The Black List and WIF will invite six to eight promising non-professional television writers who are of an underrepresented gender (women, NB/GNC, and/or trans, and others) to the Lab. The Lab will run twice weekly for four weeks beginning on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 and will consist of script development, pitching, peer workshopping sessions, and Master Classes with established writers and industry executives. Writers can also submit their script directly through WIF (WIF will open submissions later this year). All Lab sessions will be held in-person on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Los Angeles in March 2023, COVID-permitting.
Please take into consideration that the Episodic Lab will also hold semi-regular in-person events in Los Angeles throughout the year. If you live outside of LA and are unable to accommodate such a schedule, we kindly request that you withhold your submission to this opportunity.
LAB DEADLINES ***Please note the updated dates***
• Submission Period Opens: January 5, 2022
• Evaluations Deadline (optional)*: December 9, 2022
• Submission Period Closes: January 8, 2023
• Short List Writers Notified: January 9, 2023
• Personal Statements Due: January 16, 2023
• Zoom Interviews: January 30 – February 2, 2023
• Final Participants Notified: February 3, 2023
• Lab Begins: March 7, 2023
* In order for new script evaluations to qualify for consideration for the Lab, they must be purchased by midnight on the Evaluations Deadline. Please note, purchase of an evaluation is not required for consideration to participate in the Episodic Lab. We do strongly encourage writers to consider having their script evaluated.
Please note, applicants can apply through the Black List and/or WIF, however instructions are different for each platform.
Participants must be able to provide proof of vaccination (including boosters per current CDC guidelines) and willing to test for COVID-19 infection prior to arriving at the in-person portion of the program.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
From the Black List submissions, up to 12 writers will be invited, based on the strength of their scripts, to submit a one-page personal statement and professional resume. In addition, WIF will generate their own short list of up to 12 writers who submitted directly to WIF. From the total of those 24 submissions, up to 15 writers will be invited to interview. From those interviews, 6-8 writers will be selected by the Black List and WIF to participate in the Lab.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I Apply To The Episodic Lab With My Web Series Or Do You Only Accept Half-Hour And One-Hour Pilots?
Only half-hour or one-hour pilots will be accepted into the Episodic Lab.
Can I Submit A Feature Script To Be Considered For The Episodic Lab?
No, you must submit a pilot script to be considered for the Episodic Lab.
Can I Submit Multiple Scripts To Be Considered For This Program?
Absolutely. But writers will be selected for each program based on a single script; so if you’re selected, you must workshop the script that is chosen for the program.
Do I Have To Workshop The Script That Gets Me Selected For A Program Or Can I Workshop Something New?
You have to workshop the script that gets you selected for the program.
How Will The Scripts Be Evaluated For Each Program?
We use the ratings a script receives, both from our paid readers and from industry pros, to determine the short list of writers for each program who will be invited to submit a one-page personal statement. Paid evaluations initiated before midnight on the stipulated evaluations deadline for each program will be guaranteed consideration. Paid evaluations are not required.
For our 2023 Episodic Lab the evaluation deadline is December 9, 2022.
Because our finalists are determined by examining all data about opted-in scripts for site partnerships, we strongly advise purchasing at least one evaluation. In the event that the purchase of a single evaluation is cost prohibitive, please follow us on social media and the Black List blog where opportunities for free and discounted evaluations appear from time to time.
I Have A Writing Partner Who Identifies As A Cis Man. Can I Still Apply To The Black List X WIF Episodic Lab?
Yes, you are still eligible to apply for all programs, including the Black List x WIF Feature Residency and the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab. In our effort to create equitable spaces in a currently male-dominated industry, should you be accepted into either the Black List x WIF Feature Residency or the Black List x WIF Episodic Lab, your partner would not be able to participate in the sessions directly. However, you would be able to share appropriate script feedback with them.
I Live Outside Of Los Angeles. Can I Still Apply For Any Of The Programs?
Yes, you may still apply for any of our programs. However, all programs take place in Los Angeles, CA and you will be responsible for your own travel and accommodations to/from/in Los Angeles should you live outside of Los Angeles, are accepted into the program, and decide to participate.
Please take into consideration that the Episodic Lab will also hold semi-regular in-person events in Los Angeles throughout the year. If you live outside of LA and are unable to accommodate such a schedule, we kindly request that you withhold your submission to this opportunity.
I’d Like To Be Considered For The 2023 Episodic Lab! How Exactly Do I Do That?
Just opt your script into consideration during onboarding or add it from the My Scripts page!
And please make sure to read the Submission Requirements and the Submission Agreement for each program, which can be found as PDFs on each program’s submission page, to make sure you are qualified first. You’ll need to meet all of the requirements to participate in the program if selected.
Writers can also apply through WIF (https://womeninfilm.org/programs/writing/). However please note that the procedures and deadlines for applying directly through WIF are different than those for applying through the Black List.
Is This A Case Where The Person Who Buys The Most Evaluations Will Be Invited To The Program?
Not at all. Certainly more data allows us to make more confident decisions about the strength of scripts hosted on the site, but by no means is it necessary or recommended to buy up evaluations to improve your chances of being selected for one of our programs.
My Script Was On The Site Awhile Ago, But I Took It Down To Work On A Rewrite. Does A Script Have To Be Live On The Site To Be Considered?
Great question. It just needs to be live on the site for one week at some point between the time that the opt-in for the program opens and the opt-in deadline. Legally, writers have to opt into consideration for each program and they can only do that with an active script. We recommend reactivating the script for one month at some point between now and a week before the program’s opt-in deadline.
What Exactly Happens In These Writing Programs?
We can only speak to ours, but some of the things we do include:
One-on-one sessions with professional writers as mentors
Peer workshopping of each others’ scripts
Dinners with special industry guests
Guest lecturers and Q&As
Private film screenings
Sessions with lit agents and managers