Writers Lab
WHERE: In-person at the Maggie Flanigan Studios in NYC, in person at The Broadwater Theatre and Whammy Analog Media in LA, and online from anywhere in the world (we host at least one virtual lab almost every week).
WHEN: We have at least one in person event per month in NYC and LA, and virtual events open to all throughout the month! Check the calendar for the latest virtual and in-person schedule!
WHAT: Writers Labs are focused on providing a space for fresh pages to be read by professional actors with the goal of encouraging the writers and exploring the material as a precursor to going into production. All narrative content is welcome including short films, pilots, web series, television series, feature films, etc. It’s also a place for writers, actors, directors, creatives and multi-hyphenates to get together and meet a few people worth working with. We are always looking for new writers and actors. This lab is free and open to all to watch and participate in by giving feedback to the writers. We occasionally host special editions with this lab for which we team up with one or more of our partner organization and/or with professionals making waves in the industry.
HOW: We do a staged reading of up to 20 pages of 4-6 original scripts. The pieces can be shorts, or excerpts from larger works, and each script is cast ahead of time by our casting director who pulls from our large pool of talented actors. After each piece is read we curate feedback from our live audience.
WRITERS: Submit up to 20 pages to our LA in-person and virtual Writers Labs here.
You can also submit your piece to any of our regional labs here:
ACTORS: Submit to read roles in our staged readings in front of our community of working filmmakers. Click here to see our full calendar and submit yourself to any of our upcoming Writers Labs! We're always looking to meet new performers from all over the world!
Concerned about copyright or IP issues when submitting your work to a lab? Check out our blog which explains how you can submit your script with peace of mind!
Working on a feature length screenplay? You can also hire us to host a full, virtual reading of your project here.
Script submissions are 100% free for all Writers Labs (including LA labs!) but selection is not guaranteed as these events are curated. All submissions must include a detailed breakdown of all the speaking characters with your script.
Questions? Email us at [email protected]
We Make Movies (WMM) is an inclusive community open to artists of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and sexes. Our goal is that by having an open door policy we will allow writers of all backgrounds and experience levels a platform to improve and grow. However, we realize that this policy can also allow for content that is objectionable or offensive to be read. So, we ALSO believe that the same no-censorship policy applies to our audience and they should feel free to dissent, turn down roles, and be empowered to speak their mind freely back to the writers in a constructive and respectful way. Our hope is that by not being another “gate-keeper” that merely rejects people without explanation, this community will actually enlighten artists to how or why their content isn’t being received.
Writers Lab
WHERE: Most WMM events are being held virtually for the time being. We have regional branches in NYC, Orlando, San Francisco, UK, New Zealand and of course our HQ of Los Angeles.
WHEN: At least once a month for each regional branch, but check the links above for specific dates and times for each region. To see our full calendar (and access all our LA events) become a member for free here!
WHAT: Writers Labs are focused on providing a venue for fresh pages to be read by professional actors — with the aim of encouraging the writers and exploring the material as a precursor to pre-production, whether it be for a short film, a spec pilot, or a feature film. It’s also a place for writers, actors, directors, creatives and multi-hyphenates to get together and maybe meet a few people worth working with. We are always looking for new writers and actors and this lab is free and open to all to watch and participate by giving feedback to the writers. We occasionally hold special editions with this lab where we host partner organizations.
HOW: We do a staged reading of 4-6 original script submissions (15 pages or less per submission to keep the night varied) at each Writers Lab. The pieces can be shorts, or excerpts from larger works, and each script is cast ahead of time by our casting director who pools from our large community of talented actors. After each piece is read we curate feedback from our live audience.
We Make Movies is an inclusive community open to artists of all ages, races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and sexes. It’s our value that we want everyone to “make the movie they want to see” and so it is our policy that we do not censor or cherry-pick which scripts are read during our workshops. Our goal is that by having an open door policy we will allow writers of all backgrounds and experience levels a platform to improve and grow. However, we realize that this policy can also allow for content that is objectionable or offensive to be read. So, we ALSO believe that the same no-censorship policy applies to our audience and they should feel free to dissent, turn down roles, and be empowered to speak their mind freely back to the writers in a constructive and respectful way. Our hope is that by not being another “gate-keeper” that merely rejects people without explanation, this community will actually enlighten artists to how or why their content isn’t being received.
ACTORS: Sign up for a FREE WMM account to see our calendar and submit yourself to our upcoming staged readings! However, if you upgrade to a Silver or Gold membership you'll get PRIORITY casting at our events! We're always looking to meet new performers!
WRITERS: Submit up to 15 pages of your scripts here. Sign up for a Gold membership to get SIX free script submissions per year!
WRITERS: Submit up to 15 pages of your scripts to our flagship LA Writers Lab here. Sign up for a Gold membership to get SIX free script submissions per year!
You can also submit your piece to any of our regional labs here:
We also accept shorter scripts (up to seven pages) which are $5 per submission (as opposed to the regular $10).
Questions? Email us at [email protected]
Bonus: While we're virtual we can all bring our own booze, soda and snacks to the party!
