We will, however, be contactable via email and all script report, training course, and software bookings may take place as normal. Standard turnaround times apply on script feedback services.

Best wishes,

The Industrial Scripts Team

You can read the piece in full at the Little White Lies website, here.

In truth, it’s not an exact science by any means but the key to getting ahead in development is to pay your dues.

The blunt truth of it is that Ridley Scott is not going to hire you as his Head of Development without you working as a Development Executive first. To beat the legions of others to a Development Executive position, of course, you’re going to have had to first earn your spurs as a Development Assistant or industry Script Reader – reading for big, reputable companies. To get these jobs you’re going to have to impress the powers-that-be either through your work as a runner, or your work as a script reader for small companies/for free.

Later on in your career, once you’ve established a reputation within development circles and got some big company names on your CV, you’ll begin to be considered for the occasional, rarely advertised full-time development job that comes up. You might move up through the ranks, spending around 3 years in a development position, before moving to a new one, going into producing, or even starting your own independent script feedback service – only if you’ve accumulated the years of necessary credentials by this point to have your service taken seriously.

Here’s how the full-time jobs generally break down in development (note: Development Co-Ordinator is a rare job, with many companies lacking the need or resources to hire at this stage):

PA/Assistant/Runner/Intern   ->  

Development Assistant   ->  

(Development Co-Ordinator)   ->  

Development Executive   ->  

Head of Development

Here’s our handy visual guide to how a script development professional’s career evolves, and the kind of timeframes involved at each stage.

We hope you enjoy it, but remember, a serious career in script development is a marathon not a sprint – there aren’t any short-cuts, you just have to do the hard-yards if you’re serious about it!

Good luck!

(click on the image to enlarge it).

How people progress in script development

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As in previous years, the UK and Irish film community have compiled a list of their most liked and recommended unproduced screenplays. Out of over 160 screenplays nominated the projects below achieved the 3 votes or more needed in order to appear on the list.

In order to qualify for the Brit List, a screenplay had to:

a) receive 3 or more votes
b) be unproduced (not shooting) at the time of the list’s circulation
c) be written by any writer who is non US, and
d) not have featured on previous Brit Lists

Where known, producers have been named alongside the screenplays. Genre and summary information has also been provided at the discretion of the producers involved with the project.

Every effort has been made to supply accurate information, and apologies are made in advance for any inaccuracies or misspellings.

10 VOTES
THE CALL UP by Charles Baker (Marjacq)
Producers: Stigma Films
Genre: Sci-fi Horror
Summary: A group of online gamers are invited to trial a state-of-the-art virtual reality sim, but what starts out like a dream encounter with cutting edge video technology – a perfect representation of soldiers in a warzone – takes a turn for the sinister when the stakes are raised to fatal. These masters of the shoot ‘em up will have to fight for their lives within a game gone too far: this time it’s for real.

8 VOTES
ORDINARY THUNDERSTORMS by William Boyd (The Agency)
Producers: Origin Pictures/BBC Films
Genre: Thriller Summary: An innocent man on the run across London is forced to go underground in an attempt to evade his dangerous pursuers. Based on William Boyd’s internationally best-selling novel.

7 VOTES
LILTING THE PAST by Hong Khaou (unrepresented)
Producers: Dominic Buchanan
Summary: A story about loss, memory, love and intimacy. A mothers attempt at understanding who her son is after his untimely death.

OLIVIA AND JIM by Henrietta & Jessica Ashworth (United Agents)
Producers: Forward Films
Genre: Comedy

6 VOTES
MAN UP by Tess Morris (Julia Tyrell Management)
Producers: Big Talk Productions/Studio Canal
Genre: Romantic Comedy

TUSK TUSK by Polly Stenham (Alan Brodie Representation)
Producers: Origin Pictures/Film4
Genre: Drama
Summary: When three children are left to fend for themselves in a London flat, things start to spiral out of control. Based on Polly Stenham’s critically acclaimed stage play.

X+Y by James Graham (Curtis Brown)
Producers: Origin Pictures/BBC Films/ Minnow Films/BFI
Genre: Drama/Coming-of-age
Summary: A funny and moving rites of passage drama that charts a teenage prodigy’s journey to the Mathematics Olympiad, and his quest to find a formula for love.

5 VOTES
SECOND IS NOWHERE by William Davies (ITG)
Producers: AL Films/BBC Films
Genre: Drama

4 VOTES
BAD TRAFFIC by Jay Basu (ITG)
Producers: David Gerson, Nick Wechsler and Rory Gilmartin
Genre: Crime Thriller
Summary: Former Chinese cop, JIAN arrives in London seeking revenge on snakehead criminal BLACK FORT, the man he holds responsible for the murder of his daughter. British undercover cop RAY picks up his trail, and must decide whether to stop Jian or let him do his dirty work for him.

