Hi all! Have any of you ever entered this competition? And if so, did u have any remote success? Or what have you heard about it?
http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/index.html
http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/index.html
question re Nicholl Fellowships contest
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The Nicholl Fellowships is regarded as one of the most prestigious screenwriting contests.
I believe finalists are still awaiting news of this year's contest winner (the 2007 submission deadline was May 1st).
Check out the contest's report card on MovieBytes.com's Most Significant Contests page:
http://www.moviebytes.com/contests.cfm?category=Most Significant
-Derek
I believe finalists are still awaiting news of this year's contest winner (the 2007 submission deadline was May 1st).
Check out the contest's report card on MovieBytes.com's Most Significant Contests page:
http://www.moviebytes.com/contests.cfm?category=Most Significant
-Derek
remote success - go to their site and see what scripts do win. you'll notice that the more cerebral stories with heart win hands down over comedy, horror, or action tentpole.
remote success - because it is one of the most highly regarded it is also one of the most sought after and therefore makes the competition tougher than most. if your script(s) is better than 6000 others than you may have a chance for success.
remote success - because of the huge numbers who enter you get absolutely no feedback on your material. you're just an entry number unless you place.
remote success - if you place well then its equal to getting your foot in the door with no reservations. go for it!
remote success - because it is one of the most highly regarded it is also one of the most sought after and therefore makes the competition tougher than most. if your script(s) is better than 6000 others than you may have a chance for success.
remote success - because of the huge numbers who enter you get absolutely no feedback on your material. you're just an entry number unless you place.
remote success - if you place well then its equal to getting your foot in the door with no reservations. go for it!
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hhhmmm...wow!
Thanks for that link! Those are 10 lucky people!! I read that when entering the competition you should eliminate your name, email, phone number and address form the script. How then do they contact you should fate smile on your script and make it worthy in their eyes?
Thanks for that link! Those are 10 lucky people!! I read that when entering the competition you should eliminate your name, email, phone number and address form the script. How then do they contact you should fate smile on your script and make it worthy in their eyes?
When you register for the contest and make payment you give them all of your contact information as well as the name of your script. They only want the name of the script on the copy they send out to readers so that there is no bias (accidental or not) if a reader happens to know the writer.
to shorten that response as if it were a logline:
when you enter your script you're given a number that connects you to your script
when you enter your script you're given a number that connects you to your script
A few weeks ago someone posted on Share Your Work that her/his submission made it into the quarter final. Sorry, I forgot the name.
The person also mentioned that he got the courage to post only because of this success. So, apparently he/she accomplished it without help from the forum.
A ton of people on zoetrope.com made the semis this year and all their scripts were peer reviewed <g>.
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I made the semi-finals a few years ago with the first script I ever wrote. The dude in charge at the time hand-wrote a note on the cover page saying that he wanted it to go to the finals, but was overruled. Very encouraging! I then got several calls from producers about the script, one of whom optioned it twice. It never got made, but I made a bit of money, made contacts, and got tons of encouragement. I do recommend submitting if you've got a really good script and money to enter.
But, as others have said, do take a look at previous winners and see if your script is of that type. The Nicholls are unlikely to favor a gross-out comedy or a horror film, for example.
But, as others have said, do take a look at previous winners and see if your script is of that type. The Nicholls are unlikely to favor a gross-out comedy or a horror film, for example.
That's a little misleading. Most contests offer no feedback unless you pay for it. And in most you're either a winner, finalist, semifinalist. With Nicholl you end up knowing how you placed. You know if you were in the top 25% or whatever. This is interesting information in itself.
This is probably the only contest worth entering. But only, as a previous poster mentioned, you have some cerebral, feelygood script. Finding Forrester and Akeelah and the Bee are the only two winners that actually got made, as far as I know. Neither one of them would interest most studios.
There have been more Nicholl scripts actually produced. Some others:
One Hour Development (Renamed One Hour Photo)
Mean Creek
Arlington Road
Down in the Delta
I would also disagree that it's the only contest worth entering. I would say that if anything, it's the biggest lottery of a contest out there. Austin, Slamdance, Bluecat and Scriptapalooza are others that have seen some successes. The Woodsman and Maria Full of Grace both came out of Slamdance. The 2005 Bluecat winner Gary The Tennis Coach is coming out next year via WB with Seann William Scott in the lead role.
Not to mention the Disney Fellowship and the Nickelodeon fellowship which actually guarantees you a job within the industry where they put you in contact and over your own show at the end of the fellowship should you win.
This was cut from their site:
What Kind of Scripts Win the Nicholl Competition
Q. What are the genres of the scripts entered in the Nicholl competition by Fellowship winners?
A. Genres of Nicholl Fellows' Entry Scripts -- 1989 - 2006
What Kind of Scripts Win the Nicholl Competition
Q. What are the genres of the scripts entered in the Nicholl competition by Fellowship winners?
A. Genres of Nicholl Fellows' Entry Scripts -- 1989 - 2006
action / adventure -- 7
animated comedy -- 1
comedy -- 5
romantic comedy -- 3
comedy drama – 8
coming of age drama -- 6
drama – 25
romantic drama fantasy -- 2
horror -- 3
science fiction – 2
thriller / crime / caper -- 14
war / terrorists -- 9
western -- 3
animated comedy -- 1
comedy -- 5
romantic comedy -- 3
comedy drama – 8
coming of age drama -- 6
drama – 25
romantic drama fantasy -- 2
horror -- 3
science fiction – 2
thriller / crime / caper -- 14
war / terrorists -- 9
western -- 3
Excess Baggage was also a Nicholl winner that got produced. (Not Max Adams' fault that she ended up with Alicia Silverstone!)
Greg Beal, the chap who runs it, is a solid, helpful sort; he's posted a format PDF on the Nicholl site that I recommend to anyone with script format questions.
Greg Beal, the chap who runs it, is a solid, helpful sort; he's posted a format PDF on the Nicholl site that I recommend to anyone with script format questions.