1 post tagged three things writers should know

Amazon Studios is now accepting episodic series proposals as well as movie scripts. Here are the three most important things TV writers should know about this new opportunity:

• Seeking primetime comedies and children’s series
  Amazon Studios is looking for compelling new voices and characters that you can’t find anywhere else — in two specific genres: primetime comedies and series for children aged 2-14. Series can be live action, animated, stop motion or mixed media. Comedy series should be smart, character-driven and, of course, funny. Think Archer, or Curb Your Enthusiasm. Preschool series for 2- to 5-year-olds, like Jake and the Neverland Pirates or Blue’s Clues, must have an educational theme, or the potential for one. Amazon Studios is also seeking series for older children, aged 6-14 (such as iCarly or Phineas and Ferb).
  
  To be considered, a series project must have a pilot script for a 22-minute episode (or, for children’s series, a 22- or 11-minute episode) and a series mini-bible — a project description 2-6 pages in length. Learn more about submitting a series.
  
  
• Get paid and get your series made
  Amazon Studios will pay $10,000 to the creator of a series added to its Development Slate. If Amazon Studios produces a series, the creator will receive a $55,000 payment, plus 5 percent of Amazon’s net receipts from toy and T-shirt licensing and other royalties and bonuses.
  
  The best series will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video, Amazon’s digital video streaming service.
  
  
• Writer-friendly submission process
  TV writers may submit original scripts to Amazon Studios for either public or private review. If they choose the latter, it means their project will not be shown to the public unless Amazon Studios pays to exercise or extend the option, or they choose to make the project public.
  
  When a writer submits a project, Amazon Studios will evaluate it and decide within 45 days whether or not to add the project to its Development Slate. If a project doesn’t make the Amazon Studios Development Slate, the story doesn’t have to end there. Promising projects may be added to the Consider List and receive feedback from the community of writers, filmmakers and fans around the world. Amazon Studios will evaluate new drafts of scripts, and add new projects to the Development Slate, on a regular basis.
  

WGA members can learn more about opportunities offered through Amazon Studios’ production company, The People’s Production Company. The People’s Production Company is signatory to the Writers Guild of America and to The Animation Guild, Local 839.

Amazon Studios has an open door for original ideas and uses audience feedback to create great, original entertainment. Learn more about the Amazon Studios process for series and movies.