By Wout Thielemans

Say you are a European screenwriter. Say you have just finished your latest magnum opus, and say you even have managed to attract the attention of a producer. Now the hard work begins–to find investors willing to put their hard-earned cash on the table so that your timeless masterpiece can come to fruition, and be shown to admiring audiences worldwide. The best ways to achieve this result is (a) treating your investors to dinners in lots of great restaurants and (b) an excellent script. And there’s the rub–how do you go about making sure your script is the best it can be?

Where can you find the expert advice that will make sure that your script is the one that will get noticed out of all proposed international blockbusters? That’s where the development organizations come in.

Even in auteur-centric Europe, the importance of the script in the filmmaking process is being acknowledged (yes, even in France). With this in mind, a number of development organizations have been created, all of which intend to improve the general level of European screenwriting.

The "European" label is in almost all cases not just a tag, but also a conscious part of the mission statement. Renate Gompper, Programme Director of SOURCES 2, puts it as follows: "Europe is multi-cultural with many different identities. Therefore we are looking for original local stories which are appealing to international audiences and have the potential for crossing borders."

So, although some of these organizations do use American screenwriters or script doctors as tutors, it certainly isn’t the intention to turn European films into carbon copies of their American counterparts. On the contrary, the aim is to apply that transatlantic know-how to improve very European scripts and films.

In this article I will take a look at some of the most important of these script development organizations, to see what they offer and what they require from their submissions. There is one recurrent element: most of these organizations only work with optioned scripts that have a production deal attached. They are not for the neophyte writer who has no practical experience and is still making his or her way through the basic manuals.

As script development is an expensive process, these organizations want to invest in films that will actually get made.

SOURCES 2

SOURCES stands for Stimulating Outstanding Resources for Creative European Screenwriting–an inspiring acronym if ever there was one. Based in Berlin and Amsterdam, SOURCES 2 offers high-intensity workshops for writers and writer-producer teams, with the intention of ending up with saleable scripts with a definite European flavor.

Some of the films they have been involved with are The Red Dwarf by Yvan Lemoine, Three Seasons by Maria Iliou, Flick by Fintan Connolly and La maison Rouge by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.

The programme consists of two week-long workshops. During the first one, small groups are formed, with each group working on four or five projects from the participants under the eye of international screenwriting specialists.

The second week, later in the year, might consist of a meeting of these small groups, in which one project is treated per day, or of individual consultations. Programme Director Renate Gompper explains: "The writing training sessions are given on a very professional level according to the level of the participants. We don’t teach how to write a script! The training concentrates on the development of the projects, it’s learning by doing. Participants get to understand script development."

The schedule is extremely intensive: participants work from 09.30 to 17.30 in their small groups, and then attend either a general seminar on screenwriting or a SOURCES of Inspiration Lecture by special guests at night.

These guest speakers have included luminaries such as Suso Cecchi d’Amico, Dusan Makavejev, Georges Sluizer, Ken Loach and Michael Radford, among many others. These lectures are transcribed, and the transcriptions are available from the SOURCES 2 headquarters.

Writers who want to participate in SOURCES 2 workshops need the backing of a producer, film fund, broadcaster or a similar body. Twelve projects are selected each year, but as one project can have several candidates attached, it is possible for more than 12 writers apply.

Application fee is 100 Euros. The fee for attending the workshop is 1750 Euros per project/writer, and 695 Euros for each additional attendee attached to the project.

One-page synopses and first drafts may be sent to SOURCES 2 in the native language of the writer; the script in question will have to be translated into English only if selected.

Among the tutors are Philip Parker, David Wingate, Barry Devlin, Ugo Chiti, Andrej Smirnov and SCREENTALK’s own Andrew Horton.

You can reach SOURCES 2 online at <www.sources.deu.net>.

