Announcing OVEREXPOSED ONLINE ~ free sessions about pitching, contests and rights
Everything you ever wanted to know (probably)
Hello writers through the ages. We hope you’re enjoying sitting at your little laptops and tapping away as great genius runs through you.
We now have over 300 people in our WhatsApp (which we started promoting in approx July 2023 if anyone was wondering). It’s a RIDICULOUSLY useful resource for people sharing writing opportunities and industry jobs, for people asking questions, and for anyone needing emotional support. And it’s also allowed us to get a really good look at what the things are that are coming up over and over again.
So based on that Genuine Market Research, we’ve decided to host a series of ‘webinars’ (hate that word) for emerging writers looking to build up their knowledge and understanding of what it takes to take those first steps in industry.
🎟 REGISTER HERE FOR FREE TICKETS 🎟
Scroll down for a little more info about each session, and for bios of our wonderful speakers. (We assume you know us hosts by now, but in case not, it is us, we are the Messy Women, we live to serve.)
Session 1 - Getting started pitching short films & features
With producer Martina Russo and screenwriter Leo Mignoli, hosted by Jessica Riches
Monday 16th October, 6-7pm online
Session 2 - Contests as a route into TV
With screenwriters Sam Moody, Lizzy Mansfield and Jon Champion, hosted by Sorcha Kurien-Walsh
Monday 23rd October, 6-7pm online
Session 3 - Understanding rights, contracts and case work for new writers
With Joe Abel from the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain, hosted by Isobel Bruce
Monday 30th October, 6-7pm online
Session 1 - Getting started pitching short films & features
With producer Martina Russo and screenwriter Leo Mingelli, hosted by Jessica Riches
Monday 16th October, 6-7pm online
🎟 REGISTER HERE FOR FREE TICKETS 🎟
This workshop is your passport to mastering the art of film pitching. Whether you're crafting a pitch for a short film that packs a punch or a feature-length epic with grand ambitions, our expert facilitators will provide you with the tools, insights, and creative guidance needed to bring your cinematic dreams to life.
Producer Martina Russo and screenwriter Leo Mignoli will guide you through the creative process of pitching short and feature-length films with finesse and impact.
Creative Assets that you will learn about:
Pitch Deck: Learn how to design a pitch deck that captivates your audience, featuring stunning visuals, compelling loglines, and a persuasive presentation style.
Treatments: Discover the secrets to crafting detailed treatments that breathe life into your stories. Develop your narrative blueprint, covering plot, character arcs, themes, and pacing.
Beat Sheets and Outlines: Understand the importance of structure in your screenplay. Learn how to create effective beat sheets and outlines that keep your story on track and resonate with your audience.
One-Pager: Condense your project into a single page that leaves a lasting impression. Craft concise one-pagers that convey the essence of your film, from logline to target audience.
Meet Writer Leo Mignoli
Eleonora (who goes by Leo) is a bilingual and queer screenwriter with a unique background and perspective. After living in Italy, Mexico, Australia, Finland, and finally the UK, she has a deep understanding of different cultures and social nuances. Leo is a member of BAFTA and an active member of the screenwriting community.
Leo’s RomCom Steal Your Heart, produced by Reel One Entertaiment, is due to release later this year. She is currently writing animation for an online streaming channel with 18M+ subscribers. Beyond this, Leo has multiple feature film commissions in the works, demonstrating her versatility across TV and XR. Her drama feature, Legacy, has received Early Development funding from BFI Network and she has partnered with LA-based company Kinetic Energy Entertainment on a YA sci-fi IP. Leo has participated in prestigious talent schemes such as Series Mania Writers Campus 2022, Future of Film Incubator 2022, and Good Trouble Labs. She also worked as an Interactive Story Designer with Manchester-based company Belly Feel.
Leo's short films have received critical acclaim, and were screened on the BBC (Rory Romantic) and sold to DUST (The Bargain). Her screenplays have won and been top-ranked in UK and international competitions such as Fresh Voices, Austin Film Festival, Sir Peter Ustinov, The Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, and Shore Scripts.
Meet Producer Martina Russo
Martina Russo is an award-winning producer and alumna of the prestigious National Film Television School.
Martina has produced 8 short films with great BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying festival award wins and circulations, and with a budget up to 70k. These include NIA, which she produced for BBC Films, Osoro by Sheila Nortley starring Noisettes singer Shingai and Make Me A King, a fictional short film by director Sofia Olins, Oscar-winning Editor Amanda James (The Long Goodbye) and consulted by BAFTA-winning director Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, 2015). Her films have been featured in publications and press, such as Forbes, Il Corriere della Sera, Dazed, Gscene, and more.
In 2020, Martina won the Discovery Channel UK competition and helped produce global TV programmes such as Discovery Channel’s productions The Curse of the Highgate Vampire. In 2022, Martina was invited to the Cannes Film Festival 2022 by Variety to present on how NFTs can support independent filmmakers and producers.
Martina wants to curate her slate to produce films that shed light on hidden communities. She is now working on a slate of feature projects in co-production with various countries (US/Israel mainly). Outside of filmmaking, Martina collaborates with universities, supporting diverse women-led start-ups.
Session 2 - Contests as a route into TV
With screenwriters Sam Moody, Jon Champion and Lizzy Mansfield, hosted by Sorcha Kurien-Walsh
Monday 23rd October, 6-7pm online
🎟 REGISTER HERE FOR FREE TICKETS 🎟
We all know that contests are the closest thing the UK TV industry has to a ‘route in’. But what does that actually mean? We’re bringing together participants from BBC Writersroom, 4Screenwriting and BAFTA Rocliffe to talk about the scripts that got them onto these schemes, what they learned, and their careers since.
Sorcha will be moderating this session and will bring her expertise on the other side of the curtain, working in development for several years and script reading for various prestigious programmes.
Lizzy Mansfield - BBC Comedy Room participant 2020
Lizzy is a comedy writer and director from Newcastle, who took part in the BBC Comedy Room in 2020. She's been in multiple TV writers' rooms and worked as the writers' assistant on season 2 and 3 of the Emmy-winning US comedy TED LASSO. She's written for radio and stage as well as multiple short films, and is currently working on her first feature. Her work has screened at festivals including Cannes, Encounters and Bolton Film Festival as well as reaching the final of the Funny Women Awards. Lizzy is represented by MMB Creative.
Sam Moody - BAFTA Rocliffe winner 2021
Sam is a genre writer, which will delight others who worry this type of writing won’t get them notice. Inspired by her experiences starting over and her complicated family relationships, Sam pens female-led coming of age stories with a touch of horror and adventure.
With accolades to her name including being a finalist and runner up for Stowe Story Labs Fellowships in consecutive years, semifinalist ranking in Raindance, Final Draft’s Big Break, Screencraft and Stage 32’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy contests and quarterfinalist placements in PAGE and Screencraft’s horror contests, Sam was one of the BAFTA Rocliffe drama winners with her horror script Wychwood in 2021. She signed with her US reps, Grandview management, in 2023.
Jon Champion - 4Screenwriting participant 2023
After working in development for 2 years and being accepted onto industry scemes including Sky Breakthrough and the Warner Brothers Creative Talent programme, Jon secured a place on the Duly Noted script editing training scheme run by Eleven Film in 2022. While on the scheme, he worked as a trainee script editor on the comedy series Trying (Apple TV+). In 2023, Jon won a place on the prestigious Channel 4 Screenwriting Course, which led to him signing with his agent at Curtis Brown.
The script he submitted for the 4Screenwriting application was a comedy-drama pilot entitled How My Body Works, which tells the story of a young man trying to navigate romance and relationships while living with a disability. Jon has Cerebral Palsy and tries to write insightfully from a particular perspective.
Session 3 - Understanding rights, contracts and case work for new writers
With Joe Abel from the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain, hosted by Isobel Bruce
Monday 30th October, 6-7pm online [TBC]
🎟 REGISTER HERE FOR FREE TICKETS 🎟
And finally! Putting your work and your ideas out anywhere and everywhere is a huge part of being an emerging writer. So we’re bringing the amazing folks at the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain in to tell you all about rights, contracts, and the case work they do, as well as how minimums work and when you can expect starting to be paid what.
Joe Abel advises members on contractual and other issues and supports recruitment, campaigns and member engagement across WGGB’s national and regional branches - so he’s the best person to give emerging writers the rundown on what they need to know as they get started.
Check out the WGGB website if you haven’t already, and see how they can support you. Even if you’re not eligible for full membership yet, candidate membership gets you access to a huge library of resources as well as exclusive events and screenings.
And now… a reminder of our upcoming IRL events:
WRITUAL ~ Every Fucking Saturday at The Glitch in Waterloo. Productivity and morning pages surrounded by other writers to kickstart your weekend every weekend.
MESSY MESSY DRINKS ~ The first Tuesday of every month. Tickets for November 7th are available here. And a date for your diary, we’ll be doing Wednesday 13th December instead of the first Tuesday. All at Vout-O-Reenee’s, our beloved crypt.
LIVE READS ~ these currently open for submissions with two topics - Women on the Edge and Parting Words. More info here about what we’re looking for with the open call, and what happens to our selected pieces.
Last things last!
We have something ⚡️VERY EXCITING⚡️ coming from November 1st. If you want to start 2024 with a brand new script you’re proud of, this is for you. So stay tuned, and make sure you’re signed up here to get a first look, as we’ll be announcing next week.