BlueCat Writers Blog
As the War Machine Keeps Turning: The Changing Landscape of Consumer Viewership
by Andrew Schwartz Netflix Feature Film pulls Star Studded Cast. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs,” says self-assured General Glenn McMahon (Brad Pitt). He's speaking to a host of war-weary Afghani villagers U.S. Marines killed of a local boy of...
1000 Words to Write By
by Deanna Carlyle All the writing advice in the world can’t replace good tools and lots of practice. This is why I’ve compiled the following list of more than a thousand action verbs. I needed a handy, printable reference tool that didn’t strain my eyes or wrists....
Gender Roles in Space: How Alien: Covenant Breathes a New Life into an Old Story
By Andrew Schwartz Origins of the Franchise. As it relates to the decades-old, genre-defining film-franchise, Alien: Covenant serves one true purpose: to explain the origin of the film’s legendary Xenomorph. Supported by an excellent cast, beautifully haunting...
Five Museums to Inspire Your Next Feature
by Christina K. Holmes 1. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Humblebaek, Denmark Fancy a trip abroad to get the creative juices flowing? Look no further than a small city north of Copenhagen on the Danish-Swedish border. A modern art museum on the shores of the Oresund...
How to Avoid “On the Nose” Dialogue
Dialogue, it’s a crucial part of any successful script, but also the easiest element to get wrong. Novice writers will often write flat dialogue where characters simply state how they feel, asserting a beat within a scene instead of massaging it into place. If a...
King Arthur: The Intersection Between Hollywood and Modern Politics
King Arthur: What works, what doesn't, and what this film says about the time in which it was produced. By Andrew L. Schwartz In Hollywood, the 2017 summer season is off to a predictable start. With Warner Bros’. new release, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,...
Writing the Screenplay: One Pomodoro at a Time
Writing the Screenplay: One Pomodoro at a Time by Charlotte Winters By now, you know that the key to writing a 110-page screenplay is to break things down. Break your story down into acts, break your acts down into beats, and break your beats down into objectives,...
5 Screenwriting Tools Writers Should Invest In
The internet has transformed the world of screenwriting tools. There is a plethora of technologies to support budding writers to hone their craft and create the best possible material.Whether they’re taking care of the formatting so you don’t have to worry about it,...
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining: Who is the Antagonist?
Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining focuses on how thin the line between rationality and irrationality can be in the human psyche. This theme is frequently reinforced by symbols such as the big maze outside the Hotel that illustrates the ease with which one...
Gordy Introduces Goal Posts into Screenplay Writing Challenge
Gordy Hoffman, Judge and Founder of the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, talks about goal posts for the Screenplay Writing Challenge, starting August 1st.Throughout the whole month, BlueCat's writers will write 3 pages per day, every day, sharing their daily...
2016 BlueCat Winner Table Reading
2016 BlueCat Winner Table Reading in New Orleans"MONA. RICHY. ROBBY. AND RAY”, Orethia C. Smith's screenplay has grabbed the winner’s spot in the 2016 BlueCat feature competition. However, it's success doesn't end there. After discovering these upcoming...
Online Screenwriting Course: The Rewrite
Note: There are only two spots left open for this course. Winter 2018 – 10-Week Online CourseInstructor Gordy Hoffman guides participants who have completed first drafts of their screenplay through the rewrite process. A requirement for the course is students...
Finalist Palmer Horton’s Short on ESPN
2015 Feature Finalist Palmer Horton's short film, "When The King Held Court," is about Elvis Presley's passion for racquetball and the impact it had on his life. ESPN Films' 30 for 30 Shorts Continues With Slate of Five New FilmsWATCH NOW "When The...
2015 Shorts Finalist Darren Tibbits Launches Pinebox Kickstarter Campaign!
2015 Shorts Finalist Darren Tibbits Launches Pinebox Kickstarter Campaign! Watch the trailer for 2015 Finalist D. R. Tibbits Kickstarter campaign and learn more about his acclaimed short script PINEBOX, starring Clifton Collins, Jr., Ann Magnuson and Brian T....
BlueCat Screenplay Competition Announces 2016 Winners
BlueCat Screenplay Competition Announces 2016 WinnersLOS ANGELES, CA — Oreathia C. Smith’s screenplay, MONA. RICHY. ROBBY. AND RAY, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Smith’s script was selected from 4,523 submissions and...
Meet the 2016 Winners and Finalists
2016 Winners and FinalistsOreathia C. Smith, 2016 BlueCat Feature Winner, with Gordy Hoffman Soon after announcing our winners, we receive many requests to read the top scripts from the people who've entered BlueCat. Screenwriters want to know what the writers...
2016 International Award Winner & Finalists
2016 International Award Winner & Finalists We are very proud to announce our 2016 International Award Feature Screenplay Winners! The Winner in each category will receive $2000 USD CONGRATS! JOPLIN AWARDParody by Chad J. Nelson &...
2016 Short Screenplay Finalists
2016 Short Screenplay FinalistsWe are very proud to announce our 2016 Short Screenplay Finalists! The Winner will receive $10,000, with the three Finalists receiving $2000 each. The Winner will be announced on March 28th. Congratulations! Apart...
2016 Semi-Finalists
We are proud to announce the 2016 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Semi-Finalists Congratulations! Best Feature ScreenplayBest Short ScreenplayJoplin Award (Best International)Cordelia Award (Best UK)Roshan Award (Best of India) Feature...
Interview with Black Mass Screenwriter Mark Mallouk
In Scott Cooper's 2015 film Black Mass, screenwriters Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth delve into the true story of infamous South Boston gangster turned FBI informant, Whitey Bulger. Johnny Depp stars as Bulger with a performance that is both...
5 2016 Sundance Films to See
5 2016 Sundance Films to See This is but a small sampling of the fantastic film fare to screen this year at Sundance in Park City, Utah. Check out five of the films I am most looking forward to seeing in 2016. The Birth of a Nation The Birth of a Nation...