Winner Announced
The NYTVF and Comedy Central are proud to announce Family Bum, created by Ben Seccombe, as the winner of the second annual Short Pilot Competition. Ben will receive $7,500 and a potential development deal with Comedy Central.
Finalists Announced
The NYTVF is pleased to announce the following selections have been named finalists in the second annual Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition and will advance to the network for consideration. A winner will be identified in the coming months and will receive $7,500 and a potential development deal with Comedy Central. Additionally, all twenty-five finalists will be invited to the 9th Annual New York Television Festival as Official Artists and enjoy exclusive opportunities available through NYTVF Connect.
Congratulations to the finalists and sincerest thanks to all who entered!
2013 NYTVF COMEDY CENTRAL SHORT PILOT COMPETITION FINALISTS
- Almost 30
Created by: Matthew A. Cherry – Los Angeles, CA - Animals
Created by: Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano – Brooklyn, NY - Brutus Loves You
Created by: Jonathan Grimm and Giancarlo Fiorentini – New York, NY - City-Bound
Created by: Corey Cohen – Huntington, NY - The Common Cult
Created by: Michael Jonathan Smith – Los Angeles, CA - Deep South
Created by: Brian Egeston – Stone Mountain, GA - Deer Diary
Created by: Erik Parker, Eric Silver, and Kati Tikkanen – New York, NY - Driving Arizona
Created by: Joe Ahern, Dylan Tanous, and Anthony Pucillo – Los Angeles, CA - Family Bum
Created by: Ben Seccombe – Los Angeles, CA - Ground Control
Created by: Michelle Ciotta, Dylan Donahue, Keith Kingbay, Justin Lamb, and Sean O'Reilly – New York, NY - Happy Place
Created by: Grant Pardee – Los Angeles, CA - How To Live Like A Lady
Created by: Sydney Nikols and Julia Mattison – New York, NY - Karate P.I.
Created by: Matthew Hill – Los Angeles, CA - A Kind of a Show
Created by: Jason Headley – San Francisco, CA - Knives
Created by: Peter Moses, Frank Cappello, and Michael Ciulla – Los Angeles, CA - Left-Handed Radio
Created by: Adam Bozarth, Dan Chamberlain, Matt Little, Anna Rubanova, and Brett White – Brooklyn, NY - Life's Great!
Created by: Susan Casey, Jackie Jennings, and Veronica Osorio – New York, NY - Los Jarochos
Created by: Alex Bechtel, Mike Doherty, and Greg Nix – Philadelphia, PA - Nobodies
Created by: Dave Child and Brooke Lenzi – Los Angeles, CA - Pioneers
Created by: Eric Gross and Kai Crouse – Brooklyn, NY - Ray Collins MVP
Created by: David Hoffman – Los Angeles, CA - Ruby & Martin
Created by: Taylor Coffman – Los Angeles, CA - SBS: Stupid Bitch Syndrome
Created by: Chelsea Devantez and Emily Walker – Chicago, IL - Scary House
Created by: Matthew Gudernatch and Espie Randolph III – Los Angeles, CA - Sportz Time
Created by: John Reynolds – Chicago, IL
Submission Info - Deadline Passed
The New York Television Festival and Comedy Central have teamed up to offer aspiring TV writers and producers the opportunity to win $7,500 and a development deal with Comedy Central!
Use the links below to explore the various aspects of submitting to the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition.
Comedy Central is looking for fun, fresh points of view that fit into the Comedy Central brand of comedy. The following scripted-comedy formats would apply: sketch, narrative/single-camera sitcom, animated and "late night" comedy (game shows, panel shows, etc.). Non-scripted formats are not applicable for this competition, regardless of hilarity.
What do I need to submit?
- A four to eleven (4-11) minute Pilot Presentation
- A shooting script of the episode
- Signed Entry Packet
Download Full Rules and Entry Packet Here
The submission period will open at 12pm (noon) EST on November 5, 2012 and will close at 12pm (noon) EST on March 4, 2013. All submissions must be received during this time period, without exception.
Finalists will receive designation as 2013 NYTVF Official Artists and be invited to the New York Television Festival, held in NYC in October 2013.
A screening committee of NYTVF officials will narrow the pool of entrants down to 25 finalists which will be presented to Comedy Central development executives. One winner will be selected by Comedy Central and he/she will receive a development deal from the network. Additionally, Comedy Central may elect to enter into development agreements with additional finalists.
Comedy Central will retain an exclusive option to enter into development deals with all Finalists' Entries for a period of three (3) months following the selection of the Finalists (which shall be on or about April 15, 2013).
For more details Ask the NYTVF.

Need music for your submission?
NYTVF partner Audio Network is offering FREE and UNLIMITED access to their music library of over 40,000 tracks for any artist submitting to the 2013 NYTVF.
Simply set up an account by contacting Audio Network at nycreativeservices@audionetwork.com with your name, contact details and project title. More details here

Need high-quality footage to improve your contest submission?
NYTVF has partnered with T3Media (formerly Thought Equity Motion) to offer FREE clip licenses for use in Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition submissions. Utilize footage from the world’s leading media companies such as BBC Motion Gallery, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, MGM Studios, HBO Archives, and National Geographic.
To take advantage of this special offer, contact a T3Media sales representative (877) 394-1580 or send an email with your name and phone number to sales@t3media.com. Be sure to mention “NYTVF/Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition” to get set up with a special account. To start browsing T3Media’s video library, visit www.t3licensing.com.
Important Dates
- November 5, 2012…………….Submission Period Begins
- 12:00 PM Noon March 4, 2013…………….Submission Deadline
- Finalists to be announced approximately April 15, 2013
- Winner to be announced approximately May 27, 2013
Required Running Times
- All pilots must have a total running time of between 4 and 11 minutes.
Fees
- There is no fee to enter the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition.
Eligibility
- Programs created, funded or in development by broadcast networks, cable networks or major production studios are ineligible to compete in the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition
- The initiative is open to U.S. residents age 18 and over who do not have any contractual commitments preventing them from entering into an exclusive development deal with Comedy Central.
- Programs for the Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition must not have been publicly broadcast on television
- Programs may not contain any copyrighted music (see here)
- Programs must be received by 12:00 PM Noon March 4, 2013
Acceptance Guidelines
The New York Television Festival “Comedy Central Short Pilot Competition” accepts entries beginning on November 5, 2012 and ending March 4, 2013. Artists are permitted to submit multiple entries to the competition. All entries must be received by the NYTVF no later than 12:00 PM Noon on March 4, 2013. This is not a postmark date. Finalist notifications will be made on or around April 15, 2013.
Entry Packet
- Produced Pilot: submitted on both playable DVDs and as a compressed video file (mp4)
- Playable DVDS: Five (5) copies of the Pilot Program with label of Producer, Director and/or Production Company and contact information
- Compressed video file: One (1) copy of the Pilot Program saved as a compressed/ QuickTime file on a data DVD (MP4, H.264 or MOV preferred. Recommended output minimum 640w x 348h pixels, or under 200MB)
- The shooting script of the submitted pilot must be sent as both hardcopy and a PDF on a data DVD. Script should be properly formatted for a television pilot.
- Signed Application Form
- One (1) screen capture image/digital frame from the Pilot, saved as a JPG file on a data DVD
NOTE: Shooting Script PDF, Pilot image JPG and Compressed pilot MP4 may all be included on the SAME data DVD.
Address
All submissions, accompanied by a signed Application Form, must be sent to:
New York Television Festival, Attn: Comedy Central Entries '13
121 West 27th Street, Suite 901
New York, NY 10001