AAP Fellowship 2023

17 Feb 2023, posted by Brad Miller

THE DEADLINE FOR THIS APPLICATION HAS ENDED. PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS FELLOWSHIP. THANK YOU!

Celebrating Black History Month, this year’s African American Perspectives Fellowship reflects on the ongoing struggle that was highlighted during the pandemic. Thank you to Writers Boot Camp alumni and friends for passing along this opportunity to writers and filmmakers who are self-identified as African American or Black and may be writing stories with African American principal characters and subjects.

AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES FELLOWSHIP

Stories by African American and Black Writers

Free Application by Sunday, February 26th (midnight, LA time)

Three $2500 Writers Boot Camp Scholarships for the Saturday, March 4th Basic Training

Anyone can apply if one’s project and background reflect the creative parameters.

Candidates will be selected based on their creative experience, professional background, inspiration articulated in the application and on the project’s potential made clear in the Premise Line submitted. Experienced writers who tend to do better on the application based on following instructions

Writers Boot Camp supports individuality of voice and a wide range of diversity of content. This month’s Fellowship is designed specifically to support African American and Black filmmakers and writers. The relevance of the subject goes beyond the motivation of protest against racial injustice and police aggression. Our recently deepened comprehension of systemic racism in the United States–seen through the prism of history–has made it ever more crucial to explore stories of the ingrained preemption of true equality and opportunity for people of color.

Writers Boot Camp $2500 Fellowships Through Basic Training

The top three winners will receive the Saturday, March 4th Basic Training conducted by Writers Boot Camp founder Jeffrey Gordon, who created the same process more than 30 years ago that 12,000 writers and filmmakers have experienced. You don’t have to live in LA to participate since meetings are done via zoom.

The 10-Week Basic Training imparts comprehensive fundamentals while you write. You’ll take an idea–for a feature film, TV Pilot (or book or novel)–from a single sentence to a first draft in seven weeks–and then you’ll complete two rewrites in the remaining three weeks. The only requirement is the commitment of 10 hours for writing and exercises each week for 10 weeks.

The short application for this fellowship is free (see below). The expectation for stories is not that they are necessarily based on one’s own life, yet how one’s personal perspective and point of view as a writer and filmmaker offers engaging insight and entertainment.

Here are examples of the kinds of stories that may win, though these are not the only possibilities:

–A fresh take on a historical event depicting an interesting character. Examples of events include the context of the 1619 Project, the reaction to Reconstruction by its opponents, the Jim Crow South, the crossing of the Edmund Pettis Bridge, breaking the color barrier in sports, assassinations of Black leaders, civic rights struggles and tactics of voter suppression, issues of incarceration and private prisons, inner city life and the war on drugs.

–Is there a fresh take on a genre or a subject that expands upon what’s typically been done or goes beyond cliche, including classic protagonists with modern nuance or sensibility? Is there a story that in past iterations has been whitewashed? Can the project open our eyes while entertaining us? Can you imagine a potential comedic approach to a serious subject?

–An event in Her-story, the perspective of a strong woman or impactful, lesser known female leader. This could be situated in the workplace as in union organizing or portray generational change. Your project can spotlight women in the arts and music, or in movies and television.

–In light of January 6th, does your project articulate responses to fascistic tendencies, provide an update of race relations and anticipate a few years out, delve further into more than the racial divide but perhaps offer an understanding of factions and differences within African American or Black life?

As always, we believe at Writers Boot Camp that the best idea is the one you’re actually working on and that you feel you can sustain passion for the many stages of work necessary to fully develop it. The stories that create a relationship adventure beyond the physical adventure of the plot have the best chance to be seen and succeed.

To be eligible for Writers Boot Camp’s African American Perspectives Fellowship, applications must be received via the website by midnight, LA time, on Sunday, February 26th, 2023. Applicants must also reply to an email from the staff to briefly confirm their availability to participate in Basic Training so another deserving candidate is not prevented from winning.

It may be helpful to consider that the individual answers and ideas in the four-sentence paragraph can each represent a new story idea–and they may also work together to make a case in support of your proposed project. While the application doesn’t have to take long, winners tend to be very effective at making the most of their sentences.

We will only contact winners by phone and individuals as needed for supplemental information that may be required. Non-winners will be contacted by email after winners have been selected within a few days of the application deadline.

Please do not leave any answers blank.

Name:

Mailing Address:

City, State & Zip Code:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

How You Heard About Writers Boot Camp (if through a person, please include their name):

Name of Reference & Professional Relationship to You:

Reference Contact (Phone & Email):

Your Occupation or Job Title:

Your Entertainment Industry Background and Experience:

Prior Writing and Filmmaking Experience:

Are you currently working--and can you comment on your employment situation?

Do you consider yourself to be of African American or Black heritage?

Please answer these four topical questions in order in only one sentence each within one paragraph--and without including the questions yet ensuring that the answer makes clear what it's answering: What is your personal view of your heritage and how you relate to it? Share with us an extraordinary experience that would only have happened due to your heritage and background. What is your understanding of the status of the fight against systemic racism? In only one sentence within this paragraph of only four sentences, please express a personal idea, insight or realization about recent or current events relating to black people.

If you win a Writers Boot Camp scholarship, please state the title and format of the project you will write, and share the premise in a single sentence only. A Premise Line is more than a logline or set-up and may include up to 50 words, focusing more on the middle of the story and what characters actually do along the 2nd-Act Adventure. If your project is for television, then the A-Story of the first episode will be more relevant than a general series description.

Please include above: Title, Format (Movie, TV Pilot, Book, etc.), and Premise Line (One Sentence Only).

For the purposes of announcing winners, please provide a single-sentence bio about yourself written in third person, including your full name, where you're from, where you live, your educational accomplishments, your professional background and entertainment industry goals.

My name below certifies that all my answers on the above application are true. I understand that my email submission will be kept confidential and not shared with anyone outside Writers Boot Camp's staff without my permission. I understand that if I win an award, it is not transferable and if I cannot fully utilize it, then it will be offered to the the next eligible writer. I understand that due to the short timeframe until the fellowship process that only the winners will be notified of their standing by telephone. All applicants will be notified by email with the results and guidelines for additional benefits, if applicable. My name below acknowledges Writers Boot Camp’s pledge of confidentiality regarding my application, answers and project details. I understand that all internal staff discussion of my project idea is in the interest of determining winners. I understand that I am sharing my ideas and answers to be eligible for a fellowship award and that submission of this application does not guarantee me receipt of conceptual notes or story services. I understand that I can protect my material by registering and/or copyrighting my written materials prior to submitting them. I give permission to Writers Boot Camp to verify my information and answers with the above reference and understand that this verification, if necessary, is only for the finalists and only to determine award eligibility.