Universal launches animation scriptwriter program with 5 promising talents

The Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) today announced the authors selected to participate in the new launch Universal Animation Writers Program 2021, a one-of-a-kind animation writing program for both feature films and television content.

The firm is proud to welcome its inaugural group of attendees: Shari Coleman, Kiana Johnson, Senibo Myers, David Ngo and Joe Winters. These authors were each selected for one of the three tracks within the program: a film track or one of the two television tracks intended for a different audience (preschool age 3-5 or children 6-11 years). The first cohort will work closely with creative animation executives from DreamWorks animation e Illumination as they develop materials in the one-year paid program.

The Universal Animation Writers Program, designed and executed by NBCUniversal's Global Talent Development & Inclusion (GTDI) team, identifies and develops an inclusive group of talent that can build on the firm's commitment to telling stories with unique narratives that appeal and reflect the vast diversity of its audience. While the goal is to guide writers towards staffing and development, the program will provide professional development and an engaging experience of the Studio's production process through workshops, seminars, sponsorships and panel discussions led by executives, directors and showrunners.

In addition to partnering with DreamWorks Animation and Illumination, writers will have the opportunity to collaborate with business units and production entities affiliated with UFEG and NBCUniversal, including Universal 1440 Entertainment, Universal Studio Group and Entertainment Group.

“DreamWorks has always been a place to build the dreams of unconventional heroes. This effort requires different voices from unique backgrounds. Thanks to the Global Talent Development & Inclusion team for creating the Animation Writers Program and shedding light on underrepresented talent, ”said Margie Cohn, President of DreamWorks Animation. "We are thrilled to dig and start working with this promising group of writers."

“Identifying and nurturing first-time directors and talent has always been a central pillar of the Illumination process,” said Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination. "We look forward to collaborating with the amazing group of inaugural participants of the Animation Writers program to develop new and innovative animated projects."

Shari Coleman (TV, children 6-11): Born and raised in Los Angeles, California (although she has proclaimed herself "child of the world"), Shari Coleman is certainly a child at heart. Raised after being influenced by numerous animated shows and films, Coleman aims to create stories that give voice to what is not seen and heard. Being lucky enough to do some international volunteering in high school, it opened her eyes to new cultures, experiences and the wonders of the world we live in. Her career began when she suddenly realized at the height of college app season that she did not actually want to devote herself to medicine and would instead turn to film. A decision, to note, that made his father anything but enthusiastic. Still, growing biracial has given her enough experience in constantly redefining people's expectations and perceptions of her to prove him wrong. By attending CSU Northridge, Coleman did just that. Within the distinction of receiving her BA in Film Production, she was awarded the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Scholar and Fellow titles and the opportunity to direct her first short film, Home, who will manage the festival circuit this summer. She was also lucky enough to work at the Cannes Film Festival and be personally recommended to the Academy Gold (now Gold Rising) program. Coleman currently has TV credits for the Disney Channel Bunk'd and an editorial credit to AMC's Creepshow: Animated special.

Kiana Johnson (TV, Kids 6-11): A Texan native, Kiana Johnson has spent most of her life traveling up and down I-35. Born and raised in San Antonio, she graduated in 2018 from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Radio-TV-Film with a major in screenwriting. During his tenure at UT, Johnson co-founded the Black Film Student Association with two friends to provide a safe space and learning community for people of color. His awards include advancement to the second round in AFF's Comedy Spec 2019 category and winning “Class Clown” on five separate occasions by non-affiliated organizations. After graduation, Johnson went shopping to finance his life in Los Angeles, writing and reading in his spare time. A strange black woman, Johnson loves writing characters that reflect the magic and diversity of the people she met. He loves fantasy, science fiction and Whataburger, and claims it's better than In-N-Out.

Senibo Myers (TV, kindergarten): Senibo Myers is a writer who loves to explore unique friendships between characters of different backgrounds, experiences and identities, including people, animals and even inanimate objects. He holds a BA in digital film / screenwriting from DePaul University, a master's in dramatic writing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and is a proud #GirlDad. His writing was presented at the Tisch Dramatic Writing Fellowship of New Works and at the Black Is the New Black Play Festival, which he co-produced. Myers was a finalist for JJ Abrams's Bad Robot Mentorship Program and semifinalist in the PlayStation Emerging Filmmakers Program. He has worked for Nickelodeon, MTV, Spike TV, DreamWorks and ABC. He has written for the MTV Movie Awards, the People's Choice Awards and America's best dance troupe. For Myers, the narrative is an all-you-can-eat buffet and he's wearing sweatpants.

David Ngo (Movie): David Ngo is a current screenwriter, former television executive, occasional college lecturer, sometimes director, ever a parent, frequent script consultant, forever Vietnamese American, endless pop culture enthusiast and consistent podcaster, filling out his bingo card of a entertainment career. Ngo's work led him to participate in the NBC Writers on the Verge program, distributing celebrity news to E! Entertainment, teaching eager minds in the Asian-American Studies department at Cal State Fullerton, directing a documentary about a beauty pageant for seniors, photographing motels, writing spoiler-free lyrics for streamers, wondering if they'll do Saved by the bell: retirement home one day, and looking for the best stories ever told he can find out in his podcast, The best story I've never told.

Joe Winters (TV, children 6-11): Growing up in Northern Virginia, Joe Winters always felt they were a little different from the other kids at their Catholic school. It wasn't until they were called "gay" (and later googled what "gay" was) that they started to understand that difference. Once they came to terms with and started exploring their sexuality, life seemed a lot more complicated, especially when they were put on therapy for this reason. It was during this time of uncertainty that they clung to animated fantasy shows to help transport them to distant lands where it was okay to be different. When they couldn't be in these fantastic worlds, they found solace in the theater. This eventually led them to Virginia Commonwealth University, where they received their BFA in Theater Performance. After graduation, a series of unfortunate events left Winters in a deep depression. Luckily their time in the theater led them to discover the world of Drag, and “Zelda Peaches” was born. Drag not only helped save their lives, but also accepted their non-binary identity. Finally comfortable with who they were, they came to the conclusion that instead of being in other people's stories they would rather create their own. They wanted to write the kind of shows they needed as kids: sharp, animated fantasy comedies that highlight queer identities and struggles for mental health. With that knowledge, they flew off to Los Angeles where they studied television writing at UCLA. Since then, they have worn many different hats in various productions, including the opportunity to do an internship at Hey Qween!, a respected queer talk show. Their writing has also been recognized by Final Draft's The Script Lab, ScreenCraft, Launch Pad, and Big Break.

The Universal Animation Writers Program marks the second writing program for UFEG, joining the Universal Writers Program, the Studio's long-standing program for live-action writers. Universal Writers Program alumni have achieved success in various films, broadcasts and cable television series, including Juel Taylor, co-author of Creed II, who is currently developing a project with Universal's The SpringHill Company and Lebron James; Sarah Cho, a staff writer on the upcoming Hulu series and Universal Content Productions The Plainville Girl; and Leon Hendrix, co-writer and executive producer of Cointelpro, a drama series in development at Peacock.