Saturday, November 08, 2008

Screenwriting Expo boosts CS Open Prizes

Hi guys, this just in from Creative Screenwriting--they've kicked up the prizes on the CS Open! Now all top ten finalists finish in the money. Nice! as always, CI will be there coordinating and judging the tournament. So sharpen those pencils, bring that creativity and lay it on us!

The CS Open


A Unique Round-Robin Writing Competition
Managed and Judged By Coverage, Ink.

(GO BACK TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE)

The 2008 Creative Screenwriting Open allows you to match your screenwriting skills over two days with other screenwriters from across the U.S. The CS Open is a two-day writing competition with big prizes.

The Biggest Prize: The Publicity And Exposure of Your Talents

If you are a finalist, your scene, written under deadline pressure, will be acted out in a live reading in front of hundreds of screenwriters, producers, agents, and others in the audience at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Screenwriting Expo. By making it to the finals, you will have proved, in the only competition of its kind, that you can write creatively under major deadline pressure -- a rare and valuable ability in Hollywood.

And this year, National Public Radio has expressed interest in covering the CS Open. We don't know what that coverage might be, but this is potentially national publicity for the winners.

So we have decided to increase the prizes for this event:

Total Grand Prize Value: $4,057.82
The Grand Prize was $3,000 and a free copy of Movie Magic Screenwriter. It is now:

* Still $3,000 cash, plus
* Movie Magic Screenwriter ($159.95 value), plus
* Free Expo Admission: we will refund winner's Expo registration fee up to the cost of a Basic Pass ($94.95 if winner paid for early Basic Registration, $144.95 if winner bought a Gold Pass or regular Basic Pass); plus
* Refund of the winner's CS Open entry fee ($10); plus
* A free subscription to Creative Screenwriting Magazine or one-year extension ($24.95 US); plus
* A free full set of our Screenwriting DVDs ($717.97 value at the sale price)

Second Prize More Than Doubled In Value: $1,004.95

Second Prize was formerly $500 cash. It is now:

* $750 cash, plus
* Free Expo Admission, same as for Grand Prize above, up to $144.95, plus
* Refund Of second prize winner's CS Open entry fee ($10); plus
* $100 coupon to buy any of our other products (DVDs, Creative Screenwriting subscription, next year's Expo, etc.)

Third Prize More Than Doubled In Value: $604.95
Third Prize was formerly $300. It is now:

* $500 cash
* Free Expo Admission (same as Grand Prize, up to $144.95); plus
* Refund of third prize winner's CS Open entry fee ($10); plus
* $50 coupon for any of our other products.

Prizes For Finalists 7 Through 10 Increased In Value: $60 Each

The previously listed prizes for semifinalists 7 through 10 were "goods and services." Now, each of the remaining Top Ten semifinalists will receive:

* $50 coupon for any of our other products; plus
* Refund of CS Open admission ($10)

How the CS Open Works

Registration — You register only for Round One of the CS Open (held in 8 different sections at different times on Friday, (Nov. 14) and Saturday, (Nov. 15). This will require you to purchase a ticket for that section, for a fee of $10.

You must first register for the Screenwriting Expo first to participate.
If you already have your Basic Pass or Gold Pass to the Expo.

Round One — At your section on Friday or Saturday, you will be given 90 minutes to write a two- to three-page scene based on specific guidelines.

Round One Judging — Scenes will be scored by a distinguished panel of industry readers based on: Structure, Dialogue, Style, and Originality. The top 10% of the writers in round one will advance to Round Two. If you do not advance, you can pick up your scene and see exactly how it was graded. Also, the winning scenes for each section will be posted.

Round Two — Saturday evening (Nov.15) at 7 PM, the top 10% of the writers who advance from Round One will meet in one section (Round Two) and write a second two- to three-page scene, based on specific parameters.

Round Two Judging — These second round scenes will also be judged by a distinguished panel of industry readers. The top ten writers will advance to the final round (Round Three).

Final Round — The ten writers in the final round (Round Three) will meet Sunday morning at 10 AM to pen a final four- to five-page scene which includes at least one lengthy monologue. The judges will select the best three scenes from those ten.

The Playoff — These three finalist scenes will be performed by actors at the closing ceremony (Sunday, 4 PM) for the Expo, and the third-place, second-place, and grand-prize winners will be selected right there by the audience.

Management/Judging
The 2008 Screenwriting Expo CS Open is managed and judged by Coverage, Ink. Specializing in studio and agency-style coverage from real industry pros, Coverage, Ink. is now accessible to all writers at a reasonable price. Coverage, Ink. offers top quality script analysis at a fraction of the cost of an analyst. Is your script a Pass, Consider, or Recommend? Find out before you send it around. Visit http://www.coverageink.com/ for more details.

No comments: