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2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition

Announcing the Winners

Overall Winner

FRIEND OF THE SHOW

Brian T Arnold

MONEY MONSTER meets NIGHTCRAWLER

A far-right news commentator is kidnapped by a right-wing extremist group who want him to help lead their movement, not knowing that his television persona is a sham. When he discovers their plan to assassinate the president, he realizes he is the only one who can stop them.

DramaThriller

Top Comedy

CONFECTION CONNECTION, THE

Yuval Stein

THE MALTESE FALCON meets HARRIET THE SPY

After the book fair money he is entrusted with goes missing, a kid detective must investigate the seedy underbelly of his school to clear his name and earn back his reputation as the school’s best private investigator.

ComedyFamilyMystery

Top Drama

NOBLE WOMAN, THE

David Case

ELIZABETH meets THE REVENANT

After she and her lover are marooned on an island during an expedition to the New World, an independent French noblewoman must fight for her life in the harsh Canadian wilderness. Based on a true story.

AdventureDramaPeriodRomance

Prime Universe Guaranteed Option Winner

FRONTIERSMEN

Ben Feuer

THE GREY meets MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

After the death of their mother, an absent father takes his two sons to the family cabin on a remote Alaskan island, but when disaster strikes they are forced to survive months alone in the frigid wilderness.

AdventureThriller

Echo Lake Entertainment Guaranteed Signing Winner

I WANNA F*** ADOLF HITLER

Dylan Visvikis

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS meets TRAINWRECK

After being diagnosed with syphilis and given only a year to live, a young woman takes it upon herself to sleep her way to the top of the Nazi hierarchy and assassinate Hitler by giving him the deadly STD.

ComedyPeriod

Mentorship Program Winners

HENCHMAN

Andrew Wood

BATMAN meets DEADPOOL

After an evil villain’s disillusioned henchman accidentally kills the city’s superhero, he decides to take over for the costumed crusader.

ActionComedy

Mentorship Selection – Jason Hellerman

OIL AND WATER

Alfred Thomas Catalfo and Morgan Webster Dudley

ERIN BROCKOVICH meets THE POST

A principled freshman state legislator stands up to billionaire shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis’s attempts to bankroll an oil refinery off the coast of New Hampshire during the height of the oil embargo.

BiopicDramaPeriod

Mentorship Selection – David Hoffman

PAIGE DARCY: FORMER TEEN DETECTIVE

Alice Moran

JESSICA JONES meets SCOOBY DOO

A former child detective who left the sleuthing business after a tragic loss is coaxed out of retirement to investigate the seedy criminal underbelly of her small town when a local drug dealer is killed.

CrimeComedyDrama

Mentorship Selection – Anthony Cipriano

Announcing The Top 10

As part of our exclusive partnership with Prime Universe Films and Echo Lake Entertainment, The Tracking Board is incredibly pleased to announce the TOP 10 for the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition!

These scripts explore storytelling from all new avenues, with characters that run the gamut from an elderly couple using magic mushrooms to precocious child detectives, to kids who must hunt down a very human monster, and even Jane Austen herself. They provide a range of worlds to get lost in, and they showcase the kind of writing that make us excited to leap into this competition year after year. These writers represent the next big thing, and these are the types of fresh voices we love to find.

Our judges, partners, and mentors are diving in now to get in their votes for who will walk away with the top prize, as well as the guaranteed options, signings, and mentorships. In the meantime, we are so proud to introduce you to the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition Top 10!

(As a reminder: If you selected one of our add-on prizes at time of entry, but did not advance to the Top 10, you are still in contention to win those prizes.)

AUSTENTATIOUS

Charmaine Colina

BECOMING JANE meets BACK TO THE FUTURE

An English professor obsessed with Jane Austen is transported back to Regency England, where she accidentally interferes in her heroine’s love life and has to decide whether to help Jane find true love or put her on the path to write her masterpieces.

ComedyFantasyRomancePeriod

BEAST

Aaron W. Sala

CAST AWAY meets PREDATOR

After her plane crashes in the middle of the Pacific, a woman on the run from her abusive husband finds herself marooned on an island with a bloodthirsty beast.

ActionSci-FiThriller

BIG FUTURE AHEAD

Rick Mashburn

NEBRASKA meets GRUMPY OLD MEN

A crotchety old woman unhappy with her subpar nursing home decides to take advantage of her status as the oldest woman in the state to become famous and improve her lifestyle.

ComedyDrama

CONFECTION CONNECTION, THE

Yuval Stein

THE MALTESE FALCON meets HARRIET THE SPY

After the book fair money he is entrusted with goes missing, a kid detective must investigate the seedy underbelly of his school to clear his name and earn back his reputation as the school’s best private investigator.

ComedyFamilyMystery

FRIEND OF THE SHOW

Brian T Arnold

MONEY MONSTER meets NIGHTCRAWLER

A far-right news commentator is kidnapped by a right-wing extremist group who want him to help lead their movement, not knowing that his television persona is a sham. When he discovers their plan to assassinate the president, he realizes he is the only one who can stop them.

DramaThriller

NOBLE WOMAN, THE

David Case

ELIZABETH meets THE REVENANT

After she and her lover are marooned on an island during an expedition to the New World, an independent French noblewoman must fight for her life in the harsh Canadian wilderness. Based on a true story.

AdventureDramaPeriodRomance

PARALLEL

Jonathan Flicker

THE CONJURING meets FREQUENCY

A family living in an isolated Massachusetts home finds themselves haunted by the echoes of the family who inhabited the structure over two centuries earlier.

HorrorPeriodSci-Fi

PETER AND THE WOLVES

Conor Kyle

STRANGER THINGS meets CITY OF THIEVES

Amidst widespread starvation and devastation in war-torn St. Petersburg, a group of children attempt to track down and kill the murderous cannibal who took their friend.

HorrorPeriodThrillerWar

POINT NEMO

Bradley Starr

CAST AWAY meets MISERY

When a shipwrecked man is rescued by a woman living on a boat in the middle of the ocean, he is initially relieved, but soon discovers she is hiding sinister secrets.

Thriller

TRIP, THE

Caroline Hoover

THE BIG SICK meets DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

When a strict former radiologist finds out her husband is dying of cancer she must use an experimental magic mushroom therapy to lessen his pain.

ComedyDrama

Announcing The Top 25

Alongside our exclusive partners Prime Universe Films and Echo Lake Entertainment, The Tracking Board is incredibly pleased to announce the TOP 25 for the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition!

Whether it’s biopics that explore the heroes we thought we knew, madcap comedies and sea-soaked adventures that carry us along for the ride, or chilling horrors that will make us sleep with the light on, this Top 25 spans an abundance of genres. They also explore storytelling from all new avenues, including characters that run the gamut from time-traveling teenagers to precocious child detectives, to families who must fight for survival and even Jane Austen herself. These scripts provide a range of worlds to get lost in, and showcase the kind of writing that makes these competitions a success.

So without further ado, we are so proud to introduce you to the 2017 Launch Pad Feature 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.)

A GIANT NAMED ANDRE

John Halligan

THE WRESTLER meets BIG FISH

The larger than life journey of Andre the Giant who sacrificed personal health to entertain a world he never quite fit in to, as he rose from humble beginnings to become the most beloved wrestler of all time and a global icon.

BiopicDrama

A ROYAL COMPANION

Karolyn Szot

THE PRINCE AND ME meets PRETTY WOMAN

A struggling actress is hired to keep a Saudi prince company during his trip to Los Angeles, but she is challenged with the role of a lifetime, when she is tasked to keep him sober as they explore the glitz, glamour, and parties of Hollywood.

ComedyRomance

ADVENTURES OF FOX, THE

Nicholas Fox Robbins & Vincent Robbins

THE PATRIOT meets MASTER AND COMMANDER

Determined to protect his home and fight for his burgeoning country, a boy lies about his age to join the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War, growing up along the way in the harshest conditions imaginable.

ActionAdventurePeriodWar

AUSTENTATIOUS

Charmaine Colina

BECOMING JANE meets BACK TO THE FUTURE

An English professor obsessed with Jane Austen is transported back to Regency England, where she accidentally interferes in her heroine’s love life and has to decide whether to help Jane find true love or put her on the path to write her masterpieces.

ComedyFantasyRomancePeriod

BEAST

Aaron W. Sala

CAST AWAY meets PREDATOR

After her plane crashes in the middle of the Pacific, a woman on the run from her abusive husband finds herself marooned on an island with a bloodthirsty beast.

ActionSci-FiThriller

BIG FUTURE AHEAD

Rick Mashburn

NEBRASKA meets GRUMPY OLD MEN

A crotchety old woman unhappy with her subpar nursing home decides to take advantage of her status as the oldest woman in the state to become famous and improve her lifestyle.

ComedyDrama

CAREGIVER, THE

Joelle Luman

EX MACHINA meets OBSESSED

When his wife’s MS gets worse, a man is forced to hire a robotic caregiver to help out around the house, but in her attempts to make everything more comfortable for the family, the lifelike assistant begins usurping the wife’s role.

Sci-FiThriller

CONFECTION CONNECTION, THE

Yuval Stein

THE MALTESE FALCON meets HARRIET THE SPY

After the book fair money he is entrusted with goes missing, a kid detective must investigate the seedy underbelly of his school to clear his name and earn back his reputation as the school’s best private investigator.

ComedyFamilyMystery

DARK LOGISTICS

Benjamin Finkel

FIGHT CLUB meets THE BIG LEBOWSKI

In hyper-dystopian Chicago, a lowly IRS employee finds himself caught up in the web of several rival terrorist groups battling for control of the city.

ComedyDramaThriller

FINDING FLETCHER’S FINGERS

Shannon Mier

GET HIM TO THE GREEK meets THE HANGOVER

After losing his fingers in an accident in the back seat of a cab, an insurance salesman embarks on a wild quest across the city with the help of a caring nurse, a neglectful cabbie, and a pyrotechnics technician in order to recover the fingers and get them surgically reattached before time runs out.

Comedy

FRIEND OF THE SHOW

Brian T Arnold

MONEY MONSTER meets NIGHTCRAWLER

A far-right news commentator is kidnapped by a right-wing extremist group who want him to help lead their movement, not knowing that his television persona is a sham. When he discovers their plan to assassinate the president, he realizes he is the only one who can stop them.

