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.
