SHARKS SHORT FILM SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION - 2023.

'BRASS NECK'

'The following brief is based on nothing in reality and has been put together for one simple reason - in the hope that it stimulates those who choose to tackle it to come up with scripts/stories that are creative, engaging and imaginative. Our only ‘tip’ would be don’t get too involved or bogged down with the detail of the brief, simply find the very best story (solution?) you can.

BRIEF

The Bessingbarn Brass Band from Lancashire are the second oldest brass band in the world.

Since they were formed (1818), they have played thousands of concerts including at the Albert Hall, the Hamburg Opera House and The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

They play traditional brass band tunes but can turn their hand (trumpets, whatever) to just about any genre of music.

You won’t become part of this band unless you are a gifted musician.

The band are a happy band of brothers and sisters.

Well…mostly.

In their ranks is cornet player ‘Mo' and she has an itch that REALLY needs scratching.

That itch is Bessingbarn’s rivals, The Stalypont Brass band, who just happen to be the world’s oldest brass band in the world (formed in 1812).

Being in the SECOND oldest brass band in the world just doesn’t sit well with Mo, who spends far too many idle moments praying for the demise of Stalypont and daydreaming about ways of getting rid of them, so Bessingbarn can take the title of ‘the oldest brass band in the world’.

And then one day, Mo believes she has come up with a perfect plan that’ll get rid of Stalypont.

And…that’s where you come in.

We’re looking for a script (nb: no more than 5 mins), that describes how she goes about trying to get her way.

Her plan has to be something clever (ie: not simply blowing up her rivals or mass shootings etc).

Something that theoretically could lead to a (rival) band ceasing to be.

Could she set them up to be scandalised in some way?

We will leave it to you, but maybe worth remembering we live in a time when saying and/or doing the ‘wrong’ thing can end careers (as can things revealed about our behaviour in the past)

Be imaginative, be creative, be on brief and have your scripts with us for judging by the 30th November at the latest.

The winner will receive £1000 and one of our sensational and beautifully designed iconic black Sharks head trophies.

Awards & Prizes

Cash Prize of £1000 and, of course a revered Shark Head Trophy.

Rules & Terms

1. Open to entries worldwide written in English language only.
2. We close for entries on 30th November 2023.
3. The Script must be your original creative work, and you warrant that you are the sole creator. Writing teams are accepted.
4. You agree we may publish the synopsis of the winning script. You retain all rights to the Script itself and any other creative materials submitted to the Competition.
5. You agree that your submission will not infringe, misappropriate or violate the intellectual property, privacy or other rights of any third party.
6. You are solely responsible for protecting your intellectual property rights in the Script.
7. The script must not have been previously produced into a movie before the winner is announced.
8. Participation in the competition constitutes permission to use the winners name and photograph on our website and in promotional material.
9. We will publish a shortlist of Finalists, prior to announcing the winner, here on our website and in social media.
10. The team at The Shark Awards (writers and producers) will sift the entries to create a manageable list for our judge to review.
11. This is a free to enter competition, therefore you agree there is no contract entered into, implied or otherwise.
12. You accept that the decisions made by the staff and judges are their personal subjective opinions and for reasons of confidentiality we do not provide further comment on individual entries.
13. We reserve the right to revoke/disqualify any entry or award for a breach of these rules.
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Format
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The Film Title should sit in the header at top of page.
No credits should appear on page.
The 500 word synopsis should sit immediately under the Film Title.
The script should follow.
You may include a treatment or storyboard if you so wish.
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Advice
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Please note that the brief is for a '5 minutes or less' Short Film, not Heaven's Gate! Entries should be written as succinctly as possible. The judge will principally be looking for an idea that can be compellingly expressed in a 5 minute time-length. This should be clear from the synopsis. It is quite likely that any entry that clearly fails this first objective will be discarded from further reading. Once the 5 minute rule has been established the script and treatment will help visualise the execution into moving image. Think 5 minutes, less is more!
2 Reviews
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  • Ernest Dempsey

    It was an enjoyable writing contest with an interesting prompt. My short script ended up as a finalist. The contest was free to enter - which is a great incentive. Will love to participate again.

    March 2023
    Helpful
  • Declan Lynch

    Great festival in the picturesque town of Kinsale, Ireland. Top quality Q&A's and speakers. Thoroughly recommend.

    October 2016
    Helpful