Launch Pad Feature Competition
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About
The Launch Pad Competitions have led to more signings, success stories and careers than any other screenwriting competition. With nearly a decade of experience in promoting up-and-coming writers, The Launch Pad Competition has firmly established itself as the premier hub for Hollywood to discover fresh voices and new ideas. We advocate for all of our Top 100 finalists, working with them to develop compelling bios and loglines, and sharing their work with the right industry members to advance their career.
Our prestigious juries of industry members include managers, agents, producers and executives at companies across Hollywood. We also offer exclusive partnerships with management and production companies to give writers an extra leg up. This year’s Guaranteed Option partner is Romark Entertainment, who have set up multiple Launch Pad scripts, including MARIAN at Sony and Pascal Pictures and JUST. ONE. KISS. at Netflix. Our Guaranteed Signing partner is Adrian Garcia of Recon Literary, who has a proven track record of signing Launch Pad writers.
Through these partnerships, as well as our exclusive mentorship opportunities, we seek to provide as many avenues towards success as possible. No competition will do more to help all of their finalists take the next steps in their careers, and no competition has had as much success in helping writers break into the industry. Enter now for a chance to join this tradition of Launch Pad success.
Benefits
This year's jury includes:
- Adam Kolbrenner - Lit Entertainment Group
- Adrian Askarieh - Prime Universe Films
- Adrian Garcia - Recon Literary
- Andrea Dimity - Pannon Entertainment
- Andrew Childs - Vertigo Entertainment
- Brooklyn Weaver - Energy Entertainment
- Charles Ferraro - UTA
- Dash Aiken - Romark Entertainment
- David Boxerbaum - Verve
- Derrick Eppich - Empirical Evidence
- Jake Wagner - Alibi Entertainment
- Jason Tamasco - Bad Idea
- Jeff Portnoy - Bellevue Productions
- Jon Huddle - Fourth Wall Management
- Michael Chung - Verve
- Nicole Poritzky - Mandeville Films
- Rachel Reznick - Weed Road Pictures
- Rebecca Feuer - Scott Free
- Rock Shaink - Romark Entertainment
- Scott Stoops - Good Fear Content
- Thomas Carter - Artillery Creative
- Varun Monga - Kaplan Stahler Agency
This year, we are also thrilled to welcome four Launch Pad mentors:
Barbara Stepansky - Barbara Stepansky is a WGA Award winner, a Nicholl Fellow and an award-winning independent film director. Her work was short listed for the Academy Awards, garnered the DGA Diversity Award, the Student Emmy and was featured on the Black List. She is the recipient of the Mary Pickford Foundation Scholarship and the Franklin J. Schaffner AFI Fellow Award. FLINT, a film she wrote about the Flint Water Crisis for Sony/Lifetime with Queen Latifah, was nominated for a Critics Choice and won a WGA Award. She currently writes on the Starz TV Show OUTLANDER.
Colin Bannon - The only writer to appear twice on Tracking Board’s 2019 Hit List, Colin has also featured on the Young & Hungry and Black Lists. He set up HOLDOUT at Netflix with producer Ridley Scott, VIGILANCE at Justin Lin’s Perfect Storm, and his 2019 spec FIRST ASCENT sold to Netflix in a bidding war for Ridley Scott to produce and Jake Scott to direct.
Lamar Woods - Lamar Woods is a comedic writer/performer hailing from Atlanta, Ga. Lamar made a name for himself writing for his youtube channel, Northside Comedy, accumulating over 1.4 million views online. Lamar has also been hired to write and produce online videos for content creators such as Funny or Die, Comedy Central, and All Def Digital. You also can see Lamar performing with his all black, all male, improv/sketch team called White Women. Lamar has been staffed on such shows as Starz’ SURVIVOR’S REMORSE as well as Fox’s NEW GIRL and ABC’s SINGLE PARENTS. He also co-wrote and starred in the indie comedy IT’S A PARTY, starring Ego Nowdim and Tone Bell.
Leon Chills - Recently named to both the Hit List and Young & Hungry List for 2019, Leon’s action script SHADOW FORCE sold to Lionsgate with Kerry Washington and Sterling K. Brown attached to star and produce. He was staffed on the upcoming Netflix drama series SPINNING OUT from Safehouse Pictures. Previously, he'd set up projects with No Label Productions and Great Lake Pictures, took the top spot in the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Contest, and participated in the CBS Entertainment Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase.
As in previous competitions, each of our mentors or mentor teams will select a minimum of 1 writer each from this year’s competition to mentor. To be eligible for the Launch Pad Mentorship Program, all entrants MUST select the “Mentorship” add-on at time of entry.
Writer Success
Announcements
Rules
At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.
- All scripts MUST BE submitted as a PDF.
- All feature scripts must be under 120 pages (any script with more than 120 pages will be charged an additional $1 per page)
- Do not submit any form of pitch document with your feature script.
- Scripts with multiple writers are allowed (however, all entry fees must be paid under one account and all prizes to be shared among writing partners).
- All scripts must be the sole property of the writer(s).
- Features with a prior option are allowed, but at the time of submission and for the duration of the contest, must remain exclusively the writer’s property.
- The only scripts not allowed to be entered are those which have already sold, have previously earned our “TB Recommends” honors, or received a top 100 placement in a previous Launch Pad competition.
- The Launch Pad uses Coverfly to manage our submissions and reads. Updated drafts accepted through the Coverfly website only.
- The Launch Pad and all judges/readers will utilize whatever criteria they deem appropriate in deciding a winner.
- All scripts will remain the property of the writer(s) throughout the contest (at no point will anyone from the judge’s panel, or Launch Pad ever attach themselves to your work without your consent).
- Entrants may be contacted as a result of the contest by Launch Pad, the judging panel or other industry professionals in regards to representation, production, sale and/or option of the entered work.
- Entrants are under no obligation to sell their work or otherwise attach themselves to representation in any form – this includes the guaranteed option and guaranteed signing add ons
- General script entries will not receive feedback, however, you can opt to upgrade and receive feedback on your script submission.
- The contest is open to entrants 18 or older. It is an international contest and open to entrants worldwide.
- The Launch Pad reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify these terms at any time without notice.
- By entering this competition, you agree to receive periodic emails from The Launch Pad and The Tracking Board. You may unsubscribe to these at any time.
- All entrants understand and agree to allow Launch Pad to post details on their script (title, writer’s name, logline, genre, and competition details) as well as regarding the writer (biography, picture) to their site, or sister site to help promote the entrants’ work.
- All purchases and submissions are final. No refunds will be issued.
- VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
- Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to LaunchPad and its agents’ and contest sponsor’s use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All uses of a entrants’ information are in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
- You agree to release and hold harmless LaunchPad, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising, or promoting the competition, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) past and present from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s entry, participation in the competition and/or acceptance or use or misuse of prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the LaunchPad and its sponsors, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize.