Four Things Screenwriting Competitions Should Have
For up-and-coming authors, breaking into the field is difficult. It takes a lot of effort and perseverance to develop a network, hone your writing and speaking abilities, create a portfolio you are pleased of, collaborate with representatives, and land paid job. There are a lot of best screenwriting contests, so it’s important to be selective about where you spend your money and be honest with yourself about why you’re joining. However, screenwriting competitions may be a way to get some momentum and open doors.
An up-and-coming writer might use placing in a respectable competition as a talking point for their CV and query letters. Of course, winning can result in fantastic rewards like money, meetings, and mentorship.
Let’s review some criteria to consider while choosing which contests to participate.
Coverage
Entering all-or-nothing contests might be risky because screenwriting competition entrance fees are rarely inexpensive. Some come with basic coverage with every admission, but the majority provide the opportunity to pay an additional cost to obtain coverage. At the very least, getting media guarantees that participants will acquire value for their money. If the coverage includes glowing reviews, aspiring authors might utilize those to market their work or approach representatives.
Judges
The judges are the first to be considered when evaluating reputability. It’s likely a more reputable and trustworthy program if prominent industry specialists are collaborating with the competitors.
You can also get a hint from the judges as to whether your specific script is suitable for submission. It might not be the ideal option if you have a horror script and every judge has a comic job.
Credibility
It’s crucial to conduct due diligence because there are several tournaments that aim to defraud you of quick cash. Screenwriting contests are held at reputable film festivals like Austin or Slamdance, where placements might be significant when seeking representation or a job.
You may host your screenplays and submit them to competitions that have been validated by Coverfly, a reputable service that gathers screenwriting contests and produces lists of interest and honors.
Get further suggestions from your network. Did participants think their coverage or comments were fair? Was the admission price fair? How did the customer service go?
Continuous Mentoring
Even after competitions and laboratories conclude, the contests continue to train aspiring authors. While not all competitions do this, for those that do, it’s a fantastic chance to join their community. Programs will find authors who show unquestionable skill but may not win, and they will utilize their resources and contacts to support the writers throughout their careers.
If you entered the competition with the intention of supporting your budding career, many programs will also provide mentorship to its finalists, which is a wonderful consolation prize!
Emerging professionals should always conduct their homework before spending money because there are many frauds in the world, especially in the entertainment sector.
Finally, it is difficult to win these events because there are many competitors vying for attention in this business. Whether you participate in competitions or not, a strong writing will speak for itself. Don’t feel compelled to go bankrupt in order to cover the competition expenses. Make sure to test the waters carefully when the time comes (ideally prior to the early entry deadline!).