SCREENWRITER: MARK RENSHAW (WARRINGTON, UK)
Q: Mark...when
did you write your first screenplay?
A: Unofficially, I wrote a lot of short screenplays in
the early 90s, but I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I had no idea
about formatting, etc. and simply wrote spoofs starring the people I was working
with. I used to send them around the office and they proved quite popular. One guy liked them so much he asked me to make a
short movie with him. It was just him, me, a few family members as extras and a
borrowed camera. I wrote the "script" and we went for it, guerrilla filmmaking
style! It was called, I Am Peter Cushing. It was a comedy
about a day in the life of a delusional man (played by me) who believes he is
the famous vampire hunter, Peter Cushing. We were proud of the result and
entered into a local film festival in Manchester; the Festival of Fantastic Films. Surprisingly enough, it won best amateur film and can still be found on
Youtube. Unfortunately Hollywood did not beckon and we both
went back to our day jobs. Around 2012 I decided to take this a bit more
seriously. I started reading loads of screenplay books, scripts and learning from
scratch. This was what I consider my official start to writing screenplays. I
also teamed up again with my friend and together we’ve produced a few more short
films.
Q: To
date, approximately how many screenplays have you written?
A: I’ve written around thirty short scripts,
two features, two TV episodes and co-written a webseries.
Q: Which
screenwriting competitions have you entered and seen through to a final result?
A: So far this year I have won a prize in the finals of
the Wildsound Film Festival in Toronto, Canada for a fanfiction episode of
Doctor Who that I wrote. I also reached the finals of the Reel Writers
competition for a short script which received a top pick award. I’m currently in the semi-finals of the Eerie Horror
Festival for a comedy/horror TV pilot. They should be announcing the finalists
any day now. I also reached the semi-finals of Shriekfest and
Scriptamation for a short script, but did not reach the finals in those.
Q:
Approximately how many screenplays did you write prior to entering your first
competition?
A: Not many, a handful at best. I wanted to get an idea
of how I was progressing, something I could measure by. I entered a few
competitions back in 2013 which did not get me anywhere at all, Most completely
rejected my scripts. In 2014 I managed to get to the quarter and semi-final
stages in a few which spurred me onward.
Q: Did
the competition(s) offer feedback—notes, critique, etc.—on the script(s) you
entered? If so, what was the quality of the feedback?
A: I’ve only
been given free feedback in the Wildsound and Reel Writers competitions. Both
were excellent, really useful. Some of the other competitions do offer such
services at a price, but I’ve not tried those.
Q: Did
any of the competitions you entered try to hit you up for pay-based services,
such as script consulting, proofing, etc.?
A: Yes. Quite a few offer [fee-based] script reviews; some
offer discounts on script development services and re-draft submission fees.
Q: If
“yes” to the previous question, did you take advantage of any of these
services? Was this a negative or positive experience?
A: I haven’t, no. I am highly suspicious of such
services being offered under these circumstances. If I wanted to try out such a
service, I would carry out my own research first. I would want to know who I
was paying, their experience, and be confident [that they are] of industry
standards with a positive reputation. I have found it difficult to gain such information
from a film festival or competition, so when I've needed such a service, I’ve
gone to a reputable company that I can research and confirm
their validity.
Q: If you
won or placed high in a competition, did it have any effect, positive or
negative, on your career?
A: There has been no noticeable impact so far. I’ve not
had any offers or been contacted by anyone who has been referred to me by my
success in a competition. I do realize it is early days, relatively speaking. The Reel Writers competition for example, the press release for this
only went out last week. All I know is I’m not giving up. I’m continuing
writing, I’m entering more competitions and I am producing my own films. I just
love what I’m doing too much to stop.
Q: What
types of prizes (monetary and non-monetary) have you won from
the screenplay competitions you’ve entered?
A: I’ve won as many digital laurels as I can eat!
It seems easy to get one of those, they hand them out like candy. The prize from the Wildsound Festival
was a professional actor table-read of the script, which they recorded and
posted on YouTube, as well as their websites. The Reel Writers prize was discounts on entering
next year’s competition and screenwriting services, plus they also send the
script to several production companies.
Q: Other
than any material rewards and/or valuable feedback, what have been the most
satisfying aspects of winning a competition?
A: It’s the satisfaction of knowing my script is deemed
decent enough to win something. My first few scripts were not even accepted in
these festivals, now I’m getting through to qualifying stages and winning some
prizes. It lets me know I’m on the right track but need to do more and keep
on developing.
Q: Have
you ever submitted one of your early screenplays into a competition? If so, is
it something you now regret—and why?
A: No, there’s no regrets. This was the only way I was
going to learn, to grow as a writer. A failure is not a failure for me as long
as I learn an important lesson.
Q: Do you
feel that adding "I won/placed high in the [name of script comp]" to
query letters and pitches prompted any additional interest from agents,
managers and/or production companies you queried?
A: I’ve not done that yet but I aim to in the future. Currently
I’m building a portfolio of scripts, short stories, produced movies and awards.
I’m putting together my own website to promote my work. I want to go on to sell scripts, books, produce
features and TV shows. When I do, you can bet I’ll be using every achievement I
can to try and improve my chances!
Q:
Overall, what do you feel were the positive aspects of
entering a screenplay competition?
A: The
satisfaction of trying is an important milestone, it is a major achievement for
me. I used to hide all my work on my PC and only show it to a few friends. I
was afraid people would laugh at my feeble attempts, or steal my ideas. These
fears crippled me for years. Entering competitions helped me face those fears
and overcome my demons. For the
good competitions, it’s been a great experience. You feel you are part of something
creative, something positive. You feel involved, like your work really matters.
Q:
Overall, what do you feel were the negative aspects of
entering a screenplay competition?
A: Sometimes
it feels like some of these competitions are just cash cows for the organizers.
You don’t get any communication, no emails, little in the way of updates on the
website and no explanation if your script is rejected. I feel some competitions
are just there to take advantage of people desperate to break into the industry. However
this is my responsibility. I should research the competitions more. I certainly
do not enter any again if I am not happy with how they're run.
Q: What
is your current status as a screenwriter?
A: At the
moment this is simply a hobby, although it is my passion. I work full time to
put food on the table and write in my spare time. Hopefully one day I can
switch those around.
Q: Any parting comments, thoughts, or words of advice for screenwriters
considering entering a competition?
A: Research, research and more research. Is the
competition reputable? Does the theme or the competition’s past winners match
the type of script you’ve written? What are your chances (i.e., if you are
against thousands of skilled, veteran scriptwriters and this is your first
entry, maybe consider a lower profile competition first)? Whatever you do, if you love writing, don’t
give up. Keep on writing no matter what. One of my favorite screenwriting
quotes is, "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit."
#
