WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab
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JURY:
Tze (pronounced “Z”) Chun is a writer, director, producer, and visual artist based in Los Angeles. He is currently creator and showrunner of the animated Gremlins prequel GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI for Warner Bros and Amblin, premiering on HBO Max in 2022. He is also Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner of Boots Riley’s upcoming Amazon series I’M A VIRGO. Past credits include writer/producer on Fox’s hit Batman prequel show GOTHAM and on ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME. With roots in independent film, Chun also wrote and directed the award-winning films WINDOWBREAKER (Sundance 2007), CHILDREN OF INVENTION (Sundance 2009) the Bryan Cranston thriller COLD COMES THE NIGHT (Sony), as well as an episode of BAFTA-nominee LITTLE AMERICA (Apple TV+) centering around his mother's life. Along with Salvatore Simeone, Chun also co-founded the graphic novel and fiction publishing company TKO Studios, which publishes original series by top creators such as Jeff Lemire, Garth Ennis, Roxane Gay, and more.
Monica Macer is a screenwriter, executive producer, and showrunner of Korean and African American descent. She has written for some of the most acclaimed television series over the last 15 years, including LOST and QUEEN SUGAR. Currently, Monica is proud to serve as showrunner and executive producer for MACGYVER (CBS). Macer’s experience in television has spanned broadcast, cable, and streaming with writing and producing credits ranging from PRISON BREAK (FOX) to TEEN WOLF (MTV), NASHVILLE (ABC) to DECEPTION (NBC), and THE BREAKS (VH1). Last season, Macer served as showrunner and executive producer of Netflix’s Latinx dramedy, GENTEFIED. As showrunner of Queen Sugar’s second season, Macer was tapped as one of Variety’s 10 Writers to Watch. She currently serves on the Motion Picture Television Fund’s (MPTF) NextGen board and is a co-founder of the newly minted organization, Korean American Leaders in Hollywood. Monica was also in the inaugural class of the NetKAL (Network for Korean American Leaders) Fellowship at USC. Additionally, Macer is a 2020 Coalition of Asian Pacific (CAPE) Writing Fellows Mentor.
Brin Lukens is the Senior Vice President of Live Action Development at Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Studios where she oversees scripted development. In her role, she has produced multiple series including Hulu’s critically acclaimed and Primetime Emmy nominated comedy, “PEN15,” YouTube Premium’s longest running comedy, “Foursome,” and the Daytime Emmy award-winning Netflix series, “TRINKETS.” Prior to joining Awesomeness, Brin was the Director of Development for Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Films developing both features and digital series. Prior to that she was a Creative Executive at Mockingbird Pictures where she developed numerous feature films.
Jason Kyle currently works in Scripted Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television Studios (THE BLACKLIST, OUTLANDER, THE GOOD DOCTOR, THE BOYS, etc.) In 2019, he started as the Manager of Development under the production deal of Glenn Geller (former President of CBS Studios) and then went on to develop with Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa (Creators of HOMELAND, 24) under their overall production deal with Sony.
He’s Co-Founder of The Creators Writing Room with Lee Aronsohn (Co-Creator TWO AND A HALF MEN, Exec. Producer BIG BANG THEORY) where they teach writers how to pitch their own shows, and hold free zoom webinars with other industry Pros.
TV WRITING LAB
The top 3 winning scripts in both 1 hr and 1/2 hr pilot categories will be invited to WeScreenplay’s Virtual TV Writing Lab! This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to network, get exposure for your writing, and learn from working TV writers.
Winners will take meetings with development executives, experience a mock TV writer’s room with working TV writers, and learn how to make the most of a client/rep relationship from managers and agents. It’s an exciting schedule of events that will help you further your career — all from the comfort of your own home.
Additionally, our top scripts are read by our incredible industry jury and the winners get access to ongoing mentorship from WeScreenplay including an initial phone call, guidance for drafting query letters, research methods for finding the right representation, prep before big meetings, and strategic planning for next steps in their careers — all based on the writer’s specific goals.
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.
- Screenplays entered must:
- Be screenplays that are a minimum of 18 pages. (scripts under 18 pages will be accepted, read, and considered through the finalist round – but cannot win one of the top 3 prizes)
- Be submitted in PDF form and must fit all standard screenplay format guidelines. Personal formatting conventions will be accepted but must not intentionally or accidentally alter the page count of the project as determined by the judges.
- Be owned solely by the writer or writing team listed. It may be an adaptation or reimagining of true events or fictional stories. Spec scripts of existing shows are NOT accepted at this time.
