Winter chills with supernatural screenwriter Stephen Volk

A bustling beginning to 2015 with January drinks at the Phoenix Artist Club with BAFTA winning screenwriter Stephen Volk. 

Stephen is well respected for his work on projects such as the notorious 'Halloween hoax' Ghostwatch (BBC 1992) and as writer/creator of the award-winning ITV drama series Afterlife starring Lesley Sharp and Andrew Lincoln, as well as recent BBC Films release The Awakening (2011). 

There was therefore a strong turn out of members keen to chat to one of the Godfathers of British horror.

Among the group were writers, directors, agents and execs, including a representative from ITV where Stephen is currently adapting Midwinter of the Spirit into a three parter and Lesley Manning director of Ghostwatch; currently set to direct Stephen's much anticipated screenplay Telepathy.

A fantastic evening of development discussion and networking kicked off our New Year with a bang!

Looking ahead for the coming months we have a number of further great guests lined up for 2015. This starts in March with Olivier Kaempfer, Senior Microwave Executive at Film London 

and in April we're joined by screenwriter and novelist Gideon Defoe, Oscar nominated for Aardman's The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! 

With loads of great insights to share you don't want to miss a chance to chat with these guests, so look out for invites coming soon. Happy 2015! 

Thanks very much to Jeremiah Quinn for taking photos of the event.

September Update!

As summer draws to a close, a quick look forward to what’s coming up and a look back at some of what we’ve been up to so far in 2014. 

It’s September and there’s one month left to take advantage of our discount to the upcoming London Screenwriter’s Festival, 24^th-26^th October. 

Already 82% sold out, the festival always delivers a wealth of top screenwriting and film-making talent who come to share their knowledge. This year you can hear from big names like prolific, multi-award winning, writer Lynda La Plante, Oscar nominated, Disney Pixar writer David Reynolds, whose credits include the outstanding Finding Nemo and rising stars like writer/director Amma Asante (Belle) and Johnathan Asser writer of Starred Up. There are also numerous opportunities throughout for writers, developers and film-makers to network, build relationships and promote ourselves and our work. 

Until 30^th September you can use our code INDEVELOPMENT14 to save £31 pounds off the three day ticket price. So check out what’s on offer and don’t forget to enter the code when booking.

Meanwhile September’s In Development get together will be an outing to The Royal Institution and their panel discussion Science on Screen, about the art of translating scientific subject matter into engaging screen drama. The talk on the 17^th runs from 7 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. and afterwards there will be drinks and discussion in a nearby emporium, so check your invites for more details.

We had fun drinks this August with featured guest Martin Gooch writer/director of micro-budget, genre busters The Search for Simon and Death. Coming straight off a cinema release at the Stratford Picture House, Martin shared his experience of taking on the colossal responsibility of writing, producing, directing, distributing and even starring in The Search for Simon, as well as his plans for future projects.  

As the hour got late we also enjoyed live entertainment from the cast of the West End production of The Commitments.

Other featured guests this year have come to us from far and wide, including Ross Murray, Development Executive at STV in Glasgow and Justin Donoghue Development Exec at Screen New South Wales. Both studied on the NFTS Development Diploma, so it was great to catch up with a couple of our more far flung colleagues as well as help promote a little cross global networking. 

Earlier in the year we also welcomed Kristin Irving, Development Exec for Cascade Pictures and screenwriter David Varela, fresh from his success writing the hit Sherlock app. You can read more about them all on our profiles page.

At every drinks we’ve had an array of interesting and accomplished members to chat with, whether featured guests or otherwise and have settled nicely into our new venue, The Phoenix Artist Club

Thanks to Jeremiah Quinn for 

skilfully snapping our photos at a couple of these events and Martin's pic of the band. I look forward to more great evenings, meeting many more guests and members. 

If you’d like to be a featured guest for drinks, or suggest someone, then please contact me; Sarah, at: indevelopment@hotmail.co.uk

In Memoriam

This month we lost long standing President of the NFTS and an all time great of the UK film industry, Lord Richard Attenborough of Richmond. If you're a graduate of the Development Diploma, or other disciplines at the NFTS, most likely you would have received your award certificate from him in the last few years - an experience that couldn't help but make us all feel like we were being welcomed as part of the British movie industry. Here's a little tribute. 

Starting 2014 in Style

We haven't been blogging much, but we've had some great guests over the last year. They've included Development Execs like Nicole Dade of Screen Australia and Sarah Scougal, Head of Development for Vertigo. We had fun chatting with BAFTA winning director Alrick Riley and series creator Roland Moore (Land Girls) and we ended 2013 on a fantastic high when we welcomed multi-award winning star of the TV writing firmament Frank Spotnitz (X-Files).


