An Unparalleled Table Read Experience
See your script brought to life in a rehearsed, professionally directed table read with experienced actors in front of a live audience in Hollywood, CA. This is not a standard table read; actors will be on their feet with scripts, more akin to a stage performance. As an integral part of the creative process, you'll meet with the director, assist in casting actors, participate in the rehearsal and more, culminating in the live performance.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive $1500, flight and accommodations in Hollywood and consideration for the ISA Development Slate. Writers on the Slate are championed by the development team to producers, literary representatives and other industry executives from companies like CAA, ICM, Sony, MAX, Amazon/MGM Studios, Lucky Chap and many more.
Past Table Read winners have been staffed and their projects have been optioned, premiered at Cannes and been nominated for Oscars among other successes.
Prizes
(Features & TV Pilots)
Grand Prize
Winner
$1500 Cash
Trip to Hollywood
Flight and accommodations
Table Read
Experience a live staged reading of your script with a professional director and actors.
ISA Development Slate Acceptance
Development Slate writers are championed to top agents, managers and producing contacts. Learn More
Meeting with an Industry Pro
Meet with one of Table Read's agent, manager or producing partners.
Meeting with ISA Development Execs
Receive access to our industry contacts' current mandates plus development of a personalized producer outreach plan.
Two 1-Hour Consultation Sessions with Suzanne Gundersen of ScreenwriteNOW
Suzanne mentors screenwriters and industry creatives to clear the path that lets their writing flow. Learn More
16-Year Copyright
Provided by Creators Vault
12-Month ISAConnect Membership
Access to the most comprehensive platform for screenwriters. Learn More
Top 10
Finalists
ISA Development Slate Consideration
Development Slate writers are championed to top agents, managers and producing contacts. Learn More
Script Studio
Copy of the ultimate writer's toolbox, Script Studio
1-Hour Consultation Session with Suzanne Gundersen of ScreenwriteNOW
Suzanne mentors screenwriters and industry creatives to clear the path that lets their writing flow. Learn More
10-Year Copyright
Provided by Creators Vault
6-Month ISAConnect Membership
Access to the most comprehensive platform for screenwriters. Learn More
Consideration for Grand Prize
1 of the 10 Finalists will be selected as the Grand Prize Winner
Deadlines
Mega-Early: May 2nd - $29
Early: May 23rd - $39
Final: June 27th - $59
Announcements
Quarter-Finalists
August 8th
Semi-Finalists
August 22nd
Finalists - Top 10
August 29th
Grand Prize Winner
September 12th
Table Read Winner Success
Shopping Agreement
Recent winner Emily Wahlund's project TWO IN A MILLION was put on a shopping agreement with Creative Screenwriter Productions, leading to further development meetings with Academy Award winning producer Lisa Bruce.
ISA Development Slate Invitation
Kirk Weddell was discovered by the ISA after being selected as the Table Read Horror/Sci-Fi Genre Winner and was invited onto the ISA Development Slate.
Staffed By Major Networks
After winning TRMS, Elaine Loh was announced as one of ISA's Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch. She has since been accepted into the HBO Access Writers Program, and staffed on the reboot of GOSSIP GIRL for HBO Max. She was recently promoted to Story Editor on DYNASTY for the CW.
TRMS Winner Gains Representation
Since winning TRMS, Derek Asaff has been signed by Lee Stobby Entertainment and was accepted into the Universal Writers Program. His competition-winning script THE WHEELMAN was optioned to Sony and Original FiIm.
TRMS Winning Short Premieres at Cannes
Denise Meyers Table Read-Winning script, THE DARK OF NIGHT, directed by Robin Wright and starring Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb, is now a film and had its red carpet premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Meyers also optioned three projects with actor and producer Jay Ellis, who stars as Lawrence on HBO’S INSECURE, and his producing partner, Aaron Bergman.
Hired After Table Read Event
After attending her winning table read, ROTU Entertainment hired Shane Elizabeth to write a script for their VR game and serve as a Script Supervisor during production. She was also hired by Datura Studios to write a biopic feature.
ISA Development Slate Invitation
Writing partners and Table Read Grand Prize Winners Adelita E. Lopez and Amanda Lopez were invited onto the ISA Development Slate following their win.
Unparalleled Career Development
As the Grand Prize Winner, you'll be considered for acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate where our team will get you and your script in front of producers, agents and managers.
Over 80 scripts from ISA Development Slate writers have been produced, optioned or sold.
Our industry partners include:
The Table Read Experience
“Winning Table Read…changed the trajectory of my career and amplified my hard work in ways both wonderful and unexpected. I’ve pushed deep into the space where my writing goals have been – I found some amazing representation at Magnet Management and been hired to write two TV movies.”
~R.B. RIPLEY (TRMS NEW ORLEANS)
Sponsored by:
- This competition is open to anyone except all employees, directors, associates, and immediate families of the Table Read My Screenplay Competition.
- We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. It is our intention that all qualified submissions be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on script-related factors alone.
- Promotional discounts offered may only be utilized at the time of submission and no partial refund for a promotional code may be issued after an entry has been officially submitted.
- Promotional discounts or waivers offered may not apply on all submission platforms (i.e. ISA, Film Freeway).
- Once material has been entered, no substitutions of new drafts or corrections will be considered past 24 hours from original submission time and date. After this time the writer may fill in an entry form and pay the appropriate entry fee to submit any script revisions or changes as many times as they like up until the deadline.
- The writer understands that feedback can take up to 90 days turn-around time and may not be received before the end of the contest.
- TRMS Grand Prize winners from previous seasons may only submit to a contest city outside of the city in which they won and may only submit with a new screenplay.
- TRMS 2nd-10th Place Finalists may submit again with a completely different screenplay. Those who have placed as a top 10 (2nd-10th place overall) winner three times with three different screenplays in two different cities (3 in each city for a total of 6 placements) are ineligible to submit in any future contest season.
- Adaptations from other works are permissible provided the writer has the original author's written permission to adapt the work.
- Adaptations of works in the public domain are permissible, however the writer is responsible for the legalities of this.
- Collaborative work is eligible; the writers are responsible for the distribution of the contest prize(s).
- Writers under the age of 18 years old must have parent or legal guardian’s permission to participate.
- The work or submitted material must not be in a current option agreement, or may not have been previously sold or produced for profit.
- Writer understands and accepts without reservation that he/she is an independent contractor and that the contest administrators are not responsible for withholding any taxes or payments on prize money to any government agency, at any level, be it state, local or federal.
- Writer understands that it is his/her sole responsibility to register material with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or with the Writers Guild of America West or the appropriate agency in his/her country.
- Recommended length of work:
Feature – (70 – 120 pages), TV Pilots – (10 – 60 pages) - If a screenplay is submitted for feedback and is over 120 pages, an additional fee of $1 per page will apply and the contestant will be contacted and billed separately for the extra, or only the first 120 pages will be read.
- All entries must be received by Final Deadline. TRMS reserves the right to extend the contest deadline up to 90 days.
- TRMS is not responsible for late, lost, unacceptably formatted, corrupt, or incorrect submissions.
- Contestants may submit their screenplay to any other person, contest, producer, agent, publisher, and/or organization.
- Contestants retain all rights to their screenplay, subject to the terms and agreements contained herein.
- TRMS will only accept submissions if the writer assures us that to the best of their knowledge they are the sole originator of the idea and that they have the legal right to submit it for judging to TRMS.
- The writer understand that their logline and / or screenplay will be reviewed by our employees and/or our panel of Industry Judges for evaluation. The writer also understands that any one of these employees or judges may have been or may be exploring ideas similar to the submission and hereby waives any claim that TRMS, its employees or judges may have misappropriated any ideas or portions of the submission logline or script.
- No agreement for compensation, other than the TRMS prizes listed, has been implied.
- If the writer wins an ISAConnect membership, the membership will auto-renew after the free term if they do not cancel it, and they will be billed the regular monthly fee.
- TRMS intends to submit the Finalists to respected producers with the writer's permission, which will be granted upon clicking the ‘I have Read and Understand the Contest Rules’ button. The writer can withdraw from this process at any time.
- When the writer's screenplay, application, and payment have all been received, they will be notified by email only. If the writer's email address changes, it is their responsibility to let us know.
- By entering this contest and in the event the writer / their screenplay is declared a Semi-Finalist, they understand and accept that TRMS will be free to use their name and likeness for advertising or promotional purposes without additional consideration.
- If the writer is a GRAND PRIZE Winner, 2nd or 3rd Place overall winner (if applicable), they agree to give TRMS permission to post their video or audio Table Read on its web site.
- All contest participants understand and agree with the following:
- TRMS reserves the right to award a cash prize, at its discretion. A Grand Prize Winner is under no obligation to accept the associated prizes but will not be awarded or owed a cash replacement upon electing not to move forward with prizes offered. This includes local winners.
- International flight not to exceed $1,500. Domestic flight not to exceed $800. There is no cash reimbursement for flights that cost more than the limit nor will there be a disbursement of the difference for flights that are less than the $1500 / $800 limit.
- TRMS may develop a series or documentary style program based on the inner workings of the contest and the production resulting there from. TRMS reserves the right to contact contestants with offers to participate in any such production. Contestants are under no obligation to participate therein.
- Contest applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the judges.
- There are no refunds for submissions at any time for any reason.
- TRMS has the right to change or add to the prizes at any time, without notice, and/or substitute prizes of equal or lesser value.
- There are no refunds for submissions at any time for any reason.
- TRMS has the right to change or add to the prizes at any time, without notice, and/or substitute prizes of equal or lesser value.
- Additional rules may be amended at the sole discretion of TRMS.
- By submitting to this contest, the writer's email address will be added to the contest database as well as the International Screenwriters' Association newsletter for weekly updates, contest promotions and other notifications. The writer may unsubscribe at any time.
- It is our full intention to fulfill all prizes as posted. However, due to any unlikely “force majeure” event (whether an act of God or otherwise), we reserve the right to update or edit prizes in our sole and absolute discretion, including, without limitation, the right to move any prizes and/or packages to an online format.
- By selecting ‘I have Read and Understand the Contest Rules’ on the entry page and submitting, the writer agrees to all of these rules.