BEA Festival - Student Scriptwriting

DEADLINE:
All entries must be delivered to the Competition Chair by mail or delivery service by 5:00 pm. (EASTERN TIME) December 7, 2007. This is a RECEIVE deadline. NOT a postmark deadline. NO FAX OR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Entries received after the deadline cannot be considered in the competition.

CATEGORIES:
Scripts may be submitted in one of four categories: Feature Film (full length narrative, about 80 to 120 pages), Original Television Series Pilot (hour long or half hour long), TV Spec (original episode of a current on-air one hour or half hour) Short Subject Screenplay (narrative, about 12 pages to 30 pages).

NOTE:
Script submissions are limited to one entry per category, and awards are limited to one per person.

SUBMISSION: (See also Fees, Deadlines and Submission page).

Each entrant must submit THREE (3) paper copies of their script to the Competition Chair (see below).

Because the scripts are judged blind, the entrant’s name and identifying information must appear ONLY on the entry form. No personal information should appear on the script OR on the cover page, on which is printed only the TITLE of the piece. Any script in violation of this rule will be disqualified. The scripts will NOT be returned.

Each script must be written in English and conform to the appropriate format for its category. For the feature and short film category this should be the “Master Scene Screenplay” format for Motion Pictures. (Scripts composted in a “shooting style format” e.g. camera directions, or scene numbers are not acceptable). For the television categories they should be written in the format of the show they represent. Failure to follow proper format is grounds for disqualification.

All scripts must use standard industry script binding: three-hole punched with brass brads in the top and bottom holes.

Student entry fee is $25.00 per entry.

ELIGIBILITY:
Each entrant must be a registered student, either full- or part-time, either graduate or undergraduate, in any U.S. college, university, or community/technical college, or in any BEA member institution anywhere in the world, in calendar year 2007. Student entrants must either be individual BEA members OR their institutions must be BEA Institutional Members. Membership forms and information on BEA Institutional Members may be found on the BEA website, www.beaweb.org

FACULTY SPONSOR:
Each entry must have a faculty sponsor, including the sponsor’s signature and e-mail address. However, the script or screenplay NEED NOT be written for a class assignment. In addition, sponsoring faculty are encouraged to guide each entrant in his or her writing process and adherence to the correct format in their submission to the competition.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
Each entrant should include a preferred e-mail address on the entry form. If a student has no e-mail address, that should be indicated in the e-mail blank on the entry form. Entrants will receive acknowledgment of their script submissions by e-mail (snail mail acknowledgment only when e-mail is not available).

NOTIFICATION:
Winners will be notified by telephone or e-mail and will be encouraged to attend the BEA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, April, 2008, to receive their awards. However, attendance at the convention IS NOT a condition of winning. Non-winners will be notified by e-mail, once judging is completed.

COPYRIGHT:
All entrants retain full copyright ownership of their scripts. By submitting to this competition, entrants grant to the BEA and its membership the right to use their scripts for nonprofit, educational purposes only, and for promoting the BEA Festival competition and Writing Division Annual Student Scriptwriting Competition.

JUDGING:
Each category will be judged by at least two independent judges. In the case of ties (or indecision by the judges), the Competition Chair will break the tie.

RIGHT TO CANCEL:
The sponsor - Competition Committee of the Writing Division of the BEA - may at its sole discretion cancel the competition in any category it deems there are insufficient entries or that no entries are of sufficient quality to merit an award.

PRIZES:
The first place winner in each category will receive Final Draft Software, and a book from Michael Weise Productions. All Second and Third Place winners will each receive Final Draft software.

All four First Place Winners will be placed into a second competition for the BEA “Best Of Festival King Award.” This winner will be honored at the Saturday night BEA Festival award ceremonies in Las Vegas, to receive $1,000 and Avid software. NOTE: The Best of Festival winner is encouraged but not financially supported by the BEA to attend the Festival Awards night in Las Vegas.

Each winning entry receives two award plaques at BEA expense. The first goes to the winner and the second to the winner’s institution. Additional plaques may be ordered after the convention.

COMPETITION CHAIR:
Kevin Corbett, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts
340 Moore Hall
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
E-mail your questions, messages or comments to:
corbe1kj@cmich.edu