The Power of Precision

As I was watching World of Dance the other night and marveling over Super Cr3w’s athletic (and, I must say, very good-looking) B boys throwing their bodies through the air with inhuman ease, my patient and observant husband-to-be walked into the room. He took one look at the television screen and said, “They’re break dancing to Coldplay? Nice. I wonder how much the rights to that song cost”, and then a few moments later he added, “They’re not together” and walked out of the room.

Wait. What? The members of Super Cr3w were spinning on their heads, doing flips that would make an Olympic gymnast vomit, and doing it all with exceptionally sophisticated musicality. And the one thing my fiancée said about them was that they weren’t together. I would normally take this comment with a grain of salt since he’s never been a professional dancer. But, then, aren’t most people that watch dance (both on stage and on screen) not dancers? This got me wondering about clarity of movement and how important it is to the presentation of dance.

Read More Here

Global Media Makers 2017: Bridging Cultures, Creating Spaces and Connecting Storytellers

A story is a powerful thing. The stories we tell ourselves about our identities define not just who we are and how we see our place in society, but also who we will become and how we will shape the world around us. That’s what stories do: give us a lens through which to view the world and ourselves. Perhaps even more importantly, stories help us understand those who are different from us. Stories make others more human—and us more humane.

But what makes stories so powerful is also what can make them so insidious. As social media and the churn of the 24-hour news cycle keeps threatening to turn our cognitive landscape into one long, recursive echo chamber, it’s more critical than ever to create spaces that allow for diverse voices and different stories.

Read more here.

TV Upfronts: What You Need to Know

Upfront is a term used in the television industry, which describes a group of gatherings at the start of important advertising sales periods, held by television network executives and attended by major advertisers and the media. It is so named because of its main purpose, to allow marketers to buy television commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the television season begins.

Now that the upfront are underway for the fall, stay in the know for what is getting greenly and talked about thanks to the Hollywood Reporter:

ABC

With roaster Jimmy Kimmel sitting out this year's May 16 Lincoln Center meet-up, the star of ABC will be the newly revived American Idol — in whatever form ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey and boss Ben Sherwood are ready to show it off. (A full Idol talent announcement, initially hoped for, is now said to be unlikely — as NBC reality czar Paul Telegdy cleverly snatched up Idol alums Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson for The Voice.) Fox's former flagship is expected to get a big cross-brand push from ABC parent Disney, one that is going to steal scripted thunder (and real estate) come midseason. Meanwhile, the search intensifies for a Modern Family replacement. ABC's top player was commissioned for two more (likely final) seasons, and an untitled Zach Braff comedy is so far the most appealing addition. Drama has bigger holes, with Shonda Rhimes' Scandal officially set to end next season and Grey's Anatomy now mocking the Grim Reaper. "They have to launch a drama not produced by Shonda," bemoans one insider. Of course, there will be more Rhimes (see legal drama For the People, a replacement for axed sophomore The Catch) and another Marvel swing (The Inhumans). ABC, more than most, will tout multiplatform audiences. But relatively modest ratings declines (down 11 percent) aren't of concern to plenty of buyers who favor ABC's penetration in top markets and its recognizable aesthetic. Says Campanelli, "You know an ABC show when you see one."

CBS

Entertainment president Glenn Geller is on medical leave (industry rumors now swirl about whether he'll return at all), so he won't be the one downplaying the network's senior-skewing status come May 17. Or, for that matter, dancing around a 12 percent audience falloff. Moonves is the ringmaster in his place, capping off a pilot season that one agent says has seen the hands-on CEO "more involved since before [former network topper] Nina Tassler." Orders of nearly identical S.W.A.T. and SEAL Team reflect, as one source describes, a desire for "more serious drama" than light mainstays NCIS and its spinoffs. But at least one buyer polled says he's skipping the Carnegie Hall presentation. "Yeah, they're the most watched and pretty stable, but these are not desirable shows from a buzz standpoint," he explains. "That kind of tempers their standing." Speaking of buzz: Anyone who does pass will miss an appearance by a resurgent Stephen Colbert, golden boy once more.

