The 2009 Screenwriting Expo CS Open Scene-Writing Competition Brings In Over 2000 Entries
Entertainment Desk
October 03, 2009
New Tournament Goes Online and Through the Roof First Round Finalists Are Announced.
Los Angeles, CA — The CS Open scene-writing competition is a one-of-a-kind tournament that takes place annually during Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles each fall. This year the competition has been reinvented to take place online allowing participants to write from a computer anywhere in the world. Like its predecessor, the scenes will still be written and judged in three rounds, with each deadline tighter than the last. However, now participants do not have to be in Los Angeles at the Expo to submit their script. This new turn has drastically driven participation up from 400 entries last year to over 2000 this year.
The Screenwriting Expo made the decision to revamp the contest out of necessity, or cancel it altogether, with the loss of revenue in the last few years. In addition, entrants expressed frustration that they were unable to attend some of the Expo classes in order to participate. The new CyberSpace Open frees the Expo patrons up to participate in all of the sessions while also inviting writers world-wide to join the event. "It really is the only writing tournament of its kind in the world. Just about any of us can write a decent scene if we have a couple weeks. But can you do it with the clock ticking, and do it better than over 2,000 others? It's a ton of fun, but most of all, it's a great motivational and learning tool for all the participants, since every scene receives feedback and guidance from the Coverage, Ink team," says Jim Cirile, founder of coverageink.com and long-time Creative Screenwriting columnist.
At just $12 to enter, this on-the-spot scriptwriting event challenges professional and novice writers alike. All writers are given the same premise and set of characters to write about within a set time frame and will later be judged and scored in a process of elimination. Semifinalists who make it to the third round will have the choice to write and submit online or if they are at the Expo they can go to the Cyberspace Open writing room to write and turn in their final entry. The three final scenes will be performed by professional actors live at the Expo closing ceremony. Members of the audience will then choose the final winner. The Grand prize is $3000 and recognition as an outstanding creative scriptwriter. Second prize is $500 and Third prize is $250.
The top 100 quarterfinalists from the first round have been announced today at http://screenwritingexpo.com/writingtournament.2009.round2.html. The finalists are now able to learn the new premise and begin writing for the 2nd round.
Along with the CS Open, the Expo Screenplay competition awards cash prizes totaling $35,000. For writers who did not make the Expo contest deadlines, Creative Screenwriting magazine will host their annual AAA Screenwriting Contest in December. Writers will also have the opportunity to pitch their own screenplays to over 130 A-list producers, studio execs and agents in one-on-one sessions on site at the Expo´s highly anticipated Golden Pitch event.
The 2009 Screenwriting Expo will take place at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles from October 15-18. It is the largest meeting in the U.S. and possibly the world, devoted exclusively to creative writing for feature films and television, with more than 2,000 participants each year. Founded in 2001, the Expo includes more than 130 teaching sessions on the business and craft of screenwriting, interviews with guests of honor, panel discussions with producers and agents, an exhibit hall for screenwriters, the world´s only live, on-the-scene screenwriting competition, the CS Open, and one of Hollywood´s most popular pitch fests, the Golden Pitch.
This year´s guests of honor and speakers include award winning actor, screenwriter, producer and director John Cleese, Oscar winning screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Screenwriter/director Kerry Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge, James and the Giant Peach, Spiderwick Chronicles),President of Television for the Mark Gordon Company (Grey´s Anatomy, Army Wives)Deborah Spera, CSI creator and executive producer Anthony E. Zuiker, Dexter TV series creator James Manos Jr., and many others.
For additional updates, class schedules and details, please visit http://screenwritingexpo.com.
Los Angeles, CA — The CS Open scene-writing competition is a one-of-a-kind tournament that takes place annually during Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles each fall. This year the competition has been reinvented to take place online allowing participants to write from a computer anywhere in the world. Like its predecessor, the scenes will still be written and judged in three rounds, with each deadline tighter than the last. However, now participants do not have to be in Los Angeles at the Expo to submit their script. This new turn has drastically driven participation up from 400 entries last year to over 2000 this year.
The Screenwriting Expo made the decision to revamp the contest out of necessity, or cancel it altogether, with the loss of revenue in the last few years. In addition, entrants expressed frustration that they were unable to attend some of the Expo classes in order to participate. The new CyberSpace Open frees the Expo patrons up to participate in all of the sessions while also inviting writers world-wide to join the event. "It really is the only writing tournament of its kind in the world. Just about any of us can write a decent scene if we have a couple weeks. But can you do it with the clock ticking, and do it better than over 2,000 others? It's a ton of fun, but most of all, it's a great motivational and learning tool for all the participants, since every scene receives feedback and guidance from the Coverage, Ink team," says Jim Cirile, founder of coverageink.com and long-time Creative Screenwriting columnist.
At just $12 to enter, this on-the-spot scriptwriting event challenges professional and novice writers alike. All writers are given the same premise and set of characters to write about within a set time frame and will later be judged and scored in a process of elimination. Semifinalists who make it to the third round will have the choice to write and submit online or if they are at the Expo they can go to the Cyberspace Open writing room to write and turn in their final entry. The three final scenes will be performed by professional actors live at the Expo closing ceremony. Members of the audience will then choose the final winner. The Grand prize is $3000 and recognition as an outstanding creative scriptwriter. Second prize is $500 and Third prize is $250.
The top 100 quarterfinalists from the first round have been announced today at http://screenwritingexpo.com/writingtournament.2009.round2.html. The finalists are now able to learn the new premise and begin writing for the 2nd round.
Along with the CS Open, the Expo Screenplay competition awards cash prizes totaling $35,000. For writers who did not make the Expo contest deadlines, Creative Screenwriting magazine will host their annual AAA Screenwriting Contest in December. Writers will also have the opportunity to pitch their own screenplays to over 130 A-list producers, studio execs and agents in one-on-one sessions on site at the Expo´s highly anticipated Golden Pitch event.
The 2009 Screenwriting Expo will take place at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles from October 15-18. It is the largest meeting in the U.S. and possibly the world, devoted exclusively to creative writing for feature films and television, with more than 2,000 participants each year. Founded in 2001, the Expo includes more than 130 teaching sessions on the business and craft of screenwriting, interviews with guests of honor, panel discussions with producers and agents, an exhibit hall for screenwriters, the world´s only live, on-the-scene screenwriting competition, the CS Open, and one of Hollywood´s most popular pitch fests, the Golden Pitch.
This year´s guests of honor and speakers include award winning actor, screenwriter, producer and director John Cleese, Oscar winning screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Screenwriter/director Kerry Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge, James and the Giant Peach, Spiderwick Chronicles),President of Television for the Mark Gordon Company (Grey´s Anatomy, Army Wives)Deborah Spera, CSI creator and executive producer Anthony E. Zuiker, Dexter TV series creator James Manos Jr., and many others.
For additional updates, class schedules and details, please visit http://screenwritingexpo.com.
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