DramaThriller

FRONTIERSMEN

Ben Feuer

THE GREY meets MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

After the death of their mother, an absent father takes his two sons to the family cabin on a remote Alaskan island, but when disaster strikes they are forced to survive months alone in the frigid wilderness.

AdventureThriller

HATCHLING, THE

John Wikstrom

SHORT TERM 12 meets PETE’S DRAGON

On the cusp of another adoption after several have fallen through, a Haitian orphan finds a mysterious egg in the jungle and tries to keep it safe with the help of an American volunteer until it can hatch.

AdventureFamilyFantasy

LIFE AT SANDY’S

Aleksandra Hansen

PLEASANTVILLE meets THE RING

After moving in with her overbearing aunt, a young woman finds herself drawn in by a set of VHS tapes of a 90s sitcom after the characters in the show begin reaching out to her, taking advantage of her dissatisfaction with her dull life to pull her into the increasingly sinister television world.

DramaHorrorThriller

MERCY

Geoff Bakken

A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT meets JOHN WICK

A young Iranian woman who was disfigured in an acid attack seeks vengeance through vigilantism to protect herself and other women.

ActionDrama

MOON RUSH

Matt O’Reilly

MAD MAX meets AVATAR

A security contractor working for a diamond operation on the moon, which has turned into a violent Wild West free-for-all, goes on the run from guerillas and his own company after finding an enormous diamond.

ActionAdventureSci-FiWestern

NIX

Evan Muehlbauer & Jesse Keller

DON’T BREATHE meets FRANK

Four friends set out to find a legendary punk rocker 35 years after his disappearance, but following a series of unsettling events, they begin to suspect that his isolation has driven him crazy and they are in the clutches of a violent psychopath who schemes to take them out one by one.

HorrorThriller

NOBLE WOMAN, THE

David Case

ELIZABETH meets THE REVENANT

After she and her lover are marooned on an island during an expedition to the New World, an independent French noblewoman must fight for her life in the harsh Canadian wilderness. Based on a true story.

AdventureDramaPeriodRomance

NOBODY LIVES FOREVER

Emily Blake

JOHN WICK meets THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

A hitman with a perfect record fails to kill his target – an immortal man with a death wish. Looking to keep his streak alive, the hitman agrees to help the man reverse the curse that keeps him alive.

ActionFantasyThriller

PARALLEL

Jonathan Flicker

THE CONJURING meets FREQUENCY

A family living in an isolated Massachusetts home finds themselves haunted by the echoes of the family who inhabited the structure over two centuries earlier.

HorrorPeriodSci-Fi

PETER AND THE WOLVES

Conor Kyle

STRANGER THINGS meets CITY OF THIEVES

Amidst widespread starvation and devastation in war-torn St. Petersburg, a group of children attempt to track down and kill the murderous cannibal who took their friend.

HorrorPeriodThrillerWar

POINT NEMO

Bradley Starr

CAST AWAY meets MISERY

When a shipwrecked man is rescued by a woman living on a boat in the middle of the ocean, he is initially relieved, but soon discovers she is hiding sinister secrets.

Thriller

TIME FLIES

Max Rissman

SUPERBAD meets HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

A teenage is visited by his future-self to help him win over his high school crush.

ComedySci-Fi

TRIP, THE

Caroline Hoover

THE BIG SICK meets DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

When a strict former nurse finds out her husband is dying of cancer she must use an experimental magic mushroom therapy to lessen his pain.

ComedyDrama

WAGNERS AND THE WILDFLOWER, THE

Elias Markos

TRUE GRIT meets THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

An 18-year-old girl and her younger sister must brave the wilderness when they are taken captive by the sadistic man who killed their father and is hell bent on finding the mysterious treasure he left behind.

DramaPeriodWestern

Announcing The Top 50


The Tracking Board, in exclusive partnership with Prime Universe Films and Echo Lake Entertainment, are incredibly pleased to announce the TOP 50 for the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition!

With over 250 success stories, including seeing writers signed, writers staffed, and their projects set up, we are thrilled to see this next round of finalists going forward into the Top 50. This competition grows every year, allowing us to bring not only new, exciting voices into the fold, but to pursue even more exclusive partnerships to help shape those writers’ futures.

This competition’s Top 50 features have a bit of everything, and then some to spare. From insidious houses that are alive (and hungry) to stories that explore the heroes we thought we knew, bawdy collegiate comedies to adventures centering around mysterious eggs found in the jungle, and even characters ranging from cannibal killers, to rogues on the moon, to people who are forced to do the unthinkable to survive, there is something here for everyone. Spanning all genres, wildly different settings, vast swaths of time, and everything in-between, these scripts truly showcase the diversity of storytelling that makes this competition a success year after year.

As our 2017 LPFC producing partner Prime Universe Films begins the hunt for their next big hit, and our representation partner Echo Lake Entertainment searches for their newest star client, we’ll be hard at work getting the Top 50 into the hands of our judges at UTA, WME, Gersh, Energy Entertainment, Circle of Confusion, Di Novi Pictures, Bellevue Productions, and many more. We cannot express enough how incredibly excited we are for the weeks ahead, and to see this latest batch of Launch Pad writers thrive.

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the 2017 Launch Pad Feature 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.)

