According to Jeff Portnoy, literary manager at Bellevue Productions and a judge for this year’s Final Draft’s Big Break, what makes Final Draft’s competition stand out from other screenwriting contests is its emphasis on outreach and advocacy for those who place and/or win.  

“The coordinators of the contest proactively reach out to industry professionals and introduce them to the writers and the work of the writers who place and/or win the competition,” he says, which is why he believes screenwriters should enter contests like Final Draft’s Big Break. “It exposes a writer’s work to industry professionals, including but not limited to, agents, managers, producers and studio/streamer executives, who vet and judge the scripts throughout the process and exposure is the name of the game when you are starting out.”

When judging a script, he says character, dialogue and voice are the most important things for him that will get his attention.

Big Break 2023 is now open for entries, learn more here!

“And when I say ‘voice,’ in some contexts that is an umbrella term for everything that makes up a script (characters, dialogue, concept, plot, structure, setting, theme, tone, etc.) but I mean it more as the prose or style of the prose itself. Writers who make the reading fun for industry professionals by breaking the fourth wall and writing tongue-in-cheek anecdotes and just having fun on the page will stand out from the pack.”

While Portnoy says every script has its own fair share of challenges and therefore the notes will vary greatly from script to script, he does share that in terms of what turns him off the most in a script is a lengthy Act One.

“If ACT I is too long and it takes too long to break into Act II, readers will lose interest and move on. You want to try to break into ACT II on or around page 25 but always better to err on the shorter side if possible.”

However Portnoy admits not every winning script needs to have “it all” in order to place. “If the characters are dimensional, complex, colorful, compelling, etc., and the dialogue feels authentic and the voice is distinctive, I think it can be placed. A unique concept/premise also helps.”

In terms of his advice for writers before they enter a contest like Big Break, it all comes down to originality. “You need to stand out and that is hard when there are 6,000+ applicants to a competition like this. Be bold when it comes to concept/premise/logline. It should be loud and buzzy and stand out. And of course, the voice/prose on the page also needs to stand out.”

And when it comes to the value of a solid spec script post-contest, with or without a sale, Portnoy says the experience of placing in a contest like Final Draft’s Big Break could very well pay off.

“Statistically speaking, most scripts don’t sell, but you can get a lot of other mileage out of a spec,” he explains.

“First of all, at the very least, you got practice. But it can also help a writer sign with a manager and/or agent, it can help them get general meetings with producers and development executives, which could lead to paid assignments. It can also win or place in competitions or fellowships or get on industry lists that can raise the profile of the writer and script which can lead to finding representation and landing paid writing assignments.”

When asked, as a manager, if a writer seems more appealing to him if they've won a contest like Big Break, Portnoy’s simple answer says it all: “Yes."