Saturday Hot Links
Back with another installment of Saturday Hot Links!
Today: The Lenny Bruce Stand-Up Edition!
Mike De Luca: On The Slate.
Inside Southern California’s high-speed driving schools.
There’s a new player on the film funding scene.
7 ingenious hidden spy cameras.
10 celebrities who spied on the side.
Industry hangout Campanile to close.
We are very near the end of civilization as we know it.
Karen Allen talks “Indiana Jones 5”.
Memories of music stored in different part of the brain than other memories.
“Hero Complex” founder Geoff Boucher heads over to EW.
Creativity Post: 9 overlooked technologies that could transform the world.
Screenwriter Robin Swicord joins Academy’s Board of Governors.
Understanding diner lingo: 55 phrases to get your started.
Lesson of TIFF: Indie filmmakers better keep budgets low as distribs grow stingier.
More Toronto: 10 movies with Oscar buzz.
More Toronto: 5 lessons from TIFF.
Yet more Toronto: Full list of TIFF acquisitions.
Even more Toronto: 40 titles sell.
2,053 nuclear explosions in one video.
Vimeo announces open platform for creators to earn money from their videos.
What’s the difference between naked and nude?
Barry Diller and Scott Rudin teaming up on e-publishing venture.
10 famous authors who dropped out of school.
Why talent representatives are suing their clients.
Toilet paper history: How America got the world to wipe.
Hollywood sign decapitation killing could involve gay love triangle.
The murderer who tried to eat his way off Death Row.
Anschutz Entertainment Group for sale.
The Brooklyn Brothers conquer indie rock and film with baby toys.
First ever confirmed pictures of Banksy released.
Parker Posey offers Emmy acceptance speech tips [video].
Why does alcohol cause the spins?
How Maker Studios is turning YouTube cynics into believers.
Jesus may have been married?
Number of women working in prime-time TV rises.
New Randy Newman song “I’m Dreaming” available for free download.
Twitter reaction sometimes steers TV scripts.
Behold! The Popinator!
TotalFilm: 50 greatest Woody Allen characters.
Clean your garbage disposal with…
Hollywood remakes are a bust.
“Fire Devil” caught on tape [video].
Brian De Palma reminisces on the Hollywood ‘genius’ era.
James Cameron: “Hollywood gets action women wrong.”
The Serious Eats guide to sandwiches.
Our storytelling minds: Do we ever really know what’s going on inside?
How VOD changes the whole film landscape.
A survey of phone booth art from around the world.
10 literary authors who have written for TV.
23 hot L.A. startups you need to watch.
Suddenly Hollywood is a startup hotbed.
Adults are devouring kids books for good reason.
26 Beatnik slang words we should all start using.
Screenwriting Master Class tip of the week: I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the prep-writing part of the creative process. All TV writers break their story in prep. Most working screenwriters do, too.
If you have a tendency to start scripts, but not finish them…
If you struggle creating a viable narrative structure…
If your characters are thin, confused and/or uninvolving…
You should try out the SMC 6-week screenwriting class: Prep: From Concept To Outline.
There is nothing quite like it available anywhere: A six-part process whereby you start with key characters, then develop your story ending up with a thorough outline, giving you the best possible chance to nail your script.
My next session begins Monday, October 15, 2012.
* Weekly lectures [written by me]
* Weekly writing assignments to help you work your way through your story
* Workshop feedback from fellow writers and myself
* Teleconferences
I have led this workshop with dozens of writers, including professionals, and the response has been universally positive. For example:
“You gave us all just the right amount of ideas, encouragement, and support to discover, develop, and design a real workable blueprint to take into the page writing.”
– David Broyles
“The Prep class has given me a set of practical tools to use to take the bare glimmer of a concept to outline in six weeks.”
– James Tichenor
“I honestly can’t wait to get started on this script now, and to use what I’ve learned in Prep to go back and rewrite other scripts.”
– Paul Labich
What’s more, once you learn this approach, you can adapt to your own writing instincts and use it for all future writing projects.
So join me for the next Prep screenwriting workshop starting Monday, October 15 by signing up here.
Also it’s the last chance to enroll in Core V: Dialogue, a 1-week online class that begins Monday, September 24. You may go here for more information.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.