Fox

While the Super Bowl and World Series have proved a nice distraction for the No. 2 network, Fox originals are down 24 percent with adults 18-to-49 — and insiders are feeling the pressure from execs at the highest level, who, sources say, haven't hidden their frustrations about the network's performance. There has been a handful of recent staff departures, and heading into screenings there were rumblings about the possibility of more changes underneath Fox TV Group chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. In the meantime, the longtime partners will hit the Beacon Theatre on May 15 to remind buyers of how well that X-Files reboot (now returning for another 10 episodes) did in 2016 and to tout potential for a Grease repeat with live stagings of A Christmas Story and Rent. The new crop, featuring an anticipated X-Men drama from Marvel and an X-Files-esque comedy starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson, faces extra scrutiny after several seemingly safe bets (24 reboot Legacy) from last upfronts fell flat. "Empire worked for them, but their [other] dramas have been in big trouble," says another rep. Which explains the surprise return of cable kingpin Ryan Murphy, whose 911 drama with Angela Bassett has no shortage of heat.

NBC

Ownership above all else is the de facto trend, but nowhere is that on display more this upfront than at NBC. When doling out new series orders, Jason Katims' Rise and the Will & Grace revival among them, the first pilots to get the kiss-off were all from independent studios. NBC didn't pick up a single new show that was not made by sister Universal Television, while putting a further profit squeeze on some returning series from outside. Sources say Warner Bros. TV paid $20 million and ceded partial Blindspot ownership to ensure its renewal. (Sony TV at one point offered $15 million, per sources, to save briefly canceled and higher-rated Timeless — but the network finally agreed, sans pay-out, for a shortened season two for spring or summer 2018.) "It's become a business increasingly motivated more by finance than potential audience, and that's more acutely true if you are an outside producer," says one studio insider. Not that ad buyers will notice. Some, however, lament NBC's lack of cohesive programming — what is "an NBC show," anyway? — though that clearly is not the case with The Voice and one very hot freshman series. "We'll be talking a lot about This Is Us," says NBCUniversal ad sales chairman Linda Yaccarino, who takes the stage alongside NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt on May 15 at Radio City Music Hall. "Appointment television had become a phrase of the past, but that's really changed for us with this show." Another narrative: The NBC formula is working — at least from Nielsen's perspective. It's the only broadcast network with a strong ratings story, down a mere 5 percent in the key demo compared with the previous season. That will make it the only one with a legitimate claim during all the false choruses of "We're No. 1!"

The CW

Traditional TV tune-in down 25 percent among adults 18-49, Mark Pedowitz will close out the broadcast presentations May 18 with, one would expect, some sexy streaming stats. Nonlinear views, after all, are the reason modest performers like Riverdale occupy the scant available real estate on the youth-centric net. But a pressing concern for advertisers will be that sizzle for Black Lightning. Pedowitz had promised a CW moratorium on new superhero shows, but the forthcoming Mara Brock and Salim Akil-produced adaptation makes DC Comics series No. 6 at the network. That's enough to fill 60 percent of one week's schedule — which, by the way, is also getting a Dynasty reboot. Millennials won't know what hit them.

Read more here.

Justin Simien on Bringing ‘Dear White People’ to Netflix and What Success Means to Him

When writer/director Justin Simien’s Dear White People was released 2014 it immediately the online think-piece economy afire, prompting reams of impassioned digital ink to be spilled from all corners of the political spectrum. A satirical look at escalating racial tensions at an unnamed Ivy League college, Simien’s film provoked both praise and condemnation for its unflinching examination of white privilege and black identity—presenting plenty of nuances in its examination of identity politics, but few easy answers.

Read the full interview here.

Making fun of Death seems like a risky prank—like poking a stick at a poisonous snake—but, that has never stopped filmmakers, comedians and animators from spoofing the character of Death as seen in Ingmar Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL (’57), a title currently streaming on FilmStruck as part of series devoted to Sweden’s most renowned director.

The character of Death is easy to spoof because as depicted by Bengt Ekerot in Bergman’s most famous film, he is iconic. “Iconic” is a word routinely tossed around to refer to recognizable films and filmmakers, but The Seventh Seal actually fits the definition. In common usage, iconic describes something that is not only widely recognized but also universally acknowledged for its distinctive excellence. Death’s peculiar black cowl with its tight-fitting hood and extra wide sleeves make him easy to parody, while the chess game between Death and the Knight, played by the preternaturally ageless Max von Sydow, is a potent symbol of the wish to stave off the inevitable. However, if Bergman’s film weren’t such an international classic, viewers would not get the reference.

