Pikihuia Awards 2017

Formatting Guidelines for Entries

Do not include your name on your work, only on the entry form.

All entries must be typed with double spaces and saved as a .docx or a .pdf.

Entries must be original, your own work and not previously published or under contract.

All entries must have the title of the work and the category being entered into on the top of each page.

Each page of the work should be numbered.

Limits

Entries must be no longer than the limits as follows:

Short story in English or Māori: 3000 words

Novel extract in English:Three chaptersonly – select the best three

Short film script: Short films are generally no longer than forty minutes. Following the formatting for film scripts below, one page of script should equal roughly one minute of screen time. Film scripts should generally be no longer than forty pages.

Layout for Short Film Scripts

All work must be typed and must be in industry standard feature script layout.

If you do not have a script-writing software package (such as Scriptware, Script Thing, Movie Magic or Final Draft, which are all highly recommended), you need to format your script in the following way:

FONT: / Courier New, 12 Point
JUSTIFICATION: / Left
PARAGRAPH SPACING: / 1 line after
End of scene: two lines after
PAGE SETUP (MARGINS): / Top: 2.8cm
Bottom: 2.8cm
Left: 3.7cm
Right: 2.8cm
CHARACTERS: / Centred
DIALOGUE: / 2.8cm from left and right margins
SCENE HEADERS: / Bold

Example pages follow.

The Egg and The BombShort Film Script CategoryPage #

38.EXT: THEODOLYTE POULTRYNIGHT

BOOOM! a huge explosion, big billowing clouds of smoke, a cacophony of sound and the surreal sight of –

HENRY. Buck naked. Flying up out of the smoke, flung back from the force of the explosion.

He sails through the air, utterly without care, his mission fulfilled, and lands –

WHAM! in the middle of the road.

THEO and the SECURITY GUARD have been knocked flat. They pick themselves up, look towards where the explosion came from. It has knocked a big hole in the wall of the chicken compound. One ROOSTER has come up to the opening, and is starting to tentatively pick his way out over the rubble.

Behind him, dozens of other CHICKENS are coming up to peer out the hole. THEO moves towards the ROOSTER.

THEO

You lot aren't going anywhere.

THEO towers over the ROOSTER, who cowers in fear. He raises the baton like a sledge hammer. He's just about to bring it down with deadly force when –

All the CHICKENS look up in alarm.

THEO follows their eyes to see –

The huge shape of the 200-foot-high concrete Big Chook, falling, falling, falling ...

Right at THEO's head. The moment before impact –

CUT TO –

The Egg and The Bomb(c) Lost Lamb Films 1998Page #

39.EXT: ROADNIGHT

HENRY, in the middle of the road. He groggily lifts his head to see a car approaching.

HENRY

Wilga?

Inside THEO's car, WILGA is driving. She sees HENRY.

WILGA

Henry?

HENRY's eyes rise to see HENRY SENIOR tied to the roof of the fast-approaching car.

HENRY

Dad?

On the roof of the car, HENRY SENIOR sees HENRY.

HENRY SENIOR

Pock?

Suddenly all three start screaming simultaneously and –

WILGA slams on the brakes, the car veers out of control, just missing HENRY.

The car flies off the road, sending CLARICE and HENRY SENIOR tumbling off the roof. HENRY SENIOR lands on the ground WHAM!, giving his head an almighty thump.

HENRY SENIOR lies akimbo where he landed, CLARICE sitting beside him, clucking with concern. He looks quite dead.

As the sound of approaching sirens are heard, there is a flicker in HENRY SENIOR's eyes. Slowly they open. He sits bolt upright.

HENRY SENIOR

Well ... that got rid of my bloody headache.

On the road, HENRY lapses back into unconsciousness. A contented smile on his face.

The Egg and The Bomb(c) Lost Lamb Films 1998Page #

40.EXT: THEODOLYTE POULTRYNIGHT

The SECURITY GUARD is looking at something.

SECURITY GUARD

Incredible. Straight through the fontanelle.

WIDEN TO REVEAL –THEO, sprawled on the ground. The huge beak of the Big Chicken has been driven clean into his head. Behind him, the CHICKENS are pouring out of the hole in the wall, masses of them, hording into a line and streaming towards the forest.

Towards glorious freedom.