Tuesday, August 24, 2010

WRITERS' BLOCK ARE BUSY BEES!!!

Writers' Block are based at Pop Up Arts Space: 95-97 Albert Road, Middlesbrough


Friday 3rd September

WRITER/DIRECTOR MARC PRICE IS COMING TO MIDDLESBROUGH!

AFTERNOON
Writers’ Block is incredibly pleased to be able to present a day with MARC PRICE, director of highly-acclaimed made-for-£45 zombie feature Colin. Join Marc for…

1pm Zero-Budget Special Effects Workshop
Pretty self-explanatory. Colin cost £45 (did we mention that already?) and it's brim-full of gore, make-up, gunfire and bits of body. How did he do it? Come along to find out.
3pm Flip for Horror Challenge
The first Writers' Block "Flip for Film" challenge. With Marc's expert guidance we will write and shoot at least one short horror film in just three hours, using our Flip cameras and your ingenuity.
5pm-7pm Film Screening TBC
Marc will choose a film to be screened while we order and scoff tasty takeout foot... uh, food... Basically we’ll order pizza and watch a movie, and Marc will talk us through it.
EVENING
7pm Marc Price Q+A
Marc Price wrote and directed Colin, a practically zero-budget feature which brings a new angle to the zombie movie genre. Made with inventiveness and enthusiasm, problems had to be solved using creativity rather than cash.
How did he do it? Why not ask him yourself?
8pm Screening of COLIN
The most touching film about a decomposing corpse you'll see all year ****
- FHM
Colin is bitten by a zombie; he dies and returns as one of the undead. We follow him as he wanders through suburbia during the throes of a cadaverous apocalypse. Through his encounters with objects, places and people, we learn who Colin was and more pertinently, what he has now become. Including a broad daylight zombie versus human street battle, an epic housebound siege and bags of gore. Colin is the must see Zombie phenomenon of the year.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkJZ3FlOWeM

£12 SPECIAL EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT for the whole day if you book before midnight on Friday 27th August

Saturday 4th September

LET’S MAKE A FILM 8

We’re writing a feature film as a community, and it’s never too late to get involved. Next session will see us writing a beat sheet for the film, while eating chocolate brownie. ALL WELCOME - and we'll warn you, as soon as you're through the door you're classed as a writer...

£3 (incl. hot drinks and home-baked confections) 10am – 1pm. Pay on door.

Sunday 5th September 10am - 4pm
Writers' Block Sweding/TEESing Day
Location: Writers' Block
THE PLAN

Ten teams of up to four people will gather at Writers' Block at midday. Each team will be provided with a Flip camera (http://www.theflip.com/en-gb/) and two local actors, and have access to a prop box and a whole load of cardboard. They will then have just four hours to recreate a film, sweding/TEESing-style. It's pretty much what Tim Burton did with Planet of the Apes...

At four, we'll break for a rest as our panel of distinguished judges decides which film is the GREATEST SWEDED FILM EVER. The makers of the winning film will take home a trophy and some other special goodies. And their film will be screened as part of the Christmas 'Concept' film event.

We will all then decamp to Blu bar for a post-Sweding party, and a screening of all the films plus a special screening of Be Kind Rewind.

Sweding day is a great opportunity to have a laugh remaking a film, and meet other artists and filmmakers from the region - and then we'll add in a film and popcorn in a great basement location - this is networking but with tinsel and flipcameras.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? WHO'S WITH US?

Entry fee is £20 PER TEAM (which includes free refreshments and screening of Be Kind Rewind), but we're got a SPECIAL EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNT of £15 until midnight on Friday 27th August. To less that £4 each for all of this!

Tickets: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/sunday-5th-september-sweding-day

Back to the Future sweded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1B2GRz09hg

Wednesday 8th September

CONCEPT FILM NIGHT

Screening films by North East filmmakers, the next Concept Film Night will return to its regular home at Teesside University Campus. Laura Degnan and James Harris from Writers' Block are guest hosts for the evening and we will have a few little surprises in store for you including a film challenge. And hey, maybe we'll make a film on the night!

If you would like to attend this event please email Christine Wilson at c.wilson@idi-uk.org

FREE 7pm – 9pm, Centuria Building, Teesside University

Thursday 9th September

WRITER'S BLOCK READING GROUP 1

Apples by Richard Milward.

