Universal has opened applications for the studio’s Writers Program, a new initiative that seeks to identify up-and-coming screenwriters with unique points of view.
The paid program lasts one year and gives aspiring scribes the opportunity to develop two feature scripts under the guidance of Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation production executives in addition to support from the studio’s first-look producers. After its redesign in 2017, the program has also expanded its submissions criteria to include live-action and animation hybrid scripts with an emphasis on live-action content.
Producer advisers for the 2019 program include Seven Bucks Productions’ Hiram Garcia, Mandeville Films’ Todd Lieberman, UnbeliEVAble’s Eva Longoria, Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Simpson Street’s Kerry Washington. In the past, Amblin Partners, Blumhouse Productions, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman’s Brownstone Productions, Chris Morgan Productions, Dylan Clark Productions, Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions, Marc Platt Productions, Michael De Luca Productions,...
The paid program lasts one year and gives aspiring scribes the opportunity to develop two feature scripts under the guidance of Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation production executives in addition to support from the studio’s first-look producers. After its redesign in 2017, the program has also expanded its submissions criteria to include live-action and animation hybrid scripts with an emphasis on live-action content.
Producer advisers for the 2019 program include Seven Bucks Productions’ Hiram Garcia, Mandeville Films’ Todd Lieberman, UnbeliEVAble’s Eva Longoria, Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea and Simpson Street’s Kerry Washington. In the past, Amblin Partners, Blumhouse Productions, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman’s Brownstone Productions, Chris Morgan Productions, Dylan Clark Productions, Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions, Marc Platt Productions, Michael De Luca Productions,...
- 9/4/2019
- by Nate Nickolai
- Variety Film + TV
On October 21, 2014, Universal Pictures will begin entertaining applications for the fellowship’s second year, which is supported by the company's Diversity Council and the NBCUniversal Corporate Diversity team, and endorsed by Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw). The Emerging Writers Fellowships is among the studio's watershed initiatives, aimed at bringing new talent to Universal under co-presidents and program supervisors Peter Cramer and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum. 2014-2015 Emerging Writers Fellows Chandus T. Jackson, Margaret Rose Lester, Steve Martinez, Ivy Pruss and Saila Reyes, following an intense application process in May, participated in a number of immersive activities including filmmaker Q & A panels, studio seminars, development meetings and networking events. The fellows have been paired with both Universal and WGA-assigned mentors that include industry heavy-hitters Will Packer, Chris Morgan, Jeremy Garelick, Cheo Hodari Coker, Suzanne...
- 9/30/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
After screening more than 700 applicants, Universal Pictures announced today that it has chosen five fellows for the inaugural installment of its Emerging Writers Fellowship, which is set to launch this week. Chandus T. Jackson, Margaret Rose Lester, Steve Martinez, Ivy Pruss and Salia Reyes will serve as fellows, working on current Universal projects and pitching original story ideas over the course of the program. The fellowship is meant to give an opportunity to “talented screenwriters who have the potential to thrive, but don’t have access to or visibility within the industry,” according to the NBCUniversal website. Craig Robinson,
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- 5/7/2014
- by Michael Sugerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal Pictures has selected five aspiring screenwriters for a new paid fellowship that will bring them to the movie studio for a year, the studio said Wednesday. Chandus T. Jackson, Margaret Rose Lester, Steve Martinez, Ivy Pruss and Saila Reyes triumphed on the strength of their applications, writing submissions and performance in interviews. More than 700 people applied to the program and 13 people advanced to the final round. “We had an incredible group of people who applied for this fellowship, and the choice was extremely tough,” Universal co-president of production Peter Cramer said in a statement. “The five people...
- 5/7/2014
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Universal Pictures has announced that the studio has selected five writers to participate in the first-ever Universal Pictures Emerging Writers Fellowship, a program created to identify and cultivate emerging voices with a passion for storytelling and screenwriting. After an extensive application process that included multiple writing submissions and interviews with the program’s official selection committee, the 2014-2015 fellows are: Chandus T. Jackson, Margaret Rose Lester, Steve Martinez, Ivy Pruss and Saila Reyes. The announcement was made by Universal Pictures Co-Presidents of Production Peter Cramer and Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, who will oversee the...
- 5/7/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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