Are you eager to make a living doing what you love—writing screenplays? Then, consider submitting your latest masterpiece to the 6th Annual IP Screenwriting contest, held by IndieProducer.net. The submission deadline is October 15, 2008, and submissions must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $50 (to be paid either by check or through IndieProducer.net via PayPal). The top ten scripts will be announced on December 15, 2008, followed by the top three scripts on January 15, 2009 and finally the winner will be announced February 15, 2009. In addition to a whopping $1,000 cash prize, the winner will receive a beautiful IP award, a one-on-one with a Hollywood screenwriter to critique their screenplay, a meeting with an executive at a major Hollywood studio and much more. So, what are you waiting for? Polish off that hidden gem and submit your screenplay to IndieProducer.net. For complete submission details, visit http://indieproducer.biz/contests/screenwritingtemplate.htm
With the submission deadline right around the corner, MM spoke with producer (?) Kerry David about this exciting competition.
1. What integral qualities must a script possess to win the IP Screenwritinng Contest? For a script to win our IP Screenwriting contest, first and foremost it must be a compelling read. With the amount of scripts submitted, it’s imperative that the winning script grab our attention from the very first page and introduce us to characters that we want to go on a journey with. The journey can be small or vast, take place in rural Nebraska or out to Jupiter and Mars, be comedic or dramatic or anything in between; but make us care. If your script is well written, compelling and interesting you have a very good chance of winning our IP Screenwriting contest.
2. What will the top 3 winning screenwriters have gained from participating? One of the key differences in our screenwriting contest is the interest our judges have in all our writers. Our judges have varying tastes in material and your script may not win our contest, but placing in the top three means that your work has been read by working industry notables who now know about you and your work and your writing style and can form their own relationship with you after our contest has closed. If you place in the top three we set up industry meetings for you in Los Angeles including agents, managers, executives and legal representatives. If you visit www.indieproducer.net
3. Last year’s winner, Anna Maciver, has been hired by John Gunn and yourself to write the upcoming feature A Thousand Tomorrows, based on the novel by best-selling author Karen Kingsbury. What is the current status of the film? This film is in the development stages of production. Anne (with an “e”!) is adapting the book to script form and is on her “second draft”.
4. What’s the best piece of advice you can offer aspiring screenwriters? To network. Most screenwriters are by nature recluses and I say that with love and compassion because I know so many writers. It was the main reason we started our IP Schmoozefests; to get writers out and socializing with their peers, meeting our VIP Mentors who offer great insight into the industry and even with each other. It’s important to be networking with producers and directors, financiers and go-getters in order for someone to champion their work so they wouldn’t be in a constant struggle to get their work seen, they could meet people whose passion it is to do that for them. So my best piece of advice is to get yourself out there and network as best you can.
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