In this Q&A, GG Hawkins discusses finding the humanity in pitching — and how authenticity helps her connect with execs.
Applications for our 2024 Moonshot Pilot Accelerator are open through the April 14 final deadline, so we are taking this opportunity to shine a spotlight on our past fellows!
GG Hawkins was one of the fellows in our 2023 Moonshot Pilot Accelerator (formerly WWFC’s Pilot Accelerator).
Below, learn more about GG’s career and what inspired her pilot script.
What drew you to TV writing, and how did you get started?
I've been drawn to the idea of exploring characters and worlds through long-form storytelling, but it wasn't until I was in my late 20s, holding down a corporate career in ad sales, that I finally let myself explore writing and directing. My first foray into episodic writing was in Matt Starr's Write Your Pilot class, which met in Midtown Manhattan in a small rehearsal space above an Irish pub. I wrote a pilot about working in ad sales ... write what you know!
What inspired you to write the pilot script that was selected for the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator?
I wanted to write a story about a woman losing control after having a ton of success, inspired by my years in corporate life. So “Baggage” let me explore a woman whose life seemed great on paper, where in reality it was a spiraling mess.
What's something you learned from the accelerator workshops?
The biggest takeaway for me was that the more myself I am, the more excited I am for my project, the more people seem to connect with my pitch.
What was one of the highlights of your experience in the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator?
The community and support from my fellow fellows has been a huge highlight of the program. Love these folks!
What did you learn from pitching to so many companies during the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator?
It's all about connecting with another human. We build pitches up to be this huge deal, and it is — it's very exciting — however, at the end of the day, we're just a few people who love stories coming together to geek out about one story in particular. I think new pitchers can reframe the whole process and make it much more approachable by finding the humanity in pitching.
How has your career progressed since the accelerator ended?
I've since written and directed my first feature and signed with a manager.
What would you say to a writer who's thinking of applying to the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator?
Treat it as a deadline, which is a gift!
What are you working on next?
I'm still in post on my feature, but that's coming to an end and I'm feeling very excited about entering my next writing season. There are two ideas I'm working on — an R-rated comedy homage to Nora Ephron and Nancy Meyers movies, and a low-budget feature based on a Checkov short story called “The Darling.”
ABOUT GG HAWKINS
GG Hawkins is a writer, director, and podcaster. Her work has been showcased at the Tribeca Festival, Hollyshorts, Salute Your Shorts, Sonoma International Film Festival, Dances With Film, and more. Her forthcoming feature, ‘I Really Love My Husband’ shot in Bocas del Toro, Panama and is now in post production.
She hosts the No Film School Podcast, interviewing filmmaking talents such as Kelly Fremon Craig, Ray Romano, Chris McKay, and Stephen Williams. (Click here to listen to GG’s podcast episode featuring Moonshot Initiative co-founders Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre!) GG wrote and directed "G.U.F.," an episode of "You Feeling This?" which premiered at Tribeca in 2023.
She received the Channie Award for Best Directing for her web series, 'Kinda Flakey' and is nominated for a Webbie. GG's short film 'An Aspirational Space' was awarded the Robert De Niro Scholarship. She is a fellow of the Film Independent Episodic Lab and the Moonshot Initiative Pilot Accelerator. You can follow her work at gghawkins.com or on social media @lostingraceland.
How to apply to the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator
Apply to the Moonshot Pilot Accelerator by the final deadline of April 14, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. You can submit via Coverfly or FilmFreeway.
All of our semi-finalists will have their scripts read by two industry judges: showrunners, TV series creators, high-level producers, and working TV writers. Read their bios here.
Our 6-8 selected fellows will participate in three weeks of virtual workshops, where they’ll get pitch feedback from a development exec, a showrunner, and a speech coach; experience a mock writers’ room; and meet with an agent and an entertainment lawyer. Read about our expert guests here.
Then, during Pitch Week, they’ll have the opportunity to pitch one-on-one to companies including HBO, Netflix, Starz, Amazon Studios/Prime Video, Gersh, Berlanti Productions, Broadway Video, Level Forward, Element Pictures, Irish Cowboy, Freevee, BFD, and more!