The May/June Scramble: Screenwriting Opportunities

ABC Writing Program deadline is May 31!

May and June are the busiest months for screenwriting contests and studio fellowship deadlines. Here are a few screenwriting and film making opportunities closing soon!

ABC Talent Development Writing Program

Winners are employed for one year as a screenwriting fellow at ABC Television studios. You need a spec script, an autobiographical summary, and 2 letters of recommendations from industry professionals.  Deadline is May 31. 

Austin Film Festival Screenplay and TV Script  Competition

Austin is one of the best film festivals for screenwriters in the country, and they take any type of script you have! Feature, TV spec, TV Pilot, and a new category this year: The Darkwoods Productions horror contest. From the site: 

“Frank Darabont’ s Darkwoods Productions (THE MIST, THE GREEN MILE) will review the top scripts submitted in this category and will determine the Semifinalists and Finalists and the winner will be handpicked by Frank Darabont and Dana Ashmore, his Executive.”

Deadline for all categories is June 1st. 

Larry Brody’s People’s Pilot and Spec Scriptacular Contest

I mentioned this a while ago, but it’s worthy of another mention, because the deadline is just around the corner.  Veteran Screenwriter/Producer Larry Brody wants your spec and pilot scripts! Winning screenwriters receive one-on-one coaching sessions with Larry and cash prizes.  I placed second in this contest in the spec script category last year, and it was a fantastic experience. It’s a very well-run contest, and Larry truly wants to help new writers succeed. New this year -- all entries get free feedback!  Deadline is June 1.

American Zoetrope Feature Film Contest

Francis Ford Coppola's studio wants to find new voices in screenwriting. Feature screenplays only. Top 10 scripts get read by Coppola, and are sent to major agencies for possible representation.  Submissions open on June 1st. Final deadline is not listed yet, but it's usually in August. 

New York Television Festival

This festival has several network/pitching initiatives open right now.

• The Just for Laughs Set to Screen Competition: the deadline for the contest has been extended to May 17th.  
• The FOX Comedy Script Contest:  Original 30-minute comedy pilot script for Fox television. Submissions open on May 20th. Last day is June 3rd. 
• The A+E Unscripted Pipeline:  Looking for reality show ideas for the A+E Network. Deadline is June 5th.

Spongebob Square Shorts Competition 

And here's a  "just for fun" opportunity. The creators of Spongebob want to see the best fan Spongebob Squarepants short films!  They have kid and an adult categories, and the deadline is June 28th.  Winners win a trip for four to Hollywood.  

Also, many of the other opportunities I mentioned in April and March are still open for submissions, so check them out, too!  

Happy writing!  

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When Duct Tape Can’t Fix it: Saving (or Trashing) an Uncooperative Script

You have finally, finally finished that screenplay you’ve agonized over for months, and...?! It bores you to tears. Oh, you’ve tried to tell yourself that you’ve just read it too many times. But then you remember that movie you've seen at least a thousand times that still manages to kill your productivity whenever it's on cable TV.

Sometimes an uncooperative script just needs trial and error to make it pop on the page, but all the rewrites in the world won’t save a faulty concept. Before you dive into that rewrite or toss your script into the circular file, ask yourself these questions:

Is your hook interesting? 

A strong hook makes your movie stand out from the other films in the genre. The hook sells the movie trailer -- it urges the audience to see your movie RIGHT NOW. All writers strive for a unique hook, but “unique” is not synonymous with  “interesting.” Just because your story has never been told on the big screen before doesn’t mean that it's an automatic blockbuster. Far too many screenwriters get caught up in the uniqueness of their idea and forget that their film still needs strong, empathetic characters who make their idea resonate with an audience. 

Is a “who” or a “what” driving this script? 

Screenwriters talk about “character-driven” vs. “plot-driven” stories, but the plot of any script depends on your characters' decisions. You can throw whatever you want at a character -- car chases, explosions, natural disasters -- but your characters’ choices and motivations control your plot, not the other way around. Scripts fail when the characters become nothing more than plot devices who move the story from Explosion A to Explosion B. If your script has the right pacing, but you feel empty reading it, you might need to put your characters in the driver’s seat.

Are the puzzle pieces duct taped together? 

Sometimes a writer wants something to happen in a script, but it just doesn’t gel with the world, characters, and situation he or she created. Perhaps it’s a big leap of faith, or the character doesn't have the motivation to do what the writer wants him/her to do.  Trust your instincts. If something feels forced, it probably is.

