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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Competition Competition

Good morning, wonderful Wavers. Two observations and a competition:

One, is it very odd living one block from CBS Television City because it means at odd intervals each day, I hear a studio audience whooping and cheering apropos of nothing.

Two, I know Rouge Wavers can do better - I received only a paltry few five word pitches.

Here's the Competition Competition:

Next week, The Script Department will be announcing, among a lot of other pretty cool things, a screenwriting competition unlike any other. Judging will be tough because the grand prize winner will receive not cash but an experience: A round trip ticket to Los Angeles, a stay at the Beverly Hilton and a day of meetings with three managers who will have read the winning script and will take a meeting with the winner to discuss the script, to hear another pitch and to discuss their career. I'm currently on the hunt for an A-list writer (or okay we might have to settle for B-list) to have lunch with the grand prizer winner at the Ivy.

2nd and 3rd prizes are being brainstormed as we speak but will similarly be beneficial experiences rather than just cash. The real purpose of a competition is to find great material and a promising writer who deserves a shot at a career and who needs help building connections and relationships. Cash can't do that. Dropping a press release to Variety guarantees absolutely nothing.

Since this is our first year, I imagine that in ensuing years the top prizes will get juicier and juicier - B list writer this year - A list next year, as one example. We really want to find and reward great writing. As I said, the judging will be tough. Without naming names, I read the top finalists at a large competition last year and I was aghast at the poor quality. I refuse to allow that to happen. I want good stuff. Every entrant, win or lose, will be able to use their entry fee toward a Script Department service down the line.

Anyway, we're working out the rules and all that - all of this will be announced next week but we can't think of a good name for this competition. The prizes are beneficial, relationship-building and experiential in nature. I like the vibe of Hollywood's golden era, which is the leit motif of the new website (sign up for our newsletter to get a first look), and would love a competition name which is memorable, which summons up the imagery of Hollywood's golden era and which somehow captures the spirit of this competition: a good writer will find him or herself taking meetings, having lunch and building connections - which is what this business is ALL about. Relationships.

Submit your suggestions here and if I find one that is a clear winner, the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the merchant of their choice, a cupcake and the undying love and devotion of the Wave-inatrix, which, let's face it, is good stuff.

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32 comments:

A. Nonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A. Nonymous said...

Deleted my last comment, because I apparently can't read. In its place I suggest this (as a name for your competition):

The Gilded Lily Screenplay Award

Julie Gray said...

Ironically, A.Nonymous, I actually contacted August through his management to ask whether he might be willing to dine with the competition winner. I never heard back.

chrisc said...

I feel like an idiot, but I can't find an email address to shoot a 5 word pitch over.

Or are we just posting them in the comment section, open competition style?

Julie Gray said...

Yup - just leave it in a comment. If we get some kick ass ones, I can collect and share them but I just want Wavers to put themselves out there and give it a whirl. We only live once that we are aware of, we gotta give things a whirl :)

Julie Gray said...

Gilded Lily - does it sound a little fey and foppish though? Would a male action-writer enter this competition?

Cathy Fielding said...

I'll offer three:

"The Paragon Screenplay Competition", or

The Nonpareil Screenplay Competition

The Write This Way Screenplay Competition

Christina said...

Experience is Everything Contest
All Access Contest
Two Blocks from CBS Contest

I like the fact that the prizes are meetings/etc. and not cash. I'm inclined to enter something.

Julie Gray said...

Dang - this is the best idea I ever had, I'm getting some GREAT suggestions!!

And yes - the crowd at CBS is still cheering intermittently today. Must be a red letter day over there. If only the cheers were timed to coincide with my brilliant ideas...

Keep 'em coming, Wavers! (and I love feedback about the idea itself - we want a competition that is FOR writers that really changes their lives)

Adam said...

Rouge Pen Award
Golden Holly Award
Blue-Footed Booby Award
Scridge Award

Christina said...

Well, strike All Access - turns out there's already a contest with that name. (I searched MovieBytes.)

Anonymous said...

YAY!!!!! I'm so excited! shoot, now I have to write something REALLY good!

great idea, Julie. :-)

um a name, huh?

Script-a-blanca
Gone with the script
Citizen Script
Wuthering Scripts
Only Angels have Scripts
It's a wonderful script

... okay, I'll get off Wikipedia now.

I know you'll come up with the perfect name!

R.A. Porter said...

To echo the golden age of Hollywood and try to turn a horrible negative into a positive, how about:

The Hollywood White List

Adam said...

