About this project
In January of 2008, I saw a movie written by a blogger turned screenwriter who just happened to graduate from the University of Iowa—about an hour from where I live. Less than two weeks later, inspired by that screenwriter (Diablo Cody) and the movie "Juno" based on her script, I began the blog "Screenwriting from Iowa."
Later that year "Screenwriting from Iowa" became the first screenwriting blog to win an Emmy in Advanced Media/Arts at the Upper Midwest Emmys Awards in Minneapolis. (Less than ten miles from where Cody wrote much of her Oscar-winning "Juno" script in a Starbucks located in Super Target store..)
The blog became a clearing house of sorts of the more than two decades of notes I had been compiling since film school and continued to add to over the years. And since Cody wrote the script in Robinsdale and Crystal, Minnesota, I saw an opportunity to encourage screenwriters writing in unlikely places. (And as I've said that could be West Des Moines, West Africa, or just east of the Hollywood sign in West Covina.)
Now after more than three and a half years of blog posts (1,000 as of this writing) much time and effort was taken to edit down more than 300,000 words into a 65,000 word book titled, "Screenwriting from Iowa...and Other Unlikely Places."
A structure has emerged to make the book user friendly and increase readability.
Now what is needed is the final stage to bring the writing to life in book form. Funding is needed for cover artwork, layout design, copyediting, basic legal council, minimal marketing, and a limited edition run.
While there are plenty of screenwriting books on the market, I think the unique perspective on this subject coming from outside L.A., the popularity of the blog, as well as the recent changes and affordability of digital cameras, all create a situation where this book can have a positive impact on the kinds of scripts are written. (And hopefully movies that a made.)
This is what the official blog for Tom Cruise had to say about Screenwriting from Iowa:
“For a more off-beat look at writing, the Screenwriting from Iowa blog provides screenwriters with a slightly removed take from the Hollywood norm. Scott Smith blogs about how people outside of Los Angeles can have their stories told and sold for production in TinselTown. It’s inspiring for those of us around the world who aspire to Hollywood magic without having to live in Hollywood itself.”
Thank you for your consideration to support this project.
FAQ
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Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on August 30, 2011.
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Name mentioned in thank you blog on "Screenwriting from Iowa."
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PDF or E-Book of "Screenwriting from Iowa," & name mentioned on blog
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Name mentioned on blog, personal thank you note, and signed copy of "Screenwriting from Iowa" book
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Name mentioned on blog, personal thank you note, signed copy of "Screenwriting from Iowa" book, and name mentioned in book as one of key supporters.
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Name mentioned on blog, personal thank you note, signed copy of "Screenwriting from Iowa" book, name mentioned in book as one of the key supporters, and print of "Kelley's Blues" 2010 concert poster by artist Gary Kelley and filmmaker on the project, Scott W. Smith.
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Name mentioned on blog, personal thank you note, signed copy of "Screenwriting from Iowa" book, name mentioned in book, print of "Kelley's Blues" 2010 concert poster by artist Gary Kelley and filmmaker on the project, Scott W. Smith, choice of one of three original photographs by Scott W. Smith, mounted and signed.
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Corporate Sponsorship. Mention at the beginning of the book and option of business ad in the back of the book.
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Name mentioned on blog, personal thank you note, signed copy of "Screenwriting from Iowa" book, name mentioned in book, print of "Kelley's Blues" 2010 concert poster by artist Gary Kelley and filmmaker on the project, Scott W. Smith, choice of one of three original photographs by Scott W. Smith, mounted and signed. Plus a remnant from Scott's L.A. days, a 24X32 limited edition (5,000) professionally framed serigraph artwork of Patrick Nagel's Commemorative Mirage Printed #5. (Purchased in 1986 and the only blond in the collection.) And a personal phone call.
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Angel Pledge. You help launch the book and I'll produce a :30 commercial or web video for your favorite charity or non-profit group.
Project By
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Scott W. Smith is a producer/director/writer with River Run Productions (www.RiverRun.tv) as well as one of the partners of the company founded in 2007. He made his first 8mm film in film school and has spent 25+ years working throughout the US and overseas on more than 100 film and video projects as producer/director, cameraman, writer and/or editor.
Hightlights include shooting a couple Holocaust survivor interviews for Steven Spielberg's Shoah Project, writing and directing several award-winning short films, shooting 16mm footage at America's Downhill in Aspen, Colorado, producing best-selling video projects for two faith-based groups (R.C. Sproul & John Piper), shooting a documentary in Russia, Jamaica and South Africa, producing an Communicator Award-winning national TV program, and producing an Emmy-winning commercial.
In 2004 Scott gave his first screenwriting seminar and the content for "Screenwriting from Iowa" has flowed from Scott's varied production experience, writing feature and short screenplays, film school notes, UCLA & AFI Workshops, and reading over 50 books on screenwriting, mixed with a perspective of being based outside of Los Angeles.
Since moving to Iowa in 2003 he has won more than 15 Awards—including Addys, Tellys and two Emmys.
