AWG launch horror script competition
The Australian Writers’ Guild has celebrated Halloween by launching the Terror Australis Horror Script Competition.
Seeking the best unproduced horror feature script in Australia, the Australis Horror Script Competition is looking for the next Saw, Undead or Wolf Creek.
The winning writer will receive an audience with, and script read by, producers Chris Brown (Daybreakers, The Proposition), David Lightfoot (Wolf Creek, Rogue), Josh Reed (Primal) and Andrew Traucki (Black Water, The Reef) as well as a micro-mentorship from Shayne Armstrong and Shane Krause (Acolytes).
The AWG welcome all horror-related sub-genres; slasher films, vampire scripts, zombie flicks, thrillers, horror-westerns, you name it.
The competition closes Friday 18 November.
For more information, visit awg.com.au
AWG membership required? Hm. Fair enough since it’s their own competition, but the AWG rarely offers enough to it’s members to justify the yearly membership fee. Will have to pass on this one.
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Me 2.
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If Australia and its associated industries are truly looking for the next big thing that will jettison Australian film back into the global news then restricted competitions by agencies for memberships or advertising is ridiculous.
Project Greenlight and other like ventures retain revenue streams from pure promotion and or the final rights to any financial investments they make. Think Paul Hogan and the original Crocodile Dundee movie which was funded by $2 investment shares that ended in a return of over $21 per share.
Let’s kick the habit that has formed in the Australian industry of buddies first, commercial viability last. Don’t spend money on memberships, let’s invest in our home grown industry.
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Opens October 1st, closes November 18th? Less than a month to complete a script? Would any of the judges or AWG be able to achieve something readable?
Clearly a lifeline for those with already written sitting in their drawer.
Closing date should be at least March 2012 to allow for new scripts to have a chance.
This has the chance to be an ongoing, world class genre contest. Do it properly!
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Great initiative by the AWG.
But like Dan said, the deadline ambush is ridiculous.
Australia needs more screenplay contests…
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Brian, you should really do your homework. I have been a member of the AWG for almost 10 years now and for the relatively meagre fee they charge – the benefits provided are insurmountable! 1) Free legal advice on your contracts for a start is the best kept secret in the industry saving me many thousands of dollars otherwise spent in milliseconds at any standard law firm. 2) Discounts on SPAA, ADG and AWG conferences aswell as numerous affliated courses and workshops with a variety of organisations and event holders 3) Storyline magazine – a glossy coloured well researched intensive magazine specifically for Australian screen, media and radio writers issued quarterly 4) Most importantly negotiated industrial wage and working conditions for screenwriters, playwrights and radio writers around our nation creating a fairer, better paid working environment all round. Need I say more? Oh yes one more thing: the website is http://www.awg.com.au and you can join for as little as $85 a year if you are a student! See you at the next networking night!
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Sonia, not saying there is anything wrong with the AWG, if I was an employed full-time writer I’d be all for it, particularly to support negotiation of better salaries.
But this is Australia, most writer’s aren’t employed at all, let alone full-time.
1) Legal advice is nice for some, but I’d rather more opportunities to sell my scripts (ie – competitions). Can’t use advice if I haven’t been offered a contract.
2) In my experience, conferences and ‘networking events’ are almost always a waste of time. It’s fun to procrastinate from writing for a day but in hindsight after an event (that costs a pretty penny) I always feel like the day would’ve been better spent writing. Not to mention most of the workshops are with dud teachers; the material you can get online for free is almost always superior.
3) Never knew about this mag, sounds great. Any other ways to get a hold of a copy?
4) As I mentioned above, the AWG is great for working writers. However if the organisation wants to also help develop writing talent, they should really considering opening their competitions to non-members. Why would I join an organisation for writers before I am (a paid) writer? Makes no sense.
(As a side note, the WGA run MANY competitions and as far as I know membership is seldom required. Could be a good model to follow)
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Hi Brian, thanks for your views. Whilst I consider myself a fulltime freelancer, the fact is one is not always working fulltime. Networking is 70-80% of my job and it is how I get 90-95% of my work – whilst continually learning more about my trade and ever changing industry. You have to invest to get back. The AWG struggles to finance its mammoth efforts and membership in Australia isn’t as big and therefore as lucrative as the WGA in the US. That being said, I understand the some fee only comps would be beneficial.
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