Austin: who's in?

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  • #16
    Re: Austin: who's in?

    Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
    I've never been given the instructions to only read 5 pages.
    Jeff, thanks for weighing in.
    "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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    • #17
      Re: Austin: who's in?

      Originally posted by UnequalProductions View Post
      I'll have a pilot in the hour-long competition. So everyone else might as well save their entry fees.
      Too late! Game on in the hour-long category!
      "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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      • #18
        Re: Austin: who's in?

        Originally posted by AlexNoa View Post
        You realize Jeff wouldn't be a first round reader, don't you? By all means, enter. I'm only relaying information that you should use to consider whether it's worth entering.
        I actually wasn't aware of that but in retrospect it makes sense.

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        • #19
          Re: Austin: who's in?

          My partner and I are at least considering entering our action/comedy spec, and possibly also our original hour-format TV script. But honestly...We're vacillating, being as the primary benefit to entrants seems to be the festival itself as far as we can tell.

          On the one hand, if we're somehow selected for an award, I understand that the fest helps to reimburse travel costs. On the other, if we're not? Then we're sort of on our own as far as what, if anything, to do.

          Don't get me wrong...Based on everything I've read, it's an awesome experience for writers. I've heard that it's full of plenty of opportunities to learn, attend seminars and panels, and network. However, we're both trying to pack away as much cash as possible for our planned move to LA later this year, as we're tired of dreaming, and we're going for broke. All-in, no net. That may be the more beneficial career move given the limited resource pool we're working with.

          So, if anyone has had any experience with Austin that might help us make a decision one way or another, we're all ears.

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          • #20
            Re: Austin: who's in?

            Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
            I've never been given the instructions to only read 5 pages.
            never given the instructions doesn't mean you don't do it.
            i mean, i'm sure you were never given the instruction to read a script while sitting on the toilet either -- a secret code word indicating fast read (you have diarrhea) or long, laborious read (you have constipation).

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            • #21
              Re: Austin: who's in?

              Originally posted by UglyShirts View Post
              My partner and I are at least considering entering our action/comedy spec, and possibly also our original hour-format TV script. But honestly...We're vacillating, being as the primary benefit to entrants seems to be the festival itself as far as we can tell.

              On the one hand, if we're somehow selected for an award, I understand that the fest helps to reimburse travel costs. On the other, if we're not? Then we're sort of on our own as far as what, if anything, to do.

              Don't get me wrong...Based on everything I've read, it's an awesome experience for writers. I've heard that it's full of plenty of opportunities to learn, attend seminars and panels, and network. However, we're both trying to pack away as much cash as possible for our planned move to LA later this year, as we're tired of dreaming, and we're going for broke. All-in, no net. That may be the more beneficial career move given the limited resource pool we're working with.

              So, if anyone has had any experience with Austin that might help us make a decision one way or another, we're all ears.
              Austin is incredible. My writing partner and I have gone twice, and I'd go again even if I didn't have a script in the competition.

              The panels are great. Almost entirely writer-centric. And the panelists are very approachable. They even come out for the parties.

              And the parties are great. I love hanging around and talking to other writers. Really recharges my writing batteries.

              If you're a semi-finalist in any category, you get your badge at a discounted price. If you are a finalist, it's free. If you win, they reimburse a chunk of your travel and hotel.

              My writing partner and I were semi-finalists in a couple categories the first year, and our manager contacted us off that. We only got a few responses when we won the pilot competition this year, but we already had representation, so we weren't really hunting.

              Plus the food in Austin is incredible. As long as you eat meat.

              BUT, if you're saving your cash to move to Los Angeles, I could see that as a valid reason to pass on the Austin Film Festival. It's not a cheap trip.

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              • #22
                Re: Austin: who's in?

                I was a finalist for the comedy category in 2010 and I would definitely recommend going if your script makes that cut. I met a ton of people (including Jeff Lowell in line at Starbucks), also John August and Craig Mazin. I also met an exec who was a finalist judge and after the festival, she circulated my script to managers and that's how I got my manager.

                The first night I was there, I met a group of six women at the Driskill bar who are readers for the contest. They take their reading very seriously and get really excited when they meet the writer of a script they sent up. Many of them have done it for years. I would not worry about Austin only reading five pages - if that happens, it's probably in cases where someone has sent in a novel, or illustrations or rubbish like that. AFF is not like smaller contests where the primary purpose *might* be to collect entry fees and do as little as possible. They really want to find good scripts.

                It did cost me a chunk of change to attend. They only help you out with hotel/airfare if you win. And you don't find out if you win until the awards lunch on Saturday. (I didn't win.) Still, meeting people in person was priceless and I'm glad I went. I will probably go back this year without a script in the competition for kicks.

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                • #23
                  Re: Austin: who's in?

                  Some very helpful posts here.

                  I'm in with one. A war drama/action based in Afghanistan. I also have that in the Nicholl.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Austin: who's in?

                    Yes, a wealth of info but I disagree about the food! I found a terrific Italian place a few doors down from the contest hotel - ate there every night. Of course that was back in 97 so it might not be there anymore.

                    There's lots of great, casual relationship-building opportunities in Austin. And I can remember a lot of giddy anticipation in the air at that award luncheon because we're all waiting to find out if we won or not.

                    Thanks to those weighing in on the conference as well as the contest.
                    "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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                    • #25
                      Re: Austin: who's in?

                      Originally posted by Presto View Post
                      Some very helpful posts here.

                      I'm in with one. A war drama/action based in Afghanistan. I also have that in the Nicholl.
                      Good luck! I think contests love the war dramas!
                      "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." -[/SIZE] James R. Cook

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Austin: who's in?

                        Long time no post.

                        I had a script place in the AFF screenplay comp. the past 3 years but last year was my first time attending. The roundtables did it for me, so glad I went simply because of that. They have different roundtables (one for semi finalists, one for second rounders etc.) - I sat next to Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) for one session and was able to ask them how they go about exploiting the concepts in their scripts, so much information came at me I couldn't write it all down. Then came Terry Rossio, didn't ask him any questions, just listened... the third person was an exec from Pixar, very sharp woman - used to be low on the totem pole and waxes a little bit about how people are so terrified to have an opinion because taking a script to your boss and saying "this is great" can get your ass fired if THEY don't think it's "great".. hence the uphill battle for writers... then I did another roundtable the next day.

                        Got to listen to Shane Black talk about writing and drop some science. One of my favorites was sitting about 10 feet from Jim Uhls and Chuck Palahniuk talking about how 'Fight Club' went from script to screen... {a little thing that blew me away, Chuck Palahniuk was telling how he wanted to finish the book Fight Club before spring time because he didn't want to be stuck in the house writing when it was nice outside, says he'd already finished the book but something "didn't feel right" then after a few days it hit him, says he walked around his house in a daze mumbling "they're the same person!!" - that was great knowing he had to actually write the story to find out the Narrator and Tyler were the same person after the fact - straight from the horses mouth}

                        On top of that you get to meet a bunch of writers... which for some of us is a little more difficult than others as writers aren't usually known to be the most outgoing people in the world... in hindsight it was actually hilarious how I met the few new writers friends I did meet.

                        Oh and hearing writers pitch their scripts in the pitch competition is awesome... I went to the bar (forget the name) to watch the finals, very cool stuff.
                        Talking with the judges (they had a happy hour for the second rounders and up) you get to find out what they're looking for, a few of them said how much they hated not seeing enough white space on the page, they said that told them the writer wasn't efficient with words and they were able to see that at a glance... little stuff like that.

                        Submitted a new script this year, if I get the call that I'm in, I'm booking a hotel that day.

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                        • #27
                          Re: Austin: who's in?

                          Originally posted by upallnite View Post

                          Submitted a new script this year, if I get the call that I'm in, I'm booking a hotel that day.
                          Welcome back, Up. So if you make the first cut, you book the hotel? Or do you wait to see if you made the second cut? Third cut?
                          "Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." -[/SIZE] James R. Cook

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Austin: who's in?

                            Originally posted by JoJo View Post
                            Welcome back, Up. So if you make the first cut, you book the hotel? Or do you wait to see if you made the second cut? Third cut?
                            Hey thanks - I was a 2nd rounder last year so I guess that's what I was thinking. although this year I'm shooting for the semi's.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Austin: who's in?

                              Originally posted by JoJo View Post
                              Welcome back, Up. So if you make the first cut, you book the hotel? Or do you wait to see if you made the second cut? Third cut?
                              By the time you hear anything you're either in the semi-finals or not. Last year it was about a month later that they announced the finalists.

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                              • #30
                                Re: Austin: who's in?

                                In with 2. First timer for this one.

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