The TV Writer's Workbook

Author: Ellen Sandler
Publisher: Delta
ISBN: 0307492214
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
Why is TV writing different from any other kind of writing? How will writing a spec script open doors? What do I have to do to get a job writing for TV? Writing for television is a business. And, like any business, there are proven strategies for success. In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Coach. She offers concrete advice on everything from finding a story to getting hired on a current series. Filled with easy-to-implement exercises and practical wisdom, this ingenious how-to handbook outlines the steps for becoming a professional TV writer, starting with a winning script. Sandler explains the difference between “selling” and “telling,” form and formula, theme and plot. Discover: • A technique for breaking down a show style so you’re as close to being in the writing room as you can get without actually having a job there • The 3 elements for that essential Concept Line that you must have in order to create a story with passion and consequence • Mining the 7 Deadly Sins for fresh and original story lines • Sample scripts from hit shows • In-depth graphs, script breakdown charts, vital checkpoints along the way, and much, much more!

Crafty TV Writing

Author: Alex Epstein
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
ISBN: 1466807598
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Book Description
A professional TV writer's real-world guide to getting paid to write great television "No need for me to ever write a book on TV writing. Alex Epstein has covered it all . . . along with a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Save yourself five years of rookie mistakes. Crafty TV Writing and talent are pretty much all you'll need to make it." —Ken Levine, writer/producer, MASH, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Becker Everyone watches television, and everyone has an opinion on what makes good TV. But, as Alex Epstein shows in this invaluable guide, writing for television is a highly specific craft that requires knowledge, skill, and more than a few insider's tricks. Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator himself, provides essential knowledge about the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and for professionals who want to go to the next level. Crafty TV Writing explains how to decode the hidden structure of a TV series. It describes the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters the audience will never tire of, construct entertaining dialogue, and use humor. It shows how to navigate the tough but rewarding television industry, from writing your first "spec" script, to getting hired to work on a show, to surviving—even thriving—if you get fired. And it illuminates how television writers think about the shows they're writing, whether they're working in comedy, drama, or "reality." Fresh, funny, and informed, Crafty TV Writing is the essential guide to writing for and flourishing in the world of television.

Inside the Room

Author: Linda Venis
Publisher: Avery
ISBN: 1592408117
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
What does it take to go from being a TV fan to a professional TV writer? Television writers--whose many produced credits include The Simpsons; Mad Men; Frasier; X-Files; Battlestar Gallactica; CSI: Miami; Law and Order; and House, M.D.--take aspiring writers through the process of writing their first spec script for an on-air series, creating one-hour drama and sitcom pilots that break out from the pack, and revising their scripts to meet pro standards. They also learn how to launch and sustain a writing career and get a rare look inside the process of creating, selling, and getting a TV show made. Edited by Linda Venis, Director of the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, Inside the Room is an unmatched resource for everything readers need to know to write their way into the Writers Guild of America.

Write to TV

Author: Martie Cook
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1134648294
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Book Description
Learn to craft smart, original stories and scripts for a variety of television formats and genres, including comedy, drama, pilots, animation, made-for-TV movies, late night, and reality television. Hear directly from studio and network executives, agents, and managers on what they’re looking for in new writers and how to avoid common pitfalls. Gain access to sample outlines, script pages, checklists, and countless other invaluable resources that will help you break into the industry and put you on the path to immediate success. In Write to TV, Second Edition industry veteran Martie Cook offers practical advice on writing innovative television scripts that will allow you to finally get that big idea out of your head and onto the screen. This new edition has been updated to include: Tips and techniques from industry vets Jay Leno, Norman Lear, Paul Haggis, David Magee, Susan Rovner, Tal Rabinowitz, Jonathan Littman, Peter Jankowski, Steve Stark, and Doug Herzog that you can immediately apply to your own projects Expanded coverage of writing pilots, pitching, writing webisodes, writing for tweens, writing for late night, and rewriting Useful advice for navigating the confusing television hierarchy, including how to network, get an agent, land that first writing job, and even "do lunch" 25 new interviews with writers and producers of hit shows such as New Girl, Parks and Recreation, The Blacklist, Curb Your Enthusiasm, CSI, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and many more An all new companion website (www.writetotv.com) featuring blog updates, industry trends, a Q&A discussion forum with the author, and many other resources

How To Write For Television

Author: Madeline Dimaggio
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416570721
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
This readable, reliable book has been a trusted reference for nearly two decades and is now revised to include the most up-to-date information from today's television climate. TV Writing the Right Way! In this guide for every student of the small screen and every scriptwriter dreaming of breaking into the business, writer-producer Madeline DiMaggio hands you the tools of the trade. With dozens of examples from today's hit shows, as well as perennial classics, DiMaggio walks readers through the scriptwriting process, from learning how to watch TV like a writer to developing your script, pitching it, and eventually sealing the deal. DiMaggio answers the questions on every aspiring television writer's mind, with chapters on: The tools of scriptwriting Hooks that sell Creating the pilot Developing the episode, step by step How to create riveting characters Writing long form and cable movies Adaptations and collaborations Marketing your script DiMaggio combines her own experience with advice to writers from others in the trade, including agents, producers, animators, and more. This readable, reliable book has been a trusted reference for nearly two decades and is now revised to include the most up-to-date information from today's television climate, from writing for cable, reality, and TV-movie formats to the ever-evolving face of the sitcom. A must-read for anyone aiming to write for TV, How to Write for Television will continue to help budding writers reach their small-screen goals and will prepare them for working in the rapidly changing world of TV.

