SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks and powerhouse writer/director/producer Tracy Oliver (First Wives Club, Girls Trip, Little) are giving aspiring and emerging TV writers the opportunity to develop an original comedy for the small screen with the return of the nationwide competition titled, “PROJECT CRE8.” This year’s search for fresh new voices in television was announced yesterday during Blackhouse’s panel “Project CRE8: A Meditation on Dreaming – Alieu The Dreamer” at Sundance by Oliver and Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET Networks. BET will purchase the winning script for $25,000 and work with the winner and Oliver’s Tracy Yvonne Productions to develop a comedy series for BET Networks. Submissions for original comedy television pilots are now open and can be made through BET.com/Cre8.
“We are so thrilled to partner with BET on ‘Project CRE8’.” said Oliver. “With this contest, we look forward to discovering and cultivating brilliant new comedic voices.”
Last year BET and Paramount Players debuted the competition, thrusting contest winner Quincy Ledbetter of Brooklyn, NY into the director’s chair with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to direct his original script, “Alieu the Dreamer,” which was filmed over the summer. Release details are forthcoming.
“Project CRE8 is a reflection of BET’s ongoing commitment to create a pipeline of diverse content creators and eliminate barriers to access, allowing these young creators to do what they do best: create,” said Orlando. “It’s through our partnerships with content creators at the top of their game like Tracy Oliver and Tracy Yvonne Productions that we’re able to reach back and put the next generation of content creators on, which is one of the most fulfilling aspects of this project.”
Key Dates:
Round One:
Submissions
- January 26, 2020 – Submissions Open
- March 7, 2020 – Submissions Close
-
Mid-March 2020 -- Top Thirty (30) Submissions announced
After the first round of judging, only the Top Thirty (30) submissions will advance to Round Two.
Round Two:
The Top 30 writers will be given seven (7) days to submit a series treatment of up to five pages.
BET and Tracy Yvonne Productions will judge the screenplays and treatments, narrowing down the Top Thirty (30) submissions to the Top Five (5) for the Final Round.
Final Round:
Pitch
The Top Five (5) finalists will pitch their concept to panel of successful TV producers, writers and executives.
Winner Announced
- Spring 2020 – Winner Announced
For more information on “PROJECT CRE8” and for contest rules go to BET.com/Cre8. Join the conversation on Social Media by using and following the hashtag #ProjectCRE8.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.
About Tracy Yvonne Productions
Tracy Yvonne Productions is a production company committed to championing diverse voices of all genres, across TV, film, and digital media.