Competitions and feedback

hunnypot

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I was looking through the competitions thread and was thinking of entering some. Would it be best to just enter a script into one of the competitions instead of several?
I entered the BFSC competition (noticed this one isn't listed in the comp thread so will post the details). I got through to the 1st round but didn't make it through to the 2nd. I was a bit depressed so I was looking around the www to find some other competitions to enter my revised script. Has anyone had any experience with the comps in the comp thread and which ones would you recommend entering?
I have entered the short competition in past years and got 2nd, 3rd, and 2nd rounds. I keep telling myself that making it through to round 1 is good. But I am wondering if my feature length is not as good as my shorts or is it that the competition is getting harder? Each year, there is more and more entries, therefore there might just be better writers entering.
I'm thinking of paying a professional to read over my script and give me some detailed feedback. Has anyone paid for this service and did it help you at all?
 

clockwork

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The broader consensus is that the only career-making contest is the Nichols Fellowship but you have to place highly to end up on anyone's radar and even then it's not necessarily plain sailing. However, you never know what's going to happen so you should pick the contest you feel suits your work best and just go for it.

Iris Yamashita entered the Big Bear Lake screenwriting competition, didn't win but wound up with an agent at CAA and a few years later got the gig writing Letters From Iwo Jima. She'd probably say competitions are great but the tens of thousands who enter each year and don't find success might feel differently. It's ultimately up to you.
 

icerose

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Don't forget the Nickelodeon Fellowship and The Disney Fellowship. Both of which give you placement in the companies with pay for an entire year.
 

hunnypot

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smellykidz

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interesting but these interviewed folks have nearly ZERO experience as screenwriters - among the millions of directionless, uneducated wannbe's - each equal to throwing #@$!#@$ at the wall in hoping something will stick. Like any other BUSINESS, you get back what you put into it. What can you possibly learn from thier comments other than get serious , STUDY & PRACTICE!
 

Enzo

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Hi, Script a Wish. I just read your blog about the competitions. So it's really advice not to expect too much and just concentrate on sending a good script to a good competition. Valuable advice.