I read websites of both contests as well as coverage services that offer to ensure their winners(or screenplays that get a "recommend") access to movie industry companies and agencies, some of which are big and "famous", and other such... All their testimonials present amazing success stories and praises about the opportunities offered. If they are sincere, then the "problem" is solved: Be good enough, and all success is yours, and all this people(big names, big agencies/management, etc.) will work with you to convert your dream into reality! But is this always the case? Do some of these services make promises they know they can't keep? Are their testimonials faked? Or are they, all of them 100% honest in their claims? Is all this real, or just too good to be true?:)
Screenwriting : Would these services dare lie about this? by Victor Titimas
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If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. There are some distinguished and reputable competitions out there (most of which require a payment of some form) - Page is one, Nicholl is another I believe. I'm sure someone here can advise on those worth entering if you can spare the money.
Exactly what I was going to say, Owen. What do you think, Victor? And you should go with that thought.
If you can see the names of winners from several years back, just check their credits on IMDb. I did this with Nicholls winners, and guess what, very very few of them are having busy, lucrative careers.
That's what's up, Owen. I've been there and done that too. I got over it around Screenwriting Year 7 and moved to Denver. Focusing on story craft is where it's at!
For a moment there, I thought Owen had finally been exposed to the bright light and converted. One of these days, Owen....one of these days. Heh-heh.
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Whoa, I'm blinded by all this genius here. Victor, I have been where you are and considered such things until i started reading people's experiences. And one in particular got to me. Some guy sends in a script to a contest and doesn't make past the first round. Next year he sends in the same script untouched and it made it to the final round and won. I realised that there was no benchmark for what was winnable. So I'd never know if what I had had any chance. You can, by all means, send them in. Someone has to win after all, but it's a long shot so don't get your hopes up. But like the lotto, you gotta be in it to win it. I'm now concentrating on comics and angling in from that end.
Anyone can recommend a screenplay or a screenwriter to anyone so anyone could make that claim. All their testimonials about amazing success stories are probably BS. I read some of their claims years ago and they’d claim things like so and so took a meeting or is going to take a meet with someone. Not a big deal because 99 percent of the time the meeting won’t amount to anything. Very few scripts that win contest or place ever get made. The only thing that might help an aspiring screenwriter if they place high enough or won a major contest is that it would give the aspiring screen writer something to stick in their resume that might convince someone they should at least read one of your screenplays. So if you want to enter contests just enter the major ones because they are the only ones anyone would pay attention in your resume.
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Laura is right about Stage 32 because they can't perform miracles but it seems to me if you make a connection as a result of pitching one of their execs it would be worth what they charge.