Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest - Edward Saxon

UPDATE 10/3/13

The seventh round of the Industry Insider Screenwriting Competition took place in the spring of 2013, bringing in almost 1,000 entries that were eventually narrowed down to 10 Finalists. We are happy to be able to share with you the First 15 Pages of the Finalists' scripts based on Edward Saxons logline:

“After a storm destroys her small farm, killing her mother and father, an adolescent girl is sent off on a journey of survival.”

UPDATE 9/27/13

The winner has been chosen!

Congratulations to JR Phillips, winner of the Industry Insider Contest with her script, The Badlands: Dead Girls Don't Cry

UPDATE 5/21/13

Top 10 Finalists:

• Paul Littell, "Chasing Dakota" Rowayton, CT
• T.N. Lewis, "Daylight's End" Spring, TX
• Peter Force, "Megan Time" Auckland, New Zealand
• J.L. Newman & J.A. Mayfield, "Forecast" Hayden, AL
• Jordan Trippeer, "Coke and Converse" Los Angeles, CA
• J.R. Phillips, "The Badlands: Dead Girls Don't Cry" - Woodland Hills, CA
• Nicole Tersigni, "Yellow" Glen Ellyn, IL
• Jonah Heller, "Oh Great Love" Blue Ridge, GA
• David Kushner & Joshua Bullock, "Girl from the North Country" Holland, PA
• Ben James Johnson, "Man of the Future" Toronto, Canada

Your 15-page submission isn't due until May 7 as long as you enter on or before April 30, 2013.  At the end of the checkout process you will be provided instructions on how and where to send your submission. 

CONTEST DETAILS:

Click here to learn about the success of last round's winner, Tyler Marceca, and his winning script "The Disciple Program."

Break out your scriptwriting software and get to work, because the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest gives you the unique opportunity to turn this idea into a solid spec screenplay that could be your ticket to Hollywood success.

The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest is an international screenwriting competition that facilitates relationships between new writers and Industry leaders looking to help aspirants embark on writing careers.

Working from this A-list logline, you’re challenged to create up to the first 15 pages of an original script based on the given concept. Make it your own - drama, action, sci-fi... anywhere your imagination takes you.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest goes much further than your average competition, by providing the top 10 finalists with mentors to guide them through the entire script creation process, with the goal of completing a spec screenplay to be judged by a panel of Hollywood power players.

Here’s how it works:

• Entrants write up to the first 15 pages of a script based on the logline above, provided by Edward Saxon
• The top 10 finalists are chosen from the submissions, and receive a personalized letter of congratulations from Edward Saxon
• Each of the 10 finalists receives a copy of Movie Magic Screenwriter to professionally format their work as they enter into a 12-week Story Specialists mentoring program, consisting of feedback for every 10 pages submitted, with the goal of completing a spec screenplay based on the given logline
• After the mentoring, the finalists submit their rough drafts to our professional script readers for comprehensive Development Notes, and then have two weeks to work with their mentor and notes to complete the final draft of their screenplay for judging.
• Edward Saxon and production company Benderspink judge the completed screenplays and choose a winner

The lucky winner of this scriptwriting contest receives a classic Industry experience, including transportation to Los Angeles and:

Lush Accommodations at the Chateau Marmont

The chic Chateau, conveniently nestled right off the Sunset Strip, will serve as the home base for the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest winner. Thinking of the many opportunities to network and hobnob with the Hollywood elite that frequent this hotspot is mind-boggling!

One-on-One with Edward Saxon at The Ivy

First on the agenda? Lunch with producer Edward Saxon at Robertson Blvd.’s uber-popular bistro, known for its steady stream of celebs and location near power-agency ICM. The winner will take in some serious knowledge and know-how from Saxon, while filling up on the Ivy’s famous nouvelle American cuisine.

Meeting with Benderspink

The Hollywood treatment continues through a conference with Benderspink, a diversified management/production company with credits including The Hangover, American Pie, and The Ring. Aspiring screenwriters dream of this kind of opportunity to meet with such an influential group, a fantasy that will come true for the lucky winner!

Movie Magic Screenwriter - Professional Formatting Software

Format your script and outline it, too, with the newly redesigned Movie Magic Screenwriter 6! This award-winning screenwriting software formats movies, television, novels, stage plays and even comic book scripts, making it the only program for all types of creative writing.

The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest can give you the tools and the resources you need to complete a saleable screenplay. But besides the experience and the mentoring you could receive, placing in this competition shows that you can take another’s idea and turn it into a winning script - a trait that’s truly valued in Hollywood, and serves as a priceless addition to your screenwriting resume.

Looking for the regulations and answers to specific questions? Check out the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest’s Rules and FAQs.

Click here for news regarding previous rounds of the contest.

Want to know what the judges are looking for in the First 15 Pages? Click the orange button above to download the winning entries from this round’s finalists.

If you are an Industry Professional and have interest in reading any of the completed scripts, please contact Sadie Dean at The Writers Store.

Due to the subject matter, please be advised that some of the material in the pages available for download may be inappropriate for children.

Contest Details:

• Contest Begins: January 2013
• Early Deadline: February 28, 2013
• Early Fee: $40
• Standard Deadline: April 30, 2013
• Submission Deadline: May 7, 2013
• Standard Fee: $50
• Finalists Announced: Late May 2013
• Mentor Program Begins: Late May 2013
• Mentor Program Completes: August 2013
• Winner Announced: September 2013
• Lunch with Edward Saxon: October / November 2013
• Meetings: October / November 2013

Contest Testimonials:

“No other screenplay contest offers what the Industry Insider Contest does — a chance to develop your script alongside an industry professional. Some contests are about cash and prizes. The Industry Insider Contest is about advancing your career and developing material that can be successful in the marketplace. It’s about opening up doors.

- Tyler Marceca, The Disciple Program – Contest Winner (Robert Mark Kamen Round)

“There’s a really wonderful sense – from the beginning of the contest on — of how invested everyone at The Writers Store is in helping the finalists write a great script. From Mario’s, my Story Specialist’s, weekly call to the amazingly detailed Development Notes after the rough draft, to the terrific, encouraging updates and emails throughout, there’s a great sense of motivation and professionalism that’s very inspiring. I can’t say enough about this screenwriting contest. If I could, I would be a perpetual finalist!”

- Joshua Rebell, Old Boys Club – Contest Winner (Allan Loeb Round)

“I have a B.A. in Screenwriting, but I am an even better writer for having been a finalist in the Industry Insider Competition. This is boot camp for screenwriters — and it only takes fifteen pages to open the door to an invaluable experience. You’d be crazy to pass this up.”

- Kelsey Rude, Imaginary Bachelor (Allan Loeb Round)

“The whole experience was just fun — and instilled in me a work ethic and a drive to write which has persisted even after the contest’s end. Because of the Industry Insider Contest, I’m a better writer and I have a complete screenplay that I never would have written otherwise. It’s way too awesome an experience for any writer to pass up.”

- Zan Gillies, The Dark Side of Eden (Robert Mark Kamen Round)

“Just like a character in a screenplay, I started the contest hoping the reward would appear at the end of my journey and then realized that the reward was the journey itself. This is a contest you have to enter if you want to become a better writer.”

- Dan O’Donahue, The Magnesian Protocol (Robert Mark Kamen Round)

“If you are going to enter a screenwriting contest, then pick this one. In my opinion, this prize package is one of the very best in the industry.”

- Kari Ciardi, Alien Underground (Robert Mark Kamen Round)

“I wish everyone had the opportunity that I did and wish all of the future contestants the best of luck. Remember, being in the ‘top ten’ IS winning because the rest is up to you.”

- John Torma, Salmon Falls (Robert Mark Kamen Round)

“I had an amazing experience during the Industry Insider Contest. My story specialist, Anthony, was wonderful and the experience working with him was invaluable. I’m walking away from this competition with a well written screenplay and insights that I will carry with me throughout my screenwriting career. I recommend this competition to anyone who wants to challenge themselves and really take their screenwriting to the next level.”

- Tiffany Diamond, Imaginary Bachelor (Allan Loeb Round)

“Working to deadlines, re-writing and re-working after notes and comments is the life of a professional screenwriter, and this competition has given me an invaluable chance to experience that first hand. And most importantly I’ve come out the other end with a screenplay I’m really proud of.”

- Adam Cece, The Last Viking Stag (Allan Loeb Round)

“All in all, no matter what the outcome of the contest, you walk away with pages of valuable notes and a completed spec script. The perfect reward.”

- Stephen Judge, The Man-Up (Allan Loeb Round)

“Writing a feature is such a big investment of time and energy, it’s not always clear whether or not it’s worth it. However, writing the first 15 pages of a screenplay is such a relatively small investment, you almost can’t afford not to. Then, if you’re lucky enough to be chosen as a finalist, you definitely can’t afford not to write the whole feature length script.”

- Alex Berger, Onu (Simon Kinberg Round)

“Of all the screenplay competitions in which I have been fortunate to be a finalist, this contest has been the most rewarding to my growth as a screenwriter.”

- Kenneth Lemm, Drum (Simon Kinberg Round)

“Thanks to all of you for a fantastic experience. I learned a lot about writing. More than I could have just reading the books or going to writing groups. The screenplay contest and my work with Anthony have been an integral part of my development as a writer.”

- Araby Patch, Spy Dad (Simon Kinberg Round)

Click here to read more testimonials: http://www.writersstore.com/industry-insider-contest-testimonials