We took a break from snapping our get togethers, but as 2014 arrived our old pal Jeremiah Quinn dropped in for January's drinks and kindly brought along his camera to capture the scene. A few things have changed for 2014. We tried out a new venue at the end of the year and it's been well received, so the Phoenix Artist Club is our current, new
haunt. At the end of the year, we also, sadly, said goodbye to Hannah Billingham as co-host of the In Development drinks. She and I had fun launching and running the group together but new commitments now call her away. I'm sure she'll still join us for a catch up from time to time, but as we start 2014 I stand alone at the helm, looking to see what new guests we might have on our horizon.


Happily we started 2014 in style and it was great to be able to welcome Will Emsworth as our guest this January. As Head of Development for Academy Award Winning Bedlam Productions (The King's Speech), Will specialises in developing factual drama, as well as documentaries. He joined us to share his experience and chat about this particular area of development. There was a great turn out of members and lively discussion about a variety of projects currently in development. It was fantastic, as ever, to catch up with old friends and meet some new faces.

Our guest for February arose from a discussion that night with Rebecca Winch, Head of Production at The Project Factory. She mentioned producing a new, official Sherlock app that had just gone straight to the top of the app charts and stayed there for three weeks. Its writer David Varela knows a thing or two about interactive storytelling having written and produced many exciting projects across games and live performance. He seemed like a perfect, next guest and I'm pleased to say he'll be joining us for drinks in February to discuss this growing area of story development and the experience of being part of the Sherlock universe. So, another chance to catch up coming soon and how great if our guest for March should emerge from that get together. Let me know if you have someone in mind!

See you soon,
Sarah

Check out: Sherlock: The Network 

London Screenwriters' Festival Ticket Discount!

In Development is delighted to be able to offer you a ticket discount for this year’s London Screenwriters’ Festival.

Our discounted ticket price is £275 – available until 30 September 2013.

The Festival takes place 25-27 October, at Regent’s College. Speakers already confirmed include David Hare; Jim Sheridan; writer and creator of The Fall, Allan Cubitt; and Broadchurch creator and writer Chris Chibnall, who will be joined by his producers, directors and actors for the biggest Broadchurch session in Broadchurch history!  Plus many, many more to come…

Activate the discount here. Just click on the 'Enter Promotional Code' button and use INDEVELOPMENT13

Tickets are selling fast, so hurry! 

We'll see you there...

When Women and Hollywood Came to London

By Hannah Billingham

A version of this article was originally published on Women and Hollywood, following founder and editor Melissa Silverstein's visit to the UK, earlier this month. 

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I work in script development in the UK, and am increasingly frustrated, infuriated and worried by the portrayal – or lack thereof - of women in film and TV.

Readers of Women and Hollywood are all too aware that the female half of the human race is perpetually presented in limited – and limiting – roles; in a sexualised, trivialised, passive and often unrecognisable manner. Or just written out of history - or the story – altogether; our experiences denied value. We know that this is a global problem, and an unquestionably damaging one at that. And we know how it has a very real impact on the way women and girls are perceived, and our subsequent status in the real world, and that this affects all of us - women, men, girls and boys - and our relationships.

Key to the problem is whose stories get to be told. The statistics remain pretty much the same, year in, year out. In 2012, on the top 250 domestic grossing films in the US, women comprised 9% of directors, and 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors – the latter statistic representing no change from 2011 and an increase of 1 percentage point from 1998. (Factoids.) We may know this. It bears repeating.

Melissa Silverstein’s trip to London felt both timely and necessary – coinciding with this article: Sorry,Girls: ‘It will take about 700 years for women to be equal to men in Hollywood films’. Reading this, it would be understandable to give up at this point. It is tiring to have to constantly face and fight this – and, sometimes, overwhelmingly depressing. But fight we must. And who better to lead the charge… Cue then, the impassioned Melissa, with three events to refuel the fire:

- An inspiring panel, chaired by Melissa, in celebration of her book, In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing. This was hosted by Women in Film and Television (UK) and Birds Eye View, and featured filmmakers Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham, Bhaji on the Beach), Beadie Finzi (Only When I Dance), Tina Gharavi (I Am Nasrine), Shamim Sarif (The House of Tomorrow, I Can't Think Straight) and Susanna White (Generation Kill, Nanny McPhee Returns). The goal of Melissa’s book is to “normalise women’s voices as directors”. It was refreshing and encouraging to hear from such a strong and diverse panel of female filmmakers. A second volume of the book is in the offing.

- An illuminating presentation, giving an overview of the status of women and Hollywood in 2013, covering current statistics, looking at how Hollywood works, and interrogating how women do or don't fit into the current Hollywood construct. This was hosted by Women in Film and Television (UK) and Directors UK. 

