Get ready to rumble! It’s time to throw down your screenwriting skills and see if you’ve got what it takes to be the last writer standing!
Enter the 48-Hour Screenplay Throwdown to flex your writing skills and pit your quick script up against other writers in the WD community!
Five finalists will have their script submissions read & judged by professional screenwriter Daniel Petrie Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop, Turner & Hooch).
FREE to submit! Effortless to enter! And a fantastic opportunity to win prizes that’ll help support your writing journey!
SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED
Finalists and 1st Place Winner Announced!
Thank you to all the writers who submitted!
See the Finalists & 1st Place Winner
THROWDOWN THEME
TOUGH LOVE
No matter what genre you choose to write in or what tone your story takes, your script submission MUST embody this Throwdown Theme.
The 48-Hour Screenplay Throwdown will begin Monday, February 15th @ 12:00 AM PST
Your submission must be entered by Tuesday, February 16th @ 11:59 PM PST
FIVE FINALISTS WILL WIN
- Access to select Indie Film Hustle Academy courses
- $50 WriterDuet credits to be used towards any WD subscription
- Script Submission featured as a Readable Publish Link and read/judged by Former President of the Writers Guild of America West Daniel Petrie Jr.
THE 1st PLACE WINNER WILL WIN
- $500
- Free Professional Script Coverage from Bulletproof Screenwriting (for any project, feature film or TV series)
- Feedback on Throwdown script submission from the featured judge Daniel Petrie Jr.
- A WriterDuet Pro Lifetime subscription
ABOUT THE FEATURED JUDGE
Daniel Petrie Jr. is an Academy Award-nominated writer, producer, and director of film and television. He is best known for pioneering the sub-genres of action comedy and buddy cop films through films like Beverly Hills Cop and Turner & Hooch. He served as President of the Writers Guild of America, West between 1997 and 1999, and then again between 2004 and 2005.
WriterDuet will be donating to The Writers Guild Foundation. Join us in supporting them here!
ABOUT INDIE FILM HUSTLE
After over 25 years in the film business and watching countless of his fellow filmmakers get chewed up by the Hollywood machine, Alex Ferrari decided to create Indie Film Hustle. IFH is a resource dedicated to dropping truth bombs on filmmakers with a no-nonsense approach. Learn how hustle, truth, and knowledge can take you anywhere.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTEST? REACH OUT TO US!
help@writerduet.com
Terms Of Service
Your participation in this contest signifies your acceptance of the WriterDuet 48-Hour Screenplay Throwdown Contest terms and conditions below.
You must be at least 13 years of age to enter. If you are under the age of 13 you are not permitted to enter. If you are over the age of 13 but under the age of 18, entry into this contest and acceptance of any prize awarded in the event of a winning script requires you to have the consent of your parent or guardian. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited.
WRITERDUET INC. reserves the right to investigate or reject your entry if you have misused the Service or have behaved in any way that we consider inappropriate, unlawful or illegal. In order to participate in this competition, you must also abide by the WRITERDUET Terms of Service and Privacy Policies.
Submitting a script
When you submit a script to the WriterDuet 48-Hour Screenplay Throwdown Contest, you promise that:
You own all rights, including copyright, to the entire script or have been authorized by its copyright owner to submit it to WRITERDUET INC.; The content of the script is not unlawful, defamatory, libelous, threatening, obscene, pornographic, harassing, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive, or fraudulent, and doesn’t encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or violate any law, or would be otherwise inappropriate; The content of the script does not violate any other rights of any party, such as infringing a copyright or trademark, publishing falsehoods or misrepresentations about WRITERDUET INC. or any other person or entity, or violating another person’s right to privacy or publicity; No other party has a pending claim to the script that, if upheld, would render our Service or products, or those of our Partners, illegal or in violation of any party’s rights. You retain all your prior ownership rights in your submitted scripts. You agree that you will not suggest, directly or indirectly, that WRITERDUET INC. endorses the content of any script that you submit, including opinions, recommendations, or advice expressed by that script.
If you have questions about any of these agreements, you can contact us at help@writerduet.com.
152 Comments
Thanking you gratefully for creating opportunities.
Of course 🙌
I was just about to get excited but then read it is exclusively only for Americans. As a complete novice, with no experience whatsoever in script writing, only Ekphrastic writing, I am even more put off now to venture into this genre.
We actually have opened the contest up to all regions! We’d love for you to participate!
