Why You Should Bother with Screenwriter Contests and Film Festivals

Yup, it's been a while since we last posted anything...  but, I'm ready to get things back on track.  What can I say?  I want to get in touch with more horror screenwriters, filmmakers and festival folks.  I want to give more indie horror projects promotion and help get stuff out there.  I have to keep posting because we have to elevate this little sub-genre!

Anyhow, over the last, I don't know, year or so...  I've decided to make a serious effort to take this whole thing to another level and that's really why I haven't had time to post anything.  We've been working on launching a new website (more on that in the coming weeks), I've submitted some of my scripts to some screenwriting competitions and I've been trying to help produce some films.  The attempt to produce films has really taken a lot of time, but I'll tell you what... it's a huge learning experience.  One thing I've learned, and that I'd like to pass on to you, is that the film festivals and screenwriting contest are more important than you think.  Here's why...

There's a million ways to produce a film, but let's simplify this a bit - on one side, you have the equity financing model and on the other side, you have the debt financing model.  Equity financing means you have the equity - long and short, you've got the money and you're funding it yourself.  If that's your model, have at it.  You can write, direct and produce your project any way you'd like.  Debt financing, on the other hand, means that someone is willing to pay for the final product and you then get someone to lend you money against that promise to pay, so you can go and produce your film.  Most indie films are, at least in part, financed this way.  Yes, there's lots in between and that's a very simplistic view, but I'm making a point here, okay?  Now, how much this person is willing to pay for this unmade project depends on how you've packaged it up.  There's three major components: talent, script and director.  The big thing is talent... who are the actors?  If you're a friend of Brad Pitt's and he's willing to attach himself, boom... you're good to go.  Don't worry about the script.  However, most of us need to convince talent to come on board and we need to convince people that this is a good project.  So, that leaves the writer and director.  I'm going to concentrate on the writer here, as I feel the script is the true foundation of any project, but this is just as pertinent to the director.

You need a good script, where do you get it?  A script by a produced and/or working screenwriter is one thing, they have proven that they can write material that works.  I'm not talking about your micro-budget film that you produced and financed yourself, either.  I'm talking about a script from a working Hollywood screenwriter.  Get a script from one of them, you've got a good base.  However, getting a script from a well known or produced writer can be tough, especially if you're an unproven producer, so you might have to go a little further down the trough... or you might want to use your own material.  If that's the case, you need something that makes that script stand out, something that says, "this is worth taking a chance on".  So, what separates you from the rest of the pile of unproduced and non-working screenwriters?  See where I'm going with this, yet?  It's awards and accolades.  Where do you get those?  From winning film festivals and screenwriting competitions.  I've read bio's on writers that say things like, "quarter finalist in such and such" or "top 20% in this and that"...  and that makes the bio on the writer far more compelling than, "I think I'm a pretty good writer", which is what you're saying if you're unproduced, unpaid and haven't won any awards.  Don't kid yourself, most people won't read the script.  They'll read your bio, the logline and, if you're lucky, your outline.  You want to separate yourself from the pack?  These awards and accolades make a big difference.

So, do yourself a favor, enter the festivals and competitions.  Even if you're just producing and financing your own film - it helps sell it once it's done.  Also, on the writing side, if there's an option to get coverage, take it.  It costs you a bit extra, but you can learn where you can improve and you can learn what these guys want.  Then, you'll know what you need to do when you enter the next festival to get some accolades.  Once you have accolades, you're on your way to being a produced and working writer and/or director.

What do you think?  Got a different opinion?  Let me know!    

Tales From An Aspiring Screenwriter

It was about a year ago, maybe just over a year ago, when I made a public announcement that I was going to make a concerted effort to write one quality, sellable (in my mind) screenplay per year. I came to that conclusion after making a few short films, writing on the blog, working with other filmmakers and trying to figure out just how I was going to attack this whole "career in indie horror" thing. Truth be told, ever since film school, I've enjoyed the screenwriting process the most. That's where you get to puke all your ideas out, that's where you can be the most creative and that's where it all starts. That's where iconic characters and places like Camp Crystal Lake and Elm Street are born. That's the artsy, romantic side. The other side is, it doesn't cost a fucking thing, but time, to write a screenplay. Very economical. Anyhow, if screenwriting is to be my key... how do I open the door? The way I look at it, I've got three options.

The easiest, although costliest, is entering screenwriting contests. I used to be extremely weary of them, but the credible ones do offer a great service to unrepresented, up-and-coming and aspiring screenwriters. I've talked to a few contest winners and some of the people who run the contests and festivals and none of them have anything but good things to say about the process. Some of the contests give coverage and notes, which is invaluable, and I'll get a good idea of how I'd fare against other scripts in similar sub-genres. To navigate this properly, I'm going to have to research the different contests and festivals, then figure out which ones to enter. First off, I'll look at the contest itself. Is it horror specific or does it have a horror section? There's no way that my blood-soaked, serial killer homage to "Taxi Driver" is going to compete against "Gone With The Wind 2" in a generic screenwriting contest... Next thing to consider is, what kind of exposure will it get? No offense, but if I'm choosing between entering Shriekfest out of L.A. or Utah Bob's Horror Screenplay Contest, I'm picking Shriekfest. Granted, if Bob's is free, I might as well enter it, as well. So, what's my goal in this whole option? Well, really, it ain't about the prizes, it's about the exposure. If I can win one of these, chances are I'll have managers or agents calling me... and, not only that, I may get an award to hang my hat on, which may open some doors when dealing with my next option.

