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For its first trot out of the gate, Seth and company excelled in conducting a first-class professionally-run contest, complete with respect for deadlines; courteous, active communication; and quality feedback.
Fresh Voices appears poised to quickly ascend the ladder as one of that elite group of ''have to'' competitions.
For its first trot out of the gate, Seth and company excelled in conducting a first-class professionally-run contest, complete with respect for deadlines; courteous, active communication; and quality feedback.
Fresh Voices appears poised to quickly ascend the ladder as one of that elite group of ''have to'' competitions.
I was never notified if my submission was received, never notified that a winner was selected and never even had an email announcing anything about the Festival (despite the fact that I knew it was going on because it being held less than a mile from my home). The only reason I believe my submission was received, is that the fee was collected from my account. I'll probably enter again because it's my hometown festival, but if I was anywhere else, I would probably pass.
Contest:
I was very pleased with this contest. The feedback was really constructive and seriously helped me polish the two script I entered. TWO readers notes for $60 is an incredible bargain. I'll be entering this one again next year.
Excellent. First class all the way. I'll be entering this one as much as I can.
Thanks Karine!
Contest:
February 22nd, 2011 and I still have not received my feedback from October, 2010. If I had been aware of the September problems, I would never have entered this contest to begin with. I entered specifically for the quick turnaround, seeing that most contests take months to get results. The difference is that I am fully aware of the time frame with other contests when I submit to them.
If there was a problem in September, then common sense says,
"Stop the contest for October and give the customers their money back."
At least until Scriptsavvy gets their stuff together.
At this point, I don't want the feedback. I want my money refunded. I have repeatedly emailed and have received not one response from Scriptsavvy. The feedback is useless at this point. As one poster said, my screenplay has been revised twice since October based on feedback I received from other contests.
Another problem I have is specifically with Ms. White and her statements. I don't care whether her assistant did or did not do her job. I find it to be very unprofessional on Ms. White's part that she would air her dirty laundry on these boards and then turnaround and point the finger at her assistant. She threw her assistant under the bus without a second thought and basically defamed the woman's character. I don't know about anyone else, but I have a real big problem with that. The buck ultimately stops with Ms. White, not her assistant.
I will never enter this contest again nor would I reccomend it. I don't care how good the feedback is.
Finalists of writemovie contest #26 will be announced on the february 28th
I recommend this contest. I was a first place winner in the period category, and the script has received a few requests from managers and an agent. The coverage I received from the contest was thoughtful, specific, organized, perceptive, and helpful for future rewrites. Jordan has been professional in every way. I would enter it again.
Author: Eva L
Posted: 02/21/2011 11:10 AM
I recommend this contest. The feedback provided is thoughtful, in depth, specific, and helpful. I used the notes to make significant changes to my script (and the organizers encouraged me to send in the revised version for the second round at no charge). Jordan, one of the contest organizers, is efficient, supportive and professional. He responds to queries promptly and in detail, and makes efforts to honor specific requests- for instance that a script not be sent to managers. It has been a pleasure to interact with Jordan and the organizers of this well-run contest.
A bit of a retraction:
Upon bringing my reader's callous gay slurs to the contest's attention, it was brought promptly to the adminstrator's concern. I must say, I spoke a bit too soon-- I found the contest to be run with nothing but the utmost professionalism, and my script was given to another reader. I was also contacted after my second round of feedback just to make sure I was satisfied with it. CWA is a smoothly run contest, and the second coverage I received was excellent, in-depth, and full of great advice. I would recommend this contest to anyone in the future.
Contest:
This comment may not matter because I think this contest doesn't exist anymore. That said, I participated in this contest and it was enjoyable, but I think it failed because of the premise of how they/we were constructing a screenply. Unless you are the Mozart of screenwriting, the hard part of a screenplay is creating the structure, outlining the plot, and figuring out the beats of your script. With this contest, you literally would have to do that every week to write a decent piece because it was constantly changing.
To improve this contest, I would suggest the runners create a basic outline and provide that as a guide to the participants.
As for whether you should enter this comp - it is a fun way to make yourself write on a regular basis, and a challenge to see how you can try to advance a story, but as far as teaching you anything, I'd say stay away. This one is only good if you already know what you are doing.
Is it me, or does it seem like they're taking an awfully long time to announce finalists for Contest #26?
Interesting that the overwhelming majority of finalists (top 3) are women, for both the recent contest and the last one. Haven't gone back further.
That's different than other contests I've perused, which are dominated by men, especially in the sitcom category - but not this contest.
Makes me wonder if they are making a conscious effort to promote female writers.
So if you are a woman, this contest may give you an edge.
Pure observation though, good luck to all the next go around.
Contest:
ANOTHER UPDATE!!!
They posted the announcement dates on their website!
"April 12, 2011 is the announcement of our semi finalist from all the categorical genres. If your script make it here, you will receive $5000 cash.
May 1, 2011 will be the announcement of the grand finale."
Contest:
I sent a fax to the number Moviebytes provided. If email, Facebook, Withoutabox AND fax don't work, I'll officially start to worry that I got ripped off. (Anyone want to try the phone number? I can't really do it from work, especially if things get heated...)
I'm still giving them the benefit of the doubt. Although given that the word "professional" is in the title, I would have hoped the contest might be run a little better...
Will keep you posted.
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I hope not, naima naima , I paid to enter it!!
