[Final deadline now EXTENDED to April 27th!]
What’s the mission of Scriptapalooza?
Mark Andrushko, President Scriptapalooza, Inc: Our mission every day is get your script into the hands of people that can either buy it, option it or make the movie. That being said, our biggest priority is to always have the best producers reading all the screenplays, because that’s the most important thing. That’s what a screenplay competition should be doing. We have over 125 producers involved with reading all the entries that are entered. The biggest challenge is having other less scrupulous competitions mimic your website, or copy your ideas in promoting writers. I just roll my eyes and keep focused on our goal, which is to open doors for writers, no matter where they live. Being a champion of writers is what ultimately sets us apart from the rest.
What’s one unique piece of advice you’d give to writers who enter your contest?
Mark: Don’t rush it. Make sure you submit the best script you can. Don’t worry, we’ll be here next year.
What’s the best thing writers can do if they place in, but don’t win the contest?
Mark: Writers should always be writing and have other material ready. Also, they should market themselves, as in contacting local papers and mentioning that they won Scriptapalooza. Just getting the word out there is important.
When a writer wins, what can they expect from you and your contest? And what can writers do to be best prepared for capitalizing on a win?
Mark: If the writer gets to be a Semifinalist or higher, they will be promoted for an entire year by Scriptaplaooza. What that means is we will pitch/call producers on their behalf about their script. No other competition in the world does that.
Are there any special elements of the script your readers are looking for that you can share?
Mark: Well we don’t believe in readers because readers can’t do anything with your script. All the reading at Scriptapalooza is done by producers, managers and agents. We go right to the source, that being a producer, manager or agent, these are the people that can set-up a meeting, option your script, take it to the studio or outright buy it.
Why is your contest valuable to writers?
Mark: When we started in 1998, there were a few competitions that mattered and about 50 that didn’t. Now, they are still a few that matter and hundreds that don’t. I feel it’s difficult for new writers to navigate through these competitions and pick the right ones to submit to. Writers are constantly inundated with false and misleading ads, quotes and websites that give the illusion that these new competitions have connections to the industry. Well, most don’t. And after doing this for 22 years, we can say that. The value in submitting to Scriptapalooza, is that you have 22 years of experience, connections and relationships that we have built in order to get you through the door.
Do you think entering contests is a good path for all aspiring writers?
Mark: Absolutely. All you have to do is visit our website and click on HEADLINES, you will see 22 years of writers getting jobs, meetings, agents, their script optioned or even sold.
*This is a sponsored post.
[Final deadline now EXTENDED to April 27th!]
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Scriptapalooza Screenplay & Shorts Competition. Over 90 producers reading. $50,000 in prizes.