SOURCES 2

Köthener Strasse

D-10963 Berlin

Germany

Tel: +49 30 8860211

EQUINOXE

Equinoxe is the only one of the organizations under review that has helped develop some non-European films–this year there have been both American and Japanese pictures that have benefited from its aid.

Located in France, Equinoxe works with a number of partners throughout Europe (as well as Japan and Australia) to locate worthwhile scripts. Unlike most other organizations, Equinoxe doesn’t charge for its workshops. A number of scripts are sent to them, either directly or through the partner organizations, and approximately ten scripts are selected from the submissions to be developed further.

The lucky "winners" are treated to two week-long workshops in a castle in France’s Médoc region, where they have one-on-one consultations with international experts. And these experts are a truly impressive lot: past tutors have included Jean-Jacques Beineix, David and Janet Peoples, Ed Solomon, Whit Stilman, Shane Black, and many others.

Scripts for Equinoxe should be clearly personal works but with a demonstrable potential mass appeal. An example is the Flemish film Everybody Famous (Dominqiue Deruddere), in which an unemployed man wants to give his chubby teenage daughter a chance at fame as a singing star, and therefore, together with his not-too-bright buddy, kidnaps a local female celebrity. The subject matter is clearly quirky enough to be unique, yet is also deliberately accessible to a wide audience (and the film was released to good reviews and did fair business, so the effort did pay off).

On a personal note: I have been active as a reader for the Belgian partner of Equinoxe (Cinéscripts) for several years. The scripts which we are sent do differ widely in quality–some are very bad (yet have a production deal attached nevertheless), some are truly excellent. The majority fall into the "okay-to-good" category with either interesting ideas which have not been developed to their maximum potential, or else less-engaging material which is quite well-written but not exciting. However, since the aim of the workshop is to improve the selected scripts, the reading committee is not looking for perfection but promise.

One script we read was rejected because it was just too damn good (Une Liaison Pornographique, by Frédéric Fonteyne and Charles Blasband)–it was ready to shoot as is and would not have benefited from further development.

The scripts are read by a number of professionals who then compare notes, and decide which screenplays to send on to Paris for the second round of selection. While there could be one script selected per European member state in theory, in practice there is always a majority of French projects selected.

Equinoxe does not have a website. However, the organization can be reached at equinoxef@aol.com. Here you can get more information on where to send submissions, depending on one’s country of residence.

Equinoxe

4 Square du Roule

F-75008 Paris

France

Tel: 33 1 53 53 44 88

Fax: 33 1 53 53 44 89

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Situated in Denmark, North By Northwest is unique in that it provides both script development and training for script editors. North By Northwest’s program consists of three week-long workshops, spaced over approximately six months.

Sixteen projects are selected, by writers who have a proven track record. Though not strictly necessary, the preference is for scripts which have some sort of production deal attached to them. However, these scripts should ideally not have been put through an extensive development process yet.

The aim of the organization is to both improve the quality of the selected scripts and to create a body of trained script editors, so that the general level of professionalism in European screenwriting will be raised significantly.

During the first two weeks of the workshop, writers and editors are put together in groups (4 writers and 2 editors) and participate in intense analysis of the selected scripts, under the guidance of American tutors. These are all connected to the famous USC screenwriting department. There are also additional classes in film analysis in order to reinforce the method that is taught, and lectures by various guest speakers on various topics of interest to screenwriters.

During the third week, internationally known film directors and professional actors stage scenes from each of the projects. Past directors who have participated include Mike Hodges and Brian Gilbert.

At the end of the workshop, the writers are brought into contact with representatives of the European film industry. This meeting is intended to provide the writers with necessary contacts, and to let the development executives meet new writing talent.

It may strike some people as strange that a European-oriented organization would exclusively use American tutors for guidance, but there is no cause for alarm. The USC screenwriting curriculum was created by the late Frank Daniel, a collaborator of Milos Forman in erstwhile Czechoslovakia. Daniel had been involved in several European screenwriting initiatives before his death, among which were the FEMI workshops organized in Belgium. So, the method that North By Northwest propagates has its roots in European film culture, and is more character-based than plot-based.

