Austin Film Festival

Question

I received a letter this week from AFF saying that my second screenplay (I've written 2.5 full-lengths so far) made it to the top 12%. I've read several positive comments about AFF on here, so I'm wondering if this is ... good? I'm just not 100% certain how to react to it. Should I be beating myself up and saying, "Oh what did I do wrong to not make it to the semi-finals?" Or did I just achieve something that I should be pretty damned proud of? I guess what I'm asking is, how difficult is it to get into the 12% Club?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I received a letter this week from AFF saying that my second screenplay (I've written 2.5 full-lengths so far) made it to the top 12%. I've read several positive comments about AFF on here, so I'm wondering if this is ... good? I'm just not 100% certain how to react to it. Should I be beating myself up and saying, "Oh what did I do wrong to not make it to the semi-finals?" Or did I just achieve something that I should be pretty damned proud of? I guess what I'm asking is, how difficult is it to get into the 12% Club?[/nq]
Go out to dinner on this! It's party time! **** the torpedoes - or in my case the Speedos - enjoy a premiinary victory. Why not?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I received a letter this week from AFF saying that my second screenplay (I've written 2.5 full-lengths so far) made ... pretty damned proud of? I guess what I'm asking is, how difficult is it to get into the 12% Club?[/nq]
I consistently tell my readers it's just under the Nicholl in terms of importance and quality scripts.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]I received a letter this week from AFF saying that my second screenplay (I've written 2.5 full-lengths so far) made ... pretty damned proud of? I guess what I'm asking is, how difficult is it to get into the 12% Club?[/nq]
Congratulations! I think it's a pretty good sign. Your stuff is definitely readable and well plotted enough that somebody actually finished it.

I suspect that, no matter what anyone says, 80%-90% of the scripts submitted to contests get 10 pages read and then (sometimes) the rest of the script skimmed. If you made the second round then somebody actually read all or most of your pages and, like I said, that's a very good sign.

So you have to ask yourself why it didn't go further. Obviously, your script could be fabulous, maybe even perfect, and it just didn't get the right readers. But it doesn't do you any good to think that way, so you want to look for where you might have missed the mark.

Did you write a great script around a concept that's just not a movie? It's possible that it's not very visual or you didn't make it visual. First and foremost, review your starting concept. In a visual medium there's no point in applying your writing skills to a concept that doesn't need to be on the screen. Or maybe your concept/theme just wasn't focused enough or it's too obvious and easy. Always, always, always start by asking yourself if you picked the right starting point.
Did you start with a good concept and not take it anywhere? Did you fail to fully explore your idea? Pull your punches? Lots of people are afraid to make their characters suffer. I think the best comment Neal ever posted here pointed out that you need to ask what your character will sacrifice to get what they want. Did your character have to give something up? And not something trivial, but something central and important and difficult? I guess these are questions of depth.
Did you write a comedy that is readable and well plotted but not very funny? Was it a drama that didn't involve loss. Can you make someone cry when you describe the plot of your drama? Or shake with excitement when you describe the action?
I remember reading one of the popular online screenwriting advice columns where the guy said that the problem with most screenplays he read was that the writer had about 20 pages of story spread across 120 pages of script. Review your story with this in mind. Was something happening in each scene or were you just making mechanical moves until your way-too-spread-out high points?
What about surprises? Maybe the story is serviceable but too linear or predictable. There are more ways to go wrong than there are to go right, and the biggest "wrong" is to be boring.
Those are the sorts of things I'd look for.
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
My Dinner with Gump Forrest Gump
MWSM FAQ: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html
Filtering Trolls: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I received a letter this week from AFF saying that ... full-lengths so far) made it to the top 12%. [/nq]
[nq:1]Go out to dinner on this! It's party time! **** the torpedoes - or in my case the Speedos - enjoy a premiinary victory. Why not?[/nq]
Really. This whole screenwriter thing is characterized by constant disappointment, rejection and sure things that fail to come to pass.

Gather ye a single rosebud when you get one, I say.

"Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure." Jack Lemmon

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I received a letter this week from AFF saying that ... full-lengths so far) made it to the top 12%. [/nq]
[nq:1]Congratulations! I think it's a pretty good sign. Your stuff is definitely readable and well plotted enough that somebody actually finished it. I suspect that, no matter what anyone says, 80%-90% of the scripts submitted to contests get 10 pages read and then (sometimes) the rest of the script skimmed. If you made the second round then somebody actually read all or most of your pages and, like I said, that's a very good sign. So you have to ask yourself why it didn't go further. Obviously, your script could be fabulous, maybe even perfect, and it just didn't get the right readers. But it doesn't do you any good to think that way, so you want to look for where you might have missed the mark. Did you write a great script around a concept that's just not a movie? It's possible that it's not very visual or you didn't make it visual. First and foremost, review your starting concept. In a visual medium there's no point in applying your writing skills to a concept that doesn't need to be on the screen. Or maybe your concept/theme just wasn't focused enough or it's too obvious and easy. Always, always, always start by asking yourself if you picked the right starting point. Did you start with a good concept and not take it anywhere? Did you fail to fully explore your idea? Pull your punches? Lots of people are afraid to make their characters suffer. I think the best comment Neal ever posted here pointed out that you need to ask what your character will sacrifice to get what they want. Did your character have to give something up? And not something trivial, but something central and important and difficult? I guess these are questions of depth. Did you write a comedy that is readable and well plotted but not very funny? Was it a drama that didn't involve loss. Can you make someone cry when you describe the plot of your drama? Or shake with excitement when you describe the action? I remember reading one of the popular online screenwriting advice columns where the guy said that the problem with most screenplays he read was that the writer had about 20 pages of story spread across 120 pages of script. Review your story with this in mind. Was something happening in each scene or were you just making mechanical moves until your way-too-spread-out high points? What about surprises? Maybe the story is serviceable but too linear or predictable. There are more ways to go wrong than there are to go right, and the biggest "wrong" is to be boring. Those are the sorts of things I'd look for. Alan Brooks A with an Underwood My Dinner with Gump Forrest Gump MWSM FAQ:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html Filtering Trolls:http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html[/nq]
Thanks for the input. Lots of good things to go back and look for.

You brought up an interesting point about the contest. You said that somebody actually finished reading it. How many people had to say it's good enough to go to the 12% pile? One? Two? More?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]You brought up an interesting point about the contest. You said that somebody actually finished reading it. How many people had to say it's good enough to go to the 12% pile? One? Two? More?[/nq]
IIRC, Austin published some comments about this once, and said that at least two readers would have read it if it made it to the "Second round". Maybe I'm confusing that with another contest.
Just with the time it takes to read through a script, I'd guess that you didn't get more than two full reads.
But I am just guessing. Does it really matter?
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
The Jane Austin Film Festival
MWSM FAQ: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/faq.html
Filtering Trolls: http://www.panix.com/~mwsm/trolls.html

Usenet · Answer

Definitely be proud. MC said 85% of the screenplays he read were unreadable. Your top 12% could be even further along if Austin generally gets a better pool of entrants. Granted, even this high ranking might not be enough to get a movie made, but who says this is as high as you can go?
Get into a supermarket checkout line or some other crowd. And think of those people as some of the other people who've also entered the contest. Count off every 8-10th person and say, "Me." Count off a few times to see how many other people had a script of your caliber. That's a hint of where you're at with the contest.

Even as the numbers get larger, you realize that you've achieved something. The majority had gotten their rejection letters much quicker. But you can also see where you might have fit in with Nicholls, since they keep stats of entrants, quarterfinalists, and winners.
Now the trick becomes: do it again. : )

Usenet · Answer

One of my fave things about Austin - the city - not the contest - is the Keep Austin Wierd movement. I'll find a link later. But it's a fun-seeming place.

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