Has a contest winner ever placed in one and not another?

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  • #16
    Re: Has a contest winner ever placed in one and not another?

    Originally posted by BKDodger View Post
    It's not too personal, but I don't think it would be helpful. Here's my take on the various contests...and it's probably worth about as much as you paid for it.

    Nicholl/Austin/Screencraft = Best story/original voice wins (genre isn't so important, just tell a great and unique story)

    The Tracking Board/Tracking B/Final Draft = Writing Quality + Commercial Viability (High concept)

    Script Pipleline = Commercial Viability or a great hook trumps story (tentpoles, broad scripts)

    No clue about Page, Slamdance, or the nine million other contests out there. Also, I guarantee every single one of those contests has a script, or two, that placed high and defied everything I wrote above.

    The only thing that matters is to write a story you care about, and to tell it well.
    Cool. That's interesting. Thanks.

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    • #17
      Re: Has a contest winner ever placed in one and not another?

      Originally posted by Friday View Post
      Cool. That's interesting. Thanks.
      No prob. It's my experience that something that requires a lot of research (period piece, science-based script, niche setting, etc.) has more opportunity to place with various readers, ESPECIALLY if you can teach the reader something with a unique or memorable story. It's also a double-edged sword, because too many facts without a strong plot or memorable characters will make it a slough to get through. Hence, the majority of scripts that are abandoned by page 15.

      Anything you've been able to commit at least 3 drafts on and have also had at least one table read for is probably leaps and bounds above 90% of the scripts submitted.

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      • #18
        Re: Has a contest winner ever placed in one and not another?

        Originally posted by BKDodger View Post
        No prob. It's my experience that something that requires a lot of research (period piece, science-based script, niche setting, etc.) has more opportunity to place with various readers, ESPECIALLY if you can teach the reader something with a unique or memorable story. It's also a double-edged sword, because too many facts without a strong plot or memorable characters will make it a slough to get through. Hence, the majority of scripts that are abandoned by page 15.

        Anything you've been able to commit at least 3 drafts on and have also had at least one table read for is probably leaps and bounds above 90% of the scripts submitted.
        What's the recipe for being above 99.99%?

        Reading the opinions on the forums, I had wondered how the contests viewed more commercial genre scripts. I heard some managers look at the semi-finalists scripts because they are sometimes more commercial than the winners.

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        • #19
          Re: Has a contest winner ever placed in one and not another?

          If you haven't read the GO INTO THE STORY there are some tales a few years back by spec sale (multiple) writers in the annual roundtable which will amuse you.

          I, myself, have judged contests for plays and screenplays where the winner turned out to be what everyone could agree with (though it might have been only my 4th personal choice).

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