On the one hand, I had reaffirmed Dig Down‘s initial score was on target. On the other hand, I hadn’t set out to do that when I had reentered the Santa Barbara Screenplay Competition. My goal had been to determine if I had applied the round of notes and feedback I’d gotten effectively, and the resubmission was meant to gauge that based on whether I scored higher or lower than the previous time.
A score one point lower, but generally the same, told me nothing, especially when I scored higher in some of the criteria being judged, and lower in others.
I tried to rationalize this to myself. Maybe it was because of the judges for the two separate contests. Yes, the scores were nearly identical, but I could see a whole host of reasons why I hadn’t seen the improvement, or even decline, I’d been looking for. Maybe if the first judge reviewed the updated submission – not that I’d expect or rely on them to remember it – but it was possible, and seeing the notes applied to it, maybe I could’ve scored higher. Maybe the second judge wasn’t a fan of the genre, and so even though it scored well, that could have held it back.
I looked to see who the judges were for both contests, and realized none of these scenarios were possible. As it turned out, it was the same judge.
This sent my mind reeling even more. Again, it wasn’t that the judge didn’t like it, it wasn’t that the revisions didn’t work for them. The script had done about the same when I was expecting that with the revisions I’d made off of the two and a half hour phone consultation would have improved it dramatically, or at least gone in a different direction enough to make it noticeable it didn’t work for audiences.
I wanted to get this judge’s perspective–and not just because he wasn’t scoring the screenplay as high as I would’ve liked. Because to me, this wasn’t an isolated incident, but part of a trend. Even Page Turner had only placed Dig Down as a finalist. And the judge there had wanted to see what I did with the revisions based on the phone call with him.
I felt in some way I’d gotten confirmation that Dig Down still needed some work done, but I didn’t have any direction on what needed to be addressed. Looking for possible solutions, I explored what was available to get comprehensive feedback again.
And the first thing to jump out to me was another consultation. This one over Zoom. And with the head of the Santa Barbara Screenplay Competition himself.