I am getting a little concerned though - I STILL have not had a reply to my email or my Facebook friend request (the contest has ONE friend...).
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The same thing happened to me, w/ my script "Flyover Country" which got scifi 3rd place at ScriptPros Award and got nowhere at script savvy.
But I regard a screenplay as a work-in-progress until it gets produced. And especially when I get convergence on coverage - as I did between script savvy and a consultant I sent "Flyover" to, then I know what points to address, in rewrite.
It's good coverage when they read the screenplay in a screenwriterly manner, and inspire you to rewrite. That's what you get at scriptsavvy. However long it takes either to get the coverage back - or to win.
Contest:
Everyone raves about the feedback and while I agree it's good, I'd take it with a grain of salt. Two of my scripts that scored poorly at SS did well in other contests. While one of my scripts that scored well at SS didn't go anywhere in other contests.
Everything is subjective, of course, but I'm worried about people going overboard in their praise of the feedback here.
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I think this contest will come back strong. The coverage is just too good for it to go away.
Which means: Ron, I think you'll get your coverage. Drop them another e-mail. Rattle their chain a little. It won't hurt them any and it might speed things along.
Contest:
Author: Ron Ecker
Posted: 02/09/2011 05:27 PM
Still no feedback from September. What makes it more maddening is that the feedback I always got before from this contest was great. Nothing lasts forever.
Contest:
Finally got my coverage - thank God. I really hate bitching and complaining about late replies, all the more so when it's a contest that has as good a reputation as this. (And the coverage - as before - was great.)
Lest the reader think I'm too nettlesome, I have been through this scenario before - paying and getting no product or service - and not just with contests.
I hate to admit it, but once I even paid a consultant (whose initials are K.S., and whose website initials are B.B.) what for me was a fairly steep fee.
And got nothing in return.
Zilch.
Except for "I'm putting the finishing touches on it" and "I'm having health problems." And "I'm taking my kids to therapy!"
I could tell you about my health problems, divorce, etc., but it wdn't be in response to a e-mail dunning me for a service I was paid for, and didn't provide.
But I digress. Point is, I have cause to be at least mildly suspicious about industry-fringe people, but am happy to admit when I am wrong. And I will say this for Script Savvy: if they are on the way out (and I still wonder) then they're at least taking the high road, like Feeding Frenzy, and not leaving those of us who believed in their service holding the bag.
Haven't looked at this site since my posting on 4/22/2009 but my script MUFFLED SCREAMS, which got such a listless non-critique from Bluecat subsequently won the Horror Screenplay Contest later in the year (even though it was a black comedy) with just a few tweaks which totally ignored Bluecat's advice. Hmm........
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Thanks so much, Diane & Tanner & James for sharing your experience with the rest of us. Please know it's VERY much appreciated.
I entered a few years back but was eliminated in the first round (hey, it happens!) so I didn't try again.
Maybe I'll try them again someday, but all the comments have really given me something to think about, and for that I"m very grateful to all the posters! THANK YOU!
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Hey Matthew, I'm Top 30 as well and I see they've spelled your name wrong on the website too! Ha! I feel better now.
Contest:
Last year I entered the Screenwriting Expo Competition, and my screenplay SUMMER CAMP was awarded Grand Prize Runner-up. I still have not received most of the prizes, nor have many other Expo competition winners.
Part of the prize was a ''Free Basic Pass'' to the 2010 Expo, which took place in early October. Unfortunately, most of us were not notified about our status in the competition until the day of the conference, making it difficult, if not impossible, for anyone who had to travel to attend. In addition, the majority of us have not yet received our cash prizes.
Bill Donovan, who oversees the screenplay competition and Creative Screenwriting Magazine, states that they are having financial difficulties, and he hopes that business picks up soon so they can pay us. In so many words, he's also stated that if impending contest deadlines yield a sufficient number of entries, they might be able to pay former contest entrants.
I understand his situation and that the current economic climate has made it very hard for publishers. I also think CSM is an outstanding publication, and I've heard great things about the Screenwriting Expo conference. However, I feel an obligation to make other screenwriters aware of their precarious financial situation, so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not to enter future competitions sponsored by CSM.
I truly hope that CSM is able to turn things around because screenwriting competitions are one of the only showcases for unproduced screenwriters.
Contest:
Author: Chris Dum
Posted: 02/07/2011 02:29 PM
I actually just got my feedback for my October script. The feedback is excellent, in depth, with great suggestions in terms of what audiences are looking for. So discounting the delays (which I assume are going to be addressed) I am pretty happy with the results as I have a lot of great ideas to work with for my next contest.
After being a Finalist in 2009, I entered a different script in 2010, and got 2nd Place. The check was handed to me when the announcement was made. Can't beat that for speed. I attended Jim's class (free to finalists) for a second time, and found it very useful. Jim knows his stuff. Very happy I re-entered, and recommend it to others.
Contest:
Well, top 30's been posted for awhile (thankfully I'm still in it, top three - comedy).
Still no indication of when next round - or winner(s) - will be posted.
I don't mean to bad-mouth it (on the off chance that I go further in the competition) but for a contest that was originally supposed to announce in September, this is really pushing it...
Entered '10, got excellent feedback on 1st draft, resubmitted (with minutes to spare), forgot about it, and found myself a top 20 finalist...got some cool prizes/memberships from it (virtual pitchfest, itsonthegrid, iscript) and the screenwriting lab was worth it, even though i had to fly from nyc to get there. It was a good and inspiring experience from my perspective...
