Stage 32 Success Story: I Won The Contest! Now What...?

Writers. We live for that sale, entering contests, querying producers, agents, and managers, and seeking validation. With contests, it’s a step-by-step climb to claim that win. But it’s not the end. Not by a long shot...

In The Beginning

Not all contests are equal. Many promoters are offering new prizes in lieu of cash - meetings with professionals, mentorships, or even production packages. Stage 32 & Palm Springs Women in Film and Television Contest offered $10,000 towards production for a short script!

My first thought is- that’s a prize worth shooting for. Second thought, more importantly, how to win. Ten grand sounds like a windfall and a polished project can be made to cut as many corners as possible in the writing to stretch those dollars. Stay within the page count. Keep characters and sets to a minimum and present an intriguing idea that will grab an audience. Polish, polish, polish, then send it off with positive mojo and move on to other projects.

Validation

Contests are a waiting game for the results. Finally, quarter-finalists are announced. Ah ha, I made the cut! Post the laurels but keep that euphoria in check. This is only step one.

After 2 weeks to a month, it’s the semi-final announcement. Congratulations, another advance! Okay, stay cool. There are still two hurdles to go.

Finalists were announced, and another laurel for making the top ten. Nail-biting time.

The final letter comes in. "Dear Contestant". Oh crap, lost again. Then- "Congratulations, your script, Exit Interview, has won." I won? Wait. What? Read it again, and again. Have somebody in the family read it to confirm.

The thrill of victory and now the work is just getting started.

The Revision Process

Kim Waltrip of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television got in touch, first with congratulations and praise for the script, second to introduce the producer and directors, and set up Zoom meetings to revise the script. One good thing came out of the Covid lockdowns – Zoom meetings.

At five pages my script was solid with an intriguing premise and characters, but the team had ideas to open it up to ten pages. As an aside, the sweet spot for short films at festivals is the 5 to 10-minute run time which allows them to pack 6 to 10 shorts in an hour slot.

The team wanted to develop the characters to give them more depth and contrast, then finesse the central dilemma to deepen tension while keeping the language from being too political and possibly alienating. The subject matter had come from early cloning experiments with animals and what the wrong people could do with good science.

My Job

Listen and take notes. Lots of notes. Ask questions. Answer questions. Why did I write this story? What was the inspiration? What is the ultimate intention? The directors summarized their ideas and sent them over so I had two sets of notes to work from. And the final question – how long do you need to get the next draft done? This was early September when we first met with a target shooting date of early December. There was no time to waste.

At the same time, I wanted time to mull their suggestions. There weren’t any major asks, so I gave myself 2 weeks for the draft. And delivered on time.

New notes. New draft. More notes. Another meeting. And this time a little pushback on one of the characters. The director was trying to give the actress something to work with but the descriptors she used would have taken the character in a different direction. A small point, but needful for the integrity of the story. We spoke and compromised on her persona.

By mid-November and the fifth draft, we were down to minor language changes. In the meantime, they had held auditions and it was time for a read-through. Zoom again to the rescue!

I couldn’t make the live reading but was given access to the recording. I’ve heard my words spoken on film twice before. One short I made with some actor friends and another produced in Toronto during the worst of Covid’s 2020 run. It’s always startling and exciting to hear the words that have been buzzing around your head spoken out loud.

Join Us On The Set!

PSWFT took care of all the logistics; casting, locations, crew, and shoot schedule. And an invitation to join the crew on the set. There was no doubt in my mind that I would make that trip.

Side note. If you are not in California and win this contest don’t fly into Los Angeles. Take the hit on whatever layovers are involved and fly directly into Palm Springs International. You’ll thank me later.

The set was a professional studio suite and busy with bodies getting ready for the first shot of the day. Walking in, heads came up like meerkats on the Savannah.

"Hi, I’m looking for Kim Waltrip." Somebody called Kim in to meet the stranger and the panic dissolved as soon as she greeted me by name and brought me into the main ready room. The writer is here!

Actors and Directors get swarmed. Writers are generally anonymous, but the welcome from the entire crew was staggering. "Hi." "Glad you could make it." "This is a great script." "Thank you so much for writing it." "Make yourself at home."

Fly On The Wall

Writers are basically one extra body on an active set unless they’re writing scenes on the fly or directing. All I needed to do here was stay out of the way, watch, and absorb as this crew made magic out of my words.

I’ve been on sets before. Tried my hand at making my own short films. It can seem to an outsider that there are a lot of people standing idle and nothing’s happening. In reality, each crew member has his/her own job and when they’re not needed they chill. They also watch the filming, taking in each aspect of getting the shot.

The camera crew worked the hardest, framing the shots. Finding the right angle and lighting. Rehearsing the actors. Correcting shadows and hiding what shouldn’t be seen. Improv skills aren’t just for stand-up comedians. These guys threw together pieces of the set when needed with whatever was at hand.

The main set was a simple bare room with a table, two chairs, and a wraparound white wall. Kim explained how they were going to add images on the wall in post-production that would replace the photos I had inserted as illustrations in the script. They were also very excited to add a floating computer screen image instead of using a physical prop to heighten the SciFi element.

They shot six pages on the first day. A contained script with basically no physical movement becomes a fencing match of words and reactions that builds the tension of the story. The actresses I can’t praise enough. They nailed their dialogue on every take. Watching it on the monitor I found myself mentally editing the shots.

Day two was nailing down the climax and resolution. A little trickier because we were adding three more bodies into the mix and that improv came into play again to make the background work on the reverse shot.

Some dialogue was cut in between shots to streamline the denouement. Truth to tell I didn’t miss what they cut, and the actresses carried on without a fuss. Lunch break was a buzz of excitement and accomplishment. Only a few more shots to get and then the wrap party.

Again, fly in and out of Palm Springs. I had to miss the wrap party to drive back to LA. Something I will regret but I left buoyed by the experience of winning this contest, meeting these talented people, and being on set as the pros went about their business.

Final Take-Away

Not all contests are created equal. See who is sponsoring them. Weigh the prize packages against the entry fee. Do some historical research to determine how big the contest is and what kind of prestige a win there would bring on its own. The Nicholls Academy Foundation is the gold standard so measure against their reputation. Study the requirements and follow them. Enter early. The fees are lower and the readers’ eyes haven’t glazed over yet.

Should you win a production deal similar to PSWFT be pleasant to work with, submit redrafts on time, and choose your battles wisely. And most importantly have fun.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .