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UPDATE: For those who inquired about application rules: Because of Humanitas’ limited staff, there will be no open submission. Writers can submit scripts through their agents, Humanitas-affiliated film schools or any of the Humanitas board of directors or board of trustees members or other TV showrunners who want to pitch them. There is no age limit for the applicants.
PREVIOUS: Humanitas is launching a New Voices initiative designed to help up-and-coming writers trying to break into the business. It includes agreements with 20th Century FOX TV, NBC Universal, CBS, ABC Studios, Lionsgate and HBO Entertainment to develop a total of twelve TV pilots by emerging writers. Each company has made blind commitments to buy two scripts, each of which will be written under the supervision of a member of Humatitas’ Board of Trustees. “We are extremely pleased with the wonderful support the industry has given the Humanitas New Voices, which pairs gifted writers with our Humanitas Trustees, who are among the most acclaimed and successful TV and film writers and producers working today,” said Humanitas President John Wells. The Humanitas Board of Trustees consists of Paris Barclay (In Treatment), Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters), Cindy Chupack (Sex & the City), John Eisendrath (Alias), Kirk Ellis (John Adams), Brad Falchuk (Glee), Tom Fontana (Oz), Howard Gordon (24), Marc Guggenheim (No Ordinary Family), Hart Hanson (Bones), Winnie Holzman (Wicked), David Hudgins (Parenthood), Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), Richard LaGravenese (The Horse Whisperer), Bill Lawrence (Cougar Town), Ali LeRoi (Everybody Hates Chris), Steve Levitan (Modern Family), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Paris Qualles (The Tuskegee Airmen), Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy), David Shore (House), Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Matt Tarses (Scrubs), Patric Verrone (Futurama), Greg Walker (The Defenders) and David Zabel (Detroit 1-8-7).
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…and so, how does one apply to this?
Ditto
Uh, tritto.
Fritto, anyone?
I queried a small, indie agent, got his permission, looked up and found a member of the Humanitas board, asked permission to have the agent send the script, got it, the script was sent, and a few weeks later I got an email from the agent asking for a paragraph statement to accompany the submission. Whew.
Um, application details would be super duper nice.
Sounds like a truly cool effort….
Bill Lawrence and Humanitas, that’s funny.
dude’s a D bag.
what a bunch of garbage!(been done over and over again…so unimaginative) We don’t need to encourage any more people to be part of this industry.Hire the hundreds of talented writers now out there who can’t get a job,an agent.Who these networks,studios won’t let thru the door…This is just a ploy by these “Notable” trustees to find their next hit without doing any work and try to make themselves look good.expected more from humanitas.
upintheair is angry and bitter. come on, try a little kindness from your heart and maybe good things will appear…
was excited about this but apparently from what i’ve read they only take scripts submitted by agents
how can you get a board member to represent you or look at your stuff. tuff to get an agent in houston.
Hopefully “emerging” means “original” too…
This is perfect for all those “up-and-coming writers trying to break into the business” that already have agents and close relationships with showrunners.
The rest of you up-and-comers better hope the guy sitting next to you at Starbucks is Brad Falchuk.
I laughed but only because it’s so true. I feel sorry for the people on the fringe trying to get in. This is not designed to help you guys.
why can’t we submit it to you all and if you like it contact us. We could always submit a copy of the copyright along with it.
I was in your position as recently as two years ago. The problem is, that “emerging” to Hollywood means someone who’s already been working in the business who has yet to sell a show. For example, the odds of selling a show without being staffed on a show are so low it doesn’t even make sense to throw out a number.
If this program accepted scripts from everywhere, they would receive thousands of awful scripts. Usually the scripts are not structured correctly and because writing for television is so structure heavy (knowing how to end acts that lead into commercials), they don’t have time to read stuff from people who don’t know this.
Fret not however, I have friends who have written things who didn’t know these things until I pointed it out to them and they had been working in the business for years (which is more sad than anything else I suppose).
You have to move here and then make connections if you’re a writer. Being somewhere else only makes it infinitely harder.
I agree – I know lots of up-and-comers trying to break into the business and if they had agents, then they wouldn’t be trying to “break into the business.” I have no idea who this is supposed to help.
So I’m guessing you’ve never thought of applying to the CBS, ABC/Disney, NBC or Fox Writing Fellowships? Or the Warner Bros. Writer’s program? Of the BBC Writers Room, which accepts both TV and Film scripts from all and sundry?
Instead of kvetching about 1 competition, realize that all of these studios also have their own writing programs open to anyone who wants to apply. So get writing, and no, I’m not gonna give you the websites, do you wan’t me to wipe your ass too? Get to writing and spend less time moaning about one proverbial closed door as a hundred windows sit open behind you. And now you’re making me quote freakin’ Sound of Music. Damn you.
I think I love you–Happy Dance—thanks for stemming the tide of fatalism. Even though most of what was written is true–the comment about the open windows is truer. Dammit, bad grammar. But I’m a writer so that’s par for the course:)
is there a deadline for submitting?
I’m interested. I have one screenplay completed.
Gotta love these “initiatives” that try to help “up and coming writers” “break into the business”. And how do you apply? Through your agent, board member, or show runner of course!!! If we had any of those we wouldn’t need help breaking in!
Are these for folks without credits? Is this for people who haven’t worked in tv or for those working at lower levels?
There are plenty of people without credits who are repped by agents who can’t catch a break. If CBS wants to put shows on the air, how many do you think they are going to give to up and coming writers without credits? Plenty of people just sit around with an agent who can’t move them along. Seems like this “initiative” will at least get those people who worked hard enough to get agents a break.
thank you Mark!!
people think that just because you have a agent then you’ve made it. HELLO! not the case. I worked my ass off to get my agent. I’m glad having an agent gives me a leg up and separates me from those that just got here.
This is so awesome! But after the comments of my peers I realize that “IF” I had an agent I would be considered “in the biz” already… so what exactly does “up and comers” mean? I’m a film student with a concentration on screenwriting that has entered lots of contests but didn’t advance, I live in Upstate NY, I really don’t have any connections to the industry… and I certainly DO NOT have an agent. But I’m working on a Pilot for an Hour-Long drama with my screenwriting teacher that really believes in my script… So, is this article for me? I would say so… save for the fact that I don’t have an agent to submit my Pilot Script. *le sigh*
The exclusive, inside clubby and out of touch with reality submission process already renders the competition rigged. A writer can submit through an agent or to one of the Humanitas board members blah blah blah. If Humanitas et al really wants to help discover new voices, it should be a blind submission process. But that wouldn’t help the friends and family now would it?!
Thankfully, I have an agent (not that he ever returns calls). I just feel sorry for the fake hope this instills.
Uh, if you have an agent, you ARE in the business. Typical…
So get an agent. I didn’t have one, I wrote my ass off and hustled with no connections and now I’m at one of the big 4.
It isn’t impossible.
yes thanks for give me such nice information about buy scripts its really works
Just to clarify: There are plenty of writers with produced credits, with agents and managers and lawyers and well-connected writer/producer friends who STILL have trouble making a living. This is a tough marketplace, folks. No matter how talented your Mom tells you you are, if you think you can write scripts in Pougkeepsie and contests like this will (and should) hand you a career on a silver fucking platter, sorry, ain’t gonna happen.
Okay, so I’m a working writer with no produced credits, a decent agent, and I know a couple of the names listed above well enough to send something. However, all of my material is very dark and edgy, or political and cynical. Humanitas is a pretty touchy-feely organization. Is there any information about the kind of material they are looking for? I’d hate to waste the relationship capital submitting THE WIRE if all they’re looking for is the next TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. Anyone know the inside story?
Good news for me! I’m a New York based writer and I write touchy feely, Touched by an Angel stuff!
Thanks for the sharing this information about the new scripts.. i am always use this information…
As a member of the Plaintiffs’ Liaison Committee and a lead named plaintiff in the TV Writers Age Discrimination Class Action suits, it was both good and perplexing to read “….Writers can submit scripts through their agents, Humanitas-affiliated film schools or any of the Humanitas board of directors or board of trustees members or other TV showrunners who want to pitch them. There is no age limit for the applicants….”
Our Settlement’s Administrator will be mailing about $38,000,000 to WGAw and Writers Guild East members this week, precisely and primarily because most of us no longer are represented by agents. It is less than likely that we know showrunners who will actually return our calls, and those of us acquainted with Humanitas directors and/or trustees would have unfair advantage over class members who do not.
It would be encouraging if the Humanita Foundation found a way to open its selection process to members of the class in our suits, rather than inadvertantly perpetuating the problem of lack of representation which was part of the suits.