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How Shore Scripts Helps Emerging Writers With Justine Owens

Shore Scripts, founded in 2012, aims to support emerging screenwriters by connecting them with industry professionals and providing opportunities to develop their work. Their new Script Development Fund offers financial and professional support for writers still in the writing process, allowing submissions of treatments or the first 10 pages of a screenplay. Winners will receive cash awards, development support packages, and access to a private community for networking and feedback, with a submission deadline of November 15.

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6 views

How Shore Scripts Helps Emerging Writers With Justine Owens

Shore Scripts, founded in 2012, aims to support emerging screenwriters by connecting them with industry professionals and providing opportunities to develop their work. Their new Script Development Fund offers financial and professional support for writers still in the writing process, allowing submissions of treatments or the first 10 pages of a screenplay. Winners will receive cash awards, development support packages, and access to a private community for networking and feedback, with a submission deadline of November 15.

Uploaded by

Patricia Araujo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How Shore Scripts Helps Emerging Writers with Justine Owens

Written by Matt Lathrom

How Shore Scripts Helps Emerging Writers with Justine Owens hero image
Every writer at some point struggles to finish script and tell the story they want to tell.
Whether it's the dreaded writer’s block, plotting issues, or finding the time in a busy life. You
are not alone!

We sat down with Shore Scripts’ Director of Contests, Justine Owens, to talk about their
latest initiative to help emerging writers write a screenplay that will attract industry attention
and launch their careers.

Script Slug: To start, tell us a little bit about Shore Scripts.

Justine: Shore Scripts was established in 2012 in London, England by the actor Jeremy
Irons, the producer Kees Kassander, and our Founder, cinematographer David Beazley.
They were committed to creating an organization that recognizes new screenwriters and
provides opportunities for them to connect with the industry and establish their careers. In
2018, we moved to Los Angeles, seeking an even greater marketplace in which to promote
new talent.

Script Slug: You're launching a new Script Development Fund. This is a huge opportunity for
writers. Can you tell us about it and how it came to be?

Justine: Over the years how we could promote our alumni has developed. Originally, and to
this day, we connect Feature and TV writers with agents, managers, and producers who can
take their careers forward. Then, we created the Short Film Fund, where we provide
financing so that emerging screenwriters’ work can be filmed and seen – again hopefully
leading to future career opportunities for them. Now for the first time, we are trying to help
writers who are still in the process of writing. Our other contests all rely on having a finished
draft. But with the Script Development Fund, we are offering financial and professional
support to help a writer get to FADE OUT over the course of a year.

Script Slug: How does this latest contest differ from those you were running before?

Justine: The wonderful thing about the Script Development Fund is that it works equally well
if you are just beginning to write for the screen, or if you are looking to adapt a story from
one script format to another. The Fund accepts short Treatments or the first 10 pages of a
screenplay and essentially we are looking for potential – a great story idea that deserves to
see the light of day as a fully-fledged screenplay. You might be adapting a short into a
feature or a feature into a series, or you may be working on your very first script. If you can
send us a treatment or the first few pages, we want to read it.

Script Slug: What do the writers who place in this contest receive?
Justine: This is the first year of the Fund so we have tried to make it chock full of helpful
things. There will be two overall Winners, who receive cash awards. Plus, each of the
winners will receive a script development support package that includes two 1-hour calls with
our Head of Development, Lee Hamilton, a free 6-page coverage report, and two free
3-page coverage reports. These can be drawn down throughout 2024, with the hope that by
rounds of repeated discussion and feedback, these writers will reach their goal of finishing
their scripts. Moreover many of Shore Scripts’ long-time collaboration partners - Save The
Cat, Stage 32, the ISA, Women in Film & TV - are making time to take questions and provide
answers for our winning writers. When the writers have their scripts in final form, we will work
with them to find connections from our industry and directors roster. Everyone who places
gets the opportunity to join our private Facebook Group where they can engage with our
team, and other alumni, and attend online events solely available to that community.

Script Slug: There's a lot of skepticism when it comes to screenwriting contests. Whether it's
the quality of judges and feedback or if they really provide the opportunities they claim. What
sets Shore Scripts apart?

Justine: At Shore Scripts, we can only stand on our record. We've helped launch the careers
of over 100 writers. We believe we put more resources into delivering fair results and quality
experiences than many other organizations. Starting with our signing up to the Women of
Color Unite pledge in 2021, we have embedded equity, diveristy, and inclusion into our
organizational thinking and processes. What’s more, we have a Coverage Service Manager
who quality assures our coverage before we send it out, and gathers feedback from those
who use the service every 3 months so we can keep making things better. All our alumni are
encouraged to stay in touch so we can help them where we can. We take our relationships,
continuous improvement, and accountability very seriously. We share our scoring with every
writer that enters any of Shore Scripts’ programs and if you have any questions about your
score, you can always get in touch with us to discuss things.

Script Slug: That's reassuring. One of our biggest gripes with screenwriting conests is the
lack of transparency in the process. You seem to take that very seriously.

Justine: It's critical. We're connecting writers with real opportunities. It's important that the
industry professionals we work with know we're bringing our best.

Script Slug: On that note, how can writers apply?

Justine: Visit the Shore Scripts website. Take a look at the options for entry. Do you have
your first 10 pages yet? Or do you want to submit a short Treatment? If you are not sure how
to write a treatment, then we have an Articles section on our site where you can find our top
tips on creating one. Look at the Rules & FAQ for the contest, and make sure your
submission meets those requirements. If you still have questions? Then you can send an
email to [email protected] and we’ll do our best to answer them.

The Script Development Fund submission deadline is November 15.

Script Development Fund


Justine Owens, Director of Contests | Shore Scripts
Justine Owens has been fascinated by the movie business since childhood and studied Film
History at college. Justine first joined Shore Scripts as a reader after working on Slated’s
innovative online film financing platform and later, for American Zoetrope Studios. Now as
Director of Contests, she enjoys creating opportunities for emerging screenwriters and
filmmakers who aspire to tell their stories in an industry that makes magic.

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