WeScreenplay Short Script Lab
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The WeScreenplay Shorts Competition is dedicated to connecting talented short film writers with Oscar-nominated short film directors and creators for advice on how to create emotionally impactful storytelling in short-form content.
EVERY ENTRY GETS WRITTEN FEEDBACK
The WeScreenplay team believes that every entrant of a contest should benefit from entering – whether the writer wins or not. That is why we offer one page of creative analysis from a professional script reader on every short script that is entered.
Judging will be based on all aspects that make stories great with a focus on the following criteria:
- Overall Impression – A general feeling of your script, writing, and story
- Plot – Scene structure, conflict, tension, logic, and flow will all be taken into account
- Character – Complexity, uniqueness, and arc are taken into account
- Concept – It should be strong enough to carry the story, but doesn’t need to be marketable
- Originality – How fresh are your story, characters, and ideas
- Style – The style is easy to read, enjoyable, and consistent with the tone and story
- Catharsis – Does the short drive an emotion (laughter, shock, sadness) in the reader
Benefits
The jury includes Oscar nominated and Oscar winning short film directors, who will read the top finalist scripts:
Serena Armitage, Oscar Winner
Won Academy Award for her short film Stutterer, and currently heads her production company Red Breast Productions.
Reed Van Dyk, Oscar Nominee
Academy Award nominated for his short film DeKalb Elementary before signing with his reps at Writ Large and CAA.
Vincent Lambe, Oscar Nominee
Academy Award nominated for his short film Detainment and repped at ICM.
The winners will also receive feedback from these Oscar winning and nominated short film directors. It is an incredibly opportunity for advice from the best short filmmakers in the world.
The Grand Prize winner will also receive a $1,000 cash grant or up to $3,000 in funds matching for his or her short film. All winners will receive additional coverage from WeScreenplay on the short script and a year of access to TSL 360.
Announcements
Rules
At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.
1. Screenplays entered must:
a. Not include the writer’s or writing team’s name or contact information on any page of the script including the title page. If the name is on the title page only, the script won’t be disqualified.
b. Include a title page.
c. Be submitted in PDF form and must fit all standard screenplay format guidelines. Personal formatting conventions will be accepted but must not intentionally or accidentally alter the page count of the project as determined by the judges.
d. 35 pages or under.
e. Be owned solely by the writer or writing team listed. It may be an adaptation or reimagining of true events or fictional stories. It may not be a sequel to or prequel to any script or movie not owned by the writer or writing team.
f. Be written in English. However, scripts from anywhere in the world will be accepted.
2. Writer must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
3. Screenplays entered may be in any genre or combination of genres. All will be treated equally and read by an unbiased panel of judges.
4. Entrant’s total earnings for screenwriting for either film or TV, produced or unproduced, must not exceed $50,000 in the past 18 months or exceeded $300,000 in the past 10 years. This excludes any prize money from competitions or fellowships and only applies to fund or money transferred in exchange for an option or sale of a script, treatment, idea, intellectual property, or other writing for filming. Money earned from acting, directing, producing, or any other film work outside of writing is not included.
5. Screenplays submitted must not have been previously sold or produced unless said sale or production was competed with no financial gain to the writer.
6. For a submission to be valid it must be accompanied with the appropriate payment based on the submission deadlines. Any scripts over 35 pages will be disqualified.
7. All deadlines are at 11:59pm PST on the date listed. Any deadline alteration or promotion of any kind does not make any entry valid for a refund of any kind.
8. Alterations can be re-uploaded at coverfly.com for $5.
9. There are no refunds for any submitted screenplay. Coupons may not be applied to previously submitted scripts. Coupons deemed for WeScreenplay coverage may not be used for submission to the contest or addition of coverage to any submission unless explicitly stated.
10. There is no limit on the number of scripts a writer or writing team may submit.
11. Prizes are award per script and teams of writers are expected to divide prizes on their own accord. WeScreenplay will send prizes to the writer who submits the project and will in no way be responsible for how the prizes are distributed among the writing teams.
12. The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all score in the competition.
13. Scorecards will be distributed to each script within a week of elimination from the competition, but early distribution does not necessarily indicate placement in the contest. Feedback and Coverage will ideally be distributed between 2 and 3 weeks following submission, but this is not guaranteed.
14. WeScreenplay reserves the right to delay announcements for any reason. Delay may last up to but never more than 90 days. While we never anticipate any delays, such delays will not alter the standing of any screenplay entry and will qualify no script for a refund under any circumstance.
15. By entering the WeScreenplay contest every entrant is agreeing to all WeScreenplay Terms and Conditions listed and available before checkout. If you disagree with any terms you may not submit to the contest.
16. By submitting to the contest you are releasing your script to WeScreenplay and holding harmless WeScreenplay or any affiliates from any claims, expenses, and liabilities, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, copyright, libel, trademark infringement, slander, personal property infringement, etc.
17. Any prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit validating their entry into the contest.
18. Any cash prize winners of over $599 will be required to file a W-9 before the cash prize is distributed.
19. Any winners may have their name, script title, and picture used for any WeScreenplay promotions or promotions of our sponsors or affiliates.
20. Former Grand Prize Winners of any WeScreenplay contest may enter so long as it is NOT the same script that won in a previous year. Any other placement in former years does not disqualify the script from being entered this year.
21. If a writer is under 18 at the time of entry, any cash prize won will be distributed in the form of equal value coverage or contest entries for WeScreenplay. No cash will be awarded if under 18 years old.
22. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
23. Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to WeScreenplay and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
24. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless Industry Arts LLC, Red Ampersand Inc, WeScreenplay, and its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize.