Sponsored by:
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
A Sorkin Draft, House of the Jedi, John Leguizamo leads a series, Amy Adams is a dog and Macedonian shoes.
Let’s go!
AARON SORKIN AND A CONTEST
In 1990, a pair of aspiring screenwriters realized they could write software that would automatically format screenplays, and the industry was changed forever.
Final Draft transformed the industry, quickly getting adopted by the lion's share of writers and directors in the film and TV industry, including Aaron Sorkin, James Cameron, and Sofia Coppola.
But what some of you may not realize is that Final Draft has also dedicated its resources to providing opportunities to launch writer’s careers. Their Big Break Contest, now running for over 25 years, made a big impact on last year’s Grand Prize TV winner, Alix Reeves.
Reeves discussed why she submitted to Big Break:
“What really moved me was when winners described the exposure they received during Big Break Week and afterward. It was all the impetus I needed, knowing that if I was fortunate enough to win, I would meet with key executives in my genre.”
And that’s exactly what happened.
After she won the 2023 TV Grand Prize, Alix got to go on her own ‘Big Break Week’ when Final Draft and Coverfly set up meetings with development executives and linked her with a writing coach who helped her prep for those meetings.
She met with execs from:
Netflix
Paramount TV
CW TV
Shudder + more.
Another perk of winning the contest was getting help navigating the precarious path to finding management.
Reeves explained:
“Because I had just parted ways with my manager, the execs stepped in to help with a new manager search. It was an unexpected assistance I cannot be more grateful for… selecting key management firms, helping with the query letter, and going above and beyond to reach out to managers on my behalf.”
Previous Big Break Contest winners have signed with UTA, Anonymous Content, Heroes and Villains, REALM, Lit Management, Bellevue, and Zero Gravity.
Big Break prizes include $10,000 cash and a trip to Hollywood for meetings with executives and reps.
For More:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Industry to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.