Writer’s Edge: All About Screenwriting Contests
As a screenwriter, you should be entering screenwriting contests to further your career. The reason for that is not necessarily to try and win a cash prize. It is to…
As a screenwriter, you should be entering screenwriting contests to further your career. The reason for that is not necessarily to try and win a cash prize. It is to make significant contacts that can lead you to your ultimate goal of selling your scripts.
There are contests that you should enter and many more that you should avoid. There are now hundreds of screenwriting contests that are out there. Many have become moneymaking propositions for the people who are running them rather than opportunities for new writers to launch their careers.
I would not recommend that you enter any contest because of the allure of possibly winning a cash prize. Money should not be the motivating factor for your submissions. Contests that offer a cash prize, software, or a screenplay analysis as the top prize should be passed over.
The contests that you want to submit to are those that offer referrals and contacts to industry professionals such as producers, agents, or managers. At this stage in your writing development, meeting and working with industry decision makers trumps any other outcome.
The best website for screenwriting contests is Moviebytes.com. Contests are broken down by various categories such as Most Significant, Upcoming, Festival Contests, TV Contests, Production Company/Agency Contests, etc. I would visit their site and determine which type of contest is best for you to enter. Make sure that you read the eligibility requirements carefully and that you follow their submission guidelines and filing dates to the letter.
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Related Articles:
- Screenwriter's Guidepost: Can Screenwriting Contests Advance Your Career?
- Balls of Steel Goes Into the Writing Room and Behind the Lines with DR
- Building the World of Your Screenplay: The First 10 Pages
- Breaking & Entering: 100 Reasons to Say No
Tools to Help:
STEVE KAIRE is a Screenwriter/Pitchman who’s sold 8 projects to the major studios without representation. The last project he sold, he’s Co-Producing for Walden Media. A screenwriter for over 30 years, he holds a Masters in Dramatic Writing and has taught writing classes at the American Film Institute. Steve was featured on the Tonight Show’s, “Pitching to America” and was voted a Star Speaker at Screenwriters Expo three years in a row. His top rated CD, High Concept - How to Create, Pitch & Sell to Hollywood is a best seller.
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