Is my script the right format for this story? 

Sometimes it’s not the story that’s at fault -- your script may not be the best way to tell your tale.  Maybe your idea is too narrow for a feature film, but it would make an awesome 15-minute short. If your wacky comedy has a clear beginning and end, perhaps it's meant to be a 90-minute feature script, instead of the 30-minute sitcom you envisioned.  Maybe your story is just not meant for the screen at all. I once fought with a story that required a very profound mental change for the character, yet everything around him stayed the same. After fighting with the script for a month, I realized that this story was destined to be a novel, because a novel gives complete access to the character’s inner thoughts.

Roger Ebert's Memorial Tribute

Just stopping by announce that  Roger Ebert's website posted Roger's memorial service in its entirety. A brilliant and moving tribute to the best of the best. 

Opportunity is knocking...

Hello, screenwriters! I just wanted to stop by to share a few more opportunities that popped up in the last few weeks. 

Fox Comedy Script Pilot Contest
Another fantastic annual event hosted by the good people at the New York Television Festival (NYTVF). You need an original 30-minute comedy pilot script for a chance to win $25,000 and a development deal with Fox!  Submission period runs between May 20th and June 3rd. FREE to enter.

A+E Unscripted Development Pipeline
Another fantastic annual opportunity by NYTVF. A+E wants fresh, original, unscripted programming to join their Duck Dynasty and Storage Wars enterprises.  You need a 2-4 minute sample video and a 1-2 page treatment of your show idea.  FREE to enter. Deadline is June 5th. 

Final Draft Big Break Contest
The fine folks who brought you Final Draft screenwriting software want any type of script you got!  The contest offers cash, prizes, and business meetings to winning TV pilot, feature film, or spec script writers.  Early bird deadline is April 30th ($30 submission) and the regular deadline is June 15th ($50 submission fee)

Industry Insider Contest: Edward Saxon
This contest pops up every few months with a different industry professional attached. This time it's Edward Saxon, producer of Silence of the Lambs, who provided this logline:

After a storm destroys a small farm, killing her mother and father, an adolescent girl is sent off on a journey for survival.

Writers submit the first 15 pages of a feature script that matches this logline. Finalists win the opportunity to work one-on-one with a mentor to finish the script. One grand prize winner wins an expenses-paid trip to LA, a meeting with Benderspink, and a one-on-one mentoring session with Edward Saxon.  Submission fee: $50. Deadline is April 30.

Industry Insider TV Contest
Got an idea for a TV show?  Industry Insider has a brand new TV Pilot contest, too!  You just need to fill out their Pilot Kit and submit it.  April 15th is the early deadline ($40 submission), and June 15th is the standard deadline. ($50 submission)

Also, many of the opportunities I mentioned a few weeks ago are still open for submissions. Happy scripting! 

Writing and Filming Tips From the Massachusetts Media Expo

This weekend, I went to the Massachusetts Media Expo, an event hosted by WGBH, Boston. Throughout the day, WGBH hosted three panels of professional producers, casting agents and directors. Here are a few tips I took away for budding screenwriters and producers. 

The middle-budget movie no longer exists. 
The production panel addressed the recent budget shift in Hollywood. Today, most studios make only 2-3 high-budget blockbusters a year, and the rest of their films are low-budget films ($5 million and up). The once common “middle-budget film” with a $30-$40 million dollar budget really doesn't exist any more.  Several years ago, the indie film world's budget also changed dramatically. Producers once regularly wrote checks for seven million dollars  to cover the cost of an indie film. Now that money's dried up and most of the indie film world works for television, investors make indie films on a $250,000 - $500,000 budget.  

Digital made things different, not cheaper or streamlined. 
The Digital Age made filmmaking more accessible to the indie filmmaker, but the cost benefits to Hollywood simply do not exist. It costs the same to shoot digitally as it did to shoot on film. One unit production manager revealed that it now takes two paid staff members just to make a digital movie look like film, positions that simply didn't exist before. Some technological changes may actually limit creativity. Years ago, cast and crew always ended their day by watching and discussing “dailies,” the footage shot from that day.  Today, the crew receives dailies to their computer or iPhone to watch at home, which removes much of the camaraderie from the experience. The steps may have changed, but that doesn’t mean that the process is easier, cheaper, or better -- it’s just different. 