Project Written By
A GIANT NAMED ANDRE John Halligan
A ROYAL COMPANION Karolyn Szot
ADVENTURES OF FOX, THE Nicholas Fox Robbins & Vince Robbins
ASHES Sarah Hulsman
AUSTENTATIOUS Charmaine Colina
BASTARD OF ROBERT E. LEE, THE Aaron Benjamin
BEAST Aaron W. Sala
BIG FUTURE AHEAD Rick Mashburn
BOAT, THE Robert Wooldridge
CALIFORNIANAS Eve Symington & Robin Zamora
CAREGIVER, THE Joelle Luman
CHURCH OF PARTY, THE Jon Pack
CONFECTION CONNECTION, THE Yuval Stein
DAGON David Quiroz Jr
DARK LOGISTICS Benjamin Finkel
DRAGON AND THE LOTUS, THE Elissa Huang
ESPERANZA Bret Polish
FEED THE MONSTER Rob Rex
FINDING FLETCHER’S FINGERS Shannon Mier
FORSAKING ALL OTHERS Alex Hardcastle & Vance Stringer
FRIEND OF THE SHOW Brian T Arnold
FRONTIERSMEN Ben Feuer
GETAWAY Jamie Napoli & Joshua Paul Johnson
HATCHLING, THE John Wikstrom
HENCHMAN Andrew Wood
HI LINE Migizi Pensoneau
I WANNA F*** ADOLF HITLER Dylan Visvikis
JELLYFISH SUMMER Sarah Jane Inwards
LIFE AT SANDY’S Aleksandra Hansen
LOS NIÑOS SICARIOS Joe Varkle & Robert Lambert
MERCY Geoff Bakken
MOON RUSH Matt O’Reilly
NIX Evan Muehlbauer & Jesse Keller
NOBLE WOMAN, THE David Case
NOBODY LIVES FOREVER Emily Blake
OIL AND WATER Alfred Thomas Catalfo & Morgan Webster Dudley
PARALLEL Jonathan Flicker
PARIAH David Lynch & Keith Lynch
PETER AND THE WOLVES Conor Kyle
POINT NEMO Bradley Starr
RE-ENTRY Dave Mango
RELENTLESS Jeffrey Durante
RUNNER, THE Matthew Minson
TIME FLIES Max Rissman
TO HARPO FROM WOOLLCOTT Josh Aichenbaum
TRIP, THE Caroline Hoover
TRUTH AGAINST THE WORLD Denise Meyers
UNMAKING LOVE Evan Laughlin
WAGNERS AND THE WILDFLOWER, THE Elias Markos
WAY OUT IS THROUGH, THE Tyler Theofilos
Announcing The Top 75

The Tracking Board, in exclusive partnership with Prime Universe Films, and Echo Lake Entertainment, are incredibly pleased to announce the TOP 75 for the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition!

Now in its fifth year, the Feature Competition is the one that started it all way back in 2013. Since then, all of the Launch Pad Competitions have helped more than 250 writers get signed, 81 projects get set up, seen 48 writers hired as staff-writers, and sparked 4 studio bidding wars. We’ve had the privilege of seeing so many amazing writers get their career jumpstart right here, and we couldn’t be more proud of all our alums.

As in years passed, this competition’s Top 75 showcases a vast array of films from storytellers across the globe. These writers’ work represents everything from slow-burn horror to uplifting journeys of hope, gut-busting and unexpected comedies to breakneck thrillers, true historical adventures to magical animated fantasies. Their protagonists cope with loss, struggle with impossible odds, strive to find the humor in any situation, and even fight tooth and nail for their very survival. These 75 scripts are a true representation of the promise and excitement of why we began this competition five years ago, and why we’re thrilled to continue it year after year.

As our 2017 LPFC producing partner Prime Universe Films begins the hunt for their next big hit, and our representation partner Echo Lake Entertainment searches for their newest star client, we’ll be hard at work getting the Top 75 into the hands of our judges at UTA, WME, Gersh, Energy Entertainment, Circle of Confusion, Di Novi Pictures, Bellevue Productions, and many more. We cannot express enough how incredibly excited we are for the weeks ahead, and to see this latest batch of Launch Pad writers thrive.

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the 2017 Launch Pad Feature Competition Top 75!

(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.)