If I bomb at the contests or nothing comes out if it, the next logical step would be to attempt to get an agent or manager on my own. How's that going to happen? Two ways, I figure. One, the traditional way... I write up a query letter and I spam it out to every agent in town. I could also use one of those online deals, where you write the query letter and they spam it out to every agent in town. Basically, these guys approach all of the agencies and production companies and get them to say what they're interested in. Then, when you say, I've got a horror film and it's about X, Y and Z, the email goes out to all those who are interested in that sub-genre. Then, they'll request your query letter... then, they'll request a script. It's a good idea and something that I may try. The other way is the blood, sweat and tears way. I carefully read the trades to watch for which agents are representing other screenwriters who are writing similar stuff, then I approach them. The good thing about doing it this way is that I can cater my email or query letter directly to them. The bad thing is, the result, after a lot of hard work, may be the same. There is another option and it's something that I'm definitely going to explore... and that's getting in touch with anyone I know that has an agent and asking them if they could pass my stuff on to them. It's worth a try and is, generally, an easy in... if the guy you're asking likes you.

So, last option... I tank at the contests and no agent wants me. What's next? I guess the last attempt would be to approach independent production companies. Really, I don't think this is that much tougher than writing query letters to agents and managers. I mean, I'm not talking about approaching Warner Bros or Universal... I'm talking about approaching the small, private ones. Almost every actor in town has their own production company set up, I'd approach them. All it would take is a bit of research to find an actor or director that has done similar projects, or is interested in similar projects, then finding out if they have their own little production company. If they do, it won't take that much googling to figure out the address or a contact. Then, I just write up a query letter that's catered right to them and send it off. Then, sit back and grow old waiting for a response.

So, that's where I'm at right now. I'm going to finish up the last tweaks to the script and then I'm going to come up with my game plan. What do you think? Am I missing anything? Do you have any other advice for myself or anyone else who's in the same shoes as me? Let me know... please. In any case, I'll be sure to keep you posted on any news and how it all turns out.

What I Learned From "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction"

Well, I thought I was going to have an interview for you today... I sent out a whole bunch of them a couple days ago and I thought I'd get at least one back to share. Nope. But that's cool... because I got an email from the After Dark Film Festival, announcing that they've picked up their fourth film for Horrorfest 4, "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction". I guess the film would be best described as a political zomedy and it's probably the first entry into that very specific sub-genre. However, at the end of the day, it's a zombie movie. Probably the oldest and most tired horror genre out there, right? Before we judge, let's check out the plot... ZMD is about a conservative island community that's under attack by the living dead and the rag-tag band of rebels, led by Frida, an Iranian college student, suspected of being an Iraqi terrorist, and Tom, a gay businessman who has returned to town with his partner to come out to his mother, that try to turn the tide and push the invading hoards of the undead back. Hmmm... interesting characters. Could make for a good story. Now, I'm intrigued...

You see, when I read the title of the press release, "After Dark Films Eats Up The New Horror Comedy, "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction", I thought... Man alive, when's the zombie genre going to slow down? Isn't this getting a little old? But, when you watch the trailer and read about the characters, you realize that the movie is fresh. From a political and social perspective, it's extremely fresh. So, really, here's a formula for you: tired genre + fresh story = something new and exciting. Now, I want to juxtapose that with a film that I watched yesterday, which will remain nameless... we'll call it "Film X". The logline and premise for "Film X" were both exciting. It seemed very new, it was a great idea and extremely intriguing. Long and short, I was pumped to check it out. However, a few minutes into the film, I realized that they just wrapped that idea around a very tired and old storyline. The characters were basic cardboard cutouts and I've seen them a million times. So, in this case: fresh genre + tired story = something old and boring.

I don't know why, but I think this is a concept that a lot of filmmakers forget. I don't care how new your core idea is... I don't even care if you've created a new genre. Your characters need to interact, they need to have a story and they can't just be a rehash of something that we've seen before. If it is, your audience is going to lose interest in a hurry. Think about it, why have there been new entries into the zombie genre, year after year, that continue to entertain? The backdrop never changes! The dead come back to life to eat the living... I got news for you, that's not fresh! However, the storylines are. The genre and/or concept will always be the backdrop and the characters and story needs to be equally, if not more intriguing. A lot of films have such great core ideas, but they flop like a dead carp when it comes to the actual plotline and characters. So, please, if you've got a good idea, put as much time and effort into creating interesting characters and plotlines as you put into that backdrop. At the end of the day, the concept is just that - the backdrop. The characters, and how they interact, need to drive the story.

Anyhow, here's the trailer for "ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction". Check it out and see what I mean.