Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Final Draft/Big Break
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Contact: Kala Guess
Report Card |
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(3.5/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
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(2.8/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
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(2.3/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
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(3.4/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
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Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
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Objective
Big Break is an annual, international feature and television screenwriting contest designed to launch the careers of aspiring writers. Big Break rewards screenwriters with over $80,000 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Los Angeles for a series of A-list executive meetings. Winners and finalists alike have had their screenplays optioned and produced and have secured high-profile representation as well as lucrative writing deals.
Since its inception in 1999, Big Break has awarded screenwriters with over $600,000 in cash and prizes and invaluable industry exposure. A panel of notable industry professionals conducts the final judging.
Our objective is to discover talented screenwriters and help them find success in today’s filmmaking market. Show More
Deadline/Entry Fees
| Deadline | Date | Entry Fee | Days till Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bird | April 30, 2020 | $45 | |
| Regular | June 25, 2020 | $55 | |
| Extended | July 9, 2020 | $65 | |
| Last Chance | July 30, 2020 | $75 | 20 |
Dates reflect deadlines for electronic submission of scripts. All entries must be electronically submitted by their respective deadlines.
Rules
Visit website for contest rules and conditions.Awards
2 Grand Prize Award Winners- One Feature Grand Prize and one TV Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the 11 Feature Genre and TV Format award winners
- These two Grand Prize Award Winners are flown to Hollywood for meetings and networking with executives, producers, agents and managers
- An Apple iPad
- A trip to Hollywood – roundtrip airfare to Los Angeles plus hotel accommodations
- $10,000 cash
- Breakfast with screenwriter/producer Pen Densham (Riding the Alligator, Moll Flanders, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, producer of Backdraft)
- Cocktails with Big Break Grand Prize Alumni
- 60-90 Minute Career/Meeting Prep Session from screenwriting career coach Lee Jessup
- Copy of Save The Cat! Story Structure Software
- Admission to one Robert McKee Story Seminar in 2020 in London, New York or Los Angeles
- Extended Screenplay Coverage
- Query Letter or One-Sheet analysis and a personalized, signed copy of The Screenwriter’s Bible by Dave Trottier Script consultation with a Script Pipeline’s Director of Development for potential industry circulation
- The Final Draft Mobile™ App for iPad
- Additional Prizes for TV Grand Prize Winner
- Script Consultation from Jen Grisanti Consultancy including written/verbal notes and meeting to review the notes and your logline
- One-hour career consultation with Carole Kirschner of Park on the Lot to create a step by step, personalized game plan for leveraging the contest win
- 11 Feature and TV Winners, including the Grand Prize Winners, share over $100,000 in cash and prizes!
- 8 Feature Winners in each of the following genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy/Rom-Com, Diversity, Drama, Family/Animated, Period/Historical/War, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Thriller/Horror
- Three TV Winners in the following formats: Half-Hour Pilot, Hour-Long Pilot, and Diversity Pilot
- $1,000 Cash
- Final Draft 11
- The New York Film Academy Fellowship
- Luncheon with Big Break judges and other industry professionals
- Writer brand assessment from Lee Jessup
- 60-minute webinar with screenwriting career coach Lee Jessup on how to capitalize on your Big Break win
- Three months free hosting of your script on The Black List with two free evaluations from The Black List readers InkTip Script Listing: A listing of your script on InkTip so that producers and reps can find you
- InkTip Magazine: Publish your logline in InkTip’s magazine sent to 4000+ producers and reps Truby’s Blockbuster Genres: How The Top 11 Genres Really
- Work Audio Course
- Free entry to any Script Pipeline Season – Feature or TV StoryO from Jungle Software
- One-year International Screenwriters Association CONNECT membership
- Free Big Break Contest entry for 2020
- Script coverage from Big Break readers
- Copy of Save The Cat! Strikes Back by screenwriter Blake Snyder
- TV Format Winners also receive
- Level 1 10-Week TV Spec & Pilot Teleseminar from Jen Grisanti Consultancy
Final Draft/Big Break
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Contact: Kala Guess
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.5/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(2.8/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.3/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.4/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Contest Comments
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First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Contact: Kala Guess
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.5/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(2.8/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.3/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.4/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Contest News
Final Draft Names Big Break Finalists
Final Draft has named their 2017 Category Winners and Grand Prize Finalists for 2017. The grand prize winners will be announced in February at the 2018 Final Draft Awards Show. [Updated: 01/13/2018]
Final Draft Names 2017 Finalists
Final Draft has named the TV and Feature Script Finalists for their 2017 Big Break Screenwriting Contest. [Updated: 11/29/2017]
Final Draft Names 2016 Big Break Contest Winners
The Grand Prize winners of the 2016 Final Draft Big Break Contest were revealed at the 12th Annual Final Draft Awards on February 23rd, 2017. [Updated: 02/27/2017]
“Making it” Means Making Magic
I don't know why you got into the business of writing, of grasping at words to explain the images in your brain, and editing within an inch of your life. For most, it's a kind of call, a transcendent purpose. Otherwise, who would chose to subject themselves to continual criticism, knowing their project will always need more work and never feel up to par? Not to mention the constant struggle to "make it" without anyone really defining what "making it" means, beyond an agent and a job on a show. (And once you get that, there's a whole bevy of problems beyond the wall.)
[Updated: 04/21/2016]
Tips on Contest Entry: Big Break TV Winner Eric Buchman Shares Lessons from the World of Script Coordinators
Meet Eric Buchman. By day, he's the script coordinator for the hit NBC show Blindspot, starring Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton. By night however, Buckman is the writer of his own show called 45 Wall and dreams of one day hiring his own script coordinator. [Updated: 03/01/2016]
Show More News
Shelly Mellott has been the editor of Script magazine for over 17 years. She sold the magazine and its ancillary products to Final Draft, Inc. in 2006. Now she serves as a vice president for Final Draft, Inc., overseeing the magazine and several ancillary products, including the Big Break Contest. When not hard at work for screenwriters, she is a mother, avid dressage rider, and member of a pug rescue.
Interviews
MovieBytes Interview:Screenwriter Kevin Lee Miller
An interview with screenwriter Kevin Lee Miller regarding the Final Draft/Big Break Writing Competition. [Updated: 02/18/2010]
MovieBytes Interview:Screenwriter Wyatt Wakeman
An interview with screenwriter Wyatt Wakeman regarding the Big Break Writing Competition. [Updated: 11/24/2009]
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Contact
2300 W. Empire Avenue
5th floor
Burbank, CA 91504
818-995-8995 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
bigbreak@finaldraft.com
Contact: Kala Guess
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(3.5/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(2.8/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(2.3/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(3.4/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Submit Report Card
You must login to read or submit report cards.
First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
