 OVERVIEW
The Writer will receive an upfront payment of $10,000 for all screenplay rights (against 5% of the film's budget) as part of a purchase agreement for the screenplay rights. The screenplay will be produced by Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red and in association with Slamdance. All submitted screenplays are in the running for the $1,000 Creative Excellence Award, including those not willing to sign the Purchase Agreement.
MAVERICK RED
DEADLINES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ENTRY FEE
ADDITIONAL FEES
COVERAGE FEES
RUSHED COVERAGE FEE
SECOND READER OPTION
DISCOUNTS*
*cannot be combined ENTRY PROCEDURE
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OPTIONFollow all of the above steps, but instead of sending us a hard copy of your screenplay/s you may choose to send us an electronic (pdf) version by e-mail or send us a copy on CD. If you choose to e-mail, send a (pdf) version of your screenplay to coverage@slamdance.com. In both cases, but especially if you decide to e-mail us, please make sure that your (pdf) is properly compressed (ideally no larger than 1MB). In both cases, if you can also fill out a Credit Card Authorization Form and application electronically, include them in your e-mail or send them on the same disc with your screenplay; or you can fax the application and Credit Card Authorization Form to: (323) 466-1784. If you choose to pay by check, or cannot fill out the information electronically, you need to send an application and payment via mail. In any case, do not include a copy of the screenplay cover. Also, when formatting your screenplay, please do not include any contact information in the version that you send us (all contact information will be included on your application). When identifying the document you send us, please use the name of your screenplay (and the ID number if possible). If you send by e-mail, please include the name of the screenplay, your name and screenplay ID in the text of your e-mail. WARNING! The Slamdance office only a has one fax machine working on one phone line that will no doubt be jammed by screenwriters submitting on the submission deadline. If the fax machine is busy, don't worry, feel free to fax us your application and the weekend following or a few days after you send us your electronic submission. Please do not fax us the cover page for your screenplay, as it explains above, if you are submitting electronically, we don't need it. SUBMISSION PACKAGINGScreenplays should be bound with brass brads (if that is not possible, the next best thing is to send an unbound script that is three-hole punched). Please include a Slamdance-style Screenplay Cover page on top (and a logline/synopisis and optional notes to reader if you choose). You do not need to use a card stock cover. Please do not include contact information bound inside your screenplay. Your printed application and payment should be in the same package that you send to the Slamdance office, but not bound inside your screenplay. Packages can contain multiple submissions. Submissions should be organized and bound in the following order: PDF PRINT OUTS RULES GUIDELINES SELECTION PROCESS PRIZES To qualify for the $10,000 Grand Prize and Purchase Agreement you must sign both the Competition and the Grand Prize Release Form on the application printout. The prize money is based on 5% of the minimum $200,000 production budget, but could be more. The amount will be split between co-writers ENTER TODAY! SEND ALL SCRIPTS 2006 Slamdance Horror Competition QUESTIONS? Phone: (323) 466-1786 FAQ Q: Does signing the Grand Prize Release Form mean that I (the screenwriter) give up the rights to my screenplay? A:Absolutely not. Signing the Grand Prize Form simply means that you are interested in the deal offered by Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red and that you would like to be considered for the Production Deal they are offering. If however, during the course of the competition you change your mind, lose the rights to your screenplay, etc. you may choose to pull your material from consideration. Q: Does winning the Grand Prize mean that I (the screenwriter) loose the rights to my screenplay? A:Yes. Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Films will purchase your material and the film will be produced in 2008, beginning three months after the announcement at the end of January. Q: Is budget a consideration for choosing the Grand Prize Winner? A:Yes. Budget will be a consideration, but it is a flexible budget that will be in the neighborhood a million dollars. The final product will be screened at the Slamdance Film Festival following the completion of the project as a special screening. Q: Can I (the screenwriter) submit two different version of my screenplay (one that can be made on an independent budget, and one that is less budget conscious)? A:Absolutely. But we will ask that you fill out two separate applications, and pay for two submissions (you may use the multiple script discount. Q: What happens if the film does not get made? A:Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red has every intention of producing the Grand Prize Winner. Only under extremely unfortunate circumstances will the film not be made. In that event, the screenwriter will still receive no less than $10,000 and after a period of time, stipulated in the Purchase Agreement, rights to your screenplay will be returned. Q: Is there money in place for this production? A:Yes. There are funds in place right now for the production of the Grand Prize winning screenplay offered by Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red starting at around a million dollars. In the event we come across a screenplay that is slightly more expensive (but still within the means of production) additional funds will be sought. Q: If I win and the film does not get made, will I (the screenwriter) reclaim rights to my material? A:Yes. After a period stipulated in the Purchase Agreement signed with Angel Baby Entertainment and the screenwriter, the rights of the screenplay will revert to the writer. Q: If I want to direct the film, will I (the screenwriter) be considered for the job? A:Yes, but completely at the producerÕs discretion. If you have absolutely no experience as a director (of a short or feature film) or any experience with filmmaking (as an editor, AD, etc.) your chances are slim to none. However, if you have experience and you want to direct, you will be considered a very definite prospect. As stipulated, the writer will be consulted on the selection of cast and crew. Q: What is the difference between the Grand Prize Release Form and the Purchase agreement? A:The Grand Prize Release Form means that you are interested. If you are chosen as a finalist you will have a chance to (a) review the purchase agreement (which goes in much more detail than the website) (b) discuss the details with Angel Baby Entertainment before signing, and (c) if you do not win, you retain all rights to your material, and if you win but the film does not get made, you still get $10,000, and the rights to your screenplay. Q: What happens if my screenplay becomes a finalist? A:If Slamdance chooses your screenplay to be one of the top ten finalists, you will be asked to sign the Purchase Agreement, guaranteeing your compliance with the terms being offered should you be chosen as the Grand Prize Winner. In the event that your material is not selected, the Agreement will be deemed void, and rights to your material will not be transferred. Q: Will I (the screenwriter) have a chance to discuss the terms of the deal before the selection of the Grand Prize Winner? A:Yes. In the event that your material is selected as a top ten finalist, you will be contacted, either in person or via telephone, to discuss the details of the production deal and purchase agreement. This may take place either before or after the signing of the agreement at the discretion of the producers and the availability of the screenwriter. Q: If I do not sign the Grand Prize Release Statement, will I still be considered for the $1,000 Award for Creative Excellence? A:Yes. Although your material will not be considered for the Grand Prize, you will be in the running for the $1,000 Creative Excellence Award. Signing the Grand Prize Release Form will not negatively influence your chances of being chosen for the Award for Creative Excellence in any way. Q: What kind of material is Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red looking for? A:Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red, in association with Slamdance, will produce the film. All parties want to find the best horror screenplay, regardless of subgenre. The budget is flexible and the interests of the involved parties is not limited to only one project, but only one will be selected for the Grand Prize. Signing the Grand Prize Release form will put you in the running, and have the chance to be reviewed by production company executives at Angel Baby and Maverick Red. Q: Whose idea was the Grand Prize, and who will be involved in the production? A:At the onset of this competition, Slamdance organizers promised that we would look for a Production Company to produce the winning screenplay, and we found partners with the ability to produce it. Slamdance organizers vigorously negotiated on behalf of the screenwriter and are confident that this prize is in their best interest. Q: What will the stature of the Award for Creative Excellence as opposed to the Grand Prize? A:The $1,000 award for Creative Excellence will not be second to the Grand Prize. This is a substantial, no strings attached, cash prize that everyone will be in the running for. It will provide an avenue for productions companies to find Slamdance awarded projects. The judging for this award will be based on the quality of writing alone. Screenplays that sign with the Grand Prize Release Form and screenplays that do not, with both be eligible for this prize. Q: What happens in the case that rewrites need to be done on the project (as deemed appropriate by the producers)? A:The writer is guaranteed credit on this project. Rewrites have to be cost effective for the project, and we hope to find a screenplay that doesn't need massive revisions. Angel Baby Entertainment, Maverick Red and Slamdance, will work with the screenwriter, support their material and give them full credit in the end. But if they choose not to be a part of the rewriting process, they will have to share credit with a co-writer (but this will be a last resort). Q: Shouldn't the deal be an option to produce as opposed to an all out sale? Why a purchase agreement as opposed to an option agreement? A:The purchase agreement offer from Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Red is a far superior opportunity in comparison to an option agreement. Option agreements are quite often completely meaningless (and often result in complete inactivity by the production company, coupled with a struggling screenwriter hanging in limbo). Q: Is 5% of the production budget really a fair prize for a first time screenwriter? A:For a first time writer, 5% of a budget is very generous, and can often be far less especially for a first time screenwriter. Moreover, negotiations for the sale of a screenplay can take place over the course of months, even years, and result in nothing. In this case, everything has already been put into place; we have an investor and a capable trust worthy production team supporting this project. Q: What good is it for a screenplay to win a competition if the script is "sold" as part of the prize? If a screenplay is chosen to win, doesnÕt that screenplay have a better chance of real success if the script was available to sell to any company? A:No. This deal was put together by Slamdance and our first priority was to protect the rights of the screenwriter. Entering a Screenplay Competition can often lead to absolutely no results whatsoever. In a perfect world, production executives would line up on your front lawn after you win a competition, but that is not always the case. In a situation like this, you receive writing credits toward becoming a Guild member, you get paid up front (as opposed to the Writers Guild's Low Budget Agreement which favors deferment) and you can use this success as a catapult towards your next project. PAST WINNERS GRAND PRIZE WINNER$10,000 Grand Prize & Production DealSlaughter by Bobby Darby & Nathan Brookes Nathan Brookes and Bobby Darby accept their Sparky Award for best Horror Screenplay at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival Award Ceremony in Park City, Utah  Cheri Wozniak (Maverick Red) and Greg Segal (Angel Baby Entertainment) present the Sparky Award for best Horror Screenplay to "Slaughter" at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival Award Ceremony in Park City, Utah CREATIVE EXCELLENCE WINNERBlood-Sucking Leeches and Flesh-Eating Maggots by Adam Balsam Creative Excellence Award Winner Adam Balsam accepts his award at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival Award Ceremony in Park City, Utah TOP FIVE ANNOUNCEMENTBlood-Sucking Leeches and Flesh-Eating Maggots by Adam Balsam Hunger by Latrisse Goffigan The Shop Teacher by Joel Watson Slaughter by Bobby Darby & Nathan Brookes Torn Apart by Shaun O'Sullivan SEMIFINALIST ANNOUNCEMENTBlood-Sucking Leeches and Flesh-Eating Maggots by Adam Balsam Cage by P.A. Landa Crave by Paul Kramer Crimson Highway by Daniel G. Payne & Tony Lopez Dare by Bob Sinnott Dead in the Water by Irad Eyal and Ron Eyal The Dead of Winter by Roger Rousseau Desecrated by Sean Paul Murphy Dig by Marc A. Samson Highway Cold by Mark Lovely Hunger by L.D. Goffigan Porn Star Zombies by Keith Emerson Red Wedding by David Wisehart Scalp Peeled Forward by Jud Cremata Shady Acres by Justin Chinn & David Greenspan The Shop Teacher by Joel Watson Slaughter by Bobby Darby & Nathan Brookes Torn Apart by Shaun O'Sullivan Tunnelman! by Adam Nadler Vampire Strippers Must Die! by Keith Hartman HONORABLE MENTIONS Bite Me by Cowen Bailey & Dan Diprima Check-Out Time by Christian McLaughlin & Terry Haley Eaten Alive by Zachary Henderson The Fall of 59 by Eric D. Schneider Suffer the Children by Michael Strode |
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