Final Draft Blog

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5 Steps to Preparing for a Screenwriting Contest

March 9, 2023

Every year there’s a new wave of screenwriting contests that a writer can enter in the hopes of getting more eyes on their spec script. Some of these annual contests, like the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest, show winning scripts to A-lis...

Big Break: Screenwriting Contest for Career Success in Film and TV

March 6, 2023

Is your screenplay or pilot contest-ready? With dozens of screenwriting contests out there, it’s important to consider which ones are worth your time and money. Over the past 20 years, the Big Break Screenwriting Contest has become one of the most re...

A Big Break Success Story: Otter Space by Benj Thall and Andrew Levine

October 7, 2022

In 2020, screenwriting team Andrew Levine and Benj Thall’s Family/Animated feature Otter Space placed in the Top 5 of their category, thus beginning their journey to making Otter Space the podcast a reality. The writing duo credits Big Break as essen...

Selecting Your Script Genre for the Big Break® Screenwriting Contest

June 15, 2022

The Big Break Screenwriting Contest is an annual competition that has helped launch the careers of numerous film and television writers. Their scripts have been optioned, sold, and some writers have even secured high-profile representation. If you ha...

The Business of Screenwriting: Working with the right manager or agent

June 9, 2022

I’m a professional screenwriter who has been working in the film and television industry for fourteen years. Since I first broke into the business I’ve been repped by five managers and three agencies. Surprisingly this isn’t uncommon in the entertain...

Big Break® Screenwriting Contest: Anonymous reader shares 5 most common mistakes to avoid

June 6, 2022

For six years I’ve been a reader for Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest. The annual competition has thousands of writers enter with the hope of launching a screenwriting career (in both film and television). Every year finalists and winner...

From NYU to destroying worlds: 2021 Big Break Winner Matthew Manson

May 25, 2022

Photo courtesy of Matthew Manson Gaby Guffner: Destroyer of Worlds writer Matthew Manson celebrated his Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest® win with his family — and a bottle of Trader Joe’s bubbly.

2021 Big Break Grand Prize Winner David Page on keeping the file open

April 12, 2022

David Page isn’t a stranger to prestigious screenwriting contests. As a multi-quarter finalist, semi-finalist and finalist for contests like The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, the PAGE Awards, ScreenCraft and the Austin Film Festival, Page’s scripts are...

Screenwriter Chris Pittas proves you don't have to win, to win

April 8, 2022

Screenwriter Chris Pittas recently placed in Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest. Although the triumph didn’t lead to taking the top prize, it still opened some incredible industry doors, proving you don’t have to win a contest to win at th...