Red Planet Prize

The Red PLanet Prize is back. Deadline 22nd January 2016. http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/the-red-planet-prize 'Send us the first ten pages of a 60' TV screenplay along with a half-page description of how the series will work ... One lucky winner will receive £5,000 to have their screenplay exclusively developed by Red Planet Pictures and will also have six months of intensive development with a dedicated and experienced script editor. The winner will also receive one to one masterclasses with the crème de la crème of British writing talent including Tony Jordan, Andrew Davies, and Sarah Phelps.'

I've done this (unsuccesfully) before so may have a look.

60 minute screenplay to clarify if anyone is thick enough to realise.

(Sneaks out!)

Yes - this is one of the few legit prizes that can actually lead to something worthwhile.

Is this for comedy?

"We want ideas that burst with character, people and worlds we've never seen before, new spins on genre or totally new genres! But most importantly ideas that are deeply truthful and personal to the writer - stories that only you can tell." Check out what they've already produced - http://www.redplanetpictures.co.uk/#productions

Quote: talltaz @ 17th November 2015, 4:07 PM GMT

Is this for comedy?

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It's more of a drama competition - for people who can't write comedy!

I'll sneak a few little funnies in though.

Does anyone else see the instructions as slightly confusing? They mention a 60' screenplay but then go on to ask you to say how the series will develop.

I'm guessing they want a pilot then. But they're not saying how many episodes the series should be? Confused.

They mean a 60 minute episode of an original TV drama, not a film screenplay. Hope that helps.
Regarding episodes, it depends on how big a story you want to tell. At this stage, a rough idea of how it develops would suffice.

Quote: Poirot @ 2nd December 2015, 11:15 PM GMT

I'm guessing they want a pilot then. But they're not saying how many episodes the series should be? Confused.

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As many as you can get away with. Doesn't really matter if you are only writing a pilot though.

Did anyone else get an entry in for this? Deadline is tomorrow.

Bugger! Forgotten again. Otherwise sidetracked by - amongst other things - this bloody site!

Also bugger!

Yes, sent mine yesterday evening - didn't want to risk the computer grinding to a halt just before the deadline.

There's also a great interview with Tony Jordan on Danny Stack's site if anyone is interested. Here's a link:

http://dannystack.com/red-planet-prize-tony-jordan-interview/

I didn't enter.

I had a script, nearing an hour's worth of material written, that I've been working on for over a year (started autumn 2014), and I was brushing up the first 10 pages, but I wasn't satisfied it completely sent out the right vibe/statement those first 10 pages are meant to.

I was still going to submit, but if I wasn't 100% convinced, the readers certainly wouldn't be.

The BBC Writer's Room/Script Room for drama is autumn sometime, so reckon I'll have a whole hour I'm happy with by then, I hope! Feeling audacious and will also enter the comedy one in March too, a script from last year I've also been looking back over.

Quote: Feeoree @ 23rd January 2016, 5:26 PM GMT

I was still going to submit, but if I wasn't 100% convinced, the readers certainly wouldn't be.

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You may be a bit hard on yourself.

Anyone who spends so long working on a script is bound to be the introspective type.

Ultimately the readers decide how good a script is, not you.

Maybe you should have submitted?