Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program?

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  • Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program?

    I came across it last night, I'm sure everyone here is familiar with it. I was just curious does anyone know exactly what it is they are looking for during submissions.

    I am sure they want to look at screenplays, but I dont want to send things that will "waste their time" when looking at materials from possible candidates.

    If you do know someone, who did they like it....or not? What did they send in with their application?

  • #2
    Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

    They want to see excellent scripts, just as in any other screenplay competition. Don't try to psych them out and send stuff you think appeals to Disney the studio--send your best script, whatever the genre.

    Some years ago I made the finals (top 40 out of 4000) with a period script with VERY adult themes (the same script that eventually got me my agent). It was about as far from Mickey Mouse as a script could get. When you get to the finals, they start interviewing candidates--so it becomes more about you than your script. I bombed the first (phone) interview, and that was the end of the line for me...but if you make it to that stage, post again and you'll be inundated with advice, I'm sure.

    So if you don't want to "waste their time," don't send crap!

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    • #3
      Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

      Purple is correct.

      I made the finals last year, and at the face-to-face interview, they specifically told me they weren't necessarily looking for scripts Disney would be inclined to produce--just looking for the best writing.

      The fellows I met sent scripts that were across the board. Everything from coming-of-age comedies to thrillers to U name it.

      Keep in mind that when you say "Disney" you're talking about Disney, Touchstone, Buena Vista, Miramax, etc...

      Send your absolute best work and then forget about it until next Thanksgiving...

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      • #4
        Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

        What kind of questions do they ask you in the interviews?

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        • #5
          Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

          What kind of questions do they ask you in the interviews?
          With me, as I recall, it was basic stuff like, "What are your favorite movies," "Who are your favorite writers," stuff like that. But the reason I screwed up so royally was that they totally messed with my head by calling me in June or July to say I was a finalist and would be getting a phone call from 3 execs "tomorrow," and they would be asking me a list of questions. They gave me the list of questions and encouraged me to prepare my responses. I don't remember what they were, unfortunately, but as you'll see it hardly mattered.

          They didn't call on the specified day. Or the day after. Or the next week. Or the week after that. After several stressful weeks had passed, I called THEM and asked what was going on. "Oh, everybody's busy; we'll get to you soon." Torture.

          So like a month later, out of nowhere, a single exec called me. "I know you were told there'd be three of us, and I know you were given a list of questions to prepare answers for. But it's just me, and I hate those questions, so forget all that." Totally threw me off (no doubt that was the plan) and turned me into a babbling idiot. At the end of the call, the guy was like, "We'll be making our decision this week and will notify you next week."

          You guessed it: No notification. Not next week, or the week after, or the week after that. Yet again, after a full month had passed, I caved and called them. Then they messed with me some more by saying that the exec would call me back "later" because he wanted to talk to me personally. For once they did keep their promise and called back within a few hours, and, unsurprisingly, the news was not in my favor. About a month or two after that call, I got the written notification in the mail. (The letter was quite nice, actually, fully embossed and with lots of encouragement for having made the top 1%...)

          I've heard things are different now (that was in 1997)...I hope so, for the finalists' sakes. On the other hand, now that I've actually been in the game for a few years, I have to say it's not all that different from having something in development--days, weeks, even months pass without the slightest hint of news. It was good training.

          But it still kind of sucked!

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          • #6
            Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

            They really screwed around with you.

            Thanks for writing that up, PC.

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            • #7
              Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

              I bombed the first (phone) interview, and that was the end of the line for me...but if you make it to that stage, post again and you'll be inundated with advice, I'm sure.
              How did you bomb a phone interview...granted I've never had a phone interview.

              Were you nervous?

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              • #8
                Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                ahhh, sorry, I didnt see your 2nd post

                Well, yeah they "kinda" screwed with you but at the same time I'm sure they have to call and tlak to a lot of people.

