Trackinb Contest

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  • Re: Trackinb Contest

    Originally posted by Mintclub View Post
    Really? Top 40 out of 4000/ top 8 out of 1000. Hmm, I'm no mathematician but they seem statistically pretty close to me...
    It may seem close to you but which placement is more impressive to a rep, top 40 or 8?

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    • Re: Trackinb Contest

      Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
      It may seem close to you but which placement is more impressive to a rep, top 40 or 8?
      Maybe that depends on the contest...

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      • Re: Trackinb Contest

        Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
        By your logic, every one of the 1000+ entrants last year thought their script was great. Some probably were. What makes you think yours is without knowing if it meets the nonspecific judging criteria?
        Not sure what you mean. You think "nonspecific judging criteria" determines whether a script is great?

        Comment


        • Re: Trackinb Contest

          Originally posted by Mintclub View Post
          Maybe that depends on the contest...
          My contention is TrackingB should not be in the very top tier of contests without transparency into their judging process and background of their readers. Do you agree that it should be?

          Comment


          • Re: Trackinb Contest

            Originally posted by iggy View Post
            Not sure what you mean. You think "nonspecific judging criteria" determines whether a script is great?
            Nonspecific as in what is the policy for the reads (e.g. who's matched up with what, minimum page reads), backgrounds of the readers, their number. Without a policy, evaluation criteria may be inconsistent allowing for quality scripts to be passed over more often than they would if there was an expressly stated policy. Knowing so little, how can you have such confidence your script will successfully navigate these unclear waters?

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            • Re: Trackinb Contest

              Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
              Nonspecific as in what is the policy for the reads (e.g. who's matched up with what, minimum page reads), backgrounds of the readers, their number. Without a policy, evaluation criteria may be inconsistent allowing for quality scripts to be passed over more often than they would if there was an expressly stated policy. Knowing so little, how can you have such confidence your script will successfully navigate these unclear waters?
              I know the process for Nicholl, but have never navigated through the contest successfully...

              Comment


              • Re: Trackinb Contest

                Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
                Knowing so little, how can you have such confidence your script will successfully navigate these unclear waters?
                You can't. All you can do is write the very best script you're capable of writing. Then rewrite it and make it even better. You can't control the tastes of any readers anywhere.

                But, you know, it's not like my kid is walking alone to school for the first time. I don't really need such confidence that the script will be able to navigate these unclear waters. I'm submitting a pdf to a contest. If it lands with its reader - great! If it doesn't, so what? I'll enter it someplace else or query it or put it aside and write the next one.

                The fact that so many DDP regulars have had terrific success with trackingb makes it worth my $2.50 a week.

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                • Re: Trackinb Contest

                  Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                  It doesn't matter where the money goes. It's none of your business... When you go for a mortgage or buy a train ticket or whatever, you have no right to demand where that money goes or how it's spent or how much is taken as profit. It's none of your business, simple.
                  Every customer of any "trusted" business has the right to ask where their money goes.

                  If I take out a mortgage loan from Bank of America, I will abso-fvcking-lutely make sure that I'm not being ripped off. I want to know what they're charging me and why. I'm not just going to grin and bear it if I think there's a possibility that I'm being fvcked over.

                  Nicholl is cheaper, sure, but winning, and with an artistic script rather than a commerical one, doesn't mean you're going to get snapped up.
                  Nicholl's winning scripts, finalists, semifinalists, and even quarterfinalists get numerous calls and emails from reps every year. I don't know what you're getting at there.

                  And does anyone really thinks some turgid 120 page script is going to be read to the end by readers in any competition? As soon as they realise it's not getting their vote for the next round, it's dropped, so questioning how much is read is also absurd IMO.
                  Not questioning how much is read is absurb. The whole reason for asking for transparency is so the entrants know their scripts are actually read. They're paying $65 to get what they don't get when they query prodco's and reps: a full read.

                  If a reader a TB only reads 5 pages or 3 pages or 1 page or just the logline and chucks a script, that's horrible. I don't care how terrible it is, the entrant paid you $65-$95 to read it. So fvcking read it.

                  But we don't know if that's happening or not. Transparency can fix that.

                  And here's the thing that seems to have been missed - whatever their judging critieria, it works. They may ditch scripts after 5 pages, they may vote titles to the next round based solely on the writing and not the story, or the story and not so much the writing behind it, it may be based on instinct and nothing regimented. But whatever the process - it works - and those still standing at the end are being snapped up by Hollywood.
                  Dude, are you listening to yourself? This is exactly why people are asking for transparency! Because they want to be certain that the TB "staff" isn't playing pin the tail on the donkey to find winners or semis or even to advance entrants beyond the first round.

                  There is absolutely no reason to not show your process if you're doing things the right way.

                  As Emily and Paradis have said, people quibbling over this are not ready to go pro.
                  I don't think anyone really believes that if you have a problem with the TB process then you're not ready for the show.

                  Sure, many people who would question the process are just hoping to get around it. But some are ready and want to make sure they're getting as fair a shot as possible.

