Border Queen

Yo.

So... I had the privilege recently of being involved with a really exciting indie TV project. Border Queen is the brain child of award winning writer/directors Stefano Nurra and Fabio Paladini who filmed the pilot in Edinburgh back in the summer. It was produced by my mate (and super producer) Anita Norfolk.

 The first proper trailer has just gone live and it's looking mighty, mighty fine.

My role on the project was as Script Editor - I came on board just as pre-production was ramping up to work with Stefano and Fabio - giving them an outside perspective & advice on the current draft & helping them get the final script together for the shoot. As English was their second language, a lot of my work was about getting the dialogue to sound suitably British and then helping them work through the story to make the most of their vision. Was a joy to work with such talented guys on such a clever and bold project & think the trailer is looking great.

The project was self funded; done on a very small budget but looks like it cost ten times what they had to spend. They are running a Mobcaster campaign to help them raise the funds for the final push through post-production. If the show looks like it's your kind of thing, or if you just like supporting emerging talent, do consider pledging something to the appeal.

You can keep up with the project here:

Website
Mobcaster
Twitter
Facebook

Love
Chris

In Between Days...

Hey folks,

Sorry for another long blog silence -

Given the nature of film and TV production, I've perhaps been too quick in the past to share about all that I'm involved with - only for things to get cancelled / deals to fall apart before projects can get off the ground (which is a regular occurrence in this world!). So... I'm being a bit more cautious and keeping schtum for now about exactly what I'm doing but hope to be able to blog about my current work once it's all further along. 

But in the vaguest terms: I've had try outs for two BBC continuing dramas - one of which is still ongoing and one of which has led to a commission on the show. Things are yet to be signed but am due to start later in the autumn. I'm planning to blog about the process of going through a trial for TV once I'm done with them both.

I'm also developing a low budget feature film and a new TV series for a couple of producers - which is exciting. Both are long cherished ideas so it's fun to be able to run with them.

Anyway - just wanted to check in and say hi!

Love

Chris

Cloud Atlas

So I'm heading to the cinema tonight to see a film that I wrote part of! Ok, so it's a small part but all the same am pretty stoked...

The big budget adaptation of Cloud Atlas is released in the UK today. Part of it was filmed in Scotland back in 2011 and the filmmakers put out a shout for local writers and directors to submit ideas for extra scenes they wanted to include in the movie. I came up with an idea for my pal Anita to make, which she pitched to the director Tom Tykwer (who made the film alongside The Wachowski's). He loved it and gave us a budget to go and shoot the 60 second scene. We had a hoot pulling it together and were stoked to learn it was accepted for the movie.

Here's a screen cap of our clip (top left corner).

And here's one of my name in the credits.

Was great to work on such a high profile production and to have a director like Tom run with our idea. Am so proud of the crew that helped us achieve the scene. I've yet to see the finished film so can't wait to see all our work on the big screen this evening!

(Thanks to Duncan Cowles for the screen caps)

Bleated New Year post!

I started writing this blog post just before New Year but it got postponed by work, which given that it's a post about postponing posting due to work is somewhat apt. However I have an unofficial rule that it's still OK to wish people Happy New Year until the end of January so this still counts!

I've recently had a couple of people ask what I'd been up to lately. Eagle eyed viewers will notice this blog went a little quiet in 2012 (no posts at all!). Sorry about that - I had a very busy, and pretty tough year. 2012 was my first full year working in the TV industry and was a steep learning curve - one with some great highs and a few lows, as I learnt to navigate my way around a sector that no one can really train you for. I'm coming into 2013 with a lot of gained wisdom but also with a few bruises too.

Much of the year was spent building relationships with producers at broadcasters and independent productions companies - having meetings to pitch them ideas and see if there is anything they'd like to work with me on. Lots of hours spent on trains/planes to London but good fun and I met some fascinating people. There's been quite a bit of interest in a few of my ideas and so much of my time this year has been spent on turning them into pitch documents - I've written up seven of these in total that have been winging their way round old London town. Some have been passed on, some are still being considered and some others have been picked up and taken to the next stage...

The highlights of the year were that my thriller Maybury and my relationship drama The Youth Movement both went "into development". That's where a company works with you to shape the story in more detail in order to try and sell them to the different broadcasters. Both are still currently moving forward and I've had a great time working on them with some lovely people who really care about the story worlds.

Another highlight was writing a (very!) small part of a big budget movie. The adaptation of Cloud Atlas shot in Scotland last year and the filmmakers put out a shout for local writers and directors to provide additional material for them to cut into film. I wrote a small scene for them which my friend Anita directed at the end of 2011 but we didn't know until this summer if we'd made the cut or not - which we did! The film's already been out in the US but not been released over here yet so I've not seen it but am looking forward to catching my work, even briefly, in the cinema soon.

