By: Christine Reklaitis
At Shore Scripts, placing in the Feature Contest isn’t simply a laurel for your resume. It’s the start of your time in the Writers Development Program, led by Ajit Samra.
The Winners and Finalists of the 2023 Feature Contest wrapped up several meetings with Ajit. However, this is only the beginning of their relationship, as he looks forward to continuing to champion their growth and careers.
IDENTIFYING BACKGROUND AND GOALS
Before individual meetings with our Feature Contest winners and finalists, Ajit sent each writer a form asking what manager or production company the writer would want to meet with if they had the chance. The writers also shared what other projects they had in their portfolio and where they currently thought their feature stood.
Ajit spent those initial meetings finding out more about the other projects they were working on. Although writers come to Shore Scripts from different backgrounds within the entertainment industry and have different levels of experience, one thing was clear: these writers understood the importance of having other completed scripts or produced shorts in their portfolio.
Those first meetings also focused on the writer’s goals. Here are some of their answers:
Finalist Danny Wascou wrote several TV pilots and entered many contests in the past before he started making webseries and shorts. With Ajit, he identified that he had made a short in the same tone as his finalist feature, TONIGHT TONIGHT, and is currently writing a TV pilot with the same voice. This 1-2-3 punch will be brilliant for marketing not only his existing material, but also his unique storytelling voice.
To hear more from the meeting between Danny and Ajit, watch here.
The Grand Prize Winner Kedar Williams-Stirling identified how important his winning script VIBRATIONS is to him personally, which drives his goal of seeing it produced.
See his interview, along with those of the other winners, to learn more about their goals.
Timothy Kontje, a finalist with his script ZERO LINE, is an assistant at a literary management company, so he recognizes the importance of getting an agent and/or manager and set that as his top goal. Ajit and Timothy agreed on this approach, especially since ZERO LINE would be an expensive film to make. Timothy was realistic in seeing how his unproduced, finalist script could be a great writing sample to secure representation.
He talks about his experience and goals in this meeting.
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT
Ajit read each script and provided development notes to the writer. Many of the writers found that the most helpful aspect of the program was the chance to speak with someone inside the industry and to get insight on how other industry members might view their project or themselves as a writer.
In his meeting with Ajit, Danny shared that he believed that TONIGHT TONIGHT was “98% ready to be sent out,” and Ajit agreed that all the pieces were there, but suggested the story would benefit from moving some pieces around.
Madi Stine and Ajit discussed the possibility of pitching herself as a writer-director and trying to produce her finalist script OUT OF WATER. She had already created a short film version of the feature script before she placed, which helps her cause.
Her discussion with Ajit continues here.
In addition to developing his script, Timothy worked with Ajit on how to best build out his portfolio to show his range of work, and then they discussed the best writing sample to showcase his voice, and to share with his colleagues.
INDUSTRY MEETINGS
Ajit always assesses industry members’ up-to-date mandates before sending out scripts. Regarding the top three scripts in the contest, Ajit explains, “Each script explored characters with unique voices and explored a thrilling world.” These strengths made it possible to send them out to a variety of industry members.
At the time of writing this article, finalists have made contact with Entertainment 360, X Film, Lookout Point, and more. And we know that this is just the beginning! The process of rewriting and submitting takes time.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Even after all the planned meetings concluded, Shore Scripts and Ajit aren’t finished. Concerning the future, he says, “That is one thing I want writers to remember: That my goal is to continue championing their story where I can, even after we finish the program.”
Shore Scripts is geering up for its 2024 Feature Writer Development Program and there’s still time to earn a place! The Feature Contest FINAL DEADLINE is August 30!
