If you had to pick just one...

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  • If you had to pick just one...

    Last year I entered an eccentric little drama in both the Tracking Board Launch Pad Competition and the TrackingB Feature script contest which went... nowhere.

    My (hopeful) guess is that it was the wrong choice.

    Now I have a big script -- a non-stop action sci-fi fantasy tale -- which I think might be fodder for these two contests.

    But, since they're expensive, and I struck out so completely last time, I only can enter one.

    Of the two, which is the best? I'm hoping for a sale (who isn't?), but managing to get representation would be a big win for me.

    (I just realized I posted this in the wrong subforum -- phooey! -- this should go under Contests, duh! -- might one of the long-suffering mods move this for me? -- Sorry!)

  • #2
    Re: If you had to pick just one...

    Question -- why do you think it's fodder for those two contests? I ask for a reason.
    If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.
    Dave Barry

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    • #3
      Re: If you had to pick just one...

      Originally posted by Centurio View Post
      Question -- why do you think it's fodder for those two contests? I ask for a reason.
      Ah, okay, I may be wrong... but this script is in the Sci-Fi genre and it's big and bold and studio level, aka big budget. Most of the stuff I write is small... contained thrillers or low budget family dramas. My scripts do well in the small genre contests (semis or wins) but I've never written a something like this -- mainly because I'd be clueless as to what to do with it. With a contained thriller, with a contest placement, I can contact local prodcos but my reasoning was that with this type of script, I'd be better off with a seriously connected contest.

      Also, I've noted that Sci-Fi Fantasy stuff does well in the big contests, but that might just be my (faulty) interpretation...

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      • #4
        Re: If you had to pick just one...

        TrackingB's contest has been around longer (Tracking Board only started its own last year), but both are well known in the industry and have prominent agents/managers as judges.

        Both have a track record of getting high-placing contestants representation (less so sales).

        But here are four key differences:

        1) Pricing: Tracking Board's entry rates are lower: Early - $65; Regular - $75; Late - $85; Last Minute - $95 (the rates are not on the website, but an administrator e-mailed them to me). TrackingB: Early - $89; Late - $99; Really Late - $109.

        2) Feedback: Tracking Board provides you with the ability to get feedback on your entry (for an extra fee of course); TrackingB does not.

        3) Judging Process: Tracking Board guarantees that "All scripts are read a minimum of two times to ensure fair judging" (check out the rules section on its website). TrackingB does not indicate how many people will read the script.

        4) Exposure: Tracking Board identifies 25 top entrants (semifinalists), while TrackingB only highlights 8 (three finalists and eight honorable mentions). So, Tracking Board provides exposure and possible representation to more people.

        So, taking these factors into account, I think Tracking Board has the edge. Not to mention, if you're in a rush, its results come out earlier (September as opposed to January of next year for TrackingB).
        "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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        • #5
          Re: If you had to pick just one...

          Thank you, UpandComing -- that's a fantastic comparative breakdown! Very insightful!

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          • #6
            Re: If you had to pick just one...

            Originally posted by DayJobWriter View Post
            Thank you, UpandComing -- that's a fantastic comparative breakdown! Very insightful!
            No prob! Good luck!
            "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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            • #7
              Re: If you had to pick just one...

              My thought -- why enter either? If funds are so tight that you're having to choose just one it's analogous to being in Vegas with just enough money to play one number in the roulette wheel. It's a huge gamble and the odds of a payoff are minimal. Entering one contest -- even with a great script -- is just a shot in the dark.

              Why not figure out a way to increase your odds of a pay-off? If it were me, I'd take roughly the same amount of money ($100ish) and send the script to a The Script Mechanic or one of the other well-known script readers. Or try the Blacklist. At the very least you'll have notes that will make it a much better script -- then start the query process. That's free and if you have a script that received very high marks you can use that during the process (note -- there's only a few guys notes I'd feel comfortable mentioning to someone else so use this judiciously.)
              If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base.
              Dave Barry

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: If you had to pick just one...

                Originally posted by Centurio View Post
                My thought -- why enter either? If funds are so tight that you're having to choose just one it's analogous to being in Vegas with just enough money to play one number in the roulette wheel. It's a huge gamble and the odds of a payoff are minimal. Entering one contest -- even with a great script -- is just a shot in the dark.

                Why not figure out a way to increase your odds of a pay-off? If it were me, I'd take roughly the same amount of money ($100ish) and send the script to a The Script Mechanic or one of the other well-known script readers. Or try the Blacklist. At the very least you'll have notes that will make it a much better script -- then start the query process. That's free and if you have a script that received very high marks you can use that during the process (note -- there's only a few guys notes I'd feel comfortable mentioning to someone else so use this judiciously.)
                +1, as they say. A better use of limited funds. Screenplay Mechanic also has summer sale going on. So, you'll have money left for beer.

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