Project Written By
405, THE Patrick Byrne
A GIANT NAMED ANDRE John Halligan
A ROYAL COMPANION Karolyn Szot
ADVENTURES OF FOX, THE Nicholas Fox Robbins & Vince Robbins
ASHES Sarah Hulsman
AUSTENTATIOUS Charmaine Colina
BADLANDS, THE Andrew Ladd & Leif Lillehaugen
BAMBOOZLED Randall Knox
BASTARD OF ROBERT E. LEE, THE Aaron Benjamin
BEAST Aaron W. Sala
BIG FUTURE AHEAD Rick Mashburn
BOAT, THE Robert Wooldridge
BOY BANDS TO MEN David Ngo
CALIFORNIANAS Eve Symington & Robin Zamora
CAREGIVER, THE Joelle Luman
CHURCH OF PARTY, THE Jon Pack
CONFECTION CONNECTION, THE Yuval Stein
CONGRATULATIONS, IT’S AN ALIEN Nathan Davis
DAGON David Quiroz Jr
DARK LOGISTICS Benjamin Finkel
DOBSON FIELD INITIATIVE, THE Vince Bailey
DRAGON AND THE LOTUS, THE Elissa Huang
ESPERANZA Bret Polish
EVE Josh Renfree
FALSE COMFORTS Steven Mills
FEED THE MONSTER Rob Rex
FINDING FLETCHER’S FINGERS Shannon Mier
FORSAKING ALL OTHERS Alex Hardcastle & Vance Stringer
FRIEND OF THE SHOW Brian Arnold
FRONTIERSMEN Ben Feuer
GETAWAY Jamie Napoli & Joshua Paul Johnson
GOING FOR TWO Kathleen Welch Markel
HATCHLING, THE John Wikstrom
HENCHMAN Andrew Wood
HI LINE Migizi Pensoneau
HOLIDAY MAGIC Rex Carter
I WANNA F*** ADOLF HITLER Dylan Visvikis
IF I WERE YOU Joseph Muszynski
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT Shane Weisfeld
INSTANT LOVE Juanjo Moscardó & María Mínguez
JELLYFISH SUMMER Sarah Jane Inwards
JENNIFER LAWRENCE’S EVIL DOPPELGANGER Kelly Byrnes
LIFE AT SANDY’S Aleksandra Hansen
LOS NIÑOS SICARIOS Joe Varkle & Robert Lambert
LOVE & HOSTILITY Michael Mirabella
MERCY Geoff Bakken
MILWAUKEE ROULETTE Glenn Rabney
MISSING ALICE Chris Preyor
MOON RUSH Matt O’Reilly
NIX Evan Muehlbauer & Jesse Keller
NOBLE WOMAN, THE David Case
NOBODY LIVES FOREVER Emily Blake
OIL AND WATER Alfred Thomas Catalfo & Morgan Webster Dudley
ONES LEFT BEHIND, THE Ashley White
PARALLEL Jonathan Flicker
PARIAH David Lynch & Keith Lynch
PETER AND THE WOLVES Conor Kyle
POINT NEMO Bradley Starr
PURPLE HEART BATTALION, THE Ken Miyamoto
RE-ENTRY Dave Mango
REBELLION Sergio Kopelev
RED DIVE Alexander Gustaveson
RELENTLESS Jeffrey Durante
RUNNER, THE Matthew Minson
THIS IS ME LEAVING YOU Ellie Bambach Morello
TIME FLIES Max Rissman
TO HARPO FROM WOOLLCOTT Josh Aichenbaum
TRAPLINE Brett Treacy & Dan Woodward
TRIP, THE Caroline Hoover
TRUTH AGAINST THE WORLD Denise Meyers
TUNDRA KILL Kevin Bachar
UNMAKING LOVE Evan Laughlin
VINNY LUPTON Adam Benic
WAGNERS AND THE WILDFLOWER, THE Elias Markos
WAY OUT IS THROUGH, THE Tyler Theofilos

The competition that started it all… the Launch Pad Feature Competition is back for its 5th year. Since the launch of our very first writing competition, the Launch Pad has helped 254 writers get signed, 81 projects get set up, seen 48 writers hired as staff-writers, and sparked 4 studio bidding wars.

From the start, the competition has leveraged our deep relationships with Hollywood’s top agents, managers, producers, and executives and consistently assembled a “who’s who” panel of 25 judges for each and every competition. This year is no exception, with judges participating from Paradigm, APA, Energy Entertainment, Circle of Confusion, Di Novi Pictures, Bellevue, and many more.

At the Launch Pad, we go above and beyond to advocate for all of our finalists, from the Top 75 all the way to our winners. We work tirelessly to get your work into the hands of the biggest agencies, management companies, and production companies around to showcase you and your writing.

But that’s just where it begins. Our industry leading partnerships with companies like Michael De Luca Productions, Scott Free Productions, Vertigo Entertainment, Endgame Entertainment, Lee Stobby Entertainment, ESA, and Energy Entertainment, to name a few, give writers even more opportunities to take their writing careers to the next level.

GUARANTEED OPTION PRIZE

The Launch Pad is excited to announce our Guaranteed Option Prize partnership with producer Adrian Askarieh and his Prime Universe Films. Prime Universe is the production company behind the popular video game-based Hitman film franchise. They are currently in development on the feature film adaptation of Just Cause based on the best-selling Sqaure-Enix video game series, which has Aquaman star Jason Momoa set as the lead and San Andreas director Brad Peyton directing.

Prime Universe also recently signed a first-look deal for film and TV with production/distribution company Constantin Films (Resident Evil film franchise, The Fantastic Four film franchise, The Mortal Instruments franchise).

Hot off their new deal, Prime Universe is eager to discover and develop strong cinematic stories with unique characters that cater to the ever-expanding global marketplace. By partnering with the Launch Pad, they are not only onboard to serve as one of our judges for this year’s competition, but have also committed to option at least one project which has selected the Guaranteed Option add-on, with an eye toward discovering their next global hit.

GUARANTEED SIGNING PRIZE

At the Launch Pad we’re all about helping writers further their professional writing career and for a lot of you that means landing great representation. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with Echo Lake Entertainment, the powerhouse boutique management and production company that represents emerging actors, writers and directors across Film, Television and Digital. As a production company they’ve produced and/or financed more than 30 films and have received a number of awards including 8 Academy Award Nominations and one Academy Award win.

