Talent Campus 4.0 is now open for submissions… HERE.
You couldn’t have convinced me that four days would be nearly long enough to transform me into the person I am today – a glowing, confident version of myself that I was unable to tap into a week ago. Yet here we are. A team of unstoppable talent campers that can attest to the powers of “Wonder Woman.”
Chris Jones is the best, most energetic and enthusiastic example of Wonder Woman I’ve ever met, because really anybody can be Wonder Woman – regardless of gender. It’s all about the attitude and the best Wonder Woman have it in spades. I think it was the strength of our own beliefs that brought out our inner Wonder Woman, helped conquer our fears and gave us all the bravery to walk over broken glass and hot coals.
It didn’t matter that I was the only German participant amidst 32 native speakers. I believe that storytelling is universal and just like music, the emotions you find in movies are equally encompassing. I admit I didn’t know every British film production mentioned during the campus, but I have made a list and am looking forward to watching them. We studied structure under script guru John Yorke, learning how it is the essential backbone for every script. The talent campers also met with marketing goddess Sam Horley, and we talked about her work on “Miss You Already” and “Dead Man Walking”.
I met so many talented writers during Talent Campus I was overwhelmed. I began to feel that this whole writing endeavor is pointless. But then I thought about all the reasons why I love writing: (1) I love writing and having the chance to collaborate with exciting people, and (2) every one of these talented writers has a different story to tell, catered to different audiences. Doesn’t that make it something worth fighting for?
The only way to succeed and make a name for yourself in this industry is to keep on writing. Writing is rewriting. Write the script, rewrite it and enter competitions. If you don’t win, or even get placed, no matter – wipe away the tears. You’re improving – if you don’t fail, you don’t learn and so don’t improve. Many writers are introverted, shy and afraid of failure but it is only when they overcome their fear that they will ultimately triumph.
“Don’t ask for permission – just do it!”. This was one of the quotes on the red mugs that we all drank our tea (or in my case, tea-like coffee) out of. Nobody will give you permission to fulfill your dreams. What are you waiting for? Just do it.
Iris May
Screenwriter
Posted by a member of the London Screenwriters’ Festival team.
