$10,000.00 RAW TALENT Screenplay Contest – FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

This is a living document that will be added to as more questions arise regarding the $10,000.00 Grand Prize RAW TALENT Screenplay Contest (RTSC).  Any questions not clearly explained below or in the Rules and Regulations should be asked in a comment to this post, which will then be added to this living document.

PLEASE READ the RTSC Rules and Regulations in their entirety prior to asking a question on this thread.

001.  Q – What if my script is longer than 100 pages?  Is it disqualified?

001.  A – Yes.  Submitted scripts must be a minimum of 90 pages and a maximum of 100 pages to qualify for this contest.  Why?  Because those are the rules and there will be no exceptions to the rules!  Can it be under 90 pages?  NO!  Why?  Yep, you guessed it… Because those are the rules.  There will be no exceptions to this rule.  See the Rules and Regulations

002. Q – What do you specifically mean by a maximum of 5 locations and an ideal of 3 locations – can you clarify?  Does this mean the exterior and the interior of a house are two different locations?

002.  A – Technically, inside and out are in fact two different locations.  And some would argue that the same location with different time periods day vs. night or a different year) also technically constitutes a new location.  HOWEVER, for the purposes of the rules of the RAW TALENT Screenplay Contest (RTSC), a location is said to be a physical location.  Therefore, the inside and outside of the same home would be considered one location.  The inside and outside of a school would be considered one location, but the inside of a school and the outside of a different school 3 miles away would be considered two locations.  In a nutshell, we are speaking of “locations” as how many times a production company would need to move trucks and equipment to another physical location.  Hope that clarifies.  Oh, one more thing regarding locations.  Locations like Hong Kong harbor and Mt. Everest, although exotic and glamorous, should probably be avoided as a general rule, unless you plan on pitching your script to James Cameron.  If that is the case, please introduce Eric Highland to him as soon as possible.

003.  Q – Does “un-optioned” mean that the script is not currently under an option, which gives the writer clear control over the rights to the script, or does it mean that the script has never been optioned before?  For example, I have a script that has been optioned before, but that option has expired.

003.  A – “Un-optioned” means that there is no current ties on the script.  It has to be free and clear, as the Grand Prize Award of $10,000.00 is awarded in exchange for the exclusive rights to the winning script.  In effect the winning Script is being purchased for the prize amount of $10,000.00 this includes all Exclusive Rights to the story.   Therefore, no other controlling party can be involved.  If you have a script that was optioned at one point, but the option has expired and was not renewed and – therefore – your script does not have any claims on it, then you may enter it into the RTSC.

004.  Q – I didn’t see anything in the rules about never having had a screenplay produced before. Entrants don’t have to be first-time or novice screenwriters, right?

004.  A – Nope.  If a veteran wants to participate, we welcome the veteran to the playing field!

005.  Q – I don’t see anything about an entry fee…is it free to enter this contest?

005.  A – Yes, it is free to enter…now isn’t that nice?

006.  Q – Can you enter more than one screenplay?

006.  A – You can enter as many scripts as you like, as long as they meet all the requirements in the Rules and Regulations.

007.  Q – This is James Bond’s number and it will not be desecrated.

007.  A – Shaken, not stirred.

008.  Q – Can you define more clearly what “product opportunities” are?

008.  A – Yes, thanks for asking.  One of the things that the writer should consider is any product opportunities that will arise from the screenplay.  For example, in Trost Moving Pictures A CHRISTMAS SNOW, currently in pre-production, there is a special Christmas ornament that is prominent in the movie.  This is a product opportunity, in that Trost Moving Pictures can make and sell replicas of the ornament during Christmastime or include it as part of a special bundle purchase.  Also, “product opportunities” refers to the idea of making a teaching series or book, based on the script.  The Love Dare book from Sherwood Pictures is a great example of this.  Writers should consider product opportunities as they are putting their scripts together for the judges.  Lastly, product placement deals can be made with existing companies by a production company.  This has to do with companies that want their brand in the film (e.g. Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, Hershey’s, Audi, etc.).  Just something to keep in mind.  There are many talented writers out there, but they often don’t look at their stories from the production side, so consideration of product opportunities is something that should not be neglected in the entries.

