Seven6 Productions, LLC

Being involved in a writing/film group really does get your writing juices flowing. Since I’ve been involved, I’ve written and finished several shorts. Plus, I wrote another 15 pages of my feature script. And I’m seeing ideas everywhere. Although everyone has ideas, getting them written and finished that is the trick. I suggest anyone interested in screenwriting who is stuck or fairly new to the medium, seek out a writer/film group.

Finished:

Heat Lightening - Short

The List - Short

Dryer Conversations - Short

Heads-Up - Short

I’ve got a couple more shorts in the works. Most of the finished ones are on the order of Twilight Zone - not sci-fi - but strange happenings.

Until next time …

I wrote a six page short recently about a man playing headsup Texas Holdem poker and his life depends on winning. I have it up on Inktip.com. No takers yet. I’m thinking its because it needs to be animated. The character near the end is pretty impossible to create in real life - making it look real - without a lot of expense involved. So, the reason for animation. I’m looking for someone who can do flash or CGI in the “comic book hero” style. The short is somewhat dark in nature so that type of animation will lend itself well. I think it could really be a good short film. Keeping fingers crossed on this one.

My mind is whirling with ideas. There was a challenge put out by the PIFMG for a 3 minute short. Lots of ideas came to my head and I’ve got several going. One in particular is finished and I really like it. Its about marriage, cheating, murder! all in three minutes. LOL

I went to the PIFMG meeting on the 17th - the goup was small and we really didn’t talk about much. Amanda Melby was there from IFP and ScreenWars. Her talk was interesting. She was promoting her group, ScreenWars, and the Phoenix Film Festival. I think I’ll be attending the festival. It’s really very inexpensive with after parties, etc. 

I started the Phoenix Screenwriters Connection on Meetup.com. We have quite a few members and lots of interest in screenwriting. It is the best way I can think of to get in contact with other writers. We’ll be having a meeting of this group on April 14, 2007. Tomorrow is the Table Readings in Mesa and I’ll try to get there.

Still need to work on my feature film screenplays, but finishing a short was is very satisfying. 

I’m seriously thinking of starting a Screenwriters Meetup Group. There seems to be a lot of screenwriters out there. We need a group so we can urge each other on, critique our scripts, and learn from each other. There was a guy at the last Phx. Indie Group with a list to start a group, but I think I was the only person on it. He didn’t want to pay the membership fee at Meetup.com. I’ll pay the membership. That’s not a problem. I may post a message on the Phx. Indie Group and see who’s interested. We could do a combined meeting with them and possible a table reading meeting. It might work.

I’m not sure about the AZ Screenwriters table reading group. Their site seems to be lacking activity. Their forum is stagnant so I’m worried the table readings will be small too. I wrote someone at the site about the table readings and so far, no answer - it seems par for the course looking at the site. I’m thinking the group possibly was doing well for a while and has now wained in participation. I’ll check their meeting out this Monday and see what’s going on. Will post here about what I find out.

An idea popped into my head last night and I wrote a 6 page short film. It’s called “Headsup”. I think it would be a funny little short film. I may have problems with costuming and may do it in animation. I’d like some others to read it and get their opinion.

Last night I re-read two of my screenplays that have been sitting on the shelf for a few months. Amazingly, they still read pretty fresh. There is a group, Arizona Screenwriters, that does “script readings” of 10 pages of your screenplay and critiques them. They take the parts and read aloud so that you can hear how your screenplay actually sounds live. I think I want to do that. They meet every Wednesday night in Mesa. That link is - http://arizonascreenwriters.org/

IFP Phoenix has a show on AZ TV at 11PM showing aspiring and other film makers short films. Most are about 3 to 5 minutes in length. I looked through many of them today and it seems that those shorts dealing with killing get a lot of votes! Many are pretty gruesome :O ! Many had some great plot twists. I did watch one about 911 that was very moving. I plan to watch the show on February 28, 2007. I enjoy watching these short films and seeing how the film makers ideas come through. If you watch and want to vote, you need to be a member if IFP Phoenix or IFP.

I spent part of the day today reading other screenwriters’ scenes. It was a very interesting experience. I don’t know the level of experience these people have so I won’t comment on them or give my opinion of what I read. Some were good, others so-so (IMHO only). I do plan to go to some screenwriting classes so I can write better myself. The organization - www.ifpphoenix.org - offers classes. They also have something called “Screen Wars” - where aspiring and experienced film makers show their stuff and the members vote .. more on that in another post.

What a treat to get tickets to the Peoria Film Festival. I got a two day pass and another one for the workshops! I will definitely attend. The festival is March 1 - 4, 2007. Check out their website for more info - www.peoriafilmoffice.com