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*SINCE JANUARY 2017: 10 writers have found representation and had their scripts optioned as a ...
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The 12th Great Movie Idea Contest and 10th Great TV Show Idea Contest are searching for original, ...
Script Pipeline's First Look Project was an awesome experience. From our first phone call, they became our personal champions, and proceeded to surprise us again and again with the extent of their support--this contest is about getting your work in front of the industry. We can't tell you how many times we got update calls after 8pm. These guys work hard, and their unprecedented advocacy of our writing led to meetings. It was this attention and praise that led to an option agreement. Submitting was one of the smartest things we did.
Ben and Tyler Soper, First Look Project Winners (The Devil in Evelyn)
Winning Script Pipeline's First Look Project and being a finalist in their TV writing competition has been a huge boost to my career. The Script Pipeline staff goes the extra mile promoting and championing their winners' work and have gotten me opportunities I would never have been able to get on my own. It's wonderful being a part of the Script Pipeline family, and I am proud to be counted as one of their winners.
Diana Wright, First Look Project Winner
I can't say enough good things about Script Pipeline. It's a contest that truly cares about the writer. When you are a winner or finalist, you really feel like you joined a special tribe or family. They are supportive and very meticulous about the scripts they select. If you only can enter a few contests, make Script Pipeline one of them.
Colin Costello, Screenwriting Contest Finalist and "Recommend"
The best part of being a contest finalist is what happens after--getting read by industry members I couldn't access on my own, feedback on future projects, and a priceless ongoing mentorship.
Romi Moondi, Screenwriting Contest Finalist and "Recommend"
We are thrilled to be working with the whole team at Script Pipeline. They have quickly proven to be an extremely valuable resource for solid material and incredible writers. While these two projects could not be more different from one another, they meet the standard of quality, entertainment value, and unique voice that we at BGO are looking for.
Susan Ferris, CEO Bohemia Group Originals (BGO)
My advice to aspiring writers is to keep getting (and incorporating) Script Pipeline Development Notes on the same script until it earns a Recommend. Why? Because there are certain techniques that won’t make sense until your writing skills and the script itself reach a certain level. I did this with 2011 Script Pipeline finalist screenplay Diamond Payback, and it was the best screenwriting “course” I ever took.
Craig Weeden ("Painkiller Jane"), Screenwriting Contest Finalist
I was a finalist in the Script Pipeline Screenplay Competition and attended their writer/industry event. [Director of Development] Matt Misetich steered me toward Jay Silverman and Bethany Cerrona, saying they would appreciate my work (Off the Menu)--and they did! A year later, Jay, my director, wrapped a warm and funny film, and it came about 100% due to Script Pipeline.
Jen Goldson, Screenwriting Contest Finalist (egbok, Galileo)
No one has done more for our screenplay [Prom Queen] and our writing career than Script Pipeline. They've worked tirelessly in connecting us to industry professionals over the course of six years, ultimately resulting in our script getting optioned.
Debbie Chesebro & Tyson FitzGerald, Screenwriting Contest Winners (Prom Queen)
Andrew Martin Robinson [2016 Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest finalist] is a super talented scriptwriter. He really understands the horror genre and his finalist script scared the sh*t out of me. I'm excited to be managing him--his writing reminds me of my favorite genre filmmakers.
Peter Katz, CEO Story Driven
Script Pipeline's care and attention for their finalists is unparalleled. Their network is vast and their reputation stellar. Thanks to Script Pipeline, less than two weeks after the end of the contest, I signed with a manager. I couldn't be more grateful for Script Pipeline and all they've done to advance my writing career.
Andrew Martin Robinson, Screenwriting Contest Finalist (Cut Its Head Off)
My idea led to a messy first draft with loads of promise. But now, by way of a systematic scene-by-scene approach, Script Pipeline is helping me tweak that draft toward its fullest potential.
Jason Vaughn, Great Movie Idea Winner (Interlopers)
I've been amazed at the quality and depth of the development my idea has received since winning the Great TV idea contest. I know my concept in a richer, deeper way than I did before thanks to Script Pipeline.