2012 also saw me start pitching for work on more existing shows - including a well known cop show and soap opera. Sadly I missed out on them to writers with more experience but it was good to be in the running and get on the radars of the people in charge. I was also in the running for a place on a REALLY EXCITING show that I would have loved to work on, only for the programme to get cancelled! Oh well! C'est la vie!

More recently I've been beginning to work in the world of continuing drama - I was long listed for the BBC's Writers Academy last year and as of January am currently writing a trial script for Holby City. After I complete that I'm doing trials on two soap operas which I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into. It's great to get an insight into how these productions run, they are big old machines but run by people that really care about them and who look after their writers.

So... that's me. Sorry for the radio silence - just had too much on to really stop and reflect. I shall endeavour to improve on my blogging average in 2013!

So with 2 hours and 14 mintes to spare... Happy New Year!

2011 - The Thick Of It

*Clicks send and breathes out *

It's been a while since I blogged. That's because I've been buuuuuusy - juggling writing duties with working a desk job as usual. So... what's been up? Well, the outline for my M.I. High episode was well received by the executive at the production company but required a couple of more drafts to iron out a few kinks and get my ideas to fit within the format of the show.

After that, I had a period of waiting while it was sent off to the BBC for their notes - during which I took my first proper week of holiday in over a year and the first break since finishing my MA. Needless to say I got ill. It always happens - I have a high exhaustion threshold but when I slow down all my deferred sicknesses hit at once. I'll spare you the details but it was grim - my poor wife had to listen to me hallucinate for two days, and two months on I'm only just getting back to strength. There's a lesson there about sustainable lifestyles and one I'd really like to put into practice but sadly can't see happening for a while...

Between drafts on the outline, my agent set me up some meetings with the development heads of some London TV companies. A big part of being a TV writer is meeting up with such folks - in the hope they will want to buy one of your ideas or offer you a slot on one of the shows they are currently making. I really enjoyed scooting about the city - adapting different ideas depending on the tastes of those I talked with. A couple of people wanted me to write up some pitches for them which is a good sign so I've been crafting those between M.I. High work - which has been great and hopefully might lead to some offers of work in the new year. I have another few days of meetings planned for early 2012 as well so it'll be all go on that front.

Anyway, once the BBC got back to me I was given the OK to move onto my Scene by Scene - a breakdown of my story that this is like a blue print for the script - laying out the content of the scenes you want to include and a brief description of what would happen in each. I'd never been asked to write one before and my brain kept wanting to rush ahead and write loads of dialogue and action but that's not the purpose of the exercise; a SxS is to show that you can bring the story in to time/budget and alert the producers to any of your ideas that are unpractical or too expensive - as well as any story problems that got missed at the outlining stage. I've just completed my scene by scene which will be sent on to the execs at Kudos and CBBC in early Jan when they are back in the office and, hopefully, I'll be able to begin the script later in the month.

So... having hit that milestone on the second last day of the year, tonight seemed like a good time to take stock of 2011. It's been a crazy year - tough but better than I could have hoped. This time last year I was still doing my screenwriting MA - dreaming of finishing well and preparing myself to make the most of being a finalist in the Red Planet Prize. I was ready to spend a couple of years trying to secure an agent and get my first script commissioned so to be where I am just now is hard to get my head around. I have a long way to go until I have anything like a "career" as a writer but am in a better place than I could have imagined twelve months ago

I want to be honest with you about how hard life has been living on next to no money doing and 60 hour weeks for the past four years in order to get here, but not for a second do I want to complain. Yes, my successes this year have been down to hard work and taking opportunities but also down to good people having invested in me and being willing to take a risk on a new guy and I'm very grateful to the staff at Screen Academy Scotland and Kudos/Red Planet for giving me such a great start in things. 2012 will be about completing my M.I. High script and trying to secure more commissions so I can begin to build a future out of this.

Some highlights of 2011...

* Red Planet mentoring sessions. Attending workshops with Tony Jordan and development meetings with the execs of both companies - nerve wracking but amazing.
* Writing two scripts I'm really proud of, The Bright Lights and The Youth Movement, on my MA which have opened some great doors for me.
* Meeting and signing with my brilliant agent - I feel very looked after.
* Being offered my first TV writing credit for M.I. High - a dream come true. Storylining the series with the writing team and working with a really supportive producer and script editor have exceeded my expectations . Best job ever.
* Developing my short Fairground with a great director and producer.
* Being asked to write a trial script for River City - sadly the dates didn't work out but I've been asked to approach them when I'm freer so am looking forward to that.
* Graduating from my screenwriting MA with distinction.
* Writing and producing a (very) short film that I might just have some news about in the new year.
* Great times with mentors, family, friends and work pals. Realising more and more what really matters in life is time with people you love.

