Ten Easy Steps To Take When Entering Screenplay Contests

1) Determine your goals for the competition process.

Determine what you stand to gain from participating in screenplay contests before you begin your study. Do you want to enter a competition that, if you win, would begin your career? Or are you trying to find a contest that will provide you a thorough understanding of how and why your work performed?

2) Choose if and what sort of written critiques you would like.

There are many different types of written critiques available for competition submissions, so decide what kind of in-depth criticism you want and how much you are ready to spend for it. Do your homework before beginning the submission procedure since you will frequently need to choose at the time of entry whether you want the criticism to be sent.

3) Examine the contest.

It should go without saying that you should only enter competitions that are respected by the industry and are credible. This does not imply that recently established contests are not valid or that an established competition is the best fit for you and your script. However, you don’t want to become involved in a fraud with your writing and your money.

4) Go over the evaluation standards.

Different competitions have different requirements for scripts. Others are looking for edgy indie screenplays. Big-budget blockbuster screenplays are what some people desire. You may find out if your script is a suitable fit for script writing competition by reading the criteria a competition employs to judge entries.

5) Conditions for Eligibility

Make sure you are able to enter the contests you have selected from your list. Both the writer (age, writing income, prior competition/fellowship victories, etc.) and the script (format, genre, length, etc.) must meet eligibility conditions.

6) Recognize the legal obligations you engage into when participating in a tournament.

Read the fine print of the competition you intend to enter at all times. Along with the rewards given out, this also covers the terms and conditions, agreements, eligibility criteria, privacy policies, and other details. Additionally, be aware that you might need to read the fine print for the competition’s parent website and/or any third-party submission sources used in addition to the fine print for the competition itself.

7) Keep your job safe.

Although many contests advise you to undertake at least one (if not both), copyrighting your script with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or registering it with the WGA is often not a prerequisite for admission. I always use copyright for my own work. Just be advised that processing the copyright or registration may take many months. You must begin the procedure far in advance of entering any competitions if you wish to obtain the formal copyright/registration confirmation.

8) Recognize the due dates

Certain contests feature several entry deadlines, and the price to participate goes up as each deadline approaches. The entry period for other contests is quite brief—just a few days or a few weeks. You don’t want to lose out on an entry chance because you missed the submission date, especially after spending so much time and effort researching and choosing contests (not to mention producing your script!).

9) Understand your script’s primary genre.

Some contests use what I refer to as “genre-specific judging,” which means that instead of evaluating all screenplays and all genres at once, scripts are only evaluated against other submissions that fall under the same genre. However, application forms commonly ask for the genre of your script even if the competition does not utilize genre-specific grading (mainly so competition administrators can match your script to the proper judges).

10) Prepare your logline in advance.

Writing this a few days or weeks before to your intended entry is a smart idea because most contests need a logline with entry. Your logline might be used to promote your script if you win or place, or it could be used to help match your script to the appropriate judges, even if the competition doesn’t utilize it as part of the judging process. That’s a good reason to create a clear, accurate, and interesting logline, isn’t it?