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WeScreenplay
WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab
2024
Reads in Coverfly
Active Since 2016
Winners will take part in an interactive 3 day virtual lab with hands-on workshops and mentorship meetings with industry professionals!
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About

WeScreenplay's TV Pilot Lab delivers a one-of-a-kind virtual writing lab hosted by top managers, agents, writers, and more. Winners take part in an interactive 4 day virtual lab with hands-on workshops, industry meetings, and will learn from working TV writers.

Four to seven winners will be selected to participate in this career-changing lab.

Past TV  Pilot Lab winners and finalists have signed with representation at companies like Zero Gravity, Heroes and Villains, Echo Lake Entertainment, and have landed script deals with companies like Party Over Here, CBS Studios and more.

We want to find the best undiscovered TV writers out there, submit today!

Benefits

TV WRITING LAB

The top 4-7 winning scripts 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, 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.

Keynote Mentors

This year's Keynote Mentors will meet with all TV Pilot Lab fellows in group meetings, and each will select one writer for a one-on-one mentorship session.

HOWARD GORDON
Writer, Showrunner, Producer - Accused, Homeland, 24, The X-Files

Howard Gordon is a television writer, producer and author whose credits include some of TV’s most prolific series. Gordon co-created Homeland, one of the biggest hits in Showtime’s history. The series has broken ratings records and won multiple honors, including the Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, two Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama Series, Program of the Year at the AFI Awards, Best New Series at the Writers Guild Awards, Outstanding New Program at the Television Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Drama at the Producers Guild Awards and received the prestigious Peabody Award for Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Media.

Howard is the Showrunner and Executive Producer on Accused, which airs on FOX and has been renewed for a second season. He was also the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the long- running hit television series, 24, which received both the Golden Globe and the Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2006.

A thirty-seven year industry veteran, Gordon first gained national attention for his award-winning work on Fox’s groundbreaking series The X-Files, for which he won multiple Golden Globes. His other credits include Tyrant, Legends, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beauty and the Beast, Sisters, and Spenser: For Hire.

In 2011, Simon and Schuster released Gordon’s first novel, Gideon’s War, followed by a sequel, Hard Target, in 2012. Gordon graduated from Princeton University, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and youngest of their three children. He is the former president of the Stroke Association of Southern California, and is currently on the advisory board of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy.

JONATHAN WALKER
Showrunner, Writer, Producer, Talent -- Van Helsing, Continuum, Snowpiercer

Jonathan Lloyd Walker is an English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter in the film and television industry. He has gained recognition for his roles in various films, including Shooter, RED, and as Colin, the British radio operator in The Thing (2011 prequel). Additionally, he portrayed Rankol in the TV series Flash Gordon and Big John in TNT's Snowpiercer. Beyond his acting career, Walker took on the role of showrunner for the fourth season of the drama series Van Helsing. During the first three seasons, he collaborated with acclaimed and award-winning playwright Neil LaBute, serving as Co-Executive Producer initially and then as Executive Producer. Walker also contributed as a writer and producer for all four seasons of the popular Showcase/SyFy series Continuum, under the guidance of series creator and executive producer Simon Davis Barry. In 2018, he wrote for the Canadian television series The Murders and Private Eyes, while also assuming the position of Co-Executive Producer for the Netflix series Wu Assassins.

WENDY CALHOUN
Writer, Co-EP -- The Rookie:Feds Empire, Station 19, Prodigal Son

Peabody-award-winning Wendy Calhoun's unique career spans one-hour dramas, unscripted series, VR, and gaming. Her credits include writing and producing the blockbuster first season of Fox's Empire and debut seasons of The Rookie Feds, Prodigal Son, Station 19, Nashville, Revenge, and Justified. Known as a champion for diversity and inclusion, Calhoun's developed and sold over ten series pitches with bold leading roles for women and people of color with current titles in development at FX, Starz, and Universal UK. She’s an international guest speaker, serves on the Board of Directors for the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and is an honored alumnus of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Writer Success

2025 Winners on Coverfly

See Other Placements

Announcements

Dec 13th
Semifinalists
Jan 17th
Finalists
Feb 15th
Winners

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:
    1. 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 4 prizes).
    2. 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.
    3. Be owned solely by the writer or writing team listed. It may be an adaptation or reimagining of true events or fictional stories. Projects submitted should not infringe on the rights of any work not available in the public domain. Spec scripts of existing shows are NOT accepted.
    4. Be written in English. However, scripts from anywhere in the world will be accepted.
    5. Be under 70 pages - Anything over 70 pages will be charged an extra $1 per page.
    6. 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 screenplayEntrant’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 funds 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 $6. 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.
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2024