Have you completed a short screenplay? Has your script placed in competitions and you’ve thought to yourself “What Now?” Deciding what to do with your short script can be a daunting decision for any screenwriter, but as Season 3 of the Killer Shorts Contest comes to a close, we want to help answer these questions. Our goal at Killer Shorts is to support our finalists and anyone who submits to our contest, with the next steps for their short script. From sending out query letters to shooting your own script, check out these helpful tips and tricks that we’ve compiled below. We hope this is helpful to all you writers wondering what comes next.
Connecting With Fellow Filmmakers
You might have a completed short screenplay but don’t know how to get it out there. A great resource for all writers is a network of fellow filmmakers. For some writers, this can be a harder step to take, but having a network of people to read your scripts and offer career support, can make the writer’s experience a bit more welcoming.
Having a community of filmmakers can give you people to turn to when your script needs notes, can lift up your work, introduce you to industry professionals, and bring awareness to opportunities you may have not been familiar with.
There are some great resources to get you started building your network:
The Script Hive
A community of screenwriters with access to over 16k scripts. The largest Discord community of screenwriters in the world. The Script Hive has a One Page Challenge, hosted on the Discord, that will allow you to hone your short horror skills in the confines of a supportive community.
Consider joining The Script Hive Discord here.
It may seem surprising, but Twitter is an excellent resource to network and meet like-minded filmmakers.
An amazing example of this is the collaboration between Killer Shorts Semifinalist Jennifer Dunn on her short film GRANDPA. She collaborated with writer, director Lisa Jay. These two amazing filmmakers met on Twitter and found an amazing creative partner in one another. Check out this interview by Killer Alum Gina DeAngelis, with Jennifer and Lisa, on what can happen in collaboration.
Twitter is a great place to find information about contests, make connections with fellow writers, get great tips from active agents, managers, and producers, and discover new —
Writer’s Groups
Writer’s groups are an excellent resource to consider as you can meet other amazing writers to exchange your scripts and get useful notes to take it to the next level. This can open your eyes to new perspectives and changes that you may never have considered for your script.
Collaborate with Fellow Contest Finalists
Another great way to meet and collaborate with fellow filmmakers is to network with the amazing Killer Shorts alumni roster. You might be able to connect through the Script Hive or Twitter, but a great resource can be our script database. Our site lists the loglines of our finalists and the database allows you to request any script that piques your interest.
A wonderful example of this is the collaboration between Killer Shorts Semifinalist Rob Pilkington and Finalist Travis Jones on Rob’s script BABY. Interview coming soon.
Collaborating with fellow filmmakers brings us to our next tip–
Shooting Your Script
Deciding to shoot your own short can be a really hard decision due to financing and finding a team of people willing to come along with you on this journey. Shooting your script can be a great way to finally see your vision from script to screen. As some of our finalists know, being in production on your project can open your eyes to things in your script you wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Check out some of our interviews with our amazing Killer Shorts finalists as they walk you through the process of shooting your short script:
This interview, It Started With A Logline, with Jeremiah Lewis perfectly reflects what happens when a director is inspired by a logline. Jeremiah’s film The Rickety Man has been doing extremely well in various contests.
Our interview with Killer Alum David Bryant, Don’t Write What You Can’t Shoot, gives a unique look at the filmmaking process when you are the writer, director, and producer of your project. David has quite a bit of experience shooting his projects.
Gina DeAngelis has a different take on shooting your script. Check out the article When The Script Doesn’t Come First: Shooting Your Short where Gina walks you through the process on her short where the script wasn’t completed before production started.
Use It As A Sample Of Your Writing
A tried and true use of your completed short screenplay is to use it as a writing sample. Having a writing sample is an imperative step in a screenwriter’s career.
When querying agents or producers, they will more often than not request a writing sample to gauge your understanding of screenwriting and to get a feel for your style of writing. Typically literary managers will not respond to a short screenplay request so another option is to consider turning your short script into a feature screenplay to use as your sample.
Even if nothing comes of one particular script, you will most likely need a writing sample to set you up for a potential project that best fits your writing style.
Where Can You Upload Your Short Script?
A great way to get your short script noticed are the online resources set up to bring exposure to new writers and their work. Check out these online sources that allow for a writer to submit short screenplays:
Simply Scripts
Simply Scripts is a database of hundreds of downloadable scripts, movie scripts, screenplays, and transcripts. A great resource for any screenwriter.
They highlight an unproduced short script of the day, with the screenwriter’s name and email address, and feature scripts available for production. It is a great way to get your unproduced short scripts noticed by industry professionals.
Inktip
Inktip saw how difficult it was for writers to get their scripts read, so they created this site to make scripts accessible. Over 300 writers have gained representation from Inktip and thousands have been optioned or hired.
Inktip is a great resource for writers to list their scripts, connect with filmmakers, and sell their screenplays.
Script Revolution
A great resource for highlighting yourself as a writer. CJ Walley created Script Revolution to showcase scripts and make them discoverable by the industry. By uploading as many scripts as you want and creating a bio, you can create a strong portfolio for industry members to discover.
Script Revolution features ‘Shootin’ The Shorts’, reviews highlighting only the positives of scripts. You can submit your short script here for nothing but positive reviews from J.E. Clarke and her team of readers.
The Produce My Script subreddit can be a great resource for any screenwriter and filmmaker to meet and share ideas and scripts.
Contests & Film Festivals
Contests and film festivals are an excellent way to not only get scripts read and noticed but there are a myriad of opportunities to network with the members of the contest community. As stated above, Killer Shorts has excellent resources for connecting finalists and fellow writers. Here is a list of screenwriting contests/festivals we consider ‘worth the entry fee’, including horror specific film festivals that accept short scripts:
- TSL Free Screenplay Contest
- Screencraft Short Film Screenplay Competition
- PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition
- Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards
- Table Read My Screenplay Genre Screenplay Competition
- HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition
- The Golden Script Competition
- Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition
- Script Summit
- Austin Film Festival
- The Finish Line Script Competition
- Hollywood Horror Fest
- GenreBlast
- Shriekfest
- Screamfest
- Telluride Horror Show
- ScreenCraft Film Fund
- Shore Scripts Short Film Fund
- Slamdance Screenplay Competition
- Cinequest Screenwriting Competition
- WeScreenplay Shorts Contest
- Film Pipeline Short Screenplay Competition
- Raindance Script Competition
- Roadmap Writers Shorts Competition
- Shoot Your Short Screenplay Competition
- Filmquest
- Austin Revolution Film Festival
- BlueCat Screenplay Competition
- Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition & SHORTS Competition
- Mile High Horror Film Festival
Coverfly
Coverfly is a fantastic resource for any screenwriter to showcase their work. Coverfly is extremely active in the writing community on social media, offering suggestions of expanding one’s script, and being available for industry calls with contest finalists. They go above and beyond to make you feel seen as a writer.
Coverfly offers writers the opportunity to create a profile and upload their short scripts. You can decide who your short scripts are visible to, anyone, industry professionals only, or by request only.
The Coverfly Red List is an amazing resource that allows writers to have their scripts and contest accolades visible to industry professionals. Many of our Killer Shorts writers, even quarterfinalists, have found their scripts on The Red List, specifically the horror short category. In fact, at any time, the horror short red list is frequently dominated by Killer Shorts scripts.
For more information on the specific services Coverfly offers check out our article Coverfly vs. FilmFreeway: What’s The Difference?
Querying Agents, Producers, & Managers
Sending query letters can be a terrifying experiment for any writer. You never know what the response is going to be. Many non-industry folks say “The worst thing they can say is no, right?” As writers, we know that the “no” they’re referring to can make us feel like we want to crawl in a hole and disappear. In all honesty, though, you might send out query after query and not hear back at all, or you just might spark the interest of someone who can change your life.
When querying literary managers, they will typically not respond or read your short screenplays. Killer Shorts offers the unique opportunity to have literary managers read short scripts. However, if you have turned your short scripts into a feature screenplay, or produced a short film to coincide with your short script, they might check that out.
If you fit into one of these categories and are looking to send a query, there is an art to the perfect query letter. What I do know is sell yourself. What are you offering them? Why is your script unlike anything they’ve ever read?
“They get a dozen scripts a week, so they have to WANT to read this one above others.”
John Zaozirny, Literary Manager at Bellevue Productions
For some professional advice check out Killer Shorts judge John Zaozirny, Literary Manager and Head of Bellevue Productions, on Twitter. He gives extraordinary advice to writers, anything from query letters to anecdotes about scripts he’s optioned. Check out this Twitter thread, where John breaks down how to construct a great query letter and the best approach to the process. John’s advice has become truly invaluable.
Final Thoughts
As you’ve just read, there are quite a few possible steps a writer can take once they have completed a short screenplay. From uploading your script online to shooting the film yourself, collaborating with fellow filmmakers, to querying industry professionals, the process can be challenging. Ultimately, as a writer, you have to decide the best course for yourself and your script. Whether you decide to expand your short into a feature or enter it into other contests, Killer Shorts hopes to help our finalists tackle this hurdle and answer the question “I wrote a short screenplay, now what?” We hope this list brings you a little closer.
Submit to Coverfly, FilmFreeway, or NetworkISA for just $35 by the December 17th Extended Deadline!
Killer Shorts actively promotes diverse voices. If you are female-identifying, a Person of Color, a person with a disability, non-binary, or LGBTQ+ please email us at [email protected], or DM us on Twitter, for a discount code to submit your scripts.
