Anything Goes : Contests e.g. blood list by Michael Persaud

I'm wondering the same thing. I'm considering the Big Break contest. At least I would know someone has read my script, but is it really worth it?

IMHO contests are business ventures. Few writers will be noted and the rest will remain in the dust. Even the winners do not have any guarantees that their script will go to screen so yes i wonder too is it really worth it. I am considering over the next few hours if i'll give the S32/BloodList a go. Problem is though the script that i want to submit is also a sequel so not sure how that will go since the foundations in the first script will not be understood.

True what everyone has said. Also true that contest do help you if you place in the top: semi-final, final, or win. I entered three contest this year with one script. I didn't pass the first round in one, but won the other two. I received money, prizes, and a bunch of requests for my script. It also means that out of a thousand scripts, mine rose to the top by passing through a half dozen readers, then committees to decide the winner. This is validating on a bunch of levels. One contest even offered me free entree into their next contest. Does it guarantee success, no. But I can tell you that producers would much rather see a bunch of wins and near misses on my resume than nothing at all. This way they know that I'm not an amateur and that others within the industry have vetted my writing.

So the main question after a "win" would be how many producers would actually be interested? If the genre isn't what the market is looking for then you could be stuck.

@Alle, sometimes i wonder when the ability to just reach out freely would return. Seems that just to say hi my logline is xxxx to a producer costs the value of a pitch session.

Hey Stuart, thanks for the words of wisdom! I think you're right, even if you don't win, at least somebody will have read your script. Somebody once said to me, "If nobody ever reads your script, it's just a journal entry." I often submit script to the Page Awards because for a little extra money they'll send you a full review of your script and why they passed on it--super helpful!

Micheal, though your question as to genre seems to make s sense, it's missing the fundamentals about what a spec script is for. I'd say (unscientifically) that most new writers don't understand the basic premise behind a spec script. It's not to sell or option that script to make a bazillion bucks. It's an advertisement for you, the writer. It's an example of your prowess in screenwriting. When you have enough spec scripts, then people will (hopefully) begin optioning and buying your spec scripts. 99 times out a 100, after hearing your pitch, a producer will say, "What else do you have?" It's all about odds, being in the right place at the right time with the right subject a produce wants to make. The more specs you have out there, the better your chances. I don't expect anyone in the current state of Hollywood filmmaking to make my period piece starring children, but it's a damn good calling card. Aimee, thank you! Contest are only one way to get your work out there. I use them now to pin to my resume which increases my chances of being read when I submit somewhere. You never know where or when someone will ask for your script. It's mostly serendipity, but serendipity can be helped along. I was in China last year working on John Woo's new film when they found out I was a screenwriter. I pitched them a few ideas, and they ended up buying the very first script I ever wrote...28 years ago!