Every entry receives detailed, written feedback from one of our professional readers.
WeScreenplay’s TV Pilot Competition delivers a one-of-a-kind virtual writing lab hosted by top managers, agents, writers, and more. Winners take part in an interactive 4 day virtual lab with hands-on workshops, industry meetings, and will learn from working TV writers.
At least 4 winners will be selected to participate in this career-changing lab.
FEEDBACK: We believe that writers need feedback to improve, which is why every entrant receives written feedback included for free with their submission.
JUDGING: Our judges are all industry experienced gatekeepers. The final round of judging will be completed by the industry jurors that include Literary Managers and Producers looking for TV Scripts and writers. Judging will be based on all aspects that make stories great.
TV WRITING LAB
The top 4 winning scripts will be invited to WeScreenplay’s Virtual TV Writing Lab! This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to network, get exposure for your writing, and learn from working TV writers.
Winners will take meetings with development executives, TV writers, and learn how to make the most of a client/rep relationship from managers and agents. It’s an exciting schedule of events that will help you further your career — all from the comfort of your own home.
Additionally, our top scripts are read by our incredible industry jury and the winners get access to ongoing mentorship from WeScreenplay including an initial phone call, guidance for drafting query letters, research methods for finding the right representation, prep before big meetings, and strategic planning for next steps in their careers — all based on the writer’s specific goals.
JURY
Derek Martin
VP, TV Development Bad Robot
Derek joined Bad Robot in 2017 as an assistant in the Television department and has steadily climbed the ranks since, most recently being named VP of Television. During his tenure, he’s worked on shows like Castle Rock, Lovecraft Country, Lisey’s Story and Little Voice. Next up will be Presumed Innocent for Apple TV+, with David E. Kelley writing and Jake Gyllenhaal starring. Before Bad Robot, he worked in the TV Lit Department at CAA, and at ICM Partners and Marvel Television in Business Affairs. He earned his JD from George Mason School of Law.
Elise Brown
Staff Writer, Candy, Yellowjackets, former WS Winner
Elise Brown is a television writer based in Los Angeles. Most recently she’s written for Yellowjackets on Showtime and Candy on Hulu, as well as done development with Fifth Season, Joy Coalition and Automatik Entertainment. She typically writes stories that foreground black women and explore hierarchies of power and how they’re reinforced by the realities of race, gender and class.
Lyra Tan
TV Lit Coordinator, Gersh
Lyra Tan is currently the TV Literary Coordinator at the Gersh Agency and based in Los Angeles. Before joining Gersh in 2021, Lyra interned at Topic Studios and FilmNation Entertainment in New York City. Lyra’s dream is to have the opportunity to champion diverse writers from all walks of life and discover stories for the screen that are both diverse and universal. While diversity is incredibly important, universality is even more so (and everything needs a little sprinkle of magic). She’s the proud daughter of immigrants from the Philippines and has lived in Hong Kong, New York, and California.
Nick Harris
Literary Manager, Avalon Management
Nick Harris started his career as a doorman at a comedy club in Portland. Rose to a management position and eventually the GM. During this time, along with all the other responsibilities of running a supremely successful and lauded institution, he helped operate and produce the most popular local shows in Portland along with assisting comics to advance and develop. After a decade of cherishing and nurturing his relationships in comedy, running a business, along with his stand-up expertise, Nick transitioned to talent management Avalon.
Jack Taylor Cox
Creative Executive, Merman
Jack is a Creative Executive and Producer with over ten years of experience across scripted TV, feature film, documentary, and broadcast journalism. Having worked in the US, UK, and Australia, Jack currently serves as Creative Executive at Merman, the US/UK production company behind recent shows such as Bad Sisters for AppleTV+, Shining Vale for Starz, and HouseBroken for Fox. With a background in international programming at AMC Networks and a start in news production in London, Jack brings a wealth of diverse industry knowledge and a keen eye for captivating storytelling to every project.
Amy Zvi
Manager, Canopy Media Partners
A Talent Manager and Emmy-nominated Producer, Amy Zvi currently serves as an Executive Producer on the HBO and Max special Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love. She is also an EP of the upcoming TBS series, Stupid Pet Tricks, starring Sarah Silverman and produced by David Letterman. Previously, she was an Executive Producer for Hulu’s I Love You, America as well as Netflix’s Bumping Mics and Historical Roasts. She has been a part of numerous other projects including Sarah Silverman’s Emmy award-winning HBO comedy special Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles, Netflix’s Sarah Silverman: A Speck of Dust, and Comedy Central’s Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, The Burn, Jeff Ross Roasts Cops, Jeff Ross Roasts the Border: Live from Brownville, Texas, and the critically acclaimed Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live From Brazos County Jail.
Before making the transition to management and producing, Zvi spent 11 years as a Publicist at BNC (now PMK*BNC), where she was a Vice President in their Entertainment Division. At BNC, she led many high-profile talent public relations campaigns and worked on corporate accounts such as T-Mobile, PlayStation, and General Motors.
She currently manages Sarah Silverman, Nikki Reed, Jeff Ross, Sindha Agha, and a handful of other emerging talent.
Evan Lesser
Director, Acquisitions, Double E Pictures
Double E Pictures is a production company founded by Eric Eisner to develop and produce content for theatrical, television and digital distribution. Their past projects include Hamlet 2, Long Strange Trip, and All I Can Say.
Susan Hurwitz Arneson
Co-EP The Continental, Magic Order, Preacher and The Tick, Writer on South Park
Susan Hurwitz Arneson is a Television Writer and Producer best known for her work on six seasons of SOUTH PARK. She was with the show through three Emmy wins and one memorable death threat. Currently Susan is Executive Producing and Show Running an unannounced one hour historic drama for Netflix and Gaumont. Before her current show, Susan worked as a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on THE CONTINENTAL, MAGIC ORDER, PREACHER and THE TICK. In the past Susan has written for Seth MacFarlane’s BORDERTOWN, MR. ROBINSON starring Craig Robinson and MALIBU COUNTRY with Reba McEntire and Lily Tomlin. Susan has also developed series for Fox Television Animation, MTV, Comedy Central and is currently adapting Anthony Bourdain’s HUNGRY GHOSTS for Sony Animation. She received her MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA.
Corinne Hayoun
Partner/Manager, Manange-ment
Corinne Hayoun, a former CAA theater agent, joined the company in 2015 as head of the New York office. Hayoun has clients with film and TV projects set up at Warner Brothers, Netflix, Apple, FX, Amazon, Max, UCP, Fifth Season and others. Her clients have worked on shows such as the Peabody Award-winning David Makes Man, Emmy-winning The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and other critically acclaimed shows like Pachinko, Little America, American Crime Story, Black Lightning, and When They See Us, as well as the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Reversing Roe and Oscar-winning film Moonlight. Her clients also work across docs, animation, podcasts, books and extensively in theatre on Broadway & around the world. Hayoun also served as a co-producer on the hit Broadway play An Act of God starring Jim Parsons, and is a board member of the Lilly Awards Foundation, which celebrates and advocates for women in the American theatre.