An interesting thing is happening in this digital age of filmmaking. On one hand, the transition from film to digital has made filming, editing, and distributing so much simpler than it once was. On the other hand, the competition is fierce between filmmakers to gain viewers to add to their audience. And we've all heard that knowing someone is at times more important than having a good film. Well, the Weinstein Company has partnered with Film.com and NextMovie to bring you their Master Storytelling Contest, in which one winner will have the opportunity to have their pitch or film treatment read by one of the company’s Development Executives. Read on for the details.
You might think, "What's the big deal? So, they read it. That doesn't mean I'm signing a deal or getting my film made." True. However, what this contest does is puts your pitch/treatment at the top of the heap to be read by someone whose job it is to find stories to be made. That could very well mean getting your foot in the door.
And the great thing about this contest is that it takes little to no effort on your part if you've already written, rewritten, and re-rewritten your pitch/treatment. It's as easy as cut and pasting it into the field provided. And if you haven't written one yet, maybe this would be a good catalyst to get it done. It's definitely worth a shot, since you essentially have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.
Each pitch will be judged based on its "merits of its creative vision, its originality, and the viability of the idea as the germ of a movie that could actually be made."
So, here's what you do: "like" The Weinstein Company or NextMovie on Facebook, click on their Master Storytelling tab near the top of the page, and fill out the form, which includes your name, DOB, email, and your treatment (1000 word max.) Agree to the terms and conditions and then click submit. That's it.
Here are a couple of tips and technical requirements for the contest:
Helpful Hints
- Write a film treatment for your favorite genre or about something that interests you.
- Think about what your main character wants or needs to resolve, and what obstacle(s) stand in their way.
Technical Requirements
- Eligible submissions must be written treatments between 200 and 1,000 words in length. Pitches have to be completely original ideas that have never been publicly published or submitted to any prior contests.
The Master Storytelling Contest closes at 11:59 am (EST) on October 3rd, so you've got less than two weeks to polish up those pitches and treatments.
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