Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do your three Best Screenplays win different prizes?
2. Can the On-Location Award winner also win Best Screenplay?
3. Does appearance and format really matter?
4. What is a logline?
5. Can I submit two screenplays for the same contest, or the same screenplay in two different years?
6. Is this contest only for amateurs?
7. Who’s judging the screenplays?
 

1. Do your three Best Screenplays win different prizes?
The three best screenplays from the contest are given separate awards of varying value. One Grand Prize Award of $2,000 is given for Best Screenplay. One Runner-Up Award of $1,000 is given for a script that was almost the winner. One On-Location Award is given for a screenplay that features Monterey County Locales and/or is written by a Monterey County resident.

2. Can the On Location Award winner also win Best Screenplay?
Absolutely. If the best screenplay that takes place primarily in Monterey County is also one of the three best screenplays in the entire contest, then that writer could win both the On-Location Award and the Best Screenplay Award.

3. Does appearance and format really matter?
Yes, the format of a screenplay does make a difference. In effect, we are screening scripts for possible production. Even if the story were good, we wouldn’t submit an unprofessional screenplay to an agent or producer. Our rules specify that every submission must be 90-120 single-sided pages long and must follow standard industry format. That means 12-point Courier font, indented dialogue, page numbers in the upper right corner, etc. Covers should be card stock with only the title on the cover. The script should be three-hole punched and bound with at least two metal fasteners. In addition, for purposes of our competition, the author’s name should not appear anywhere in the screenplay.

4. What is a logline?
The phrase was first coined for TV listings (TV log) in newspapers. Each show or movie was, and still is, described with a single line of copy – "the CSI team finds a body in a tree and must find out how it got there." Within the film industry, loglines are somewhat longer, but still brief enough to give a sense of the script’s style, genre and story in one or two sentences. A logline should entice the reader rather than lay out every plot point. However, it should provide an accurate reflection of your screenplay, and not oversell. We suggest fifty (50) words.

5. Can I submit two screenplays for the same contest, or the same screenplay in two different years?
Yes and yes. However, we must require a separate Entry Form and Entry Fee for each submission.

6. Is this contest only for amateurs?
We welcome writers with varying professional expertise. Our only requirement is that the author of each screenplay has never been paid for any version of the particular screenplay that he or she is entering in our competition.

7. Who’s judging the screenplays?
See our web page entitled "The Committee" for an up-to-date list of those responsible for choosing the winning screenplays, and for a brief description of the judging process.