Trackinb Contest

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  • Re: Trackinb Contest

    Originally posted by emily blake View Post
    My sense has always been that the price and the lack of quarter finalists lists discourages tourists. You're only going to enter TrackingB if you actually think your script is going to win. I think it's that way by design.
    First of all, I am nothing but pleased that your "Wedding Dress" script was a finalist, and happy that you've managed to gain representation, and made the first steps towards the ultimate goal of employment in this field.

    But... after all you went through with "Nice Girls" on Scriptshadow, and the feedback you received, would you still have submitted that script into the trackingb competition?

    Comment


    • Re: Trackinb Contest

      I submitted both scripts. Nice Girls needed more work but I didn't realize it. Funny thing is, I already knew about TrackingB when those pages went up for review, so it was really easy to pull out the good notes and use them.

      And thanks for the support. Still got a long way to go, but I'm excited about getting started.
      Chicks Who Script podcast

      Comment


      • Re: Trackinb Contest

        Originally posted by Paradis View Post
        If you told a 4 year old what sex was, they'd be like - whaaat?


        Don't worry about it Justin.
        I guess it's because you're a Nearly Pro and I'm still a Learner.

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        • Re: Trackinb Contest

          Originally posted by justin View Post
          I guess it's because you're a Nearly Pro and I'm still a Learner.
          No, you're just not listening. This thread does more than answer your question, you're choosing not to see it.

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          • Re: Trackinb Contest

            Paradis,

            I think he's wondering where all the money goes to if there's no prize money. It's an understandable question and "it's a valuable contest" doesn't answer it for him.

            If you compare TrackingB and Nicholl, there's a big price difference. Both have great track records, but only one is able to pay its readers and give some of the entrance money back to its winners: Nicholl.

            So I do get Justin's question and why he hasn't found his answer yet.

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            • Re: Trackinb Contest

              I think my answer was - who cares.

              I get the issue, and I still say - who cares.

              No seriously, I'm not being a dick. If you're objective to enter a contest is to win money, then there's plenty of said contests out there. If say, you're really more interested in a tangible career outcome, then maybe this one is for you.

              Either way, who cares where the money goes. I pay - i potentially reach my goal.

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              • Re: Trackinb Contest

                Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                I think my answer was - who cares.

                I get the issue, and I still say - who cares.

                No seriously, I'm not being a dick. If you're objective to enter a contest is to win money, then there's plenty of said contests out there. If say, you're really more interested in a tangible career outcome, then maybe this one is for you.

                Either way, who cares where the money goes. I pay - i potentially reach my goal.
                I get that. But it's a legit question. Not everyone who enters this contest is ready. So where does their money go?

                I don't think it's a good idea to ignore the money practices of any business whose services you pay for.

                We know they do a great job of pushing the winners to the next level, but why not show your customers what you're doing with their money?

                It doesn't all go to readers. And it sure doesn't go to the winners. So, then... where?

                I can only conclude that it's pocketed.

                And if that's the case, I'd much rather spend my money on Nicholl... where I know what I'm paying for and who's getting my money.

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                • Re: Trackinb Contest

                  Originally posted by ATB View Post
                  I I'd much rather spend my money on Nicholl... where I know what I'm paying for and who's getting my money.
                  I think you have your answer.

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                  • Re: Trackinb Contest

                    Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                    I think you have your answer.
                    To what question?

                    Where the money goes at TrackingB?

                    No, I don't have that answer.

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                    • Re: Trackinb Contest

                      To what contest is right for you.

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                      • Re: Trackinb Contest

                        At least with the Nicholl, the winners get invited to the fancy dinner

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                        • Re: Trackinb Contest

                          To be clear, for me, I could care less about the cash. I imagine it goes to the Insider and his staff (whoever they are) as is their right.

                          What I do care about is my script getting a fair shake, which is the question that set off the last couple of pages of this thread and has still not been answered. Remarks of "who cares the winner gets repped!" and "don't enter" are narrow-minded and blind at the larger issue of knowing the parameters by which scripts are judged, its policy and procedure. I'll repeat: 1000+ scripts are entered and from all appearances, the TrackingB staff is a small operation which means he's hiring more readers, the staff is much larger than we are assuming, or serious corners are being cut. After reading about Silver and their even one page minimum read policy, it is not a stretch of the imagination in the least to imagine some similar policy for TrackingB. We do know the contest is looking for commercial scripts so if a noncommercial script is entered, how many pages are read with such a strained staff? Ten? Three? The logline? Is the procedure like Scriptapalooza where scripts are dropped off in boxes at production companies and the readers are the staff/interns/assistants/execs at those companies? We have no clue.

                          I do think it is deeply ignorant to blindly enter a contest without knowing how you're being judged and most baffling of all is that this blindness is willful and desperate. Other second tier contests like Final Draft can also boast of winners getting repped, and to boost TrackingB to the upper echelon of the Nicholl without a thorough vetting like Nicholl and Page is naive. Greater transparency can only make a contest stronger and benefit writers. Why are some of you so afraid of a couple of questions?
                          Last edited by AlexNoa; 02-20-2012, 08:08 PM.

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                          • Re: Trackinb Contest

                            Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                            To what contest is right for you.
                            I'm not arguing, honest, but I didn't ask that question. I knew that already.

                            I didn't enter any contests this year because I was trying to smooth out a script and finish another.

                            But if I did, I would've gone for Nicholl and skipped TrackingB (that does not mean I think winning trackingb isn't a great accomplishment).

                            That being said, that isn't the point.

                            We're talking about money practices. And particularly about transparency (I think?).

                            Here's what I don't get:

                            Nicholl charges $35 for a feature entry.

                            TrackingB charges $65. That's nearly double.

                            Nicholl offers up to $150,000 back to its winners/fellows.

                            TrackingB offers $0.00

                            So let's assume both contests have the same operating costs. Same salaries. Same expenses.

                            Where's the equivalent of TrackingB's fellowship money going?

                            I know that TrackingB hustles their asses off to get its winners representation and that Nicholl makes a point to not do that, but Nicholl doesn't need to with its clout. Reps come to Nicholl, not the other way around (or, rather, to Nicholl's winners).

                            So is it really justified to charge nearly double what Nicholl does?

                            That's what some people are wondering. And it's why they're asking for more transparency.

                            Comment


                            • Re: Trackinb Contest

                              Alex, even contests with "transparency," who give details about the process can never really "police" their readers. A reader may be instructed to read an entire script but it's possible some readers just read a few pages and make their decision. They may be instructed to keep their personal preferences in check re: genre, but one reader, being human, might score an entry much lower than the script deserves because it's not their cup of tea.

                              You don't know how much they're paying their readers, how many readers there are - what their genuine expenses are, how much they "pocket."

                              If a contest promises X,Y and Z and delivers on X,Y, and Z, then they're legit - the ones that make promises and don't deliver on them (and I know there are ones out there) are scams.

                              Every contest offers something different, and writers have no control over the process, transparent or not.
                              "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." -[/SIZE] James R. Cook

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                              • Re: Trackinb Contest

                                The Nicholl is a non-profit that gets its big award money from a large donation made by the Nicholls, not from entry fees... I think Greg has even said that the entry fees don't come close to even covering costs... So, that may be why others charge more than the Nicholl and give out less or no $$... Because they can't afford to operate at a loss like the Nicholl can.

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