The Quickie Challenge

Page Length: 3 pages MAXIMUM
Scripts Due: 3 days from start of challenge
Genre: Any
Budget: Any

Parameters: You will be given a LOCATION and OBJECT that must be used in your screenplay (further explanation at the bottom).

**The location/object parameters are below. Remember, you may choose either set. You CANNOT mix and match between them. Just pick one group or the other:


Location: A Retirement Home
Object: A Jump Rope

---------------------------------

Location: A Church
Object: A Pair of Dice


The challenge has started! Scripts must be submitted by August 20th at 11:59 EST.

Timeline:
August 17th at 7PM EST - Location/Object announced. Start of challenge.
August 20th at 11:59PM EST - Scripts are due to SimplyScripts.com/owc
August 27th - Writer's Choice scoring due

RULES:
--3 pages MAXIMUM.
--Must incorporate the given location and object.
--Screenplay must be properly formatted and in PDF format.
--Do not put your real name on your script. However, please use your real name when submitting your script.
--You may revise your script as many times as you wish up until the deadline.
--Participants are strongly encouraged to read and comment/review on the scripts submitted.
--Please put © on the bottom left corner of your title page.
--One entry per person. No pissers. Free to enter. This is not a contest.


LOCATION/OBJECT REQUIREMENTS FURTHER EXPLAINED:

Neither has to appear in the entirety of the screenplay.

Just make it clear we are in the location at some point AND that the object is in at least one scene at some point.

For the location, you can just put it in a master scene heading, you can use a mini-slug, you can do anything as long as it's clear we are in that location at some point. If the reader cannot tell for sure, you run the risk of getting DQ'ed.

For the object, have it be visible at some point in the screenplay. It cannot be a character describing the object. It cannot be a painting of the object. It cannot be a hologram. It has to be the actual object we can see on screen.

Feel free to ask any questions now because you won't have much time once the challenge starts.

And good luck!!!

Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to enter!

What???

Sounds a bit.... great ... 3 pages that's my limit

OK so can be comedy but no pissers.

Quoted from stevie OK so can be comedy but no pissers.

Yep.

I'm always ready for a quickie...  ;D

Quoted from stevie OK so can be comedy but no pissers.

I'd never believe you're behind the Stones script last time:-)

Can you do now....

Jamiroquai...

that's hard though

Good stuff, James! Looking forward to the announcement.

After the last OWC, I hate to start asking questions BUT, to clarify,  we all get the same location and object?

Too cool - can't wait to hear what you have up your sleeve.

Sounds like good training.

Object... Object...

What dreams shall come--

Quoted from JEStaats After the last OWC, I hate to start asking questions BUT, to clarify,  we all get the same location and object? Too cool - can't wait to hear what you have up your sleeve.

Questions are good, ask away. That's the one thing I didn't mention yet. I'm gonna give you all two separate sets of location/object. So everyone gets the same options, and it's your choice which set to use. You CANNOT mix and match between them. Just pick one set or the other.

3-pagers can be tough, but I'll give it a go.

What can I say, this sounds shady and weird. Fortunately, I'm in the right state of mind to take part. But for those who are in - go on, make us sane ones laugh.


Kidding, we used to have two days challenges and those were a lot of fun. They were one on one but the "guest contestants" were welcome as well. It was a long time ago, possibly five years have passed or something. We even did commercials on these. I remember liking the commercials better but people voted against them and we switched back to scripts. Anyway, good luck with the challenge, James. I'll try to come up with some interesting questions as soon as the object is announced.  

I like the sound of this and I haven't written anything new in ages so I'll give it a go.

Looking forward to the location being announced as a rectum and the object a bag of sprouts.

-Mark  

Quoted from MarkRenshaw Looking forward to the location being announced as a rectum and the object a bag of sprouts.

Remember, this is fiction, Mark.

Just saw this.  Hope I can play along, but the timing ain't good, as I really don't write on the weekend, but we'll see.

3 pagers aren't my idea of a script, either, but like Pia, I'm always up for a quickie!   ;D ;D

3 pages just ins't enough for me to invest time into a story. But that's totally fine as I know some people can. I'll be out but will try to get in some reads all the same once they are posted.

Best of luck to all.

Last time I wrote a 3-pager I asked the director if it was OK if I had 3.5. Technically, 3.5 isn't 4 and is still 3. It was OK, but in the end, those 3.5 pages ended up running for 6 minutes.

If dialogue is kept to a minimum, 3 pages can tell a lot of story.

I have written a few one pagers. I think they were all pretty good. It can be done.  :)

I'm in

Excellent.

More of them joining. Falling right into my trap. Er, I mean, my challenge. Yes, just a harmless challenge. Muahaha!

Not trying to mess up your thing here, Mark, but unless the parameters are released today/tonight, I won't be able to play along.

I will do my best to read and give positive feedback, though.    ;D ;D ;D ;D

Seeing as a bout of carpal tunnel has knocked me out of work for a little while, I just may be able to slowly tap away on the keys and make the deadline.

I won't start earlier cuz some people might not notice the change in time. But I'm not entirely opposed to extending the deadline to Monday. I purposely set it for the weekend figuring that's when people would have the most free time. Maybe that's not the case.

A normal challenge is usually 6-10 pages in 7 days and people manage that. I want it to be difficult but not impossible. What do people think? I'm willing to tack on one extra day. But I gotta hear some compelling arguments. Weekend skiing is not a good enough reason haha.

3 pages, 3 days sounds reasonable to me.

3 pages in 3 days isn't the issue at all.

