Ten days more: How’s it going? July 15, 2009

Deadline alert: Hope you guys have had some time to crystallize your thoughts. Now, it’s time to put them down on paper and start drafting your concept note and send it to chennai@screenwritingindia.com before deadline of July 25. Just copy-pasting Mr. Hariharan’s guidelines again: The concept note should be around 400 words containing the following: [...]

Project Chennai: Part 2 June 21, 2009

Jean Claude Carriere shares his approach to writing films. Please note: Only participants of the Chennai International Screenwriting Workshop are eligible to participate in this initiative.

Project Chennai: Part 1 June 21, 2009

Kamal Haasan and K.Hariharan announce the launch of Project Chennai Alias Madras, born out of the Chennai International Screenwriting Workshop organised by Raajkamal Films International. Mr. Hariharan, Director of the LV Prasad Film and TV Academy outlines the rules and Mr. Kamal Haasan shares his vision and talks about his association with veteran writer and [...]

Chennai Alias Madras June 20, 2009

Dear Friends, I am sure all of you must have felt exhilarated having Jean Claude Carriere start off the post workshop screenwriting project. His presence and assurance of continuous support to our ideals will certainly fuel us to bring out the best in us in order to give back to cinema what she has given [...]

Anjum Rajabali writes… June 17, 2009

Guidelines for further learning and follow-up to the Workshop I. Recommended books: 1. “The Art of Dramatic Writing”, by Lajos Egri (first published in 1943, this excellent book by a teacher of playwriting captures all the essentials of what constitutes good drama) 2. “The Hero With a Thousand Faces”, by Joseph Campbell (while this is [...]

For June 19: Directions/ Accommodation June 15, 2009

The session with Jean Claude Carriere will take place at the Prasad Lab Theatre AND NOT at the LV Prasad Film and TV Academy. The Prasad Lab theatre is further down Arunachalam Road after you cross Prasad Studios when you are coming from Vadapalani. After AVM Studios, take the right to Arunachalam Road and you [...]

From book to film: Kamal Haasan recommends June 13, 2009

1. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand has a few film versions, the notable ones starred Jose Ferrer (1950) and Gerard Depardieu (1990). 2. Spartacus the Howard Fast novel was turned into a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and directed by Stanley Kubrick 3. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was turned into a screenplay for [...]

For our Telugu students: Mr. Gollapudi Maruthi Rao recommends June 12, 2009

Films 1. Yogi Vemana: Directed by K.V.Reddy (Vauhini Films) Featuring Chittooor Nagayya, M.V.Rajamma 2.Laila Majnu: A great movie that made waves as a love story. Featuring Akkineni , Bhanumati; Music:Subbaraman; Director:P.S.Ramakrishna; Bharani Films 3.Shavukaru: The first realistic movie and the first movie produced by Vijaya Pictures, Director: L.V.Prasad; Featuring N.T.Rama Rao, Janaki (First film for [...]

Kamal Haasan recommends June 11, 2009

Virgin Spring (Jungfrukällan), Ingmar Bergman                                        Wages of fear (Le salaire de la peur), Henri-Georges ClouzotRashomon, Akira Kurosawa                                     The Cranes are flying (Letyat Zhuravli), Mikhail KalatozovDas boot, Wolfgang PetersenAmadeus, Milos FormanHair, Milos FormanDuel, Steven SpielbergThe Tenant (Le locataire), Roman PolanskiChinatown, Roman Polanski                                        La strada, Federico  FelliniAu hasard Balthazar, Robert BressonThe Brutalisation of Franz Blum (Die Verrohung [...]

Mr. Kamal Haasan writes… June 11, 2009

Dear writers, Most say the workshop was a success. There has been some criticism as well. In my appraisal, we have just started and it is too early to comment. No one has the final word on this business yet. For that matter, any business. Writing screenplays will keep defying definitions as the platforms they [...]