Shore Scripts newsletters including 2021 Feature and TV Pilot Contest, deadline 31 August

With details of 2021 Feature and TV Pilot Contest, deadline 31 August, and more:

Writing a TV Pilot? Here's the skinny on all things TV!       "Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover." HOMER SIMPSON     The fact is, television is powerful. "Winter's coming," "yada, yada, yada," "How you doin'?" "Goodnight John-Boy," "Doh!" The list of tv dialogue that has entered our popular consciousness and everyday speech is literally endless. Despite the increasing number of opportunities, for an emerging writer seeking to enter this world, writing a TV-Pilot can be a challenge. Cold opens, tags, act structure, commercial breaks - it's enough to make your head spin. That's why this month we have published two fantastic guides to writing TV Pilots. We take an in-depth look at the expectations surrounding the ½-Hour and 1-Hour popular formats and provide a wealth of screenwriting tips to help you scale the heights of popular entertainment. If you'd like to join the conversation, join us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, or LINKEDIN, and let us know what you think. Keep Writing!         5 Top Tips on Writing Your ½-Hr TV Pilot Thanks to the rise of the many available streaming services 30-minute slots can now be filled with anything. So let’s take a quick look at the top things to consider…         5 More Tips on Writing Your 1-Hr TV Pilot One-hour TV episodes are almost like a whole other discipline when compared to features, shorts, and even half-hour shows, so before committing virtual pen to paper, here are 5 crucial things to consider first…       Answers to your questions     Q. "Hi I wanted to enter my television pilot but it is 34 pages long for a 1/2 hour sitcom. Am I still allowed to enter? Or would I have to trim it to 30 pages? Thanks, Pam" A. Yes, you can submit a script that is longer than our recommendations. You will be charged an additional $1 per page over the recommended length up to a maximum of an additional 30 pages. This admin fee is to cover the additional time required by your reader to read and score your script.  You need to enter your script via our website or Coverfly and when you enter the number of pages the price will auto-calculate at checkout.  We cannot accept scripts longer than our recommendations via FilmFreeway.  If your script is longer than an extra 30 pages, then we can arrange to send you an invoice for a bespoke entry fee once agreed. If you have a question please send an email to contact@shorescripts.com       Don't miss the final deadline!         Want to win a FREE ENTRY? Over the next few weeks, we will be running 3 Logline Challenges. One with each of our partners Final Draft, VIFF, and the ISA. Check out their Twitter channels and write your logline in the comments by the deadline to grab your chance to win.         Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

  

$28,000 IN CASH PRIZES + PRIZES FOR THE TOP 15!         OUR REGULAR DEADLINE IS TONIGHT   Days Hours Minutes Seconds       Our award-winning Judges are waiting to read your Feature Scripts & TV Pilots. Our 2021 Judges Panel includes some of the most innovative and exciting screenwriters and filmmakers currently working in the industry. They have won Oscar’s, Bafta’s, Golden Globes & Emmy’s. Don't miss this opportunity to get your script read!           OUR SUCCESS STORIES             Here is a selection of the 30 INDUSTRY-LEADING WRITERS, PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS & ACTORS who will be reading this year's best scripts.         KASI LEMMONS | WRITER, ACTRESS Kasi’s first feature as a writer-director, EVE’S BAYOU, became the highest-grossing independent film of 1997, receiving the Independent Spirit Award for “Best First Feature.” Her most recent feature is the much-praised biopic HARRIET.         JUDSON SCOTT | VP OF FILM Judson oversees the film slate at ATOMIC MONSTER working in script development and production. His credits include ANNABELLE COMES HOME, THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT, and MALIGNANT, among others.         IRENE WEIBEL | PRODUCER Irene won an Emmy for her role as EP on the Nickelodeon series, MIKE THE KNIGHT and has been creating and producing Kids and Family content for over 20 years. As Head of Studio for Nelvana Animation Studio in Toronto, Irene managed one of the busiest animation studios in the world.         CHRIS PROVENZANO | WRITER, PRODUCER Chris is an EMMY Nominated film and television writer. He co-wrote the story and screenplay for GET LOW. He was a writer on MAD MEN and ARCHER. He’s also the writer & executive producer on JUSTIFIED and SILICON VALLEY.         KICK-START YOUR SCREENWRITING CAREER WE HAVE HELPED LAUNCH THE CAREERS OF 70+ WRITERS THROUGH OUR CONTESTS. THIS INCLUDES DEALS WITH SONY, BLUMHOUSE, WARNER BROS, FILM4 & HULU.         Unlike other contests, we continue to champion your screenwriting career long after our contests close.           Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

 

HOW TO EARN MONEY AS A SCREENWRITER       It’s an age-old question but considering how much time and effort goes into screenwriting, of course, you want to know how much money you can earn! The short answer is potentially millions, but realistically, that’s only for top-tier screenwriters, of which there are few. For the rest of us, earnings depend on several factors. Let’s take a look at them.       How experienced you are. Writers with bigger reputations have a proven body of successful work behind them, can be trusted with larger projects, or have won awards, are going to be able to negotiate a higher payment. How many projects you are working on. Spec scripts don’t earn money until they’ve sold, but writers can also earn money by getting assignments. This can be re-writing your script after you’ve sold it, re-writing someone else’s script, or being a staff writer on a tv show, etc. What format you are writing in. There are different rates paid for different types of scripts, such as film, television, original material, or adaptation, etc. The size makes a difference. The bigger the budget, the bigger the pay, as in general, writers are paid 1-2% of a movie’s budget, although they’re entitled to ask for up to 5%, and the longer the running length of a tv script, the larger the pay becomes too. Whether you’re a WGA member or not. The Writer’s Guild of America is a union for writers, that offers support, health benefits, and guidance on the minimum that WGA writers should be paid. WGA members are guaranteed to be paid more than non-WGA members, but you need to have a certain level of experience to first become a member, plus an initiation fee of $2500.         Stories about the likes of Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight), Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct), and Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman) selling their spec scripts for 2-4 million dollars each are inspiring, but they’re something of a rarity. The market has moved on, and thanks to a combination of the WGA strike of 2007, the financial crash of 2008, and studios subsequently betting on adapting already popular franchises, such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight, to minimize the financial risks, the chances of selling a spec script have drastically gone down. To counter this, the evolution of streaming services and VOD has led to an insatiable demand for new original content, giving screenwriters much more power and potentially more creative control.  READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE...         FINAL DEADLINE!         Every writer who enters will receive a FREE 18 Page booklet on  HOW TO GET YOUR SCREENPLAY PRODUCED.           Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

  

REGULAR DEADLINE CLOSES JULY 31ST         Days Hours Minutes Seconds           Guaranteed Industry Meetups For Our Grand Prize Winners!         + FEATURE WINNER GRAND CASH PRIZE $10,000 1-HOUR TV WINNER GRAND CASH PRIZE $5,000 ½-HOUR TV WINNER GRAND CASH PRIZE $5,000 🏆🏆🏆 6 FEATURE BEST IN GENRE CASH PRIZES $1,000 EACH 2 TV PILOT RUNNER UP CASH PRIZES $1,000 EACH + PRIZES FOR FINALISTS • Your script read & considered by our Judges, Industry Roster & Directors • Free Enrollment into the Ultimate Screenwriting Course       DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR WORK INTO THE HANDS OF OUR PRESTIGIOUS JUDGING PANEL AND INDUSTRY ROSTER!         Unlike other contests, we continue to champion your screenwriting career long after our contests close.         Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

 

CONGRATULATIONS!     Sam Baron's Short Film Fund Winner THE ORGY     IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR TELEVISION!       Here's what happened... "The short made a nice splash in London and we had a number of production companies interested to talk about adapting it into a longer-form narrative.  We really clicked with the team at Clerkenwell Films and have been working with them to flesh out the characters, world, format, and storylines of the show.  For anyone thinking of making a short with the potential to expand into a larger story, I think the most important things are the same as with any film: focus on creating compelling characters, an unusual story, a specific world, a distinctive tone, and visual style.  Obviously, it's great if you have a clear hook, or if there are intriguing questions left unanswered, but we didn't set out to make a proof-of-concept with THE ORGY so most of all I think people should just focus on trying to make their short as good as it can be and see what happens after that!" Sam Baron, Writer/Director of THE ORGY. 2017 Short Film Fund Winner.   Clerkenwell Films is a multi-award-winning film and television production company. Formed in 1998, Clerkenwell Films is firmly established as one of the leading scripted producers in the UK, creating high-quality, popular television for both UK and international audiences. Among its credits are critically acclaimed shows such as the BAFTA winning MISFITS, LOVESICK, and the Emmy winning THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD. _________________________________ As a trusted source for discovering quality scripts, we continue to innovate and create new ways for writers to kick-start their careers in the entertainment industry. We have helped 70+ writers gain representation, option, sell, and have their screenplays produced. We have commissioned 12 short film projects and 2 fiction podcasts to date, with 4 more shorts films and 2 new podcasts to be greenlit in 2021.     JOIN OUR SCREENWRITING ALUMNI             BEFORE YOU GO...     DON'T FORGET THE REGULAR DEADLINE!     This year Shore Scripts is offering an unprecedented opportunity for emerging writers looking to break into the film industry. 4 leading industry executives will be offering guaranteed meetings to the winners of our 2021 FEATURE & TV PILOT CONTESTS.         Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

 

THE SHORT FILM FUND FALL SEASON IS NOW OPEN!         🏆 TWO WINNERS 🏆 🎬 Our Grand Prize winner will receive a Cash budget of $15,000. 🎬 Our 2nd Place Winner will receive a Cash budget of $10,000. 🏆🏆🏆 Our Top 5 Finalists will also receive an exclusive feedback report from one of our Judges with suggestions on How You Can Further Develop Your Screenplay and a free copy of Final Draft. Top 15 Finalists - Your script will be sent to our Judges, Directors Roster & specially chosen members of our Industry Roster. All of our finalists will receive free access to our Ultimate Screenwriting Course, led by the former Head of Screenwriting at UCLA, Richard Walter. 🏆🏆🏆 🎬 PLUS, every writer who enters receives a Free 20-page booklet on How to Get Your Screenplay Produced. 🎬         WHAT SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS WINNERS HAVE TO SAY!       “I am so honored you chose El Vals for the fund and am so excited to be able to start bringing it to life!! This means so much, thank you so much again!” GRAND PRIZE WINNER - EL VALS - THE WALTZ written by Alycya Magaña AWARDED $15,000 CASH GRANT       “Thanks so much! This is amazing!!!!!! I am totally thrilled and blown away. Thank you again. Wow.” SECOND PLACE WINNER - OVER THE NEXT HILL written by Tarique Qayumi AWARDED A $10,000 CASH GRANT         MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO TELL YOUR STORY         DON'T MISS THE REGULAR DEADLINE   FEATURE & TV PILOT CONTESTS | JULY 31ST         Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

  

Get Coverage On Your Script       “Write when there is something that you know; and not before, and not too damned much after.” - Ernest Hemingway     So, what is the value of Coverage? Why should someone who has read your script once, be best placed to advise you on a story that you may have been working on for months, if not years? Well, consider the medium. Ultimately, if your screenplay is produced, the vast majority of your audience will only watch your story once. And they need to understand and inhabit that story right from the get-go. Professional readers can help you polish your story so there is more of that. What's more, screenwriting is a craft that lives within a multi-million-dollar industry. There are expectations, and best practices, like any other mature industry. And as an emerging writer, it is expected that you will be able to demonstrate your awareness of them. Getting a professional's feedback is a quick way to harness that expertise. Our Reader Team wants you to tell your story. They have read for the likes of LIONSGATE, UNIVERSAL, WORKING TITLE, and the BBC. What's more, if we love your work we may get in touch about sending it out to our roster! If you'd like to join the conversation, join us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, or LINKEDIN, and let us know what you think. Keep Writing!       WE ARE WAITING TO READ YOUR STORY! Coverage is written feedback from one of our readers on the merits and possible problems in your current draft, along with advice as to how your script might be improved. Writers can tell us about which story elements they would like their reader to focus on and ask further questions with our new Follow-Up service.       Starting this month!         Coverfly Career Lab 2.0 is back with a bang! This year, Shore Scripts will be joining a select group of top industry pros at six online events designed to walk you through actionable strategies for wherever you are in your career. The pro talks, workshops, and networking sessions will each provide new insights into the week's topics and give us a peek behind Hollywood's closed doors. Join us bi-weekly to learn what you need to be doing now to move forward in your craft and career.         Answers to your questions     Q. "Hi, I've written a short script, but I've never entered a competition or shown it to anyone before. Does all of the editing and structure have to be 100% correct? Or are some of these issues or possible errors overlooked, and it's more about the content? Thanks, John" A. For our Short Film Fund, the intention is to put two winning scripts into production each season. Therefore the more ready your script is in terms of story development, formating, and proofreading, etc the better. With our Feature and TV Pilot contests, one of the major prizes is having your script sent out to industry professionals so we want the scripts to be as professionally presented as possible. So, long answer short - yes presentation and mastery of the craft of screenwriting do matter to us. But you also need to have a compelling and original story. If you have a question please send an email to contact@shorescripts.com       Upcoming deadline           Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com

FREE SCREENWRITING JOURNAL - FROM SHORE SCRIPTS Ever find it hard to keep tabs on all of your screenwriting ideas? Do you have scribbled down thoughts scattered on random scraps of paper or quickly typed notes saved in folders you’ll never revisit on your computer? If so, them we’ve got a treat for you!     We’ve created an awesome Screenwriting Journal especially for our dedicated email subscribers to be downloaded and used online or printed out and kept to hand. Use this bite-sized diary to keep track of your screenwriting journey, to jot down new ideas and re-work old ones, as you work towards our end of August contest submission deadline.  This 90-page notebook is crammed with inspirational quotes from other accomplished writers, writing tips to help you hone your screenwriting craft, checklists to help keep your writing career on track, and fun writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing.  We’ve got lots of other new and exciting developments in the works to help boost your screenwriting career, which you definitely don’t want to miss, so stay tuned for more news coming shortly!              FIND OUT MORE ABOUT     OUR FEATURE SCREENPLAY & TV PILOT CONTESTS       WE HAVE HELPED LAUNCH THE CAREERS OF 70+ WRITERS THROUGH OUR CONTESTS.  30 OSCAR, BAFTA, EMMY, AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNING JUDGES WILL READ THIS YEAR'S BEST SCRIPTS. $28,000 TO BE GIVEN AWAY IN CASH PRIZES + SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRY EXPOSURE + FREE SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE. GUARANTEED INDUSTRY MEETINGS FOR THE GRAND PRIZE WINNERS OF OUR FEATURE, TV PILOT 1-HOUR & TV-PILOT ½-HOUR CATEGORIES. Unlike other contests, we continue to champion your screenwriting career long after our contests close.       Shore Scripts https://www.shorescripts.com contact@shorescripts.com