A thought about the upcoming reading and voting...

Captain Pierce

Captain Pierce

Veteran
I had a thought today based on the SF5 experience, thought better of posting it today at work, but then I came home and my Internet was back on, so...

There's a formal "Rule Violation Protocol" that's been posted for BetrayalFest; I realize that the ScriptFests are run a little more informally, with no disqualifications, so such a formal policy is probably unnecessary, but...

Could we maybe just all agree to be a little less picky about "betrayals" than we were about "monsters" in the last ScriptFest? :)
 
Oh, we writers will chew, spit at other writer's work - lol

Hopefully it will just be fun.
 
This is my first SF but I'm already prepared that people will question whether my story is about betrayal or revenge. It's sorta both. Maybe they're sometimes the same thing. Curious to hear what others think.

So when does the party start? I'm bored. I wanna read!! :)
 
1. to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty
2. to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling: to betray a trust.
3. to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to: to betray one's friends.
4. to reveal or disclose in violation of confidence: to betray a secret.
5. to reveal unconsciously (something one would preferably conceal): Her nervousness betrays her insecurity.
6. to show or exhibit; reveal; disclose: an unfeeling remark that betrays his lack of concern.
7. to deceive, misguide, or corrupt: a young lawyer betrayed by political ambitions into irreparable folly.
8. to seduce and desert.


All the above and more... Betrayal is such a broad spectrum that I don't envisage a repeat of MonsterFest.
 
I don't think people should be too picky but there has to be some form of betrayal or else it should be DQ'd. Otherwise people could enter any old script they want.

BTW, revenge is not the same as betrayal. Not unless the revenge comes from someone being betrayed. :)

I'm sure everyone will be fine though.

Now let's bring on the scripts! :)

MAH
 
That's what I'm saying, though--there is (at least as far as I know) no DQ policy in place for the ScriptFests. To the best of my knowledge (and I did miss 3 & 4, admittedly), no script has ever been disqualified. Back in SF2, I remember at least one, maybe two, script(s) that went over the page limit and were still put up for reading and voting. So the sorts of arguments that went on (and on) last time just aren't helpful (IMO, YMMV).

(And yeah, I know I was just as guilty as anyone of participating in certain of those arguments, so I'm not trying to hold myself up as a shining example of proper behavior. :) )

DarkElastic makes a good point that we do have a wide definition to work with; OTOH, the definition of "monster" from MonsterFest was incredibly wide, and it didn't seem to help.

I also feel that sometimes, we have a tendency to imagine rules that aren't really there. For example, last time, per the MonsterFest film rules, the only requirement was to have a monster visible at least once. That was it. The monster was not required to be the main character, the monster was not required to be in more scenes than any other character, there was nothing like that... and yet sometimes there seemed to be an a feeling that there wasn't "enough" monster in some scripts. (And yeah, mine was one of those, but not the only one, and I'm really not saying this just because of that.) This time around... well, let's take the example posed by MML and MAH. What happens if somebody has written a script that's about revenge for a past betrayal--but said betrayal is never actually seen in the script? There is no requirement that I've seen that the betrayal has to be shown, so my opinion is that the script meets the rules. Other people may have different opinions... but who's "right?"

Maybe we do need to have a protocol similar to the one for the film fest. Maybe, if there isn't time/manpower to "vet" the scripts prior to public reading (and I can understand if there isn't), maybe there should be someone (or someones) to PM and say "Hey, does this meet the rules?" Or, at the very least, maybe we need reassurance that every script made available for reading has been "vetted" (god, I hate that word) and that picking nits about their meeting of the rules is thereby moot.

And maybe the time between upload and reading wasn't the right time to bring this all up... :D
 
I think as long as the betrayal is mentioned or somehow shown/implied within the script then you are good to go.

As long as some form of betrayal can be found.

Now, if some guy goes on a murderous revenge kick because some stranger killed his family.... that's not betrayal. That's just pure revenge.
If we find out that the murderer is indeed his closest friend... you have your link to some form of betrayal.

Just because someone hasn't been DQ'd recently doesn't mean it can't happen. All it takes is someone to cross the line a little too much. Not just due to the theme, but script length as well.

The theme of this fest is Betrayal. There must be some form of it found in every entry. To what extent is up to the writer.
BTW, short films have been DQ'd mid DVXFest. No reason why the same thing can't happen here.

MAH
 
My intital idea had more betrayal than the end product. When I started writing it sorta morphed into something else. Now that I really look at it, it may just be revenge. Oh well. I'm just glad I wrote something. :)
 
MML said:
My intital idea had more betrayal than the end product. When I started writing it sorta morphed into something else. Now that I really look at it, it may just be revenge. Oh well. I'm just glad I wrote something. :)
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Just keep in mind, I haven't read all the scripts yet and I'm not looking to get anyone DQ'd. With that said.... there should be some form of betrayal in every script. Otherwise the challenge was never met.

EDIT: In the end, it's really up to the Mods discretion.

Good luck either way. I'm sure you'll be fine.

MAH
 
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Sometimes a writer can go way outside the traditional box (whistles) and that's not good either.

Revenge motivates a person to act.

Betrayal is an act unto itself.
 
Sounds like Captain Pierce has something that borders on not being a 'betrayal'.

But seriously most dramas have an aspect of betrayal. That's why this one is as easy as the Quest fest was. Theme wise, because it's hard as hell to make a believable betrayal in 6 pages that the audience will care about.
 
Chris_Keaton said:
Theme wise, because it's hard as hell to make a believable betrayal in 6 pages that the audience will care about.
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I disagree.

Not saying that I accomplished this feat but I'm sure others have. Otherwise you better shut down Betrayal (short film) Fest as many of those will be done with less than six script pages.

I'm sure many of those finished entries will surprise us. Both here (Script-Fest) and there.

At least I hope so.

MAH
 
Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I disagree.

Not saying that I accomplished this feat but I'm sure others have. Otherwise you better shut down Betrayal (short film) Fest as many of those will be done with less than six script pages.

I'm sure many of those finished entries will surprise us. Both here (Script-Fest) and there.

At least I hope so.

MAH
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Hahaha. I didn't say it is impossible, just difficult. I hope all mine succeed.
 
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