Their clients have written projects for every major studio and production company including Universal, Warner Bros., MGM, The Weinstein Company, FilmNation, Sony Pictures Classics, amongst others. In television their clients have worked on hit shows including The Handmaid’s Tale, American Gods, Daredevil, Timeless, The Blacklist, UnReal, Queen of the South, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Star, American Horror Story and many more. This is an incredible opportunity to earn representation from a top company that can do it all!

For our guaranteed signing prize, Echo Lake Entertainment will select at least one writer for representation who has selected the Guaranteed Signing Prize.

ONE ON ONE LEARNING

We are incredibly excited to announce our 2017 Feature Competition Mentors, who bring with them a wealth of knowledge covering a wide array of the industry. From hitting the town with a new spec, to landing representation, to creating and writing for a cable network, to the ins and outs of seeing your film produced, each of our mentors tackle the industry from all different angles to make you a more versatile writer.

Anthony Cipriano / David Hoffman / Jason Hellerman

Our first mentor, Anthony Cipriano, began his career in features and shifted his focus to television. He developed the acclaimed television series Bates Motel for A&E;, based on Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Psycho, which went on to run for five seasons starring Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga. He currently has pilots in development at NBC with Jennifer Lopez producing and Starz with producer 50 Cent. Cipriano is now transitioning back into features, where he has multiple projects in development, including one he is eyeing as his directorial debut.

We’re proud to say that David Hoffman, our second mentor, got his start through our very own Launch Pad Competitions. Soon after his drama pilot Running Money won the 2015 Launch Pad Pilots Competition, he set it up with Romark Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment. After his first place finish in the competition, Hoffman was quickly signed by Paradigm and Artillery Creative. Last year, he hit the town with his hot feature spec The Great Debate about the Nixon/Kennedy presidential debates, which won the Enderby Entertainment Award at the Austin Film Festival and earned him a place on the 2015 Hit List and 2015 Young & Hungry List. All this buzz helped earn him a spot writing for the NBC series Timeless.

Last, but certainly not least, we are pleased to welcome Jason Hellerman to our mentor team this year. Hellman’s script Shovel Buddies appeared on the 2013 Hit List and 2013 Black List, and shortly after sold to Awesomeness TV. The film was released in 2016, starring Bella Thorne, and premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Hellerman also brings to the table years of industry experience having worked as a development executive for Cota Films and producer Michael Costigan.

Bringing years of combined experience our mentors are the perfect guides to help you take those crucial next steps. Our mentor program will focus on getting your script ready, tips and strategies on pitching and choosing your next project, and insight on how to navigate your newly minted Hollywood career.

LAUNCH YOUR CAREER TODAY

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 (Nightcrawler, Drive) 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.

Adam Perry

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”APA” collapse_text=”APA” ]
  • Represents Wes Ball, writer/director of The Maze Runner series.
  • His other clients include: Alexis C. Jolly (A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood), Amy Fox (Equity), Ben Katai (The Forrest), Chris Borrelli (100 Bullets), Christopher Browne (The Walk) David Chirchirillo (Eli), Julia Cox (Do No Harm, The Takeaway) and more.
  • The top agent on the 2015 Hit List, with 6 writers represented.
  • APA clients have written on Bates Motel, The Big Bang Theory, Narcos, Angie Tribeca, Hannibal, East Los High, Graceland, Numb3rs, Heartbeat, The Glades, In Plain Sight, Young & Hungry, Desperate Housewives, and more.
  • APA has signed multiple Launch Pad Alumni
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Adrian Askarieh

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Prime Universe” collapse_text=”Prime Universe” ]
  • Askarieh produced the Hitman films (2007, 2015) based on the popular video game franchise.
  • Prime Universe is in development on the feature film adaptation of Just Cause which has Aquaman star Jason Momoa set to star and San Andreas director Brad Peyton attached to direct.
  • Prime Universe has a two year first-look deal with Constantin Films for film and TV.
  • Prime Universe is developing the big screen adaptation of Jonny Quest for Warner Bros. and Lin Pictures with Robert Rodriguez is set to write and direct.
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Andrew Childs

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Vertigo Entertainment” collapse_text=”Vertigo Entertainment” ]
  • Vertigo Entertainment has produced such films as The Boy, Run All Night, The Departed, The Woman In Black, The Grudge, How To Train Your Dragon, and many more.
  • Vertigo also produced The Lego Movie, and are now working on the sequel as well as The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie.
  • Vertigo is behind the highly anticipated upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “It.”
  • Vertigo Entertainment has previously served as a Launch Pad exclusive partner and optioned a project as part of our Guaranteed Signing Prize.
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Brian Price

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Village Roadshow” collapse_text=”Village Roadshow” ]
  • Village Roadshow is behind such blockbusters as Passengers, The Legend of Tarzan, and San Andreas.
  • Critical hits Mad Max: Fury Road and American Sniper have received multiple Academy Awards.
  • Upcoming Village Roadshow projects include Ocean’s 8, Ready Player One, and Amy Poehler/Will Ferrell comedy The House.
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Brooklyn Weaver