                  As I've said before, I've never entered TB. But I know I'm ready. I can write and I know WTF I'm doing when I put pen to paper.

                  But if I question TB's lack of transparency it means I'm not?

                  Where is the logic in that?

                  Originally posted by SundownInRetreat View Post
                  Crazy. Sheer crazy. The guy has connections and is legit. So yeah, he can charge whatever he wants, for whatever he wants, just for the privelige. As others have said - and as you know - he gets you to the top level people - so even if he said, "guys, this is gold, rare as rocking horse s**t, you know it, so it's gonna cost you. It's gonna cost $65 a pop 'cause I reckon my time, rep and contacts are worth thousands and I reckon $65 is low enough to get the money I deserve. I'll pass on the top 10 that are truly quality enough. But be warned, I'm not passing on any crud, that s**t will kill my rep", then that would be fair enough.
                  I'm not saying the $65 entry fee is too high, though. I'm saying you need to justify it. Show me why. If you can't, then your business will be called into question.

                  Why can't the process be opened up? Is there some secret formula they're using that they can't possible give away like it's the Colonel's secret recipe? I don't think so. So, then, why?

                  Answer me that, riddler. Because when someone won't show you how they do something, it usually means they don't fvcking know.

                  Again, it's irrelevant. And IMO crazy. So what if it's pocketed? For a measly $65 - not even the cost of a meal for 2 at a restaurant, you're getting the chance to bypass the gatekeepers and filters.
                  By your logic, it shouldn't matter if a criminal hacks a banking server and steals .02 cents from every account holder. I mean, what's the 2 cents worth to them? They'd probably leave two pennies on the sidewalk if they glistened in the sunlight.

                  So what. Money matters, no matter how small. And where it goes matters even more.
                  Last edited by ATB; 02-21-2012, 02:24 PM.

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                  • Re: Trackinb Contest

                    This is just absurd.

                    TrackingB does NOT have to justify its entry fee. It is a business. It has overhead. Maybe it makes a profit, maybe it doesn't. Who cares how many readers it employs, how many pages get read, or if it has quarterfinalists. My mom doesn't need to know that I finished 294th.

                    I was a finalist in the first year and I got repped right away. I'm in a screenwriting group with about ten other finalists and they're all repped too. With sales to tout. And its largely due to TrackingB.

                    When you buy crap on Ebay, how do you know the seller is reliable. You look at their rating for validation. Well, we're all validating that TrackingB is legit and awesome. And all of our reps have validated that TrackingB chose viable scripts, regardless of its methods.

                    As it was stated earlier in the thread, entry is not mandatory. And there are hundreds of script consulting services and fully transparent contests with zero clout. But trust me in that you would be missing a golden opportunity.

                    Comment


                    • Re: Trackinb Contest

                      All these concerns about the validity of a contest, its transparency, where the money goes etc etc seem to me to be seen from two sides of the fence. Those that have benefited from a contest and can offer an insight into its process after winning, placing etc and those that haven't yet found success in a particular competition and seek additional assurances to justify entering.

                      Personally, I'm of the simple belief that if writers/ managers on sites such as this, speak highly of a contest, then it's worth a shot. Just submit and get on with writing your next script. It's a contest, there's lots of them. Pick the one you like the look of and move on. It's not life and death...

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                      • Re: Trackinb Contest

                        Originally posted by iggy View Post
                        You can't. All you can do is write the very best script you're capable of writing. Then rewrite it and make it even better. You can't control the tastes of any readers anywhere.
                        ^^^^

                        What he said.
                        Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 02-21-2012, 04:28 PM. Reason: Fixed the quote code.
                        "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

                          Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
                          Nonspecific as in what is the policy for the reads (e.g. who's matched up with what, minimum page reads), backgrounds of the readers, their number. Without a policy, evaluation criteria may be inconsistent allowing for quality scripts to be passed over more often than they would if there was an expressly stated policy. Knowing so little, how can you have such confidence your script will successfully navigate these unclear waters?
                          Wha-??? So you're going to decide on entry only when you know the judges and their personal likes? Not the strength of your script? 99.9% of writers are gash and if you're of top quality then you stand a helluva great chance of flying to the finals - because people in the know recognise star quality. Hence my comment about A&R men.

                          Whether you know the geezers or not, if your script stinks then it's gonna get flushed away. Everything you've said is of someone who wants to hedge their bets and only enter if what they have is tailor made for the reader and that is preposterous! You say it's different to cold querying because cold queries are free. really? Add up the cost of 10 years worth of queries and compare that to a $65 shot.

                          And has been said by me and others - $65 is a great price to get the chance to impress the big boys. If it was that easy without doing so, if screenwriting wasn't so impossibly hard for 99.9% of writers, if getting read by the power players was such a cinch then we'd all be repped and produced. You can't on one hand acknowledge the minsicule odds of success and the oversaturaed market that means it's nigh on impossible to get read and then on the other insist you don't need TrackingB's "prize" or Nicholl prestige to succeed.

