London Screenwriters' Festival 2012

We usually get a decent crowd coming from BCG. Who's coming this year?

If you don't know about it here is some info below. To me it's a must as producers from a lot of the top comedy production companies and channels are there looking for writers! Plus lots of advice and networking (knowing those people you need to know).

Glee! Disney, Pixar, Channel 4, BBC, ITV, Love Actually, Notting Hill, Glee! The Office, The IT Crowd, writers and producers are coming to speak to YOU at the London Screenwriters Festival this October 28th-30th

This is just a cross section of the 500 industry professionals who will be present. The big question is... ARE YOU COMING? And if not, why not? You won't just get to pitch and chat to these people, you will get the opportunity to create long lasting relatiohsnips, even partnerships. Where else can you prop up the bar with the writer of 'Finding Nemo' or pitch to the producer of 'Last Of The Mohicans'?

OK you can get your pass here... http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com (and use the discount code COMEDY to get 10% discount).

Hey, this sounds just the thing to kickstart my career as a screenwriter! So, if I pay a few hundred pounds, I get to pitch projects to top comedy producers? How exciting it is to be me!! It's a shame the lack of submissions are forcing channel operators to go to festivals as paid speakers to "search" for writers, but still, if it benefits me, so be it.

I'm usually skeptical of hard sells, writing courses, insider conferences, 3-day immersives, 7-day masterys, big dick pills, Win The Lottery guides, sitcom/stand up courses, and other various carrot-dangling hucksterisms and slickly marketed, empty-promising name-dropping shams that prey upon desperate dreamers using orphan-snatching pickpocketing Faganisms... BUT, this one sounds like the Real Deal, not just a loose copy of the various Los Angeles models... Where do I send my bank details???

I can't wait to pitch projects and form partnerships with producers from a lot of the top comedy production companies and channels.

Quote: Jack Daniels @ October 7 2011, 1:15 PM BST

Hey, this sounds just the thing to kickstart my career as a screenwriter!

View original

Me too! I'm pretty sure that the last thing I was asked to write (about a feisty puppy) is currently sitting in a skip somewhere in North London.

300 quid lets Pixar get a second bite at the cake and the puppy gets the attention he so rightly deserves.

October 28th? Damn, I'm doing one of these on that day....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_marathon

Oh dear. This was for the people that actually go to this and have benefited from it, like myself. Not for those who sit behind a computer throwing judgements at something they've clearly never attended.

For the record, I have been a BCGer for many years and went to my first screenwriters' festival not knowing a single writer let alone a producer/director. Not only did I learn a lot from the seminars of industry professionals but I met producers from BigTalk, BBC, Sky etc and was able to talk to them about my projects and get access to them - something your script in an email or envelope would hardly have any chance of doing. They usually don't look at our scripts, because they have too many, its sometimes just interns.

Plus they get to meet you in person which is a massive part of the process, and you get to ask specific questions about what they want. Since then I went from somebody with no credits to someone who has had numerous things broadcast and commissioned and access to some top producers.

Other people I know are working on $20m budget films, directly from people they met at LSWF. So you shouldn't be so quick to scoof and generalise.

ANYWAY... back to the main topic... who's coming along. I know a few people form here are.

I like the sound of some of the speakers - but it's all that pitching shit that puts me off.
Tends to attract a somewhat 'needy' crowd.
If it was sold as more of a high-end seminar I'd be more attracted.
But the old 'this could be your big break' networking angle is a bit tiresome.

I enjoy Jack Daniels rantings, it's all very Bill Hicks and on the whole he does make a point, certainly around these infernal courses and overnight success courses delivered by charlatans. There are a lot of rip off artists out there exploiting peoples "dreams".

But nothing comes from nothing and I'm certainly interested in attending this because it's more of an industry gathering than a "course" - the calibre of the speakers is good and you never know who you might meet and what you might learn - like it or not Networking is important, but no replacement for talent- even Bill Hicks "sucked Satan's Cock" a few times.

Currently I'm in exactly the same situation as ContainsNuts was first time round, so I'm definitely keen.

This is the sort of thing I'd definitely attend if I could actually spare the £300. Which I can't because I don't have that much money after bills and the like. The comedy one was far more affordable (I didn't attend in the end, had other stuff on, grr).

Worth speaking to people if it's genuinely something you want to do. Even if it opens no doors (and opening doors does seem unlikely...) it gives you an insight. Nothing wrong with actually going to these people when given the opportunity. Because sending stuff to the beeb and production companies seems to get people nowhere these days...

I even entered their script comp to win a ticket (I didn't get shortlisted, mine was shit!)

I'm still unsure but I went to the comedy one in April which was really good. I know and done work for a few of the producers going to this one so it'd be good for me to go, if only I could wangle a ticket lol!

I thought the thread was titled 2012!

Is this an advance party or something?

The comedy one is taking place 3rd/4th March, if you want more of a comedy focus. http://www.londoncomedywritersfestival.com/

Dan

Quote: Chappers @ October 9 2011, 8:10 PM BST

I thought the thread was titled 2012!

Is this an advance party or something?

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No that's just me being thick! Not sure I can change it.

The comedy one is back in 2012 so that might be more useful to those who only want to do comedy. There wasn't such a festival when I started and this one opened my eyes to all sorts of things.

Unless you ignore everyone you can't help get some decent contacts. The delegates aren't just new writers. There are producers, directors and experienced writers and some have projects they want to meet writers for. As well as the speakers and prodco reps.

I've worked on four projects with four different delegates that got made.