BSCW 3RD INTERNATIONAL COMEDY CONFERENCE, 1-3 November 2002
At: THE APOLLO HOTEL, 243 HAGLEY ROAD, EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM B16 9RA
Tel: 0121 455 0271 Fax: 0121 456 2394

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME:

The British Society of Comedy Writers 3rd International Comedy Conference, the biggest event of its kind in Europe, will soon be upon us.

From every corner of the globe broadcasters, producers, agents, artists and writers will descend on Birmingham for the weekend. The event will see the launch of new products and the formation of new partnerships therefore it is right that the event should attract so much attention. Conferences, seminars and workshops are the lifeblood of the industry. Decision makers of every level have the chance to mingle, put faces to names and producers can boast of their latest projects.

Many UK professionals will be making the trip this year, for while much of the business of the BSCW will be foreign focused, there is lots to be gained for the domestic market. Sneak previews of new projects, new contacts and potentially new sales are only part of the benefits. Also, let's not forget the event is in the heart of England … see you there!

Confirmed so far …

TALKS, DISCUSSIONS & WORKSHOPS include:

LUCY ARMITAGE (Producer, BBC Light Entertainment) - "WRITING FOR THE BBC"

CLIVE CULLUM (Freelance scriptwriter)- "THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING"

W M WALTER FERNANDO (Producer/Director, NAWA Cinema Films, Sri Lanka) - "WRITING SCRIPTS FOR SRI LANKAN MARKETS"

HARRIET GARROD BA, PGD, MA, Cert (Senior Arts Administrator, King's College London) & KATHARINE RABSON (Business Development Manager) - "PERFORMING ARTS POST GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES AT KING'S"

MIKE JACKSON (Managing Director, Splash TV) - "DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR CHILDREN'S TELEVISION"

ASHINA KIBIBI (Writer/Actress) - "THE KENYAN WAY - WRITING FOR KENYAN TELEVISION"

MI MIYAUCHI (TV Producer, NRK, Japan) - "WRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN JAPAN"

ANTHONY PARKER (Freelance TV Producer) - "THE CURRENT STATE OF SITUATION COMEDY IN THE UK"

VINCE POWELL (Scriptwriter) - "HOW TO WRITE SUCCESSFUL SITCOM"

RICHARD MICHAELS STEFANIK (Story/Screenplay Consultant, Megahit Movies,

USA) - LECTURE 1 - "STORY DESIGN: CREATING POPULAR HOLLYWOOD MOVIES" - LECTURE 2 - "CREATING HUMOROUS CHARACTERS & SCENES"

FRANZ VON HABSBURG (Director/Senior Lecturer, Brighton Film School) - "FINAL DRAFT AND AVID EDITING AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER"

Plus …

CABARET with international artists including:

DEBBIE NUNN (England)
MRS PINKERTON-LOVELY AND HER LITTLE STRINGED INSTRUMENT (England)
ZEN (Japan)

And an OPEN MIC SPOT… for all you budding comedians

Once again the BSCW is organising a series of script surgeries where delegates can discuss their work on a one-to-one basis with our experienced script doctors.

SCRIPT SURGERIES:

KEN BASFORD (Foreign Markets)
DAVID BODYCOMBE (Game/Quiz Show Formats)
KEITH LINDSAY (Drama/Soap Opera)
ANTHONY PARKER (TV Production)
FRANZ VON HABSBURG (Film Making)
RONALD WOLFE (Situation Comedy)

More names and details will be announced soon.

GENERAL:

Please note the conference is residential only. No day, half-day or individual passes will be issued. Fee for the residential weekend: BSCW

Members/Subscribers: £185 or £165 for early registration. Non-members: £205 or £185 for early registration.

To reserve your place and to receive a £20 discount for early registration please return the booking form together with a £50 non-returnable deposit by 31st August 2002. No single rooms can be guaranteed after this date.

The fee covers accommodation at the Apollo Hotel, entrance to all workshops, talks, discussions, receptions, cabaret evening, all meals and gratuities.

Representatives from the following companies have already confirmed their attendance.

BBC Radio
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Brighton Film School
Chrystal Television
Cologne Comedy School (Germany)
Cult TV
D & D Humourprodukties (Belgium)
Debbie Nunn Productions
Distraction Formats (Canada)
Imperial Film Productions
Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (Kenya)
King's College London
Labyrinth Games
Media X-change
Megahit Movies (USA)
Nawacinema Films (Sri Lanka)
NRK (Japan)
PP Productions
Riviera Productions
Royal Television Society
Society of Authors
Spirit, Hop and Grape Company
Splash TV
Writers Guild of Great Britain

Spec Script Sales

1. Spec Scripts That SOLD
2. Opportunities To Get Noticed

$100,000-$300,000:

Co-Writers Lisa Addario & Joe Syracuse get low-six figures for their comedy spec "World's Greatest Dad" from Universal.

$400,000-$600,000:

MGM paid mid-six figures to writer Evan Katz for his thriller spec "Blind Spot".

