Screenplay Contests: Are They Worth It?

There are literally hundreds of screenplay contests out there to choose from. But should you spend your hard earned shekels to enter your script? Which ones are worth your time and money? Screenplay contest season is upon us, here's what you need to know.


What's the point? Why bother entering contests at all?

There are three good reasons: Feedback, Connections, and Buzz. Yeah sure, that cash prize would sure come in handy, but the real value is in furthering your writing career.


Feedback
Not all screenplay competitions offer feedback, but many do. As you are trying to decide on which contest(s) to enter, look for ones that either include feedback in the submission price such as the Bluecat but most of the time you will have to pay an additional fee. If you are going to pay for professional level screenplay notes (and you should!) why not have the chance to win recognition and prizes as well?


Connections

Getting past the gatekeepers and getting your script into the hands of someone who can do something with it is the second biggest challenge to being a professional screenwriter. The first is writing a great script! Contests not only help you see what others think of your script but many also help open Hollywood doors.

The best screenplay competitions offer more than just money for the top prizes; they offer meetings with industry professionals or other keys to the kingdom as well. Some offer guaranteed representation to the winners, others offer one on one pitch meetings with producers, and some promise to at least get your script in front of people who can do something with it. The Script Pipeline contest not only has one of the biggest cash prizes but also awards the winners in each genre meetings with film production execs.


Buzz
Producers, agents, managers, etc need to know you exist and that's why creating buzz for yourself is vital for your career. Doing well in the right competitions is one of the best ways to get your name tossed around.

You don't have to win a screenplay competition (and with several thousand entries all vying for the gold medal, the odds are against that) to get recognized as a noteworthy writer. Even coming in as a semi-finalist in one of the bigger competitions will garner you the attention of some of Hollywood's top players.
Not all screenplay competitions are created equal


If you have been hanging around the screenwriter's water cooler for any length of time, you have probably heard that there are only 3 big competitions that Hollywood takes seriously. It's true that placing in one of those top contests will immediately boost your street cred and open doors you might never have otherwise gotten access to, but there are other competitions that are worth submitting your baby to.

These three contests not only have impeccable reputations but have been around for decades so you know you're not just throwing your money at some fly-by-night scammer.

The Big 3

The Nicholl's - officially known as the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and is arguably the most prestigious script contest available. With over 7,000 scripts entered in 2013, it is certainly the most popular among up and coming writers. You can bet that if you beat out the majority of the other thousands of scripts entered, someone important is going to sit up and take notice.




The Page Awards - This competition offers over $50,000 in cash and prizes but, just as important, it does a lot to boost the careers of those who do well. Most of their past finalists and winners have gone onto get representation and production of their scripts.


    Austin Film Festival - The AFF prides itself in discovering new talent. Unlike the other 2 big competitions, the Austin is attached to a very popular film festival that draws talent from all over the industry. That means, when you show up for your award, you'll be rubbing elbows with the movers and shakers of La-La Land.


These three are the granddaddy of the screenplay comp world but does that mean none of the other hundreds of contests out there are worth entering?

Actually, there are quite a few smaller competitions that could be worth your time and money, depending on what you hope to get out of the experience. If what you are wanting is to get noticed as a screenwriter worth the attention of movie making folks, then stick to the Big 3, but if you want to see how your script will hold up against others of the same genre, consider entering niche competitions like Screamfest. If your local film fest offers a script competition, why not enter? You might make some contacts and maybe even get some good free press out of it.

I have heard of more than one writer who actually makes a living entering his well written scripts in smaller contests that offer decent prize money. There are worse ways to earn a paycheck!

Why "WE SEE" Sucks

INT. LIBRARY - DAY

Vernon leaves and closes the door.  

A musical riff builds to a climax as Bender screams.

                            BENDER
                    (screams)
               Fuck you!

     We see the clock, it reads a quarter to eight.

     We see Bender, lighting his shoe on fire and lighting a
     cigarette with his shoe.

     We see Claire thinking.

     We see Brian playing with his balls.

     We see Andrew playing with his sweatshirt.

     We see Allison pulling a string around her finger and
     making it turn purple.

     We see Bender put the flames on his shoe out.  He then
     plays air guitar.

     We see Allison drawing.

     We see Andrew playing paper football.  He cheers
     silently.

     Allison shakes dandruff from her hair onto her picture.

     We see everyone fall asleep.

Yes, this is from the actual screenplays written by the late, great John Hughes, The Breakfast Club. Written and produced in the 80's, this script is still one of the most beloved teen angst movies of all time. Hughes uses "WE SEE" to start almost every single scene and sprinkles it with abandon, as in the above scene, throughout the script. 53 times to be exact! If a movie that has grossed close to 46 MILLION DOLLARS to date can use "WE SEE" with such abandon, why can't you?

The simple answer is, you're not John Hughes! You are an up and coming screenwriter whose stuff actually has to get read before it gets produced. The screenplay for the Breakfast Club was produced by Mr. Hughes himself - a reader didn't have to read it, love it, risk their job for it and then pass it on up the food chain to a bunch of other people who actually had to read the thing before it got greenlit. If it had, it likely wouldn't have gotten produced because using "WE SEE" in a screenplay sucks. Here's why:

Using "WE SEE" in a screenplay is redundant

Screenwriting is a visual medium. Everything you write is being written to show action that WE SEE on the screen. That means that if you were going to truly commit to the use of "we see" than you would need to use it in every single line of action, like our friend John did above. Obviously if it is happening, we are going to see it. Save the keystrokes, save the ink.  