Contest:
Author: Chris Dum
Posted: 02/05/2011 08:38 PM
Was really excited to enter this contest, but like others, I entered the October contest and the results were delayed for weeks. I have yet to receive my feedback or even a timeline on getting feedback, despite sending two emails. If I don't hear back within a week I will demand my money back. I would not recommend this to anyone until they straighten out their issues.
Contest:
Still no coverage, no RE to my e-mail.
Perhaps I was rude. Perhaps someone really does have understandable personal - family or otherwise - issues that are stifling the possibilities of what could be a premier contest.
But someone needs to give someone a head's up if this contest is not going to end up looking like another suckers' game.
Ms White - you listening?
Contest:
@ peter hayes - I know, that's exactly why I said it was unlikely to be the true announcement date.
Thing is, if I'm not mistaken, here on Moviebytes, "Notification" usually means announcement dates of winners, not "notification that all entries were received". I assume Moviebytes is just flat-out wrong in this case.
So my question remains... does anyone have any idea of the announcement dates?
I still have not gotten a reply to my email, or even to my Facebook friend request...
Contest:
First contest entered. A little disappointed by how it was run, not sure if my experience was typical of small contests.
Semi-finalists and Finalists were announced two weeks late and on the day of each announcement, results only posted on the site, very late in the evening (east coast) or the day after they were supposed to be posted.
No info posted on why one script was better than another or even what each script was generally about, like a logline. Which I would not necessarily expect for a very large contest, but with small ones, thought there'd be a little more attention given to the finalists scripts, even if just to generate interest in the contest.
No grudges here, honestly, our script was not good enough to be a finalist. I will see if there is more detail/follow up on the winners to see if it is worth entering again, but right now, I would not.
Contest:
@ Mathew Gillece
i think 20th is the notification date of receipt of all entries. There is no way they can judge and award in five days.
I was excited to enter this contest, but immediately dismayed by the feedback I received. The reader referred to one of my characters as a "fag hag" and continued to relate one of my gay characters to "Will and Grace." .'' As a contest, I had come to expect a degree of professionalism amongst their script readers, but clearly that isn't the case. I can't help but wonder who exactly they are hiring as readers if they so easily reduce gay characters down to reductionist stereotypes and slurs. If these are the standards you wish your work to be judged by then by all means go for it.
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I see on the Moviebytes page it says announcements are supposed to be on 02/20/2011, but I find that highly unlikely, considering the late deadline is 5 days before that...
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Anybody know the announcement schedule?? I didn't see anything on the website. I emailed a question (the form the website provides doesn't work) and tried to Facebook-friend the contest, no response from either yet.
Author's comment
After reading the Terms and Conditions for Amazon Contest Entry, (The Development Agreement & Account Agreement) I would never enter a contest with Amazon Studios. It is very clear over the years that Amazon has mutated from its open and beneficial roots to one driven by a group of insatiable greed driven lawyers. As I told my friends I'd rather burn my books and scripts then sell them on Amazon.
My name is Steve Opsanic, I am the Executive Director of the Great Lakes International Film Festival and its parent organization, the Great Lakes Film Association. I would like to take this opportunity to clear up what has been said here about our festival.
In 2007 we had a writer who submitted to our competition and felt that he should have won our competition but didn't and got upset to say the least. Dennis Widmyer even contacted Withoutabox.com and had them launch an investigation into the matter. Withoutabox found no wrongdoing on our part, which is why we are still able to accept entries through WAB. This guy not only attacked our competition but also viscously attacked my staff members and myself as well, making unfounded personal allegations which he would have no way of actually knowing due to the fact he resides out of town and has no idea of my personal life.
The Great Lakes Film Association as a 501c(3) non-profit organization has been serving the Film & Arts community both locally and internationally now for 10 years without a blemish on our record, in fact the only negative things you can find about this organization is that which is linked to this man's posts and more importantly, nothing before he started his campaign to slander us. If you notice, there has been no other such horrid negative statements about this organization since, that are not related to those statements made by Dennis Widmyer.
Moreover, if we were a group of crooks as he claims, would we really be donating 100% of our live festival proceeds to our local food bank, probably not. This information can be found on our festival home page at http://www.greatlakesfilmfest.com/
Our scriptwriting competition is designed to be as fair and honest as any competition can be with a panel of judges made up of volunteers, with our head judge being an accomplished author R.E.Taylor, having 5 novels being published and currently available in many national book stores and Amazon.com.
After reading what he writes, many may have questions and concerns, reading such things when taken at face value can be, to say the least, disconcerting. However, when taking the time to look beneath the surface, you would find these allegations to be only the ramblings of an overly egotistical man outraged at his own failure to succeed. In addition, if you look into the man himself, Dennis Widmyer, you find very few if any competitions his script actually did place in and only one that it won. Coincidently, the one that his script won back in 2007 happens to be the Eerie Horror Film Festival, an event that was founded in 2004 and operator by our organization until it was later sold to its current director.
Inclosing, I would like to apologize to everyone whom may read these posts for the confusion and misinformation that Dennis Widmyer may have caused. If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding this matter you may contact me directly at steve@greatlakesfilm.org and I will be happy to address this issue with you to the best of my ability.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, it's much appreciated.