Writers Julie Rottenberg & Elisa Zuritsky took mid six figures from Revolution Studios for their romantic comedy spec "Shrinking Violet".

$700,000-$1 Million:

"Charlie", a spec romantic drama by writer Rob Perez was purchased by New Line for Mid-six against high-six figures.

Opportunities To Get Noticed:

Screen Arts Foundation Prize for Screenwriting is $5,000.00. The early entry deadline is AUGUST 31, 2002

Three winners will be chosen and over 5,000 industry execs are slated to get the contact information for the Winners and their scripts.

* * * * * *

The 2002 Screenwriting Expo, Nov. 16th and 17th at the LA Convention Center is $49.95 for a 2-day pass and access to over 100 seminars.

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Cult TV Productions are pleased to announce the latest guests for THE 9TH ANNUAL CULT TV FESTIVAL, 25th - 28th October 2002, Southport Theatre and Floral Hall Complex, Merseyside UK

EXCLUSIVE - "APOLLO AND STARBUCK REUNITED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UK".

We are pleased to announce that RICHARD HATCH is the latest guest who intends to join the Festival in Southport. He will appear alongside previously announced guest, DIRK BENEDICT ( The A Team, Battlestar

Galactica) in what will be their first ever UK appearance together.

Other guests include:-

- TERYL ROTHERY (Stargate SG1)
- BRIAN CROUCHER (Blake's 7)
- MICHAEL JAYSTON (Doctor Who)
- BRIAN DOWNEY (Lexx)
- TERRY JONES (Monty Python's Flying Circus)
- KENNETH GRIFFITH (The Prisoner)
- FRANCIS MATTHEWS (Captain Scarlet)
- DON ESTELLE (It Ain't Half Hot Mum)
- VIRGINIA HEY (Farscape)
- DAVE PROWSE (The Green Cross Code Man, Darth Vader)
- ANGUS LENNIE (Crossroads, Doctor Who)
- JOHN GLEN (Director The Avengers and five James Bond Films)
- STEPHEN GALLGHER (Writer: Chimera, Oktober)
- LAURENCE MARKS and MAURICE GRAN (Writers: Good night Sweetheart, Birds of A Feather)
- PHILIP MARTIN (Writer: Gangsters)
- GARETH OWEN (Author: The Pinewood Story)
- STEVEN PAUL DAVIES (Author: The Prisoner Handbook)
- JOHN FREEMAN (Writer and Editor)
- TONY CURRIE (TV Historian)

- ALL GUESTS APPEAR SUBJECT TO WORK AND PERSONAL COMMITMENTS

PLUS

- The 9th International Cult TV Awards, voted for by attendees
- Star Cabaret
- Rare and exclusive screenings
- Theme Parties late into the night
- Merchandise Dealers
- Autograph signing sessions*
- Workshops on all aspects of TV production.
- Eclectic Activities

COMING SOON - Details of an exclusive book launch with related guests - only at CULT TV 2002.

Registration costs just £70 for adults with concessions for children and includes all activities from Noon Friday to Noon Monday. [Accommodation and food and drink are not included, however we will send you details of local accommodation with your registration. Please note that accommodation is optional]

We are now able to take payments by credit and debit card. Full details are on the website.

Can you afford to miss out on the TV Appreciation Event of the year?

Register now.

* Most guests will be signing autographs for no additional charge. Full details of guest who may be charging for extra items are included on our website.

An update on the BBC's New Writing Initiative:

THE NEW WRITING INITIATIVE
the writersroom
Room 222,
BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place
London W1A 1AA

Please don't send scripts by email - we haven't the resources to print them up nor to assess them on screen. You can send your complete work by post to the New Writing Co-ordinator at the above address. Unfortunately we cannot enter into detailed discussions about individual unsolicited scripts.

The New writing Initiative was set up to to identify and champion talent and diversity for all BBC platforms, across BBC Drama, Entertainment and Children's programmes. The New Writing Initiative runs various schemes targeting specific writers who come to our notice via a wide range of sources: the unsolicited script system, agents, play readings, contacts with theatres, film schools and so on. We rarely invite open submissions for these schemes. This year's schemes include:

A TV Screenwriter's course
A Radio Drama Writers' group
Two T.V. Popular Series schemes
A Children's Comedy Drama Series scheme
A Comedy Writers' Group
Regional Initiatives
Writers' Bursaries

We are constantly on the lookout for writers of any age, with potential for BBC TV and Radio Drama to take part in these initiatives. You should let us know if there is a reading, production, or screening of your work and we'll try to see it or ask you to send us a script. We accept and read unsolicited scripts for complete Film, TV and Radio Drama.

Writers who previously had to guess where to submit their work now have a single address, and the confidence that, if their work is brilliant, it will be recommended to the right producers or development units across the BBC. All work is assessed for the talent of the writer, as well as the script's suitability for any strand of BBC Drama, Entertainment and Children's programmes. We receive around 200 scripts each week and competition is very tough.