SRN Executive minutes September 2018

Minutes of Executive meeting 15:00 (Milan time) 12th September 2018, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

 

Present: Claus Tieber (Chair), Ian Macdonald (Minutes), Christina Milligan, Ronald Geerts, Carmen Sofia Brenes, Anna Zaluczkowska, John Finnegan; and Guilhermina Castro and Daniel Ribas (item 5 only).

  1. Minutes of previous meeting

These were approved.

 

  1. Finance

A discussion about the value and purpose of the SRN raising funds brought in further discussion about membership and working groups. It was decided that the next Exec should look at making membership acceptance a little more formal, in order to ensure clarity for institutions, and underline the value for individuals. If a decision is made later to introduce membership fees, this would also facilitate that.

The discussion about working groups resulted in a decision to ask the next conference to make available spaces and timeslots for working groups, both for informal/networking purposes and as guaranteed panels. It was then decided that the next Exec should send out a Call for Working Groups/Panels, as a way of revitalising activity in specialist areas and research questions.

The Executive also decided to investigate applying for networking funding to COST (again) and other sources, to support travel for meetings of working groups.

Action: 2018-19 Exec

 

  1. Newsletter

The role of the newsletter was discussed. It was decided that it was definitely an appropriate site for debate and opinion, controversial or otherwise, as well as being the right place for news and information.

Action: CM, CSB

 

  1. Early Career Representative

John Finnegan, the co-opted ECRep for 2018-19, was welcomed to the meeting. He spoke about suggestions for fulfilling his role, and his desire that Early Career Researchers should feel part of the work of the SRN. The meeting agreed that he should send out a short simple questionnaire to ECRs, to increase awareness of issues facing them, and of suggestions for improvement.

Action: JF

 

  1. 2019 Conference

Daniel Ribas and Guilhermina Castro spoke briefly about progress with this conference in Porto, Portugal, organised by Cattolica Porto and the University of Lisbon. The dates are now set as 12th-14thSeptember 2019. The theme, ‘Order and Chaos’, was welcomed, and there was discussion of the various binary oppositions that might then provoke interesting papers, e.g. narrative structuring vs. the emergent methods of development. A brief discussion ensued over possible keynote speakers, peer reviewing of papers and the timing of Calls for Papers etc. IM offered to search out the timeline for a previous conference as a guide.

Action: IM

 

  1. Diversity

A brief discussion on this topic within SRN, particularly the awareness of our US- and Euro-centric character, resulted in decisions first to set up a specific Working Group, and secondly for the next Chairperson (or nominee) to seek an early meeting/discussion with the Editor of the Journal of Screenwritingto see if journal and association could work together to actively seek out researchers and contacts in regions and countries not so far represented. IM reported that Intellect had in the past shown themselves to be willing to help, certainly in providing information about the circulation of the Journaland possibly in encouraging special issues about certain geographical regions.

Action:  2018-19 Exec

 

  1. Date and time of next meetings
  2. Milan (in person): Brief introductions and assumption of roles and activities, following AGM 14thSeptember 2018.
  3. Monthly (by skype): dates and times to be agreed, taking into account the time-zones of new members of the Exec.
  4. Porto (in person): Full meeting of Exec in person, 11th September 2019.

Action: 2018-19 Exec

 

First Meeting of new EC, SRN Conference Milan,  September 15th, 2018

Start: ca. 7pm          End: ca. 7:30 pm

Attending:

Carmen Sofia Brenes, John Finnegan, Margret McVeigh, Christina Milligan, Paolo Russo, Claus Tieber, Anna Zaluczkowska.

 

The AGM re-elected Carmen Sofia Brenes and elected Margret McVeigh and Paolo Russo as new members of the EC for two years.

Claus Tieber steps down as chair and suggests Carmen Sofia Brenes as new chair. The EC unanimously approves Carmen as the new chair of the network.

The remaining members of the EC stay in their positions, Claus Tieber is taking over secretary from Ian Macdonald and will write the minutes of the monthly meetings.

Paolo Russo will be membership secretary and Margert McVeigh treasurer.

John Finnegan will support the communication, especially via social media.

The new EC has to find a fixed monthly date, Tuesdays is a first proposal.

The new members should send their bio and a picture to Anna to be published on our website.

 

The first monthly meeting should be in October. Date will be fixed per e-mail.

 

 

SRN Awards 2019

The Executive Council has decided to establish an annual award for outstanding achievements in screenwriting research. The first SRN awards will be given at the SRN conference in Porto in autumn 2019 in two categories:

  • Book
  • Research article

Nominated texts should be published between September 2018 and June 2019. Nominated texts should be made available to the three members of the jury, either in print or in digital form no later than June, 15th 2019. The text can be published by the date of the conference.

Book: monograph or edited volume.

In general,everything that can be included into screenwriting research from narratology to production studies, can be nominated, even when they do not deal with screenwritingexclusively.Screen writing manuals will not be considered, except the jury argues for its scholarly value beyond its primary instructional purpose.

Research article

In general,articles published in academic journals (usually peer reviewed or editor reviewed), either in print or online. Articles outside of academic journals might be considered if they fulfil the conditions of a research article in length, form and content.

The criteria for the awards are just:

  1. Best new contribution
  2. Clarity of expression

 

Members of the Jury:

The Executive council chose three eminent scholars in the field of screenwriting research. We are proud and happy to confirmthe following three colleagues to serve in the jury:

In alphabetical order:

Jill Nelmes

Janet Staiger

Tom Stempel

 

The award will be a certificate without any financial value.

Anybody can make a nomination(even non-members of the SRN) and self-nomination is allowed. Nominations should be mailed to:

claus.tieber@univie.ac.at