Bryce McLellan, Great TV Show Idea Winner (Verge)
In the few days after the competition announcement, we had a slew of terrific meetings. . . . Script Pipeline was a gift from the gods: it allowed us, two unknowns from Australia, to come to LA, meet people in the industry, and begin relationships.
Penelope Chai and Matteo Bernardini, Screenwriting Contest Winner (Cinderella Must Die)
Script Pipeline has such a strong reputation for fostering writers, for thoughtful, constructive feedback, and for its career guidance, Kay and I knew we wanted to throw our hat in that fantastic ring. Hollywood is a rollercoaster, but it's incredible to have people like Matt Misetich [Script Pipeline's Senior Executive] and the rest of the Script Pipeline family helping you to see the tracks.
Elizabeth Dahl, TV Writing Contest Winner (40 Elephants)
The dedicated Script Pipeline staff root for you and your writing career every step of the way. They champion your work and sing its praises to exciting industry contacts. I've never been so honored to win a contest and will carry this achievement to push me through those tougher days of writing.
Kay Tuxford, TV Writing Contest Winner (40 Elephants)
Amazing to see the top two [2016 competition] TV scripts written by women and starring female characters. Thank you, Script Pipeline, for championing our voices and sharing our stories with the industry.
Laura Bensick, TV Writing Contest Runner-up
Participating in Script Pipeline has been truly amazing for us and we are honored and thrilled to have won. . . . If you’re an emerging writer with a script you believe in, Script Pipeline is a perfect way to finally get it out into the world.
Greg Martin & Eric Beu, TV Writing Contest Winners
Script Pipeline was actually something a friend (who's very high up in the industry) introduced me to, and having her recommend it speaks volumes about how highly regarded a contest it is, even within the upper echelon.
Henry Dunham, Screenwriting Contest Winner
There is no better place for writers than with Script Pipeline. Their attention and assistance on helping me guide my career is invaluable.
Nir Paniry, Screenwriting Contest Runner-up
When I relocated from NYC to LA to pursue sitcom writing, everyone I met in the industry said it wasn’t about entering competitions, it was about entering the right competition. All of them named Script Pipeline as the right competition.
Howard Jordan Jr., TV Writing Contest Runner-up
I've been entering and placing in contests-- including Script Pipeline--for several years. Through each of those 'almosts', I've uncovered my strengths, found my voice, defined my realm. It's all led to this, and I'm excited to see where things go from here.
Kevin Jones, Great TV Show Idea Contest Winner
I cannot overstate the impact that Script Pipeline has had on my writing career. Winning the contest directly led to my new representation, which in turn led to working with studios such as 20th Century Fox.
Tripper Clancy, Screenwriting Contest Winner
The team at Script Pipeline has been and continues to be immensely supportive of my writing career, and has genuinely made me feel like I’m part of a writing community committed to helping everyone get one step closer to living their dreams.
Josh Chesler, Screenwriting Contest Finalist
We've had a great experience working with several writers discovered by Script Pipeline. They have been a tremendous resource for our production company to find new, fresh voices.
Marty Berneman and Stephanie Varella (Off the Grid Entertainment)
Script Pipeline has been a trusted and valuable resource for screenwriters seeking in-roads to the industry. Their staff is dedicated to finding talented writers and building careers.
Shelly Mellott (Final Draft)
Script Pipeline took a chance on an idiosyncratic script, and it quickly became apparent they had given my work thoughtful consideration. I'm honored to be associated with them.
Morgan von Ancken, Screenwriting Contest Winner (Cutting Numbers)
In a vast sea of screenwriting competitions, Script Pipeline goes above and beyond. They don't view you as just another entrant, but a real person trying to get their voice heard in the industry.
Melanie Schiele, writer/director (Butterfly Children)
The constructive feedback I received allowed me to take my script (Strength and Honour) to another level--the film won over 22 awards worldwide. I would highly recommend Script Pipeline.
Mark Mahon, writer/director (Strength and Honour)
It's a competition that not only promotes creativity, but offers unparalleled support in development.
Kurt Conety, Great Movie Idea Contest Winner (Unwritten)
My recognition from Script Pipeline gave me the incentive and confidence to keep pushing my writing career.
Josh Chesler, screenwriter (Chasing Ghosts)
One of the finest contests around. . . a showcase for original, dynamic screenplays.
