Script competitions can certainly provide this distinction, and they sometimes offer free or inexpensive coverage of your script as well. Anything that makes your screenplay or pitch stand out in the stack of materials that producers and agents are sorting through on a daily basis is helpful. Being a finalist or placing in any reputable competition can elevate your script to a higher position in the slush pile. You don’t have to be a Finalist for an Academy Nicholl Fellowship to tip the scales in favor of a producer or director reading a specific script. If you lack the desire, financing, or wherewithal to make your own film or trailer (or to make said trailer or film look darn slick), consider promoting your work through script competitions. Competitions Are Cheaper Than Making a Film I have also made connections with panelists that may still lead to worthwhile opportunities in the future. His comedic timing was definitely still intact.Īt the same festival, I received a first place award for a film I wrote and co-directed, along with the best round of applause of my life. He was one of the funniest people I’ve ever spoken with. At another festival, I got to sit down for brunch with George Lindsey of Andy Griffith Show fame. I had the opportunity to meet legendary producer Roger Corman at a festival and hand him some of my work (a life goal of mine to be sure). Celebrities and Other Film Insiders Host and Attend Festivalsįestivals are often attended by important people in the industry who serve as hosts, panelists, and judges. When you can’t attend events and schmooze, one backup option is to advertise yourself as a screenwriter in the festival program or via whatever advertising options the festival offers. You will deliver a high concept script that can be produced for a sane budget. They need a script from a talented writer to take their producing or directing careers to the next level, and you are that writer. Your job is to mingle, possibly pick up the tab on a few drinks, and convince some of these upstart directors that they need to work with a writer like you on their next project. These festivals are attended not only by filmmakers who travel for their screenings but also by the numerous directors and producers who reside in the given town. It makes sense to build your attendance strategy around festivals that take place in film towns like Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta. Filmmakers Attend Film Festivalsįrequenting film festivals or volunteering at festivals provides great networking opportunities for writers, and is also a lot of fun. Here are five ways in which festivals and script competitions might offer an alternative approach to advancing your screenwriting career. The gates of Hollywood are well guarded by keepers who tend to make entry through the front doors quite difficult. Many thousands of feature scripts are written annually that will never be optioned, much less produced and distributed. It’s no secret that the odds against succeeding as a screenwriter are long.
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