SCRIPT INCUBATOR

WIFSFBA members are taking their ideas from script to screen through our Script Incubator Program. The program began in April 2021 and was conceived of as a six-part lab, where members share their work-in-progress scripts through steps from “critique” to “completion” to “polish.”  

Incubator leader, Carol Lee Hall, designed the program based on her experience in various writing communities while writing her own feature script The Jeweled Bird, currently in development.

The Script Incubator meets on Zoom every third Monday from 7:00-9:00 p.m. to discuss the group’s work, which includes TV pilots, features, shorts, and web series. For 2024, we are reviewing each other's work "table read" style, in which we will read aloud up to 3 script portions of 1-10 pages each. No homework! We even have a team of actors to bring the parts alive so the scriptwriters can hear their words aloud. Each Zoom session will be recorded so the screenwriter can go back and see what worked and what didn't. And all participants will be encouraged to give feedback and support each other during the meetings. 

The goal of the program is for members to complete and revise scripts that will be self-produced or sent out to industry professionals to be made into motion pictures, television shows, or digital streaming media.

How to Join

The Script Incubator has thirteen members and is open to inviting more. The only requirements to join the Script Incubator is that one must be a member of WIFSFBA and have a script-in-progress that can be submitted for discussion for the initial stage of the program: critique. Participants are expected to read others’ script portions of no more than 20 pages each before the meeting. We usually comment on 1-3 script portions at each meeting. 

“We support one another and cheer each other on to improve our work,” says Carol Lee Hall. Here is what some of our members have to say about their experiences being part of the group:

"I joined the Script Incubator because having writing groups is the best way to get feedback on rewriting and working on making a script better. It's been great to meet a group of local writers to provide insightful and valuable feedback."  —Nil Unerdem 

“The Script Incubator has really helped me to get out of my own head and see my stories through new eyes. There’s something rewarding and empowering about being vulnerable and having a community to share work with that elevates my relationship with writing. The Script Incubator has been a great opportunity to connect with lovely people who have similar passions. It has also provided me with a structured schedule and goals to work towards.”—Neha Kaul

“Participating in the incubator is a joy! Incubator is an important step for my work as a screenwriter because it brings my storytelling to life, it gets my words off the page by inviting others into the world I’m creating. Each time I share work, I can feel what resonates, what sticks and what to let go of, which is helping me grow as a writer.”—Anna Sophie Loewenberg

First Table Read for the Public

On November 11, 2021, Script Incubator members hosted a table read over Zoom of short scripts or script portions developed in the program this year. This was a chance for WIFSFBA members, featured actors, the public, and Incubator writers themselves to see their words come to life. 

Pitch Panel Practice

On July 18, 2022, The Script Incubator hosted a pitch practice event and invited the public to participate. Thirty-one people registered to practice pitching their projects to a panel of four industry professionals. This event was preparation for a “real” pitch panel.

Pitch-A-Pro Night

On January 31, 2023, thirty-five people registered to pitch the industry professional of their choice. Seven producers gave their time to field pitches in different breakout rooms. These professionals were actually looking for new material. At the end, everyone came together and three people were chosen at random to pitch the whole panel in front of their peers over Zoom. At least one pitcher signed a shopping agreement with a producer to shop her project in the United Kingdom.

On April 23, 2024, forty-seven people registered to pitch ten industry pros ranging from producers, managers, and even a sales agent. Many connections were made during the breakout sessions and pitches to the whole pro panel.

Young Women Writers Screenwriting Contest Panel Discussion

On October 14, 2023, fifteen people gathered over Zoom to support the winners of the joint Intuitive Writing Project and WIFSFBA screenwriting contest. While not technically part of the Script Incubator program, the contest gave high school girls the opportunity to write and submit short scripts which were judged by the IWP. Three winners were chosen and their scripts presented to 3 WIFSFBA board members for feedback. After the discussion, audience members asked questions of the writers.

Coming up in 2025

The Pitch-A-Pro Night has been so popular, we are endeavoring to host another one in 2025. Stay tuned for more information!

If you have any questions or would like to join the Incubator, please contact Carol Lee Hall at bod-admin@wifsfba.org, and include Script Incubator in the subject line.