How to compete for awards–and win

Each year, many competitions are held in show biz, with successful competitors romping off with prized awards that add to their cachet as exceptional actors, directors or technical talents.

How can contenders participate in such tilts and have a better chance of emerging as winners? Some of the writing, acting and directing talents we’ve mentored have won more than their share of awards, so we’re sharing these hopefully helpful notes with you, in case you’re interested and determined to not end up as a tearful “thank you” boy or girl:

First, you have to keep reminding yourself when you join a tilt that it’s a competition, so there’s no use joining it just to “try your luck.”

Next, realize that, in a tilt, your opinion about your talent is irrelevant—the only thing that counts is the judges’ judgment on it. So, stop banging your head against that rock-solid wall—it simply won’t budge!

It’s also helpful to understand what kind of tilt you’re participating in. Many contests these days aren’t objective and don’t have suitably high standards. Indeed, in some of them, the awards are for sale—in cash or kind.

In such instances, our tips are completely useless—just pay up, and if you’re the highest bidder, you’ll get that gleaming trophy you desire so much, to impress the socks off the people you are so desperate to delude.

Our tips work only in legit competitions, so if that’s the type you have set your sights on, keep reading: You have to do your research and figure out the specific dynamics of the tilt you want to win.

If it’s a playwriting or screenplay competition, the relevance or significance of your topic or theme is of utmost importance, since many judges are looking for more than just slick, diverting writing—they prefer scripts that “resonate” (impinge on people’s lives and key issues).

If it’s an acting tilt, keep in mind that many judges think (wrongly) that “drama” is “more significant” than comedy—so, be guided accordingly in your choice of “showcase” roles. If it’s a tilt for best director, make sure that your entry is much more visual than verbal, since it is this key difference that spells victory in a number of instances.

Key link

If some of these notes sound too cynically “made to measure,” understand that the outcome of many tilts is significantly influenced by context, the key link between your entry and the specific competition to which it’s been submitted for consideration.

—To come up with a piece of work that you expect to emerge triumphant in all contexts is to open yourself up to almost certain disappointment!

Despite the difficulties and complexities involved, new talents are still encouraged to join competitions, because a successful outcome can fast-track your career’s progression.

Another plus factor is the fact that some tilts for writing get professional directors as jurors, and they’re always looking for a good script to direct.

So, even if your teleplay or screenplay doesn’t win an award, if a director-juror pushes it all the way to production—you’ve already won!