Your script is a brat. Treat it as one. 
One of my favorite tips came from James Mottern, who recently directed the film, God Only Knows. He discussed the "precious" feelings writers have toward their scripts. Your words are not precious. They only exist because you arranged them that way, and you have the power to rearrange them. Don’t be the obnoxious parent who ignores their child’s bad behavior by giving it a pat on the head and telling it how perfect it is. Your script will always try to get away with something, so give it tough love and treat it like a bratty child.  You hold preconceived notions about the story, the characters, or how a line of dialogue should be read, but these notions are not necessarily correct. An actor may deliver a line of dialogue much differently than you hear it in your head, but that doesn't mean that the actor's choice is wrong. It's simply the actor's interpretation, which may actually be better than your very biased interpretation. Likewise, if your actors can’t “get there” emotionally, or they trip on their dialogue, don’t automatically blame their acting abilities. The problem may very well be with your script. 

Meet your actors where they are.  
Mottern provided great advice about working with actors.  First of all, remember that acting requires a great deal of vulnerability.  Actors need to open themselves up in a way that few people do. It’s a fragile position, so be patient. You will always get a better performance out of actors when you allow them to “get there” on their own, but know when your actors need help. When the going gets tough, most actors default to their bag of tricks -- "go to" emotions or actions that they do well. The actor may excel at crying, biting their lip, giving a sexy smile,  doing a specific nervous tic...anything that has worked in the past for him/her in similar scenes. When this happens, your actor loses the "in the moment" emotion, and relies purely on choreography to "get by." If the bag of tricks comes out, your actor needs a life preserver. Give him/her some kind of relatable jumping-off point to work with, such as “picture the worst morning you ever had,” instead of “get angrier.”  If possible, try to show them what you want by performing it yourself.  And never correct an actor in front of other actors. If you have a problem with the performance, address each actor individually and work it out one on one. 

New Season, New Screenwriting Opportunities!

Now that the deadlines for the winter contests have passed, and we’re all waiting with baited breath for the results, here are the big screenwriting opportunities coming up in the spring. 

  

Nickelodeon Animated Shorts Program

I mentioned this one two weeks ago, and the deadline is just around the corner (March 29th)  All you need is a 2-minute, funny, animated script that's set in one location. No art required. If you have any questions, check out this helpful video posted on the Nick Artist Program Facebook page. 

  

 Just for Laughs: From Set to Screen: The TV Comedy Search

Just for Laughs partnered with the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) to give a unique opportunity to comedians, sketch performers, improv troupes, and comedic film producers.  You need a video of your performance/short film, and a 5-page treatment describing a comedy TV series (scripted, game show, sketch, or reality) based on your video.  The top 5 finalists pitch their project at the Just For Laughs Festival. The winner becomes an official artist of the NYTVF, and becomes eligible for further development and pitch meetings.  

   

Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship

Hosted by the good people of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this screenwriting fellowship awards six writers the chance to work with Oscar-caliber writing mentors. The fellows receive $35,000 and one-on-one script mentoring with the Academy for one year.  You need a completed feature screenplay to submit. Regular deadline is April 10th, and May 1 is the late deadline.

  

NBC: Writers on the Verge

As its name suggests, Writers on the Verge wants talented comedy and drama writers who want to become professional TV writers. If selected, you will participate in a 12-week writing program with NBC, with the possibility of a writing assignment with NBC after completing the program. You need to submit a spec script for a show that aired during the 2012-2013 season.  Submission period: May 1st to May 31st.  

Warner Brothers Writer’s Workshop

This program is similar to the NBC Writers on the Verge Program, including the May 1st - June 1st submission period. Winners participate in a writing development program on WB's lot, with  the goal of getting a writing position on one of their television shows. The show you spec must be in at least the second year of air. Before you start writing, look at the dropdown menu on their site to see if they accept your script.

Larry Brody's TVWRITER.Com Spec Scriptacular and The People's Pilot Competition
Larry Brody, veteran TV producer, wants your spec scripts, pilot scripts, and TV movie scripts!  ALL writers receive feedback on their submissions, and the winners receive cash prizes and one-on-one mentoring sessions with Larry.  I placed 2nd in the Spec Scriptacular contest last year, and I was very pleased with how this contest was run. Larry and his team maintained excellent communication with the writers throughout the entire contest and delivered promptly on their promises for the winners. June 1st deadline for both contests.