For me, like I said, I don't and won't spend any time writing or thinking about writing on weekends.  Mondays, being the start of the week, are also tough.

No big deal.  I'll read as many as I can and we'll call it cool.

Quoted from Dreamscale 3 pages in 3 days isn't the issue at all. For me, like I said, I don't and won't spend any time writing or thinking about writing on weekends.  Mondays, being the start of the week, are also tough. No big deal.  I'll read as many as I can and we'll call it cool.

Yeah, no worries. Appreciate you taking the time to give feedback on scripts even when not in. And just think folks, if you write a script that's only one page, Jeff can't bail on page one!

I just got finished with the 48 Hour Film project, so I'm in excellent shape for this right now, and three days to write a script is much more reasonable than making a short film in 48 hours. I think a three hour challenge would be the real titty twister!!

Quoted from Talldave I think a three hour challenge would be the real titty twister!!

We actually had a producer show up one time and asked for a script he could shoot that weekend. He had access to a hospital. Several SS members wrote scripts in just a couple of hours for him. Some turned out pretty good. My entry ended up being filmed, although by a different filmmaker. Sometimes, stress and adrenaline just works well with the creative mind.  :)

3 hours would not be doable for me. It takes me a couple of days to come up with an idea sometimes.

Quoted from SAC Seeing as a bout of carpal tunnel has knocked me out of work for a little while, I just may be able to slowly tap away on the keys and make the deadline.

I feel your pain...really I do. Been diagnosed with that recently. Have to use a splint for work and I've retrained myself to use my mouse with my left hand, both are actually helping.

***Switches mouse to left hand***

Oops, I can't, it's designed, shaped for the right hand. If I switch, there are two little buttons on the side of the mouse that can move web pages forward and back. Nothing worse than typing out a post and hitting one of the buttons that takes me back to a previous web page. I'm going to have to buy a left-handed mouse.

Thanks for mentioning this. I think this could be a future problem for me. I suppose one help would be to write more and stop resting my hand on the mouse when not in use.

I've put a bit more thought into this and I think we need something like this:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/206877361/sofa-chair-arm-rest-tray-table-stand

Keeps the arm and therefore the wrist, in a more natural position. I suppose longer ones, that also hold a keyboard may be good.

Woah, so I won't be seeing the challenge today cuz I'm here in Azerbaijan and it's 10:30 pm right now and the challenge will be announced at 7 pm which means in 5 and a half hours. So, I'll miss half a day there and then the day of submission as I'm full 9 hours ahead of you and will be sleeping, so will have to submit early for this.
Which means I'm left with what - a day and a half, two days tops. Not sure it'll be enough for me.

Quoted from khamanna Woah, so I won't be seeing the challenge today cuz I'm here in Azerbaijan and it's 10:30 pm right now and the challenge will be announced at 7 pm which means in 5 and a half hours. So, I'll miss half a day there and then the day of submission as I'm full 9 hours ahead of you and will be sleeping, so will have to submit early for this. Which means I'm left with what - a day and a half, two days tops. Not sure it'll be enough for me.

Hmm, after careful consideration I think the most logical solution would be to get addicted to crack so you stay up for three nights straight and have plenty of time to write.

Well it's 2:30 am here and I'm still up. And it feels like I'm on crack by the way.
Hour and a half to go, but I just realised it doesn't matter as My head stopped working an hour ago.

Quoted from khamanna Well it's 2:30 am here and I'm still up. And it feels like I'm on crack by the way. Hour and a half to go, but I just realised it doesn't matter as My head stopped working an hour ago.

I love your Kitty Cat, Khamanna. Looks like one of mine.  :) Where in the world are you, right now?

And has this challenge started yet?

Sandra

That's what I'm talking bout, Khamanna! Fight through the pain. But what do you mean by hour and a half to go? I'm gonna be announcing in like ten minutes.

Is it one entry per person? Already finished mine.

Quoted from Cooper Is it one entry per person? Already finished mine.

Yes, only one per person. Maybe I should have made it the three hour challenge lol.

Hot tip: Have Don put up a countdown clock.

Quoted from LC Hot tip: Have Don put up a countdown clock.

He was already Johnny on the Spot with the submission page. I don't wanna give him any more work. I'm off to bed now, keep those fingers typing away, folks. Show that carpal tunnel who's boss.

Question about the dice.  Can they be any type of dice??

Thanks,
Dan

Hey, Sandra, I'm in Baku, Azerbaijan. 9hours away from most of you. 11 from some.

James, do I have to repeat my questions here to keep both threads afloat?
I have another question for you about the mass. Now where do I ask it?

Quoted from DanC Question about the dice.  Can they be any type of dice?? Thanks, Dan

Interesting question. I've used 20-side dice before.. You can also get dice with just colours on, etc.

Quoted from khamanna Hey, Sandra, I'm in Baku, Azerbaijan. 9hours away from most of you. 11 from some. James, do I have to repeat my questions here to keep both threads afloat? I have another question for you about the mass. Now where do I ask it?

Good question about questions. Lets try to keep questions in the other thread so people can scroll through and find them easier.

Quoted from Grandma Bear We actually had a producer show up one time and asked for a script he could shoot that weekend. He had access to a hospital. Several SS members wrote scripts in just a couple of hours for him. Some turned out pretty good. My entry ended up being filmed, although by a different filmmaker. Sometimes, stress and adrenaline just works well with the creative mind.  :)

I think so, it really helps me focus, which is great because I can be such a drifter without purpose. I really enjoyed this one though, harder the challenge the more fun it is!