|
|
|
|
Strength in Numbers is made possible thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Film Commission and Auckland Council– Regional Arts and Culture Grant.
and New Zealand Regional Film Offices; Film Otago Southland, Film Dunedin, Screen Canterbury and Film Queenstown Lakes.
The Big Screen Symposium presents an annual snapshot of our screen culture framed by the guiding principles that filmmaking is both a creative and practical endeavour. Delegates are immersed in two-days of conversations, masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions and case studies with a stellar line-up of local and international filmmaker speakers.
After being postponed TWICE due to COVID-19, Script to Screen and janda productions are thrilled that the Big Screen Symposium is going ahead in Auckland on 4 – 5 December at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. With support from BSS’s fantastic sponsors, we have kept tickets at early bird prices as we know the pandemic has negatively impacted many filmmakers finances.
Now in its 8th year, the Big Screen Symposium will once again present inspiring and accomplished speakers to the New Zealand film and television community.
Hear from Academy Award-winning Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, Gloria, Disobedience), Cowboy Bebop showrunner André Nemec, renowned producer Finola Dwyer (Brooklyn, An Education), Australian writer/actor Scott Ryan (Mr Inbetween), two-time Emmy winning filmmaker Arielle Kilker (Cheer, Last Chance U), writer/actor Sophie Henderson (Fantail, Baby Done, Justice of Bunny King) and the makers of box office hit Savage director Sam Kelly and producer Vicky Pope. Sneak previews from five up-and-coming New Zealand films will be shown on Friday before everybody closes the day with Networking Drinks. Sebastián Lelio, Arielle Kilker and Scott Ryan will be live-streamed.
You heard it here first – Hon. Carmel Sepuloni, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage will join the $50M Premium Production For International Audiences Fund session. Pre-recorded interviews from Jonathan Frank, Senior Vice President Current Programming, FX Networks and Nathaniel Grouille, Director Nonfiction Series, Netflix were recorded especially for the event and will not be seen outside of Big Screen Symposium 2020.
This year’s programme is crafted around the theme of Transforming Culture and explores the transformative power of story and the transformation of the film industry through technological and sociological advances. Six mini keynote addresses will speak to this theme.
You really do need to be there.
Join the conversation: bigscreensymposium.com/stay-connected/
The full 2020 programme is available now on bigscreensymposium.com/2020-programme/
“This workshop honestly transformed my thinking about storytelling structures and opened up new possibilities in exciting and practical ways. It incorporated both big ideas thinking and also specific craft tools, which I will begin to use immediately in my writing. The workshop was rich in content and spoke well to many levels, including experienced, working screenwriters. ” – 2019 Melbourne Workshop Participant
We are excited to be bringing script guru Stephen Cleary to New Zealand to present this brilliant 2-day workshop in Auckland and Wellington.
Split into single-gender groups, people tell stories differently. Men often tell stories with all-male characters. Women rarely tell stories with all-female characters. Women together tend to maintain a theme across their stories. Men don’t. Women talk less. Men reveal less about themselves.
Gender variations within storytelling matter. Our understanding of screenwriting mostly comes from work done by men trying to figure out how the stories they told worked. The vast majority of those stories centred on male characters who were powerful or had access to power.
This workshop is about characters who aren’t male and powerful. How do you dramatise their stories, those characters, to make them compulsive? How do you tell stories about people who struggle for power, or who will never have power? Does power work differently for male and female characters (answer: yes)? How? Come to this workshop and find out, and with any luck change how you think about story structure, forever.
READ THE FULL WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
WELLINGTON
7 – 8 NOV 2019
Venue: Hunter Building Lecture Theatre 119 (HULT119),
Victoria University, Kelburn Parade, Wellington
Cost: $250 (+ GST). Tickets available via Eventbrite.
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided. BYO Lunch.
Prepare for the Workshop: Links to Films and series that will be referenced during the lab are available here.
Presented in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington.
Stephen Cleary is available to do a limited number of assessments while he is in Auckland. To be eligible for one of these assessments you must have booked your ticket to the Power, Gender and New Story Structures workshop and register for an assessment by Friday 22 Nov, 9am.
You will get a one-on-one 90-minute meeting and 2 pages of notes. The script assessment fee is $500 +gst.
If you would like a TV series assessed, Stephen will need either the first episode script plus outline of the rest of the season and an overview of the project, or a synopsis of the story overall and a breakdown of episodes. Each spot is not actually reserved until payment is received.
