Over the past few years I've written five pilots and am currently working on my sixth. I've been working hard to make connections to pitch my projects, but haven't had too much luck yet. While I was researching competitions to submit to, I came across a site called networkisa.org and saw they offer a lot of networking and script services, in addition to competitions. Are any of you members/would you recommend paying for an account?
Screenwriting : Is it worth getting an ISA Connect account? by A.K. Moore
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I’d vote no at this junction in time. The writing gigs are pretty few and far between. We’ve had numerous scripts stay in “under consideration” for a really long time. Years. Right now we have one from a contest voucher so we applied it to our old account and there are literally ten scripts in “elevated consideration” and “under consideration”. We’ve not met a single person or had a single request from that site. The benefits used to be interesting but the quality of everything there seems based on quantity instead of quality. John does every free contest they come up with and places but it’s just not a site I would pay for again for monthly access. Same with inktip.
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Hi A.K. - I joined a few years ago, submitted to some of the queries, left after a year and nothing - not even a nibble, then re-joined again when a very interesting query came up from a producer; submitted a script that fit the requirements... and after a couple of months the status hadn't changed - no one looked at it. So, personally, I won't go back.
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I am biased, but any competitions that do not lead to meetings do not appeal to me any longer. Have you checked out Stage 32's contests? https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/contests
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Thank you all for the information! You helped me make that decision quickly lol.
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Hi A.K. Moore I'm a little late to the thread. I had ISA for a couple of years, which resulted into nothing. There may be legitimate contacts there, but after years of nothing - I agree with all here...Stage32 is your best bet...and I'm not biased lol.
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I signed up for a year membership when it very first began about five years ago I think. I had met the owner in Toronto at an event and think I got a discount. He was a good guy. He made it sound like it was going to be really great, meeting execs and asking questions, things like that, etc. Nothing of the sort really ever came to be. I reached out part way through the membership, and was told they were doing a lot of work on it and to sit tight as greater things were coming. By the end I felt as though I had completely wasted my money, didn't sign up again. I couldn't really ever quite figure out what it was supposed to be, it was in beta the whole time. Seems from this thread it hasn't really improved since I was a member.
I asked for my money back and got a free entry to their script contest instead.
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What people are saying is absolutely true. Submissions stay 'in consideration' for years. Just submitted to one of their 'paid' gigs and on top of the ridiculous low MB requirements, could not even submit a pitch deck even when under the 10 MB requirement. Very disappointing.
The ISA currently have Emerging Screenwriters Competition. No mention of who the judges are. The name dropping of companies makes me wonder if it is more a sell job and I would be better to spend money on comps like Pipeline / Blue Cat?? see below blurb
The Top 10 will receive $1,500 cash EACH and be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate, where the team will get your script in front of top industry pros from companies like Paramount+, HBOMax, Disney+, Harpo, 20th Century, MGM, Margot Robbie's Lucky Chap, CAA, ICM and more.*
I agree. I had them for a year, and couldnt get anywhere. Contests seem to go to a black hole. All you see is winners, no updates etc. Feels like they want the money