                          What you have said throughout just tells me you aren't ready nor have confidence in your writing. You want to know everything so as to hedge your bets accordingly based on the judges. Even if you like the judge, and he had an awesome BJ that morning, if your script stinks then all that cross referencing will have been for nought so it matters not who, what or why - you just fire your script off and hope that you really are better than 99.9% of your peers.



                          Originally posted by ATB
                          Dude, are you listening to yourself? This is exactly why people are asking for transparency! Because they want to be certain that the TB "staff" isn't playing pin the tail on the donkey to find winners or semis or even to advance entrants beyond the first round.
                          No it isn't exactly why. What you quoted of me and bolded has nothing to do with pinning the tail on the donkey (and if you really think they are doing that and are somehow still ending up with quality scripts at the end of the day that are gleefully repped by the top tier agents then.....)

                          What you bolded was to say that whatever their process is on judging - they get it right and thus their process is valid. if your script is ditched after 5 pages because it's garbage then fair enough. If they pass your script on after reading just 50 pages, as they *know* the script is tight and the writer is Shakespeare reborn then that's also fair. And if they go off some intagible, unable to pin down in black and white, instinct then again, that's fair enough.

                          The only transparency required is that the competition is legit and winners are deserving and thus far this has been proved to be true.

                          You ask me if I am listening to myself and I ask you the same - are you listening to yourself? Are you listening to what I'm saying? Because it seems that you aren't. The bottom line is people who know the score are evaluating your material (in whatever method works for them) and quality is being rewarded. And that's it. Does every quality script make the final? I don't know, possibly not, they only have a finite number after all. But is each finalist quality? Judging from the results, yes. So again, it doesn't matter what their process is. All that matters is their process works.

                          As a side point, does anyone really think turgid crap sent in the Nicholl is read to the end by the readers? Really?


                          Answer me that, riddler. Because when someone won't show you how they do something, it usually means they don't fvcking know.
                          LOL - and you asked me about logic


                          I'm not saying the $65 entry fee is too high, though. I'm saying you need to justify it. Show me why. If you can't, then your business will be called into question.
                          Why? You've had enough reasons why - serious pushing on your behalf by a Hollywood insider who has the ear of the big guns and whose word is trusted by the big guns. No QF, top 200 mush along with 199 others sending out query letters, just straight to the point: a handful of pro quality scripts/writers are championed direct to the organ grinder and not his plethora of monkeys where repping typically ensues and a golden shot at a career.

                          You're paying for that kind of exclusivity. Being advocated and canvassed by a trusted H'wood source - to a powerful audience that is giving their full attention and is already bought in because they trust the Insider.



                          By your logic, it shouldn't matter if a criminal hacks a banking server and steals .02 cents from every account holder. I mean, what's the 2 cents worth to them? They'd probably leave two pennies on the sidewalk if they glistened in the sunlight.
                          This is so inane and ludicrous that I'll ask you again to read what I'm saying and to listen to yourself. Your analogy is about hacking, theft and ripping off and is preposterous. What I said, what you chose to respond to with your bizarre analogy, is that it doesn't matter how a legit and trusted organisation makes its choices, all that matters is that they are legit and deliver results. And TrackingB do.

                          In the Apprentice, the guys who make it to the final aren't always the best on paper, or even the most consistent in the tasks. Sometimes a guy'll be picked because he has a raw, unhoned ability, sometimes it will be the guy who excelled week in, week out, sometimes a guy will bomb in tasks but his CV is too impressive to pass up. The point is it doesn't matter how Alan Sugar/Donald Trump make their choices, and there may not be the black & white, consistent process you're asking for, the simple fact is that as extremely successful billionaires, they know what they're talking about and the winners of each show (though not always everyone's first pick) are the wheat amongst the chaff.

                          The same goes for the band that sends in their demo tapes. And the same goes for scripts. TrackingB is not a scam. It's legit. Anyone who doubts that or demands to see their process is crazy and for all the comments about there being nothing wrong in asking for full disclosure, there is equally nothing wrong in not disclosing any details. Like I said before, when you get your mortgage, a train ticket, an X Box or whatever, you know they're making money off you but you don't demand to know where your money goes and how it's divvied up.



                          I'm not just going to grin and bear it if I think there's a possibility that I'm being fvcked over.
                          You were riffing on my point about a mortgage company but as that was just an analogy for TrackingB then to even write this you must have doubts about the veracity of TrackingB. WHich is crazy IMO.
                          M.A.G.A.

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                          • Re: Trackinb Contest

                            Originally posted by Paradis View Post
                            I can't do this thread anymore.
                            Ditto.
                            M.A.G.A.

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                            • Re: Trackinb Contest

                              Christ, this has to be one of the most ridiculous threads in here in awhile.

                              HH

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                              • Re: Trackinb Contest

                                Originally posted by haroldhecuba View Post
                                Christ, this has to be one of the most ridiculous threads in here in awhile.

                                HH

                                Yeah, at first I thought it was just a ploy to get a read from JL, but now it's pretty obvious that these people don't have the skills to understand their skill level, .
                                The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost

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