BAGHDAD WEDDING by Hassan Abdulrazzak (Knight Hall Agency) and Nick Drake (The Agency)
Producers: Focus Features

BURNTHAVEN by Sebastian Foster (United Agents)
Producers: Cloud Eight Films
Genre: Action/Western
Summary: A Federal Marshal tracks his best friend’s murderer through the Utah badlands to an outlaw stronghold. To bring his man to justice, he must first take out 23 of the most lawless fugitives in the land – and their leader, a shadowy figure from his past.

LIKE A VIRGIN by Catherine Shepherd (Curtis Brown)
Producers: Kate Ogborn/Fly Film
Genre: Coming-of-age/Comedy
Summary: Mary is off her head on a night out when she is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells her that she has been chosen by God to give birth to the next Messiah. This time the Messiah won’t be born to a virgin. What happens when a girl who isn’t ready to grow up is chosen to save the world? ‘Like a Virgin’ is a coming-of-age comedy about the search for the sublime in the ridiculous, the meaningful in the mundane and the desire to believe in something bigger than ourselves.

TESTAMENT OF YOUTH by Juliette Towhidi (Casarotto)
Producers: Heyday Films/BBC Films
Summary: An adaptation of the classic First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which tackles youth, hope, dreams, love, and loss, and tells the personal story of how one woman faces the tragedy of war, and rises above it.

3 VOTES
AVAILABLE LIGHT by Amber Trentham (Casarotto) and Thomas Carty (Casarotto)
Producers: Altered Image Films
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Summary: Joseph, a young ex-gardener is paralysed in a bike accident and his life seems all but over. When he is abducted by a brutal brothel owner to service the voyeurism of a perverse client Joseph’s life seems to have entered a deeper stage of hell. But Joseph and prostitute Ingrid fall in love and together plan to escape.

THE BUCCANEERS by Heidi Thomas (The Agency)
Producers: Ruby Films/BBC Films/BFI
Genre: Romantic Drama
Summary: Adapted from Edith Wharton’s classic, the story captures the adventures of three wealthy American girls. Unable to gain acceptance in the WASP-y East Coast society, they are taken by their English governess to hunt for titled husbands in her home country, where many an impoverished Duke and Earl will look fondly at an American girl with a fortune, wherever that fortune comes from…They soon find however that they may have bitten off more than they can chew, and Laura, the governess, is forced to make some hard choices to make things right.

THE CHINESE BUSKER by Trevor Preston (The Agency)
Producers: Kennedy Mellor Limited
Genre: Thriller
Summary: Dumas is a man without a history; a ghost operating in that no-man’s land between legal and criminal; a genius at providing unscrupulous corporate raiders with devastating information plucked from the air. Hirst is his final customer and becomes his nemesis.

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD by David Nicholls (ITG)
Producers: DNA/BBC Films
Genre: Period Drama
Summary: An adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel

THE GOOD PEOPLE by Nicholas Horwood (Berlin Associates)
Producers: Escape Films
Genre: Horror/Drama
Summary: An American writer moves to rural England to escape his demons, only to find that he is haunted by a very real danger instead.

I, MACROBANE by Ben Wheatley (ITG)
Producers: Rook Films/Big Talk Productions
Genre: Black Comedy

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN by Abi Morgan (ITG)
Producers: Headline Pictures/Magnolia Mae Films/BBC Films/BFI
Genre: Romantic Drama
Summary: The story of Victorian England’s most famous author, Charles Dickens, and his secret love affair with young actress Nelly Ternan.

MISS YOU ALREADY by Morwenna Banks (The Agency) and Paul Andrew Williams (United Agents)
Producers: Embargo Films/Salt
Summary: Miss You Already is a film about love, loss and laughter.

A MOST WANTED MAN by Andrew Bovell (HLA)
Producers: The Ink Factory/Potboiler Productions/ Film4
Genre: Thriller
Summary: Adaptation of John le Carré’s bestselling novel. An enigmatic figure arrives in Hamburg with unclear objectives and the keys to a safe deposit box containing a fortune. He sweeps an embittered spy, a British banker and an idealistic young lawyer into a thrilling and moving mystery about his identity.

