Writers pitching to each other..
Screenwriter Andrea Gibb is interviewed by David Pearson.
Producer Kevin Loader
On Thursday 27th August 2009 the Screenwriters' Festival, in association with Scottish Screen and The Scottish Arts Council held a Market Ready Workshop in Glasgow for ten Glasgow/Edinburgh based Screenwriters.
This is the second in a proposed series where the festival mounts and runs one-day events throughout the country, the first being the Scriptmarket Workshop in June.
The chosen writers came with a specific project that they are currently working on.
Gregory Burke, Phyllis McGowan, Kathy McKean, Louise Ironside, John Parker, Stewart Thomson, Tim Nunn, Nicola McCartney, Katy McAulay and Daniel Jackson.
After an introduction by Festival Director and Producer David Pearson, the first excercise that everyone was asked to do was to pitch their ideas to one and other. Afterwhich the person being pitched too had to re-pitch the other persons ideas back to them. You keeping up? This way the person pitching can get a measure of how well they pitched by listening to aomeone else's version of their pitch.. Got that? Good..
Screenwriter Andrea Gibb, Afterlife and Dear Frankie, then came in to talk about being a working screenwriter. Andrea, who is currently working with the Henson Company on a family fantasy comedy, explained how she found the business side of the industry. She continued to express the importance of things like researching before pitching and script meetings, in which she gave some helpful hints and advice that she uses regularly.
Producer and Festival Board Chairman, Kevin Loader, The History Boys and In the Loop, flew up to the workshop to give a talk about how screenwriters can become market ready with their projects. Using his recent experience on the prep and post-production of his latest film, the John Lennon as a teenager biog, Nowhere Boy, as examples.
Finally each writer, after what was discussed throughout the day along with any re-jigs to their outlines, pitched their ideas to both Kevin and Andrea and were given feedback on each.
As each of the writers will be at the Festival in October, this was the first part of a two part session, they all had a lot of homework and research to do as they will be required to pitch their idea again at SWF'09.
For the writers involved the day they felt to be very successful and very helpful. Here are some of the feedback we received...
"Found the Pitching practise brilliant - really useful." - Louise Ironside
"The Pitching Sessions, both in partnership and to Andrea and Kevin, were particularly helpful in clarifying thought." - Katy McAulay
"Today's workshop has reinforced the nature and importance of preperation ahead of the Festival. The presentation and speakers' insights were invaluable." - Kathy McKean
If you are from a local Film Agency or a Screenwriting Academy/University and would like us to mount a one to two day workshop in your area please contact me at kenny.macdonald@screenwritersfestival.com for package prices.