I'm not only not entering, I'm cancelling my Amazon account.
Contest:
I haven't gotten my feedback for October, either. scriptsavvy comes highly recommended, and I was impressed w/ the feedback I got for July's contest - even though it was a month late in coming.
My concern is that the readership troubles that first cropped up here in mid-2010 are symptoms of a deeper underlying problem that places the viability of the contest in question.
Until this disconnection between reputation and response is dealt with, if I were a moviebytes-following screenwriter, I wdn't submit any more material to scriptsavvy.
I may have stronger words to say Tuesday, if I still don't have any response to dunning e-mails I've sent the contest (& so far I've only gotten form responses, thanking me for my interest.).
It's too bad. Like the late lamented Feeding Frenzy, scriptsavvy seemed to have alot to offer. But at least Feeding Frenzy closed its doors w/out burning any of the entrants. I'm waiting to see if this is the case w/ scriptsavvy.
Until then, let the buyer beware.
Contest:
Author: Ron Ecker
Posted: 01/27/2011 07:16 PM
Congratulations on getting your feedback. I'm still waiting for mine.
Wow. I was very impressed by this one. I entered the early deadline in December to get feedback by January and not only did they come through, but in spades, no less. Two sets of reviewers' notes for the price of entry and a shot at a significant prize and exposure is a good investment. I found both sets so helpful - especially where they overlapped - that I am nearly done with the most radical rewrite of this script's life (a script that's placed at Slamdance, Sundance writer's lab, Austin and various others, but that I knew still wasn't quite "there" yet) I've gotten a lot of coverage on this one, but this coverage has finally got me seeing what truly needs to happen to make this work (thank goodness as we start shooting in November if all goes according to plan!) My one disappointment, is that there wasn't time between getting the notes and the final deadline to complete this new draft. I would have loved to resubmit with my new found enlightenment. Highly recommended for writers who genuinely want to improve their scripts.
My screenplay Buffalo Girl was chosen as a semi finalist in the 2010 Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition. Mark Andrushko is diligent in his attention to all the semifinalists, promoting them for a year. This competition is well worth the entry fee, whether you are a first time screenwriter like me, or you have been slamming down scripts since smokin' hot Valentino was burning up the big screen.
I have three words for screenwriters thinking about entering this contest: JUST DO IT!
The contest was wonderful. Due to my First Place win, contest promoters are shopping my script, "Risen" around Hollywood - and that is a hard thing to beat. Definitely recommended!
My romantic comedy, ALMOST AMANDA, was a Semifinalist in the 2010 contest. Since then I have been very impressed by the dedicated and tireless efforts undertaken by the contest organizers to promote AMANDA and the other top 100 scripts. I believe that Scriptapalooza is truly unique in this regard and have found them highly professional in all other respects. I wholeheartedly recommend this contest.
My script, I'll Trade You, was a semifinalist this year. Scriptapalooza promotes the top 100 scripts for a year and regularly updates us via e-mail. So far, three companies asked to read my script. Scriptapalooza is a great contest to enter.
My screenplay Wolf's Bane was a semi-finalist in the contest, and I was contacted by Scriptapalooza several times after the contest was over. They actually got the script to several producers and are still working at getting it to others. I have been very impressed by the personal interest they took in my script. Their followup was excellent.
Logline - ONE VERY RIGHTEOUS PAYBACK.
109 page television movie
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I finally got my feedback. Great and very detailed, as always. The very insightful analysis has given me a few things to polish up. They really do a good job over there at Script Savvy!
Contest:
Still no sign of feedback? Demand your money back.
After winning second place in Soggy Mop's recent short screenplay contest, I've had quite the positive experiences with producer Michel Brown and Soggy Mop Productions. Within just a month of winning, my horror screenplay "First of the Month" moved right into the "In Development" phase. I like that Michel wants to work so closely with others, sharing ideas and visions, in order to get the chosen projects onto the screen in the timeliest fashion and with the absolute best results and quality.
I'm looking forward to working with a production company such as Soggy Mop that obviously understands the immense value in creating projects from a variety of genres. My screenplay, though a horror short for instance, is an intimate look into the inevitable moment we must all face at the end of our lives. My main character must deal with the termination of his life while holding on for more time so he can attend his granddaughter's wedding. I believe that Michel saw something more in my screenplay than just merely a horror story, and rightly so. I also believe there is no better way than performing beautiful artistry in several genres to show the film industry what your production company is capable of accomplishing. And so I applaud Michel for her breadth of intuition and creativity. The future is going to look very successful for Soggy Mop and I'm honored to be a part of it.
Contest:
They claim they'll have results by tonight (Jan 18/2011) at midnight. How much do you want to bet that won't happen either?
I'm a veteran of over a hundred of these contests and this rates among the very best. A beautifully run operation and the script critiques--extraordinarily detailed and insightful--are worth more than the entry fees alone. Congratulations on a great contest!
I am new to screenwriting so have only a half dozen
other contests to compare Scriptapalooza to, but if my experience is any example put Scriptapalooza on your "must send" list. Mark Andrushko was able to find several producers to take a look at my finalist script and, through his urgings, I sent query letters to producers listed in the Hollywood Creative Directory, and have received another promising lead. Unlike many screenwriting contests you are quite aware that there is somebody in your corner who would like nothing more than your continued success.
This is a great contest. We didn't final, but Jeff gave us excellent feedback, and we are reworking the beginning of the script based on his suggestions. We are going to pay for feedback on the update as well. Jeff has great instincts about storytelling and he communicates his ideas clearly. Plus he seems like a genuinely nice guy, interested in writers and their scripts. He and the contest get a thumbs up from me!
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LOL found it!!! Blonde moment!
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I've read the website up and down... Does anyone know how much the entry fee is? I can't find a cost anywhere.
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I have had very nice results with Script Savvy in the past years. However, I am one of the many customers that are still waiting for my feedback from September 2010.
I hope that this trend to delay everything is short lived and they catch up soon. I would hate to see the downfall of Script Savvy. They provide excellent services for the cost.
I will use Script Savvy again in the future. However, I will not recommend them until they move past this current speedbump.
They did notify me that I did not make the top ten cut out of 400 entries. It was a professional form letter. All things considered, given the success that I experienced from other contest during 2010, I would not have entered this contest. Save your money.
One of the greatest things about this competition is the feedback one gets after the competition. There is much to say about the independent voice of constructive criticism. "Gimme Credit" is really good at what they do and I would have to say to any aspiring screenwriter to check them out for their next round of competitions!
I won this contest last year with my first screenplay, and I can honestly reccomend submitting. They are totally committed to helping promote the winning screenplay and do everything in their capacity to help the writer. From the critique, to the books, to the publicity--they really are an underrated competition and I'm very happy I submitted to them.
Contest:
Yes Elizabeth I, too, am happy to see Donna's reply.
She also sent me an email explaining the situation. I explained to her that I felt my complaints/concerns were shared by others and valid. I also told her that her explanation of things was equally as valid. As far as I'm concerned, no harm no foul as they say.
Sadly there are too many in the world of screenplay competitions whose intentions are less than honorable. I was stung not too long ago by competition operators with impeccable credentials and A-list associations. You just never know, which is why I made my posting.
So as I said in my initial post the services at Scriptsavvy were always first rate, which is why this contest rose to the top of the pile so quickly. It also clearly shows that a screenplay contest is all about the people running it and Donna has shown that she is who she appeared to be. She stood up, faced the questions put to her and answered in a straightforward manner. That makes me happy for many reasons, not the least of which it is happy to know that there are still reputable people in this field. Donna's actions suggest to me she falls in that category.
I'm glad to see Donna is back at the helm and I have no doubts that she will steer Scriptsavvy back on course in the next few weeks. Again, I say that for a variety of reasons, but the main one is that I received my feedback for the Septmeber contest. And even though my score is more than likely just shy of a placing the reader's assessment illustrated a clear and detailed understanding of my script. And that is all one can ask for in the subjective world of screenplay competitions.
Very glad to have you back Donna. :-)
Contest:
Donna, your reply means a lot.
Thanks.
Contest:
Hi all,
I am writing to address concerns about the contest.
First, a word of explanation: In the late summer of 2010, we suffered staff turnover. This was partially due to my unhappiness with some of the feedback we were getting. I was in the process of hiring and training new staff when an emergency struck my family and I had to go on leave for an extended period of time. I had to leave work when things were already fairly rocky, and my new assistant took over for me. Unfortunately, in my absence, she did little work and began misdirecting emails so that I would not notice we had a backlog.
I was not aware of any significant problem until December when I received two phone calls from different customers with the same issues.
Unfortunately, the family issue that caused me to be away was not one that I could simply drop and come back to work. We were not able to make other arrangements for care until this past week.
When I returned on Monday January 3rd, I expected some open issues from 2010 and knew that the October contest feedback needed to be proofed and distributed. What I found instead was an inbox with over 400 angry emails and urgent issues to resolve. I am in the process of addressing all of those issues right now.
Current issues: I'm in the process of sending out all the August and September feedback that wasn't sent. Once that is complete, we're going to finish judging on the October contest and get that feedback out as well.
Going forward: I'm taking steps to ensure this never happens again. First, I'm in the process of hiring and training a coordinator backup so that if I'm ever away, the work will continue in a seamless fashion. Second, if circumstances cause us to run late in the future, we will close for subsequent contests until we are fully caught up. Third, I'm doubling our judges and reader staff to improve turnaround time on feedback.
My goals for 2011 are to get us back to 30-day turnaround on feedback guaranteed, and start announcing results BEFORE the scheduled announcement date.
On a personal note, I am saddened by the accusations I'm hearing, though I understand there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there and we live in a cynical world. However, we ran a tight ship for 5 ½ years. It just happened that a perfect storm of events hit us in late summer/early fall of 2010 and it's taking some time to right the ship. It doesn't mean anything untoward has occurred. It just means that I was not prepared for tragedy.
I'm doing all I can to fix it and it WILL be fixed.
To those of you who have gotten to know me over the years and have sent kind words of support over the last few months, I do not have the words to thank you. I can't tell you what your kindness and understanding means to me.
To those of you who are angry, I actually do understand your frustration. Though there are many contests that run for 4-5 months and sometimes take that long to get feedback out as a matter of course, our contest is supposed to run quickly and turn things around fast. That's why you enter, and that's why you're upset. I understand and you are right.
We're going to finish up all the open issues from 2010, and not only meet but exceed customer expectations in 2011. This is my promise to each of you.
Sincerely,
Donna White
Contest:
Elizabeth (and Donna), if I had received a similar reply to my emails I would not have felt compelled to make the posts I have.
I'm just curious why a similar statement was not made available to all on the Scriptsavvy website???
Contest:
Craig, I chased her down anyway. I sent her a facebook message and here's her reply:
Hi Elizabeth,
We're still working through the feedback, which is part of the reason for the results delay. So much that should have been taken care of while I was gone was left undone.
We'll start sending them out as soon as they are ready, and try to get as many out before the 18th as possible.
I'm hiring a new assistant and doubling up on our reader staff so this will never happen again.
thanks,
donna
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Oops, I forgot, thanks for your support Scott. It is nice to know there are others out there who feel the same.
Who knows, if others voice similar feelings we might get some response from Donna.
Contest:
Elizabeth,
Please forgive me, but I'm a bit confused as to why you feel anyone should have to chase down Donna.
We entered the Scriptsavvy Screenplay contest and we paid Scriptsavvy so we contact Scriptsavvy Screenplay contest at that email address.
She has received all our emails and more than likely has read my post so don't you find it the least bit odd that she has not replied?
As I said in my posting (below) I want to be fair with Donna (and all people) but she took our money, didn't fulfill her obligations to us yet she is now taking other people's money. It appears to me that the writing, as they say, is well and truly on the wall.
Once again, if I am wrong I will happily and sincerely apologize. In fact I truly hope I have to apologize. Time will tell.
I entered this contest is 2010, and was a finalist. The people at Scriptapalooza worked very hard to keep me updated, and to promote my work. The communication with me was excellent. I highly recommend this contest.
Contest:
Craig Bottrell, if this was facebook, I'd "like" your comment. Also, to everyone else, try posting stuff on Script Savvy's facebook page and see if they reply.
Contest:
***DO NOT SUBMIT A SCRIPT TO THIS CONTEST UNTIL YOU READ THIS POSTING!!!!!!!!***
I say that because being reasonable familiar with the world of screenplay competitions I know the hallmark signs of a company scamming and/or heading for INSOLVENCY. Scriptsavvy appears to be following that dark path.
I am more than happy to retract that statement and apologize if I am mistaken, but until I see an email from DONNA WHITE herself on this and the Scriptsavvy website explaining the reasons for the delays while at the same time she is accepting new entries and money I will not believe the contrary; NOR SHOULD YOU!!!
Allow me to start by saying that I have entered the Scriptsavvy competition on numerous occasions in the past. Some of the scripts I have submitted have ''won'', others have not. But despite the result I have achieved in the past I have ALWAYS valued the services provided by Donna and the Scriptsavvy team because the feedback received was promptly delivered, polite in its presentation, succinct and pertinent in its content, and, as such, good value for money.
Clearly that is no longer the case.
The current problems with this contest are many. For starters, I have yet to receive the feedback for the script I submitted to the September 2010 contest and I have not been able to receive the updates because Scriptsavvy's system does not allow me to re-enlist for the newsletter. I have brought this to the attention of Scriptsavvy in numerous emails, but they have not addressed this problem
Despite this I decided to submit a script to the October 2010 contest. As you might have already guessed I have not received any updates as to what in the world is going on. I have emailed Scriptsavvy on at least 4 occasions and, yet again, I have received no response.
So here I (and many others) am/are, January 8, 2011 and I am still waiting for the feedback from a script I entered 3 months ago. The contest continues to postpone the results yet it is now accepting entries (and money) for the January 2011 contest.
How can they take people's money when they haven't even cleared the backlog of the previous contest and fulfilled their legal, not to mention moral, obligations to the entrants?
Another important point, when a reader reads a script they makes notes, render a score and write an analysis. Scriptsavvy then forwards them to the respective writers. If Donna can't simply email me (and others) the feedback on the script(s) entered in the September contest then it would suggest to me that it simply doesn't exit. And if the analysis doesn't/don't exist it is because the script(s) was/were never read.
IF THAT IS THE CASE HOW WAS SCRIPTSAVVY ABLE TO PICK A WINNER FOR THE SEPTEMBER CONTEST?
Furthermore, if the screenplay I entered in the September 2010 contest was not read back in October 2010 then the likelihood of getting an accurate analysis at this pointy in time is highly unlikely. The same applies for my entry in the October 2010 contest.
THAT IS WHY I SAY TO ANYONE CONTEMPLATING SUBMITTING A SCREENPLAY TO THE UPCOMING JANUARY 2011 SCRIPTSAVVY CONTEST TO WAIT UNTIL DONNA WHITE RESPONDS TO THIS POSTING AND TELLS ALL OF US WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!
If Donna has a valid reason for the delays then NO ONE more than me will be happy to hear the cause of such significant delays and be understanding of the difficulties she may or may not be facing at this point in her life.
If, on the other hand, Donna does not respond to this posting then I suggest all of you who want to submit the product of your sweat and tears to a reputable contest to give this contest a miss and move on to the screenplay competitions that are tried and true.
Also, in fairness to Donna I have emailed her at the Scriptsavvy address to let her know of this posting.
Soooooooooooooooooooo,
DONNA, PLEASE, IF YOU ARE OUT THERE THEN I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO RESPOND TO THIS POSTING AND EXPLAIN TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHOSE MONEY YOU HAVE TAKEN WHY YOU HAVE FAILED TO FULFIL YOUR LEGAL AND MORAL OBLIGATIONS TO THEM.
Contest:
***DO NOT SUBMIT A SCRIPT TO THIS CONTEST UNTIL YOU READ THIS POSTING!!!!!!!!***
I say that because being reasonable familiar with the world of screenplay competitions I know the hallmark signs of a company scamming and/or heading for INSOLVENCY. Scriptsavvy appears to be following that dark path.
I am more than happy to retract that statement and apologize if I am mistaken, but until I see an email from DONNA WHITE herself on this and the Scriptsavvy website explaining the reasons for the delays while at the same time she is accepting new entries and money I will not believe the contrary; NOR SHOULD YOU!!!
Allow me to start by saying that I have entered the Scriptsavvy competition on numerous occasions in the past. Some of the scripts I have submitted have ''won'', others have not. But despite the result I have achieved in the past I have ALWAYS valued the services provided by Donna and the Scriptsavvy team because the feedback received was promptly delivered, polite in its presentation, succinct and pertinent in its content, and, as such, good value for money.
Clearly that is no longer the case.
The current problems with this contest are many. For starters, I have yet to receive the feedback for the script I submitted to the September 2010 contest and I have not been able to receive the updates because Scriptsavvy's system does not allow me to re-enlist for the newsletter. I have brought this to the attention of Scriptsavvy in numerous emails, but they have not addressed this problem
Despite this I decided to submit a script to the October 2010 contest. As you might have already guessed I have not received any updates as to what in the world is going on. I have emailed Scriptsavvy on at least 4 occasions and, yet again, I have received no response.
So here I (and many others) am/are, January 8, 2011 and I am still waiting for the feedback from a script I entered 3 months ago. The contest continues to postpone the results yet it is now accepting entries (and money) for the January 2011 contest.
How can they take people's money when they haven't even cleared the backlog of the previous contest and fulfilled their legal, not to mention moral, obligations to the entrants?
Another important point, when a reader reads a script they makes notes, render a score and write an analysis. Scriptsavvy then forwards them to the respective writers. If Donna can't simply email me (and others) the feedback on the script(s) entered in the September contest then it would suggest to me that it simply doesn't exit. And if the analysis doesn't/don't exist it is because the script(s) was/were never read.
IF THAT IS THE CASE HOW WAS SCRIPTSAVVY ABLE TO PICK A WINNER FOR THE SEPTEMBER CONTEST?
Furthermore, if the screenplay I entered in the September 2010 contest was not read back in October 2010 then the likelihood of getting an accurate analysis at this pointy in time is highly unlikely. The same applies for my entry in the October 2010 contest.
THAT IS WHY I SAY TO ANYONE CONTEMPLATING SUBMITTING A SCREENPLAY TO THE UPCOMING JANUARY 2011 SCRIPTSAVVY CONTEST TO WAIT UNTIL DONNA WHITE RESPONDS TO THIS POSTING AND TELLS ALL OF US WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!
If Donna has a valid reason for the delays then NO ONE more than me will be happy to hear the cause of such significant delays and be understanding of the difficulties she may or may not be facing at this point in her life.
If, on the other hand, Donna does not respond to this posting then I suggest all of you who want to submit the product of your sweat and tears to a reputable contest to give this contest a miss and move on to the screenplay competitions that are tried and true.
Also, in fairness to Donna I have emailed her at the Scriptsavvy address to let her know of this posting.
Soooooooooooooooooooo,
DONNA, PLEASE, IF YOU ARE OUT THERE THEN I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO RESPOND TO THIS POSTING AND EXPLAIN TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHOSE MONEY YOU HAVE TAKEN WHY YOU HAVE FAILED TO FULFIL YOUR LEGAL AND MORAL OBLIGATIONS TO THEM.
Contest:
Does the "free" entry include the same feedback paid for and not yet received? The feedback coming will be useless now that it's months later since my script has changed so much since then.
Scriptapalooza is a fantastic screenplay competition and I can't recommend it enough. Since placing as a finalist in the 2010 contest, I have received many calls and emails from producers asking to read more of my work.
If you have written a screenplay, don't hesitate... send it to Scriptapalooza.
Contest:
I'm sure Donna is working to get this back on track. That's the sense I get (entered both Sept and Oct, requesting no feedback) from her e-mails.
My gripe is they started a new contest before finishing off the previous ones.
But hey, October submitters get a free entry this next year.
Contest:
18th of January 2011??? Just checking. Could be 2012 at this rate.
Contest:
October results posted by midnight on the 18th of January *sighs*
Contest:
They've promised on their website to deliver on January 7th. How much do you want to bet they DON'T make that deadline either???
I have entered this contest several times, and though never a 'winner' I have made Semi Finalist. Mark Andrushko is tireless in his efforts to promote scripts and always makes suggestions as to how to 'showcase' your script(s) and with whom.
Contest:
I entered the Sep 10 contest as well and have not received anything. I only entered this contest because of all the great reviews on this website and this was a monthly contest with a quick turn-around for feedback. I want what I paid for...
Contest:
I entered the Sep 10 contest as well and have not received anything. I only entered this contest because of all the great reviews on this website and this was a monthly contest with a quick turn-around for feedback. I want what I paid for...
Finished 3rd with my first short this past contest. Impressed with their timeliness and frequent communication since I placed. Will likely take a stab next go-round in the features category. Seem like nice folks.
Steve H.
Contest:
For all those who have had emails go unanswered, try sending a Facebook message to Donna White. I sent one asking her about the October results and she answered back.
Fresh Voices is FIRST CLASS in every way -- professional, philanthropic and great with communication. The website is easy to navigate and everything about your organization seems a step above the rest. Keep up the awesomeness!
Contest:
Now they're giving a discount for January. Will they be refunding everyone who have had to wait 9 weeks for the promised reviews, a full 5 weeks later than the promised date? What a scam!
Not only did MAN ON A BRIDGE place in this contest, but they took a hard look at another
one of my stories as well. I appreciate it when
a contest contacts me to let me know when one of my scripts has advanced and not just placing it on their website for me to keep checking for newsI think Soggy Mops has been wonderful about keeping us (the contestants) informed. Prize money is nice,
but having my script produced is even better. Thank you Michel and Soggy Mops!!!
I entered two scripts in Fresh Voices and was extremely happy with the astute and invaluable feedback I got on both. I want to thank you for running such a great comp — where else can we get such professional and useful feedback for such minimal cost!?
Dear Fresh Voices Team,
Thank you very much for the thoughtful coverage. I am deep in a
rewrite that should address much of the commentary here (including
proofreading). I will go over it again and give much consideration to
the balance of your comments. I believe them to be spot on.
Sincerely,
Rich Suchy
Contest:
I was pleased with the feedback I received from 6resh Voices. Very helpful. It was a rushed first draft and they spotted a number of glaring problems. My expectations were rooted in reality and I think that helps and goes a long way towards receiving feedback or criticism in the spirit in which it is intended. I was initially very upset with the folks at Script Savvy for their many delays and lack of contact. After aa quick email to Moviebytes they got right back to me. Within 2 days I had ten pages of indepth and flat out outstanding feedback. I have no doubts now that this script will sell. Again it was a rushed first draft. From the combined feedback I have trimmed 14 pages and rewritten 4 other scenes. I'm not hung up on winning. I'm only about making my scripts as good as they can be. Both contests have helped me do that.
Contest:
Author: Ron Ecker
Posted: 12/27/2010 09:37 AM
I paid for feedback on my entry in the September 2010 contest. I never received the feedback. My email inquiry of 12/13/10 went unanswered. I don't think the script even got read.
Contest:
Well, congrats on advancing Jacqueline.
But yes, I echo your feelings here. I submitted one of my shorts as well, and while I have no issues with the fact that I did not advance, I can't help but feel like this contest is incredibly poorly run.
I guess I should have known better when the email address is @aol. I mean, AOL!!!!
Anyway, best of luck, but I can't recommend this contest.
Craig
I agree completely with Mr. Sedgewick. As a finalist, I too received my excellent prize package, including a fun mix of items related to the going green theme, the software and Inktip services as promised! Alas, my cat who sat on my lap throughout most of my writing did not live to enjoy the catnip...
Contest:
Last week I received the scores and feedback promised to every script entered into the 2010 contest- just barely missed making that first cut by a few points according to them. And while it was great to see the scores and feel like someone actually read the script... I'm still waiting for this info on the OTHER script I entered. I have emailed them twice now and gotten no response. This contest ended 2+ months ago, what's the hold up?
I completely agree with the other posters- this contest seemed unorganized and I too was unhappy with the delay in announcements of finalists/winners. This was my first year entering this contest, and will be my last.
Contest:
Like everyone else I'm frustrated. As a writer we have to meet the contest's deadline and they cannot meet theirs! First they were first going to give out results in September, then October, then November and FINALLY in December they posted results.
I entered two screenplays, one a feature and one a short and my short "The Dowry" is listed as a finalist under features - drama!
VERY, VERY disappointed especially as one's queries never elicit any response from the organizers.
CWA is quickly becoming one of my favorite contests. They haven't been around for long, but there are already several things that they do better than their more senior competitors. They run the contest with a high level of professionalism, answering direct email questions, providing updates as one's script(s) moves up the ranks, sticking to their schedule, and being open about the number of submissions they receive. The thing that impressed me the most this year was the quality of the feedback I received on my submission. Great feedback, in my mind, must focus on story (not business), be relevant and actionable. It's very, very rare to get notes that score on those three counts. So far, only through (expensive!) professional feedback and the CWA have I received such feedback. Hopefully, they'll maintain that level of professionalism in the future for as long as they keep up the good work I hope to submit a script every year.
I wos the Grand Prize Winner this month (Agust/10). My first attmpt scored nil. As with other ScriptVamp contets, the feedback, so vital to screenwriters, is top notch. Combine that with drive to 'imagine ' a great storyline and all that a script needs, plus a great team on your side, and you WILL reach a higher writing level. Don't miss out!
I entered this contest in 2010 just for the feedback and ended up the winner in the Drama category. It turned out to be a case of be careful what you wish for. I'd always fantasized about receiving feedback that said, "Don't change a thing," and that's basically what I got -- four pages of very positive comments. The trouble is, I knew my screenplay still needed work, and professional consultants should have recognized the weak points. They also didn't do much with the script after I won -- I believe only a couple of other people read it. On the plus side, they were very prompt and cordial in their communications with me. Overall, I have to say I wouldn't enter this contest again.
Is there any way to determine the validity of a festival?