Once-Upon-A-Script Award
Denouement Award
Alternate Ending Award
POV Award

Emily Blake said...

I've got no particular suggestions, but I just wanted to say thanks for all the competitions. You're definitely helping to elevate things around here.

Julie Gray said...

Wow, thank you Emily - that's our goal. To make this a better world for entertainment writers, one brad at a time. :)

bloomer said...

LOVE the idea for this competition! What a fantastic opportunity for us in the peanut gallery - thanks Julie!

Something To Say Screenplay Competition

Can't Put it Down Screenplay Competition

Pulled from the Stacks Screenplay Contest

Best Damn Screenplay Competition

Needle in a Haystack Screenplay Competition

Breaking Into Hollywood Screenplay Competition

What's Next? Screenplay Competition

The Next Big Thing Screenplay Competition

Adam said...

The Other Screenplay Competition

I'm done, Julie:)
Can't wait for the competition!

Adam said...

Oh, one more comment, more like a question.

Most competitions are between May and August deadlines, is there a reason for it? I guess if your competition's deadline is in the Winter, it would be a great alternative, yes?

bloomer said...

LOVE the idea of the competition! Thanks, Julie, for helping us succeed in the business:)

Something to Say Screenplay Competition

Can't Put the Script Down Competition

The Best Damn Script Competition

Breaking Into Hollywood Screenplay Competition

What's Next? Screenplay Competition

The Next Big Screenplay Competition

A. Nonymous said...

The NEW Golden Age of Film Awards

The Classic Screenplay Competition

The Next Great Screenplay

The Golden Grapefruit Awards

If You Write It, They Will Film It Awards

So, You Think You Can Write a Screenplay? Awards

The Rougies "Screenplay Competition Who Have What It Takes"

"If I Had A Great Screenplay"

You Wrote That?

and fast gaining a place in my tender heart:

The Harry Cohn Award - "We're Not Schmucks with Underwoods Anymore"

Style Bard said...

Write Away Screenplay Award
(for being launched into the screenplay world 'right away')

ScreenPlayGround Award
(the playground idea going along with the novice slant of the competition)

Cupcake Screenplay Award
(the cupcake's for you (of course) but again with connotations of youth/freshness)

Big Breaker Competition
(it's our big break; waves break on the shore)

Silver Spoon Screenplay Award
(we weren't born with it in our mouth, but we're hungry now, please!)

Anonymous said...

Julie,

Wow! Sounds very exciting. Can't wait to enter and win ;-)

As for a contest name? Here are my meager contributions:

Meet Me in Hollywood Screenwriting Contest
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Screenwriting Contest
Birth of a Screenwriter Writing Contest
A Wonderful Screenwriting Life Contest

Best of luck. I know this will be a smashing success.

Regards,
Mike

Cathy Fielding said...

Here's another suggestion:

The Write Here, Write Now Screenplay Competition

DougJ said...

"Storm the Gates"
"Key to the City"
"Toast of the Town"
"Here's Looking at You"
"Page to Screen"
"Dames, Deals and Dolce"

Okay, that last one wasn't serious. Could you tell?

scottycwilliam said...

Here's a suggestion for a title:

Words on a String Screenplay Competition


Good luck!

AJG said...

The Frankly
The Frankly 500
The Frankly Scribe Challenge

The Scarlett Scribe Competition

Contenda

The Silver Screenplay-offs

This one isn't mine, but I'll let him know if he wins...
Writers of the Lost Arc

Honorable mention:
The Write Movies Gooderer Win Stuff Thingy

Anonymous said...

"The Golden Draft Competition"

-ShaneBlackFan

AJG said...

Having slept on this idea, I read mine over again and I really like "Contenda."

The word evokes "On The Waterfront," but also suggests "prize fight," which is what a screenwriting competition is.

It can stand alone, like Cher.

Plus, you can give out consolation tees that read, "I coulda been somebody."

Kathryn said...

The Schwab's Drug Store Screenplay Competition

Kevin said...

Probably too late but how about something simple like
Rouge Jazz Screenwriting Competition
or
Red Jazz Screenwriting Competition

In the first one the Jazz part is translated into French of course.

This way you have the site as well as The Jazz Singer in the name.

"...which placed in Red Jazz..."


Did like the "I coulda been somebody." tees thou, worth sending a bad script for one of those.

Anonymous said...

Let's Do Lunch Screenwriting Contest