BBC Writersroom Script Room DRAMA 2020
INFO: We are especially looking for distinctive voices - and scripts that express those voices. We do not look for more of the same – we look for the writer’s ability to pull an audience into a world and hold them in it. It’s not necessarily about finding precincts or situations that have ‘never been done before’ but having an original take on stories that have the potential to have wide breadth of appeal.
We want to see characters who are well rounded, consistent and who drive the action rather than are carried by it. Also, a sense of storytelling ability - handling of pace, climax, mood for example.
We look for what the script tells us about the writer as we see all scripts as a calling card to showcase a writer’s ability and talent.
We want to see the best possible draft you can achieve. We are not looking for early/first/rough drafts of scripts. Only submit to the Script Room when your script is ready, even if it means waiting for a later Script Room submission window.
We are looking to unearth the treasures, the page-turners, the new perspectives, the engaging dialogue and the surprising character creations.
We want to find that special something which makes us want to read more from the person behind the project.
Before considering making a submission, you will need to read the following information carefully. Submissions which do not meet the criteria or are in breach of the terms and conditions will be subject to disqualification without discussion.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
One drama script of at least 30 full pages in length for TV, Film, Radio, Stage or Online* with your personal details removed.
Your script should be saved as a single PDF document of no more than 10MB in size, with your name removed from the document.
If you are writing your script using Final Draft and do not know how to remove your name and contact details from your script, please refer to Final Draft's own trouble shooter.
If you are using Microsoft word processing and do not know how to save your file as a PDF, please refer to Office Support
(All software will come with its own user guidelines. We cannot offer technical support for third party software).
Please remember to remove your name and contact details from every page of your script. All scripts will be read “blind” i.e. without a name attached, until after the full-read stage.
*If you are submitting a sample script for Children’s TV or Online, you are welcome to submit 2 x 15 minute episodes as a single PDF document.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Once you have clicked on the link for the opportunity, you will be asked to confirm your eligibility before entering.
(*Please note* If you do not meet the listed criteria, you cannot enter the opportunity. If you still proceed with your application, your submission will be flagged as ineligible and you are unlikely to hear that this is the case until after the deadline has passed.)
You will then need to fill in a simple application form along with uploading your script. As part of this, you will need to fill in the following details:
TITLE of the script being submitted.
LOGLINE: one sentence that clearly and succinctly tells us who and what the story is about. For more information about loglines please see our blog.
ADDITIONAL WRITERS: State here whether it is a joint application and provide the name of the other writer involved if applicable. Writers can submit individually or as part of a writing team of up to a maximum of 2 people. If entering as duo, both entrants must meet the entry requirements. You cannot submit as a duo and an individual within the same window.
MEDIUM / GENRE: select the relevant options from the drop down lists.
BIO: A brief biography, up to one paragraph, of your writing to date.
You can also include a link to a personal website and agent details but these are not required for the submission.
OUTCOME OF THE SCRIPT ROOM
At the end of the process, a group of writers (usually between 10 and 15) will be selected to join the BBC Drama Room writer development group for 2020/21.
Our Script Room open calls are not competitions but a means by which the BBC seeks out the best writing talent in either Drama or Comedy. We look for writers with the strongest potential to be developed and produced for BBC broadcast. You could be new to writing or new to the BBC but equally, you may be a playwright looking to write for TV, or you’ve written for radio and would like to try your hand at writing for CBBC. We understand that carving a career as a writer takes time and that each writer’s development needs will be different.
We will also consider whether scripts have real potential to be developed further towards production. If we believe a script could be developed further by a BBC department, we will send it to them with the writer's knowledge. Original scripts written on spec' are produced extremely rarely, and writers should not send them in with the expectation that they will be produced. However, original spec' scripts are the means by which writers get noticed, so you should always write your script with the same level of commitment as if it were for production.
DEADLINE: January 6, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room
ISA Fast Track Fellowship — TV PILOT
INFO: This is the 11th season of the ISA Fast Track Fellowship. With each passing year we continue to find fresh and original voices to pair up with eight veteran industry mentors for an intense, career-launching week in Los Angeles. After the week is over, our Fellows are invited onto the ISA Development Slate for support from the Development Team for a minimum of one year!
When the program launched, we had no idea what impact it would have on our Fellows' careers. Many of our Fellows have signed with top agents, managers and/or had their scripts optioned or purchased. There is no faster path to breaking in than getting on the Fast Track!
The ISA Fast Track Fellowship gives two undiscovered screenwriters a direct line to meet with and be mentored by eight top executives in Los Angeles. We'll fly you to L.A. and provide you the experience of a lifetime by connecting you to top industry contacts. The two Fast Track Fellows will immediately be invited onto the ISA Development Slate and work directly with the ISA Development Team for an entire year in an effort to Fast Track their careers.
OVER 60 SCRIPTS ON THE ISA DEVELOPMENT SLATE HAVE BEEN PRODUCED OR OPTIONED!
Many more are out to top producers and many of these emerging screenwriters have received representation as a result of getting onto the Slate.
TWO FAST TRACK FELLOWS WILL RECEIVE:
Mentorship Week in Los Angeles featuring 8 meetings with studio and development executives and literary agents
Airfare and hotel included
Year-long script development and guidance
Acceptance onto the ISA Development Slate
Script Diagnosis Read and Notes Session from Jessica Blank Coaching
A 12-Month ISAConnect Membership
The Craft Course in Screenwriting
Fellowship announcements to various media outlets
TOP 50 WILL RECEIVE:
The Craft Course in Screenwriting
A 12-Month ISAConnect Membership
With the ISA Fast Track, you win the experience of a lifetime, a launching pad to a career with connections that normally take decades to create. When we fly you to Los Angeles, you'll build relationships that can lead to a paying career doing what you love! The ISA is here to give writers a shortcut to resources, support and experience that will aid in long-term career success. We encourage emerging screenwriters of all levels and backgrounds to apply.
DEADLINES / FEES:
Regular Deadline: Jan 09, 2020 / $59
Final Deadline: Feb 12, 2020 / $79
https://www.networkisa.org/contest/view/fasttrack
2019 WRITERS' ROOM PROGRAM
Sesame Workshop
INFO: Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room is a writing fellowship from the creators of Sesame Street. And we’re looking for YOU! Fresh new writing talent from underrepresented racial backgrounds. Emerging storytellers who are selected to join the Writers’ Room will receive hands-on writing experience guided by Sesame Street veterans and other media industry leaders. Each participant will develop and write a pilot script for their own original kids concept. Past fellows have gone on to develop their own original content with Sesame Workshop, as well as write for Sesame Street and various programs at Nickelodeon, Disney, DreamWorks, and more!
DEADLINE: January 10, 2020
ARTIST RESIDENCY
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation
INFO: The Foundation offers three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to people who specialize in the creative arts. Our eleven guest houses, or casitas, are fully furnished and provide residents with a peaceful setting in which to pursue their creative endeavors.
The Foundation accepts applications from painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, screenwriters, composers, photographers, and filmmakers of national and international origin.
Applications are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of professionals who specialize in the artistic discipline of the applicant. Numerous jurors serve on committees for each: visual arts, music composers, writers, poets, playwrights, and filmmakers. Jurors, who know nothing about the artist's demographics, score in five categories based purely on the merit of the applicant's creative work samples.
Artists in residence have no imposed expectations, quotas, or requirements during their stay on the HWF campus. The HWF’s residency program provides artists with the time and space to create, which in turn enriches the artistic community and culture locally and abroad.
SESSIONS:
Session 1: Jan - Apr
Session 2: June - Aug
Session 3: Sept - Dec
DEADLINE: January 18, 2020