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR by Hossein Amini (Curtis Brown)
Producers: The Ink Factory/Potboiler Productions
Genre: Thriller
Summary: The lives of a young couple are changed forever after a chance encounter with a charismatic Russian oligarch. The man turns out to be the number one money launderer for the Russian mob, and his days are numbered unless the couple can come to his rescue. Based on John le Carré’s bestselling novel.

THE SLACKFI PROJECT by Howard Overman (ITG)
Producers: Matt Tolmach/Sony Columbia Pictures
Genre: Comedic Thriller
Summary: A hapless and broken hearted barrista is visited by two bad-ass soldiers from the future who tell him mankind is doomed and he alone can save them.

TAKING OFF by David F Shamoon (unrepresented)
Producers: Met Film Production
Genre: Road movie/Comedy
Summary: A funny and truthful road movie about a 50-something couple whose failing marriage is driven to its limits as they cross the US to get to their son’s wedding.

WALKING ON SUNSHINE by Joshua St Johnston (Alan Brodie Representation)
Producers: Vertigo Films
Genre: Musical
Summary: Set in the sun drenched Mediterranean, mother and daughter unwittingly fall for the same guy in this contemporary musical that features the greatest tracks from the 80’s.

THE KING’S SPEECH PRODUCERS SECURE RIGHTS TO CLASSIC TALE OF RUGBY RIVALRY

Bedlam Productions, producers of the acclaimed feature film “The King’s Speech”, announced today their new project “The Grudge”. A dramatic telling of the infamous 1990 Five Nations Grand Slam rugby match between Scotland and England. The project is based on the 2010 book by the respected Irish sports journalist Tom English, and tells the story of one of the greatest grudge matches in the history of the sport.

Evan Leighton-Davis of Takedown Pictures introduced the project to Bedlam, and will act as Producer on the film alongside Simon Egan , who is also attached to direct, under the Bedlam banner.

Set against the backdrop of Thatcherism, civil unrest in Scotland and a divide that threatened to overshadow the game, the story dramatises how the hard grind tactics of Scotland coaches Jim Telfer and Ian McGeechan overcame a rampant England team boasting the likes of Will Carling, Brian Moore and Jeremy Guscott.

Takedown Pictures is the new film production arm of leading London-based script consultancy Industrial Scripts. Industrial Scripts was founded in early 2010 by some of the UK’s leading script editors to deliver high-end script development services to writers, producers and directors, and recently launched the UK’s first free screenwriter promotion programme, “Talent Connector”. Takedown will utilise Industrial Scripts’ wide range of contacts in development, and its incoming project submissions, to source commercially-attractive material for feature film production.

Tony Grisoni, Asif Kapadia and Christopher Granier-Deferre are amongst those whose projects have been selected for Film London’s Microwave scheme which is backed by BBC Films and Skillset.

Shortlisted film-making teams will now take part in a four day boot camp – Microschool – which will consist of seminars, masterclasses and mentoring from established directors, writers and producers including Clio Barnard, Pete Travis, Kate Leys and Jay Basu. Following Microschool, the teams will this year be given an extended development period- before going in front of the greenlight panel in early 2012. Up to six features will be greenlit in February 2012.

Launched in 2006, the scheme gives London based film-makers the chance to shoot a feature for up to £120,000.  Features to come out of Microwave include Eran Creevy’s Shifty, Jes Benstock’s documentary The British Guide To Showing Off which will be distributed by Verve Pictures in the UK in November and Frances Lea’s Strawberry Fields which will have its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

The shortlist:

Benefield, produced by Trent Simpson and Ally Gipps; written by Ross Sutherland and Chris Hicks; directed by Kim Albright

Cornered, produced by Bruce Robertson; written and directed by Jim Cartwright

Death of a Pirate produced by Lisa Williams; written and directed by John Hardwick

Gone Too Far produced by Christopher Granier-Deferre; written by Bola Agbaje; directed by Destiny Ekaragha

Kingsland produced by Michael Elliott; written and directed by Tony Grisoni [pictured]

Lies Fibs Porkies produced by Jessica Levick; written by Andrew Callister; directed by Samantha Harrie

Lilting produced by Dominic Buchanan; written and directed by Hong Khaou

Night Haunts produced by Nicole Stott; written and directed by Eva Weber

Panic Buddy produced by Tom Leggett; written by Duncan Barrett; directed by Robert Mckillop

The Carer produced by Asif Kapadia; written and directed by Victoria Harwood

The Secret of Jean Baptiste produced by Rob Watson; written by Gabriel Vallejo; directed by Nicole Volavka

White City produced by Ian Prior; written by Aaron Anderson; directed by Martin Stitt