Screenwriting Contest Advice
Subscribe to the MovieBytes Screenwriting Contest Newsletter for weekly deadline alerts and other screenplay contest news!
-
Are Smaller Screenplay Contests Worth the Money? New!
Every year, thousands of aspiring screenwriters send their work off to contests, hoping for discovery, validation, or at least a set of notes that might help polish their scripts. The biggest competitions - The Austin Film Festival, the PAGE Awards, Scriptapalooza - are well known for launching careers. But what about the smaller contests, the ones advertised with modest entry fees, cash prizes, and vague promises of "industry exposure"?
-
Surviving and Thriving in Hollywood
Becoming a better screenwriter requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to continuously learn and improve your craft. Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your existing skills, this guide will provide you with detailed strategies and techniques to enhance your screenwriting abilities.
-
How to Become a Better Screenwriter
Becoming a better screenwriter requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to continuously learn and improve your craft. Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your existing skills, this guide will provide you with detailed strategies and techniques to enhance your screenwriting abilities.
-
How to Get a Screenwriting Agent or Manager in Hollywood
Breaking into Hollywood as a screenwriter is often compared to scaling a fortress wall - it requires strategy, persistence, and the right tools. While talent and craft are essential, securing representation can be the key that opens the heavy doors of the entertainment industry.
-
Is Contest Feedback Worthwhile?
Aspiring screenwriters are often drawn to screenwriting contests, hoping to gain recognition, industry access, and valuable feedback. Many competitions offer script evaluations as part of their entry fee, while others charge extra for more detailed coverage. But are these contests truly a good source of feedback?
-
First Impressions: Nail Those First 10 Pages!
Screenplay contests are a gateway for aspiring screenwriters to get noticed in an industry that thrives on fresh voices and compelling stories. Yet, with hundreds or even thousands of scripts competing for attention, readers often make judgments quickly. This is where the first 10 pages of your screenplay become crucial. They are not just the opening to your story - they are your chance to hook the reader, set the tone, and stand out from the crowd.
-
Launching Careers: The Screenplay Contests That Make a Difference
For aspiring screenwriters, entering screenplay contests is not just about winning cash prizes or gaining recognition. It's about getting a foot in the door of an industry that is notoriously difficult to break into. While numerous screenplay contests exist, a select few are renowned for their ability to launch careers, providing winners and finalists with invaluable industry exposure, networking opportunities, and sometimes even direct paths to representation and production deals.
-
Early or Late? Which Contest Deadline Should You Choose
Is it better to submit your screenplay early or to wait until closer to a contest's final deadline? Each approach has its own set of advantages and potential drawbacks.
-
Advice from Screenwriting Contest Readers
Entering a screenwriting contest can be a nerve-wracking experience. With thousands of scripts vying for attention, it's crucial to ensure your screenplay stands out. Contest readers, who sift through these countless entries, offer invaluable insights into what makes a script shine - or sink. Here's a compilation of advice from seasoned contest readers that can help you refine your screenplay and increase your chances of success.
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!The Bare Minimum
An unemployed thirtysomething turns his best friend's chaotic bachelor party into a desperate attempt to one-up the maid of honor who is hosting the bachelorette party on the same weekend.
STRANGE
A man worried about his fading relevance agrees to the wrong favor for the wrong stranger, triggering a grimly comic nightmare that turns his anniversary celebration into a violent reckoning.
Rebels and Witches
Logline In a search for the missing Major Kateo Redwolf, an army squad falls through the same wormhole into a parallel world with a 13th century technology ruled by a fierce feline species and a powerful female led religion.
Yrrem Samtsirhc from Mars
After a highly intelligent alien crash-lands in a small town before Christmas, he teams up with a fearless girl with Down syndrome to save the holiday spirit and teach their divided community that differences can be strengths.
Second Opinion
When a renowned child-abuse pediatrician’s family member is accused in an infant’s death, he’s confronted with the possibility that his certainty may have helped put innocent people in prison.
Dead Air
A washed-up, legendary basketball announcer becomes the feel-good story of March Madness when the world believes his cancer has returned.
The New Simon Harper
After a violent attack ends his surgical career, a hyper?structured dad becomes a spontaneous, emotionally open parent — leaving his wife to juggle the practical realities of raising their daughter while the family discovers a new, unexpected way to grow together.
Couples Hang
A suburban family finally finds the perfect couples-hang — until they discover the husband is a cartel witness in hiding, pulling both families into a high-stakes suburban comedy where making friends is somehow more dangerous than staying alive.
Rebels and Witches
In search of a missing Army officer a squad falls through the same wormhole he did into a parallel world with a 13th century technology.
Six Hundred Years of Love
The Fountain meets Blade Runner: A man risks his life twice to save the same woman — first in Renaissance Italy, then in a post-human future that threatens human extinction.
