Tag: red

BBC Writersroom and the Twelfth Night and short films

thegirlinthecafe 12 Comments

(Re)Writing

BBC Writersroom

  • I did attend the open BBC Writersroom event. And realised that it is very intimidating to see the competition. Loads and loads of people where there, all writers, all wanting to make it. Not good for self confidence.
  • I had to leave a bit earlier, so I don’t know what I missed at the end of the session, but in the part I did attend the BBC people explained what they were looking for in a script. It wasn’t a lot of new information – they are looking for things every producer looks for – well written, originality, interesting and likable characters, etc. It’s basically the stuff every screen writing book tells you.
  • I did not hand in my script. Wait, wait, I will post it to them today. Seeing as I had to sneak out before it ended I had no chance to hand it to them. But no worries, they did promise all of us that they read the first 10 pages of every single script they receive. They receive, are you ready for it, 10.000 scripts a year.
  • They also explained that they are just checking the quality of the writing of the script you send them and are looking for writers more than scripts. Very very seldom do they buy a script and make it into a film. If people have extraordinary talent, they might be contacted and educated. And a lot of those lucky people get to write on Eastenders, Holby City, Doctors. I don’t want to sound snobbish or anything, but I am not sure I could write for those series, as they don’t interest me at all.
  • I don’t count on anything, if they should happen to read passed the first 10 pages, that would be great, and I would have a script review by an experienced reader for free (it might take up to four months to hear if they read it or not). If they don’t read it – then so be it. If I want to improve my writing, I must pick up my pen and get on with it. Simple.

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If inspiration hits you, don’t go home

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Storyboarding

Storyboarding

So while you surely are at home, having a nice dinner, enjoying the weekend – I am still at the office. I am the only person in the office. And I am not working, not on work work anyway.

But I found a new song today, I am going to write a bit more about that at some point, because it is a nice story in itself, and that song made me pick up my pencil.
At last, I hear you think.
Yes at last.
I found 2 loudspeakers which I plugged into my (RED) iPod so there is great music.
I have Yorkshire Tea The Milky Way.
I have a pack with 4 3 Twix bars.
I have my Cookie script.
I have Bill keeping a weather eye on the horizon, making sure I am not going into too deep waters just yet. Or eat too many Twix bars.
I have a pencil and paper, and most importantly – I have inspiration.

I don’t know how long I am going to stay here, drawing, but it might take a while. This is good. And – where would we be without music to inspire us.

May you have a great weekend.
Don’t feel sorry for me sitting here, the kick of inspiration hitting you like lightning is nearly as good as, erhm, you know what. Really.

Let my love open the door

thegirlinthecafe 1 Comment

I picked it up, walked to the counter to pay and suddenly realized how pathetic it must have looked. I wanted to say – this is going to be a prop for my short – it is not for Valentine’s day – but I didn’t say anything. I just paid and walked out – with my new red heart shaped bowl. It is a great prop. And the wooden man (a New Yorker who lives with me) agreed with me totally.

The silver coloured heart in the bottom has a chime inside. I bought it in a shop in Notting Hill because I really like the sound and shape, and because it might be a prop too. I didn’t buy it because I am obsessed with hearts or anything, you know me better than that.

I saw Dan in real life again today in the Chelsea cinema. I love this film so much, it’s funny and touching and I laughed a lot and cried and I think Steve Carell is so adorable in this film. The fact that I know the soundtrack inside out made it an even bigger pleasure to watch. I apologize to all other viewers for singing along in the cinema and I want a soundtrack like that if I ever get my film made.

I’m not lost, no no, just undiscovered

thegirlinthecafe 2 Comments

NYC cab

  • My 92 pages of script are send to my tutor, and this coming weekend the verdict will fall. Be prepared is what I’d say. And that’s mostly to myself. I am going to contact some friendly people for a read soon as that worked extremely well last time.

    Oh, oh – I put the word “voicilicious” in my script. I wonder if he notices it.

  • I expect 42 rewrites to lay ahead of me.
  • I really really love the (screen) writing process. That’s something I have found out this year. This is what I want to do, and luckily it is relatively easy to combine with a full time job. For now-uh.
  • What really worries me a bit, what will happen after this script is finished. Not with the script, but with my brains. Will a new story bubble up? I can’t feel one on its way at the moment I can assure you. So what if this was the only (feature length) story I had in me? I don’t think I want to think about it just yet.
  • I have just posted one of my favourite pictures from New York. It is not great in the sense of subject, although I like the yellow taxis, but I am happy with it because it is a more or less successful motion capture shot. (Object stands still, background moves). How to take them: shutter speed on 1/25 s, put your camera on continuous shots and take the picture while moving your camera keeping the subject in focus. Takes a lot of practise and patience and attempts. And yes I know it looks like the car is driving down the hill, but hey. You can’t have it all.
  • I will soon make and publish my plan on how I will try to survive the rest of December being a person who hates Xmas.
  • And I need to write something about:
    “how I get myself from an idea of something I would like to accomplish to the fact of that accomplishment, while also keeping my head above water in their everyday life” for Bloglily.
  • I love my new Red (RED) Converse sneakers. Cool shoes. Great cause. And my shoes say things to me like Admi(RED) and Ado(RED). What more do you want.

I am going back to my cheese cake.

Eye’m in the red for you

thegirlinthecafe 7 Comments


It doesn’t matter where you’ve been – how far
It doesn’t matter how run down you are
Or if there’s nothing perfect left in your heart
No, it all means nothing, it all means nothing, it all means nothing at all, at all

I’m on the edge for you
Losing my head for you
I’m in the red for you
Tonigh, tonight
Until my hopes fall through
There’s nothing else I can do
I’m in the red for you
Tonight, tonight
I’m on a rescue
 (Tina Dickow)

I’ll return soon with stuff that makes a little bit more sense, my head is a bit busy with my film script, travel planning and things my head should not be busy with, at all. In the meantime, London knows exactly how I feel, and I might have taken one of my best London pictures yesterday. Beautifully dramatic. The Eye was in the Red for this, and I am in the Red for you. I’m on a rescue.

Here is the whole picture. A few more New York pictures are in the pipeline, before I get back to London for a short while.

5 random things

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Reflections (Camden Lock by night)

  • How long does it take to get through 71 days nowadays. I am so eager to go to NY – I can’t wait that long!
  • The scary thing about class is the fact that the stuff you have written gets presented in front of the class. I told our tutor that that was scary. She said, don’t worry, I am not going to tell who wrote what. That wasn’t necessary, my face was glowing with so much redness that it lighted up the classroom. But my character profile did survive it’s first round of criticism, questioning, commenting and the best : new ideas of what to do with him. Time for a rewrite, and next week I need to deliver the girl. What am I talking about? About my film script that is slowly coming to life. Slowly. It can’t walk yet.
  • Talking about RED. I think RED is ONE excellent idea, and I am wearing white today.
  • If I need an instant laugh I watch this.
  • If I can wait a few days : Monty Python’s Spamalot has arrived in London. I’m scheduled for muscle laughter pains this Thursday …

    • If you want tickets, be quick, they sell like crazy.