Put down your pens. Close those laptops. Take off your thinking caps. Put your feet up and breathe a long sigh of relief.
Because you deserve it, each and every one of you. You’ve done yourselves – and Your Big Break – proud.
Submissions have closed, and voting for the Viewers’ Choice has ended. If your entry [...]

ANNOUNCEMENT DATE
The moment of truth approaches. On January 19th, the judges – who include Barrie Osbourne – will convene to select their four picks. Rounding out the final five will be the Viewers’ Choice. Then, on January 22nd, the five finalists will be announced at www.your-big-break.com. For around five hundred of you, that will mean [...]

The five finalists have just been announced on the website …
… and you’re one of them.
Your phone’s ringing, but you can’t find it. You scramble through your stuff, searching … patting your pockets, frantic now … you answer just in time. Your hunch was right: the call is long-distance, from New Zealand. There isn’t much [...]

STAND BY!
If you’re one of the five finalists, you’re in for an wild ride – so now’s the time to think about how to fasten your seatbelt.
Preparation is the key. After all, you don’t want to see your name among the finalists – then find that a logistical hitch prevents you from travelling to New [...]

Now that we’re in the final days of the submission process, we’re working hard to keep up with the large volume of new entries being submitted.
Rest assured that while it’s taking us some time to get through them all, we’ve got all hands on deck to approve and post your entries as quickly as possible. [...]

We know that a movie, be it two minutes or two hours long, tells a story.
That’s all very well – but what is story? And what is it that makes some stories more successful than others?
Okay, you’re thinking – YBBC just bit off more than he can chew. Maybe more than anyone can chew. Some [...]

Tuesday: WHERE WE’RE AT
So I have a couple of days off for Christmas, and when I get back THERE ARE NEARLY 40 NEW ENTRIES! Sorry to shout, but that’s the best Christmas present you guys could have given Your Big Break Critic. I’m writing this blog entry … and then I’m diving in!
A few of [...]

Your Big Questions
Who can enter?
Your Big Break is a global competition. Provided you are over the age of 18 you can take part.
Do we have to write the screenplay with shooting in Queenstown in mind? Moreover, only Queenstown?
Yes, you will be filming in the Queenstown region only (but you are not shooting a film ‘for’ [...]

CAN YOU DO IT IN TWO DAYS?
You guys are going great! The entries are flooding in and it’s only going to get crazier the closer we get to the January 15th deadline.
Last week I talked about the idea of three minutes, and the challenge of telling a story within this constraint. Many of you are [...]

One of the great drawcards of Queenstown as a shooting location is the unparalleled variety of scenery it offers, all within easy reach – staggering vistas that filmmakers have used to their advantage in many high-profile productions.
Queenstown is not only an adventure tourism capital and a spectacular tourist destination – it’s also a cinematic chameleon. [...]