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JOHN THAW INITIATIVE SEASON AT THE ACTORS CENTRE
Fri 29th March - Sat 30th March, 8.00pm
I'll Fix It Later
By Daniel Hallissey
When best friends Charlie and Graham capture an intruder in their home they’re left with a simple decision, let him go, or cheese-grate his face off. ‘We Caught A Burglar’ is a three-hander dark comedy that explores the worlds we create to feel safe and how we deal with being forced to leave them.
Creative Resources
4 Things Pixar Always Does to Create Memorable Characters
We all have a favourite Pixar character. Pixar's characters, from Woody to Sadness to Mike Wazowski have a unique way of sticking with you, whether it's due to their hilarious banter or heartbreaking humanity. But what is it that Pixar does to make them so memorable?
A Writer’s Guide to Fair Use and Permissions + Sample Permissions Letter
Whenever you decide to directly quote, excerpt or reproduce someone else’s work in your own—whether that’s a book, blog, magazine article, or something else—you have to consider, for each use, whether or not it’s necessary to seek explicit, legal permission from the work’s creator or owner.
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
A non-profit body promoting excellence in English language editing. We set and demonstrate editorial standards, and we are a community, training hub and support network for editorial professionals – the people who work to make text accurate, clear and fit for purpose.
How to Write a Flat Character Arc
Next to the positive change arc, the flat character arc is the most popular storyline. Also called the “testing arc,” the flat arc is about a character who does not change. He already has the Truth figured out in the beginning of the story, and he uses that Truth to help him overcome various external tests.
Production Base
Production Base wants to ensure freelancers are paid the correct industry rates of pay. The information is based on minimum rates of pay for a 5-day week. These rates are based on a nationwide average and have been collated over a number of years of working with the production community.
Revealing Your Hero's Wound
At the beginning of your screenplay, your hero should be in a state of inertia — settling for a life that may be emotionally safe and tolerable, but that lacks passion, risk and fulfillment. Her life might be filled with activity and even give the illusion that she’s striving for something, but all this effort is ultimately going nowhere. In other words, your hero should be stuck.
ScreenSkills
ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for the screen industries. Work across the UK to ensure that film, television (including children's and high-end drama), VFX (visual effects), animation, and games have the skills and talent needed. They provide insight, career development, and other opportunities to help grow and sustain the skilled and inclusive workforce which is the foundation stone of the UK's global screen success.
Seven movies Hollywood keeps remaking
People can be very sniffy about movie remakes. Some see them as lazy cash-ins, because it’s easier to redo something successful than have an original idea. Their frequent criticism, though, can be unfair. There are many great remakes giving a new spin on the original idea.
Tension and Suspense
We discuss key components of tension experiences and propose a domain-independent model of tension and suspense. We also discuss possible neural mechanisms underlying tension and suspense. The model provides a theoretical framework that can inform future empirical research on tension phenomena.
The Action Genre
Great action movies and television are like riding roller coasters. They pump up the adrenaline and take us places we can only imagine. They're fun, explosive, and can be kind of hard to write. Action movies need to keep the pages turning but also set up brilliant set pieces that stick out amongst an already crowded genre.
The Theatrical Guild
We’re the UK charity for backstage and front of house workers, with over 125 years’ experience helping people. Whether you need a shoulder to lean on or are interested in further training, we can provide practical help at any stage of your career – from welfare and debt advice to financial support or counseling.
Tutti
Hire local spaces for any creative use. Anything from studios to homes, churches to nightclubs, military venues to boats. We look for spaces that are fit for purpose, affordable, beautiful, or community driven. No matter your creative requirements, our goal is to make sure you can always find somewhere that works for you on Tutti.
Abbey Theatre Scripts & Idea Submissions
Playwrights are at the heart of the Abbey Theatre’s past and future. We have read and responded to open submissions from playwrights since the theatre was founded in 1904. The Abbey Theatre reads and responds with individual, detailed dramaturgical feedback to every play that is submitted to us.
Bush Theatre Script Submissions
The Bush Theatre is committed to championing a diverse range of voices that tell entertaining and provocative stories that reflect contemporary society. If you’re a playwright who is not currently represented by an agent, and you have a play to share with us, we would love to receive it during our submissions window!
