I’m trying to become a more visual and active blogger, but sometimes the schedule is so hectic I can’t find the time to sit and write. I really need to get that software that you can speak into and it types it for you; something for me to consider.
I’m really excited though and need to write, because this past few weeks has been amazing for inspiration. I attended the Screenwriters Lab Networking mixer and met some really cool people. OBSWG#1 has been meeting weekly for the past two weeks and we’ll meet again this Saturday, but the scripts we’ve reviewed have been incredible. Our discussion and feedback from everyone has been exceptional to say the least. I also meet with our new group OBSWG#9 and that was out there. We had projects that ranged from science fiction, family drama, to erotica! I was impressed. Can’t wait to see the new generation of screenwriters and television shows – these writers are remarkable. If you’re not already you need to attach yourself to a writers’ group.
Last night was another magnificent gathering of writers’ adding another dimension. As you know we’re into our “August is Animation” and Shawnee & Shawnelle Gibbs, Terence Anderson & Ajamu Frasier took it to another level. I want FLASH! WOW! The stories I could tell. It took me back to the erotica story. You can really push the envelope with animation. You should have been there.
Anyway, I’m sharing this because lately I’ve been getting lots of questions. A couple of days ago, this one came to me.
I received a question a few days ago regarding screenwriting contest. “Is it me or does anyone see that black screenwriting contest are as biased as white screenplay contest?”
I’m really excited though and need to write, because this past few weeks has been amazing for inspiration. I attended the Screenwriters Lab Networking mixer and met some really cool people. OBSWG#1 has been meeting weekly for the past two weeks and we’ll meet again this Saturday, but the scripts we’ve reviewed have been incredible. Our discussion and feedback from everyone has been exceptional to say the least. I also meet with our new group OBSWG#9 and that was out there. We had projects that ranged from science fiction, family drama, to erotica! I was impressed. Can’t wait to see the new generation of screenwriters and television shows – these writers are remarkable. If you’re not already you need to attach yourself to a writers’ group.
Last night was another magnificent gathering of writers’ adding another dimension. As you know we’re into our “August is Animation” and Shawnee & Shawnelle Gibbs, Terence Anderson & Ajamu Frasier took it to another level. I want FLASH! WOW! The stories I could tell. It took me back to the erotica story. You can really push the envelope with animation. You should have been there.
Anyway, I’m sharing this because lately I’ve been getting lots of questions. A couple of days ago, this one came to me.
I received a question a few days ago regarding screenwriting contest. “Is it me or does anyone see that black screenwriting contest are as biased as white screenplay contest?”
I was puzzled and asked, what do you mean by bias? But then proceeded to answer the question this way… Judging at best is subjective at every level across professions and screenwriting contests are no different. I find that contests are bias, if you choose to use that term, according to what they're looking for. The OBS contest is looking to expose "new writers" to the Industry. OBS is giving winners an opportunity to take a meeting with studios/networks that are competing. The bias as I see it would be if you have a commercially viable script. Studios and networks are looking for numbers of butts you can put in the seats to watch their television show, or pay to see their movie. They are interested in how much money can I make if I produce this project.
I don’t see it as having much to do with whether it’s a black contest or a white contest as much as it has to do with the objective of the contest.
That’s the short answer.
Question screenwriters, how do you feel about it? Do you think there is bias in screenwriting contest? Do you think “race” is an issue, when it comes to who’s running the contest? I’d really like to know.
Keep writing,
Jennifer
P.S. - The deadline for the 2009 OBS Original Script contest has been extended to August 31st and a new category added; "Spec Script". For more info: http://www.obswriter.com/2009script.html
11 comments:
I have been a reader for many contest and my only bias is torward bad writing!
During the 90's there were a couple winners of the TV script competition for OBS who were of European descent and they got jobs rather quickly. Bias, maybe but it was built into the system. You see, during that time white writers could get away with writing spec Seinfelds and Friends. Black TV writers would feel more comfortable writing a spec script for a Black series.
Now the way the "built-in bias" works is that they spec script is to show a sample of your writing. The producers of TV series are usually very familiar with the mainstream shows. They knew how a "George or Kramer" character should look on a page, but when it came to Black shows which they never watched, they didn't have a clue as to the character of a Regine or a Max (Living Single). Thus more white writers were hired.
What's maddening to writers of color is the second guessing of mainstream Hollywood. Do they want this or that? Instead of writing organically, many folks compromised a lot for mainstream TV. And even though the money is good, it is hard to feel good about what you write for "them."
But as long as you know "the game," you can deal with what you have to put up with. But it is sad to see someone with an earnest and well written Marcus Garvey epic trying to sell that to Disney and ending up befuddled because no one is biting. It's Hollywood! They ain't bitin' unless you got your Oprahs and your Spielbergs and your "Obama Seal of Approval."
But I say that to say a good commercially viable script will rise to the top in a screenwriting contest but the real bias is in actual production and actual (paying) jobs that should come out of winning one.
(Forgive me if this hardly makes sense, I am writing this in the hot humidity of the Baltimore-Washington summer!)
If you are a writer then the written content needs to be your top priority. Bias exists everywhere to some degree but that shouldn't stop the creative process. When you are trying to get into the party then you try every door and you don't waste time cryin' the blues if one door is locked. Try the next one! Too much time is wasted on lamentation of something that will be overcome if you keep your focus. A friend of mine who has had success as a writer in this industry for years was bemoaning the fact that others work was getting produced and his wasn't. He was letting the bitterness hold him back. We had many conversations and I pointed out that his path just like anyone else's is unique and it's a waste of time to compare yourself to someone else. Leave that to others. He picked himself up and decided that you can make your own way by doing it yourself. The lesson here is there are many ways to find satisfaction. Worrying about what's fair and what is not ain't one of them!
Contests are subjective, and therefore, bias. You can write a great action, but unless the contest you're entering is looking for an action script, it won't make the cut.
My real concern is that Hollywood seems to prefer scripts where blacks are committing crimes, glorifying gangsta life, acting stupid and/or doing deviant things. Hence, black writers who want to break in are writing scripts like that which only serve to perpetuate the stereotype of blacks.
I have only entered one screenplay contest thus far, so I can't say for sure if their is bias or not. I'm still waiting on the results of that contest, and all I can say is...hope I win! (Guess that makes me bias).
I find there are two sets of biases. One in particular is hwen dealing with the Warner Bros, Disney, Nickelodeon type of writing contests. If you know someone in that hierarchy, you are much more likely to win that if you come from nowhere but have the best script this side of literary heaven. I've seen both side of the velvet rope so I really know the "it's not how well you write it's who you know" is true. However, at least those contests are not pay-to-compete. I've not been privy to the inner workings of these contests where one must pay to enter so I cannot speak on it. I think the 'who you know' thing is more of a problem than being black when it comes to contests.
Someone pointed out that black writers were more comfortable writing for black shows than Seinfeld. That may be true, but as writers, we have no right to stay in a comfort zone. We are supposed to learn to write all kinds of genres for all kinds of characters. Now being accepted as a person of color who can write for "The Big Bang Theory" is where the problem lies, since white producers think we can only write shuck and jive. Surely we're not flexible enough to write for a science sitcom as there are no black geeks, only black thugs and hoochies, right? Changing the perception of who black people are is our greatest obstacle. After all, white producers have no problem hiring white folks to write on black shows, the assumption being that white folks know all about black people and our culture. After all, they watched "Martin" and an episode or two of "The Fresh Prince." I bet they never watched "Under One Roof" and they still think "The Cosby Show" is a fantasy.
More black producers who nurtured new black writing talent would certainly help this situation.Because jobs are so scarce for minorities, often we have crabs-in-the-barrel mentality and we refuse to help one another for fear that person will take our job. This is very unfortunate and does not serve us well at all. Jews do just the opposite. They stick together and look how that has worked for them!
There is bias
I've entered about seven screenplay contests this year with a script featuring a strong African-American female lead and mostly parts for African-Americans. A lot of these bigger screenwriting contests tend to skew more to the "arthouse" film, and not the commercial project from what I've read in my research and experienced from reading the contest winner and semifinalist lists. Stuff with African-American leads or feature stories deatailing the African-American experience don't tend to do as well with the readers of those contests.
However, I'm not letting it discourage me. Perseverance pays off and I'm going to keep trying.
I try to write stuff that's contemporary and allows the audience to see a diverse array of African-American experieces; I don't want to write within the vaccum of the "inner city" because I know Black people come in many colors and come from many experiences. Doing what I can to get my material out there. I would love to see an African-American fantasy movie or an African-American Superhero movie So I'm writing one!
I'm so glad to find this blog and the corresponding website find other black screenwriters. There aren't that many black screenwriters out there and we definitely need more.
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Though I haven't entered very many Screenwriting competitions I am very aware of the "African American" movie scene and what films get produced. Quite honestly, I must express my disappointment in the sort of material that actually gets turned into films. Rags to bitches, THE FIRST BLACKS TO (insert action here) Ghetto dramas or Gramas lol and of course the 'Blacks at a'-- Bar B Que, Barber shop, Family reunion, Funeral, Church, etc THIS IT WHAT BLACKS DO stories. Even the stories about successful African Americans leave you feeling like they didn't deserve it or made fool choices once they had it. These are the stories that some people use to gain a birds-eye-view into the so called 'Black Experience' and unfortunately the late they paint is quite skewed. White people support these movies because they portray African Americans in a light that is very comfortable to them and we've learned to accept them and even adopt some of those same stereotypes rather than attempt to transcend the perceived norms.
The same old Negatively Stereotypical stories of how Blacks just can't get it together and need to be saved from ourselves are pumped into theatre starring ensemble casts of our favorite African American actors who have given in to the idea of quantity over quality in hopes of remaining relevant in between seasons of playing the TOKEN BLACK characters on TV sitcoms and Police/Hospital/Lawyer dramas. The same boxed in character arch types: Thugs, Criminals, Shady Businessmen/women, (adulterous)Cheaters, and or the relatives forced to deal with such individuals. I had a friend argue to me that Tyler Perry's characters though stereotypical were relatable because as they put it, "Errbody gotta cousin like dat!' First I thought I NEED NEW FRIENDS but then I realized how many of us flock to these movies each year and pay our hard earned money to see these New Millennia Blaxploitation films. We glorify these writers/Directors/Stories and Characters as what’s best about Black Cinema and the fact that I've see that same idea born out in so much of our recent cinema almost made me want to stop writing.
I thought to myself "Are we so desperate that we will accept any scraps we are given and call it Caviar or so Thirsty to see images of US on the screen that Content has No baring what so ever?" I shudder to think that it has come to this and I am only 34 years old witnessing what are supposed to be the most progressive times of my culture. We have risen so fast and come so far only to actively martyr ourselves for a buck. I say all of this to say that if we are complaining about Bias while flooding the market with these same stories and characters then the onus is ON-US. Write a story that truly looks at different elements of the Black Experience more so than just the hardships of Being Black. We already know being (African Americans) better yet Africans in America is difficult but if that is what defines us, than our book has already been written and there is no need to pick up a pen. I'm just saying.
Devvin J. Mattison – Revolutionary Writer
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