Read More On StreamLine: Poking Fun At Death: Re-Visiting THE SEVENTH SEAL (’57)

Telematics: The New Frontier

It’s not everyday that you get to dance with people from across the globe, but this exactly what our students did this past Thursday. In a one of a kind event with two performances, we partnered with Weston College in the UK to craft a truly unique telematics experience. If you remember, our group went to London in March and their students came here in early April to work on the performance and it went off without a hitch.

It was amazing to be involved in such an impressive production that tested not just the students, but the staff and our technology. What resulted was a brilliant piece that spoke about connection in the digital age.

Enjoy the photos from this landmark event. The first four are from Rel School and the last ones were taken by James Catwe in the UK!

This is a breakdown of the gender divide in submitted scripts by genre. Learn more about them here.

Relativity School Heads to NFFTY!

Hello everyone!

As part of the festival this year, we will be offering a series of educational panels designed expressly for high school film educators. In addition to this we are offering a works in progress screening, which will be led by our Dean of Academic Affairs Mark Millhone and panel of filmmakers to help students films go from good to great!

We have also launched a new LinkedIn group to provide a forum for educator networking, professional development and curriculum support.  We will be using the LinkedIn group to communicate at NFFTY so if you're interested in our panels, please RSVP to Mark Milhone and sign up to the LinkedIn group for updates and extras.  

NFFTY EDUCATOR PANEL DISCUSSIONS  4/28 - 4/30

Session #1: Friday, April 28th, 9am - 10:30am: Teaching Collaboration. Relativity School film faculty and award-winning high school educator Harry Maxon will offer some great exercises that you can use to deepen student engagement and ignite collaboration in your classrooms. Session #2: Friday, April 28th, 2pm - 4pm: From Good to Great. This will be the third year that I lead NFFTY's Works-In-Progress Workshop which teaches mentoring techniques for those crucial final stages of an edit that can make the difference between a solid effort and a festival winner. Session #3: Saturday April 29th, 9am - 10:30am: There's something NOT rotten in the state of Denmark. Thanks to the generous support of Susanne Wad and film education innovator Station Next, I've just returned from a week studying Denmark's innovative national film education programs and want to share with you a wealth of useful take-aways for educators here. Nisse Koltze, a Producer/Educator for Station Next and Director of its film festival will be joining me for this panel discussion. Session #4: Sunday April 30th, 9am - 10:30am: Articulating Success. We are working with the Freehold New Jersey Regional High School District to evaluate their Honors Programs in Film and Media training to provide articulation agreements which would allow us to offer college credit to their students and help support Perkins funding for their school. We will be holding an articulation clinic for doing the same thing for your school.

VENUE

For all Morning Panels:

Mediterranean Inn

Main Floor Conference Room

425 Queen Anne Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109

https://goo.gl/maps/1L3vUSyM6Ws

(Across the street from SIFF Cinema Uptown, the location for NFFTY Festival Screenings and Saturday afternoon's panel: Work-In-Progress Workshop.)  

We love to hear about our Workshops alum doing wonderful things! Melanie Zoey, who participated in our 2013 workshop, recently co-produced, MENASHE, A24's first foreign language film! Shot in New York in the Yiddish language, the film's trailer recently dropped. Be on the look out for this one on July 28!

Why Story Structure Formulas Don’t Work

The following is a true story.

I did a script coaching session for someone I’ll call Lisa. Lisa had spent the past four years pursuing her dream of becoming a professional screenwriter. She had written six scripts with nothing to show for it. No agent, no manager, no meetings, no nothing. Lisa was obviously discouraged. Her husband was obviously discouraged. They decided she’d write one last screenplay, and if it didn’t sell, that was it, she would quit. She wrote the script then hired me to help her with it.

Lisa’s script started out great. It had an interesting premise with unique multi-dimensional characters. The dialogue was sharp. It had strong pacing. But then it hit page 17 and started to fall apart. The characters started saying and doing things that didn’t seem consistent with who they were. The plotting felt forced. The more I read, the worse it got. It literally felt like there had been two writers: the one who did such a graceful and masterful job with the first sixteen pages, and the clumsy amateur who took over from there and destroyed the script.

Read more here

A teaser for a dance video with choreo by Grant Kaita

#wednesdaywisdom about the power of art and artists from junior Acting major Anthony Kirlew #relschool

"When you're an actor and able to really grasp someone else's point of view, it gives you life." #wednesdaywisdom from our newest Spotlight, and avid Harry Potter fan, Corinne Levy. Corinne is a sophomore in our BFA Acting [Film + Television] program. Learn more about her and her experience here: https://youtu.be/KGv7Sbt-AC8

RelSchool takes on the UK!

Relativity School prides itself on being able to provide students with unique opportunities in their education here. Just last week during spring break, a delegation of students, Emma Grosjean, Leah Grosjean, Drew Hoffman, Julia Lotz, Cassidy Marchini, and Noemi Salazar, traveled to the UK to partner with Weston College on a video shoot and a performance at Move It UK, the largest dance festival in Europe. 

First up was the video shoot in Bristol shoot, which you can see above was shot in an amazing train yard. After this it was non-stop rehearsal to prepare for the Move It performance. Not only did the performance go well, but our collaboration with Weston College was featured on the dallies of the festival, a big deal for any of the performances! You can view the full performance here.

Despite having to be up early and adjusting to the time difference, our students were well prepared and took every chance to soak in this unique opportunity. Noemi Salazar had nothing but glowing things to say. “It was such a great experience getting to know dancers from a different country and finding our similarities. I couldn't believe I was actually in the UK, (first timer), and it was interesting to have collaborated with a college that has some of the same features that Relativity does!”

Not just a chance to improve professionally, this trip offered our students a chance to strengthen their bonds. Leah Grosjean remarks that this trip helped her become even closer to her friends. “I don't think there was one day where we weren't enjoying each other's company and where we were in that moment. Being in a beautiful place like London really made me appreciate the friends and family I'm blessed to be surrounded by.”

We’re so proud of our students for being their generally awesome selves and making the most of this international opportunity.

Writing a Spec Script for Television by Terence Johnson

The original version of this piece was written here. It has been updated for this blog.

For any of you who are interested in going into TV writing, odds are you will be tasked with writing a spec sooner rather than later. Being able to show that you can write in the voice of the creator/showrunner while also maintaining your voice is crucial to landing jobs. Here are three key things to remember when writing a spec, using Sense8 as an example.

How to Write a Spec

Analyze the structure of an episode – This might seem like a duh thing, but before you even attempt to write a spec you need to know the ins and outs of the show and how an episode proceeds. Watch every episode of the show that is available, cause you’re going to have to write an episode that would work in the most recent season. Structurally, procedurals are so easy to analyze, which is why most writers will make one. The Good Wife was prob the only exception, but that’s no longer on the air. Also, when writing, you need to know if the show is written in acts aka broken up by commercials (this is basically anything that’s not premium cable or streaming) or if it’s written full out aka 30 pages for comedy 60 pages for drama, no breaks. Despite it seeming “Easier,” I actually struggle writing with act breaks, which luckily didn’t come into play with Sense8. It wasn’t all rainbows though. It was damn near impossible to adapt the show because what structure does that show really have? The creators said they structured the series like a 12 hour movie, there are no act breaks, and it’s just character, character, character. Not the best thing to pick for your first solo spec.

However, after rewatching the episodes, it was easier to see the structure. The structure in Sense8 lies not with act breaks, but with movements. It’s very much like classical music in that way. So for any of you that want to do a Sense8 spec, here’s the episodic structure: 1-10 mins: intro/recap with characters and beginning problems around 10 mins in: flashback introduced 25 min: characters are pushed into acting/conflict happens (personal and plot) with a denoument 33 mins: team up before big confrontation 40 mins: consequences of characters actions from earlier

Now go back and watch an episode and see how well this matches. For me, figuring out the structure was the key to writing. I could see if my pages lined up very easily and given how interwoven the characters are, having this was great.

Outlining is key – Sense8 is a complicated show and I made my life even more complicated by deciding to write this mess without a finalized outline. This was partly cause I was #madt that I had to change my plot around after the Christmas special. Don’t be like me, outline your spec like you would a regular show! It’ll be so much easier for you when writing if you at least do a scene outline. If nothing else you’ll have scene headings.

