Program Rules

  1. Only selected participates for a specific cycle can be on teams in that cycle. Thus, only participants selected for the 2010-2011 year AKA our second cycle can be on teams during our second cycle. Past participants are NOT grandfathered into the second cycle.
  2. All participants must pay their First Team participant fee and be active members of the SCA network at the time of the networking event.
  3. The networking event is mandatory. If a participant misses the networking event for any reason, he or she will be disqualified from the program. If you are late for the networking event, you will NOT be admitted and your participant fee will be forfeited. Tardiness will not be tolerated for any reason.
  4. Once the doors close for the networking event, no one will be admitted.
  5. Participants may not switch titles. Thus, participants chosen as writers can only participate as writers during the given cycle. The same goes for our directors and producers. You may apply for our next cycle for a different title.
  6. We do NOT have any co-writer, co-director or co-producer titles in First Team.
  7. We do NOT accept scripts written by co-writers, even if both writers are USC SCA alumni.
  8. Once a team is formed, teams cannot substitute teammates. Thus, if a teammate falls out of the project for ANY reason, the project is bust. We will not take it out to our industry affiliates.
  9. Once a team is formed, the team members must sign a legal agreement between themselves. First Team does not give legal advice nor does it need to know what that agreement involves. However, we will NOT take out a project to our industry affiliates without a signed legal agreement between the three parties.
  10. We only have four momentum seminars during the calendar year. Momentum seminars are mandatory. If more than two members of a team miss a momentum seminar, the team will be disqualified from the program and we will NOT take their project out to our industry affiliates.
  11. We have three deadlines for projects. We have limited number of slots for projects for each deadline. When a team is formed, the team will request one of the three deadlines. Deadline slots are on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the deadline slots are filled for a specific deadline, teams will be assigned another deadline.
  12. If a team misses their deadline, they risk being disqualified from the program.
  13. Teams cannot add producers to their projects before we take them out to our industry affiliates.
  14. At the request of the Dean, all projects are vetted by the First Team leadership staff. If we deem a project is not industry-ready, we have the right to refuse to take it out to our industry affiliates. If a project is not industry-ready, we will discuss our concerns with the team. The team will then have a chance to address the issues and resubmit the project for industry launch consideration.
  15. All industry-ready projects consist of a polished script, director’s look book, director’s reel, and producer’s book. Each team must provide three hard copies of each item.
  16. Our industry affiliates have a 72-hour first request window for every team industry launch. Thus, during first the 72-hours of an industry launch, industry affiliates have the opportunity to be the first to request and review a First Team project. After the 72-hour industry affiliate request window, teams are encouraged to take their project out wide to the industry.