Showrunning 101
Reviews Average Rating: 1 out of 5
-
Eric Zimmerman I was very disappointed in this "class" which is actually an extended Q&A session. Lack of onscreen bullet points to introduce topics. Very disorganized and rambling approach. I also did not receive any materials to go with it. Don't believe the hype.
Other education that may be of interest to you:
How to Pitch Your Dream Project with You as the Star
Have you ever wanted to create and write your own TV show that you also star in? Well, that's exactly what writer/actor/producer John Lehr did not just once but twice and now Stage 32 has brought John in to show you how it's done. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you’ll learn how you can create your own star-making television show, how to pitch it, and what it’s like to produce a television series that you also write and play the lead in. John Lehr is an actor, writer and comedian who has sold multiple shows he created to major streaming platforms and networks, including QUICK DRAW on Hulu, 10 ITEMS OR LESS on TBS, and JAILBAIT for Crackle. John is also the original Geico Caveman and has hosted several network TV shows. John believes that knowledge is power and that you too can launch your career as a writer, producer and actor by creating and selling your own television show. He’ll show you what pitfalls and roadblocks to avoid while making your project one that buyers love. John isn't alone. FLEABAG’S Phoebe Waller-Bridge and CHEWING GUM’s Michaela Cole both began their careers more focused on acting before creating, writing and starring in shows that became must-watch television. This webinar covers the whole process including what makes a good show premise, how to pitch your show successfully once you're in the room, and how to even get those elusive pitch meetings. If you’ve been waiting for a star-making role, this webinar will show you how to stop waiting and take control of your own career today.
The Four Steps To A TV Series Order: From Concept To Green Light
4-PART IN-DEPTH CLASS (OVER 8 HOURS OF EDUCATION) Learn from a top showrunner who's worked with Hulu, Sony, TBS, Norman Lear, the creators of FRIENDS, and more! Plus! Participate in a mock network executive meeting! When you have an idea for a TV show, the goal is always to have it "ordered to series" so you can see it on air and have a large audience experience it. We are still in the age of the “Content Gold Rush," and there are more series being ordered and produced than ever before in history. In order to capitalize on this opportunity, you need to be prepared and know everything that goes into not only developing and selling a series but how to navigate it all the way to an actual series order. Whether you’re a brand new writer, an experienced producer, or someone working their way up the ladder, the big question is always: How do I develop my show and make it stand out so that it can sell and get a series order? In this exclusive Stage 32 class, television series creator John Lehr will teach you the entire journey from crafting a stand-out idea to selling your show to developing it with a streamer or network and, ultimately, getting the green light for a first season production order. Over four interactive sessions, John will take you through the steps of developing and producing a marketable show. You'll start by nurturing your concept into a well rounded show idea and then learning the best way to pitch it, package it, sell it and navigate the development steps with your distributor to get a first season order. John will show you how to work with network executives to achieve your goals. John has successfully created, pitched, sold, and executive produced shows for TBS, Hulu, and Sony/Crackle. He also created and produced pilots for Fox and Comedy Central and has pitched and developed shows for NBC, HBO, MTV, and Sony/BBC. He's also worked with legendary television creators, including Norman Lear and FRIENDS' Kevin Bright, David Crane, and Marta Kauffman. If you attend the live webcasts of this class, you’ll even have the opportunity to ask John any questions you have about developing, selling, and navigating your series to success. You'll also participate in a mock network meeting so you are prepared to work with executives. John is sharing his 25 years of entertainment business experience with you exclusively through Stage 32. This is a rare opportunity to work with a top showrunner to see how professional television series creators take their ideas all the way to your television screen. Testimonials from John's Previous Stage 32 Education: "John was energetic and very positive and encouraging. I appreciated his perspective and advice." "John is great - emphasizing the sizzle reel was very helpful to hear." "[John's] information about the pitch deck, sizzle, and experiences were incredibly helpful."
