Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

[SundownInRetreat]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Hi Greg,


I'd like to draw your attention to this thread:
http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...ad.php?t=65182

Most notably post 8 on page 1 (BattleDophinZero) and post 34 on page 4 (Brian Koppelman).

The thread is about non traditional slug lines. BDZ advocates slugs like HE DUCKS INTO THE BATHROOM for a better flow and Brian Koppelman says he has never used INT or EXT.

I really like both approaches and would like to know If I veer away from the traditional, will I be marked down by the Nicholl readers - even though pros, such as Frank, Black, Helgeland and Kelly already do the same? Or will your readers not care as long as the script is good? The pros confirmed agents & studios don't care about any of this but what aboutcompetitions?

Eg: would this - from a spec script that was bought and produced - fly with your readers or be rejected because it does't adhere to the Trottier's rules?

ACROSS THE STREET
Is a tunnel. Not an alley. A tunnel.

BLACK
Moves towards it. And he sees something on the ground. It's

THE CORSAGE
That Debbie was holding.

BLACK
Approaches the tunnel and he sees something else on the ground.

A SEVERED ARM
With bright red nail polish and bright red blood.

BLACK
Looks back. All of the people are in the street. None willing to join him.


In my mind, writing like this is a no brainer.

However, I emailed the above to another well regarded competition and got a fairly stock, and very disappointing reply, that regurgitated the myths that lead amateurs astray, including the classic "pros can do what they want but amateurs can have their script tossed for a typo".


Thanks.

[HRCLPRT]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Back in the hard copy days, a reader was handed a script to read (among a small batch of scripts). He returned the batch and didn't say a word about anything odd occurring. There was something strange about one of the scripts he returned, and we noticed it during processing sometime later. It was longer (or shorter, I don't remember) than the submitted draft.

When confronted, the reader claimed that he dropped the script in his washing machine and destroyed it (really, your washing machine?). And so he told an agent friend what had happened, and the agent just happened to be considering the writer for representation and so had a different draft, which he handed to the reader so that he could return it in place of the destroyed version. Before it was returned, though, the reader was careful to remove the title page and any other identifying information on the script.

When we asked the reader why he hadn't called us immediately when the mishap occurred, he hemmed and hawed. In addition to talking to the reader, we spoke to the agent and to the writer. It's possible that there was an accident. It's also possible that someone saw this as an opportunity to slide a new, improved draft of the script into the competition. Since we could no longer trust the reader, we decided not to use his services any longer.

This was part of Greg's response to a post in the TrackingB thread.

I'd rather comment here than in that thread.

Greg, thank you for sharing this.

I was really curious when you mentioned a reader got fired. And then in response to a comment, you elaborated more.

[lordmanji]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

As far as I know, only a few Nicholl readers also read for other competitions. That reduces the possibilities. Plus the relatively few scripts any reader judges in any competition causes an overlap to be even less likely.

Additionally, we ask readers to stop reading immediately if they only have an inkling that they might have read a script before - wherever they might have read it - and we assign a different script in its place.

Our system doesn't allow us to assign a script title to a reader who has previously read that script and warns us if the reader has read the writer previously. By and large, we do not assign any writer's script to a reader who has read the writer in a prior year.

Thanks, Greg. That really alleviates my concern about entering other contests.

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

With contest season gearing up, is it possible for readers from other contests to also read the same script in the Nicholl? Wondering how this might affect the grading.

As far as I know, only a few Nicholl readers also read for other competitions. That reduces the possibilities. Plus the relatively few scripts any reader judges in any competition causes an overlap to be even less likely.

Additionally, we ask readers to stop reading immediately if they only have an inkling that they might have read a script before - wherever they might have read it - and we assign a different script in its place.

Our system doesn't allow us to assign a script title to a reader who has previously read that script and warns us if the reader has read the writer previously. By and large, we do not assign any writer's script to a reader who has read the writer in a prior year.

[lordmanji]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Hi Greg,

With contest season gearing up, is it possible for readers from other contests to also read the same script in the Nicholl? Wondering how this might affect the grading.

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Fantastic change!

The Nicholl is, as ever, the best run and undisputed king of contests.

Absolutely. At least two reads for every script really goes a long way toward eliminating an anomoulus read, either good or bad, effecting the evaluation process.


The quality of the evaluation just went up. It shows the folks over at Nicholl understand.

.

[Presto]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Sorry you ran into time-out problems, and I reported your experience to our developers.

Perhaps it's a browser issue, as I sat idle separately on both the title/log line page and the payment page for about 25 minutes and did not time out. I only timed-out after sitting idle for over 45 minutes on the payment page.

We appreciate any and all error reports as the online application is still a work-in-progress. Best to send them to nicholl at oscars.org.

Thanks Greg. I tried again (I have a couple of entries this year). My session timed-out again, actually after only a few seconds of idle time.

I had my stopwatch on. The time-out happened 5 mins and 30 seconds into the session. It had only been idle for a few seconds whilst I checked I had entered my logline correctly.

I'm using an up-to-date version of Chrome.

Anyway, I'll send a detailed email to nicholl at oscars.org.

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Sorry you ran into time-out problems, and I reported your experience to our developers.

Perhaps it's a browser issue, as I sat idle separately on both the title/log line page and the payment page for about 25 minutes and did not time out. I only timed-out after sitting idle for over 45 minutes on the payment page.

We appreciate any and all error reports as the online application is still a work-in-progress. Best to send them to nicholl at oscars.org.

I don't know if it's an isolated incident but my Nicholl session expired twice when I was doing my entry. Once when I was doing the logline, another at the credit card entry stage. If others had a similar problem, say.

I spent about a minute away from the session looking for my logline, and around a minute digging out my credit card. I guess that was the issue.

My entry was successful but the dropped sessions was a bit of a nuisance.

It was not my broadband: the message was "Your Nicholl session has expired" or something very similar.

Apart from the above, the application process was a breeze.

[Presto]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

I don't know if it's an isolated incident but my Nicholl session expired twice when I was doing my entry. Once when I was doing the logline, another at the credit card entry stage. If others had a similar problem, say.

I spent about a minute away from the session looking for my logline, and around a minute digging out my credit card. I guess that was the issue.

My entry was successful but the dropped sessions was a bit of a nuisance.

It was not my broadband: the message was "Your Nicholl session has expired" or something very similar.

Apart from the above, the application process was a breeze.

[Richmond Weems]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

With the database installed last year...

Just wanted to say nice job on the layout of past scripts entered. Nice little window to let us know the final status of the scripts (and not a bad little confidence booster when you just know your writing sucks).

HH

[lordmanji]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

In the past it was always easier to ensure that different readers judged a script if the scripts were entered at the same time.

With the database installed last year, readers are excluded from being assigned a script from a writer they've already read. So now it doesn't matter when an entrant submits scripts.

Thank you for the prompt reply, kind sir!

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Greg, I have a couple of scripts in the same genre. If I enter it at the same time, would different readers read them or would it be the same?

In the past it was always easier to ensure that different readers judged a script if the scripts were entered at the same time.

With the database installed last year, readers are excluded from being assigned a script from a writer they've already read. So now it doesn't matter when an entrant submits scripts.

[justin]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Thanks for this info - a very fair system.

[lordmanji]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

Greg, I have a couple of scripts in the same genre. If I enter it at the same time, would different readers read them or would it be the same?

[JoJo]

Re: Nicholl Fellowship 2012 open for submissions

It is the high score of the first two reads that determines the third read.

Essentially, it's best one of two reads to determine third read.

Then, best two of three reads to determine quarterfinalists.

Next, best five of six reads to determine semifinalists.

Finally, best eight of ten reads to determine finalists.

Greg, we really appreciate your patience with all our questions.... thanks for providing the important details... I often wondered just how many reads a script had to survive to get into the final round.. I'll get back to polishing my script now.. shiny!