Using "WE SEE" in a screenplay is a wasted opportunity

If you are looking for screenplay success, than you are writing on spec and your one reason for writing should be to impress the shit out of the reader with your story telling ability. If you are writing for you or because you love it as an art form, then feel free to ignore this and write in any old style you like; you're cool, you don;t have to impress anybody. If on the other hand you actually want to see your name in the credits than you have to impress a whole lot of someones with your epic writing skills. 

Every time you use "WE SEE"  in a screenplay, you are wasting the chance to wow the reader because anyone can say 

                    We see a train approaching and hear the WHISTLE as                     it CLATTERS down the tracks.

but a writer who knows how to engage the reader is someone who will get their stuff read, which, unless you plan on producing your own screenplay, is the only way to get it produced. Imagine you are the reader. Which draws you in more? The above or this:

                    A mournful whistle announces the approach of a                         train as it clatters down the tracks. 

Using "WE SEE" in screenplays is lazy writing

Or at least it seems that way. Writing "we see" in a screenplay takes a lot less creative energy that actually coming up with a creative way of actually showing us what is seen. You chose screenwriting for a reason; so why not use this visual story telling to actually to write in a way that is visual and engaging? 

If there is one exception is when you want to draw attention to a single item or person in the scene. Ken Levine, also known as The Bitter Script Reader, talks about this exception to the rule but is also convinced that most screenwriters, especially the noobs, tend to get carried away.

...and the number one reason why using "WE SEE" in screenplays sucks is

It takes the reader out of the story. 

This is your enemy if you want to achieve screenplay success, and Writer, know thy enemy. Remember those readers that John Hughes got to avoid by just producing his own script and making it into a hugely success movie? Those are the same readers that you have to suck in to your story, grab by the throat, and never let them come up for air until FADE OUT. 

Every time you use "WE SEE" in a screenplay, you remind the reader that he isn't battling storm troopers in some far, far away galaxy but is actually sitting on his threadbare sofa in his boxers drinking his 6th cup of coffee of the day. 

Sure, your story might be so damn good that he barely notices this slip into uninspired writing, but why take the chance? Wouldn't you better champion your own cause by writing the same sentence in a different way that avoids the use of  these two distracting and detracting little words?

Like every other word you use in your screenplay, you must ask yourself, "Does this add anything or can I leave it out?" 

Online Screenwriter Networking

You've all heard that networking is key to making it in this industry, but what if you live outside of Hollywood? With the plentiful opportunities that social media has brought to the world, you can network from the comfort of your own home, while in your PJs and with your hair in rollers. (Does anybody actually use rollers anymore?) This article will focus on networking with other writers as a way to learn more about what others have doe for their own screenwriting success. Surround yourself, virtually speaking, with other screenwriters who you can bounce ideas off of, get inspiration from, and connect to their connections in the industry.

Facebook

Not just for memes and cute cat videos, Facebook offers a cornucopia of online screenwriter networking opportunities.

 Screenwriter Profiles - you may want to create a separate profile for your writer self so that your personal news about what you had for dinner or the funny thing Aunt Mabel did isn't shared with your screenwriting community. 

Facebook Groups

You can expand your network many times over by becoming involved in local filmmaker groups and worldwide screenwriter groups. In order to get the most of these groups, don't just be a lurker - get involved in discussions, exchange feedback, and provide encouragement to other members. Once you have gotten to know some of the other members, you can send them a friend request. 

Here are a few to get you started:

• Scriptwriters Central - an open group set up for interacting with other writers about the craft of screenwriting.
• Script Writers -  an open group dedicated to writing for stage, TV, movies and all other forms of scripted entertainment.
• Secrets of Screenwriting - an open group that not only gives screenwriters a place to exchange ideas and interact but the owner also posts news and tips for screenwriting success. 
• United Filmmakers Association - the official group for the UFA with lots of great information and opportunities to network with other filmmakers and screenwriters.

Twitter

If you have been using Twitter for your own personal use, using it for your online screenwriter will be easy. If you're new to hashtags and tweats, then it might take a bit of practice to get use to this type of social media.

Twitter Bio- Once you have your account set up, make sure that your bio includes the fact that you are a screenwriter and any screenwriter success you might have had.

Build Your Twitter Network - Before social media took over the world, the "tic-tac-toe" symbol was known as a the "number sign" but now it is called a "hashtag" and is used to mark a word or phrase as important or relevant. If you do a Twitter search for the phrase #ScreenWriter you'll find a bunch of other people talking about screenwriting. Become a follower of those people and many of them will follow you back and - voila - you have a network of people working toward screenwriting success. You can also search for #Filmmaking and #Screenplay. 

Stage32

Think of this relatively new social media sight as "Facebook for Filmmakers" only without all the drama, political rants and cute cat videos. Not only can you network with other screenwriters as well as those folks who can help you with your screenwriter success such as agents, managers, and producers, but you can also list your loglines and look for work in the film industry! Their success stories page has stories about screenwriters getting signed by agents and getting producer meetings because of the connections they made on Stage32. This is a fantastic networking site that every filmmaker should be hanging out at.

Remember  - networking doesn't just mean hanging out and reading about what other people are doing and it isn't just a chance to brag about your own screenwriter success. Social media networking is about making connections and interacting with other writers. These connections help improve your creativity and your knowledge of the industry as well as take advantage of other writers' connections in the industry.