Do anyone have some benefit winning screenplay contest. Which contest, is also important question? Share your experience! At this moment I am quarter finalist at BlueCat Screenplay Contest with my screenplay for short film "The Bear Trap".
Screenwriting : Contest or not? by Stevan Šerban
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For me, placing well emboldened me to just keep going, to keep writing. I do think competitions are a good way to gauge your writing, see how well your writing stands. Of course contests are very subjective. Entry is rather like playing a subjective lottery, so to speak. Lol! Screenwriting contests seem to be a world unto themselves. Some a bit too self-congratulatory, perhaps? I dunno... Personally, I think it best to enter into those that offer some real, tangible benefit, be it solid review notes to help you better hone your craft, or perhaps give you some good exposure or direct links to industry connections should you place well—you know, offer some way to help you get to whatever step is next for you whether in your development as a writer or with your career goals. ;) Hope that helps!
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Every year a contest winner gets signed, name in the trades, sometimes a movie, TV deal, or job. There isn't a minor training program like pro sports. Compare writing contests to "D-league" to NBA basketball or college football to NFL. Open competition. "Walk-On's" do break in every year- become working writers.
The two free contests to submit are Disney and Warner Bros TV fellowship. Lots of successful Writers from both. Sundance holds labs every year but I think the applicants are filmmakers with some track record.
Nicholls is sponsored by the Academy.
I would suggest Contests that are Los Angeles based, with awards ceremony and $$$$ prizes. If you win Nicholls, they fly you to Los Angeles. You're guaranteed a water bottle tour with Executives at Studio lots, do the Hollywood thing.
Agree with Dan M about looking at what the contests offer winners. I've placed in a LOT of contests (yet to win anything substantial) and while it's fun and plays up to my competitive spirit, you have to win or place very high in most of them to get anything beyond the print-out laurel or added tick to the resume.
I usually look at what they offer as far as exposure and prizes, comparing it against the cost of the contest. There are a couple I've entered (and placed in) simply because the entry fee was low and I thought "oh why not". Plus it's slightly easier to place in some of the smaller contests. Just depends on what you're looking for!
The truth is very painful! But Laura you are right! The "exposure" as a reward, usually finished as SPAM!!!! But all of us spend lot of time to find out this truth! Especially for us living outside of the USA. Who cares, we will find our way to break in!
Best to all of you!
Only a handful of contests that are respected in the industry? Okay. That's, say, around $400 a year. Sound investment. If you have a polished script lying around, a script you believe in, why not submit said script to a competition?
Recently, I made the quarterfinals in Scriptapalooza and BlueCat. Will this do anything for my career? Probably not. Still, it feels pretty good, man. Right?
Reading my own comment, it seems arrogant and preachy. Apologies.
Not arrogant, not preachy. Well said.
Unless you win one of the top 4 or 5 contests or at least place in semi-finals in Nichol's Contest, doesn't really mean a whole lot except bragging rights or something to put on the resume. But, I would not dismiss contacts you may make as a result and it's something to add to your social media feed. Good luck!
The biggies are Final Draft, Nichols, Scriptapaloosa, Sundance, Austin Film Festival, Script Pipeline(?).
Everyone has a slightly different list of the biggies, it seems, although Nicholl and Austin always seem to be on anyone's list. One does hear stories of writers doing well in the less well known contests and by doing so making the right connections to get a rep or their scripts optioned.
I'm trying out a new contest run by the Tracking Board called the Launch Pad Manuscript contest. It's judged by some heavy hitters, e.g., manager/producer Brooklyn Weaver, agents from UTA and Paradigm, execs from De Luca Productions, Scott Free. You can find my name appearing twice in the recently announced top 75:
http://www.tracking-board.com/tracking-boards-launch-pad-manuscript-comp...
Hey did anyone else enter the Location is Everything Script competition? http://www.visitcorpuschristitx.org/corpus-christi-film-commission/location-is-everything-short-script-competition/
It seems they never publicly announce the winner and the company that sponsored it is taking no submissions for work. So I was just wondering who won? I know the big storm passed thru there a month back and that might have really messed up the shooting of the winning film but that does not explain why no winner was announce in early August.
Thank you y'all.