I want to submit my latest script to a screenplay contest. Which one should I consider? Is there any I should stay away from? You guys are great!!!
Screenwriting : Screenplay Contest? by E Peña
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Big ones are coming up: Nicholl, Page, Creative World Awards, Story Pros.
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Take a look at this website --> http://www.moviebytes.com/directory.cfm
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+1 to Moviebytes, it's a great resource. What I've decided to do with my latest feature is to submit first to a smaller contest and test the waters before I move on to bigger contests. I submitted it to the WriteMovies contest (which gets roughly 1k submissions as opposed to nearly 8k for Nicholl or Page) and elected to use their coverage service. The reader's notes were thoughtful and you could see they didn't just skim over. Next I took the reader's criticism and feedback from other sources back to the drawing board to beat out a major rewrite. By now the contest has reached the final round. Seeing my script has made it to the finals in the original draft, and now I have an even stronger version, I feel more confident submitting to Page and Nicholl. Not saying this is the only way to go, and there can obviously be a lot of subjectivity affecting how a script fares in a contest, but I feel that if a script doesn't even make the quarter-finals in a smaller contest there are probably some things that need attention. Just my opinion. As for contests to avoid, Moviebytes can definitely help. I'd stick to the major ones as a general rule, and if you want to try a smaller one just look for a contest that gets still plenty of submissions and positive feedback. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Eli, email me your first three pages. I'll take a look.
It depends on what your goals are. If you are an artistic writer with focus on character development and craft, go for the Nichols. If you write potboiler action or horror, go with genre specific contests. Most contests have their niche. Knowing what those niches are is your job, and then you won't be wasting your time or money.
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Seriously, don't waste your money. Use that money for screenplay coverage and if it's good enough to get a PASS, then put it on inktip and the potential producers will flock in. This will give you more recognition and increase your chances of getting produced than being in the top 20% of a contest. Good luck.
Better still, use the money to live while you are writing. Trust me you'll need it.
True. Thanks guys.