NASHVILLE CALLING

How better to express one’s self through writing? Try mixing it with music! As a city that celebrates its creative community, the Nashville Screenwriting Conference, June 4-6, is a great place to get those creative juices flowing. Producer Karen Murphy and screenwriter Les Bohem took some time out of their busy schedules to fill The SciptJournal staff in on the 2004 Nashville Screenwriting Conference.

Karen Murphy - With an incredible array of experience as a producer in film and television, Karen is perhaps best known for her producing collaboration with Christopher Guest on films like A Mighty Wind and Best In Show. Also a producer on Drugstore Cowboy and The Cutting Edge, she helped start the Nashville Screenwriting Conference six years ago.

What's one of the most memorable moments you've experienced with the Nashville conference?

More than just memorable moments, an unforgettable element of this event is the pride of seeing this conference come together - the pride of putting together an amazing group of panelists. But if I had to choose a particular moment, I would say the first year of the competition. Because of its diverse mix of both screenwriting and music, it was so exhilarating seeing people the night after the day panel that had never been to Nashville turn to me with excitement for being in such a unique environment.

What are you doing new with the conference this year?

Normally we just put on panels, but this year we are trying two new things: First, we are bringing a performance/visual element to the screenwriting process. We will place several of writers on stage along with agents and executives and have them reenact the pitch process. Basically, it’s a fast food version of what it's like to have your agent call a writer when they are up for a job.

For new Screenwriters we are also going to have an information update on how a writer makes the next step once they have their script completed. It will include web information, contest information, and agent information.

Most excitingly, we are putting on a screenplay competition called the Screenplay Showdown. We will have a general category and a music themed category. It will be the biggest, maybe the only, music-themed screenwriting competition in the US. This, of course ,makes sense considering the contest takes place in Nashville. The deadline will be July 15, 2004 and you can learn more at www.nashscreen.com.

Les Bohem - With a remake of The Night of The Iguana prepping to shoot, Alamo scribe Les Bohem is set to expand his already impressive list of credits in Hollywood. Few, however, compare to the joy of helping put together The Nashville Screenwriting conference every year - a project he started to help give back to the writing community.

How did the conference start?

I had been going to Nashville to write songs. Karen and I had been guests at a couple of other conferences and when I went to Nashville for the first time, I knew we had to do something here! So I called Karen and our friend Gary Haber and said we have to make this happen.

So there is a strong connection between music and movies here?

I found that there was a great group of people telling stories through song, much like me with screenwriters. They were going through similar creative problems. It's a relatively contained town, so the creative energy is really exciting. The connection between music talent and writing talent is amazing and really unique.

What is the goal of the conference?

It was really about the excitement of bringing the two communities together. There are a lot of people in this part of the country that would love to know more about us and see that we are relatively normal people. It was also a chance for us to bring our friends to this great city and show them the creative power. It seemed like it would be a lot of fun.

What's one of the most memorable moments you've experienced with the Nashville conference?

We hear pitches and I heard one that was ungodly good. I got really excited and told the writer it would sell... I told him, "You are really in the right world." I was so excited I went and pitched it to some of the agents and managers we brought out and they said, "That is a great idea - in fact one just like it sold two weeks ago!"

As a screenwriter, why is it important to hold a conference like this?

It's important to demystify our process. A lot of people want to screenwrite, but they often do it in a vacuum. At the conference, we hope to show them that they need to get their material out there. The participants range from people who have written 10 screenplays to brand new writers - we have all been in the place where it would be great to help out, and this is a great opportunity for all of us to communicate. It's a place where writers of all levels can see the different aspects of screenwriting at each level.

To learn more about the conference, register for their screenwriting contest, or sign up for the weekend, please visit: www.nashscreen.com

W.REVIEWS

Hal Croasmun is a writer/producer who has provided resources for writers for over five years. Those include Greatscripts, a discussion list with over 800 screenwriters, the High Concept Newsletter that lists screenwriting events in Los Angeles, and the Great Writing Series.

Check out his web site and newsletter - one of the truly insightful and helpful members of the screenwriting community, he has helped a great number of aspiring artists. Although simple in designs, the Script For Sale web site is full of great resource information.

THE BASELINE INSIDER

The Baseline Insider is a look into some of Hollywood's hottest companies:

PLAYTONE PRODUCTIONS

A partnership between screen legend Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman, Playtone is known as much for its great taste in marterial as its star-power. Although the Universal Pictures-based company boasts big screen hits like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Castaway, it's their innovative television programming, spearheaded by the HBO 10 hour series Band of Brothers, that is truly their pride and joy. But let's find out what they are currently working on...

POLAR EXPRESS
A boy who still believes in Santa Claus--despite the skepticism of his peers--is rewarded for his loyalty, when a train called the Polar Express pulls up in front of his house on Christmas Eve to take him to the North Pole.

A COLD CASE
The New York district attorney's chief investigator vows, before he retires, to solve the 27-year-old murder of a friend, even though the case couldn't be colder.

THE RISK POOL
A charming but unreliable screw-up father is suddenly charged with raising his son after his estranged wife has a nervous breakdown.

THE GREAT HARTFORD ELEMENTARY HEIST
An 11-year-old kid rallies a group of his peers to recover property wrongfully confiscated by their evil school principal.

For more information please visit BaselineFT - boasts millions of records in its historical database, as well as the most up-to-date film and television development information offered anywhere.

THE REP RANKINGS

Who are some of the hot, up and coming Literary Managers in Hollywood? The ScriptJournal take a look at a few names that really help new screenwriters