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Energy Entertainment” collapse_text=”Energy Entertainment” ]
  • His clients include Rob Liefeld, (Deadpool), Brad Ingelsby (Run All Night, Out of the Furnace), Gary Graham (I Am Legend reboot) and Mark Mallouk (Black Mass).
  • He is the only manager to have had writers appear on every Hit List, Black List, and Young & Hungry List since 2010.
  • Energy Entertainment has produced Run All Night, Out of the Furnace, Extant and the upcoming NBC show Reverie.
  • He was the top manager in specs set up in both 2013 and 2014.
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Carmen Lewis

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Di Novi Pictures” collapse_text=”Di Novi Pictures” ]
  • Di Novi Pictures recently produced Principal Denise Di Novi’s directorial debut Unforgettable, starring Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson.
  • Di Novi produced such films as The Lucky One, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Monte Carlo, and If I Stay.
  • Di Novi is producing the upcoming adaptation of Little Women with Amy Pascal and Columbia Pictures, as well as an adaptation of Kiera Cass’s YA series The Selection.
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Charles Ferraro

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”UTA” collapse_text=”UTA” ]
  • Recently named as partner at UTA.
  • His clients include such successful writers as Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War), Diana Ossana and Larry McMurty (Brokeback Mountain), Gary Whitta (Rogue One), and Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock).
  • Consistently one of the top agents with clients on year-end lists, having 5 writers on the Hit List, 3 on the Young & Hungry List, and 4 on the Black List for 2015. While in 2016 he had 3 on the Young & Hungry List and topped the 2016 Hit List with 7 writers making the list.
  • UTA led all agencies with 18 writers on the 2016 Young & Hungry List.
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Dan Finlay

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Chernin Entertainment” collapse_text=”Chernin Entertainment” ]
  • Chernin Entertainment produces Planet of the Apes series as well as such blockbusters as Oblivion and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
  • On the comedy side, Chernin has produced Amy Schumer’s Snatched as well as Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Spy, St. Vincent and The Heat.
  • Chernin’s Hidden Figures was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
  • Chernin produces the hit FOX series New Girl.
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Daniela Garcia-Brcek

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Circle of Confusion” collapse_text=”Circle of Confusions” ]
  • Circle of Confusion clients have been staffed on such series as The Good Fight, How to Get Away With Murder, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Fuller House and others.
  • Circle of Confusion clients include Adam F. Goldberg, creator of The Goldbergs, Anthony Jaswinski (The Shallows), Gary Whitta (Rogue One), Jon Spaiths (Passengers, Doctor Strange, Prometheus), and the Wachowskis (Cloud Atlas, Sense8).
  • Circle of Confusion produces both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, as well as BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
  • Circle of Confusion has had clients on every major best of list including, The Hit List, Black List, Young & Hungry List, and the Blood List.
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Danny Sherman

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Thruline Entertainment” collapse_text=”Thruline Entertainment” ]
  • His clients have been staffed on such shows as iZombie, Teen Wolf, Shameless, Ash vs. Evil Dead, The Family, and Genius.
  • Has signed multiple Launch Pad Alumni.
  • Thruline clients have written such films as Death at a Funeral, For a Good Time Call, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
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Danny Toth

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Gersh” collapse_text=”Gersh” ]
  • Toth had clients appear on the Hit List, Black List and Young and Hungry List for 2016
  • Gersh represents writers such as Brian Duffield (Insurgent, Jane Got A Gun), Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt (Olympus Has Fallen), Gary Spinelli (Mena), and many more.
  • Gersh had one of the highest spec sale percentages of agencies in 2015, with 15 projects set up.
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Dash Aiken

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Romark Entertainment” collapse_text=”Romark Entertainment” ]
  • Romark Entertainment recently sold Launch Pad script Marian to Sony with Margot Robbie attached to star and produce with Amy Pascal and Donald DeLine.
  • Romark is currently developing the adaptations of the best-selling novel Brothers & Bones and the comic book series Herald.
  • Romark is producing previous Launch Pad scripts Matriarch for Paramount, and Tranquility Base for Fox.
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David Boxerbaum

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Paradigm” collapse_text=”Paradigm” ]
  • Represents such writers as Anthony Jaswinski (The Shallows), Carrie Evans and Emi Mochizuki (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), Chris Roach (Non-Stop) and David Guggenheim (Safe House).
  • Represents Launch Pad Alumni Eric Koening who’s 2015 Launch Pad feature script sold to Paramount in a bidding war.
  • The top agent with clients on the 2015 Hit List.
  • Paradigm had 11 writers on the 2016 Young & Hungry List and repped 9 projects on the 2015 Hit List.
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Derrick Eppich

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Lee Stobby Entertainment” collapse_text=”Lee Stobby Entertainment” ]
  • Lee Stobby Entertainment represents Isaac Adamson, whose spec Bubbles topped the 2015 Black List and placed second on the 2015 Hit List. Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is set to direct.
  • Their clients have written for such shows as Stranger Things, Superstore, CSI: Cyber, and The Middle.
  • Lee Stobby Entertainment represents 6 Launch Pad Alumni.
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Hannah Davis

