Brit Short Comp / Red Planet Prize contest

[zahra]

Anyone here do the British Short Screenplay Comp, either this year or preceeding years?

[-XL-]

I entered a couple of years ago. Advanced a couple of rounds but didn't win.

Honestly, for the amount it costs to enter you're better off submitting a couple of features into the Nicholl. If you're looking to get a short made it's a much more viable solution to just hunt out some student filmmakers / indie companies. There are always people looking for shorts. Check out mandy, talent circle and myspace. Find companies whose work you like (a great deal have website showreels) and shoot them an email.

[dpaterso]

I'm in no way disagreeing with you, XL, but what with so few UK contests it's kinda tempting to fire something into the Brit Short Comp in the slim hope that the organizers/sponsors may somehow open that door to interesting connections and greater things on this side of the Pond.

Talking of UK contests... the deadline for Tony Jordan's Red Planet Prize Contest is tomorrow, Sept 1st:
http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/prize/prize.html
No entry fee, but I'm guessing there's gonna be stiff competition, and plenty of it.

"Who the hell is Tony Jordan?"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/tony_jordan_high_concept.shtml

-Derek

[zahra]

I don't think I've got anything suitable for the Red Planet thing, but now there's the deadline, I'm thinking of a script I started...I might enter it to tempt sod's law= if I've got nothing finished, they'll be interested.

I've more or less decided to produce my short myself. I am about to do the begging letters to dentists etc, but I need a tutorial, which I'm sure I'll find here. The 1st one I've written is a little high-maintenance for a short - six characters and two locations, one of which is a particular London church.

Couple more I have in mind are more manageable.

[dpaterso]

Don't feel obliged to enter or anything, but you still have 24 hours. :)

I bust my head today writing a half-page synopsis for a second entry. Not easy! By the time I got the story trimmed down to around 250 words I'd lost just about everything. They also ask for a half-page "about you" which was even harder to write than the outline! Man, this writing thing is too much like hard work.

Good luck with the shorts! Don't paint yourself into too tight a corner. :)

-Derek

[zahra]

Don't feel obliged to enter or anything, but you still have 24 hours. :)

I bust my head today writing a half-page synopsis for a second entry. Not easy! By the time I got the story trimmed down to around 250 words I'd lost just about everything. They also ask for a half-page "about you" which was even harder to write than the outline! Man, this writing thing is too much like hard work.

Good luck with the shorts! Don't paint yourself into too tight a corner. :)

-Derek
Yeah, my sister just rang me at work to ask what she should write in her half-page bio. I bet all the writers sweated more at this than the actual writing.

Thanks for your good wishes. I'm sending tomorrow - they say the address will be gone by Monday, so they have done a little sneaky extend.

[-XL-]

That's fair enough, Derek, and understandable too. But I have to admit the £25 / £35 cost for entry in comparison to the prizes is more than enough to put me off.

I got my Red Planet entries in Friday (too good an opportunity to miss), having rushed the half-page pitches a little, and then discovered this on the front page:


Hurry to get your entry in for the Red Planet Prize before it closes. For those of you who leave everything to the last minute, we'll let you have the weekend, but the competition email address will be gone by Monday and no further entries will be accepted.

Always the way :)

Good luck with your entries, D.

[dpaterso]

Thanks, and good luck with yours, even if you are the competition. :)

There's more work to do, of course -- gotta make sure the other 90+ pages read as well as the super-polished first 10 pages! :eek:

-Derek

[zahra]

Well, sent it off, but knowing Tony J, despite his claims that he's OK with all genres etc, we're talking cat's chance in hell - it's a horror. Mind you, horror is popular, and Brit ones have had some success recently, so you never know.

And it's free. :Thumbs:

[RainbowDragon]

Thanks for posting this, I zipped off a couple entries, too...anyone know when they announce finalists, etc.?

[ALLWritety]

Red Planet will ask for the full scripts in Oct. So if you get throught to the next round then you will know by them asking for your full script. No ask no next round!

The final announcement will be made in Dec.

This info is on the BBC site not the Red P. site.

I have sent off a couple of entries also. Even though we are competing with each other there will be "6" finalists so there is room for us all.

Kevvers.

[valen_sinclair]

i have entered. long shot, but it might have a chance....i think it is a strong script, but I still don't think this is something sutible for the bbc or british tv in general.

[ALLWritety]

Well now we wait! If any one does get in to the 2nd round please let us know!

Kevvers

[RainbowDragon]

Even though we are competing with each other there will be "6" finalists so there is room for us all.

Kevvers.

That would be cool...very unlikely statistically speaking, which would make it all the cooler!

[endless rewrite]

I've entered the Red Planet comp too. I am not optimistic, think I sent in the wrong sort of thing. Good luck to everyone!

