Interview with a Screenplay Judge (or How I Learned to Love the Entry Fee)

In WordHustler’s never-ending quest to equip our writers with all the tools necessary to succeed, we are always looking for tips from the experts. Today’s helpful interview is with a seasoned screenplay competition judge (and seasoned film producer) from a very established Hollywood script contest! Our judge, fair and unbiased industry player that he is, prefers to remain anonymous but his insights into the world of screenplay competitions are too important to keep secret.

Thusly, we present our interview. Read it and then get crackin’ on your own screenplay!

WordHustler: Alright, spill it. What are the top three things that make you put a script down?

Screenplay Judge: I can tell you that from my judging experience on every level, from the guy who sorts through huge stacks of scripts to the guy who reads the top five and picks the winner, that the number one, most important thing is to have something right up front that GRABS the reader and makes us want to keep going. The first round readers in most competitions read two hundred to three hundred scripts and approve maybe five. It’s a daunting task and judges are looking for ANY reason to put your screenplay down. You need to grab them right away and keep them interested in continuing the read. A big thing to remember when you’re writing for a contest is that you can’t save all the good stuff for the end of your screenplay, because chances are the reader might not get there.

WH: How many scripts would you say you read per contest? How many do you START and how many do you FINISH?

SJ: Out of the two to three hundred I would read as a first round judge, I’d maybe get through 20-25% of them completely. I’ve conferred with other readers and they say that’s a “nice guy” reader percentage. As a finalist judge you usually read all of them (which is better since there are less of them and the ones that make it to you have already survived the first cut).

WH: What happens when co-judges disagree?

SJ: We’ve always had a scoring system that makes deadlocks damn near impossible. We also use an odd number of judges so if you have a tie at the top, you can vote in such a way that a clear winner will present itself.

WH: What’s the best script you’ve read in the last year (not necessarily in a contest setting) and why?

SJ: The last script I really remember being jaw-dropped by was “The Brigands of Rattleborge” by Craig Zahler. The way it was written was so different than what I’m used to. It was dense, thick and long. But it was so amazingly written it almost seemed like literature. Amazing characters, great story and a truly great mix of horrific yet beautiful. I highly recommend that you beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on a copy of it.

WH: What happens when you get a…how shall I say this…not so good script?

SJ: Hmmmmmm….I’ve read a lot of bad submissions. I would just say that the thing they usually have common is a story that we’ve already seen. You know the kind: a script where the characters are completely un-authentic and say things that are laughable when not meant to be. But since there are literally one hundred times as many bad scripts as good ones, so you tend to remember the great ones more vividly than the poor ones.

WH: Have you ever read a script in a screenplay contest that’s made it to the big screen?

SJ: Not yet but I’ve read a few that have been purchased and are now in development.

WH: What does someone who wins a screenplay contest REALLY win besides cash?

SJ: Prestige and credibility. In my job as a producer, I’m much more inclined to read a submission from an unrepresented or unknown writer if their script has won or placed highly in a contest than if it hasn’t. But DO NOT say you’ve won a contest if you haven’t. People do that all the time and don’t realize it’s easy for us to look into it. Anytime I catch these ballsy liars, I promise I’ll never read anything they send me. Ever. It’s like corking your bat.

WH: What are the five biggest pieces of advice you’d give an aspiring screenwriter?

SJ: 1. Be resilient.

2. Be resilient.

3. Be resilient. You are going to get stepped on, shit on, spit on, and more. Sheldon Turner (writer of THE LONGEST YARD and the upcoming X-MEN ORIGINS: MAGNETO) once told me he wrote eleven scripts before selling one. It’s TOUGH to be good out of the gate. Keep persevering. You are going to fail probably more than once. It’s the people who keep writing and keep getting better who actually make it and become working writers.

4. Study the greats. There are a plethora of online resources that allow you to read all the great scripts from the past. William Goldman, Paul Schrader, Lawrence Kasdan, Shane Black…these guys’ amazing scripts are all just a few clicks away. Reading great writers can help you get a good idea of what works for them and allows them to make sale after sale.

5. Take criticism constructively but also stick to your guns. It’s hard because this is a really fine line, but I see the same (wrong) things always happen when people show their scripts to friends:
A. They change EVERYTHING based on the notes. You lose your confidence and put your story in the hands of what others want or think. It’s your story. In the end you HAVE TO think that you know what’s ultimately best for your story.
B. They change nothing because “nobody else knows anything that can help.” You have to be able to take what you need from others but be confident enough to ignore some criticism. Like I said, it’s a VERY fine line but the greats are able to walk it.

WH: Okay, it’s game time. Let’s play “Who’s the Better Writer?” Ready?

SJ: Go for it.

WH: Number one: Paul Haggis or Brian Helgeland?

SJ: Tha’ts a tough one. I’d say Paul Haggis. He’s has shown a lot of range, from sitcoms to dramas to JAMES BOND. He’s done it all pretty well.

WH: Seth Rogen or Judd Apatow?

SJ: Seth Rogen. Judd does an amazing job of hiring actors and writers around him that can amp up his own material. Seth wrote a lot of his own lines for “40 Year Old Virgin.”

WH: Diablo Cody or Sofia Coppola?

SJ: Sofia Coppola - Don’t really know enough about Diablo yet. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of either but Sofia definitely has a really unique voice.

WH: Diablo Cody (yes, again) or Jason Reitman?

SJ: Jason Reitman - Again I haven’t seen enough of Diablo’s work. I wasn’t a huge fan of the JUNO script. It was good, but I felt the tone was all over the place and that they missed a few arcs that they should have had in that particular story. But having said that, she’s got an Oscar and I’ve got an empty shelf so more power to her!

WH: The Writing Team question: Eliott & Rossio (PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN) or Kurtzman & Orci (TRANSFORMERS)?

SJ: Kurtzman and Orci. They actually make Michael Bay tolerable. Enough said.

WH: Last one: Kevin Smith (CHASING AMY) or Kevin Smith (JERSEY GIRL)?

SJ: CHASING AMY. I’ve never been a huge fan but I heard JERSEY GIRL was one of the worst movies ever. There were definitely some interesting things going on in Chasing Amy.

WH: You’ve heard (or shall I say read) it here first, folks. The path to screenplay success is long and winding, but rewarding if you keep on trucking. Thanks to our Mystery Screenplay Judge and to you for reading!

Do you have a screenplay that’s begging to be in the limelight? Why not submit it to the IndieProducer Screenplay Contest or the One In Ten Screenplay Contest? Besides winning a prize, WordHustler wants to help you score something more priceless: genuine success.