Haji Outlaw, Screenwriting Contest Runner-Up (Deadmen)
Just a wonderful experience all the way around. . . .
Geno Scala, Screenwriting Contest Finalist (Banking on Betty)
Script Pipeline is one of the best resources available to young writers and filmmakers.
Michael Ohoven, producer (Capote)
I can’t speak highly enough about the Script Pipeline team. The support they provided throughout the evolution of my latest action/comedy screenplay was invaluable. Script Pipeline truly cares about my success, not only promoting my work at every opportunity but also challenging me to push the limits of my skills. Thanks to their efforts, I am now working with a great manager and have an exciting new project on the horizon.
Kristi Hall, First Look Project Winner
Winning the contest has blown open doors with studios, producers, and agencies. Requests for my script have gone through the roof. This experience is literally life-changing, and I will forever be grateful to Script Pipeline.
Tom Krajewski, TV Writing Contest Winner (Supernormal)
This entire experience has given me a tremendous amount of hope. I am truly grateful to Script Pipeline for giving me the opportunity to share my vision with others.
Alex Ross, Screenwriting Contest Winner (Hexen)
Script Pipeline is a great resource for writers who have either won or been runners-up in their contests. They held on to my script and were instrumental in getting it into the hands of producers several years later.
Will Wallace, TV Writing Contest Finalist (Breathers)
I cannot underestimate the impact that Script Pipeline has had on my writing career. Winning the contest directly led to my new representation, which in turn led to working with studios.
Tripper Clancy, Screenwriting Contest Winner (The Ambassadors)
Script Pipeline introduced me to a manager and helped launch my professional career as a writer.
Evan Daugherty, Screenwriting Contest Winner (Snow White and the Huntsman, Divergent)
I've personally signed a number of writers from the Script Pipeline competitions, including Evan Daugherty and Tripper Clancy, and immediately review any material they send my way.
Jake Wagner (manager, Benderspink)
Script Sales
May was a slower month for spec sales. Adam D'Alba's horror spec The Infinity Reel has found a home at Paramount, with 21 Laps Entertainment and Bullitt Entertainment producing. The movie, based on D'Alba's pilot, will follow a paranormal investigator who investigates a strange phenomenon in small town and along the way finds an eerie connection to his own past. Amazon Studios has picked up another spec, This Is Jane by Daniel Loflin. The drama is based on Laura Kaplan's non-fiction book The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service, set in the years just before Roe v. Wade.
Other script sales:
- Andy Bellin will adapt Brett Velicovich and Christopher S. Stewart's Drone Warrior into a script for Paramount.
- Peter Ackerman to write the Angry Birds sequel for Columbia.
- Greg Russo to write the Resident Evil reboot for Screen Gems. James Wan to produce.
- Ol Parker (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) to write/direct the Mamma Mia sequel for Universal and Playtone.
- Gary Sanchez Productions picked up Andrew Model and Jarrad Paul's pitch about a washed-up TV star who reconnected with his TV show son who's now a huge star. Will Ferrell and Jason Momoa to star.
- Annapurna Pictures, Plan B, and Gary Sanchez have teamed for Adam McKay's Dick Cheney biopic, which McKay will write and direct. Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Amy Adams are set to star.
The Library – Produced Scripts
Trial & Error isn't the most revolutionary show. The mockumentary borrows heavily from Making a Murderer, The Jinx, and other recent true crime stories that have recently gained pop culture notoriety. In lesser hands, the show could have settled for a parody of those documentaries, adding nothing new to the table but jokes and sight gags, but creators Jeff Astrof (The New Adventures of Old Christine, Friends) and Matt Miller (Chuck, the Lethal Weapon TV show) went a step further and centered the series on a group of sympathetic outsiders: the bisexual poetry professor accused of killing his wife in the Deep South (John Lithgow), the junior defense attorney from New York hoping for his big break (Nicholas D'Agosto), his legal assistant with a laundry list of psychological and medical conditions (Sherri Shepherd), and his investigator who was fired from the police department for sheer incompetence (Steven Boyer).
The show is able to delicately balance the stakes of the story with the humor. The people of East Peck, South Carolina, immediately label Lithgow's Larry Henderson as a murderer, and the threat of the death penalty hangs over Larry's trial throughout the show. Prosecutor Carol Anne Keane (Jayma Mays) is gunning for it; she has aspirations to be East Peck's first female D.A., and a death penalty conviction would seal it for her. But despite the stakes, much of the humor comes from the defense team. Larry is kind-hearted—the script describes him as "harmless"—but he's also oblivious, going as far as worrying more about whether the cable guy's coming than his wife's death while on the phone with the 911 operator. D'Agosto's Josh Segal (described by the citizens of East Peck as a "Northeasterner") attempts to corral his assistants and his defendant and plays the role of the straight man throughout the proceedings.
The game cast and sharp writing help elevate this series to the next level, and this is a great series for those itching for something similar to Parks and Recreation.
Read the Trial & Error Pilot
Through annual competitions, Script Pipeline discovers and develops writers of all levels for film and television, connecting them to producers, agents, and managers. Since 1999, several produced films and over $6 million in screenplay and TV pilot spec sales from alumni are credited to Script Pipeline’s unique, intensive process of long-term writer-to-industry facilitation. Contest finalists and winners work with Script Pipeline’s senior executives year-around, getting broader exposure for their work in addition to continuous, one-on-one development assistance.
Recent success stories include competition alum Evan Daugherty selling Snow White and the Huntsman to Universal for $3 million and later taking the lead on studio projects Divergent, Ninja Turtles, and the upcoming Rose Red from Disney and Earthseed from Paramount. Evan was previously attached to write the limited series Esmeralda for ABC Studios, GI Joe 3 for Paramount, an adaptation of Myst for Hulu, and the Tomb Raider reboot. His contest-winning script Killing Season (formerly Shrapnel) was produced and starred Academy Award-winner Robert De Niro and John Travolta.
Tripper Clancy, another former Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest winner, sold the road comedy The Ambassadors to 20th Century Fox and the pitch Winter Break to QED International, and was previously attached to write the comedy Stranded for Sony. Tripper is currently writing the animated comedy Shedd for Paramount, in addition to Hacker Camp for Hasbro. In April 2016, he sold the spec Stuber to Fox for the mid-six figures, and in May 2017 was brought on board for an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Art of Fielding.
Micah Barnett, whose work was developed through Script Pipeline coverage services, sold The Rabbit to Warner Bros. for six-figures and a TV pilot, Ricochet, to NBC. Screenwriter Brian Watanabe had his Script Pipeline “Recommend” action/comedy, Rogue’s Gallery (later titled Operation: Endgame), also initially developed by Script Pipeline, produced by Michael Ohoven (Capote) and Sean McKittrick (Get Out). The film starred Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Adam Scott (Parks and Rec), Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent), Maggie Q, Ellen Barkin, Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), and an ensemble cast. The Living Wake, Script Pipeline’s first produced film starring Academy Award-nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and comedian Mike O’Connell (Dr. Ken), received high praise when it made its festival debut in 2010.
In October 2017, production will begin on the 2015 Script Pipeline contest-winning screenplay Militia, written by Henry Dunham. Henry will make his directorial debut with the crime/thriller. The film is set to star Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) and Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire). Madhouse Entertainment signed Henry a few weeks after he was announced as the winner of the competition, with UTA following suit.
Jen Goldson, another 2015 contest selection, saw her romantic comedy Off the Menu produced in 2016, starring Santino Fontana (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Dania Ramirez (Devious Maids). Jen was introduced to director Jay Silverman at a Script Pipeline event, and the screenplay went into production in less than a year. The film will be released in 2017.
A number of original feature and TV projects are in various stages of development, and well over 100 writers have signed with representation or had their work optioned as a result of facilitation. With Script Pipeline execs actively expanding their industry network on a daily basis, the company is continuously on the hunt for quality material to co-produce or help put into production.
By the end of 2017, it’s estimated that 15,000 screenplays, pilots, and original pitches will have been reviewed through the competitions, making Script Pipeline the leading review outlet for writers worldwide.
*Industry requests to review material from Script Pipeline writers can be made here.
Notable Script Pipeline Alumni | Recent Major Success Stories
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