[ALLWritety]

I've entered the Red Planet comp too. I am not optimistic, think I sent in the wrong sort of thing. Good luck to everyone!

They did say that ANY genre or script or size was acceptable so I would stress it too much.

Kevvers

[ALLWritety]

Zahra and any others

The RP system was over loaded so ONLY those that tried to submit over the weekend can resubmit. Go to RP page and the link is there. You have 10 days.

Kevvers

[dpaterso]

Thanks Kev, done.

Address is resubmission@redplanetpictures.co.uk

I changed the email subject line to "Contest resubmission - script title - my name"

And remembered to attach the PDF file a split-second before I hit Send. :)

-Derek

[zahra]

Yeah, just chucked in my two cents of nowt.

Thanks to Kevvers.:heart:

[ALLWritety]

Red Pictures has decided the next round. So keep an eye out in your mail boxes for requests for the full script. They will do this for one week starting Oct 31st.

Let us know if any get through.

Kevvers.

[dpaterso]

I received an invite email this morning asking me to submit a full script. Anyone else?

-Derek

[RainbowDragon]

No but way to go!!

[dpaterso]

Thanks! Tho' a script request and 2 bucks barely gets you a cup of coffee...

More invite emails could easily be on their way. Good luck everyone.

-Derek

[zahra]

Thanks! Tho' a script request and 2 bucks barely gets you a cup of coffee...

More invite emails could easily be on their way. Good luck everyone.

-Derek
I could do with a cup of coffee....Congrats, Dp.

[endless rewrite]

Congratulations Derek, that's wonderful news. I understand that there were hundreds of entries so you've done incredibly well. Fingers crossed!

[dpaterso]

Thanks folks, needless to say I'm sanity-checking the script like crazy before popping it out there, much brain pain.

And as I say, emails are still going out, so keep your fingers crossed for yourselves too. :)

http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/news.html
Shortlist Update!
Wednesday/07/November 2007
Our apologies for the delay, but emails to finalists will now be going out over the next fews days. This group will then be assessed until we have the final group for mentoring and then the ultimate winner.

Again, sorry we can let everyone know individually that they haven't made it - or reply to individual queries.

-Derek

[clockwork]

Congratulations, Derek. I hope it goes well for you. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. :Thumbs:

[ALLWritety]

Derek,
Congrats man. Hope you make it all the way!
That would be awesome!

I guess my email is floating around cyberspace somewhere!

Kev

[dpaterso]

Thanks! ...And off she goes, never to be heard of again! Ohgodohgod... yes, I remembered to attach the file this time. <whew!> :)

-Derek

[clockwork]

Tony Jordan just shuddered in anticipation. ;)

[Liverpool]

Well done Degsy, I believe there were over two thousand entries.

Again, sorry we can let everyone know individually that they haven't made it - or reply to individual queries.

I take it they mean Can't.:tongue

[dpaterso]

Alas! No email this time round. Probably just as well. Too much excitement at my age is never a good thing.

http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/news.html

Notification Complete!

Thursday/15/November 2007
We've now let all the finalists know they've made it through. If you haven't heard anything, then unfortunately you haven't made it through this time.

We will, of course, be running the competition again next year so keep writing.

-Derek

[endless rewrite]

Yeah but Derek, all those people who entered, I knew lots on and off these boards and you are the only one I know who made it this far. Keep sending those scripts out and once again, congratulations.

[dpaterso]

Thanks for the pep talk. :) What's the bet the reader notes say First 10 pages were OK... next 80 were crap. :D Never mind, there's always next year! Then I'll be better... stronger... faster... Of course, so will everyone else. Start writing now!

-Derek

[RainbowDragon]

Even if it's the end of the ride for now, don't forget to update your resume with the fact that this script made the cut though. Keep querying and submitting!

[clockwork]

Commiserations, Derek. You took a shot and did pretty well and as we know, the reasoning behind these decisions can be haphazard at best. Better luck next time.

[ALLWritety]

Alas! No email this time round. Probably just as well. Too much excitement at my age is never a good thing.

http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/news/news.html



-Derek

I have been pondering! Not trying to get your hopes up but are you sure. Red Planet has always been behind so are they refering to those who needed to give the full scripts or to the very finalists. I ask coz they said that those 6 would make known in Dec?

Just trying to know exactly what they mean here!

Kev

[dpaterso]

I have been pondering! Not trying to get your hopes up but are you sure. Red Planet has always been behind so are they refering to those who needed to give the full scripts or to the very finalists. I ask coz they said that those 6 would make known in Dec?
Hmm, I didn't read it that way. "We've now let all the finalists know they've made it through" -- not the 2nd rounders, the finalists.

Thanks all for your kind words, PMs, emails. If anyone else is curious about my 10 pages, check out my blog, the 1st entry, right at the bottom.

-Derek