Mentorship Program Winners

Announcing The Top 10

Announcing The Top 25

We’ve entered the home stretch now. Our judges are completing their final reads and the winners are just around the corner. Alongside our exclusive competition partners Artillery Creative and Oil and Cattle Entertainment, we are thrilled to be bringing new, talented writers into our Launch Pad family!

This year’s Top 25 pilots center on an amazing collection of compelling characters, from the woman who was Queen of both England and France, to pop stars selling their souls in Faustian bargains, to outsiders fighting against the Hollywood blacklist. Our writers have made criminals sympathetic, cancer patients unlikable, and soap opera stars relatable, bringing the reader into worlds and experiences they’ve never seen before.

Knowing the bright futures ahead for all of them, we are thrilled to introduce you to the writers and projects of the 2018 Launch Pad Pilots Competition Top 25!

(As a reminder: If you selected one of our add-on prizes at time of entry, but did not advance to the Top 25, you are still in contention to win those prizes.)

Announcing The Top 50

As we continue to narrow down this year’s crop of fantastic pilots alongside our accomplished collection of judges and exclusive competition partners Artillery Creative and Oil & Cattle Entertainment, we are impressed again and again with the sheer depth of talent on display in this year’s competition.

Whether it be laughing out loud at the exploits of inept spin instructors and television personalities, biting our nails as we wait for the results of houseboat heists and murder trials, or holding our breaths during sweeping battle scenes in Roman Spain and car chases through the red mud of Georgia – it has been a delight to explore the skills and creativity of our Top 50 pilots.

Knowing the bright futures ahead for all of them, we are thrilled to introduce you to the writers and projects of the 2018 Launch Pad Pilots Competition Top 50!

(As a reminder: If you selected one of our add-on prizes at time of entry, but did not advance to the Top 50, you are still in contention to win those prizes.)

Announcing The Top 75

As our judges, partners and mentors begin their deep dive into this years finalists, we, alongside our exclusive partners Artillery Creative and Oil and Cattle Entertainment are thrilled to announce the next round of finalists in this years competition, as we present our Top 75.

And even as we narrow our list from 100 to 75, this years finalists continue to include something for everyone. With stories of America’s first female detectives and those of history’s greatest generals, with a truly ‘universal’ sci-fi twist on Robin Hood in space, to the intricately comedic worlds of home shopping networks, from the baseball diamonds of little leagues to the app obsessed dating worlds of adulthood and the oh so fun balance of love, marriage, parenthood, and the exploration of all the things that make us who we are today.

So, once again, without further ado, let us introduce you to the Top 75 finalists of the 2018 Launch Pad Pilot Competition!

(As a reminder: If you selected one of our add-on prizes at time of entry, but did not advance to the Top 75, you are still in contention to win those prizes.)

The Launch Pad Pilots Competition is back for 2018! We are now accepting submissions, so if you dream of writing for TV, submit your pilot today.

Here at Launch Pad we’ve spent the last 5 years working tirelessly to help writers launch their careers. Our partners and judges represent some of the top agents, managers, producers, and executives in the industry. This type of unprecedented access is unique to us and has resulted in 254 writers finding representation, 81 projects getting set up, and 48 writers getting staffed on a show.

This competition is truly a golden opportunity to get your work in the hands of the people that matter. So polish off your pilots and submit your script today.

WHAT DO I NEED?
One (or more) original television pilot no more than 70 pages.

WHAT CAN I WIN?
3 Grand Prize Winners will receive flights to Los Angeles for a meet and greet with some of the biggest agents, managers, and execs in the industry. Guaranteed Option Add-On: Our partner will option at least one pilot from the competition. Guaranteed Signing Add-On: Your chance to get a rep. Our partner will sign at least one writer from the competition. Mentorship Prizes Add-On: Our three mentors will each select a writer to advise and support through their journey in the industry.

OTHER BENEFITS
Feedback Notes Add-On: Our readers are standing by, ready to give you a professional analysis of your work and constructive feedback on how to take it to the next level Every entrant will also receive the once in a lifetime opportunity to get their work in front of the top reps, producers, and execs in the industry, at companies such as Verve, 3 Arts, Anonymous Content, APA, Energy Entertainment, Bellevue, Imagine Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment and many more.

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS

One crucial reason we have been so successful in helping launch careers is our relationships with our wonderful partners. For five years now, we’ve partnered with some of the top writers, producers, execs, agents, and managers to expand opportunities for up and coming scribes.

Our partnerships manifest in three exciting add-on prizes: The Guaranteed Option, Guaranteed Signing, and the Mentorships. Each writer who purchases the add-on will be considered by our partners, regardless of their performance in the overall competition.