FREE 6-9 pm


Saturday 11th September

THEATRE SEEN 1

Early September 2011 will see performances of a new site-specific and multi-media work in and around the buildings and spaces of the plaza outside MIMA.

That work has yet to be created.

All we have is a starting point created by writers at the Writer’s Block Launch on July 2nd 2010. What we now need are writers, from whatever media, genre and experience, to begin the creating a work that will excite all people involved – artists, audience, funders, sponsors, politicians, cynics, the young, the old – so that they will leave the event having had a night out they will talk about for years, energised, optimistic, ready to continue the transformation of their lives and the place in which they live and work.

All we ask you to bring is a your imagination.

FREE (bring biscuits!) 10am – 1pm

More info on David Napthine: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/dnapthine.html

Thursday 16 September - 9th December

ARC and Writers' Block present: ARC Performance Group

This autumn sees the start of a new performance group for adults at ARC, where participants will co-write, co-direct and perform a new show in twelve weeks.

The group will be led by James Harris and Laura Degnan, who between them have a wealth of experience in writing and directing for film, TV and the stage.

This emerging group will take ownership of this creative writing and performance project. It is a fantastic opportunity for the creative talent in Tees Valley to gather together and work towards a performance.

James and Laura will guide the group through the process, drawing on their past experience to help participants work towards a performance at the end of the Autumn Term.

FREE 7.30pm - 9.30pm

At ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton

http://www.arconline.co.uk/detail.php?id=2100

Monday 27th September

10x10 SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 1

Workshop led by Laura and James

A new regular workshop for up to 10 participants. Bring along up to 10 pages of film or play script. We will provide actors to read excerpts and lead a discussion designed to strengthen your ideas and guide you towards the next draft. This will be a brilliant opportunity to exchange ideas with other writers, and meet the acting talent in the region who can bring your characters to life.

NOTE: Doors will open from 6 for you to come in, grab a beanbag and read or write before the session...

Numbers are strictly limited to 10 participants for this workshop, so pre-booking is essential.

£5 (incl. refreshments. Yes. Cake.) 7 – 9pm

Tickets: http://writersblockne.bigcartel.com/product/mon-27th-september-10x10-script-development-workshop

CURRENT COMPETITIONS

BORO BITES

Writers’ Block are working in association with New Writing North, Northern Stage and Middlesbrough to offer 3 playwrights the opportunity to have their work performed at Northern Stage when Richard Milward’s ‘Apples’ comes back up to Newcastle. Submit your 10 minute ‘Middlesbrough’ inspired play to artsdevelopment@middlesbrough.gov.uk before noon on Friday 27th August.

PUPPETRY OF THE PUPPETS

We have puppets hanging around the place and not enough reasons to pick up a camera and get them on to film again. Three-minute piece for our puppets anyone? This can be a script, a short story or poem, a song or a rap - basically, we’ll accept anything - and then add puppets in to the mix.

Puppets to choose from: Doctor Who, Amy Pond, Dalek, Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers and Sadako. Any or all of the above. And if you haven’t seen these characters in action yet, visit our You Tube channel at http://www.youtube.com/writersblockne

Submit your entries to laura@writersblockne.com before noon on Wednesday 1st September.

WINDOW SEEN

Would you like your short story on our window for the whole of October? Send us your 50 WORD short stories on the theme of TRICK OR TREAT, and the winner gets immortalised in paint on glass... for 30 days.

Submit your stories to shamelessfilms@gmail.com before noon on 30th September.

CONCEPT FILM NIGHT

Want to submit a film? If you are a local filmmaker and would like to have your film showcased at Concept Film Night on Wednesday 8th September please submit your film on DVD, along with a synopsis and short biog to the following address:

Concept Film Night

The Institute of Digital Innovation

Phoenix Building

University of Teesside

Middlesbrough

TS1 3BA.

Please note that films must be no longer than 15 minutes in length, although show-reels or trailers of longer features will be considered. If your film is chosen for showing it is a requirement that you do attend on the evening to talk about your work with the audience and answer any questions posed. Submission deadline: 3pm on Friday 27th August 2010

And if you’ve made it this far, just to let you know that The Kumo Project are currently putting the finishing touches to the two winning films from our ‘Writing for Animation’ competition. The films will go off to Depict next week, to be considered for a screening at the Bristol ‘Brief Encounters’ festival. Huge congrats to our winners Tony Galuidi and David Stringer once again!

Hope to see you at the Writers’ Block soon!

Thanks,

Laura and James

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