- A night of networking, which I co-organised (as an extended-invite In Development meet-up), and for which we had an overwhelming response, resulting in a room packed full of talented, international women – and supportive, forward-thinking, very welcome men. Connections were forged, that will hopefully lead to future creative collaborations. Thank you to everyone who joined us. What an incredible night!

There is a definite appetite here - a desire for change. The industry has become predictable, safe and ultimately boring. The same old stories are regurgitated, when there are so many more interesting ones that are left untold. This is a travesty.

This sexism is seemingly now just accepted - because it was ever thus, because people don’t see the inherent problem. And because we’re sick of pointing it out, and tired of feeling like the lone voice. Last week’s Women and Hollywood events felt powerful. As a gender, we have a collective power we possibly don’t always realise.

We can send huge message by supporting women-centric films, pushing forward with our own projects and staying away from films which belittle, alienate, offend, mock or airbrush us out of existence. Women buy HALF of movie tickets sold - and this is something the industry needs to remember.

Thanks again to Melissa, for coming to London, setting the wheels in motion and reigniting that fire. The work of Women and Hollywood is greatly appreciated. Sometimes we need to be reminded that it is in all of us to effect change. Crucial to this is knowing that other people feel the same way.

Thanks too for reminding us that:

Our voices. Our stories. Our experiences. They matter.

If you are based in London, or other parts of the UK, and would be interested in female-focused future gatherings, I am in the process of organising these (outside of the usual In Development meet-ups), and would love to hear from you. You can email me here: londonfilmwomen@gmail.com

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Photos thanks to Jeremiah Quinn 

September Drinks with Angeli Macfarlane

 

 A huge thank you to Angeli Macfarlane, September’s special guest, for another great night of In Development drinks.

Head of Development at Altered Image, and a particularly insightful script editor, Angeli has recently worked on films including THE GUARD (John McDonagh), I AM SLAVE (Gabriel Range) and JUNKHEARTS (Tinge Krishnan). She previously worked with new filmmakers at Pathé, Film4 and the First Film Foundation; works internationally on features in English, French and Italian; and has lectured in screenwriting and film and television development in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

Known to many of us through her brilliant training on the Script Factory and National Film and Television School's Diploma in Script Development, it was lovely to catch up, and hear her many words of wisdom about development, screenwriting and filmmaking. It was also great to meet some new members. Thanks to everyone, both ‘old’ and new, for coming along!

And on the subject of new members, last month marked the NFTS’s launch of the Script Development Diploma, as sole managers of the course, with a brand new intake of students.

To celebrate the ongoing success of this training – and because we’ve had him in mind as a special guest since we started In Development! – we’ll be joined for our October drinks by prolific producer, and Director of the National Film and Television School, Nik Powell. We hope this year’s class can join us!

From setting up Virgin Records with Richard Branson in the early 1970s, Nik made the move into the film industry and was Executive Producer and Producer on films including THE COMPANY OF WOLVES, MONA LISA, THE CRYING GAME, CALENDAR GIRLS, BACKBEAT, TWENTY FOUR SEVEN, LITTLE VOICE and LADIES IN LAVENDER. He is currently chairman of the BAFTA film committee. You can read more about him here.

Anyone who has ever met Nik knows he has lots of stories to tell, so this is set to be a great night. Invites are on the way.

If you work in drama or comedy development (at all levels), and would like to join us at this event, or our future monthly drinks, you are very welcome! Please do get in touch to be added to our mailing list.

Hannah and Sarah x

Summer Drinks - Chris Jones and Justin Edgar

July and August brought another two entertaining evenings of In Development drinks, with guests Chris Jones and Justin Edgar. Chris shared the inside scoop on his latest project, 50 Kisses, and plans for the London Screenwriters' Festival 2012; as well as answering numerous questions about his Oscar shortlisted film, Gone Fishing, the now legendary Guerilla Film Makers' Handbook, and his other filmmaking experiences so far. It was great to have the man who's always on the move sit down with us for a few relaxed hours of chat! 

Another filmmaker with lots on the go, Justin shared news of his latest feature film, teen comedy We are the Freaks (which is currently in post-production); as well as insights from his experience as a director, writer and producer with his company 104 Films, and news of his upcoming projects. 

 
Chris and Justin both attracted a great crowd on their respective nights, of people with a fascinating range of experiences; all with projects in various stages, as developers, producers, directors or writers. There was the usual great buzz, as news, contacts and information were shared, and old and new friends and colleagues caught up.


Many thanks again to both guests for joining us and everyone who came along. We look forward to seeing many of you again this month, when a very experienced script editor will be joining us as our featured guest: the brilliant Angeli Macfarlane. You can see her full biography on our profiles page. Cheers!