude, Change)
- Linear vs. Non-Linear Structure
- The nature of conflict
- Much more!

JOHN TRUBY
-----------------------------------------
- Finding the perfect structure for your story
- 7 crucial story structure steps: The DNA of your story
- Creating the single driving force
- Four requirements to a good hero
- Steps to a great premise
- Using desire & motive
- Five major character changes
- Four keys to the perfect opponent
- Keys to Hollywood's most popular genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Detective
Fantasy, Horror, Love, Masterpiece, Myth, Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Much more!

JEFF KITCHEN
-------------------------------------------
- The principles of dramatic action
- Using the 36 Dramatic Situations as a story development tool
- The Three-Step Process: Sequence, Proposition, Plot
- Using reverse cause-and-effect
- Using "real time" script development as a tool
- Pulling in all of your diverse story elements into a coherent plot packed
with dramatic action.
- Focusing on conflict
- Much more!

MICHAEL HAUGE
-----------------------------------------
- The 6 essential stages of a well-structure screenplay
- The 5 traits that insure your heroes are compelling, complex and
unique
- Uniting your heroes' outer journeys with their psychological and
spiritual transformation
- Creating powerful love stories to develop character arc and theme
- Understanding the ways plot structure and character are united
- Much more!

SPECIAL GUEST: ROBERT KOSBERG
----------------------------------------------------------
An evening seminar with Hollywood producer and "Pitch King" Robert Kosberg.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the master and participate in
a Q&A session...and even pitch their own ideas!

The Screenwriters Summit' takes place Saturday & Sunday, June 25-26, 2005.

To Register or for more information: www.screenwriterssummit.com

Or Call: 888 245 2228

Film Literary Group - Strategic Script Packaging

If you have a great story to tell, but need some doors opened to sell your script, nothing beats experience and inside knowledge of the movie business. Film Literary Group are former literary agents with more than twenty years of success in the film and television industry. Their goal is getting your script to the key people looking to purchase or produce new material. Knowing the real players instead of the imitators and "wanna be's" is one of the most important factors in selling a good script.

They do much more than merely route your script. They also provide the strategic packaging that all films must have these days. This includes three levels. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Packages to attach talent, budgets and distribution for your movie script. Their goal is to submit your screenplay with elements attached to the film buyers. This is the way movies are made today!

They will help provide you with the steps to successfully navigate your screenplay through the Hollywood maze of studios, independent production companies and film distributors. Let them create the same exciting results for you as they have for others.

http://www.Filmliterarygroup.com

Or call at: 323-650-1270

MutantReviewers.com :: “Trek Wars Week”

Mutant Reviewers is doing a special “Trek Wars Week” for the week of June 5-11. They’ll focus on Star Trek and Star Wars movies through reviews, polls and articles.

If your a fan, stop on by and voice your opinions.

Movie Review: Kingdom of Heaven

For the ticket price alone they should have at least had the air conditioner running in the theater during the ridiculous inundation of Coke commercials and previews you seem to get now a days. That's right, my first impression of the film has me thinking about the AC.

Ridley Scott's medieval war epic does have existence. The cinematography is brilliant. The battle scenes, however short, still captivate the imagination. It's hard not to be impressed by the thought of 200,000 Muslim soldiers descending on the city of Jerusalem, then actually seeing it play out on the big screen. The film speaks to those of us who truly enjoy historical pieces. As you see, this film does have existence. Only visually, not from a story telling point of view.

The screenplay by William Monahan gives hope to the amateur screenwriter. It proves you can write a script that's mundane and muddled with pointless dialogue and still have it made into a movie. The plot points of this script are non-existent. Character arches and motivations seem the veer in circles. The emotional journey ever movie must create, flat lines. Even with such wasted words two characters of the movie still feed your attention span long enough to keep it interesting. Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons, though never on screen together, fill the void and keep this script from its imminent death of spontaneous combustion. Poof! I ran across an interesting news story, which might explain why this script fails. Trying to cover up a stolen story can create a pile of steaming paper.

Kingdom of Heaven' Sparks Battle
Writer Says Crusades-Era Epic 'Kingdom of Heaven'
Plagiarized Book He Wrote in 2001

The mere fact that this movie shines light on the history of Muslim and Christian hostilities makes it worth seeing. With all the other great summer movies out there, you can wait for this one on DVD. I'm not the only one that seems to think so. Kingdom of Heaven has only produced $45 million in four weeks at the box office. Now I know what you're thinking, "Everyone is going to see Star Wars at the theater." If so, how does that explain the three weeks this film was running before Star Wars? It still wasn't able to churn the buttermilk bank wheel.

When you decide to watch this one on DVD, make sure to crank your AC down low. Get a glass of ice cold Coke and some popcorn. Remember to keep in mind, this film is a visual spectacle and not a showcase of writing talent.

MPAA rating: R (for strong violence and epic warfare).

'Kingdom of Heaven'

Directed and produced by Ridley Scott; written by William Monahan; photographed by John Mathieson; edited by Dody Dorn; production designed by Arthur Max; music by Harry Gregson-Williams; special effects and prosthetics supervisor Neil Corbould; visual effects supervisor Wesley Sewell; executive producers Branko Lustig, Lisa Ellzey, Terry Needham. A 20th Century Fox release of a Scott Free production. Running time: 2:25.

Balian - Orlando Bloom

Sibylla - Eva Green

Tiberias - Jeremy Irons

Hospitaler - David Thewlis

Reynald - Brendan Gleeson

Guy de Lusignan - Marton Csokas

Godfrey - Liam Neeson

King Baldwin - Edward Norton

Saladin - Ghassan Massoud

FREE Screenwriting Expo 4 Catalog

Sign Up for Your Screenwriting Expo 4 Catalog Today!
It's Easy, It's Free, It's 48 Pages!

Screenwriting Expo 4 is coming soon (Nov. 11-13, 2005).

Don't waste your paper and toner by downloading and printing the 48-page catalog. Register to receive a hard copy in the mail.

Speakers at Expo 4 will include William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, The Princess Bride), John August (Charlie's Angels, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Susannah Grant (Ever After, Erin Brockovich, Charlotte's Web), Paul Haggis (thirthysomething, Million Dollar Baby, Crash), David Koepp (Jurrasic Park, Spider-Man, War of the Worlds), Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road, The Ring, The Brothers Grimm), David Milch (Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Don Roos (Single White Female, Boys on the Side, The Opposite of Sex), and Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story, Angel).

Plus over 300 seminars, pitching to 60 production companies, 6 networking parties, a $80k screenplay contest, and much, much more.

Get all the details mailed to you in the 48-page Expo 4 Catalog for FREE. Just Click on this link:

Please Mail Me My Expo Catalog

(if you do not see the correct sign up box - HIT REFRESH on your browser)

1. Please use the box in the bottom left corner of the web page that reads, "Enter your email address to receive a free Expo 4 Catalog" and ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Then click 'GO'.

2. Next you'll be brought to another screen filled with instructions. Here you must - re-enter your email address, your first name, last name, and your address. Make certain that your address is correct if you want to receive the catalog.

3. CLICK SUBMIT - to submit your RSVP.

Please register before Friday, June 3rd. After that we WILL NOT be able to mail you a copy of this year's catalog.

My Best,

Erik Bauer
Expo Coordinator
Screenwriting Expo 4

Contact Information

email: rsvp@creativescreenwriting.com
voice: (323) 957-1405
web: http://www.creativescreenwriting.com