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”WME” collapse_text=”WME” ]
  • WME was the top agency with projects on the 2016 Hit List and 2016 Black List with 18 on each.
  • WME reps such top writers as Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, The Wachowskis, Ben Affleck, Kevin Smith, Tina Fey, Diablo Cody and others.
  • WME writers are staffed on such shows as The Mick, Difficult People, Girlboss, Better Call Saul, Shameless, Insecure, Empire and many more.
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Jake Wagner

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Good Fear Film + Management” collapse_text=”GGood Fear Film + Management” ]
  • Represents Evan Daugherty, writer of Snow White and the Huntsman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Divergent.
  • Represents Launch Pad writer Eric Koenig, whose spec Matriarch is in development with Red Wagon and Romark Entertainment at Paramount Pictures.
  • Had writers appear on the Hit List, Young & Hungry List and Black List for 2014 and 2015, as well as multiple on the 2016 Young & Hungry List.
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Jeff Belkin

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Zero Gravity Management” collapse_text=”Zero Gravity Management” ]
  • Zero Gravity produced the Ben Affleck film The Accountant.
  • Has had clients appear on the Hit List, Young & Hungry List and Black List.
  • Zero Gravity represents such writers as Bill Dubuque (The Judge), Michael Robert Johnson (Pompeii, Sherlock Holmes) and Adam Robitel (Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension).
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Jeff Portnoy

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Bellevue Productions” collapse_text=”Bellevue Productions” ]
  • Portnoy was featured as the top manager in the 2016 Spec Book, setting up 6 of 13 specs.
  • Bellevue is producing the upcoming Madonna biopic Blonde Ambition for Universal as well as the horror film Eli with Broad Green Pictures.
  • Bellevue was one of the top management companies on the 2016 Hit List, representing 7 projects.
  • Just this year Portnoy’s clients sold the spec Body Cam to Brian Robbins new venture.
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Jeremy Hentschel

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Electric Entertainment” collapse_text=”Electric Entertainment” ]
  • Electric Entertainment is producing the upcoming Warner Bros. blockbuster Geostorm starring Gerard Butler.
  • Electric Entertainment has produced the TV series Leverage, and The Librarians.
  • Recently, Electric Entertainment produced the Independence Day sequel, Independence Day Resurgence.
  • Electric Entertainment will domestically distribute the upcoming LBJ biopic directed by Rob Reiner and starring Woody Harrelson.
  • Electric Entertainment is producing the upcoming thriller Bad Samaritan from director Dean Devlin and starring David Tennant and Robert Sheehan.
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Kailey Marsh

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Kailey Marsh Media” collapse_text=”Kailey Marsh Media” ]
  • Curates the yearly list of top horror specs known as The Blood List.
  • Represents Nick Simon, the writer/director of horror films The Girl in the Photographs and The Pyramid.
  • Represented multiple projects on the 2016 Hit List.
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Nick Hoagland

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”WME” collapse_text=”WME” ]
  • WME was the top agency with projects on the 2016 Hit List and 2016 Black List with 18 on each.
  • WME reps such top writers as Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, The Wachowskis, Ben Affleck, Kevin Smith, Tina Fey, Diablo Cody and others.
  • WME writers are staffed on such shows as The Mick, Difficult People, Girlboss, Better Call Saul, Shameless, Insecure, Empire and many more.
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Rachel Reznick

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Weed Road Pictures” collapse_text=”Weed Road Pictures” ]
  • Weed Road, Akiva Goldsman’s production company, produced Lone Survivor, Hancock, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, I Am Legend, and many more.
  • Weed Road’s upcoming releases include Transformers: The Last Knight and The Dark Tower.
  • Weed Road produced WGN America’s acclaimed drama series Underground.
  • Akiva Goldsman won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for A Beautiful Mind.
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Raquelle David

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Elevate Entertainment” collapse_text=”Elevate Entertainment” ]
  • Elevate’s clients include Taylor Sheridan, Academy Award nominated writer of Sicario and Hell or High Water.
  • Represents Jovanka Vuckovic, one of the writer/directors behind the anthology horror film XX.
  • Elevate client Corin Hardy, who wrote and directed 2015’s The Hallow, has been hired to direct the Conjuring spinoff The Nun.
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Sonia Gambaro

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”Pollinate Entertainment” collapse_text=”Pollinate Entertainment” ]
  • Owner of Pollinate Entertainment – her clients work across all mediums including film, television, digital, and VR.
  • Has signed Launch Pad Alum from the 2016 Feature Competition.
  • Represents the entire Emet Comics library of IP including graphic novels, and comics.
[/bg_collapse]

Will Rowbotham

[bg_collapse view=”link” color=”#4a4949″ icon=”arrow” expand_text=”3 Arts Entertainment” collapse_text=”3 Arts Entertainment” ]
  • 3 Arts produces such TV series as Better Things, Insecure, The Good Place, Baskets, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Silicon Valley, The Mindy Project and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
  • 3 Arts clients are staffed on such shows as Empire, Stan Against Evil, The Flash, Saturday Night Live, and Survivor’s Remorse.
  • 3 Arts represents such writer/performers as Aziz Ansari, Amy Poehler, Bo Burnham, Hannibal Buress, Issa Rae, Jenny Slate, Louis CK and others.
  • 3 Arts produced such movies as 13 Hours, Unbroken, Edge of Tomorrow and the upcoming Rough Night.
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