Mermade, the digital platform of global women-owned production company Merman, is joining forces with Genius Entertainment, founded by multi-hyphenate 19-year old entrepreneur Marsai Martin, to launch a competition for unproduced screenwriters, giving them a shot at finally getting produced. The competition calls for candidates to submit a writing sample that will get them into a mentorship program to create a script based on a logline provided by the producers. The final winning screenwriter will be paired with an experienced director and the script will be co-produced by Mermade and Genius Entertainment as a series of approximately six three-minute episodes for a social platform such as TikTok.
“We’re looking for unproduced screenwriters to create a short-form Gen-Z propulsive thriller,” said Merman global managing partner Kira Carstensen, “and we can’t think of a better producing partner to help develop and mentor this project than Marsai’s Gen-Z focused team at Genius.”
Genius Entertainment’s Nicole Dow said “The goal is to truly empower the creatives. What makes our competition different is that the winner doesn’t just get an award, they actually get produced. This is a proof of concept initiative.”
The competition is being managed and co-produced by Genius and Mermade, the emerging creators platform and digital division of Merman that also functions as a talent incubator and mentorship program for up and coming directors, screenwriters and other visual artists.
It is anticipated that the winning screenplay will be shot using new technology native to social platforms. Mermade and Genius are also in discussion with brands about partnerships and integration opportunities in the final project.
“There is real value and interest in creating short form series today,” said Carstensen. “They live in a native, social-first space, and in that format you can shoot on a smart phone and not only keep costs down but keep the creative level high and incredibly flexible. It’s a great entry point for new talent.”
Open submission ends on July 30 at 11:59pm PT, or when 300 applications are received. For more information about the competition and entries contact, click here.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More