Featuring a jury of industry professionals from top companies, the Launch Pad Pilot competition has led to dozens of writers staffed on hit shows for Netflix, CBS, NBC and more.

We’re proud to offer a Grand Prize Partnership with Citizen Skull Productions. They will listen to pitches from all Finalists and will select one writer or project for mentorship and development.

With additional prizes and mentorship opportunities to take advantage of, our competition is poised to help break you into the business.

Plus comedy legend Spike Feresten (SEINFELD, UNFROSTED) will join us for a Q&A session with all finalists.

GRAND PRIZE PARTNERSHIP

We’re proud to offer a Grand Prize Partnership with Citizen Skull Productions. They will listen to pitches from all Finalists and will select one writer or project for mentorship and development.

Headed by producer Mark Myers and animation executive Heather Kenyon, the genre-agnostic Citizen Skull is a production/management company with interests in scripted and unscripted/documentary projects throughout the wider episodic and feature worlds, domestic and international. Selected current projects include an unannounced thriller with STX and a 5-part series for MGM+. Previously, they produced the Emmy-winning STREET GANG for HBO, the JK Simmons-starring GLORIOUS for Shudder, cult favorite 12 FEET DEEP starring Saw's Tobin Bell for Amazon, VICE VERSA: CHYNA, a top-rated show, for VICE, and the South Africa-set actioner COLLISION for Netflix, as well as the Winona Ryder, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Leguizamo-starring EXPERIMENTER, which is available on Apple TV+ and other platforms.

Awards & Prizes

PRIZES

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Everything the Category Winners receive, plus…
- Development meetings with Grand Prize VIP Partner Citizen Skull Productions

CATEGORY WINNERS (2) - Half-Hour and Hour-Long
Everything the Top 10 receive, plus…
- Will receive an additional 1:1 meeting with an industry professional.
- Each of the competition winners will be invited to an exclusive yearly virtual event where they will get the chance to meet with and pitch industry professionals from management companies, agencies and production companies in a 1:1 setting. Past participants included MGM, Scott Free, Verve, Bellevue, Lit Entertainment, WME, and more.

TOP 10 FINALISTS
Everything the Top 50 receive, plus…
- A guaranteed meeting with a member of the jury.
- Receive a paragraph of written feedback from a jury member.
- Invite to a Top 10 only virtual Q&A event with writer & producer Spike Feresten.
- One free entry to any future Launch Pad Competition of your choosing.

TOP 50
Everything the Top 100 receive, plus…
- One year free membership to the Tracking Board.

TOP 100
- Receive brief written feedback from a competition reader.
- Your project and writer profile will be shared and marketed to our extensive industry networks.

MENTORSHIP ADD-ON PRIZE
Mentor Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary and Media Management will select one writer for three mentorship meetings. To qualify for this prize, entrants must select the specific add-on, or make it to the Top 10.

In 2003, Sharlene Martin and created Martin Literary and Media Management. Sharlene has represented some of the top true crime books in publishing and her producing credits include: Executive Producer of Lifetime’s movie THE PREGNANCY PACT, Co- Creator/Producer of the reality series, DEADLY SINS for Discovery ID, Co-EP for EPIC MYSTERIES for Discovery ID, Executive Producer on SECRETS OF A MARINE’S WIFE for Sony Television at Lifetime, and Executive Producer for Apple TV+’s HOME BEFORE DARK, directed and executive produced by Jon M. Chu (Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians), based on her client, Hilde Lysiak, a 14-year-old crime reporter.

DEVELOPMENT ADD-ON PRIZE
Najeeb Khuda of Endless Media will select one project to develop with the writer through a series of meetings. To qualify for this prize, entrants must select the specific add-on, or make it to the Top 10.

Najeeb is an experienced producer, literary manager, and content strategist who has over a decade of experience in the industry working his way through various major studios such as 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate before launching his production and literary management company Endless Media. Through Endless Media he has produced several feature films including THE CALM BEYOND (Sony Pictures) and ASSASSIN (Bruce Willis final film) and set up numerous other projects with major companies such as Scott Free and Thunder Road. As a management company, Endless Media’s clients have set up feature and TV projects across various major studios and production companies.

JURY
Featuring jurors from Good Fear, Vertigo Entertainment, ColorCreative, Verve, Roadside Attractions, and more...

ALI VINGIANO
TV Writer
Ali Vingiano is a WGA Award-nominated TV writer who wrote on both seasons of The Morning Show (Apple TV+) and is currently developing two TV ideas and a feature for various studios and production companies. She previously produced for The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper (Comedy Central), and stars in the feature film THE END OF US, which premiered at SXSW ‘21. As a writer and director, her extensive online video work has received over 1 billion views, won Vimeo Staff Picks, and has been featured everywhere from on the front page of Reddit to NBC’s Today Show. As a journalist, she's contributed writing to Vulture, BuzzFeed, The Hairpin, and more. Born in New York City, she now lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and their rescue dog.

CHERVINE NAAMANI
Manager/Producer, Color Creative
Chervine Naamani is a Manager and Producer at ColorCreative. Chervine has built an impressive diverse and multi-cultured list of next generation filmmakers and writers. On the film side, his clients have recently won awards at every major festival including Sundance, Cannes or SXSW and have worked with Neon, New Line, 20th and more. On the TV side, he works with multiple prominent writers writing on hit shows across all genres. Chervine spent the last 4 years as a Literary Manager at RAIN. He had started in management at Thruline, then joined Buchwald where he became the first Literary agent ever promoted at the agency and helped establish their Literary department. The son of political refugees from Iran was born and raised in Paris, France. He is a graduate of the Assas Law School in Paris. Chervine is fluent in English, French and Farsi.

DAN KAVANAGH
Manager of TV Development, Vertigo Entertainment
Dan Kavanagh joined Vertigo Entertainment in 2019. Since then, he’s worked to identify projects that have sold to Charter, Sony and Village Roadshow among others, while contributing to the development of shows at every major streamer, including Warhammer at Amazon. Previously, he served as Development & Production Coordinator at AMC Networks’ Shudder and Sundance Now, where he helped launch their reboot of Stephen King and George Romero’s Creepshow, which is now in its fourth season.

DAVID BAGGELAAR
Literary Manager, Good Fear
David is a Los Angeles native and graduate of San Diego State University where he received a degree in psychology, which has proven to be helpful in this business. After moving back to LA, he worked as a Production Assistant in commercials and indie film before landing at Benderspink in 2012 where he remained as the company transitioned to Good Fear in 2016. On the production side, he’s worked in some capacity on New Line’s WE’RE THE MILLERS, HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 and VACATION, Disney’s MULAN, and A24’s UNDER THE SILVER LAKE. As a manager, he has built a portfolio of film/tv writers, filmmakers, and IP creators. His clients have worked at most of the streaming platforms, networks, and film studios. David strives to develop his clients work and find the best place for their project/talents to thrive, pushing his clients to find the balance between art and commerce, and he is always on the lookout for noisy voices.

DAVINA HEFFLIN
TV Literary Agent, Verve
Davina is a TV Literary Agent at Verve and previously worked in the lit department at Gersh. Davina has dedicated herself to identifying Black/diverse, Female, and LGBTQ+ voices, building creatives up and helping them tell new stories that will have a positive and lasting impact on the audience.

JOSH MARKS
Literary Manager, Runyon Media
Josh Marks is a manager/producer at Runyon Media. Prior to founding Runyon Media, Josh was a literary manager with Untitled Entertainment and with Entertainment 360 (LADY BIRD, THE TERROR, THE FALL GUY, BRUISED) before that. He began his career as an agent trainee at UTA (United Talent Agency). In 2023, Josh left Untitled to launch Runyon Media, a new entity dedicated to financing, production and literary management. His clients have showrun and/or written for premium series on major networks and streamers in addition to writing and directing features for major theatrical and streaming studios. Client credits include: SUITS, SNOWPIERCER, ANIMAL KINGDOM, BORAT, THE OTHER TWO, PALM TREES AND POWER LINES, DEPARTURE and more.

LAMEESE HASSEN
Junior Manager, Marathon Management
Born and raised in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Lameese came out to Los Angeles five years ago to pursue the entertainment industry. She began as an assistant to Jai Khanna, a former manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, under their finance-production company, Oakhurst Entertainment. Lameese is currently a Junior Manager and Executive Assistant to Robert Lazar at Marathon Management.

MEGAN YEARGIN
Producer
Megan Yeargin is an experienced creative producer, who most recently led development for showrunner Brad Falchuk's overall deal at Netflix, encompassing a wide range of genres and formats in film, scripted TV and unscripted TV. Most recently she co-produced the upcoming Netflix series, THE BROTHERS SUN, starring Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh.

RYAN CUNNINGHAM
Producer, Running Woman
RYAN CUNNINGHAM (she/her) is a queer writer/director and Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer. She's EP/Director on the docuseries EXPECTING AMY (HBO Max) about Amy Schumer’s pregnancy, and the standup specials ILANA GLAZER: THE PLANET IS BURNING (Amazon), and CLUB CUMMING PRESENTS A QUEER COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA! (Showtime), hosted by Alan Cumming. Ryan recently completed production on her feature directorial debut, LONE WOLVES, set to release in 2024. In 2023, she also directed Sam Morrison’s critically acclaimed and award-nominated SUGAR DADDY for its extended off-Broadway run at Soho Playhouse in NYC and sold-out run in London at Soho Theatre. She is currently directing a monthly run of the live show SAMANTHA BEE PRESENTS WITS END, a comedy trivia game show with such guests as Eugene Mirman, David Cross, John Hodgman, Phoebe Robinson, Sam Morrison, Dylan Adler, Wyatt Cenac, Martin Urbano, Jon Glaser, and Samantha Bee. Select TV producing credits include BROAD CITY, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, SEARCH PARTY, THE LAST O.G., and ZIWE.

RYAN PAINE
Director of Development, Roadside Attractions
Ryan Paine is Roadside Attractions’ Director of Development. Paine works across the company’s creative slate in both film and TV, and his role is to identify promising projects, negotiate rights deals and talent deals, develop creative materials, secure production financing, and oversee projects throughout production. Paine most recently executive produced the comedic drama SHORTCOMINGS, which marks actor Randall Park’s feature directorial debut and is based on the same-titled graphic novel by New Yorker cartoonist Adrian Tomine. Paine has a B.A. from Brown University. He was born and raised in Florence, Alabama, and he currently resides in West Hollywood.

SCOTT SCHULMAN
Literary Manager, Schulman Management
Scott Schulman is a Literary Manager who has staffed many writers. One of his clients sold one of their pilots to Netflix in 2022. He also went on to sell 2 more movies that year. He got his start working at Fremantle in business affairs in both scripted and non-scripted television. He then went to A3 Artist Agency for a year as a junior agent in below the line packaging. Scott then pivoted to management and joined More/Medavoy. Scott went off and started Schulman Management in 2018. He began representing actors and then transitioned to signing writers/directors/producers. He currently has a roster of emerging voices and is adamant about breaking the barrier for women by helping get their voices heard. He is currently doing business with 21 Laps, Sugar 23, Phoenix Pictures, Omaha Productions, Harpo, Yoruba Saxon, Megamix, Boatrocker, Mar Vista, CBS and Netflix. Scott served on the Board of Directors for the entertainment organization, HRTS Associates and was also nominated as a Visionary of the Year candidate in 2022 by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Scott also sits on the Los Angeles Hofstra University alumni chapter which mentors emerging industry talent.

TYLER VENDETTI
Tyler was recently a Manager of Development at ITV Studios America, ITV Studios’ LA-based independent scripted television operation. Previously, she served as a WPA on a number of productions including SWAMP THING for DC Universe and DEAD TO ME for Netflix. She holds a B.A. in English and Film & New Media from Wheaton College (Massachusetts) and is an alum of the NBCUniversal Page Program.

Rules & Terms

At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.

All scripts MUST BE submitted as a PDF.
All pilot scripts must be under 70 pages (any script with more than 70 pages will be charged an additional $1 per page)
Do not submit any form of pitch document with your pilot script.
Do not include any identifying information (name, address, etc) on any page of your submission EXCEPT for the Title Page, which will be removed before sharing with readers to preserve anonymity. As such, the Title Page can include any information you would like.
Scripts with multiple writers are allowed (however, all entry fees must be paid under one account and all prizes to be shared among writing partners).
All submissions must be the sole property of the writer(s). Any submissions of existing characters and or stories not in the public domain, as well as any intellectual property that the writer does not own will be disqualified.
Pilots with a prior option are allowed, but at the time of submission and for the duration of the contest, must remain exclusively the writer’s property.
The only scripts not allowed to be entered are those which have already sold, been produced, have previously earned our “TB Recommends” or “Launch Pad Recommends” honors, or received a Top 50 placement in a previous Launch Pad competition, regardless of format.
The Launch Pad uses Coverfly to manage our submissions and reads. Updated drafts will be accepted for a limited time through the Coverfly website only for a $6 fee.
The Launch Pad and all judges/readers will utilize whatever criteria they deem appropriate in deciding a winner.
All scripts will remain the property of the writer(s) throughout the contest (at no point will anyone from the judge’s panel, or Launch Pad ever attach themselves to your work without your consent).
Entrants may be contacted as a result of the contest by Launch Pad, its partners, the judging panel or other industry professionals in regards to representation, production, sale and/or option of the entered work.
Entrants are under no obligation to sell their work or otherwise attach themselves to representation in any form – this includes the guaranteed option and guaranteed signing add ons
General script entries will not receive feedback, however, you can opt to upgrade and receive feedback on your script submission.
The contest is open to entrants who will be 18 or older at the time of the winners announcement. It is an international contest and open to entrants worldwide.
The Launch Pad reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify these terms at any time without notice.
By entering this competition, you agree to receive periodic emails from The Launch Pad and The Tracking Board. You may unsubscribe to these at any time.
All entrants understand and agree to allow Launch Pad to post details on their script (title, writers name, logline, genre, and competition details) as well as regarding the writer (biography, picture) to their site, or sister site to help promote the entrants’ work.
By entering the competition, entrants are acknowledging their eligibility for the competition. The vast majority of entrants enter in good faith, and validating everyone at the entry stage would be inefficient and take away from efforts reading and finding the best scripts. Therefore, we check eligibility at the Top 100 Finalist stage, which allows us to confirm eligibility prior to winner selection. If an issue comes to our attention earlier, we will address eligibility issues in earlier rounds on a case-by-case basis.
All purchases and submissions are final. No refunds will be issued.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to LaunchPad 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.
Employees of the Launch Pad and their immediate families are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified.
You agree to release and hold harmless LaunchPad, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising, or promoting the competition, 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 competition 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 LaunchPad and its sponsors, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize.