by Ann Marie Williams author of Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script

Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Screenplay Competitions Survey” so far! Your answers are greatly appreciated!

This is an ongoing survey (as competition results continue to pour in). So, if you entered a screenplay competition (with results announcing in 2019), you can still participate in the survey. The more responses we receive, the better understanding we can get of the types of scripts that advance and in which competitions. (Even if you didn’t advance, your participation would still be incredibly helpful).

To participate, please visit: https://authorannmw.survey.fm/screenplay-competitions-survey-what-types-of-scripts-advance-in-which-competitions

So! On to the results:

So far, there haven’t been enough responses relative to any one competition to draw any conclusions specific to an individual competition. However, there are four noticeable consistencies among the scripts that have advanced (regardless of the competition) based on responses so far:

1) Page length for features

For each advanced script, the page range for features fell between 96 and 116 pages.

2) Genre and tone

Drama and Thriller were the two primary genres that advanced, with fantasy being the most popular secondary genre. And, across genres, the most predominate word used to described the tone of advancing scripts was “dark” (dark fantasy, dark comedy, etc.). So far, there have been no responses of light, happy, or uplifting scripts advancing.

3) MPAA rating/intended audience

Every advanced script was assigned (by the writer) either a PG-13 or R rating. The only exception so far was a short script that was assigned a PG rating.

4) Inconsistent Results

Based on the responses so far, one thing is very clear: no one script advanced in every competition it was entered into (for those scripts that were entered in two or more competitions). Which is why, I believe, it’s important to get results and feedback from multiple sources before determining the strengths and weaknesses of a script.

Thanks again to the participants so far! And for those of you yet to complete the survey, I look forward to your responses!