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SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Fusion's Open Call For TV Projects is a Push for Diverse Voices

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Originally published in Deadline Cable network Fusion, a division of Fusion Media Group (FMG) that focuses on programming for diverse youth, has issued an open call for scripted and unscripted television projects. The emphasis is on generating new opportunities for young storytellers of different ethnic backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, genders, religions and other under-represented areas of creative talent with or without agency connections. Selected projects from the open call will receive funded development deals with the network, which promises at least one project selected for greenlight next year. Submissions are being accepted on a rolling basis and should center around stories that “speak to the interests and issues that matter to America’s diverse youth—reflecting their curiosity, sharpness, and passion,” according to Fusion. Selected submissions will receive funded development deals with the network. Interested writers, filmmakers, and producers can submit pitc

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: FILMMAKERS, DARE SOMETHING DIFFERENT or "A 3-Act Structure Tale About 3-Act Structure Elements Called "3-Act Structure""

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The 3-Act Structure rules Hollywood even though some think the 3-Act structure actually kills scripts . And as the cartoon demonstrates below in amusing and sarcastic fashion, the 3-Act structure is made up of elements that engage and entertain us while also being repetitive and derivative.  So here's a challenge to all filmmakers, from indie newbies to hollywood bigshots, do you dare tell stories outside of the 3-Act structure?  Ok, you say, I'm down but what else is there outside of the 3-Act structure? Well, my friend, that's where your creativity as a writer, director, producer and editor comes in. Plus the cojones to dare and even fail or get audience heads scratching. But if you want some suggestions for ideas well here are a few places to look: One way to start is by considering other options for narrative structures beyond just "linear narrative."  Another suggestion for inspiration is to look to the East for non-Western dramatic structure

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: The Witch

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The Witch   |  Robert Eggers (dir)   | Release date: February 2016   |  USA  | 92 minutes   |  Format: D-Cinema I finally caught The Witch last night. It's the kind of horror movie I want to see more of; quiet and disturbing like The Shining and The House of the Devil that builds to a riveting climax. With it's low-budget yet high-end production values, the making of the film yields aesthetic and practical cues to filmmakers trying to make their films with a premium on quality. To get a better understanding of how this movie made the journey from script to screen, check out the following excerpts and links below: The Scariest Movie at Sundance: How Robert Eggers Made the Horrifying, Historically Accurate ‘The Witch’ "Eggers spent five years researching, developing, and writing the script for The Witch. To forge his authentic colonial setting, the writer-director pored over historical documents at Smithsonian’s Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Accord

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Mad Max: Fury Road

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Mad Max: Fury Road |  George Miller | 2015 | Australia, USA | Format: 35 mm (anamorphic) (Kodak Vision 2383), D-Cinema (also 3-D version)  | 120 min Mad Max is essentially one long chase scene. But what a complicated and thrilling chase scene it is. It surprises me none to find out that George Miller, the director, created a storyboard comic book to map out the shooting of the film from logistics to aesthetics. Storyboards and concept art are important tools for filmmakers but even moreso for filmmakers making action movies. Below is a compendium of links to articles on the making of Mad Max: Fury Road. Read, watch, enjoy but don't forget to take notes. The making of Mad Max: Fury Road (according to Wikipedia ) Development Plans for a fourth film in the  Mad Max  series hit financial difficulties and the project spent several years in " development hell ". [17]  The idea for a fourth installment occurred to Miller in August 1998 when he was walking in an

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari |  Robert Wiene | 1920 | Germany | Format: 35mm, Black and White, Silent  | 51-78 min (varies; different versions) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari opened today almost 100 years ago in 1920. Gance loved it, Eisenstein hated it. Today it's considered a horror classic and a great experiment in Expressionism. Even though we live in the digital age, it is worth going back in time to study the story of how this movie was made in an era when film was still in its infancy. We stand to benefit from the making of The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari and learn things, such as: How the writers collaborated to combine their experiences and imagination in crafting the script. How the writers used their connections to their advantage even though they had never worked for a studio before. How their passion and unique "pitch" convinced the executive to buy the writers's script. Why it's important to know what rights you are signing away. How collaborati