A Long Established Service
"Winning the 2011 Bafta Rocliffe Comedy Scriptwriting Competition has had a massive impact on our writing career. Our winning script PREGNANT PAUSE attracted interest from a number of US and UK production companies and we were delighted when it was optioned by Bwark Productions. Then the icing on the cake, was being taken on as writers and performers by United Agents."
"Sitting on a stage as one of the greatest writer/directors in this country and an audience dissected my work and my intentions as a writer is one of the most exposing and nerve-wracking things I've ever done. And the best. Peter Kosminsky made an essential point - character before plot. I had been so wrapped up in my complicated jigsaw puzzle of a plot that I might just have populated it with too many colourful characters. Peter made me realise it was more important to make each character matter. And that kind of advice is gold dust. Peter was able to diagnose clearly the issues I was facing with draft one, he understood the faction element and by extension encouraged me to not be afraid to ask difficult questions and engage in potentially controversial story lines - as long as my research is solid and I do not shy away, or succumb; to type, to the genre trap, to predictability or an overcomplicated plot. In short, to stay true to the characters situation and to your own convictions, simply to tell a story."
BAFTA Rocliffe Forums offer you a chance to have a development workout on your script with access to a major industry guest before an audience at BAFTA. We also try to introduce our featured writers to agents and production companies as well as giving them a feedback report several months after they have been featured.
The Best of 2012 & 2013: a few success stories
Our first guest of 2013 was BEN STEPHENSON, Drama Controller for BBC who kicked off our inaugural TV Drama Forum. 2012 industry guests included JENNI KONNER, showrunner and producer of GIRLS; CHRISTINE LANGAN, Head of BBC Films; and award-wining director JOHN MADDEN.
THE HOLDING is now available on DVD following its international release. We featured the script by James Dormer in 2009 with Finola Dwyer. Susan Jacobson directed the extract. Following the event she and her company Pistachio Pictures optioned the project. Shooting commenced in June 2010. It went on theatrical release in Autumn 2011.
Our BAFTA Rocliffe UK juries and panels include many major production companies such as Working Title, Red, Kudos, Tiger Aspect, Company Pictures, Bwark and have had well known faces deciding who is the voices of the future including Jennifer Saunders, Jessica Hynes, Chris Addison and all the top commissioners.
In 2012, writing partners Matthew Barry and Kayleigh Llewellyn had their winning script Grey optioned by Company Pictures and are in development with BBC One. Kayleigh has also begun writing her own regular column for Funny Women.
Sarah Courtauld is in talks with a couple of indies to option her winning script The Slush Pile, and through exposure to the selection Jury and their production companies with her script, Sarah has also been hired as a writer on a new sketch show, The Kerry Howard Show, slated for BBC Three in 2013. While at the New York TV Festival, Sarah won a Hasbro Studios development deal with a children's TV concept, Buckle and Swash.
Rob Brown's work Sixteen was featured at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2011 and was shot earlier this year.
Writing partners Anne-Marie Draycott and Charity Trimm had their winning script Pregnant Pause (now renamed Unexpected) optioned by the team behind The Inbetweeners, Bwark Productions. With Bwark they have also been commissioned by BBC Comedy to write a sitcom pilot script Friends Reunited. In August 2012 they were one of the winners of the London Screenwriters Festival '50 Kisses' initiative, and their winning short film script Dream Date has been filmed by two production companies. They are also working with another production company on another new script; but they can't say any more about that at the moment as it's very early days!
After returning from New York, writing partners Thomas Phipps and Pete Bowden went on to secure an agent, have their script optioned by a production company and secured additional freelance writing work.
If you are simply interested in attending this and other events, opportunities, screenwriting lectures, podcasts and events from the BAFTA website - Click here - you'll be surprised how much access and support you can get. Twitter @Rocliffeforum @BAFTA
Here are some writers experiences
"BAFTA Rocliffe took an interest in my writing and gave me industry introductions that I had no access to before. I couldn't have asked for more." Chris Beven, writer of one of the ten short listed NY comedy scripts 2012.
"It was a huge and exciting honour to have my first script chosen for this scheme, it was amazing to see my words brought to life and spoken by others, it was however a bit daunting having such an industry giant as Christine Langan critique my work - but over all a great experience." Rachel Hanks featured writer May 2012.
"As a live event BAFTA Rocliffe is nerve wracking, exposing and exhilarating in a way cinema rarely is. There is no hiding place. You can't charm an audience except with really engaging work." Ben & Chris Blaine featured London, Nov 2009 with GIles Mckinnon.
"Rejection is a writers constant companion, so having your script chosen, performed on stage at BAFTA and assessed by a leading industry figure is a huge confidence boost." Kevin Pacey on being featured at Nov 2011 event.
"Being selected gave me much more self-belief as a scriptwriter. Equally, it also gave me professional feedback on areas that I needed to work on, such as pacing." John Reynolds on May 2011 event with Julian Fellowes.
"Having both our scripts reach the BAFTA NYTVF final renewed our confidence. We've have had industry interest as a result of the competition and have made invaluable contacts." Stephanie Ancell & Briony Redman on making the top twenty-five and then top ten for NY comedy scripts 2012.