Scriptapalooza Interview with Contest Finalist Barbara Schwartz
Why did you enter Scriptapalooza TV Writing Competition?
To see how my script compared with other scripts and if I placed, to help me
gain entry into the business. Also, their entry fee wasn’t too high.
Have you entered other TV competitions?
I entered Square Magazine’s competition with my newest spec, SEX AND THE
CITY. I think we find out sometime in February.
Now, you didn’t actually win the competition; you were a finalist and you
still received career making opportunities?
Yes! A development executive at Klasky Csupo requested to see all the
finalist scripts. I sent him a follow-up thank you note and mentioned my
other writing samples. He read my other spec, we exchanged emails, went to
lunch and then he recommended me to another development exec for a couple of
her projects.
What was your experience with the founders of Scriptapalooza?
They definitely want to promote their winners. They made it clear to me that
that’s why they’re doing this: to help writers break into the business.
I’ve also heard that they do live readings of the winning scripts.
Did you find that just saying you placed high in the competition opened doors
other than the ones Scriptapalooza opened for you?
I sent out a round of query letters mentioning my finalist status and I think
it helped get me a number of responses.
Would you recommend this competition to a friend? Why or why not?
Absolutely. The Scriptapalooza TV Competition gave me my first break.
What was the best aspect of the competition?
They were great at each elimination stage of the competition. They didn’t
just post the winners with no explanation. They posted the quarter and
semifinalists, so you could put that on your resume. They also made a point
to thank all the entrants. Believe me, that makes a difference.
What was the best aspect of the competition?
They seemed very organized and professional.
What did you not like about the competition?
Waiting for the announcement!
OK, so let’s say your development deal leads to a full-time head writer job.
And now, you are in a position to recommend writers for the writing
staff…would you look at the Scriptapalooza TV winners and finalists?
Don’t jinx me! But I do think it’s a great way for development execs to
discover new writers who are not in their circle of contacts.
Your development deal didn’t happen overnight, right? You were announced a
finalist on February 15, 2000 and this development deal with Klasky Csupo
started happening in August. What are your feelings about this and the
amount of patience and tenacity you had to have to stay positive and moving
forward?
It does help to be patient and have no expectations. You keep writing and
then when something comes out of left field like this did, it’s a very
pleasant surprise.
So, patience is the key? Any other keys you’d like to discuss and pass onto
other writers who haven’t gotten that first big break?
I’m so glad I had a decent follow-up spec to give to Klasky-Csupo. If I
didn’t, I would have blown a rare opportunity.
What’s your advice to other Scriptapalooza winners and finalists?
I don’t know if I have any advice, but I can say that sending a few short
emails as a way to keep in touch with my contacts worked fantastically for me.
Will you remember Scriptapalooza when you receive your 1st Emmy?
As I said before – don’t jinx me! But I’ll definitely remember
Scriptapalooza when I get that first paycheck.
Updated: 10/18/2000
Additional Contest Info: Scriptapalooza TV Writing Competition
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!The Sword's Awakening
When King Arthur’s legendary sword Excalibur is stolen from a museum, it awakens a dragon and the descendent of a legendary knight who must join forces to find the powerful relic before its dark magic falls into the wrong hands.
FAUSTIAN
After a string of suspicious celebrity deaths, an obsessed detective must protect a fragile pop starlet and other notable targets of an eccentric stalker who claims to be able to cancel deals with the devil they've unknowingly made.
THE FAT LADY SINGS
When a small time private investigator gets a chance at the big time taking on a prominent politician’s wife’s case; neither realizes they are in way over their heads, the political party has been shadowing her, and will do anything to protect her husband, a presumed future presidential candidate.
Fingertips
A Psychological Horror With a twist of a psychotic individual suffering from psychosocial issues has an imaginary friend that’s part of his hallucinations his Imaginary friend is his British father a young proud to be American, forgets his medication after collecting it from a Pharmacy he causes a lot of mayhem around his area he thinks the worlds in his fingertips he chases down social media Influencers and artists by hacking and tracking their location constantly talking to himself as he hallucinates thinking He can see his British Father is around him, Kevin ends up with a chainsaw and gets a few round kills with his Chainsaw he stole from an old granny.
A Cracker in East Harlem
JIMMY J is 50 and has lived in the same East Harlem building for more than half of his life.
Free Sports Radio
Two Filipino-American brothers purchase a radio station in a small city, dreaming of commercial free sports talk, but their ambitious, younger sister has bigger plans for herself and the station.
Desert Quarry
Two mercenaries rob a former colleague's New York jewelry shop to even a score, but after the shop’s employees are found murdered, a deadly bank heist in Iraq begins to haunt them.
Perfect Contrition
A traumatized priest haunted by visions of his violent past obligingly serves a rural parish while indulging in a long distance affair, but his vindictive compulsion is sparked when he’s wrongly blamed for the deaths of two troubled altar boys.
LA Nights
It is 1973, and Quick operates an upscale after-hours establishment in West Los Angeles alongside his socialite son, Dizzy.
The Coventry Deception
After a crisis thrusts him into the presidency, Robert Gorley confronts the challenges of leadership as he deals with a power struggle, an assassination attempt, and a ruthless terrorist plot to launch multiple attacks on US soil.