Elements of Storytelling
In storytelling, everything builds up to the climax. Every plot point, every reversal, every conflict exists for this one moment in the film where the intense pressure and tension finally releases and the entire story takes a turn toward a final resolution. When deciding how to build your story up to this crucial point, you have to keep a couple of things in mind.
How the Best Opening Scenes of All Time Can Help Your Script
I think we can all agree that when the rewriting process happens, we spend the most time changing the opening 10 pages of our feature film. We all know those are the pages where we can hook the reader, where we can promise them a fun romp and introduce them to characters they will remember for a lifetime.
Introducing Your Heroes
Arguably the most important portion of your story is the opening. This is where you must seduce your readers and audiences as you draw them into the world you’ve created. And this is where you must introduce us to the hero/heroine/protagonist of your story, creating immediate empathy and identification with this character.
OpenHire
OpenHire was started by freelance directors Derek Bond and Josh Roche in September 2020, in the hope of improving transparency and access to freelance creative jobs in theatre.
Poetry Writing Tips
Poetry is perhaps the most misunderstood type of writing. It’s not something that only intellectuals enjoy, and it’s not something that only geniuses can create. Poetry is everywhere, even in the music people play in the car. Through reading and practice, it’s possible to pick up the basics of poetry writing and start honing your craft.
Script Mag
If you’re looking for free screenwriting tips and advice to help kick-start your writing career, then you’ll love our vast selection of free downloads. From learning how to write a script the right way to how to beat writer’s block, you’ll find something that will help you increase your chances of success!
Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors is the largest live learning platform in the United States and has numerous free resources, including examining classic literature, how to practice writing stories, approaching Shakespeare, examining fairytales, reading and writing clubs you can join, creative writing sessions, discussing popular movies, and much, much more.
Make Your Characters Distinct
In the outstanding film HIDDEN FIGURES, screenwriters Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi faced the formidable task of immediately introducing their three major characters, and making them unique and memorable. All three are African American women about the same age, and all three are scientists working at NASA.
Money-Saving Guide for Authors and Writers
Becoming an author or writer is a dream that many people have, though it can be hard to know where to start. Coupon Follow have put together some resources for writers who are looking to improve their craft and save money on career expenses. Recommended by Marisa.
Royal Court Script Submissions
The Royal Court is dedicated to finding exciting new plays that ask bold questions about the way we live now. All playwrights writing in English around the world are invited to submit their plays to the Royal Court; and we commit to reading, considering and responding to every play we receive.
Shooting People
Shooting People connects you with a UK community making bold and creative work. From all walks of life, right across the industry. Access thousands of UK creatives making films and find work. Make your own projects happen. Get authentic advice and support from others doing it themselves.
Stephen Joseph Theatre Script Submissions
When it comes to developing and commissioning writers our focus is on local artists. We're currently only accepting script submissions from female writers in the North of England. We’re interested in stories about life in the North of England, the Coast and the people who live there.
The 5 Requirements For a Hero's Outer Motivation
Fiction is built on the emotional power of DESIRE, CONFLICT and define a VISIBLE goal that the protagonist is desperate to achieve. The pursuit of this goal defines your story concept, determines plot structure, and is the necessary through-line from which your hero’s INNER journey and story’s theme will emerge.
The Key to story structure in two words: Therefore & But
There are tons of storytelling-related books and websites in the cosmos and there is no shortage of people giving story advice and tips. Much of the advice is helpful, but the enormous volume of information related to writing or telling better stories can be overwhelming.
TriForce Creative Network
TriForce Creative Network was built on a strong ethos of inclusion and access, opening doors to the industry to people from all walks of life and providing a trusted and viable avenue for the industry to discover diverse talent. Providing opportunities for actors, writers, directors, producers, and crew.
World Anvil
World Anvil is a set of worldbuilding tools that helps you create, organize and store your world setting. With wiki-like articles, interactive maps, historical timelines, an RPG Campaign Manager and a full novel-writing software, we have all the tools you’ll need to run your RPG Campaign or write your novel!
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