- Be written in English. However, scripts from anywhere in the world will be accepted.
- Be under 70 pages – Anything over 70 pages will be charged an extra $1 per page.
- NOTE: WeScreenplay automatically removes the cover page before assigning scripts to readers, so writers may include any typical information on their cover page. Scripts are accepted with or without cover pages.
- Writer must be 18 years of age or older at the time of the winner’s announcement.
- By entering this screenplay into the competition, you must have full permission from all co-writers and any attachments to the project.
- WeScreenplay claims no ownership nor option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remain with the original rights holder(s).
- Screenplays entered may be in any genre or combination of genres. All will be treated equally and read by an unbiased panel of readers and jury members.
- The following formats will be accepted: Original TV pilot screenplay
- Entrant’s total earnings for screenwriting for either film or tv, produced or unproduced, must not exceed $50,000 in the previous 18 months from submission or $250,000 lifetime earnings. This excludes any prize money from competitions or fellowships and only applies to fund or money transferred in exchange for an option or sale of a script, treatment, idea, intellectual property, or other writing for filming. Money earned from acting, directing, producing, or any other film work outside of writing is not included.
- Screenplays submitted must not have been previously sold or produced unless said sale or production was completed with no financial gain to the writer.
- Purchasing Additional feedback throughout the competition will in no way impact your standing or odds of advancement.
- For a submission to be valid it must be accompanied with the appropriate payment based on the submission deadlines.
- All deadlines are at 11:59pm PST on the date listed. Any deadline alteration or promotion of any kind does not make any entry valid for a refund of any kind.
- RESUBMISSIONS will be accepted. Alterations can be re-uploaded via our submissions management platform at coverfly.com for $5. New drafts of an entry will be accepted at any time during the contest.
- There are no refunds for any submitted screenplay. Coupons may not be applied to previously submitted scripts. Coupons deemed for WeScreenplay coverage may not be used for submission to the contest or addition of coverage to any submission unless explicitly stated or exempted on the coupon or by a WeScreenplay representative via e-mail communication only.
- There is no limit on the number of scripts a writer or writing team may submit.
- Prizes are awarded per script and teams of writers are expected to divide prizes on their own accord. WeScreenplay will send prizes to the writer who submits the project and will in no way be responsible for how the prizes are distributed among the writing teams.
- The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level as advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
- Scorecards can be accessed on the writer’s dashboard. Feedback will be delivered before the next announcement but usually sooner. Feedback for each round of the competition, whether it’s the 1 Page or 3 Page option, will be returned before the next competition announcement.
- WeScreenplay reserves the right to delay announcements for any reason. While we never anticipate any delays, such delays will not alter the standing of any screenplay entry and will not qualify an entry for a refund under any circumstance.
- By entering a WeScreenplay competition every entrant is agreeing to all WeScreenplay Terms of Service listed on the website and additional terms agreed upon at checkout. If you disagree with any terms you may not submit to the contest.
- By submitting to the contest you are releasing your script (but not it’s underlying rights) to WeScreenplay and holding harmless WeScreenplay or any affiliates from any claims, expenses, and liabilities, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, copyright, libel, trademark infringement, slander, personal property infringement, etc.
- Any prize winners will be required to sign an affidavit validating their entry into the contest.
- Any writer winning a cash prize of over $599 will be required to file the appropriate tax and legal documentation before the cash prize is distributed.
- All prizes provided by sponsors or mentors are subject to said sponsor or mentor providing the prize. WeScreenplay will do everything in its power to collect the prize packages promised, but is not responsible for a sponsor’s failed delivery.
- Former Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize Winners of the contest may enter so long as it is NOT the same script that won in a previous year. Any other placement in former years does not disqualify the script from being entered this year.
- By entering the competition, entrants are acknowledging their eligibility for the competition. 99.9 % of entrants enter in good faith, and validating everyone at that stage would be inefficient and take away from efforts reading and finding the best scripts. We do check eligibility at the finalist stage before picking winners or distributing any prizes. We also advance a few additional scripts to ensure no one is missed by someone entering who is not eligible. We check all finalists and on a case by case basis in earlier rounds if something seems like it may not be eligible.
- Void where prohibited.
- Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to WeScreenplay 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.
- BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release and hold harmless WeScreenplay, Red Ampersand, Inc., Industry Arts, LLC., WeScreenplay.com, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, Prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, Sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, 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 Contest 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 WeScreenplay.org and its Sponsor, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorney’s fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of WeScreenplay and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified. ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility.