Pitching a story By JOE GRIMM

Pitching a story
By JOE GRIMM
Detroit Free Press
Recruiting and development editor

Even after 25 years of newspapering, I pitch ideas that never make it to the plate. When that happens, I have to try someone else, or go back, re-evaluate what I'm pitching and try again. Sometimes I have forgotten my own advice for pitching a story. It is:

• Pitch ideas, not topics. While the maxim is "if you can't write your idea on the back of a business card, you don't have one," editors need more than that. "Rave parties" is not a story idea. "Garage sales" is not a story idea. These are topics. A fully fleshed story idea has a news peg and answers the question, "Why are we doing this now?" The answer "because we never did it before" is lame. A story idea has news elements -- currency, importance, conflict or resolution. Editors do not deal in three-word ideas. They deal in budget lines. Get a look at the news budgets used at the newspaper for story meetings. See how the stories sound on there. Develop a budget line for your story idea.

• Prepare your pitch with a little reporting. Talk to some people. Search the newspaper's library. Is this really a new idea? You don't want to be pitching a story that was written six months ago. Do some reporting to flesh out the idea. Who is behind the story? What make it news? How is it developing? Why does it matter to our readers?

• Make the case. You want to pitch a story about a quirky little diner that is shutting after a short but successful run. It doesn't sound like much of a story -- unless you can say that the diner attracted a large clientele from the city's legal community. Or was the only place where homeless people and business people ate, side by side. Or was the only place in the city that served gazpatcho, and now people will have to drive a hundred miles to find it. Or the owner is closing shop because she is going to take the profits and sail around the world. Do enough reporting so that the editor can take this story into a news meeting and talk it up to other editors. Don't blurt out a story idea on your hunch alone. Poke around. Chances are your instincts are good, but you need to deliver some specifics.

• Understand what the newspaper is looking for. If you come up with a story that connects to one of the newspaper's key initiatives, you have something. They say they care about the well-being of children and you have a story about children having no safe place to play. You're onto something. Find a child who exemplifies that and who could be the lead for your story.

• Look at it from the editor's point of view. This is not selling out or "playing the game," this is framing your idea in a way that will strike the right chords with the newspaper and get your story into print.

• Try another angle. You've sharpened, focused and retooled. No dice. There may be another avenue. Sometimes you're pitching the wrong editor. If the metro editor won't take it, will the features editor? Could it be a photo story? There's more than one way to get an idea into print.

• Finally, explain why you think the story is important. You and the editor may have different perspectives, but you're not from different planets. Listen to the editor's questions. Find out what it will take to move your idea to the story stage. Be willing to explain, negotiate and sharpen the idea.
If your pitch falls flat, it's easy to blame it on an editor. Too easy. If your story matters to you, find a way to recast it and pitch it again so that the editors can see what you have. Don't drop the idea at the first obstacle. If you really have a good idea, it deserves more than a half-hearted pitch.
And, remember. Even I, after 25 years in the newsroom, many as an assigning editor and news editor, sometimes can't get my ideas into the paper. But I don't stop trying.

DANA PEMBANGUNAN SENI FILEM & MULTIMEDIA

DANA PEMBANGUNAN SENI FILEM & MULTIMEDIA

PENGENALAN

Dana Pembangunan Seni Filem & Multimedia diwujudkan bertujuan melahirkan karya filem Malaysia yang bermutu tinggi yang diiktiraf di peringkat antarabangsa serta menggalak pertumbuhan bakat dan memajukan tahap profesionalisme para penggiat dan pengamal filem. Skim ini dikendalikan oleh sebuah Jawatankuasa yang terdiri dari kalangan karyawan dan penggiat filem.

OBJEKTIF

* Meningkatkan kuantiti dan kualiti penerbitan filem terutama filem pendek, dokumentari & animasi.

* Menempatkan industri filem Malaysia ditahap yang sewajarnya diperingkat antarabangsa.

* Menghargai karyawan dan seniman filem Malaysia mencapai kejayaan di peringkat antarabangsa.

* Menampilkan kemampuan pembikin filem tempatan di peringkat antarabangsa.