                As far as the not asking you the prepared questions, why would they do that in the first place? I have never taken a test or a interview and knew what was going to be asked.....sounds very fishy. Maybe that wanted to see how well you could BS or maybe see how fast you could come up with something spur of the moment....that might be a good thing to look for in a TV writer...maybe?

                Maybe you could share a question or two that the person did ask you?

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                • #9
                  re:

                  I, too, was a finalist last year. My script was an epic historical drama.

                  A lot of the questions revolved around your philosophy of screenwriting. Who were your influences? Why did you choose the topic you wrote about? Do you emphasize plot or character?

                  That was the phone interview. Once I got to LA, it was much more difficult, because you're in a room with six or eight judges, all asking questions about all different things at the same time. Many were on my background or on the script itself.

                  There's no good way to prepare other than to be honest with whatever answers you give. If you try to rehearse some clever response, they'll probably detect it.

                  As has been stated here, just write the best script possible, follow all of the instructions on the website to the letter, and try to write an interesting bio about yourself. I'm not a particularly interesting person, but I did write a very clever and witty bio about me which was brought up at the final interview, so I think that it made a difference.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                    ahhh, sorry, I didnt see your 2nd post

                    Well, yeah they "kinda" screwed with you but at the same time I'm sure they have to call and tlak to a lot of people.

                    As far as the not asking you the prepared questions, why would they do that in the first place? I have never taken a test or a interview and knew what was going to be asked.....sounds very fishy. Maybe that wanted to see how well you could BS or maybe see how fast you could come up with something spur of the moment....that might be a good thing to look for in a TV writer...maybe?

                    Maybe you could share a question or two that the person did ask you?
                    I believe all of the answers you seek--or at least responses--exist in the posts I have already contributed to this thread.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                      When you get to the finals, they start interviewing candidates--so it becomes more about you than your script. I bombed the first (phone) interview, and that was the end of the line for me...


                      out of nowhere, a single exec called me. "I know you were told there'd be three of us, and I know you were given a list of questions to prepare answers for. But it's just me, and I hate those questions, so forget all that." Totally threw me off (no doubt that was the plan) and turned me into a babbling idiot. At the end of the call, the guy was like, "We'll be making our decision this week and will notify you next week."
                      I believe all of the answers you seek--or at least responses--exist in the posts I have already contributed to this thread.


                      actually no you didnt, you danced around it very nicely. Maybe thats why you failed the interview (just joking!)

                      I just asked you for a exact question they asked you just becuase I was curious...If you'd rather not answer it then just say so.

                      thanks again for the info

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: re:

                        A lot of the questions revolved around your philosophy of screenwriting. Who were your influences? Why did you choose the topic you wrote about? Do you emphasize plot or character?

                        That was the phone interview. Once I got to LA, it was much more difficult, because you're in a room with six or eight judges, all asking questions about all different things at the same time. Many were on my background or on the script itself.
                        Thanks, I can only guess how nerve racking it must have been to be interviewed by a group of people!

                        Question though, do you know how many people they accept a year. Also, were the judges fellow writers or exec's in suits? If I had to guess I'd guess execs.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                          From my post on 2/13/04 at 12:04pm:
                          What kind of questions do they ask you in the interviews?
                          With me, as I recall, it was basic stuff like, "What are your favorite movies," "Who are your favorite writers," stuff like that. But the reason I screwed up so royally was that they totally messed with my head by calling me in June or July to say I was a finalist and would be getting a phone call from 3 execs "tomorrow," and they would be asking me a list of questions. They gave me the list of questions and encouraged me to prepare my responses. I don't remember what they were, unfortunately, but as you'll see it hardly mattered.

                          ***
                          Rest assured you will not receive further responses from me in the future, on this or any other topic. Life's too short, etc.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                            Rest assured you will not receive further responses from me in the future, on this or any other topic.
                            good

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Anyone ever participate in the Disney fellowship program

                              Purple Curtain -

                              Thank you for your insight into the Disney process. I've always been curious about it.

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