Innovative Screenwriting Project Makes Its Debut

In association with respected management/production company Benderspink (A History of Violence, Just Friends, The Butterfly Effect) Cowrite is launching an innovative screenwriting competition open to aspiring writers and movie lovers everywhere. The contest will provide a unique opportunity to those who have always thought they could write a screenplay to play an essential role in a potential Hollywood blockbuster.

The idea behind the web-based Cowrite contest is to have writers throughout the country collaborate on a movie script based on a posted story premise. The script will be written in ten-page increments based on contestant submissions.

Every other week, the best ten-page script submission ($10 per 10 page entry) selected by the Cowrite judges will be added to the developing story until the script is finished and ready to be sold. There will be eleven winners over the six-month contest. Each winner will receive money and prizes totaling $3,000, a pitch meeting with Benderspink and a chance to win the grand prize of a paid rewrite of the script. All winners will also share in any potential script sale proceeds.

Another exciting aspect of the Cowrite website is the "Pro's Take" section where professional screenwriters and industry professionals will offer comments and suggestions on the developing story as well as insight into how to get started in Hollywood. This mentoring program will serve as an invaluable tool for aspiring screenwriters and help guide the story along. Guest mentors will include screenwriters Andrea Berloff (World Trade Center), Shintaro Shimosawa (The Echo) and Josh Schaer (TV's Jericho).

This is believed to be the first screenwriting competition where the end goal is to try to sell a collaborative movie script. In true Web 2.0 fashion, Cowrite utilizes social networking and the "wisdom of the crowd" to create a community-sourced product. Cowrite believes this method of art creation will become a widely accepted, and, in fact, sought out way of finding new talent while producing blueprints for major motion pictures. After all, what better market research tool for studios trying to figure out what audiences want to see at the theaters than letting the audiences provide the content?

Cowrite has partnered with The LA Film Festival and software companies Final Draft and Jungle Software, all of which will supply prizes to each of the eleven winners.

Updated: 12/04/2008

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