SKOP

Pembiayaan bagi menerbitkan filem pendek / dokumentari / animasi yang bermutu tinggi termasuk pembangunan skrip

TERMA PEMBIAYAAN

Jumlah Pembiayaan – Bantuan Penerbitan

Tidak melebihi RM20,000 untuk penerbitan video pendek (tidak melebihi 30 minit)

Tidak melebihi RM50,000 untuk penerbitan dokumentari / animasi (tidak melebihi 60 minit)

KELAYAKAN PEMOHON

* Warganegara Malaysia berumur 18 tahun ke atas

* Persatuan / Kelab Perfileman yang diiktiraf

* Karyawan yang dikenalpasti oleh Jawatankuasa

KAEDAH PERMOHONAN

Bantuan Penerbitan

Bagi permohonan penerbitan, kertas kerja mestilah disertakan dengan dokumen-dokumen berikut :-

* idea / konsep cerita

* anggaran kos produksi;

* cadangan artis / krew filem;

* pelan pemasaran / promosi;

* kenyataan sumber modal tambahan; dan

* latarbelakang dan pengalaman perfileman pemohon

Permohonan Yang Lengkap

Borang & permohonan yang lengkap di alamatkan kepada :-

Urusetia

Dana Pembangunan Seni Filem & Multimedia

Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS)

Lot 1662, Batu 8, Jalan Hulu Kelang

68000 Ampang, Selangor.

( u.p. Unit Dana & Insentif )

Pemilihan

Jawatankuasa akan membuat penilaian terhadap semua permohonan yang lengkap dan memenuhi kriteria. Permohonan akan dijemput untuk menghadiri sesi temuduga / pitching. Pemohon akan dimaklumkan keputusan melalui surat.

10th Gerak Khas

Tahniah pada skop production kerana berjaya bertahan hingga 10tahun rancangan kesukaanramai GERAK KHAS.

Telemovie Ihsan Part 1 of 8

LATIHAN MEMBACA SKRIN TELEMOVIE

Anda dikehendaki membuat simple treatment untuk cerita ini.

TELEMOVIE : IHSAN

Kisah mengenai seorang anak yang durhaka kepada keluarganya terutama ibunya...

TREATMENT

(Lihat Lampiran)

PELAKON UTAMA

ZAMARUL - Nordin

DYNAZ – Anita

ZAFRUL – Zamri

KARTINA AZIZ – Mak Timah

ABU BAKAR JUAH – Koperal Mansur

PELAKON PEMBANTU

KISMAH JOHAR – Ibu Zamri

SHAFIQ – PO Saiful

AZRUL – Malik

ZUBAIDI – Ayah Anita

ROHANI AHMAD – Mak Anita

DINI JURI – Imam

PELAKON TAMBAHAN

MOHAMAD RAMZLI

ERMAN RIZLAR

NORNASNIMAH JAAFAR

NORI ABDULLAH

SKRIP – ZABIDI MOHAMED

PENGURUS PENERBITAN – AZMAN BACHIK

PENOLONG PENGARAH – CHE YUN MUTALIB

PERALATAN – COMEL

PEMBANTU PERALATAN – AZMI JEFRI

KESINAMBUNGAN – DYNA

PEMBANTU AM & PERALATAN – KABIR

AGENSI PELAKON – ZUL TALENT AGENCY

UNIT PENGAMARAN – NUR TV PRODUCTION

PASCA PENERBITAN – LAYAR CONSULT SDN. BHD.

JURUKAMERA – MOHD. YUSRI AYOP

PEMBANTU JURUKAMERA – MOHD. AZUAN ABDUL HALIM

JURU LAMPU – MOHD. RAZALI

PEMBANTU JURU LAMPU – CHE MAT

JURU AUDIO – SUNNY A. SAMAN

SUNTINGAN – FAUZEE YAHYA

PEMBANTU PENYUNTINGAN – MOHD. HAFEZ HARUN

ADUNAN AUDIO – FAUZEE YAHYA

PENERBIT PENYELARAS – MOHD. YUSRI MOHD YUSOF

PENERBIT EKSEKUTIF – ABDUL HALIM CHE PA

PENERBIT – HJ. ABU HASSAN MORAD

PENGARAH – MURALI ABDULLAH

Note: Cerita ini ditayangkan & dibincangkan utk tujuan pembelajaran semata-mata

Filem Animasi Pendek - Burung oh Burung

Kami harap anda mampu melihat dari sudut seorang Penulis Skrip mengenai File Animasi Pendek ini yang bertajk "Burung Oh Burung".

KRISIS DAN KONFLIK DALAM FILEM

KRISIS & KONFLIK DALAM FILEM

Pengenalan

Krisis dan konflik merupakan 2 elemen penting dalam filem kerana tanpanya filem itu tidak mungkin mempunyai sebarang elemen dramatik. Filem dan drama tempatan hanya berfokus kepada konflik yang merupakan hanya sebahagian daripada elemen dramatik. Oleh demikian, filem dan drama tempatan kelihatan kurang hebat jika dibandingkan dengan filem dan drama luar negara.

Krisis
Dalam filem krisis merupakan Satu detik atau situasi amat genting atau menentukan atau satu turning point. An Unstable Condition (keadaan mencemaskan) dalam pergerakan politik, social dan ekonomi yang mendesakan perubahan. Perubahan drastik secara tiba-tiba dalam kehidupan, pengurusan atau penyakit yang mencemaskan.

Satu event yang memberi tekanan emosi atau satu perubahan traumatik dalam kehidupan sebuah negara, masyarakat, keluarga atau individu. Satu detik dalam drama di mana konflik tiba di kemuncak ketegangan dan memerlukan keputusan. Dalam Bahasa Cina Krisis dikenali sebagai weiji. Wei (危) bermaksud "danger, dangerous (bahaya); endanger, jeopardize (membahayakan); perilous (amat berbahaya); precipitous (curam), precarious (dalam keadaan bahaya dan mencemaskan); high (tinggi); fear, afraid (ketakutan)".

ji (機) bermaksud "machine, mechanical (mesin atau mekanikal); airplane (kapal terbang); suitable occasion (keadaan selesa); crucial point (saat genting); pivot (pasak)(; incipient moment (detik permulaan); opportune, opportunity (peluang); chance (nasib baik); key link ( hubungan utama); secret (rahsia); cunning (licik)".

Contoh Krisis: Krisis Keluarga, Rumah tangga, Krisis ekonomi / perniagaan, Krisis masyarakat, Krisis Negara, Krisis Dunia, Krisis psikologi, Krisis identiti, Krisis kesihatan, Krisis kesukanan, Krisis politik, Krisis agama, Krisis pertanian, Krisis remaja, Krisis warga emas, Krisis jalan raya / kapal terbang, Krisis bencana alam, Krisis penyakit / penyakit berjangkit dan lain-lain.

Soalan: Apakah krisis atau krisis dalam objective dan subjective storyline anda?

Konflik
Konflik adalah satu perseteruan yang sedang berlaku atara 2 pihak (individu atau kumpulan) apabila pihak-pihak itu mempunyai matlamat berbeza dan cuba mempengaruhi atau menggagalkan usaha pihak yang lain. Konflik berbeza dengan persaingan walaupun konflik mungkin muncul akibat persaingan.

Konflik wujud disebabkan perbezaan kepentingan, nilai-nilai, ideologi, tindakan atau matlamat.
Contoh konflik: Konflik antara invididu (interpersonal), Konflik emosional, Konflik antara kumpulan, Konflik dalam atau antara komuniti, Konflik negara (perang saudara, kempen pilihan raya, dll), Konflik antarabangsa, Konflik dengan alam sekitar, Konflik ideologi, Konflik diplomatik, Konflik berbentuk ekonomi, Konflik tentera dan Konflik berdasarkan agama.

Bengkel Teknik Pantas Mencipta Skrip Telemovie

Bengkel Teknik Pantas Mencipta Skrip
25 April 2009 di PAWAGAM MINI FINAS

Bengkel ini membincangkan cara membuat skrip dengan sistematik dan cepat. Dan kaedah skrin berkomunikasi dengan penonton juga ditekankan, supaya penonton tidak jemu melihat hasil skrip kita.