One of the most frequent questions we field at ABaHB from visitors to the site is how they can get their scripts, both Crow and non-Crow, seen by persons who can do something with them. The latest edition of Entertainment Weekly provides some excellent resources. The following is transcribed from the story written for EW, issue #588, dated March 23, 2001, by Hugh Hart.

Project Greenlight

This is ran by Miramax. Scripts are submitted to www.greenlightproject.com. One script is picked to become a major motion picture. The winner receives 1 million dollars to direct their script. The recent winner, Peter Jones, will be directing his movie "Stolen Summer" about an Irish kid and his cancer stricken Jewish friend (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon presented him his award and escorted him around for the media).

Script Apalooza

Another site, www.scriptapalooza.com, ranks amateur entries. Their recent success story is Andrea Bailey's Falling Over Venus, which placed second on the website's annual contest and was passed around to 15 companies, including Marc Platt Production. After signing with Platt, Baily now finds herself hanging out with Mary Stuart Masterson, who is set to direct the coming of age story about a 14 year old loner

Oscar

More than 4,000 manuscipts are sent via snail mail to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Applications for the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting program are available to download from www.oscars.org/nicholl. The competition, administered by the Academy, hands out $25,000 annually to each of five finalists. In 1998, Portland , Ore., DJ Mike Rich found 50 phone calls on his answering machine after his script made the cut. Soon afterward, Gus Van Sant and Sean Connery began transforming the script into this year's Finding Forrester.

Hypnotic

Earlier this year, David Von Ancken had his Bullet in the Brain script rejected by Sundance. So it was "ironic" says the former New York City real estate analyst, when he found himself in Park city anyway with a $1 million feature-film deal, compliments of Universal Pictures and partner www.hypnotic.com. His seven-page treatment for Cameron's Line-based on a real faultline that runs through NY city, was voted best of five finalist. Von Aneken has now quit his job and is working full-time on the script.

Cinestory

Bond baby, bond. Winners of this not-for-profit organization's annual contest spend three days in a California mountain retreat with producers and studio development execs. "Need proof that relationsips make for good buisiness?" asks CineStory exec director Pamela Pierce. Miramax chief, Harvey Weinstein, is reading one of the scripts right now. (site addie is www.cinestory.com)

This is not to say you are guaranteed anything by submitting to these sites. For every success story shown above, there are thousands that do not get their script made. However, do not let anyone tell you it is impossible. If you have the fire to write, keep that flame burning.

I also have a piece of advice which comes from someone inside the industry. The best road to take is go to film school in LA. It is the key for breaking into the business because everything is relationship based (as mentioned in the cinestory above) and you meet the most people in the shortest time. Reading good screenplays is important as so much of it is craftsmanship, not necessarily fresh ideas or even good stories.

Hope this all helps. Good luck to those of you putting together scripts. We could be reading about you some day!! Take care.......amf