#31 - Kay Tuxford - Screenwriter, Producer, Lecturer, Austin Film Festival Reader

What It Covers

Kay Tuxford, Austin Film Festival reader and screenwriting instructor at Chapman University, shares insights on contest reading processes, common script mistakes, effective outlining techniques, and practical strategies for breaking into screenwriting professionally.

Key Questions Answered

• •Contest Reading Standards: Austin Film Festival readers evaluate approximately 50-100 scripts per season, with roughly 20% advancing to second round. Scripts receive ratings from multiple readers using consistent rubrics before semifinalist and finalist selections occur without predetermined caps.
• •Scene Construction Principle: Every scene must answer two questions: what is the point and what should the audience feel. Eliminate scenes showing routine activities like waking up or driving. Focus on moments with emotional or physical tension that reveal character and advance conflict.
• •First Draft Red Flags: Scripts exceeding 110 pages, redundant slug lines like "exterior outside," and soft act one conflicts signal inexperienced writers. Polished scripts demonstrate white space, concise action lines, and devastating early obstacles that coil tension like a pinball spring for maximum impact.
• •Budget-Conscious Development: Write features targeting specific budget tiers under 500k by identifying available resources first, then building stories around them. Tuxford wrote a 30k horror script designed specifically for a friend's Chesapeake Bay house location to ensure production feasibility.