Payment details:
Account Name: Script to Screen – Te Tari Kupu A Whakaahua
Account Number: 03 0255 0178775-00
Reference: Cleary90min – Your Name
REGISTER FOR A SCRIPT ASSESSMENT
Script to Screen is proud to be partnering with Compton School once again to deliver Strength in Numbers – a program designed to teach screen practitioners about growing a sustainable and profitable business while doing the work you want to do.
Run by Script to Screen, and led by Australian screen business expert David Court, Strength in Numbers Growth comprises a series of workshops that arm participants with the tools they need to build a sustainable business in the screen industry. The programme is for screen practitioners with a slate of projects and a screen industry business already underway and will be delivered over several workshop days held in Auckland January to September 2020.
Strength in Numbers offers a unique opportunity for early to mid-career practitioners in the screen industry to work together on the building blocks of business models that will sustain their future and ultimately shape the industry itself. The Programme aims to cultivate a super-smart community of business people in the screen industry that support each other over time, which is especially important for filmmakers who often work in isolation.
Selected participants will have a proven track record that demonstrates considerable talent and tenacity in their field. They will become part of Script to Screen’s alumni network. This network supports further collaboration and strengthens connections. To encourage screen practitioners from the regions to apply we have support from some of New Zealand’s regional offices: Film Otago Southland, Film Dunedin, Screen Canterbury, Screen Wellington, Tairawhiti TV, Film Bay of Plenty.
Strength in Numbers’ inaugural year saw ten creators of many of our most loved and successful films (including Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Boy, The Dark Horse, Love Story, Three Wise Cousins, Waru, Vai, and Loading Docs) brought together to focus on building sustainable businesses.
Preview the Strength In Numbers Application Form
What you’ll need to submit:
Applications Open: Mon 21 Oct
Applications Close: Sun 1 Dec, midnight
First Workshop: Early Feb 2020
Strength in Numbers is made possible thanks to generous support from the Auckland Council– Regional Arts and Culture Grant, New Zealand Film Commission.
And New Zealand Regional Film Offices; Film Otago Southland, Film Dunedin, Screen Canterbury, Screen Wellington, Tairawhiti TV, Film Bay of Plenty and Waikato Film Hub. Thank you to Screen Auckland for providing our workshop venue.
“This workshop honestly transformed my thinking about storytelling structures and opened up new possibilities in exciting and practical ways. It incorporated both big ideas thinking and also specific craft tools, which I will begin to use immediately in my writing. The workshop was rich in content and spoke well to many levels, including experienced, working screenwriters. ” – 2019 Melbourne Workshop Participant
We are excited to be bringing script guru Stephen Cleary to New Zealand to present this brilliant 2-day workshop in Auckland and Wellington.
Split into single-gender groups, people tell stories differently. Men often tell stories with all-male characters. Women rarely tell stories with all-female characters. Women together tend to maintain a theme across their stories. Men don’t. Women talk less. Men reveal less about themselves.
Gender variations within storytelling matter. Our understanding of screenwriting mostly comes from work done by men trying to figure out how the stories they told worked. The vast majority of those stories centred on male characters who were powerful or had access to power.
This workshop is about characters who aren’t male and powerful. How do you dramatise their stories, those characters, to make them compulsive? How do you tell stories about people who struggle for power, or who will never have power? Does power work differently for male and female characters (answer: yes)? How? Come to this workshop and find out, and with any luck change how you think about story structure, forever.
READ THE FULL WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
AUCKLAND
30 Nov – 1 Dec 2019
Venue: Lecture Theatre WG404, Sir Paul Reeves Building
Auckland University of Technology – City Campus,
2 Gov Fitzroy Place, Auckland City
Cost:$250 (+ GST). Tickets available via Eventbrite.
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided. BYO Lunch.
There are cafes in the area if you want to buy lunch.
Prepare for the Workshop: Links to Films and series that will be referenced during the lab are available here.
This workshop is presented in partnership with AUT
Stephen Cleary is available to do a limited number of assessments while he is in Auckland. To be eligible for one of these assessments you must have booked your ticket to the Power, Gender and New Story Structures workshop and register for an assessment by Wed 20 Nov, 5pm.
You will get a one-on-one 90-minute meeting and 2 pages of notes. The script assessment fee is $500 +gst.
