MAILBOX
VOTING PROCESS I am horrified at the voting process for the Great Idea competition . It in no way shows an accurate or fair judgement of anyone ’ s work . Why ? Because it is impossible to vote for only one category , which means you have to read through reams and reams of information ( via a convoluted and time consuming PDF rigmarole ) you may not necessarily be interested in . I think it ’ s fairly obvious that the top entry in each category will therefore immediately receive a higher number of votes simply because individuals with a special interest in any other category will automatically vote for those ones in the categories they ’ re not interested in . Secondly , this idea of “ public ” voting boils down to a popularity contest based on the social media skills of the entrants and will inevitably say very little indeed about the quality of the entries . A most disappointing way to conclude what seems to have started off as a great initiative .
Louw Venter
WGSA RESPONSE Thank you for your interest in the Great Idea Competition , Louw . This is the first time that a competition like this is run in South Africa , so any constructive criticism to make it better is appreciated .
The semi-finalist were posted in no particular order , so if people simply vote for the first one , the best entry may not neccessarily win , which would be a real pity . We will look at ways to make it easier for people to read and vote .
All the entries went through a very intense judging process before the semi-finalists were selected . Four judges evaluated every entry on writing style , idea , originality , sustainability , marketability both locally and internationally , production difficulty and cost , and what is posted now for public comment are the productions that scored the highest points in each of their categories .
Harriet Meier
WGSA Chairperson
THANK YOU ! The recent workshop facilitated by Linda Aronson ( Big Fish School Of Digital Filmmaking , 4-5 May ) was an absolute triumph ! I ’ m sure that all in attendance felt as enriched as I was to have such a seasoned industryveteran share with us her unique-yet-universallyaccessible , knowledge , experience , techniques and quirky humanity . Linda Aronson is one amazingly talented and engaging individual and being able to learn from her has definitely been an experience that will definitely shape , focus and guide my writing for the better !
A HUUUUGGE ‘ Thank You !’ to the team at WGSA . Your enormous efforts in the planning , logistics and ultimately in executing this fantastic workshop did not go unnoticed and are much appreciated ! I wish each member of the team and the Guild as a whole every success and a fantastic Winter season . Let ’ s keep the fires of inspiration burning and onward and upward to our next exciting exchange ! Kudos and many thanks . Now , breathe .
And to MNET , my wonderful sponsor ! Your ongoing dedication to upliftment , skills development and talent nurturing – particularly to us , the creative writing community of the entertainment sector – is truly invaluable and hugely appreciated . Personally , I cannot wait to put some of the techniques learned from this workshop to practical use and add further value and a fresh voice to our industry . Surely , the return on your investment in knowledgetransfer workshops such as this one , will be felt in our industry through more innovative , more vivid and more relevant story-telling – and the magic that that awakens in us all ! Kudos , and many thanks for your sponsorship
Craig Niken
PLEASE WRITE TO US
P . O . Box 91937 , Auckland Park , 2006 or email editor @ writersguildsa . org and put MAILBOX in the subject line . Every letter must include the writer ’ s full name and location . Letters should not be longer than 400 words . Letters may be edited for space and clarity . Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of WGSA Magazine ’ s editorial team . We cannot undertake to respond to all letters . Contributions must be mailed on or before the 22 th
6 | WGSA MAG June 2013