For the Option Prize, our partner will select at least one work to option. The Guaranteed Signing is very similar, except instead of an option, our partner agrees to represent at least one writer from the competition. The Mentorship Prize will see three partners each select a writer to advise during their career. Past partners for these prizes have included Scott Free, Bellevue, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writer Dan Doyle.

GUARANTEED SIGNING PRIZE

Step one, write your script. For many, step two is landing great representation who will share you and your work with Hollywood decision makers. For this year’s competition, we’ve partnered with Thomas Carter and his management company Artillery Creative. A respected veteran in the business, Thomas has served as both literary manager and producer. His clients have written for networks like NBC, HBO, TNT, USA, CBS, FreeForm, and on shows that include TIMELESS and CHICAGO PD.

On the producing front, he has the upcoming adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s Hugo and Nebula Award winning book DAWN with Ava DuVernay attached to produce. He’s also producing the adaptation of true crime thriller BURN for Anonymous Content with Mahershala Ali set to star and client Frederick Kotto set to write. This is a rare opportunity to earn representation from a veteran who brings invaluable knowledge of both the management and producing world.

For our guaranteed signing prize, Artillery Creative will select at least one writer for representation.

GUARANTEED OPTION PRIZE

We are pleased to announce our Guaranteed Option Prize partnership with development acquisition financier and production company, Oil & Cattle. Currently, Oil & Cattle is set to produce Octavia E. Butler’s Nebula and Hugo Award-winning sci-fi classic Dawn, alongside A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay, and former WME partner Charles D. King’s Macro. Oil & Cattle has optioned the rights of several other high profile books and articles from companies that include HarperCollins, GQ, The New Yorker and Rolling Stone. Oil & Cattle prides themselves on discovering commercially viable projects rooted in humanized storytelling.

By partnering with the Launch Pad, Oil & Cattle will option at least one project which has selected the Guaranteed Option add-on.

THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

With 2018 Pilot Competition mentors Lauren Otero, Helen Leigh & Zachary Robbins

There’s no need to go it alone. Working closely with experienced writers who have walked the walk can be an invaluable experience. That’s why we offer exclusive mentorship opportunities for writers to learn from those making moves in the industry today.

We’re incredibly excited to announce our newest mentor, Lauren Otero. Lauren has staffed on cable and network TV shows, including HAPPY ENDINGS, HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, and GIRL MEETS WORLD. In the digital space, she has written for go90’s MR. STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT, has served as a co-producer on go90’s VERSUS, and has sold projects to AwesomenessTV and Mitú. Currently, Lauren is developing a dark musical comedy with Sacha Baron Cohen’s production company.

Also joining our mentor program this year is writer, Helen Leigh. Helen is known for her genre writing prowess. She served as writer’s assistant on Cinemax’s OUTCAST, coming off of writing and producing her first episode. She also previously worked for literary management and production company Circle of Confusion and Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment. Helen most recently participated in the creative conference for developing the mobile game THE WALKING DEAD S4 with Telltale Games.

Last but not least, writer Zach Robbins is our third mentor this competition. Staffed on HBO’s BALLERS, Zach has also written for IFC’s MARON and FX’s RESCUE ME, as well as served as script coordinator for Showtime’s HOUSE OF LIES.

Our mentors bring real world experience and diverse paths on how to break into the industry as a television writer, insight into navigating the writers’ room, and valuable tips on how to sell original material. Our mentor program will also focus on getting your script ready, and strategies for pitching and choosing your next project. This is an incredible opportunity that you don’t want to miss. Stay tuned as we prepare to announce our next two mentors!

FREE BONUS WITH YOUR ENTRY

We’re pleased to be re-teaming with Roadmap Writers to offer all of our competition entrants a free seminar with the Roadmap Writers Program. Run by former development exec for Bold Films Joey Tuccio, the exclusively curated seminar – geared toward writers of all experience levels – will give writers insight from working producers, executives, agents, and managers to help you build a better pitch, learn how to be good in a room, and how to be sure you’re putting your best work into the world.

REAL NOTES, REAL FEEDBACK

Continuing with the same educational ideas behind the origination of the mentorship program, and continually looking to identify new ways to give our writers even more of a leg up when entering the Launch Pad Competition, we’re thrilled to announce the return of our Feedback Notes Program.

Rather than receiving a few vague disconnected sentences or paragraphs from other coverage services or competitions out there, we’ve struck a deal with our professional readers (reading for places such as 20th Century Fox, Sony, Paramount, Universal, UTA & more) to provide 1-2 pages of in-depth notes on your competition entry. With an emphasis on initial thoughts, opinions and analysis, get an inside look at what is usually a behind the curtain process, and get our readers’ perspectives on the story, characters, marketability, and ideas for where the story could go. Was it a page-turner? Did we want to see more of a character? Was the dialogue believable? Get the actionable notes and insight you deserve.

The Launch Pad is more than just a writing competition.

We’re here to be the first step in starting your writing career.