Contest Comments

You must login to post a comment.

First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!

Contest News

Scriptapalooza Interview Pilot Category Winner Bill Taub

How did you come up with your story idea?

If you’re talking about the idea itself, I am drawn to ‘high concepts’ – projects that are ‘concept driven’, such as, ‘aliens land on Earth Halloween night and get mistaken for trick-or-treaters’…I wish I had thought of that one. The idea for Raffle Guy came from a one paragraph newspaper clipping I came across several years ago in the ‘People in The News’ or ‘Factoid’ column of The New York Times which doesn’t exist any more. If you’re talking about the actual storyline this is a project that has evolved over several year and has taken on several different guises.

How long did it take you to write it?

Once I locked in the story for the present incarnation, it took about a month to write. But I had lots of existing material to draw on.

Is this your first script that you have written?

No. But it is the first ‘spec pilot’ I’ve written.

Have you entered other screenwriting competitions?

I’ve entered a couple of other competitions for screenplays, but this is the first ‘TV’ competition I’ve entered. In fact I don’t know of any other ‘tv’ competitions at all. And I love TV.

If so, have you been successful?

I haven’t won. But I entered a screenplay in the Scriptwriters Network, Producers Outreach Program. It was passed on but I was given some constructive feedback so that if I ever want to revise it and resubmit it, I can. But I’m not there yet.

Why did you enter Scriptapalooza?

Other than Chesterfield and Nicholls and things like that – of all the myriad other screenplay ‘competitions’ – Scriptapalooza seemed to have great popularity and recognition. And the only one that I came across that had ‘t.v.’ as a category.

Advice to other screenwriters?

This is not a business of geniuses. Besides ‘write every day’, the best advice I can give writers is BE YOUR OWN AGENT. Rely on them an agent for nothing and you won’t be disappointed. Do your own networking. Divide your day between a little bit of writing and a little bit of networking, then lunch.

How did you feel when you saw your name as one of the winners?

Shocked. Stunned. In disbelief. I was casually scrolling down the list to see if there were any names I recognized, not remembering that I had entered it. There was one name I recognized – a girl I know who was a semi-finalist in the ‘sitcom’ category, and I knew the script she had written but didn’t know she had submitted it to the contest. I was happy for her. Then I got to the Pilot category at the end of the list and saw another name I recognized – mine – in First Place – for ‘Raffle Guy’. I had to read it a few times to make sure. Then I yelled out to my wife to come over and see if I was crazy or if my name was really there. She said ‘yes’ to both counts. Having seen the ‘down’ days, she was thrilled for me – and had a few suggestions on how to spend the 500 bucks.

If you could write for any TV show, which one would it be?

More than a particular show I would love to work for the people who’s creative mindset I admire the most. I am in awe of the ‘three Davids’ – not the statue – David Kelley, David Milch, and Larry David (although there probably should be statue for them). I would be honored to sit at the feet of any or all of them. If I had to pick one show that is presently on t.v., it would probably be ‘Boston Public’. My wife is a teacher at Harvard-Westlake, an elite private school in Los Angeles, at the other end of the spectrum from ‘Boston Public’, and we watch it religiously – it’s got the blend of contemporary drama and comedic quirkiness that I love. I’m also going to keep my eye on Glenn Caron’s new show coming up, whatever that is…

Updated: 09/27/2002

Submit Report Card

You must login to read or submit report cards.

First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!