Can’t Sell Your Original Screenplay? Try Sidewinding Your Way to Success

 by Lew Ritter

adaptationSelling a script to Hollywood can be hard. I had read stories in the trade papers of writers who gained entrance into the Hollywood system by optioning a true story. They gained the rights to a book or magazine article and then developed an interesting pitch letter for studios to evaluate.

They might hire you as the writer, or simply pay you a fee and send you on your way. Either way, you have a credit and a foot in the door.

My first attempt was back in the late 90’s early 2000’s. I was searching for books in my local library. I came across a book about two unsung Jewish brothers at the time of the 1941 German invasion. read article

Film & TV Writing Contests: Are They Worth the Price of Admission?

wheel of fortune

by Lew Ritter

Every few weeks, my email brings me a breathless announcement for a new or established screenplay competition. It proclaims in bold headlines, ‘Want to Break into Industry?” or “Looking for New Blood.” Can your ticket to fame and fortune be far behind?

There are literally dozens of screenplay competitions out there. Some of the most famous ones are the NICHOL FELLOWSHIP, SCRIPTAPALOOZA, AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL and of course, the contests run by our fearless leader Larry Brody. He runs two contests yearly, the PEOPLE’S PILOT and SPEC SCRIPTACULAR. Other worthy contest are run by various networks or studios.

There are other lesser known contests that deal exclusively with short films, comedy or horror scripts. The fees are reasonable. The fee is usually around sixty dollars per script. (EDITOR’S NOTE: The PEOPLE’S PILOT and SPEC SCRIPTACULAR are $50.) Sometimes, they offer reduced fees for early bird entries. read article