Script Doctor Eric
As some of you know, I held a screenplay contest back in 2010.
I wanted it to stand out from others, so I limited it to 100 entries. And instead of not knowing who read your script in the first round, I read every single entry. Guest judges picked the winners from a group of ten finalists and all in all it worked out well. (See Script Doctor Eric’s 2010 Screenplay Competition Winners!
The contest was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. (Did I mention I read EVERY SINGLE ENTRY? :))
In case you haven’t guessed, there will be no Script Doctor Eric Screenplay Competition in 2011; I simply do not have time for it.
So…which screenplay contests should you enter?
The answer I always give is, “the small ones.” Your chances are much better in smaller screenplay contests, and you can usually contact the folks running the contest if you have questions.
As for the Nicholl Fellowship or BlueCat… Sure, they have amazing, amazing prizes, but they’ve gotten so popular, your odds are also amazingly, amazingly, low.
Plus, in the first couple of rounds you don’t know who is reading your script. Could be someone who knows a good script when they see one…or an intern who has never read a script in all 18 years of their life.
So, go after a smaller contest. Or wait for 2012 when I’ll be done with the project that currently has me on semi-hiatus and may muster up the energy to launch another contest.
Perhaps it’ll be a “short script” contest.
Or, you might skip contests altogether and just start querying agents and managers. That’s a bit like a contest in itself, isn’t it?
Whatever path you choose, don’t let screenwriting contests substitute for putting the time in on your script. Keep writing. Keep writing.
Keep writing.
And…
Onward!
-Eric
Related posts:
- The Script-a-thon: A contest worth entering
- Script-a-Thon and Other Screenwriting Contests
- Screenplay Query Letter Contest Winner
- Script Doctor Eric’s 2010 Screenplay Competition