Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

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  • Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

    I thought I would give you a preview of the email you will be getting from Creative Screenwriting. And I couldn't resist the irony of posting as a response to Fem Joys post...It's so hard to be called second tier when we give away 3-6 times as much cash as the other "second tier" contests and 10 times more in prizes. And look what else you get....


    One of the things that makes the Expo 6 Screenplay Competition so special is that if you don't take down the $20,000 Grand Prize, there's still plenty to win. The top 20 semifinalists in the feature category win almost $1000 in prizes each. They get John Trubys' Blockbuster story development software, a subscription to Creative Screenwriting, entrance to Expo 6 and a little bit of blood, sweat and tears in the form of notes from screenplay consultant Julie Gray at The Script Whisperer.

    This is a way for Julie to give back to the Expo and for her it is a bit like a homecoming. She was the first winner of the Writers Boot Camp Award a few years back. After she graduated from Writers Boot Camp, she got a manager. Her writing partner and her have written three psychological thrillers, one of which is currently being considered by A-list actors.

    Julie started her company The Script Whisperer to encourage and empower writers of all levels and leave them with the tools they need to write better scripts time after time. Julie's blog, The Rouge Wave, has become a popular destination in the blogosphere for aspiring screenwriters. She calls it, "a happy corner of the screenwriting universe where writers come to be inspired, motivated and edu-tained"

    The Expo 6 Competition gives away $150,000 in prizes and productions, more than any other screenplay contest. But the Expo 6 Competition's sponsors like Julie's The Script Whisperer allow us to give our writers more than a check and a pat on the back. They allow us to give our entrants insight and one-on-one dialogue to grow as a writer. If you want to say thanks to our sponsors, visit them: CreativeScreenwriting, Truby Studios and The Script Whisperer.

    Enter the contest right now or click here to get more information.

    Regular deadline is July 31st. Enter now and save.

    If you have any questions, please contact Expo 6 Competition Coordinator, Jim Mercurio.

  • #2
    Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

    From my standpoint, it’s not so much that I view the Expo Screenwriting competition as inferior to one or the other (and frankly, I’m more interested in exposure than prize money though I know it differs for screenwriters), I tend to suffer from contest-fatigue or confusion. That said, I think (assume) that the Expo's reputation is secure and highly regarded.

    On the other hand, everyone has their own shortlist of reputable competitions worth pursuing (some eschew such pursuits entirely and others cast the net so widely they may as well be boiling the ocean). But I get confused when I see a Creative Screenwriting competition deadline that is fast approaching (AAA or whatever it’s called) and then on the heels of that competition, here comes another competition that has Creative Screenwriting magazine involvement again. Both contests are seemingly in competition with each other, or perhaps it’s just the magazine pursuing avenues of additional revenue, which then tends to give me pause for thought about entering. Hell, both competitions may use the same judges for all I know. I guess I’ve gotten a bit cynical about such things in the past six months, but there it is.

    Note: Of course, when I download the entry form PDF file for the Creative Screenwriting AAA contest, it has a deadline of 12/15/06 on the form, so why bother entering a contest that doesn’t even take the time to update the entry form, which reflects information that is specific to the last money-making contest that they sponsored. I know, it’s a different contest altogether, so I apologize for the brief rant.

    I’m really not trying to be cheeky and combative, so I hope you see my point. Basically, there’s a lot of contest noise that aspiring and well-meaning screenwriters need to sift through and it’s a daunting task that makes one think their time is simply better spent writing and (gasp) networking. Ahhh, but sunlight will kill me!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

      Ahem. Good morning, Jim. *coughing fit*

      Hey, I'm a second tier competition winner and damn proud of it. My win in 2003 changed the course of my writing life, in all seriousness. I think that's what writers are looking for in a competition; an actual, quantifiable benefit. The list of CS Expo competition prizes are more than quantifiable.

      In my glorious past, I used to enter every single competition I ran across and I placed very highly in many. I'd get this little letter - Congratulations, you've placed in the top ten in the Southern California Film Lovers Competition! And - so - you'd grin like an idiot for a few minutes until it all struck you.... oh geez, I've been had. I sent them $40 to win and this letter is all that will come out of it. A useless piece of paper.

