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Professional Screenplay Formatting and Structure

August 26, 2026
Timothy Cooper walks you through everything he wishes he’d known when he started: the principles behind why formatting matters, his tried-and-true steps to building your story from logline to outline to script, and exactly what differentiates professional pages from amateur ones.

Book Pipeline

Book Pipeline connects writers to publishers, agents, and the film industry through competitions and workshops, providing hands-on support to bridge the gap between emerging authors and the industry since 2014.

Script Pipeline

Script Pipeline connects writers with producers, agents, and managers, facilitating over $8 million in sales through competitions and ongoing industry support, helping launch major films and secure high-profile representation since 1999.

Film Pipeline

Film Pipeline connects filmmakers and writers with agencies and executives, focusing on diverse storytelling and playing an active role in developing and promoting projects, reviewing thousands of submissions annually since its launch in 2018.

Stop Waiting for Permission. Write and Produce your Proof of Concept Short!

Scheduled

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Time

7 pm EDT / 4 pm PDT

Duration

2 Hours

Cost

$35

Subjects

Filmmaking, Screenwriting

Topics

Business, Craft

Have you written a great feature or series, but struggle to get anyone to notice? 

Frustrated by gatekeepers and waiting for someone to validate your work?

It’s time to take your career into your own hands.

Today, you don’t need an executive to pluck your script out of the slushpile or a studio green-light to build momentum. Instead, you can create your own ultimate calling card.

In this Symposium, award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Merridith Allen, guides you step-by-step through making a proof-of-concept short film that will get you noticed ... and expand your options for either financing or representation.

You’ll learn:

  • The Strategy: What a well-executed proof of concept actually does for your career.
  • The Format: Key types of short films and how to select the best structure for your story.
  • The Case Studies: Famous examples of proof-of-concept shorts that launched hit feature films and series.
  • Concept to Script: How to adapt your larger project into a standalone, high-impact short script.
  • Script to Screen: Practical tactics for producing, directing, and marketing your short on a realistic budget.
  • Inside the Industry: Navigating the festival circuit, networking effectively, and leveraging your short in a shifting market.

* To understand the power of having a proof-of-concept script, listen to Imani Davis, founder of Proof Film Festival, who was a guest on Reckless Creatives Podcast.

Questions about registration? Check our handy FAQ page.

Events are recorded and emailed to all who register.

*NOTE: If you want the recording sent to you, do not check off the box in the Zoom Events registration process that restricts us from obtaining your email address and do not unsubscribe from Symposium emails.

Confirmation emails come from Zoom Events—search your inbox for noreply-zoomevents@zoom.us—not Pipeline Media Group.

Host

Merridith Allen
Merridith Allen is a theater-trained performer and storyteller with an extensive background in martial arts. She writes about women wrestling with their demons (read: kicking their demons in the teeth), with a special focus on female-driven martial arts, drama, action, and dramedy. Excerpts from Merridith's produced plays can be found in over a dozen anthologies through […]

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Upcoming Events

Professional Screenplay Formatting and Structure

August 26, 2026
Timothy Cooper walks you through everything he wishes he’d known when he started: the principles behind why formatting matters, his tried-and-true steps to building your story from logline to outline to script, and exactly what differentiates professional pages from amateur ones.

Substack as a Writer's Swiss Army Knife: How to Build Your Email List & Beyond

September 2, 2026
Substack has evolved from a simple newsletter platform into one of the most powerful tools available to writers. It can help you connect with readers, expand your network, promote your work, test ideas, generate new revenue streams, and build a sustainable creative career—all while maintaining direct ownership of your audience.

Finding the Ritual That Will Get You Writing

September 16, 2026
You write for a few days or even weeks but can’t keep it consistent. You’ve written in the past, fell off the writing-train, and can’t figure out why it’s so darn hard to get back on track. In this symposium, Script Pipeline winning filmmaker and meditation teacher, Erin Cantelo, will guide you through a variety of habit-forming tools to find your own personal ritual to get writing consistently.

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Symposium Community Writing Sprint Night

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Join us for two hours of writing on Zoom (free), with breaks to discuss our progress and struggles. We'll be using the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of writing, with a 5-minute break). You can choose to have your camera on or off. No judgment! Just a community of writers to support each other. You don't need to participate for a full two hours. Pop in and out, as needed.

Symposium, presented by Pipeline Artists, is a year-round virtual conference empowering creatives with honest, no-nonsense guidance across the arts. Through seminars, industry panels, and Town Hall discussions on screenwriting, filmmaking, publishing, and career-building, Symposium offers grounded advice from working professionals to help you forge your own unique path.

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