If you would like a TV series assessed, Stephen will need either the first episode script plus outline of the rest of the season and an overview of the project, or a synopsis of the story overall and a breakdown of episodes. Each spot is not actually reserved until payment is received.
Payment details:
Account Name: Script to Screen – Te Tari Kupu A Whakaahua
Account Number: 03 0255 0178775-00
Reference: Cleary90min – Your Name
REGISTER FOR A SCRIPT ASSESSMENT
Script to Screen and the New Zealand Film Commission have partnered on the development of 16 short films. The teams behind the films were selected from a very competitive round of 106 applications; and will attend a three-day residential development lab this November as part of the Fresh Shorts initiative.
The Fresh Shorts programme offers grants of up to $15,000 to six new or emerging filmmaker teams to make a short film. The selection also includes experienced filmmakers in new roles. As part of the selection process, each team will attend a three-day development lab in the Auckland region where they will receive tailored script feedback from industry mentors and participate in group workshops to further develop their scripts and strengthen their skills for future projects.
Following the lab and submission of the re-worked projects, six teams will be selected to receive a grant of up to $15,000 to make their short film. An announcement will be made early February 2020.
The 16 selected teams and their projects are (L-R):
Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen.
Script to Screen brings a one and a half day workshop on screenwriting to Rotorua. This is your opportunity to learn from IIML’s Master of Scriptwriting programme director, Ken Duncum.
We are excited to be bringing this interactive and practical workshop to the Bay of Plenty aimed at helping you navigate through the complexities of writing a feature film. Over the course of one weekend, Ken Duncum will coach and cajole you through a process of developing your own film idea, giving you tips for finding and building a story that resonates.
Don’t miss this interactive and practical workshop that will help you navigate through the complexities of writing a feature film.
“Ken Duncum is an exceptional teacher. The structure and underlying philosophy of his approach to script writing provides me with the perspective and courage to write more and write better . ”
– 2018 Auckland Workshop participant
When:
Sat 24 Aug, 9am – 4pm
Sun 25 Aug, 10am – 3pm
Where:
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Rotorua Mokoia Campus, Gate 1, G Block – Lecture Theatre G210. The lecture theatre is an accessible space.
Directions: Enter the Campus at Gate 1, drive straight down the driveway until you reach block G. Parking is to the left of the building. After entering the building, come to level 2 via stairs or elevator.
Cost: General Admission $20 (incl. GST). Tickets available via Eventbrite
What to Bring: Pen and paper. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided. BYO Lunch. There are cafes in the area, and the campus is 5mins drive from central Rotorua. There will be space available to eat your lunch if you would like to bring it with you.
Who it is for: This workshop is aimed at emerging to established filmmakers who are writing a feature film. However if you are at the beginning stages of writing a feature film, or are interested in writing a film this workshop will be very beneficial. Suitable for ages 17+.
This workshop is presented in partnership with the Bay of Plenty Film Office, and is made possible with financial support from Rotorua District Creative Communities and the New Zealand Film Commission.
Join us at this Script to Screen TALK and find out what local distributors consider before they take on a film for distribution.
Having a strong script and a great filmmaking team is not enough. Unlocking NZFC production funding depends on a letter of offer from a local distributor as part of your audience engagement plan.
Come along to hear from Mark Chamberlain at Transmission, Andrew Cozens at Madman, Nigel Forsyth at Studio Canal and Kevin Gordon at Rialto Distribution.
Entertainment lawyer, Sarah Cull will talk to the panelists about what they look for when selecting projects and at what stage of development they like to get on board. An audience Q&A will follow.
If you are developing a feature film project this event is not to be missed. Last time we held a TALK with New Zealand distributors it was a full house, avoid disappointment by getting your ticket early.
Wednesday 3 July
6:15pm -7:15pm – TALK
Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St, Te Aro, Wellington
After the TALK, stay and have pizza on Script to Screen, there will be a cash bar and socialising with fellow filmmakers.
$5.75 (incl. GST) for pre-sales.
$5 cash at the door if the theatre is not already fully booked from pre-sales.
This StS TALK is made possible thanks to the support of the New Zealand Film Commission. Thanks to the New Zealand Film Commission and the New Zealand Film and Television School for the venue.
The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) and Script to Screen are thrilled to present these very special TALKS with the filmmakers behind three highly anticipated films BELLBIRD, JUDY & PUNCH, and ANIMALS.
