There's nothing better than a great short. Why? Because writers need multiple paths to break in and shorts are a time-tested way to do that. Shorts are a challenging but satisfying art form when done well. So many legendary filmmakers broke in and made a splash via shorts it would be impossible to name them all here!
The Roadmap Writers Shorts Competition is another avenue for you to get industry professionals to experience your work!
The competition is open to any genre of:
• Short Scripts: 30 pages or less, excluding the title page
• Short Films: 35 minutes or less total runtime
We will name a winner in each category!
Entry Pricing & Deadlines
Early | March 29th, 2023 | $25
Regular | April 19th, 2023 | $35
Late | May 24th, 2023 | $45
*All deadlines are at 11:59 pm PST on the submission date*
Add Feedback Notes | +$35
Receive a one-page analysis of your script.
*All Feedback Notes will be returned within 7-10 business days of the Top 50 announcement date*
Grand Prize (2)
Short Script & Short Film Category
- A Month Mentorship with one of our competition mentors!
- 5x Free Open Pitch Sessions
- 5x Months of Roadmap's "Industry On-Ramp" Program
- A monthly 30-Minute Marketing & Strategy Call with Roadmap's CEO and Director of Operations for a year!
- Personalized marketing outreach for your project
See below for a full list of placements and prizes!
Announcement Dates
Top 50 | July 5th, 2023
Top 25 | July 19th, 2023
Top 10 | August 2nd, 2023
Winners | August 16th, 2023
Roadmap Writers is a leader in screenwriting education and training taught by working industry executives & literary representatives. In almost seven years, Roadmap has helped more than 300 writers get signed to representation with agents and managers at companies like CAA, WME, Gersh, 3 Arts, Circle of Confusion, Wonder Street, Zero Gravity, Good Fear, Echo Lake Entertainment, and many more!
2023 Shorts Competition Judges
- Giselle Johnson | Director of Development at BLACKMALED Productions
- Jon Hersh | Literary Manager at Housefire Management
- Jonathan S. Brostoff | Creative Executive at Platinum Dunes
- Constanza Castro | Co-Founder 271 Films
Competition Placements
Top 10 Finalists
- 3 months of Roadmap's "On-Ramp" Program
- 3 Free Open Pitch Session credits. Choose to pitch to execs or reps
- One 60-Minute Group Strategy Webinar with an industry executive
- 30-Minute Marketing & Strategy Call with Roadmap CEO
- Personalized marketing outreach for your project
Top 25 Semifinalists
- 1 month of Roadmap's "On-Ramp" Program
- 1 Free Open Pitch Session credit. Choose to pitch to execs or reps
- One 60-Minute Group Strategy Webinar with an industry executive
- 15-Minute Marketing & Strategy Call with Roadmap CEO
Top 50 Quarterfinalists
- One 60-Minute Group Strategy Webinar with an industry executive
- Featured on Roadmap Writers Website
Scoring Criteria
Submissions will be judged by independent industry experts using the following criteria.
The questions are not exhaustive but are examples of what judges might consider in each category.
Premise/Concept
- Is it unique/original? Is it a new spin on a familiar story?
- Does the concept have longer form potential for either film or TV?
- Can it succinctly be explained?
- Do the actions and obstacles advance the story?
Characters
- Are the characters well-developed?
- Is their purpose or struggle clearly identifiable?
- Do they have a clear and complete arc?
- Are they multi-layered?
- Are the characters relatable or accessible to the reader/viewer?
Dialogue
- Does the dialogue elevate the scene?
- Does it heighten the overall story?
- Does it propel the story forward?
Story
- Is the story compelling?
- Does it serve to drive the characters and events forward in a meaningful way?
- Does it emphasize a deeper theme?
- Does the story explore new ideas?
Structure
- Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
- Does it have the appropriate structural beats?
- For scripted work, is it formatted properly?
- For filmed content, is it edited effectively?
Voice/Style
- Does the writer use interesting word choice and sentence structure?
- Do they have a unique way of viewing and relaying what’s happening in the story?
- Does the writer/filmmaker have a unique perspective?
Download a pdf of this below!
Thank you to our esteemed judges!
