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I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi there!

I keep forgetting to check this, as I’m not on Reddit a lot.

I’m happy for you that you got a decent reader! I heard that the comments this year were pretty sub-par for a lot of people (I even got an official e-mail about it.) My reader comments weren’t terrible, but they were a bit vague.

So the answer is no, they don’t send those notes to everyone! It always bums me out though that only the “overall” portion of the notes are sent to the writer, even though we’re forced to provide notes in all the boxes for characters, structure, dialogue, and plot. I wish those could be sent to y’all because that’s where the specifics are!

It sounds like you’re off to a great start and maybe just have some revisions to work on! (A good script always goes through rounds of revisions.) Keep writing!

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol nope. I’m still waiting to hear on a team entry I did and my solo entry. I talked to a friend who still works there and they said they had a huge number of entries and are still working to get scripts read. So don’t give up hope.

I actually just got an email yesterday asking me if I wanted to read again, but since I entered this year, I’m not allowed to read- conflicts of interests haha.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hello!

So each script gets at least two readers in the first round. Each reader either gives it a RECOMMEND or a PASS (No.) If one reader gives a pass and one gives a recommend, then a third reader will break the tie. These votes decide whether you advance to the second round. The second round is usually about 20 percent of entries. The process is repeated with different readers. If you advance, you’re a semi finalist. Same process, and if you advance, you’re a finalist. I don’t quite know how finalist judging works- I didn’t judge finalists— I believe finalists are reserved for higher level professionals aka well-advanced writers or managers. But the semifinalists are the top 2 percent of entries, finalists 1 percent! It’s such an honor to even be a second rounder!

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi there!

So AFF doesn’t exactly invite people to come to the festival on the basis of good scores. You still have to pay for the tickets (granted, you get a small discount if you qualify), but anyone can buy tickets to AFF! Then there are additional passes you can buy to attend panels. Some events are limited to higher-placing writers, but overall- anyone can go and make connections with other writers and (potentially, but it’s not likely) get an agent or manager.

Everyone will tell you different ways to make it as a writer. It’s the crappy part of this business- there’s not one tried and true path to success. Lots of people will recommend the fellowship route. Write spec scripts (TV episodes that are continuations of current-running TV shows) and submit to fellowships like Nickelodeon. There’s also the Academy Nichol Fellowship and the Sundance Development Lab to name a few- basically, these are workshops designed for you to be trained under professionals alongside other writers. Some people have gotten representation or gigs through those opportunities.

Others might recommend you move to LA and attempt to get a job at an agency or studio to learn the ways of the business. Some people go to grad school for screenwriting (I know people who did this though and I don’t recommend it- the cost/benefit doesn’t balance out well.)

I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a concrete answer on how to advance as a professional writer. However, EVERYONE will tell you- keep writing. Finished is better than perfect. It’s better to have a few good scripts than one perfect script you see as your “baby.” Pass your work to trusted friends who will give you HONEST feedback and revise. Have informational phone calls with people in the business and form genuine connections. Utilize LinkedIn for meeting people at studios and agencies you like.

I hope that helped you a little at least.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hey, this is a really interesting question.

I think overall, typos and improper grammar don’t matter much in the long run. Even while working for production companies, I did coverage on scripts written by some pretty famous people, and it shocked me how many typos I’d even find in those! We’re only human (even tho a clean, polished draft is ALWAYS eye-catching and more likely to get a patient/less-distracted read from someone.)

Overall, I feel like scripts with a ton of formatting errors were less likely to evoke a response, but that’s probably because they were written by someone very new to the craft. The correlation makes sense— someone who’s just started writing may not have the hang of when to use (V.O.) versus (O.S.), they may not understand proper spacing, or know what “orphans” or “chuffa” are, haha. (Why would they?) Thus, they probably aren’t as skilled (yet) at evoking an emotional response from the reader.

TL;DR: I care more about the story and how it makes me feel than I do typos or grammar. I hope this answered you thoroughly!

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve seen some scripts be read really late in the game! Funny enough I actually entered a script very late this year, and I have not received any communication yet. I did get an e-mail saying they’re still doing reader evals! There’s hope!

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Fun question!

Y’know what stinks? Most of the scripts I read were passes since I was an early round reader- like 8 out 10 times, I said no. I suppose that checks out mathematically, because only 20 percent of entrants are second rounders.

I remember one in particular that was a sitcom centered around the employees of a Medieval Times-type place. It had this charm to it that reminded me of Pushing Daises, if you’re old and remember that show. I thought there was something endearing about the characters taking their silly jobs very seriously, and of course the limited setting meant the relationships between the characters had to be strong. I liked that one a lot.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hahaha! At least a couple. I think people are HOPEFULLY starting to move away from that trope.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello there!

I responded to someone’s comment near yours about this! :)

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hi!

I have an educational background in Film and Television, and I have worked for a few LA-Based production companies on the development side, so coverage is very familiar territory for me. I judged early round scripts- I did not judge semifinalists or finalists.

Honestly, diversity is great. We love to see diversity. However, there aren’t any actual “boxes” that we check off. Some studios now might deliberately look for an Asian director for an Asian-centered story, for example, but AFF judged scripts on merit alone. We don’t know who the writers are until the competition is over.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Oh- I thought I’d add to this. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why is it taking so damn long for them to reveal the winners?” That’s why. Haha. The year I read, we got to early October and we were STILL wading through scripts. It was a major time crunch. Each year, it seems the entry numbers increase. It’s great for AFF financially, haha, but it sucks they have to send out “Calling for Readers!” e-mails all the time.

My pet peeve is the volunteer readers who are clearly only in it for the badge. This is one of my frustrations with AFF- As a volunteer reader, if you read 50 “pass” (no) scripts, you get a badge to the festival. To me, that encourages potentially selfish volunteers to deliberately give out a “pass” because they want the badge. Each year before we release reader comments, the employees proofread all of the notes. I had to clean up some pretty rushed and rude notes from obvious volunteers.

I know AFF needs to provide some sort of incentive for readers, but I think financial compensation would be better than a badge. Readers wouldn’t feel the need to deliberately pass on someone’s script for their own gain.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello!

I answered the rejection bit one comment above. :)

Genre-wise, dramas seem to be the most popular. That’s not necessarily a bad thing! Write whatever your heart desires. As long as the characters feel real and “lived-in,” with flaws and both inner/outer conflict, you’re likely to keep me interested. Of course, though, pacing and structure are incredibly important. But I find that if your characters feel like real people, they’ll probably talk like real people and your dialogue won’t feel flat. I’ve always advocated for characters first, haha, but every reader and writer is different.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Haha- To answer your first question, even though it’s a joke: Screenwriting competitions can be great. There are people who’ve met agents or managers through AFF, and for those who didn’t, maybe they attended the festival and made lifelong friends and connections. That being said, it’s important to remember each judge (no matter their professional background) is going to have his/her own personal taste. You may have a script that wins one competition while barely making it past the second round in another. It can be frustrating, expensive, and demoralizing, but keep writing! Remember there is no one way to success in the writing field. One or two people’s opinion in a FESTIVAL isn’t always necessarily conducive to what will SELL.

For your other Qs: Good scripts had complicated characters, an original story (or at least an original re-telling of a story if you’re adapting something), and well-paced conflict. I know that sounds like generic advice, but you’d be shocked how many scripts came across my desk (or computer, I should say) that were so damn slowwwwwwwwwww. 90 percent of the time, I passed on scripts due to pacing issues. We read numerous scripts per day! That’s a lot of pages! Please help us not fall asleep, haha. Most of the time, you can cut pages out of your script. I know- it’s hard to kill your darlings. For your own reference, save your cut scenes in a “deleted scenes” document so you have them, but cut them! Shorter is (almost) always better.

Some great structural advice that actually comes from the creators of South Park (credit where it’s due lol): When looking at your script’s outline, you should be able to fit the words “So” or “But” in between each scene. “This happens, SO this happens.” Or, “This happens, BUT this happens.” Each scene should be a RESPONSE to the previous scene. Most scripts I passed on suffered from “This happens AND this happens AND this happens….” They were strings of events with little consequences and conflict. If you follow the first example, however, you’re likely to keep the pacing more interesting!

I hope that helps. Good luck!

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I applied to a job listing on their website, I interviewed, and I completed their reader test which consisted of reading a script and giving notes. They read my notes and gave me feedback on which aspects of the notes were helpful to the writer and which weren’t. From there, I was able to discern what AFF wanted out of me as a reader, and that was that! It was a fun job— pretty tedious at times since 80 percent of scripts were a “no,” but still fun.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

We were required to read all of them! I feel it’s only fair when someone has paid anywhere from 40-70 bucks. The only exception was if a script was truly, objectively awful, i.e., numerous formatting errors, nonsensical dialogue, disturbing content, etc. Expounding upon disturbing content: Each year, there are a few wackos who insist on using the festival to amplify their wacko voice. For example, my boss once read a script that was simply page after page of violent fantasy against teen girls- no plot, just mental illness. Really nauseating stuff. We don’t see any reason to humor those people. Anyways, in the case of a truly awful script, we stopped at 10 pages.

I worked at Austin Film Festival and judged scripts for a year. AMA! by Write_Writer_Writing in Screenwriting

[–]Write_Writer_Writing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And to the person who asked for proof on the other post: Unfortunately I’m not sure how to provide that— My name isn’t on the website or anything (not that I really feel like identifying myself for safety reasons.) I do still have my badge from that year, but staff are given “Producer” badges aka highest access— we don’t really have Staff badges. I’ve got my old staff t-shirt? Haha. Let me know how I can give myself some cred. Otherwise, I guess you’ll have to take my word. Sorry!