What’s the Throwdown?
This is a 48-hour Screenplay Competition. Read this blog page for all of the details!
Hi! Just checking I can enter if I live in the UK? Thanks!
You sure can!
Can we submit more than one?
Just one submission per writer.
We have to write a 4 page short script or extract like a 4 page scene from our own feature?
Your submission just needs to fit the theme/rules. The spirit of the competition is that you write something from scratch. Look at the rules closely, it’s 4 pages max.
Do we have to write a 4 page short script or extract a 4 page scene from our feature?
It just needs to fit within the contest rules!
Is it ok to submit a piece as a team (with my co-writer)?
We welcome teams! Any prizes will be awarded to the email of the individual that submits… for you to divide how you see fit.
Two questions… 1) As it can stand on it’s own in some context – as you state in one of your responses – can it therefore be a whole story within 4 pages (like a very short film)? 2) Although it’s one Scene Heading (location) can the time of day change ? Thanks
It can definitely be its own contained/complete story, as long as it doesn’t run over 4 pages.
For this specific contest, your script can only have one scene heading, so technically changing from day to night would be a second scene heading.
Hope that helps clarify things! Good luck, and happy writing!
Should we include a title page?
You can! I doesn’t count toward for 4 page limit.
Can asians submit? Can the script be of 5pages including the title page?
Yes, it’s open to any region! The title page does not count towards the 4 page total.
Can there be narrator, off screen or voice over or are they considered one of the three characters.
So long as they’re not directly involved in the dialogue or blocking of the main characters, they will not count towards your 3 character limit. So if the narrator speaks, even off-screen, they would count towards your 3 character limit.
When you say one scene heading – can we switch from INT. to EXT. within the same location? Example- INT. RESTAURANT, EXT. RESTAURANT? Thanks!
That’s what I was wondering, OR later in the day but in same location…
For this specific contest, your script can only have one scene heading, and be in one place in time, with a single scene heading.
Hope that helps clarify things! Good luck, and happy writing!
For this specific contest, your script can only have one scene heading, so it can only take place in one place with a single scene heading.
Hope that helps clarify things! Good luck, and happy writing!
Really excited to begin working on my piece for this contest. Can your scene be from any act of the screenplay?
Yes, it can be from any act, but you will probably want your submission to have some context and stand on it’s own in some way.
Would one scene in a moving car count?
That would totally fit. As long at the scene heading stays the same (i.e. “INT. Car”)
Thanks!
Hi, can I write a script with a friend, submit it through my email, then write another script with them (totaling 2), but submitting the second one through their email? Thanks
We can allow that for sure, since it’s still only one entry per writer. Just use your respective emails. Good luck!
Hi! Can it be in any genre and can we put our name on the script or does it have to stay anonymous?
It can be any genre. Please include your name when you submit.
Thanks! Will do
Can we have our characters waking within one location such as an open field?
Definitely. Just make sure you stick with one scene heading.
Are there rules regarding the language we use? I mean, besides the obviously offensive or derogatory terms, can it be for a PG-13 audience?
No specific rules against language. Steer clear of anything blatantly offensive/derogatory and you’ll be fine!
If there are 3 characters, but another character appears briefly as a hallucination, is that ok?
So long as they’re not directly involved in the dialogue or blocking of the main characters, they will not count towards your 3 character limit. So if that hallucination is identified as a character that is visible, they would count towards your 3 character limit.
We have to write the screenplay in just one whole shot or can we cut in scenes. Its a bit confusing becoz if you cut, you have to write the scene headings multiple times.
Also does flashback count as a different scene heading or not? It is like a sequence in a character’s mind and very short while most of the screenplay is in one setting.
It needs to be just one scene heading, so if the scene heading changes, it’s technically breaking the rules.
Are we able to smash cut in and out of black for say, text on screen, or just dramatic effect, or would this still count as a scene change?
As long as you don’t change the scene heading, correct!
Hello. Can we use any screenwriting software? Or only the WriterDuet online version?
You can write it on any platform you wish and just submit a PDF.
Changing the time in the scene, such as putting “LATER:” is okay and doesn’t count as a second scene heading, right? As long as it doesn’t change from day to night?
Hello. Can we put the title page as well? If so, should we put our name and contact info?
That would be helpful but is not required if you fill out the submission form correctly.
Will you send a submission confirmation email?
No email, but you’ll get the confirmation page after submitting the form.
Why 4 pages? Seems too short? Can you please extend it to something like 10 pages? 4 is way too short please thank you.
Not this time, we are sticking with 4 pages. We are definitely open to other rules/ideas for future contests so we will keep that in mind!
Greetings, I made a mistake in one part of my script. May I resubmit?
We take the first submission. But if you resubmit before the deadline, you can reach out to our support team at help@writerduet.com and they might be able to accommodate you.
Also, can you confirm that you have received my script? It is called “A Nowhere At The Edge Of Carbon Monoxide”, just for doubts.
I know we responded to you elsewhere but just wanted to reiterate that we got it!
May you please tell me the details about the theme “Tough Love?”
There aren’t many details to add. “Tough Love” is yours to translate as you wish! Write in any genre you like!
If my characters are watching a video montage on a screen in the room they are in, does the video montage count as a different scene or series of scenes even though my characters never leave the room?
As long as there is only one scene heading. Ultimately the story is supposed to take place in one location.
Do you receive a email when you’ve submitted your script?
Just submitted mine! Really excited about this! Thank you for the opportunity; have been a huge fan of WriterDuet for several years now.
YEAH! That’s wonderful. Best of luck!
Do dead characters with no dialogue count as part of the three character limit?
If they are in the blocking of the scene then yes they would count.
Is there an age limit?
Yes 13 and up only .
The rules state it may not be obscene. If the script involves fighting among three characters and the fighting be graphic in nature, is that acceptable as long as the scene tells a clear story?
Correct! You have lots of artistic license.
Hello. Will you send an entry confirmation email?
No email, just the confirmation page after the form is submitted.
One scene heading meaning no house and car, or company heading, or is it like you can have a car or house scene but only one location like Canada?
Only one slug line (e.g. INT. CAR – DAY)
Hi! Thank you for the opportunity! Could you please specify what should be included in the title page? Can I put my email only (apart from the title and my name, of course) or should I also include my phone number and address?
Name and email is fine!
Hi there! I have two questions: (1) I made a mistake in my submission. Can I reupload it? (2) Will we receive a confirmation email when we upload our entry via the google forms link? Thanks!
Hi!
1) We only accept the first submission but if you resubmit before the deadline, message our support team at help@writerduet.com and they might be able to make an exception.
2) The form submission has a confirmation page but you will not get an email.
Greetings! I have a couple of questions:
(1) Will we receive confirmation emails when we submit? Because I did not receive one when I submitted via the Google form
(2) I made a mistake in my script. May I resubmit?
Thanks!
1) You won’t get an email, just the form confirmation.
2) We are only taking the first submission from each writer. If you submit again before the deadline, you could reach out to support at help@writerduet.com and they could potentially accommodate you.
I can’t access the SUBMIT button. The link dosn’t move me any forward – just no access. Is it working?
Were you able to get the submit working?
does it count as one location if the script occurs in different rooms in one house?
The script needs to have a single scene heading. Hope this helps!
Excuse me but, from 15th to 16th..is it not a 24h?….
Correct! Submissions close in 4 hours. Tuesday, February 16th at 11:59PM PST.
can i have 4 characters as long as only 3 engage in dialogue?
If a character has anything to do with the blocking of the scene they would also count to the total.
I’m trying to submit, but it just says to check back later.
Were you able to submit?
It feels good to test my ability and intelligence.
With love from Nigeria😊💙
Thanks so much! Bust of luck!
What about people that are simply in the background (no speaking role or action in the story)? Do those count as characters or does the story have to be contained to only three people? Thank you.
As long as the other people are not involved in the blocking or have any dialogue, they won’t count toward your 3-character total.
Hello, I just submitted my script, wonderful contest. I have some doubts, when you are about to choose the finalist, will you message the authors if there is any question about their stories? Then, is it open for everyone? I am a 17 year old writer from Peru. Thanks for your time, thanks for this opportunity. Loved it. Also, can you confirm that you have received my script? It is called “A Nowhere At The Edge Of Carbon Monoxide”, just for doubts.
Thanks for your patience. We responded to you on Instagram.
When will we hear who the winners are?
We plan to announce March 3rd!
Thank you for these opportunities and best of luck to everyone!
Thanks for writing with us!
Alright, bare with me this might seem a bit odd. But my script involves the corpse of a dog. This might go without saying, but I want to clarify. Would the corpse od the dog count as a character? Again, forgive me if this is a silly question but I would rather be safe than sorry.