When I started to write in earnest, I only had the beginning outlined and the final 10 pages outlined. This meant I had to outline as I went along while writing, which is not a good practice. There’s nothing wrong with jumping around

Pro Tip: Speed View in Final Draft is a Godsend when you are working on a script. Once you get into a rhythm don’t bother trying to count the pages. Just write!

Write the episode only you can write – This would seem to go against what many of us think about specs in that we want them to be mirror images of the show. But how will you stand out if it’s exactly like what they already have? I credit this step to Kirk Moore, a grad of the NBCUniversal Writers on the Verge program and writer on American Crime and 13 Reasons Why. He always talks about the fact that when working on a spec is uniquely you.

For Sense8, I knew that my episode would revolve around Valentine’s Day because it would allow me to revolve the episode around themes of love and companionship, or the absence of it. This is in the wheel house of the show, and similar to the Christmas special, but using love as a theme, in both positive and negative lights, I was able to move the characters in new directions that I, as a viewer, wanted to see. Always find the parts that intrigue you about a show, but remember to do something only you can do.

In the words of BFA Film + Digital Content sophomore Joshua Ogner, collaboration truly is the key to great artistry. At Relativity School, we want to foster collaboration amongst our students and hope that once they leave here, they will be better artists and people, for having worked together. Applications for the fall are due on March 13; Don't miss your chance to join this awesome community!! https://relativityschool.org/admissions/apply/ #relschool

Wake Up and Start Making Stuff ASAP with ‘Morning Pages’

Without internal exploration it’s difficult to be effective in any creative pursuit, or to be satisfied with the work you’re making even as you have the opportunity to make it. The Muse is not a logical mistress. But unfortunately when we’re unhappy in the Muse-Creative relationship the problem, frequently, is with us.

I had a few false starts getting into Morning Pages. It took too long. I couldn’t think of anything to write, and after a lifetime of exposure to self-help schemes, I’m very skeptical of any practice that requires waking up earlier than I already do (see previous ravings about sleep).

But now I’m hooked. I don’t do them at the same time every day, or even necessarily in the morning, but I find them to be a necessary tool to get over my internal obstacles and allow me to access my favorite parts of myself.

Maybe some of what I’ve learned will help make Morning Pages work for you. Here are some common frustrations I heard expressed (or had myself) with Julia’s dogmatic template. Just pick your favorite hurdle and try challenging it with these workarounds:

WRITING BY HAND

I like writing by hand. If you don’t, then don’t.

Try typing. USE 750.com to track your pages every day, or write yourself an email. Avoid the internet altogether and use a Word .doc.

Try talking. Most smart phones come equipped with a simple voice recorder that you can chitchat your thoughts and feelings into. But if not, a quick search on the app store will get you a free one. And if worse comes to worse, there’s always a good ol’ cassette recorder.

FIGURING OUT WHAT TO WRITE

Pages are not journal entries. You don’t need to try to think of what to write. 

Try playing music. Some days I start by writing the lyrics of whatever song is on Pandora right now.

Try describing what you see. What does the wall look like? The page? The pen? Your fingernails? The end of your nose?

Try scribbling. Just keep the pen going, fill up the space. Who says this has to be legible?

Throw out everything you know about sentence structure, because this is not writing. This is unblocking.

THE THREE-PAGE RULE

Julia insists there’s something magical about three pages. But if three pages are standing between you and a free mind, then to heck with magic. Let’s get practical.

Try setting a timer. I’ve done as little as three minutes and found it beneficial.

Try one page. That’s what I do.

Try a tiny notebook. Three tiny pages are better than none.

DOING IT IN THE MORNING

I think this is self-explanatory.

Try writing at lunchtime. If you have a regular schedule, writing at mealtimes or bedtime can be preferable to adding one more task in the morning.

Try writing as needed. Pages can really help focus scattered brain cells when transitioning between tasks or trying to get psyched for other disciplines.

Above all, don’t punish yourself for missing days. This practice is all about self-care. We are busy filmmakers who expect a lot of ourselves. It’s only fair to take a little time for our interior landscape. So! Let’s pull on those gardening gloves and dig in.

What has been your experience with Morning Pages? Leave a comment; I’d love to know!

Full Article: https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/wake-start-making-stuff-asap-morning-pages/