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The Screenwriter in Cyberspace By Charles
Deemer |
Column #4: Networking II - the Internet
Last month I defined
"networking" as the opportunity for screenwriters in cyberspace to communicate
with other screenwriters, often to their professional or educational advantage,
and focused on networking
opportunities on commercial online services.
This month I focus on networking opportunities on the Internet proper. In
particular, I will look at networking opportunities in three "modes" of the
Internet: mailing lists, newsgroups and chat lounges.
Mailing Lists
The most active networking arena on the Internet is the Screenwriters List, which
was the focus of my second column. But there are other mailing lists of interest
to screenwriters with specialized interests.
Ann Garretson has compiled a list of film-related
mailing lists that, although somewhat dated, will give you an idea of the
specialized opportunities for this kind of networking. The best strategy for
finding mailing list opportunities related to your special interests is to
utilize the many Internet searching tools, such as Yahoo and Lycos (see my first column).
Newsgroups
A mailing list dumps email into your mail box, providing a
kind of "passive" networking (once you subscribe, the information and networking
opportunities are brought to you). This can be overwhelming, especially with a
list as active as the Screenwriters List.
Networking via a newsgroup puts you more in control: you are the active party
who goes out and retrieves information and intiates networking opportunities.
Much of the same kind of discussion occurs on both formats, and indeed many of
the same people are active on both.
There are two newsgroups of special interest to screenwriters:
- misc.writing.screenplays, a
recent spinoff of the broader misc.writing
newsgroup. Many from the Screenwriters List are active here. At the same time,
daily messages here are not as overwhelming as on the mailing list, with far
less "chit chat" and cutesy commentary of the kind that periodically
overwhelms the list.
- rec.arts.movies.production,
a newsgroup for filmmakers, often practical and focused, with occasional
writing-related discussion.
Chat Lounges
There are two kinds of "chat lounges": real-time lounges,
which most of the commercial services have and which, on the Internet, is
primarily represented by Internet Relay Chat, which is the focus of next month's
column; and "bulletin board" lounges, which are question-and-answer areas where
beginning writers can ask professional writers for advice and specific
information.
No Internet site offers more of the latter than the Internet Screenwriters
Network (which is where you are right now). Indeed, virtually every aspect of
screenwriting has a "lounge" hosted by a professional in the industry, to take
and answer questions from less experienced writers.
Carlos de Abreu, who manages the Network, is always adding networking
opportunities. A list of lounges can be found at Virtually every question a beginning screenwriter might have can
be directed, at least, to an appropriate area for professional reply. This is
the kind of networking opportunity that makes the Internet the extraordinary
entity that it is.
Next month I will look at an area of the Internet that is far from being
utilized to its full potential, especially for screenwriters - Internet Relay
Chat. Til next time . . .
- --Charles Deemer
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Originally appeared at the Hollywood Network.