All entries submitted to The TITAN Awards are evaluated on a 10-point scale.


The judges assign numeric scores for each of the following elements:


Premise

The project’s foundation. Its “bricks and mortar”. Is this, frankly, just a good idea for a show or movie? (or not?)


Characterisation

Is this character just an archetype (grizzled male action hero; ruthless businesswoman), or are they a unique, nuanced creation? Are the characters sufficiently different from one another? Do they have clear, separate motivations, voices, mannerisms and so on? Or do they all sound like the writer? Do they have both light and shade in them? And other such pressing questions.


Structure

How effective is the script’s act structure? Is there a sense of cause and effect from scene to scene? How effectively are scenes constructed? Does each beat serve to lead us to a clear point of resolution? Or does the scene feel drawn out and aimless? How cleverly is the script constructed? Does the structure serve a clear purpose to the story or the perspective from which it’s told?


Plot

How original is the storytelling itself? Does the script avoid well-worn story beats or lines of dialogue? If it’s a genre piece, does it manage to slot in to said genre without falling back on tired old tropes?


Theme

Does the script’s core message/theme feel like something that hasn’t been fully explored before? Or are we reiterating that ‘if you believe in yourself you can accomplish anything’? Does the script have something complex to say about its core theme? How clearly is the script’s central theme conveyed? Is it clearly represented in each character and the broader course of events?


Pacing

The flow of the overall story. Do action scenes as written convey a sense of speed or urgency? Do slower sections work effectively to build tension, or do they drag? Does the speed and flow of the narrative fit with the premise/story itself?


Dialogue

Does the dialogue sound believable? Or is it too obviously a vessel through which to convey story information? Is the dialogue concise? Does it avoid clunky, drawn-out exposition and clearly articulate the intended dramatic/character point. Do the characters have a clear voice, as distinct from the work of other writers? Within the script itself, is dialogue sufficiently varied to reflect shifts in emotion or the voices of distinct characters?


Style & Tone

How polished is the scene description? Is it snappy and evocative? Does the script veer around tonally, and not in a good way? Is it bizarrely uneven? Is the project’s mood and cinematic quality in sync with its genre? Does the script display a keen understanding of the visual medium? Is information conveyed to the audience in a visually arresting way? Does that style feel integrated or gimmicky?


Market Potential

How well does the script fit into the marketplace? Does it exist in a genre likely to attract an audience? Do the concept and characters have demographic appeal? How well is the script likely to perform in the marketplace? Does it do what it says on the tin? Will it satisfy those for whom it’s intended?


Spelling, Grammar, Presentation

At least in terms of presentation, is this project market-ready? Has a spell-checker been used, probably more than once in the process? When that character experienced a sudden name change, were all other iterations of his name changed too? Generally, is this a pleasurable, smooth, uninterrupted read? Does the script subscribe to industry standard screenplay format?


Based on the project’s numerical score against the criteria listed above, it either advances to the next round or not.