| [BACK]
Scr(i)pt Open Door
There are over 200 screenwriting contests and new ones are popping up all the time. With so many, which ones can really jump start a career? Which ones are really worth your entry fee?
In search of these answers, I will be interviewing the people who run the contests as well as the writers who win them. This week, I interviewed Shelly Mellott of Script Magazine Open Door contest. The contest deadline is november 9, so if you already haven't entered, you might want to think about it. And if you have entered, you'll get a glimpse of what happens to your script next.
Q: How did the contest start?
A: Our first contest was in July 1999. We decided to start Open Door contests to give writers access to major production companies. It took awhile to get the bigger companies interested, but we've had some great names recently (Zide/Perry, Shooting Gallery, Fine Line Features, Alliance Atlantis).
Q: How many entries do you receive?
A: Our contest is quarterly and we get an average of 500 to 700 entries per contest.
Q: What happens to the script once it arrives in the mail? What's the selection process?
A: Once the scripts are in the mail, we open them and input their information into our database. They are then coded with numbers and any author information that was put on them is blacked out so the readers do not know whose scripts they are reading. The scripts are then mailed to professional readers, and we rotate our readers with each contest. The readers report back with their chosen scripts and the reasons they made their choices. We have a second set of readers who chose the three finalists. The production company chooses the winner.
Q: Is there one genre that seems popular in the submissions you receive?
A: We get a lot of action/adventure.
Q: Do you allow collaborations? Do you allow submissions based on life rights or adaptations?
A: We allow collaborations. You can enter your adaptation so long as the rights are yours to give to the production company should they choose to negotiate a purchase of the script with you.
Q: Who are your success stories?
A: We've had one writing team acquire an agent, and another in the process. No purchases yet, but our sponsor companies will generally read subsequent submissions from our winners.
Q: What are your plans for the contest next year?
A: We are in negotiations with Looking Glass to sponsor our next contest.
Remember, you have until november 9 to submit your contest to Open Door, currently sponsored by Zide/Perry (American Pie, Cats & Dogs). You can check out their website - www.scriptmag.com - for complete rules. The entry fee is $45. The prize is $3000. Are you feeling lucky?
Monica Zepeda
iam_monica@excite.com
|