Somethings that have been tough in 2011 / could go better in 2012

* Not seeing enough of family and friends.
* Unemployment in my family - things have been quite tough for us.
* Illness and exhaustion - a big hope for 2012 is being able to live at a better pace.
* Not spending enough time on other creative pursuits - need to write more songs and rock out with muso friends more!

Anyway - I should get off home. Have a wonderful New Year celebration and a great 2012!

Chris

Begin the Begin

Yo.

It's been over a month since I last blogged and I've been on a big old learning curve working on my first TV commission. As the show won't be filmed, let alone screened, for a long time I can't give details about my episode but wanted to share some of the processes I'm going through and what I'm learning.

Work started last month when the production company got the team of writers down to London for a two day conference to work through the "big picture" for the new series. The programme has been on air for a while now but this year will see a load of new characters arriving and new stories kicking off. While a few tentative plans had already been made, a lot of information needed to be sorted out. Gathered were the writers, the producer, the script editor and the executives and together we worked out a lot of the over-arching details. It was great environment - everyone chipping in on where the show might go. While some didn't fly, it was encouraging to see a lot of my ideas taken into the mix and become part of the programme's DNA. At the end of our time we had a good sense of the way the show is going this year.

After the conference, we headed home to work on pitches for our individual episodes. We had a week to submit at least three 'story-of-the-week' ideas; single page rough outlines of adventures for our characters to face. I submitted seven (!) then met with the producer and script editor to discuss which one they wanted me to develop and was set to work turning that in to a full outline - of which I've now done five drafts in the last two weeks.

Writing the outline has been a good experience. I was encouraged in initial drafts to just explore the premise without worrying about practicalities of cast or budget. According to the producer my first version was "like a feature film" in scope (which is a note I seem to get a lot!) so I then focused on simplifying it and bringing it in to length. The next few versions were about me fitting the idea around the format of the show and the reality of the funds available - which I found challenging but totally worthwhile. Making so many changes in such a small space of time was pretty exhausting but also exhilarating; having to create and scrap and recreate large portions of the story every two days was a reminder of how creativity can work under pressure and how to be flexible with an idea while still retaining its essence.

My outline is now being sent to the executive producer at the production company for her notes. I'll then have a few days to make changes before it goes to the executive at the broadcaster. After that I'll hopefully start writing a scene by scene breakdown before moving on to scripting. There will be a few versions of this before my final draft which is due early next year.

Before all that starts though, I will be spending much of the next month writing a trail script for a soap opera which will be another big educational leap - getting my head out of kids TV land and into gritty inner city mode! Gonna be fun.

First Gig

The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind - as if finishing my MA and working in Edinburgh's mental festival season wasn't enough, two other big things have happened. On August 16th I secured both an agent and my first TV script commission! I kept both things quiet for a bit as documents etc. needed signed but I also needed time to get my head around what had happened. They've (just about) sunk in now...

I've been asked to write an episode of the brilliant CBBC spy drama M.I. High! I was a fan of the show already so am delighted. I'm being represented by Lucy Fawcett at Sheil Land Associates. If you want to offer me a job she's your port of call ;)

Both occurrences are huge milestones for me on the road to making a living out of writing for TV - and things I've long dreamt of. I've always known I could write but to have someone employ me and someone working to secure me further gigs is a big boost. It's now up to me to put in the effort and make the most of these opportunities. I've in no way 'made it' - this is the start of a steep learning curve and a lot of hard (but fun!) grafting. A big thanks to everyone who's helped me get this far and wished me well.

A few folks have asked me how it all came about:

I got a call out of the blue. Unknown to me, my spec Starfall had been passed to M.I. High's producer. That script was a finalist in the 2010 Red Planet Prize which was co-run by Kudos (the indie who make M.I. High) and they were looking for new writers to join their team. While Starfall was aimed at older teens, the producer and script editor felt my style fitted with their plans. I had to send them two other examples of my work and then pop down to London for a chat before being offered the job. As a new writer without any broadcast credits I then had to have my appointment approved by the execs at Kudos and CBBC, so I had a tense few weeks waiting until it was all agreed on the 16th (which is my God-Daughter's birthday so the day was filled with much cuteness as well as excitement).

My agent came about through an introduction from a screenwriter friend. We emailed for a few months and got on well. She really enjoyed a number of scripts I'd sent her and we had a face to face meeting in June. As I was still undertaking my MA, she suggested waiting until I had completed my studies before she took me on as a client but offered to represent me straight away if any jobs opened up before then - which is what happened. Having got the news of M.I. High I got in touch and we firmed up our arrangement.

So here I am. I've had the first few meetings for M.I. High and begun work on that. I'll still have to juggle my writing with my day-job but I'm used to doing that so there shouldn't be a problem. It's easy to work long hours if you're enjoying yourself - which I absolutely am!