Join us after each screening to hear first hand from Hamish Bennett (BELLBIRD), Mirrah Foulkes (JUDY & PUNCH) and Sophie Hyde (ANIMALS) about their connection with the story and their experience getting the story to the screen.
The TALKS are free, but to see the film beforehand you need to book your ticket through the NZIFF website. TALKS held at the ASB Waterfront Theatre are held in the cinema immediately after the film. TALKS held at the Civic are in the Wintergarden, downstairs from the main foyer, immediately after the film.
BELLBIRD
Ross (Marshall Napier) is the third generation on the small family dairy farm and he’s determined that son Bruce (Cohen Holloway) will follow suit. Bruce, however, makes for a squeamish farmer and would be perfectly content to stick with his job reinventing abandoned treasures at the town dump. Civic Wintergarden | Sat 20 July | after the 5:45pm screening. Hamish Bennett, Catherine Fitzgerald and Orlando Stewart with moderator Dame Gaylene Preston (1hr).
JUDY & PUNCH
Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman represent the titular duo, reimagined as a puppeteering couple whose artistic quarrels – and Punch’s mishandling of their baby – lead to an epic revenge fable awash with bloody satire and pitch-black comedy. Civic Wintergarden | Thu 25 July | after the 3:30pm screening. Mirrah Foulkes with moderator Chelsie Preston-Crayford (1hr). Civic Wintergarden | Fri 26 July | after the 6:30pm screening. Mirrah Foulkes with moderator Robyn Malcolm (1hr).
Mirrah Foulkes’ visit is supported by 
ANIMALS
Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) are thirty-something best friends in Dublin, where partying hard is still their way to have fun, but the reality of getting older is getting harder to ignore. ASB Waterfront Theatre | Thurs 25 July | after the 8:30pm screening. Sophie Hyde with moderator Robyn Malcolm (30mins) ASB Waterfront Theatre | Fri 26 July | after the 3:00pm screening. Sophie Hyde with moderator Armagan Ballantyne (30mins)
Senior executives, producers, showrunners and writers of internationally acclaimed shows, including American Horror Story, Better Call Saul, Bloodline, Glee, Glitch, Marcella, Please Like Me, Succession and Supergirl, will arrive in New Zealand next week to be advisors in an intensive week-long Series Drama Lab designed to develop strong New Zealand projects for the international and domestic market.
The Series Drama Lab is part of Raupapa Whakaari: Drama to the World, a new initiative from the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air delivered in conjunction with Script to Screen. The initiative supports ten talented New Zealand writer/producer teams to develop distinctive, high-end scripted series with international and domestic appeal.
The advisor line-up includes Caitlin Parrish creator, writer and producer (The Red Line, Supergirl); Chris Loveall Vice President, International Programming for AMC, SundanceTV and BBC America (EP Fortitude, Please Like Me); Chris Oliver-Taylor CEO of Fremantle Media Australia; Christine Bartlett a writer, creator and producer (Five Bedrooms , The Wrong Girl); multiple Emmy award winning producer Dante Di Loreto (Temple Grandin, American Horror Story, Glee); Jonathan Glatzer writer, producer, director (Succession, Better Call Saul, Bloodline); Louise Fox co-creator, writer, producer (Glitch, Broadchurch); Nicola Larder co-creator, executive producer (Marcella).
Annabelle Sheehan, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, said, “The excellence and high profile credits of the international advisors will provide significant inspiration for our New Zealand creative teams regarding their work with the global marketplace. The week focuses on the commercial and creative drivers for producers and showrunners and will help shape the next wave of New Zealand series drama for New Zealand and the rest of the world.”
NZ On Air CEO, Jane Wrightson said, “The combined brainpower of a stellar lineup of international advisors with outstanding local talent and their ideas has great promise – we are very much looking forward to seeing the next stage of these Raupapa Whakaari projects. ”
Script to Screen Executive Director Jackie Dennis said, “This hasn’t happened in New Zealand before. The writers and producers coming to the Series Drama Lab will develop their projects with advisors who have worked on exceptional shows that have found dedicated audiences all around the world. I can’t wait to see the results.”
The international advisors will take part in panels, conversations and case studies and provide feedback on participating teams’ series drama concepts in story and market meetings.
The ten teams have received initial development of $10,000. Following the Series Drama Lab and submission of the re-worked projects, four teams will be selected to receive additional development funding of up to $80,000 each.