Re: Trackinb Contest
I think your concerns are just, though I would not go so far as to say the contest is a sham. I've had some good back and forth with the organizer--and done very promptly--and he seems like a genuine guy. I don't get the feeling of a scam going on and clearly for the 8 who win/place there is an immense upside. It seems you are almost guaranteed representation/exposure by and to some great people if you place. However...
I did ask how the contest is judged, and The Insider would not reveal that. That's his choice of course, but if there are 1,000 entries at an average entry fee of close to $100, that's almost $100,000 in revenue. And Scriptonian is right: there is very little to explain what this contest might be looking for or how material is judged. I also asked The Insider about this, and he gave kind of the pat answer of "great stories" or "your best work." Since the winners of the contest do seemed to get signed by the judges I would think commercial work is better than an artsy/indy offering, and you might even look at the companies that are on the panel to see what they are drawn to.
But my question about this contest has always been, and this is a rhetorical question, if I enter an adaptation or a musical will they still take my money? There's nothing on the site or in the rules to say what you should or should not enter, and since no prize money is paid out and we have no idea how the judging process unfolds that does raise flags.
Nicholl and Page readers have to provide some kind of grade or form for each script. Sure, they could still skim a script, but at least there is some oversight and those contests do seem to be much more open and transparent. With Tracking B, they could look at the title, throw it away, and take your money and you'd have no idea whatever happened. $100,000 is a lot, especially since we don't know if even a cent of that comes back in overhead for the contest. Interns could be doing most of the reading for all we know. Or, out of 1,000 scripts, 500 could be thrown out immediately based on logline. Point is, we just don't know.
I do like this contest, and I do like the Insider, but they really should think about improving their practices. If you're a winner, sounds like you get a great deal out of it. To me, this contest really boils down to paying for a chance at agency representation, so if you are to enter I'd do it as early on as possible to pay the lowest fee and thus reduce your risk.
Originally posted by Scriptonian
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I did ask how the contest is judged, and The Insider would not reveal that. That's his choice of course, but if there are 1,000 entries at an average entry fee of close to $100, that's almost $100,000 in revenue. And Scriptonian is right: there is very little to explain what this contest might be looking for or how material is judged. I also asked The Insider about this, and he gave kind of the pat answer of "great stories" or "your best work." Since the winners of the contest do seemed to get signed by the judges I would think commercial work is better than an artsy/indy offering, and you might even look at the companies that are on the panel to see what they are drawn to.
But my question about this contest has always been, and this is a rhetorical question, if I enter an adaptation or a musical will they still take my money? There's nothing on the site or in the rules to say what you should or should not enter, and since no prize money is paid out and we have no idea how the judging process unfolds that does raise flags.
Nicholl and Page readers have to provide some kind of grade or form for each script. Sure, they could still skim a script, but at least there is some oversight and those contests do seem to be much more open and transparent. With Tracking B, they could look at the title, throw it away, and take your money and you'd have no idea whatever happened. $100,000 is a lot, especially since we don't know if even a cent of that comes back in overhead for the contest. Interns could be doing most of the reading for all we know. Or, out of 1,000 scripts, 500 could be thrown out immediately based on logline. Point is, we just don't know.
I do like this contest, and I do like the Insider, but they really should think about improving their practices. If you're a winner, sounds like you get a great deal out of it. To me, this contest really boils down to paying for a chance at agency representation, so if you are to enter I'd do it as early on as possible to pay the lowest fee and thus reduce your risk.
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