Wednesday, June 6, 2018

The Black List launches MACRO Episodic Lab for writers of color

MACRO and The Black List, in partnership with Emmy-Award winning writer/producer/actor Lena Waithe and actress/producer/director Eva Longoria, are excited to announce a new opportunity for writers of color to develop and produce an original digital or television pilot script.

"The MACRO Episodic Lab Powered by The Black List has been created to discover episodic storytellers of color, empower them with creative tools and resources to help launch their careers, and provide industry support to writers from a wide range of backgrounds who typically do not have access to the traditional Hollywood system." And applications are now open via MACRO'S site! 

Submissions will be accepted via MACRO from today, June 6, 2018, until August 6, 2018. Please note that all writers who wish to opt-in to this opportunity must do so via MACRO's website -- initial script submissions will not be accepted via blcklst.com.

Before opting in via MACRO, note the materials needed for consideration in this opportunity: a personal biography of no more than 500 words, a resume, personal social media links, information about your proposed pilot, and an answer to a short-form essay question.

Based on this information, MACRO will then select up to 500 writers to advance to the next round of the opportunity -- writers will be notified of their selection no later than September 1, 2018. Those selected writers will be provided with a code for one free month of hosting and one free evaluation for their pilot on blcklst.com.

At this point, writers will upload their pilot to blcklst.com for evaluation. All data associated with a given script will be considered when making final decisions about this opportunity. The finalists for the inaugural MACRO Episodic Lab will be announced in December 2018. Up to three selected writers will receive development support and a pilot presentation or sizzle at a budget of up to $30,000 each.

Check out our FAQ for additional questions or concerns, and as always, feel free to reach out to Black List support.

MACRO Episodic Lab Timeline 
June 6: Applications open on MACRO's site
August 6: Submission window closes at 11:59PM PST
August 6 - August 31: First round evaluation period by MACRO
September 1: All 500 Black List code recipients will have been notified by this date
September 3 (11:59PM PST): Deadline for uploading pilot scripts to The Black List for selected writers
November 15: Semi-Finalists notified
December 10: Finalists notified