009.  Q – Where do we send the script once it is completed?  Will it be via snail mail or email?

009.  A – According to our Rules and Regulations:

The Entry Form which will be posted on February 1st will have all the details on where to send your script and how to submit it.

010.  Q – What happens to scripts that don’t win?  I assume we retain those rights?

010.  A – Yes.  Any script that does not win the RAW TALENT Screenplay Contest has all the rights retained by the parties previously having the rights.  Neither Trost Moving Pictures nor HOSFU LC will have any rights to a submitted entry that does not win our contest unless negotiated under a seperate contract from this contest.

011.  Q – I noticed one of the rules said no action.  A script with no action is going to be pretty boring.  What do you define as action?

011.  A – Great question!  Specifically what we mean is the Action Genre of film.  We are not looking for a TRANSFORMERS 2 or TERMINATOR SALVATION script.  The script should be character and story driven.  The scripts entered in this contest can have some limited action sequences, but extensive car chases and planes blowing up and the like are right out!  If you have an awesome Action Genre script send it to my friend Ralph Winter (X-MEN, WOLVERINE) but don’t submit it for this contest because it won’t get past my 8 professional judges.  And Ralph, if you get some mediocre scripts as a result of this answer I apologize in advance, but if you get a gem please give me a call.

012. Q – The rules for entering the contest say no more than five locations.  Is there no exception to that rule? I mean even if they like the script, they’ll just discard it, if it has more locations?  That’s very restrictive, it makes it hard to tell a story like the one I have.

012. A – The short answer: Having more than 5 locations will cause your script to lose points in this competition, but will not cause it to be discarded outright. The long answer: Some of the major expenses in making a film come from time and sets. Each new location multiples those expenses and thereby increases the overall cost of the film. This decreases the likelihood that your script will be made into a movie. One way you can fast-track your script into actually being made into a movie is to limit locations, or write creatively so that you can repurpose locations and sets to look like new locations. Filmmaking is a business and the scriptwriter who keeps that in mind while writing his/her script will be more likely to get the script made into a film, than those who don’t.

013. Q -  If I write the script in Word, but in the proper professional format, is it ok? I don’t have Final Draft.

013. A – Yes, that’s fine, as long as it’s in the proper WGA format.

014. Q – The rules say no action genre. If my script’s a war drama with some action – say 20% of the story – will it be disqualified?

014. A – Just as with locations (see #012), a script with action in it will not be disqualified outright, but including action components will effect your overall score negatively in the Raw Talent competition.

015. Q - What if one of your locations is a house, but your character is walking around the neighborhood?  Is the neighborhood an additional location?

015. A – The neighborhood will be considered another location if it requires a company move. If the scene can be filmed and keep the company (crew/cast/equipment) in the same place as the house, then the neighborhood won’t be considered a new location.

016. Q – Say a location is in one house (John’s house), and another scene is in another house (Sally’s house), but only in Sally’s bedroom. Couldn’t both these scenes be shot in John’s house as only one location? It would be the same as shooting a child’s room and then cutting to their parents’ room, right?

016. A – Yes, John’s scene and Sally’s scene could be shot in one location. Thinking creatively like this while writing your script, and repurposing location, will be key to expanding your script. Remember, for the purposes of the Raw Talent Screenplay Contest, a new location means a company (crew/cast/equipment) move.

017. Q – Would a gay character be ok? like nothing overtly sexual (but just someone that’s gay)?

017. A – Yes, a script that contains a homosexual character may submit.

Remember this is a living FAQ page so refer back to it often if you are entering the RTSC.  If you have additional questions regarding the RTSC, please post them as a comment to this page and I’ll be happy to clarify.

In His Majesty’s service,

Eric S. Highland
CEO, HOSFU LC