Student wins Acclaim TV writing contest

Students, alumni, and one faculty member have won or placed in various national television writing contests in recent weeks, according to Jim Macak, associate professor in Visual and Media Arts.

The students wrote their scripts in TV writing courses taught by Macak in the Spring 2014 semester.

Benjamin Sack ’16 won the Acclaim TV Writing Contest for his spec episode of the FOX comedy New Girl. Nine other Emerson students placed in the contest.

Sack received a $500 prize for his spec episode, titled “Classical,” which will be circulated to production companies and literary agencies. Sack’s episode was chosen out of 120 submitted.

Sack expressed gratitude to Macak “for forcing me to perfect my work and encouraging submission to the contest,” he said. “I certainly would never have submitted on my own.”

Sack also thanked faculty member Diane Pansen “for laying the groundwork for my screenwriting education.”

Natasha Don ’14 and Robert Fraser ’14 both scored as semifinalists in the Acclaim competition. Don wrote a spec episode of The Mindy Project titled “Mindy Lahiri Is My Hero”; and Fraser placed with his spec episode of Girls, titled “The Pasta Party.”

Other students who placed as semifinalists in Acclaim were Jo Wylie ’16 and Anna Regano ’15.

Students, alumni, and a faculty member also placed in The Austin Film Festival TV Writing Contest.

Faculty member Jared Gordon’s film script Seize the Sky placed as a quarterfinalist in Austin’s drama screenplay competition.

Students who placed as quarterfinalists were: Rachel Crowe ’16, W. Logan Freeman ’16, Matthew Gerrish ’15, and Mechi Lakatos ’16.

Alumni Matt Kenney ’13 and Lisa Frye ’10 also placed as quarterfinalists.