Nantucket features: SHOWTIME’S TONY COX AWARDS SCREENPLAY COMPETITION. Deadlines March 1 to March 19 For more information, visit: http://www.nantucketfilmfestival.org/ScreenplayApplication.php
Tag Archives | Screenwriting Competitions
Page International Screenwriting Awards Now Accepting Applications
The Page International Screenwriting Awards is now accepting applications. Regular deadline: March 1 Late deadline: April 1 For more information, click here: http://pageawards.com/the-contest/how-to-enter/ Good luck!!!
Austin Heart of Film Now Accepting Applications
The Austin Heart of Film Festival is now accepting applications for the Screenplay and Teleplay screenwriting competition. Deadline: May 15 – June 1 Click here for more information: http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/screenplay
Free Screenplay Story Notes Giveaway to Oscar Picks Winner
I’m offering a free basic story notes package on a screenplay to any reader who can correctly predict the Oscar winners in the following categories: 1. Best Picture 2. Actor in a Leading Role 3. Actor in a Supporting Role 4. Actress in a Leading Role 5. Actress in a Supporting Role 6. Cinematography 7. […]
Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition Now Open
12th Annual Scriptapalooza International Screenplay Competition Regular Deadline is March 5th www.scriptapalooza.com Why should you submit your script to Scriptapalooza? -Grand Prize: $10,000 -All the reading is done by 90 production companies -Entertainment Weekly Magazine calls us ‘One of the Best’ -We promote the winners, runners-up, finalists and semifinalists for a full year -We are […]
CineStory: Screenwriting Mentorship at Its Best
CineStory is a non-profit that provides mentorship opportunities for screenwriters. This means they have a collection of working industry professionals (agents, producers, writers) and they offer non-professional screenwriters the opportunity to workshop their screenplays and ask questions in a personalized environment. Pam Pierce is the heart and soul behind CineStory. She started it, I believe, […]
Q&A: All Screenwriting Competitions Are Not Created Equal
Jamie asks: So, I’m just starting to get familiar with the world of screenwriting competitions, and I’m assuming they’re not all created equal. Are there any drawbacks to entering more than one (several even) with the same script? It seems like some contests might require that you don’t submit your script to any other contests? […]
2009 CineStory Screenwriting Awards: Enter Now!
The 2009 CineStory Screenwriting Awards are now accepting submissions. CineStory is a very unique non-profit that mentors writers to help them improve their craft and workshop their writing with industry professionals. This is a fantastic organization and worth entering the competition. Competition winners are invited to a special retreat in Idyllwild where they will work […]
Screenplay Openings: Most Beginnings Are Overwritten
By Monica on July 28, 2009 in Beat Sheet, Character, Formatting, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Screenwriting Competitions, Story, Subject Matter, Theme, Tone, Uncategorized
This article follows up on Screenplay: The Importance of the First Five Pages. In the last batch of scripts I read for one of the screenwriting competitions, I would say about 30% of the screenplays had beginnings that were overwritten. It’s not uncommon. In several cases, the real story didn’t start to pick up until […]
2009 Screenwriting Expo: Early Registration Ends July 31
Click here to register early for the Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles. October 16-18, 2009 WILSHIRE GRAND HOTEL By signing up now, you can save $30 off a Gold Pass and $10 off a Basic Pass. I’ve attended this Expo before and found several of the sessions to be very informative. If you haven’t been […]
Subject Matter: Don’t Write About Writers or Hollywood, Please
By Monica on July 21, 2009 in Character, Genre, Logical World, Process, Story, Subject Matter, Theme, Uncategorized
Today I’ve read a couple of stories about Hollywood aspirings – aspiring writers, directors, actors, etc. In this reading season I’ve probably read a number of these kinds of scripts. Please, people, no. Don’t do it. Ninety nine times out of one hundred, your life as an aspiring writer isn’t interesting enough to warrant a […]
Screenplay: The Importance of the First Five Pages
By Monica on July 20, 2009 in Beat Sheet, Character, Formatting, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Screenwriting Competitions, Story, Subject Matter, Theme, Tone, Uncategorized
The opening five pages of your screenplay give me a ton of information about the breadth and scope of your project. As with the opening of a novel or any other literary work, the opening of your screenplay should be a microcosm of the world of your script. It’s the first taste – but as […]
What Happened to the Inciting Incident?
You’d be surprised – I have been – but a very high number of scripts I’m reading don’t have inciting incidents. I am getting to page 15, page 20, page 30, and there’s really no defined story. I would say that this is in about 25% of the scripts I’m reading. Obviously, these scripts are […]
The Small Character Drama: Life or Death Stakes
By Monica on July 16, 2009 in Character, Genre, Logical World, Process, Screenwriting Competitions, Story, Subject Matter, Uncategorized
I’m not someone who generally loves small indie movies that blow some minor human drama into a hysteria for the ages. I love real stories – stories with action, externalized drama, physical obstacles, where something transformative happens. To me, most small character dramas that I read don’t offer up enough dramatic stakes to warrant a […]
Look at It From the Reader’s Perspective…
By Monica on July 15, 2009 in Character, Genre, Location, Logical World, Process, Screenwriting Competitions, Story, Theme, Tone, Uncategorized
I just got through another big push of scripts. There were a handful of recommends, but overall many of them were dismal. When writing, just get the words down on the page. Get through that first draft. But, then rewrite. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. As you get closer to the time you’re going to send your […]