Nicholl 2015...

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

My road trip drama made top 20% and my horror comedy made semi-finals. Pretty surprised that it turned out that way, but stoked either way.

Congrats to all who made it through or got a high score or really all who completed a script and had the courage to enter it.

Congratulations!

But only the quarterfinals thus far. Semifinals is the next stage, and we're not there yet.

[Hernan Giaggio]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

My road trip drama made top 20% and my horror comedy made quarter-finals. Pretty surprised that it turned out that way, but stoked either way.

Congrats to all who made it through or got a high score or really all who completed a script and had the courage to enter it.

[P-jay]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

My coming of age drama made it in. Wow, they came back early this year. It wasn't even nail-biting time yet. Glad to miss that part.

[cp6267a]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Just got my notification email. No placement, just two positive scores. Ah well, I'm deep in the middle of working on next year's entry!

[opie]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Some Last Minute Nicholl Tips

With about 40 hours remaining until the Academy Nicholl Fellowships May 1 Final Deadline at 11:59 pm PT, just wanted to offer a few tips and to be available to answer any questions.

If you're planning to submit in the last few hours, you might want to fill the application out in advance. You could even test upload the current draft of your script to make sure that all is working properly (as you can upload again and again until you make the credit card payment).

Please remove your name and other identifying information from your script prior to creating your PDF (WGA or LoC registration numbers are okay, though not required). If you forget, don't panic, as we check every PDF during processing and remove names, etc. as necessary.

Having a solid log line written prior to filling out the application may be helpful. Log lines are not seen by readers or judges but are quite useful as we assign scripts.

When filling out the application, select the appropriate primary genre and add subgenres and/or genre modifiers that best describe your script. Scripts are directed to or away from readers based initially on genre (and then on the log line).

The title page does not count as a page (which only really matters to those submitting a 160-page script).

The Nicholl Fellowships is a feature film competition. Please don't submit anything that would not be considered a feature screenplay. TV episodes, plays and novels will not fare well in the competition.

Even if you have obtained the rights or the work is in the public domain, adaptations are not eligible for the Nicholl competition.

Collaborations must be the equal work of a writing team from story through screenplay. Scripts in which one writer provides the story and another the script or one the story and two write the script are not eligible for the Nicholl competition.

One note on payments for writers outside the US: credit cards seem to work most often; debit cards don't always seem to work. If you think you may run into payment issues, try to enter today or during the day tomorrow, so that someone will be in the office to provide assistance. Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card and American Express are accepted. Sorry but we don't accept Maestro and cannot accept payments through PayPal.

If you have any questions, ask away and I'll do my best to answer promptly. Or shoot an email to Nicholl at Oscars.org. Payment questions should definitely be asked via email.

To reach the Application, Rules and FAQs, visit - http://www.oscars.org/nicholl.

Additional information about the competition and screenwriting in general can be found at - https://www.facebook.com/nichollfellowships. The page is open to everyone.

Hey Greg -- thanks for posting this stuff. Appreciated.

[carcar]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Bon chance, mes amis!

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Some Last Minute Nicholl Tips

With about 40 hours remaining until the Academy Nicholl Fellowships May 1 Final Deadline at 11:59 pm PT, just wanted to offer a few tips and to be available to answer any questions.

If you're planning to submit in the last few hours, you might want to fill the application out in advance. You could even test upload the current draft of your script to make sure that all is working properly (as you can upload again and again until you make the credit card payment).

Please remove your name and other identifying information from your script prior to creating your PDF (WGA or LoC registration numbers are okay, though not required). If you forget, don't panic, as we check every PDF during processing and remove names, etc. as necessary.

Having a solid log line written prior to filling out the application may be helpful. Log lines are not seen by readers or judges but are quite useful as we assign scripts.

When filling out the application, select the appropriate primary genre and add subgenres and/or genre modifiers that best describe your script. Scripts are directed to or away from readers based initially on genre (and then on the log line).

The title page does not count as a page (which only really matters to those submitting a 160-page script).

The Nicholl Fellowships is a feature film competition. Please don't submit anything that would not be considered a feature screenplay. TV episodes, plays and novels will not fare well in the competition.

Even if you have obtained the rights or the work is in the public domain, adaptations are not eligible for the Nicholl competition.

Collaborations must be the equal work of a writing team from story through screenplay. Scripts in which one writer provides the story and another the script or one the story and two write the script are not eligible for the Nicholl competition.

One note on payments for writers outside the US: credit cards seem to work most often; debit cards don't always seem to work. If you think you may run into payment issues, try to enter today or during the day tomorrow, so that someone will be in the office to provide assistance. Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card and American Express are accepted. Sorry but we don't accept Maestro and cannot accept payments through PayPal.

If you have any questions, ask away and I'll do my best to answer promptly. Or shoot an email to Nicholl at Oscars.org. Payment questions should definitely be asked via email.

To reach the Application, Rules and FAQs, visit - http://www.oscars.org/nicholl.

Additional information about the competition and screenwriting in general can be found at - https://www.facebook.com/nichollfellowships. The page is open to everyone.

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

In case anyone makes a mistake during the Nicholl submission process (most likely culprit, uploading the wrong PDF):

DO NOT CREATE A NEW APPLICATION AND SUBMIT THE SAME SCREENPLAY A SECOND TIME.

If you happen to make an error, shoot an email to nicholl at oscars.org and we'll figure out a solution.

Of course, you need to alert us of the error soon after your submission and not two months later.

Any other problems or questions? Ask away.

To reach the online application: http://www.oscars.org/nicholl

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Greg,

If you accidentally uploaded a Final Draft file, not a pdf, would that be disqualified? Thanks.

The Nicholl application system will only accept PDFs. All other formats are rejected automatically.

So, no.

[Swansong]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Greg,

If you accidentally uploaded a Final Draft file, not a pdf, would that be disqualified? Thanks.

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Guessing everyone here knows just about anything and everything about the Nicholl competition - but if you have any questions or have run into any problems, let me know and I'll do my best to answer or provide a solution.

Regular Deadline is today, April 10 at 11:59 pm PT.

Final Deadline is May 1.

[JaGra]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Thanks for the quick reply Greg Beal.

That makes perfect sense.

[Manchester]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

You should fill out the Profile section of the application using your real name.

Then right under the First/M.I./Last name fields, you reach this question:

How do you want your name to appear on the contact list?

Now you fill in your nickname or pen name. That would be the name released to the public if you were to advance to the quarterfinals or beyond.

That element is a small thing in the grand scheme of your process, but I gotta say it's a very well-reasoned way to handle this. It serves the writer's needs and Nicholl's. (And the IRS', if there's a check to be cut.)

[gregbeal]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Is it okay to enter competition under a pen name or nick name?

No and Yes.

You should fill out the Profile section of the application using your real name.

Then right under the First/M.I./Last name fields, you reach this question:

How do you want your name to appear on the contact list?

Now you fill in your nickname or pen name. That would be the name released to the public if you were to advance to the quarterfinals or beyond.

Since all reading is blind, no reader or judge would ever see either of your names as entered on the application form.

[JaGra]

Re: Nicholl 2015...

Is it okay to enter competition under a pen name or nick name?