Extended Webinar: How to Master Story Structure for Your Drama Television Pilot
Over the course of an extended two-and-a-half hour webinar, learn drama pilot story structure from one of Stage 32's most popular and requested instructors Includes case studies, story maps and free script downloads of the pilot episodes of: SUCCESSION LUPIN* THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL THE EXPANSE It almost sounds cliché at this point, but we’re living in the Golden Age of Television, an era where TV dramas as diverse, ambitious, and creative as BETTER CALL SAUL, BRIDGERTON, THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, I WILL DESTROY YOU, and MRS. AMERICA are not only put on air, but find an audience and gain serious popularity. This is in turn an era where networks and streamers are actually looking for new voices and new stories. More than ever before, there is a path for your own television drama to be discovered. Yet no matter how great your concept is, how strong your characters are, how diverse, clever or unique your world is, your drama series will not be effective and will not be successful unless you can nail your script’s structure. Nailing your TV drama’s story structure—specifically your pilot—is no easy task. In the span of just 40-60 pages, you have to introduce your world, your characters, your central plot and conflict, and your inciting incident, all while keeping your pacing consistent, finding some resolution for that episode, and allowing your audience to want to watch more. This is a complicated, and delicate game and ultimately comes down to how you structure and map out your script before you start writing. No matter what genre you’re writing in, understanding how to structure your pilot is vital. Gaining a clear grasp on how successful drama pilots are arranged and the rules they all follow is a necessary step if you want to have a show that will get picked up and ultimately connect with an audience. Anna Henry is a Producer and Development Executive who has worked at CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and multiple production companies, as well as a manager at Andrea Simon Entertainment. Her clients have worked on shows such as THE DEUCE, POWER, IN CONTEMPT, TOMMY, VIDA, SEVEN SECONDS, HUNG, CHICAGO FIRE, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, THIS IS US, and THE FLASH, and have set up projects at AMC, Amazon, Starz, HBO, Sony, Fox, EOne, ITV America, OddLot Entertainment, Corus, and others. One of Stage 32’s most popular instructors of all time, Anna has projects currently in development around the world and is incredibly familiar with what goes into a great television pilot. Anna will go in-depth on how to properly structure your drama TV series pilot and will use real past pilot scripts as examples as she breaks down, act by act, the elements necessary to turn your series pilot into stand-out script. Anna will go over the main types of one-hour pilots and will outline the elements for pilot development, including story engine, world, characters, themes and tone. She’ll discuss how to select and map your own template show as well as incorporating multiple plotlines. Anna will then delve into the function and elements of your pilot’s teaser and Acts 1 through 5, as well as your pilot launch, pilot climax, and series launch. She will finally lay out the most common structure problems that you should avoid. Don’t even think about starting to write your own drama pilot until you gain the tools Anna will provide. Examples will be used from notable past one-hour drama pilots on network, cable, and streaming platforms. PLUS! you will receive pilot scripts and Anna's own story maps for each after the webinar: LUPIN* (Netflix) THE EXPANSE (Syfy) THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (Amazon) SUCCESSION (HBO) *Pilot script not available for LUPIN Praise for Anna's Previous Stage 32 Webinar: This was my first Stage 32 webinar, and it exceeded my expectations, both in terms of quality (and quantity) of information and overall value. Anna was personable, knowledgeable, and organized. The slide deck was helpful, and her overall presentation hit all the key topics. Anna and Stage32 delivered the goods. - John R. What a thoughtful, thorough and inspiring webinar. It's clear that Anna Henry put an enormous amount of work into this presentation. Not only was the content there, but the structure was also superb. I feel educated and inspired to go back to my own work and do better than what I thought was my best. What could possibly be better than that! Thank you Anna for your genius and your generosity. - Crispin L. "Comprehensive, insightful. Combined a lot of material I had heard snippets of on character, world dev, etc. but artfully stitched together in one presentation." -James F. "It was amazing, enlightening - completely. I learned soooo much - especially as a feature writer who's been asked to turn a feature script into a pilot!! Thank you soooooo much." -Kristin G.
How To Pitch Your TV Pilot To Cable Networks
Cable networks all have their niche. For example, AMC has really honed in on intense dramas, such as The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men; USA focuses on character driven mystery dramas such as CSI, House, and NCIS; TBS centers around comedy sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, Ground Floor, and Cougar Town; ABC Family focuses more on sitcoms relating to family, such as Melissa and Joey, Baby Daddy and The Fosters. Knowing how to tailor your pitch to a specific cable network opens up immense opportunity for your TV pilot. Every cable network can be a real home for your work - it’s just a matter of the how, when, and why. Knowing how to appeal to multiple networks gives your pilot a better chance of getting picked up! In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, host Jordan Barel will teach you both how to pitch your pilot and how to tailor your pitch to the right cable network. In addition, he’ll go over what kind of shows live on each network currently, and what may be the right fit for you. You will walk away with a clear understanding of how to pitch effectively as well as a clear understanding of how to make your pilot what each network is looking for. Your host host Jordan Barel is a writer, producer and lawyer for Loaded Barrel Studios. Based in LA, he's worked for New Line Cinema, AMC, Verve Talent Agency and was recently named in Variety's Hollywood Movers and Shakers list. He worked for Paul Scheer through his producing deal at FOX, working on development with his projects as well as bringing in new writers for him. Jordan also works at Abominable Pictures in their comedy and TV department. Previously, he worked as the Television Coordinator for Verve Literary Agency, producing the company's staffing video which lead to a 200% increase in the company's staffed writers. While there he also vetted all new TV and film clients. Jordan knows what will make your pitch stand out and is here exclusively for Stage 32 to help guide our writers toward success!
