Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship 2011 News

Nickelodeon's labors at integrating a healthy mix of talented interns into its newest production efforts continue. The Nickelodeon Fellowship for Diverse Writers, which offers a yearlong and salaried position to successful entrants, has placed a number of its alumni into meaningful production roles of popular network television animation. In recent news, three individuals have been named to join staff at Nickelodeon for the fellowship's eleventh year. The three fellowship winners possess a composite background of illustration, sketch comedy, and hands-on writing and directing. The Nickelodeon Fellowship reportedly receives more than one thousands applicants each year. Responsibilities of successful applicants are meant to include a number of real, functioning positions at the animation studio, including writing spec scripts and pitching story ideas. Nickelodeon's longstanding success in 2D and computer animated TV content has engendered focus on creator-driven animation; and the network's fellowship program has likewise provided a healthy jumpstart for industrious young talent.

The fellowship's three participants for the next calendar year are: Kevin Arietta, an NYU grad; Kiyong Kim, an illustrator and graduate of the Massachusetts School of Art; and Brian Stampnitsky, a sketch comedian and film school graduate of Vassar College. While two of last years fellows were placed on staff of Nick's Fanboy & Chum Chum and The Penguins of Madagascar, this year's fellows too will get the opportunity to have a hand in new or upcoming television animation, rubbing elbows with show creators and line producers, working together with story editors and show runners. Past fellows have gone on to freelance or staff positions at Comedy Central, Disney, PBS, and Cartoon Network.

Read More at: Animation Insider

What is NWF?

Developed to broaden Nickelodeon's outreach efforts, the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship is designed to attract, develop and staff writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences on Nickelodeon Network productions.

Operating in a three-phased structure, the Fellowship provides a salaried position for up to one year and offers hands-on experience writing spec scripts and pitching story ideas in both live action and animation television.

This three-phased structure allows fellows an opportunity to nurture relationships with creators, network executives, line producers, head writers, showrunners and story editors.

As part of their script writing, each fellow will be assigned to an Executive in Charge of Production and have an opportunity to write a spec script for an on-air Nickelodeon show.

In addition, all fellows are integrated into the activities of both the development and production departments.  This allows the fellows an opportunity to attend storyboard pitches, notes meetings, records, table reads, show pitches and show tapings, all while being exposed to top creators and key production crews.