Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

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  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by WaitForIt View Post
    How long after the deadline til you know the official count o' scripts? The numbers are always fun to watch.
    We'll have an unofficial, but reasonably close, count tomorrow.

    Hard to say how soon we'll have an official final count. Always a problem or two that crops up and extends the time.

    Leave a comment:


  • WaitForIt
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    How long after the deadline til you know the official count o' scripts? The numbers are always fun to watch.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    In case anyone is planning to enter the Academy Nicholl Fellowships competition tomorrow and expects to be pushing against the deadline, you might want to take a quick glance at our Facebook page:

    https://www.facebook.com/NichollFell...52382879392603

    Leave a comment:


  • Jai Brandon
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by gregbeal View Post
    No whispers. Early last year we announced that we were going to give at least the quarterfinalists selected reader comments and then proceeded to provide all quarterfinalists (which includes semi/finalists) with two reader comments.

    Given logistical problems within our database, I think we'll distribute reader comments at the same level this year. We'd like to expand but it doesn't appear to be possible at the moment.
    Great to hear! Added bonuses are always welcome. Thanks, Greg.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by Jai Brandon View Post
    How would this be plausible given that scripts are read blind? Stripped of all identifying information.

    Greg, I've heard whispers about select reader comments being made available to those who have made the semis. Is there any truth to this? Thanks.
    No whispers. Early last year we announced that we were going to give at least the quarterfinalists selected reader comments and then proceeded to provide all quarterfinalists (which includes semi/finalists) with two reader comments.

    Given logistical problems within our database, I think we'll distribute reader comments at the same level this year. We'd like to expand but it doesn't appear to be possible at the moment.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by Matt L View Post
    Quick question along the same lines: is there a scenario in which entering multiple scripts would hurt a writer's chances of winning a fellowship?

    Script 1: advances to the semi-final round to be considered as a finalist
    Script 2: weeded out immediately, doesn't even make quarterfinals

    Since you're looking for the most promising writers, and not the best scripts, would the poor faring of script 2 hinder the writer's chances of becoming a finalist based on the strength of script 1?
    No, it wouldn't.

    Leave a comment:


  • Jai Brandon
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by celticbeauty View Post
    There's absolute truth to it. I was a 2013 Semifinalist and I got a brief 1-3 paragraphs of notes from select readers. I found it very helpful and insightful, and I'm really glad the Nicholl staff offered it.
    That's great, Celtic! Thanks. Looking forward to my notes

    Leave a comment:


  • celticbeauty
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by Jai Brandon View Post
    How would this be plausible given that scripts are read blind? Stripped of all identifying information.

    Greg, I've heard whispers about select reader comments being made available to those who have made the semis. Is there any truth to this? Thanks.
    There's absolute truth to it. I was a 2013 Semifinalist and I got a brief 1-3 paragraphs of notes from select readers. I found it very helpful and insightful, and I'm really glad the Nicholl staff offered it.

    Leave a comment:


  • Jai Brandon
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by Matt L View Post
    Quick question along the same lines: is there a scenario in which entering multiple scripts would hurt a writer's chances of winning a fellowship?

    Script 1: advances to the semi-final round to be considered as a finalist
    Script 2: weeded out immediately, doesn't even make quarterfinals

    Since you're looking for the most promising writers, and not the best scripts, would the poor faring of script 2 hinder the writer's chances of becoming a finalist based on the strength of script 1?
    How would this be plausible given that scripts are read blind? Stripped of all identifying information.

    Greg, I've heard whispers about select reader comments being made available to those who have made the semis. Is there any truth to this? Thanks.

    Leave a comment:


  • Matt L
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by gregbeal View Post
    We're not looking for the scripts per se but for the writers of the scripts.
    Quick question along the same lines: is there a scenario in which entering multiple scripts would hurt a writer's chances of winning a fellowship?

    Script 1: advances to the semi-final round to be considered as a finalist
    Script 2: weeded out immediately, doesn't even make quarterfinals

    Since you're looking for the most promising writers, and not the best scripts, would the poor faring of script 2 hinder the writer's chances of becoming a finalist based on the strength of script 1?

    Leave a comment:


  • badbunny
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Many thanks for your reply.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Originally posted by badbunny
    Hey Greg, would you mind explaining this in detail? I think this is a very interesting distinction even though I don't fully comprehend it.
    The goal of the program is to identify and encourage talented new screenwriters.

    Academy Nicholl Fellowships are awarded to the writers, not to the screenplays.

    The screenplays submitted to the competition are the means of identifying the talented writers.

    Since the Academy is not a production company or studio, we're not trying to find scripts suitable for production (though it's perfectly fine if the scripts are produced).

    Since the Academy is not an agency or managerial company, we're not trying to find screenplays that could be sold to or optioned by a production company or studio (though it's perfectly fine if the scripts are sold).