Stage 32 Screenwriting Lab: Write Your Female Driven One-Hour Television Pilot in 8 Weeks
Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details Write your one-hour female driven pilot with the Director of Development behind Netflix's "Russian Doll" PLUS! Receive exclusive pilot scripts from successful female-driven TV series! 12 spots available - grab your spot before it's too late! Are you a writer with a great idea for a female-driven television series? Then it's time to write your pilot script and bring your unique voice to the industry! Executives, agents, and managers are hungry for pilots that center on complicated and diverse women. But for your script to stand out, you need to know how to write complex women and understand the current style, pacing, and structure of television. In this exclusive interactive Stage 32 lab, you will work one-on-one with an accomplished executive to take your female-driven one-hour television pilot from concept to completed script. You will receive direct and personalized feedback on your work throughout the eight weeks so you walk away from this course with a vetted pilot script that you can shop to producers, executives, and production companies! Taking you through this professional-level training is Colleen Labella, Director of Development at Shoot to Midnight, the company behind the Emmy-nominated series RUSSIAN DOLL on Netflix, the Freeform series SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, and the upcoming Star Wars series THE ACOLYTE. Colleen has centered her career around female stories - which can be seen across her varied projects - and has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to create long lasting, compelling female-led stories that resonate with large audiences. This hands-on experience goes much further than other classes and webinars. You will study successful television pilots alongside a small group of passionate writers in an interactive setting. You'll also workshop your script and your classmates' work as a group in sessions and have take-home assignments, so your script is always progressing and getting stronger. PLUS! Colleen will provide you with a series of successful female driven pilot scripts. Downloads include the completed pilot scripts for: RUSSIAN DOLL MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL KILLING EVE Spots to work with Colleen are limited. Once they're filled, they are gone. Don't miss out on your chance to write your script and work one-on-one with an industry pro today! TESTIMONIALS FROM COLLEEN'S PREVIOUS STAGE 32 EDUCATION: "Colleen Labella was fantastic! I cannot wait until she has pitch sessions available again!" -- Maeve T. "Being made aware of the shift in patterns of how women are being presented, learning about the popular themes and knowing I fit in, learning about the negative traps, seeing the five-act structure broken down gave me a clearer perspective to assess my development, learning what hooks her and different ways it can be done and what it includes (great)." -- Laurie W. "Colleen was a fantastic instructor (I wish she taught workshops). The information she provided was practical, helpful, and encouraging." -- David B.
How to Better Rewrite and Polish Your Feature Screenplay or Pilot
Congratulations – you’ve finished your first draft! But now comes the real work. The old adage goes that ‘writing is rewriting’ and that is absolutely true in film and television. A big part of screenwriting is learning how to receive feedback and how to implement it. Most professional writers go through numerous drafts and rounds of feedback before taking their scripts to the market. Just think about the first time you tried anything new – a new instrument, a new workout program, or a new screenplay. Unless you’re a natural, your first attempt isn’t usually your best. It’s the practice – or in this case, the rewriting – that helps you get better and will allow you to create something truly special. Too many aspiring writers think the hard work is over after the first draft. A first draft is a milestone accomplishment, but ultimately just one rung up the bigger ladder. But rewriting and polishing is not always an intuitive process – it’s hard to determine what to change or how much to change it. A big part of rewriting or polishing is learning how to listen to others, and realizing that even a solo screenplay can become a collaborative process. Steve Desmond is a WGA screenwriter whose screenplays have been voted onto the prestigious industry Black List four times in the past five years, including in 2020 with his latest script, The Saturday Night Ghost Club. He sold his sci-fi adventure screenplay, Harry’s All-Night Hamburgers, to Warner Bros in a bidding war, with an Oscar nominated producer attached. FilmNation (Arrival, The King’s Speech) hired him to adapt the Stoker-award-winning horror novel The Cabin at the End of the World. He’s also been hired to work on projects for Legendary Pictures, Sony, Blumhouse, Mandalay, and IM Global, amongst others. His short film, Monsters, that he wrote and directed, has amassed over two million views online and screened in over 100 film festivals worldwide, winning 45 awards. Steve has found his voice as a sought-after screenwriter by mastering the art of the rewrite and his excited to share what he knows with the Stage 32 community. Exclusively for Stage 32, Steve will give an in-depth and practical deep dive of the art of rewriting and polishing that you can take back to your own screenplay or pilot. Steve will share how best to utilize feedback and explain the difference between a rewrite and a polish. He will go through the psychological components of rewriting and show you how to make an effective plan to go through the rewrite process, and then how best to execute it. Next Steve will talk about how to actually trim your script by focusing on scenes and characters and how to work with producers and executives, including how to receive notes and maintain communication. He will then give you tools you can use to determine when you’re actually done. Expect to walk away with a slew of tools and ideas you can use to rewrite your own project and make it the best it can be. Praise for Steve's Previous Stage 32 Webinars: "This was fantastic. Steve offered so much insight, dozens of little nuggets that rang true or gave me pause to think of something I'd never considered before."-Ed K. "Perfectly laid out, clear and concise material taught by a genial host!"-George P. "Steve was fantastic. His examples and insights were on point. Thanks!"-Adam H. "I made 3 pages of notes; good pertinent topics with simple fundamental answers presented. Very helpful, worth the time and fee."-Thomas W.
Register / Log In
