There’s no place like the Writer’s Conference at Austin to not only learn about your craft but to build community.
Richard Dane Scott, a 2010 Austin Film Festival finalist, dives into how entering the screenplay competition opened doors to further his own film success as he encourages others to follow his lead and submit their own work.
As contest final deadlines approach and screenwriters get inundated with email reminders, they are often faced with two important questions. 1) Do I have too many montages? 2) What should I name my protagonist’s neighbor’s cousin who has two lines over three scenes?
But besides those two pertinent quandaries, they may also be wondering if entering those aforementioned competitions is a viable way to break into the industry. As a former contestant in several major ones, I wholeheartedly believe it is. The perks and rewards can be monumental. Now obviously, my experiences
are unique and won’t happen to everyone. But they also won’t happen to anyone if you don’t enter. Just like playing the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t play. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Yadda yadda. But. BUT. There’s at least one difference between the lottery and screenplay competitions: Your amazing screenplay has a way better chance of winning than 12-13-27-30-39 and 8.
I’ve had some success with the Nicholl’s Fellowship and Page International. With Nicholl’s I was a 3X QF with 2 different screenplays over 4 years. That got me many requests from reps and producers. With Page I was a Bronze prize winner and that script ultimately got optioned. But my experience with Austin Film Festival’s screenplay contest was my most memorable. And I didn’t even win.
I still remember it vividly. I received a phone call from Matt Dy – the competition’s director – notifying me I was a finalist. Which, by any standard, was already a major perk. A personal phone call from Matt Dy? Yes, please! I had already planned on attending the festival, but as a Finalist, I got to attend for free. FREE! Several Benjamins BACK into my wallet. (Perk #2). During that specific year, my category was sponsored by a major producer. Matt informed me that I was scheduled to have a 30 minute meeting with that producer during the fest. (Perk #3). At that point, the price of submitting to the competition was already worth it. But what happened during the festival was something you only see in… erm… the movies.
I had my meeting with the producer at Starbucks. He raved about my screenplay. I remember telling him that I had contemplated quitting, because at that point nothing major had happened with my career. I only had two short films to my name. But he said something to me that I’ll never forget – “Don’t quit. You have a voice I’ve never heard before.” Whoa. That verbal adrenaline shot has sustained me ever since. A surprise perk that proved invaluable.
Fast forward to the AFF Awards luncheon. All finalists are invited and seated *randomly* around the room and served a hoity toity lunch. (How many perks are we up to now?) When my category was up, all of the finalists were named and asked to stand up. The winner’s name was announced and as I mentioned before, I didn’t win. They said Andrew freakin’ Lanham’s name, who also won Nicholl’s the same year and has since written for Disney and others. (Hmm. Contests. Career. I sense a correlation.) Anyway, back to me. After Andrew freakin’ Lanham’s name was called, I began the long, painful return down to my seat. But just as my loser ass touched polyester cushion, a producer sitting next to me turned and said, “That’s okay. I want to make your movie.”
No joke. Cue the uplifting movie score.
I learned later that this producer had read my screenplay and prearranged with the festival to be seated next to me during the lunch. And she wanted to make my movie. Again, no joke. I went from losing to possibly winning the better award in a matter of seconds. (Although I still want that typewriter!) And now, how many perks are we up to?
Needless to say, I signed a contract. THAT screenplay went into development, circled Chris Evans and JGL for the lead, and eventually faded into the sunset. Standard Hollywood story. But that’s not really the point. It was the journey to get there. The dividends of entering the AFF screenplay competition for the mere price of a fancy haircut. And then also the byproduct of being intertwined with a festival swarming with decision makers who WANT the next great screenplay.
So, are screenplay contests worth entering? I say heck yes! Do you have a good chance of winning? If you have a great screenplay and can traverse and overcome varied, unavoidable levels of prickly subjectivity, definitely! (Oh, and as a former judge, if you have a great screenplay you’ve already got a better chance than 90% of all entries!) What else can happen? My screenplay hasn’t been made yet, but there are an infamous number of contest winners that have been produced. (Most recently last year’s “Match Me If You Can.”) Since my fruitful AFF competition I’ve been credited with ten features and was on the writing staff of a TV series. I attribute much of that success from entering those contests and the subsequent exposure with a pre-vetted reputation. Even if you don’t win, the process could be a good barometer of where you stand amongst your peers. I didn’t place in any contests the first two years I entered. But when I finally advanced the first time I remember feeling the validation and thinking I was on the right track. Not advancing forced me to hone my craft and further develop my… ahem… “unique” voice. The failures led to successes and made me a better writer. (But apparently not as good as Andrew freakin’ Lanham.)
So, go ahead, enter contests. Your screenwriting destiny could be determined just by a few clicks of your mouse. Whether you advance or not, it’s a first step to showcasing your confidence and the belief you have what it takes. Remember you just never know who might end up reading your screenplay: a literary manager, an up and coming director, or even a producer who remembers your script a decade later and seeks it out. (True AFF story!) And perhaps one day you can look back and be grateful you hit that submit button, instead of getting a fancy haircut.
P.S. The answers to the first two opening questions are always 1) Yes and 2) Gary. Always Gary.
If you have found the inspiration to submit your own work to the Austin Film Festival through Richard’s experience, click the link for more information on contest submissions.