Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

[cshel]

Just an FYI. I was surprised nobody had posted about this yet. I thought some people might be interested in reading Julie Gray's Blog post for today on justeffing. She's offering people who entered the Silver Screenwriting Contest refunds if they have concerns about the controversy.

My first ever post and I've always wanted to use this emoticon.

[NikeeGoddess]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

My first ever post and...

...this fact would be more interesting if my "join" date were from 2007 and i had been lurking for 3 years... waiting to make my first move.

[timetowrite]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

I'm reposting her blog post here because, while I don't agree with everything she says, I am impressed that she appears to be trying to make things right. I hope you all take her up on it.

Here's her post:

The Buck Stops Here

Hello, everyone. For any of you who may be following the online controversy, aspersion has been cast upon the first round judging criteria and methodology of The Silver Screenwriting Competition. Some of the rumors have been wild and some wildly inaccurate but the bottom line is with a competition that has grown as quickly as ours has, we do need to take a look at methods to depersonalize and mechanize the first round judging. We've gone from a very mom and pop business to one much, much larger and comprehensive. With that growth comes more responsibility and constant re-evaluation of how we get our judging done.

It doesn't matter how these rumors got started, by whom or for what reason, what matters is that I am the boss and I take responsibility for what is said - good and bad. I stand by my competition, my script coverage business, each and every reader and judge that I employ. I only work with the best and the long history and reputation we have at The Script Department attests to that.

But one thing is crystal clear: The Silver Screenwriting Competition has grown exponentially and it's time for us to address first round judging in a new way. Anyone who has spent two minutes or less with me personally knows that I am a professional and one of the kindest, most honest people you will ever meet in your life. Unfair and untrue accusations hurt more for that reason. But I do see that mistakes were made and I do not shy away from my responsibility to every writer who submitted. It is our intention at the Silver Screenwriting Competition to be as thorough and professional as any other competition out there if not better. This controversy has raised the bar for all first round judging everywhere.

If you have concerns about the competition, you are welcome to call my private office number 323-300-6051 between the hours of 10am and 4pm Mon-Fri and have a dialogue with me. If any entrant would like a full refund, you will receive it promptly. If you would like to send me your script and discuss it over the phone or Skype, I am at your service. You can email me by clicking HERE.

Please note: I will be out of town from September 2nd through the 6th for the Labor Day weekend.

We are announcing the top ten scripts tomorrow, on schedule, and each and every one of us here, but primarily me, Julie Gray wants to let you know that we run this competition with heart and integrity and if a reader was publicly bitter about the process, if some of you have been misled to think that your entry fee is a coverage fee rather than an administrative fee, it is my responsibility to make that right. It is more important to me to run both my personal and business affairs with integrity than it is to wonder who is saying what and what their agenda is. I have one agenda. To do right by every writer who entered. I do not give credence to malicious rumor, only to the essence hidden within them - something needs to change.
Again, please call (323-300-6051) or email for a full refund or with any questions or concerns you may have.

[jimjimgrande]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

as someone who has been critical of her, I commend her for offering refunds.

[wildswan]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

I agree. If she had done this weeks ago, this whole controversy never would have escalated to this point.

[timetowrite]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

Strange... there used to be another thread about Silver Screenwriting (the thread was titled Silver Bullets) that I was going to post in so everyone knows they can get refunds... but the thread is gone. Or at least I couldn't find it again. Anyone know what happened?

[LauriD]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

lawyers

[zenplato]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

One folly--in French froley --right after the other...and finally we have closure...thank god

[InfiniteJest]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

Anyone who has spent two minutes or less with me personally knows that I am a professional and one of the kindest, most honest people you will ever meet in your life.

Quite an assumption.

[cynicide]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

As always, it's not the crime that gets you, it's the cover-up. People are willing to forgive a lot if someone steps up and takes ownership of a problem. Looks like Julie's taking a step in the right direction. It'll be interesting to see if this whole mess affects submissions to next year's contest.

[lordmanji]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

i give kudos to julie for stepping up and offering refunds. she finally seems to be getting it. *just sent my email.

[lobster]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

You do not have to call. At the end of the blog, it says call or email. I emailed her and got my refund right away.

I give her credit for stepping up and doing the right thing now.

[NikeeGoddess]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

is she checking to see if you entered the contest or not before she pays up?

[TheKeenGuy]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

I was an entrant this year, but I'm not going to ask for a refund simply because I believe the practices of their contest are no different than most contests. It's just that in this case, they did a poor job of handling the PR when people learned about the disorganization (as a result of insufficient resources) of this specific contest, not understanding that it's not at all specific to this contest.

Whether the screenplay content process in general should be more transparent or run differently is one thing, and that's a conversation there's been no shortage of on this board, and it will continue. But I would feel weird asking for a refund when I have no reason to believe that SilverScreenwriting conducted business any differently than the majority of contests running this year. I know NicholL is an exception, but I can't think of any other contest with provably higher standards.

The only thing I am upset about is the Huffington Post article that Julie wrote in response to the controversy titled "What's the Deal with Cyber-Jerks?," which I felt was an unfair, retaliatory attempt to besmirch everyone here at Done Deal, and was not becoming of the kindest and most honest person I will ever meet in my life.

I can understand her anger at the time, but not the response, and that's what I wish she would apologize for. But my disappointment about that is no reason to ask for a refund.

[lordmanji]

Re: Julie Gray's Blog Today RE: SSC Refunds

You do not have to call. At the end of the blog, it says call or email. I emailed her and got my refund right away.

I give her credit for stepping up and doing the right thing now.

howd you get your refund right away? was it a paypal thing or something?