Writing the TV Drama Series

Author: Pamela Douglas
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781932907346
Category : Television authorship
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Some of todays top television writers and producers share their insight and explain the unique craft of writing a drama series for television and how the industry really works.

TV Writing On Demand

Author: Neil Landau
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 135178420X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
TV Writing On Demand: Creating Great Content in the Digital Era takes a deep dive into writing for today’s audiences, against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving TV ecosystem. Amazon, Hulu and Netflix were just the beginning. The proliferation of everything digital has led to an ever-expanding array of the most authentic and engaging programming that we’ve ever seen. No longer is there a distinction between broadcast, cable and streaming. It’s all content. Regardless of what new platforms and channels will emerge in the coming years, for creators and writers, the future of entertainment has never looked brighter. This book goes beyond an analysis of what makes great programming work. It is a master course in the creation of entertainment that does more than meet the standards of modern audiences—it challenges their expectations. Among other essentials, readers will discover how to: Satisfy the binge viewer: analysis of the new genres, trends and how to make smart initial decisions for strong, sustainable story. Plus, learn from the rebel who reinvented an entire format. Develop iconic characters: how to foster audience alignment and allegiance, from empathy and dialogue to throwing characters off their game, all through the lens of authenticity and relatability. Create a lasting, meaningful career in the evolving TV marketplace: how to overcome trips, traps and tropes, the pros and cons of I.P.; use the Show Bible as a sales tool and make the most of the plethora of new opportunities out there. A companion website offers additional content including script excerpts, show bible samples, interviews with television content creators, and more.

Save the Cat!(r) Writes for TV

Author: Jamie Nash
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780984157693
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Blake Snyder's Save the Cat!®, the world's top-selling story method for filmmakers and novelists, introduces The Last Book on Creating Binge-Worthy Content You'll Ever Need. Screenwriter Jamie Nash takes up Snyder's torch to lay out a step-by-step approach using Blake's principles so that both new and experienced writers can learn how to: -Use all the nuances, tricks, and techniques of pilot-writing (The Opening Pitch, The Guided Tour, The Whiff of Change) with examples from today's hottest series -Discover the Super-Secret Keep It On The Downlow TV Pitch Template that combines all the critical points of your amazing TV series into one easy-to-read-over-lunch high-level document -Define the 9 TV Franchise Types -Crack your story using the Save the Cat! beat sheet -Devise high-level series concepts with multi-season potential -Map out and organize TV pilots and multi-season shows -Break down the best and most diverse TV series using examples from Atlanta, Barry, Ozark, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, What We Do in the Shadows, Black-ish, The Mandalorian, Law and Order: SVU and more -Create layered characters who are driven by complex internal struggles It's time for Save the Cat! Writes for TV to help you create your binge-worthy TV series!

Writing Television Sitcoms (revised)

Author: Evan S. Smith
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101151625
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
This new edition of Writing Television Sitcoms features the essential information every would-be teleplay writer needs to know to break into the business, including: - Updated examples from contemporary shows such as 30 Rock, The Office and South Park - Shifts in how modern stories are structured - How to recognize changes in taste and censorship - The reality of reality television - How the Internet has created series development opportunities - A refined strategy for approaching agents and managers - How pitches and e-queries work - or don't - The importance of screenwriting competitions

The Essential Screenplay (3-Book Bundle)

Author: Syd Field
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 1101969598
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 965

Book Description
Hollywood’s script guru teaches you how to write a screenplay in the ultimate three-volume guide to writing for film, featuring “the ‘bible’ of screenwriting” (The New York Times), Screenplay—now celebrating forty years of screenwriting success! This blockbuster ebook bundle includes: SCREENPLAY: FOUNDATIONS OF SCREENWRITING • THE SCREENWRITER’S WORKBOOK • THE SCREENWRITER’S PROBLEM SOLVER Syd Field was “the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world” according to The Hollywood Reporter. His pioneering insights into structure, concept, and character launched innumerable careers. Now in one handy collection, his invaluable expertise is available to aspiring writers and working professionals alike. The Essential Screenplay contains Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, the industry standard for script development; The Screenwriter’s Workbook, a hands-on workshop full of practical exercises for creating successful screenplays; and The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver, a guide to identifying and fixing problems in your latest draft. Throughout, you’ll learn: • why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important • how to visually “grab” the reader from page one • what makes great stories work • the basics of writing dialogue • the essentials of creating great characters • how to adapt a novel, a play, or an article for the screen • the three ways to claim legal ownership of your work • tips for allowing your creative self to break free when you hit the “wall” • how to overcome writer’s block forever Featuring expert analysis of popular films including Pulp Fiction, Thelma & Louise, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Essential Screenplay will transform your initial idea into a screenplay that’s destined for success—and maybe even Cannes. Praise for Syd Field “The most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world.”—The Hollywood Reporter “Syd Field is the preeminent analyzer in the study of American screenplays.”—James L. Brooks, Academy Award–winning writer, director, producer