Aspiring screenwriters who consider entering Launch Pad’s Feature Film Screenwriting Contest have a couple different options to choose from when entering. In addition to the general contest, there are also add-on prize categories. If your script makes it into the Top 10 of the competition you’ll win these additional prizes if selected. However, add-on prizes aren’t decided solely on placement in the general competition. This means even if your script doesn’t make it into the finalist rounds, you still have a chance of winning the add-on prize.
Two of Launch Pad’s add-on prizes are the Feature Mentorship Program and Guaranteed Development Prize (a.k.a. Guaranteed Option Prize). But let’s say you’re only interested in selecting one of these options, which one is the best fit for you?
First and foremost, it’s important to know what “mentorship” and “development” mean exactly when it comes to screenwriting and how they differ from one another. It’s also important to know what each prize entails if you win.
Let’s break down these two industry terms and add-on prizes.
Screenwriting Mentorship
Dating back to Ancient Greece, mentorships have been of great value to individuals and society on a whole. Essentially, a mentor is a person who guides and teaches someone (an apprentice) how to perform certain trades to the best of their ability. From blacksmiths to screenwriters, mentors pass on what they’ve learned to their apprentice and their apprentice over time comes into their own and eventually masters their chosen craft.
Luke Skywalker needed Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Rocky needed Mickey (and by extension Adonis Creed needed Rocky). A person who is open to learning from someone with more experience is a person who will become experienced. Screenwriting isn’t different from any other vocation or skill set in terms of learning curves and acquired knowledge. Even with raw talent, a writer who doesn’t perfect their craft and learn about the inner workings of the film industry is less likely to succeed as a professional screenwriter.
A screenwriting mentor will offer constructive criticism, help you improve as a writer, and guide you in the best ways to break into the film business and sustain a screenwriting career. They’ll also offer you encouragement and moral support, which will help give you the confidence necessary to succeed in the business.
Read More: Lessons From a Launch Pad Mentor
Feature Mentorship Program
If you select Launch Pad’s Mentorship Program add-on, participants will get the chance to win mentorship from the following professional screenwriters:
Chad & Carey Hayes — Identical twin brothers Chad and Carey have written such films as House of Wax, White Out and The Reaping before creating The Conjuring franchise for Warner Brothers. They also wrote 2020’s The Turning and work with Fox, Sony, Mark Gordon’s eOne Entertainment, Universal/Amblin and more.
Douglas Eboch — Doug is known for writing the original screenplay for Sweet Home Alabama. He’s the author of the non-fiction books, The Three Stages of Screenwriting and co-author, with producer Ken Aguado, of The Hollywood Pitching Bible.
Read More: 10 Screenwriting Tips: A Lit Manager’s Formula for Success
Screenplay Development
Screenplay development is the process in which another party works on a screenplay with you: it can be a studio or a production company. In the case of an optioned screenplay, the company that optioned it will be developing it.
The developing process involves the writer receiving notes from various people at the production company and addressing their notes with rewrites. Every option agreement is different and the length of time varies, but usually, this lasts for several months and you’ll likely be asked to do multiple drafts.
If you’re working with a top-tier production company, not only will you be receiving notes that will help make your script more marketable, you’ll be perfecting your screenwriting craft and learning how to work with people in the film industry. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form and this is true at the earliest stages of development.
A writer developing a screenplay with a production company is the genesis of nearly every movie that gets produced in Hollywood. In many ways, screenplay development is the foundation of the industry and it’s how dreams become reality.
Read More: How the Development Process Works
Guaranteed Development Prize
If you select Launch Pad’s Guaranteed Development add-on, participants will get the chance to get their script developed by the following production companies:
Midnight Lantern Productions — a production company founded by Daniel Leighton and Kaiulani Bush. They are a start-to-finish company that stays with you through the creative, physical and post-production process.
Cosmic Arena Productions — a production company founded by Tim Sullivan. He has produced over 30 features that have grossed over a billion dollars at the box office and attracted multiple Academy Award nominations.
Once again, even if your script doesn’t place in the general competition, by choosing an add-on prize option, you still have a chance to win mentorship or guaranteed development.
Mentorship or Development?
When deciding which add-on prize option to choose, it comes down to what you’re looking to accomplish and where you think you are as a screenwriter.
If you think you have a voice and good ideas, but your writing is still a little rough and you don’t know much about the film industry, the Feature Mentorship Program might be the choice for you. An experienced mentor can help you improve as a writer and let you know what to expect and be prepared for in the film industry.
If you’re more confident in your writing ability and you think your script is ready to go through the development process, the Guaranteed Development Prize might be the way to go. As written above, the majority of screenplays that get turned into films go through development with a production company and if you win this prize, you’ll be one step closer to this happening.
If you win either of these prizes, you’ll be getting guidance from industry experts and beginning the journey from aspiring screenwriter to professional screenwriter.
