In my experience, these are the screenwriting competitions and film/TV fellowships that are worth entering/applying to.
The Best Screenwriting Competitions to Enter (and Why)
5 Lessons on How to Write a Message Movie from Jordan Peele’s US
Let’s take a look at five lessons that can be learned from Us regarding how to write an effective message screenplay. (Lots of spoilers ahead.)
Data Analysis: Judging Screenplays by Their Coverage
This week on the podcast Stephen Follows talks about his new report, "Judging Screenplays by Their Coverage." The report covers Screencraft's findings from analyzing over 12,000 screenplays along with the coverage these screenplays received from various contests. In the interview we talk about some of his findings. You can listen to the audio portion of... Continue Reading →
Lessons from the Screenplay: Evolving Screenplay Format
When do we need to be strict about our formatting, and when can we break the rules to better serve our story?
7 Elements of a Viable Story Idea
The following is an excerpt from Erik Bork's new book, The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Idea for Screen, Stage or Fiction. by Erik Bork (@flyingwrestler) I have come to believe that 60 percent or more of what makes a film or TV project potentially successful (or not) is the core idea that could... Continue Reading →
Lessons from the Screenplay: The Sounds of A Quiet Place
Michael Tucker has created a new video about sound design and how the writers of A Quiet Place wrote sound into their original screenplay. Check out the video below, and be sure to follow Lessons from the Screenplay for more great videos.
5 Tips to Remember When Pitching
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) When your story is finally written and the final FADE TO BLACK has been executed, you need to be ready to pitch your story to someone that is not legally obligated to tell you they like it. It can be a shock to the system when the script that your mother claimed... Continue Reading →
6 Easy Script Mistakes to Avoid When Entering a Script Competition
by Tim Schildberger (@LiveReadLA) We are in Competition Deadline Season! Many of the biggest screenwriting competitions have their final deadlines in the next few days and weeks -- the Nicholls final deadline is May 1, and the Austin final deadline is May 15 -- so now’s the time to polish that script you've been toiling... Continue Reading →
6 Lessons Learned Adapting My Feature Script into a Radio Drama
by Onicia Muller (@OniciaMuller) After almost seven years of writing and coordinating with collaborators, I finally co-produced Sucker’s Garden, a Caribbean radio drama, with my friend Kimberly Meyers. Here are six lessons I learned while adapting our feature screenplay into a radio drama. 1. Create your vision, then worry about budgets. That was the first... Continue Reading →
Creating WONDER: A Conversation with David Hoberman
by John Bucher (@johnkbucher) David Hoberman has brought some of the world’s most beloved stories to the screen. From Beauty and the Beast to The Muppets, Hoberman has developed a knack for crafting films that appeal to the widest ranges of audiences. He was nominated for an Oscar in 2011 for The Fighter but has continued to work across mediums, producing... Continue Reading →