A WRITING CAREER IN TELEVISION
This four week class will explore the craft and process of writing for scripted drama television. Learn the creative and practical aspects of writing and producing a television pilot, writing and producing on the staff of a television show where most of the work happens in the writers room, and navigating what you hope to be a long, illustrious career. Each session will include guests, mainly successful writers with various levels of experience, all sharing their own stories and tips for success. While not a writing class, you will come away with a treasure trove of knowledge about the art and craft of writing in Hollywood. Hand-outs include writer room notes, story area, script, outline, prep memo, one-liner and a call sheet.
Sunday Oct. 13 - Nov. 10
10:30am-12:30 pm
SYLLABUS
WEEK ONE - GENESIS
Skills to Become a TV Writer
Imagination
Sensitivity
Wordsmith
Verbal Skills
State of Mind
The Daily Grind
Read and Watch
Coming Up With The Idea aka The Golden Goose
What’s a great idea?
Stimulating Creativity
Art versus Commerce
The Story That Won’t Go Away
The Marketplace
What Medium Fits Your Story
The Pilot hour half hour
The Screenplay
The Novel
The Graphic Novel
What Makes A Great Writer
Original characters, voices
Unpredictable story telling
Human behavior authenticity
No typos
Writing
Power Through
Don’t Be Too Precious
Always Save
It’s Okay to Change Your Mind
The Right Job
Writer Groups
Receiving Notes
Listen Don’t Talk
Keep An Open Mind
Maintain Your North Star
Writers Meet and Pitch
Verbal Skills
Passion and Enthusiasm
Body Language
Salesmanship
Representation
Agents
Managers
Lawyers
TO READ: Pitch document for Soar Fox Pilot & Series Document for Melrose Place Pilot
WEEK TWO - THE PILOT
The Pilot Business
It’s A Sample
Ratio of Sold to Screen
Broadcast or Streamer
I.P.
Straight to Series
The Idea
Passion
Accessibility
Is it a Television Series?
Character Character and more Character
The Characters
Relatability
Specificity
Arcs
Actor Comps
The Series
Tone
Comps of Other Shows
Season One Arc
Beyond Season One
The Pilot Story
The Origin Story
The Teaser
The Push-Off
The Script
Language equals Tone
Distinct Voices
Scenes With Turns
Economy of Words
The Pitch
A Performance
Passion
When to Shut Up
Bringing it to Market
When To Present To Your Reps
Pitch or Spec?
Lookbook
Packaging
Congratulations You Sold It!
The Deal
The Story Area
The Outline
The Script
The Wait
Producing The Pilot
Partnering With a Showrunner
Casting
Collaborating with Director
Being On Set
TO READ: Outline and Teleplay for Adjustment Bureau Pilot, Outline and Teleplay for Soar Fox Pilot, Teleplay for Melrose Place Pilot
WEEK THREE - WRITING ON A STAFF
The Writer’s Room
From a Conversation to a Script
Where is it?
When does it occur?
How many writers?
What’s the process?
Why is it necessary?
How do you get a seat at the table?
The Sample
Support Staff
The P.A.
Showrunner’s Assistant
Writer’s Assistant
Script Coordinator
Representation
The Interview
Research
Positive Commentary
No Criticism
A Few General Ideas
Passion and Desire
The Room Where It Happens
Getting Acclimated
Personalities
Pacing
Kindness
Fitting In
The First Week
Anything Goes (Lionel Has Wings)
Creating the Season
Three Acts
Character Arcs
The Calendar and Writing Order
Breaking an Episode
The Board
The Story Area
The Outline
The Script
Taking Advantage of Downtime
Upper Level Mentors
Bonding with Support Staff
Producing Your Episode
Prep meetings
On Set
Giving Notes to Director
Giving Notes on Cuts
Watch and Enjoy
Live Tweeting
Gratitude
Thank You Next
TO READ: Outline and Teleplay for an episode of Shadowhunters & Story Area, Outline and Teleplay for an episode of The Mysterious Benedict Society.
WEEK 4 - NAVIGATING A CAREER
Diversify to Stay Fresh
Experiment
Different Genres
Different Mediums
Creating Your Own I.P.
Screenwriting
A Certain Kind of Story
Writers as Architects
Art versus Commerce
Working With Your Reps
They Work For You
Kindness and Patience
Firm When You Have To Be
Making A Change
Keys to A Long Career
Low Cost of Living
Create Constantly
Read and Watch
Have Fun