    We are trying to find the screenwriters of the best scripts submitted to the competition.

    One way to think of the distinction is by considering the submitted scripts to be writing samples. We're not looking for the scripts per se but for the writers of the scripts.

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Academy Nicholl fellows in the news since January 1:

    Nikole Beckwith (2012 fellow) - "Stockholm, Pennsylvania"
    http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/saoi...-pennsylvania/

    Stephanie Shannon (2013 fellow) - "Queen of Hearts-
    http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/oddl...ordon-to-helm/

    Ehren Kruger (1996 fellow) - "Transformers: Age of Extinction-
    http://www.youtube.com/embed/4F33PCU...layer_embedded

    Pat Gilfillan (1995 fellow - "Lila and Eve"
    http://www.indiewire.com/article/tel...e-lila-and-eve

    Destin Cretton (2010 fellow) - "I Am Not a Hipster"
    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...#axzz2rtxspyIb

    Susannah Grant (1992 fellow) - Untitled ABC-TV drama series 13-episode order
    http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/abc-...nt-1201067213/#

    Raymond De Felitta (1991 fellow) - "Rob the Mob"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aDphVOLHPo

    Barbara Stepansky (2013 fellow) - Interview
    http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/20...lack-list.html

    Chris Bessounian & Tianna Langham (2011 fellows) - "Cristina and Violetta- (Ruffieux Residency winners)
    http://www.dreamago.com/residency-finalists/

    Ken Kristensen (2008 fellow) - "Down in Robotown- (comic book)
    http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/01/...-world-record/

    Bragi Schut (2003 fellow) - "Deep Blue- (comic book)
    http://www.comixology.com/Deep-Blue-...al-comic/57993

    Plus:
    "So You Want to Be a Screenwriter?,- Entertainment Weekly (January 10, 2014) - on the Academy Nicholl Fellowships and a number of fellows and semifinalists.

    Leave a comment:


  • LateNightWriter
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    I can vouch for what Greg says. A few years ago I had a meeting with Michelle Manning who used to be head of Paramount and who now has her own production company. She mentioned that she and her assistant read and judge about seven of the Nicholl semifinalist scripts a year in the semi-to-final round. And they really READ them. That's just amazing.

    I've also received telephone calls from judges about my semifinalist screenplays, the most recent being last December for my 2013 semifinalist screenplay. The judge was a lovely guy, an Academy member who has worked with Mike Nichols and Buck Henry, very much an experienced industry professional. It was clear from our conversation that he had read the screenplay carefully and he had even jotted down a few notes to give me.

    Another call in a prior year came from a prominent film editor, also an Academy member.

    The caliber of the judges for the Nicholl is awesome. There's no guarantee that anything will come of it -- there never is -- but it's a level of reader that writers who usually must go through gatekeepers (i.e., interns, entry level assistants) rarely have access to.

    Late Night Writer

    Leave a comment:


  • gregbeal
    replied
    Re: Academy Nicholl Fellowships - 2014 - Questions & Answers

    Using a comment in another thread as a starting point, I thought I'd answer an oft-asked question:

    You don't think Amy Pascal is reading in the Nicholl semifinal round, do you?

    Well, no, Amy Pascal has never read during the Academy Nicholl semifinal round, but one former studio chief turned producer has and another former studio chief was a mainstay of the Academy Nicholl Committee for nine years through the 2012-2013 fellowship year. Academy members reading during the semifinals are similar in experience and achievements to the members of the Nicholl Committee. In fact, eight of the current members of the committee served as semifinal round judges prior to joining the committee.

    Who judges the entries throughout the competition?

    The Academy Nicholl Committee reads the finalist scripts and selects the fellows. The committee currently consists of chair Gale Anne Hurd, John Bailey, Naomi Foner, Ron Mardigian, Dan Petrie, Jr., Tom Rickman, Eric Roth, Eva Marie Saint, Peter Samuelson, Vicki Sanchez, Robert Shapiro, Buffy Shutt, Dana Stevens and Robin Swicord.

    Volunteer Academy members read the scripts in the semifinal round. The judges are drawn from a number of Academy branches, covering all aspects of the creative and production process. Each year about half the volunteers are producers and executives. In 2013, 35 of the Academy member semifinal round judges had either won or been nominated for an Academy Award during their careers.

    First-round readers and quarterfinal-round judges are all involved in the industry, but none of them are Academy members. We assemble a good mix of people. While a majority are writers, some of whom read to pay their bills, we also get a number of producers and development execs as well as those who work in other areas of development or production. The key attributes we look for are skill and experience in reading and evaluating scripts.

    Last year, the 75 first round readers averaged about 10-15 years of industry experience.
    Last edited by gregbeal; 01-27-2014, 10:47 PM.

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