Don’t listen to the online naysayers who criticize screenplay contests. Yes, there are a lot of people out there who just want to make a quick buck from you. But you can reap the benefits if you choose wisely and choose the right person who has connections in the film/TV industry.
While the prize money is great, the real benefit of winning a screenwriting competition is that you gain access to opportunities that you may not have had before.
The best competitions, contests, and scholarships (Nicholl Fellowship, Final Draft’s Big Break, The Launch Pad, ScreenCraft’s Genre Competitions and Scholarships, etc.) provide excellent opportunities to gain exposure to Hollywood producers, development executives, managers, and agents— —That That’s why you enter these branding contests.
The real prize has nothing to do with money. Instead, focus on the following:
- Calls/meetings with producers
- Call/meeting with development lead
- Calls/meetings with managers and agents
- Be included on the list sent to these industry insiders
Winning a screenwriting competition could lead to coveted representation, consideration for studio or network assignments, script options, or outright acquisition of your work.
How to Win a Screenwriting Contest, Contest, or Scholarship
1. Don’t submit work in progress
While it’s good to use competition to test the water temperature, if you want to try winyou need to make sure you’re doing your best. Otherwise, what’s the point?
If you’re looking to win, you need:
- Submitting a script that has been reviewed by a peer or script consultant gives you and your script a second or third set of eyes before handing it off to someone else.
- If you’ve reached a point in your screenwriting where you can trust yourself and not have to rely on others, then before you enter any competition you need to make the story the best version possible.
Every editing, structure, plot point, characterization and dialogue decision needs to have been developed and applied. If you want to win, you don’t change your script. You want to give them a product that industry professional reviews want to buy.
This is the first step to winning a screenplay competition.
2. Submit final draft that has been reviewed and proofread
You always want to review and proofread your script as much as possible before submitting it. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, missing words, and other basic mistakes can turn off script readers. Remember, the reader is looking for any red flags to proceed to the next step. Their mission is not just to find the best, but to be the best. Don’t give them any reason to say no or to move on.
Before anyone condemns, “Wait, are they really going to reject my script because of some grammatical issues?” That’s not the point. It’s all about projecting a professional side. That’s what they want to see. No, a few mistakes here or there won’t disqualify you. But when you work on pages 90-120, these errors accumulate. And they look unprofessional.
3. Focus on types in specific types of competitions
If you are submitting to a specific type of contest, you need to make sure your submission covers that type tenfold.
- If you’re entering a comedy competition, your script should be filled with scenes that generate laughs.
- If you are participating in an action contest, your script should contain multiple short action sequences.
- If you’re entering a horror competition, your script better be full of scares.
Your script needs to play a significant role in the type’s sandbox, providing all the expectations of the type.
Most type competitions are judged by industry professionals who are well-versed in that particular type of project. They may live in the genre, and their company may be considering producing your award-winning screenplay. If you only find hints of the genre in the script, you won’t be able to compete with those who focus on genre.
4. Offer something familiar but different
Audiences like things that are familiar to them. They know what they love and what they hate. They use this knowledge to decide whether to spend $100 or more to go to the theater with family or friends. Because of this, studios also like things that are familiar. Audiences determine studio revenue because they are the ones buying tickets and handing over the profits to the studio.
However, the audience will get bored. This is why trends come and go.
- Audiences crave something
- Studio delivers too much
- Audiences are bored of what they like
The trick is to give Hollywood something familiar while giving them something new, original and unique.
Concept development is key. If you want to win the competition, you need to start in the development phase with concepts that work in the genre sandbox while adding new toys. These “different” elements can come from anywhere.
- A unique character in a familiar genre or story type
- major plot twists
- genre mix
Looking for any way possible to provide Hollywood and audiences with something familiar…but different.
Read more: The power of genre-blending scripts
5. Twists and turns subvert expectations
The key to grabbing the attention of a script reader or viewer is to subvert expectations. Similar to how you give them something different within a familiar concept or expectation, you can subvert the expectations of any type of script by going a different path than what we typically see in traditional products.
Doing this once or twice in a script is not enough. Do it in big and small ways whenever you can. If you continually surprise competition readers or judges, your script will become more and more memorable. This is critical because you want your script to be at the top of every “recommended” list.
6. Open well, maintain in the middle, and shock at the end
If there were three foolproof ways to write a successful screenplay, this is what you need to do.
Drive well
You need to hook into the script reader. Generally speaking, most competitions generate an average of 800-1000 submissions. Some of the larger competitions have many, many more. They can only employ a limited number of script readers as a filtering system to find the best scripts, which are then forwarded to the judges who are responsible for finding the best scripts.
The hard truth is that it may take you 5 to 10 pages to get a single reader interested in your story. Even if they are asked to read the entire script, if they are not truly engaged and fascinated, they will start skimming.
Do your best to provide an opening page that captivates, shocks, or inspires your readers. If you think about it, that’s what the best movies do. So why not try to replicate this in a script?
Read more: How do screenwriters attract studio readers?
stay in the middle
The second act (or middle) of a script is the most difficult part of the story. It’s easy to come up with a great hook right from the start. It’s also easy to create a great and memorable ending. But the biggest part of the script is the second act—the middle.
If you can keep your reader’s attention throughout, you’ve done a good job of engaging them.
How did you do it? It’s really simple – an ongoing and evolving conflict. Every few pages of the second act, you’ll want to keep giving your characters more and more conflict. And this conflict must intensify with each bombing. The stakes keep rising.
Read more: How to Master the Middle of Your Screenplay
final shock
Not every screenplay has to end up like a Night Shyamalan movie. But if you have an amazing and surprising ending to your contest submission, it’s sure to leave a lasting impression. If you want to win, you need to work harder. A big ending is another memorable way to keep your script at the top of your list.
You can shock readers in many ways and in many genres. It’s a huge subversion of expectations. The ending of any play is critical because it’s what everyone will remember.
Again, if you want to win, you need to go big. Ultimately, shocking your readers is a great way to leave a lasting impression.
Read more: 7 Ways to Master Your Screenplay’s Ending
7. Test boundaries
Time and again, the industry has seen unique and original films succeed at the box office, winning accolades and awards. Only look at success everything happens at the same time.
Put yourself in the shoes of contest readers and judge:
- Readers are reading hundreds of scripts
- Reviewers are reading dozens of
They read multiple scripts that might have been good but were also too traditional.
Now, imagine what it would be like if you read a well-written, engaging, and completely original script that tested the boundaries of traditional screenwriting.
No, the script can’t be weird for the sake of being weird. And, no, you don’t want to push the boundaries of the script format too far, because the format exists for a reason.
Read more: Does screenplay format really matter?
However, you can push those boundaries and bend those rules when you apply extra creativity and explore different ways to tell the story within the guidelines and expectations.
This will most likely give you a winning edge. Hollywood may not be ready for this particular script, but this win could give you the industry access you need to think differently.
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There you have it. Seven ways to work harder and increase your odds of getting the win you’ve always wanted. Let us know how it all goes!
Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.
As a production writer, he attended numerous studio meetings, meeting with companies such as Sony, DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Disney and Warner Bros., as well as numerous production and management companies. He previously signed a development deal with Lionsgate and has taken on various writing assignments, including producing the miniseries BLACKOUT, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Hayley Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric Larsa and Bruce Bucklina star in the thriller Hunter’s Creed and many more thrillers from Lifetime. Follow Ken on Twitter @ken电影 and Instagram @KenMovies76.