Potential applicants should not worry about having their works "Bruckheimerized." The emphasis is clearly on letting them tell their personal stories in as effective a way as possible.

One last nice thing about North By Northwest is that the website also provides a database of past graduates (both writers and editors). So, in this way, they also help to promote their students in the international marketplace.

North By Northwest charges a 2000 Euro fee. Each of the workshops takes place in a different European city. The organization can be reached online at <www.n-nw.dk>.

North By Northwest

The Danish Film Institute

Vognmagergade 10

1120 Copenhagen K

Denmark

Tel: 45 33 74 35 28 / 23

Fax: 45 33 74 36 04

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST

South By Southwest focuses–as the name indicates–on the Mediterranean part of Europe. Screenwriters in this region lack opportunities for updating their know-how and receiving feedback and support, and South By Southwest attempts to fill this void by offering a program of live seminars and Internet consulting.

Twenty writers from the European member states are selected, based on the quality of the project which they submit. Once this selection process is finished, the writers attend a two-day live seminar. Here they introduce their project and meet with the tutors.

Next, a ten-week on-line exchange between the participants takes place, during which the writers work on their project and get the necessary feedback. After this period, a final one-day seminar is held in which the participating writers discuss the state of their project and try to chart how to proceed from here.

During the course, several topics, such as audience targeting, the main genres, script editing and story analysis are also touched upon, as well as rewriting and finalizing scripts for everything from feature films to interactive stories and creative documentaries.

There is no fee involved, nor do the writers have to have production deals attached to their projects.

Past guests at the seminars have included hero-myth guru Christopher Vogler and Julian Friedmann. South By Southwest’s website can be found at <www.audiovisual.org/index1.html>. Here you can find an application form. As the main part of the course takes place on-line, it is essential for applicants to have an Internet connection.

EUROSCRIPT

Euroscript is based in Britain, and provides a number of quite different services. First, they have a film story competition (deadline is April 30). Twenty winners are selected from the contestants (who can be from any EU country and work in any EU language).

These winners are then assigned a professional script doctor with whom they further develop the story idea into a final draft over a period of nine months. This development is free of charge, and Euroscript then helps the writers bring their scripts to the attention of production companies.

The stories for the competition must be powerful and relevant, and appeal to both an EU and an international audience. However, there are no restraints as to genre. The entrance fee is £25.

Euroscript also has a script evaluation service at very competitive rates–from £45 for a short film script up to £95 for a full-length script.

Finally, Euroscript has the "Assisted Writer/Producer scheme," where they select five projects annually which are assigned a development team of a script manager and script editor.

These experts work with the writer and producer for a period of twelve months. It doesn’t matter whether a project is in the treatment phase or is ready for principal photography: assistance is provided on an individual case-by-case basis, with both parties working out an arrangement to suit the specific needs of the script in question.

There is a £30 application fee, and short-listed teams will have to pay for the in-depth analysis of the submitted script. However, the rate is reduced to £65 in this case.

Euroscript can be found online at <www.euroscript.co.uk>.

Euroscript

Suffolk House

1-8 Whitfield Place

London W1P 5SF

United Kingdom

Tel/Fax: 44 (0) 20 7387 5880

As one can see, there are many, many options available for writers to get assistance in the development of their scripts. Most of the above organizations belong to MEDIA, the European Governmental scheme to assist the audio-visual industry in Europe, and/or the Geneva Group, an international think tank which holds meetings semi-annually to discuss how to best improve the quality of screenwriting and development throughout Europe.

Interested readers can check out their websites for more information and links to even more development schemes and organizations. They can be found at

MEDIA: <http://europa.eu.int/comm/avpolicy/media/forma_en.html>

Geneva Group: <www.focal.ch/genevagroup/>

Happy developing!

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