Register for the Secret Door Pitchfest - Recent Writer Success Stories

Recent Success Stories

MGM and Warner Bros. hired Script Pipeline writer Evan Daugherty in February 2015 to pen the new Tomb Raider reboot. Graham King (The Departed, Argo) producing. Instead of a sequel to the 2001 Angelina Jolie version, the new plot will feature a younger Lara Croft on her first adventure. Evan found representation with a Pipeline partner in 2008.

Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest winner Tripper Clancy (The Ambassadors, Stranded) signed on to write Hacker Camp for Hasbro, based on an idea from Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner. The action-comedy centers around a group of nerds at a computer camp. Tripper has projects in development at Sony, Paramount, Fox, and QED International.

2015 Secret Door Pitchfest

*Register by April 1st to guarantee a spot

The Script Pipeline Secret Door Pitchfest offers a rare opportunity to connect with some of the most influential decision-makers in the film industry during a one-day event in Los Angeles. Designed for both beginning and established screenwriters, Secret Door gathers a selected group of high-level producers, managers, agents, and key studio executives searching for new material and fresh voices, allowing the writer to pitch and network in a more intimate, organized, hassle-free environment.

The early registration deadline for the event is April 1st. Included in the event package:

• Pitch to 20-30 companies

• 1-year Script Pipeline Writers Database membership ($60 value)

• Two (2) FREE entries to any Script Pipeline Competition ($120)

• Pitch consultation with a Script Pipeline’s Senior Consultant ($175)

Reserve Your Spot Here

Book Pipeline Results Announced

After months of judging, we're pleased to announce the winner and finalists of the 1st Annual Book Pipeline Competition:

- Grand Prize Winner -

Beowulf: A Bloody Calculus (sci-fi/thriller) by Milo Behr

- Finalists -

Auto-Erotica (drama) by Stacia Saint Owens

Hand Me Down (drama) by Melanie Thorne

Syncing Forward (sci-fi/thriller) by W. Lawrence

The Ringer (crime/drama) by Jenny Shank

Our 2015 season launches by March 15th and runs until December. We've amended our submission criteria slightly, but our goal remains the same: to find stellar projects and present them to executives searching for new film and TV material.

View the New Book Pipeline Site

February 2015 Script Sales

For the second month in a row, Script Pipeline alums have made some waves: Evan Daugherty has signed on the write the Tomb Raider reboot, and Tripper Clancy will pen Hasbro’s Hacker Camp, each adding another script to their growing slates of projects. In other news, February was a rather busy month. Sony made a few purchases: Sniper Elite, a thriller based on the Gil Shannon novels by Scott McEwen and to be written by Sheldon Turner; Michael Finch and Alex Litvak’s Medieval, which is described as The Dirty Dozen set in the Middle Ages; and Steve Conrad’s adventure/comedy pitch about a driverless car race from Paris to Beijing, Gore Verbinski helming. . . .

Read more script sales

The Top 10 Films You'll Never See on a Top 10 List

You know, there comes a time when we have to search far beyond the limits of our conscious mind and determine who we are. Our identity as writers and filmmakers, in the hopes of discovering our creative selves. Where we fit in the cinematic landscape.

And I’m sorry, but you all have to stop saying The Shawshank Redemption is your favorite movie.

According to studies, 35% of “frequent to highly frequent” movie-goers side with The Shawshank Redemption as their default motion picture darling. Over 20% pick The Godfather or a Woody Allen movie, while the remainder select films in AFI’s best movie list or smaller but highly popular cult favorites.

Sure. These are all excellent movies.

Without a doubt, there are actual Shawshank fans out there.

And yes, the aforementioned statistics may be nothing more than my educated guess based on IMDB’s rankings and have no scientific basis whatsoever (like I have time to do research on “what’s your favorite movie” responses, although I did come across this Vanity Fair article, which explains a lot).

The point is . . . .

Read the Full Article

The Affair – Pilot

This gem of a series seemed to fall under the radar early on. No fault of Showtime or the series creators—the cable TV landscape is, shall we say in no uncertain terms, incredible. Add this one to your list as a superlative example of how to infuse a compelling structure into a very straightforward dramatic series. Not-so-much-of-a-spoiler alert: two married people have an affair, and things eventually go bad.

Note that the writing itself in the pilot script, based on by-the-book fundamentals, could be better. In theory. But then you get deeper with dialogue and character, and suddenly it becomes clear why Sarah Treem (plus whoever else had their hand in penning the series) may be one of the best TV writers out there. You could write a dissertation on how well the series is structured, how it keeps us guessing without falling into the trap of blatant on-the-nose plotting. The Affair draws a fine lines between ambiguity and full transparency, as evidenced by the first episode, and lingers in your head well after the season finale.

And it’s steamy. . . . Very steamy. Ruth Wilson / Dominic Wilson fans, clear your schedule.

Read The Affair Pilot