RIP Creative Screenwriting Magazine?

[AlexNoa]

According to Jim Cirile, a monthly contributor to the magazine, the magazine and the expo may be kaput. It's a shame. Despite the fact that the expo contest has been poorly run, they seemed to get their act together this year and they've always had very informative classes there.

http://coverageink.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-creative-screenwriting.html

[roscoegino]

Tough. Not all that surprising, but sad. It's a wonder any magazine is surviving since all I see people do is the skim through and put back. It's especially true for specialty publications.

I would think that at the very least the website would still be up and running.

[EJ Pennypacker]

If this is true I'm sorry these key folks have lost/about to lose their jobs.

Bill D was an as$hole though. Check out his response on the numerous threads here. I can only imagine if he conducted himself in his workplace as he did on these boards, then CS fate was sealed a long time ago.

EJ

[NikeeGoddess]

the fish rots from it's head

[Madbandit]

I entered the expo screenwriting contest last year and found it very frustrating that they prolonged the late deadline, putting early and dued entries like mine on the backburner. They said my script was good, but the judge(s) didn't like the fact my characters were teenagers. If you're going to judge a script on what age the characters age, you shouldn't judge scripts. Hence, I'm glad CSM's going bust.

[Madbandit]

Tough. Not all that surprising, but sad. It's a wonder any magazine is surviving since all I see people do is the skim through and put back. It's especially true for specialty publications.

I would think that at the very least the website would still be up and running.

Actually, they haven't update it for a while. Quite a telling sign of its' demise.

[DangoForth]

Madbandit,
You think that's frustrating? I actually entered and won one of the categories this year at the LA Screenwtiting Expo. You know, a check and wonderful prizes? Can't reach anyone (due to a family emergency, I couldn't attend the Awards Dinner to collect in person. BIG mistake, I guess, in retrospect).

[Madbandit]

Madbandit,
You think that's frustrating? I actually entered and won one of the categories this year at the LA Screenwtiting Expo. You know, a check and wonderful prizes? Can't reach anyone (due to a family emergency, I couldn't attend the Awards Dinner to collect in person. BIG mistake, I guess, in retrospect).

At least you won something. Congrats. Hope they won't renege on it...

[writenowdude]

I can't tell you how many times I have heard winners, readers, and assistants from contests complain about how they haven't been paid or how the owner/managers of such contests mismanage their funds. Sad. :(

[DangoForth]

At least you won something. Congrats. Hope they won't renege on it...

I'll wait a little while and see what Bill has to say before I do anything about it. Gotta admit, the win itself is nice. This script had already won Best Screenplay at a film festival, so it's comforting to get a little confirmation since I "came out of retirement" last year. (I wrote a bunch of screenplays in the 90s/early millenium. A high school debate team friend / roommate at Georgetown one summer / attorney buddy wanted to try and get into the movie agent biz [he had a few book clients], so we spent that decade proving that you can, indeed, do everything wrong! But it was great fun. Then I took eight years off to be a foster parent and adopt a few kids (12 total adoptions). The "babies" are now 7, and I've got time for writing again. Also, a 3 day work week doesn't hurt, either. )

[NikeeGoddess]

you're going to wait for Bill???!!! <<<the NikeeGoddess just shakes her head>>> dood - i've already been thru it. he doesn't care. i had to literally go thru a back door to get half of my prize. the rest of it... now, i don't care.

[grumpywriter]

Sorry but --

good f-ing riddance...

[millar]

I much prefer Script magazine, anyhoo.

[Madbandit]

I much prefer Script magazine, anyhoo.

Yeah.

[DangoForth]

http://creativescreenwriting.com/announcement.html

[emily blake]

I wonder if one of the options they're considering is not sucking?

[glantern2814]

It's a shame. I feel for the writers and production staff who are out of jobs.

But everything they did was poorly run. The contests were a joke, constantly extending deadlines to get a few more entry fees, then waiting months to announce even the semifinalists. For those who entered the Expo contest -- where prizes included trips or discounts to the Expo -- winners in the past were informed after the Expo was over, or at least too late to go to that year's Expo.

Personally, I've been a subscriber for the past three years or so, and over the past year, I haven't gotten a single issue on time, and it usually took me several phone calls to get a replacement issue.

The organization has certainly been in a decline for a while.

[Bobby Dazzler]

http://creativescreenwriting.com/announcement.html

That discounted "Best of Interviews" book might be worth a gander...

[AlexNoa]

That discounted "Best of Interviews" book might be worth a gander...

When I clicked it, it didn't work...can't say I'm surprised.

[Madbandit]

I wonder if one of the options they're considering is not sucking?

I think that option has left them, em.

[Bobby Dazzler]

When I clicked it, it didn't work...can't say I'm surprised.

Haha!

Same here.

404: Page Not Found

(14) The referrer, relay response or receipt link URL is invalid.

Looks like I'm buying that Police Academy t-shirt...

[120pages]

Bill deserves an award!!

I was at the latest CS Expo and the BS he spewed during the "closing ceremonies" was Oscar worthy. Attendees asked questions about why and how the Expo could be so unorganized and he had a weak and barely plausible excuse for each question. I was shocked that he actually said some things didn't get done because he just didn't have enough time. There sure wasn't a lot of LEADERSHIP on that stage when he was giving those answers (and, yes, he was up there alone!!).

I enjoyed the magazine (and the Expo) and hope that maybe someone can take CS over that actually has a clue about how to run a business.

[Madbandit]

Bill deserves an award!!

I was at the latest CS Expo and the BS he spewed during the "closing ceremonies" was Oscar worthy. Attendees asked questions about why and how the Expo could be so unorganized and he had a weak and barely plausible excuse for each question. I was shocked that he actually said some things didn't get done because he just didn't have enough time. There sure wasn't a lot of LEADERSHIP on that stage when he was giving those answers (and, yes, he was up there alone!!).

I enjoyed the magazine (and the Expo) and hope that maybe someone can take CS over that actually has a clue about how to run a business.


You should have filmed it, if you had an Iphone.

[jsay]

used to love those old little blue copies of the magazine... remember those?

[ErikPSC]

used to love those old little blue copies of the magazine... remember those?

I'd love to bring those back.

[Typewriter]

I'm still waiting on Bill to re-release the Actions of Screenwriting book. Can't be that hard to pay a publisher to print copies and then and sell the book on a website can it? Its been sold out for years now.

[Done Deal Pro]

I'm still waiting on Bill to re-release the Actions of Screenwriting book. Can't be that hard to pay a publisher to print copies and then and sell the book on a website can it? Its been sold out for years now.

And why are you bringing up Bill Martell in a thread about Creative Screenwriting? He doesn't even work for the magazine. I think this post needs to go in a different thread. Yes?

[wcmartell]

The connection: Blue Covers.

Through a killer head cold I am rewriting a chapter of SECRETS OF ACTION today and expect to have it finished around the end of the month - Kindle/Nook edition around then, and print to follow. Nov issue of Script has an excerpt from the new edition.

Okay, now back to Creative Screenwriting discussion currently in progress...

- Bill

[EJ Pennypacker]

Good to hear of your new book, Bill.

EJ

[Moviequill]

Not to forget the snafus they had delivering purchased dvds... took me 6 months of phone calls to get my products... never in the stores on time or at all some issues... 6 issues per year and they can't get their act together?

[docgonzo]

Any updates on CS's status? Have they filed for bankruptcy? They owe me money for two articles published.

[ComicBent]

They probably owe Unca Leo $5, too.

[DangoForth]

They owe Unca Dango $500...

[docgonzo]

It's more like $300, but yeah, they owe a lot of people money.