I hope this turns out okay for you guys, but I would advise do not send Fade In or Writers Network (their subsidiary) your money. These guys are a total rip off. Friend of mine is STILL fighting to get his $1000 prize money from 2006.
I was a co-winner of a related contest years ago. Writers Network competition I think it was called but it was also run by Fade In magazine. It took about six months of harassing on my end to finally get my prize money. The woman who runs (ran?) the contest is notorious for not wanting to actually pay the winners their prize money. I think the winners were also promised to get read by agents or managers or whatever, but in my case that never happened and the win meant little to nothing to anyone in the industry. I was relieved to finally get my check, but other than that, the contest was an exercise in frustration and turned me off from ever entering another screenwriting competition. My experience was prior to 2006, but it sounds like from Wildswan's post above that not much has changed.
And the Fade In award goes to 7 time entry and semi-finalist:
Mulligan, Mark - El Doble Loco
Mulligan, Mark - Francisco Little Boy Lost
Mulligan, Mark - Phantom Force
Mulligan, Mark - Ponce Legends of Lost Treasure
Mulligan, Mark - Tan Line
Mulligan, Mark - Three Colors of the Rose
Mulligan, Mark - Two Tickets to Paradise
Is there something fishy about this or is this guy the next Shane Black?
McCauley, Dane - Darkness Darkness
McCauley, Dane - Divorce in the White House
McCauley, Dane - Fury
McCauley, Dane - Gaiatown
McCauley, Dane - Love Conquers All
McCauley, Dane - Kingdom of Heaven and Hell
McCauley, Dane - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
McCauley, Dane - Second Time Around
Very strange contest and 8 moving on is very weird.
Not sure anyone really cares about this contest in the industry, but I guess it's something to say in a query letter and make you feel good about yourself.
hmm im still in, too. its very strange how so many people have multiple entries that are still in. some with 4 plus scripts. im surprised one person could get so many scripts in much less half the entrants have multiple scripts it seems.
well, i didnt expect much from this contest anyway. but at least i can say im a semi finalist.
Mulligan, Mark - El Doble Loco
Mulligan, Mark - Francisco Little Boy Lost
Mulligan, Mark - Phantom Force
Mulligan, Mark - Ponce Legends of Lost Treasure
Mulligan, Mark - Tan Line
Mulligan, Mark - Three Colors of the Rose
Mulligan, Mark - Two Tickets to Paradise
This poor guy only has 7 not 8.
What I did notice is that both seem to have titles that sound similar. Maybe they entered in short scripts?
Even the amount of money spent to enter is crazy....
The Nicholl you might see someone make the quarters with 2 scripts. It's rare to make the semi's of the Nicholl with more than one script, it happens but not to often.
The 7 scripts making the semi-final is iffy at best.
Regarding the multiple entries, I think it's great that someone has so many scripts in the running. I have only three completed scripts I would ever dare show to anyone, and even then I'd be uneasy about it.
But I feel if someone can generate material, he or she should definitely get it in front of people. You never know what's gonna hit. It's great for a contest to let us send whatever we care enough to enter. Makes me want to get busy.
Comment