NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > GENERAL DISCUSSION > Screenwriting Bar & Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - How important is formatting...?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

How important is formatting...?
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Jiillii View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Groupie
NYC Midnight Groupie


Joined: 30 Jan 2024
Status: Offline
Points: 139 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jiillii Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2025 at 3:04pm
Originally posted by Aporia Aporia wrote:

Originally posted by Suave Suave wrote:

Formatting is part of the judging, not that big a part. Some judges will just look past it as this a contest and there will be many new people entering. If you look in the rules it will tell you what percentage can be used for it. I would not worry greatly.

Formatting is 15% and what’s detailed as “formatting” in the rules (per section 17) is more about submission guidelines and less about traditional screenwriting format, style, and structure. 5% is grammar, and 80% is story.

That said, the winner’s scripts, the ones they post on the website, from my glance at those scripts, all of them are technically perfect, so that could mean the competition is so fierce to where that 20% becomes really important.

Good point!
Back to Top
Jiillii View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Groupie
NYC Midnight Groupie


Joined: 30 Jan 2024
Status: Offline
Points: 139 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jiillii Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2025 at 3:05pm
Originally posted by John.Needham John.Needham wrote:

It's a competition and marks are awarded for being professional, which is what winners want to be - a professional writer.

That being said, looking at last year's judges' comments, there didn't seem to be any of them who made a point of noting the incorrect use of producers' compared to producer's according to the context. If the marking is correctly set, then a great idea should stand an excellent chance of getting through. 

As someone noted, there might be two equally great scripts, which I guess is when grammar and formatting will make the difference.

Great point. I think that is what is annoying me, that formatting could put me out rather than my writing or idea! I will keep my fingers crossed and learn from it!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <123

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.05
Copyright ©2001-2022 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.366 seconds.