Aspiring screenwriters given shot to make it

By Emily Camastra
Daily Bruin Contributor

For those of you not related to anyone in the entertainment
industry, and if you happen to have an original screenplay just
lying around waiting to be discovered, there may be a solution to
ease the difficulty of breaking into Hollywood.

The Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition has a deadline for
submitting an original screenplay on April 15. The competition has
garnered a lot of buzz over the past three years because it
actually lists the production companies and executives who will be
reading the winning scripts.

The fourth annual competition will award a first prise of
$10,000 and screenwriting software for the top three winners and
ten runners up.

The top 13 scripts will be considered by established production
companies and literary representatives as AMG, Bandeira
Entertainment, Bridget Johnson Films, Film Colony, Samuel Goldwyn
Films, and O/Z Entertainment.

For filmmakers, $10,000 is a hefty sum that can be very helpful
when creating a film.

“I think anytime you have an opportunity to get exposure
is good,” said undergraduate film and television student Anne
Rieman. “It’s a great deal of money and especially in
the film school you can use that ““ for equipment needs or
whatever, it’s just a great deal of help.”

“In a class last quarter, it just cost me about $700, not
including tuition,” she added.

Mark Andrusko, co-founder of Scriptapalooza, believes that the
purpose of the competition is to discover new talents and give them
the opportunity to break into Hollywood.

“The barriers of breaking into Hollywood are stronger than
ever, and talent does not guarantee success,” Andrusko said.
“What we try to do is to discover talented writers and to put
their scripts into the hands of people who can do something with
it. We try to give them the chances they would not normally
receive.”

Since the first competition in 1998, Scriptapalooza has gained
momentum through mentions in Entertainment Weekly and Daily
Variety, but the real buzz surrounding the competition results from
the success of its past winners.

Andrea Bailey, last year’s second runner up, had her
script, “Falling Over Venus,” passed around to 15
different production companies through Scriptapalooza. Her script
was sold to Universal, and actress Mary Stuart Masterson is set to
direct.

What makes the competition interesting is that the winners are
usually not involved with or working in the entertainment industry
at all. Anyone over 18 years of age is eligible to enter, and any
script from any genre will be considered. Multiple entries and
multiple authorship is acceptable. Scripts must be written in
English and must be between 90 and 130 pages.

In addition to the $10,000 first prize, there is also the added
incentive of priceless, free publicity. These kinds of contests
garner a lot of attention for the contestants as well as for the
school they originate from.

“A competition like that could create more interest in
getting money to UCLA,” Rieman said.

The final deadline for submitting screenplays is April 15. For
an application and further information, visit www.scriptapalooza.com or call (323)
654-5809.