      The competitions I listed earlier in this thread are the ones that really matter, that can have an impact on your life as a writer in one way or another. Whether that is prizes, media attention or subsequent rep attention. The difference between top and second tier is only in that if you say I won a Nicholls or Austin or Disney screenwriting competition, you will get a table at the restaurant immediately - so to speak. The other competitions are great opportunities they just don't yet have the same sex appeal. But I list them under the same grouping as the rest: competitions that matter.

      Acqua - AAA is actually a good one. I know, it's confusing, there are so many. But if you use my list above and add AAA (sorry not to remember that one) you are good to go. Yes, competitions generate income and publicity for whoever is hosting it but the good ones give away prizes that definitely will have an impact on the writer. Plus - and I know I'm prejudiced, the CS Expo is also a really fun event. I've been three times. So I'm pretty proud to be participating this year as a co-sponsor.

      Jim actually had to talk me into accepting my prize four years ago. I thought it was a booby prize. Finally I wised up, accepted a prize worth over $7,000 and graduated from the two year professional program at the Writer's Boot Camp almost two years ago and subsequent to that, did get a great rep, made lifelong friends, started my company and - well - it was quite a prize.

      Julie Gray



      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

        I'm assuming this is an American only comp...
        One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it. - French Proverb

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

          Looks like it's international. Just read their FAQ page.
          http://www.screenwritingexpo.com/screenplay_faq.html

          Q. I live outside the U.S.A. Can I still enter the contest?
          A. Please do! We receive submissions from all over the world and encourage all writers to share their talent with us. Simply follow submission guidelines as stated in the rules, and make sure that your entry fee is in U.S. dollars. Should your script progress to the final round, keep in mind that all prizes are also distributed in U.S. dollars, and that the awarded transportation to and from the Expo 6 is limited. Please refer to the rules for more details.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

            Oh ok I just clicked on the enter contest link and noticed the "state" section of American state with a little * mandatory star.
            One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it. - French Proverb

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

              Yeah, those Web-based forms can be a pain when the default is based on the assumption that you must be living in the U.S. I lived in New Zealand for a year and encountered that issue more than a few times on a variety of Web sites. Perhaps the organizer(s) who post here can be of some assistance.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                [quote=acquaformosa;374414]From my standpoint, it’s not so much that I view the Expo Screenwriting competition as inferior to one or the other (and frankly, I’m more interested in exposure than prize money though I know it differs for screenwriters), I tend to suffer from contest-fatigue or confusion. That said, I think (assume) that the Expo's reputation is secure and highly regarded.

                On the other hand, everyone has their own shortlist of reputable competitions worth pursuing (some eschew such pursuits entirely and others cast the net so widely they may as well be boiling the ocean). But I get confused when I see a Creative Screenwriting competition deadline that is fast approaching (AAA or whatever it’s called) and then on the heels of that competition, here comes another competition that has Creative Screenwriting magazine involvement again. Both contests are seemingly in competition with each other, or perhaps it’s just the magazine pursuing avenues of additional revenue, which then tends to give me pause for thought about entering. Hell, both competitions may use the same judges for all I know. I guess I’ve gotten a bit cynical about such things in the past six months, but there it is.




                I understand. I have nothing to do with the AAA contest and I don't use any of the same judges. The deadlines were so close this year because of the sale of Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Several things were delayed. But I think the new owner Bill Donovan has some great ideas and you will see a lot of them implemented over the next year.

                I challenge you to take a look at the Expo contest from an objective standpoint. It would be worth it to sift through our details. A contest like Austin or Scriptapalooza gets (or used to get) 3-4,000 scripts at $40-45 a pop and then they give away $10k as a prize plus maybe another $10k in perks. We get about 2,500 scripts and give away about $35k in cash, two entries into a potentially life-changing program, the 2-year WBC program (now valued at at $8500 each), a chance to direct your short--with a 20-person crew at Duke City shootout, another 30k in perks and a chance to have your work adapted into a graphic novel. Oh, yeah, and there is some access and other goodies thrown in also. If I can count the budget of the graphic novel production in our prize total, we give away more in prizes than the contest actually receives in income. That means for every $1 spent entering our contest, you can, all things being considered equal, expect about a $1.20 return. And a big part of this is thanks to sponsors like Writers Boot Camp and DD's own Julie Gray.

                I don't think you are being cheeky. I think your points are valid. I hope mine are too.

                Jim Mercurio
                Last edited by Expo Competition; 07-13-2007, 09:26 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                  Originally posted by acquaformosa View Post
                  Yeah, those Web-based forms can be a pain when the default is based on the assumption that you must be living in the U.S. I lived in New Zealand for a year and encountered that issue more than a few times on a variety of Web sites. Perhaps the organizer(s) who post here can be of some assistance.
                  I had brought up this issue with the programmer a few weeks ago. International applicants couldn't use their credit card. I thought they changed the field. I will look into it and fix it.

                  Jim

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                    I don't think you are being cheeky. I think your points are valid. I hope mine are too.
                    No argument from me. Quite honestly, your competition was on my "shortlist- (ten or so) for submitting some new material, but it was actually the mention of Creative Screenwriting that triggered something else in my convoluted thought process and got me going on the arguably more tangential debate about contests in general. Nothing necessarily personal against Creative Screenwriting since I have a copy of it right here by my side.

                    I guess there are days when I wake up and view my writing and everything related to it (contests, coverage, meetings, etc.) with an air of cautious optimism. And then there are days when I feel like the lead singer of The Smiths, viewing it all through a prism of self-doubt and air of quiet resignation.

                    Oh, the life of a neurotic writer.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                      Originally posted by acquaformosa View Post
                      No argument from me. Quite honestly, your competition was on my "shortlist- (ten or so) for submitting some new material, but it was actually the mention of Creative Screenwriting that triggered something else in my convoluted thought process and got me going on the arguably more tangential debate about contests in general. Nothing necessarily personal against Creative Screenwriting since I have a copy of it right here by my side.

                      I guess there are days when I wake up and view my writing and everything related to it (contests, coverage, meetings, etc.) with an air of cautious optimism. And then there are days when I feel like the lead singer of The Smiths, viewing it all through a prism of self-doubt and air of quiet resignation.

                      Oh, the life of a neurotic writer.
                      If a double decker bus crashes into us...

                      I hear you.

                      I think ultimately contests should encourage writers to keep writing. That's why we give prizes to about 25 people and publish our quarter-finalist list...

                      Jim

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                        I found out that the online system is only suited for USA and CANADA. GRRRR. Thanks for telling me that now. ;-)

                        While I wait for that to get fixed, a reminder: international applicants can download the pdf application and use--GASP!--snail-mail.

                        Jim
                        expocompetition.com

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                          Originally posted by Expo Competition View Post
                          I found out that the online system is only suited for USA and CANADA. GRRRR. Thanks for telling me that now. ;-)

                          While I wait for that to get fixed, a reminder: international applicants can download the pdf application and use--GASP!--snail-mail.

                          Jim
                          expocompetition.com

                          I think the online application can take credit cards from people outside of US. Let me know if it works.

                          Jim

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Expo Competition Spotlight on The Script Whisperer

                            I don't know where the TV Contest thread went so here goes...

                            I tried to get the winner of the sitcom onto a TV show for a week. But I just don't have that kind of clout. But I got a couple working pros to be judges and who are going to give notes and some advice to the sitcom winner.

                            They are...

                            Ellen Sandler--emmy-nominated writer of Coach and Everybody Loves Raymond.

                            Jamie Rhonheimer--currently a supervising producer on How I met your Mother, and was a producer on Will and Grace and wrote for five years on Yes, Dear, rising from staff writer to co-producer.

                            Ellen is also giving away ten copies of The TV Writer's Workbook: A Creative Approach to Television Scripts. It's a fantastically-detailed book. It almost makes me want to write a House and Entourage for fun.

                            Also, remember Julie at The Script Whisperer has Movie Magic software to give away to the first person who uses one of her top-tier services.

                            I just had a blast in ALbuquerque at the Duke City Shootout. Check out CS Weekly for more details. I am telling you, it's worth writing a short just for that contest alone. 30 people, 7 days...it's like they give you the resources of a USC thesis film. It's sick...

                            Deadline is August 14.

                            See you at Expo 6.

                            Jim Mercurio

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