60http://hypnopitch.comWed, 10 Mar 2010 19:31:59 GMTWed, 10 Mar 2010 19:31:59 GMTenhypnopitch@gmail.comnohttp://hypnopitch.com/2009/02/21/best-screenplay-awards--the-winner-is.aspx?ref=rsshypnopitch@gmail.com (Barbara Schiffman)It's award season for Hollywood again -- and this year's screenwriting awards will determine which types of scripts are likely to get extra attention during the coming year.<div><br></div><div>Check out the Spirit Awards winners from Film Independent - especially the writers -- at:</div><div><br></div><div><span style=""><a href="http://tinyurl.com/spiritawards" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/spiritawards</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>Check out the WGA awards for best writing in 2009 at:</div><div><br></div><div><span style=""><a href="http://tinyurl.com/wga09" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/wga09</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>And check out the Oscar nominees at:</div><div><br></div><div><span style=""><a href="http://tinyurl.com/acad09" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/acad09</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>I loved <span style="font-weight: bold;">Slumdog Millionaire</span> as a film -- the editing, pacing, music and direction made it work.</div><div><br></div><div>I got to see most of the nominated films, and read scripts of some of them during the past year.  <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frost/Nixon</span> was a great play to film adaptation, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</span> was a very creative and effective short story to film adaptation.  Both were influenced by casting and direction, especially <span style="font-weight: bold;">Benjamin Button</span> due to the extensive special effects required.</div><div><br></div><div>I didn't find <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doubt </span>as engaging onscreen as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frost/Nixon</span> however as a play to film adaptation, and that may have been due to the subject matter as well as the script.  I didn't find it as engaging, maybe because I wasn't raised Catholic.  But I grew up during the time Nixon was in office, so I remember how things were then and that was a stronger story for me.  The issues were similar in both films -- revealing the truth.</div><div><br></div><div>For other script nominees, I liked <span style="font-weight: bold;">In Bruges</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy-Go-Lucky</span>'s character-driven stories, and their dialogue made them both work.</div><div><br></div><div>Would love to hear your favorites, especially if you had a chance to read the scripts as well as see the films.</div>Screenwriting - the Bizhttp://hypnopitch.com/2009/02/21/best-screenplay-awards--the-winner-is.aspx#Comments52ea699a-d22c-4497-a918-c6de47d62864Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:33:00 GMThttp://hypnopitch.com/2009/02/13/welcome.aspx?ref=rsshypnopitch@gmail.com (Barbara Schiffman)Welcome to my new blog for writers and others who work with scripts, write scripts or books, or pitch projects to Hollywood.<div><br></div><div>I'll be adding articles about writing to this blog so you can subscribe to get notices of new postings.  </div><div><br></div><div>Also feel free to send me your questions on screenwriting -- the craft and the business -- as well as the art of adapting books into scripts.   I'll answer those that are relevant for all here, and appreciate your comments on the articles I post.</div><div><br></div><div> </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Musings...http://hypnopitch.com/2009/02/13/welcome.aspx#Comments97dc5f04-48eb-4407-a5fd-95f70b085d9bFri, 13 Feb 2009 21:59:06 GMT