Lifestyle Mirror

Vice always manages to draw a crowd and last night’s party at the W Downtown to kick off a "Four Stories" film series competition co-sponsored by Intel and W Hotels, was no exception. And with host Roman Coppola, who most recently co-wrote Moonrise Kingdom with director Wes Anderson, how can you go wrong? The director set the tone for the evening when he toasted to audacity and innovation, urging writers to be, “bold, far out, and crazy inspiring,” with their work.  Guests sipped champagne and took in the scene as stars like PJ Ransone and Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Pitt walk the red carpet. Pitt and Ransone, along with other big names like Chloë Sevigny, and Vice creative director, Eddy Moretti, will help Coppola in selecting the three winning screenplay submissions.

To those who’ve ever wanted to be involved in film, Coppola is a name often equated with greatness and thanks to the Four Stories competition, budding screenwriters will have the opportunity to learn and collaborate with the best of the best. The catch: All screenplays must be under 10 minutes, be set in a W Hotel, and an Intel Ultrabook computer must play a key role. But with an opportunity this large, such requirements are a small price to pay for the chance at a huge reward. Coppola and his award-winning company, The Directors Bureau, will adapt the winning scripts into real moving image.

As Pitt explained, he’s been dabbling in screenwriting himself and advised contestants, “Don’t be afraid to be different, just put in the work,” before adding, “I look for a strong voice. I also look for things that I’ve never read before.”

Ransone, best known for his role in The Wire, also emphasized the need for a strong voice in a script. “The best piece of advice,” he said, “is that whatever you’re doing, don’t forget that it is an actual art form. If you’re inspired to create something, the thing that actually inspires you doesn’t respond to money or success, it responds to truth.” —Emilia Petrarca (@emiliabedeliaa)

The Four Stories competition runs from August 10th through August 30th. Submit your screenplays here.