TV Series Pitch Document Writing Lab (One on One Mentoring)
Other education that may be of interest to you:
Writing Lab: Write Your TV Pilot and Learn How to Pitch it in 10 Weeks
***Sorry, the lab is filled!*** This lab is designed for beginner and intermediate screenwriters looking to build a pilot from scratch or expand on an existing idea. With the TV market exploding right now, 30-minute and 60-minute TV drama and dramedy pilots are in demand. Many, if not all, managers and agents are looking for writers that can write in this space, and with more and more production companies heading into TV, knowing how to write a strong TV pilot will give you a competitive advantage and help you find success as a TV writer! Stage 32 is thrilled to have our Writing Lab: Write Your TV Pilot and Lean How to Pitch it in 10 Weeks taught by Anna Henry who is a veteran TV development executive that's worked with ABC, CBS, Nickelodeon, SONY, 20th Century FOX Television, Amazon, Starz, EOne, OddLot Entertainment, Corus, ITV America and more. This hands-on intensive lab will guide you through picking a concept, creating engaging characters, structuring and outlining your pilot, writing the pilot, polishing and pitching it! You must have a solid understanding of screenwriting to participate. We will not be going over the basics. The main objective of this 10-week lab will be to have a solid completed script that is market-ready to start pitching. You will meet online with Anna for 2 hours a week in a class setting, plus have phone or Skype consultations during some of the weeks when you don't have an online class. This will be accompanied by weekly homework assignments to guide you on your way to creating a marketable, unique pilot that will grab the industry's attention. Payment plans are available - please contact edu@stage32.com for more information. This Lab is Limited to 10 People.
Getting Notes On Your Script and What They Actually Mean: The Note Behind the Note
As a writer, receiving notes on your material may be a difficult part of the process but, ultimately, it's part of your job. And understanding how to deal with and apply those notes to your writing may be your most important job of all. Make no mistake, all writers are precious about their work, and taking notes is never easy, but the sooner you open yourself to receiving and understanding your notes, and the note behind the note, the more likely your work will become tighter and you'll signal that you're a writer that people want to hire and/or pay for your work. Film and television are the ultimate collaborative medium. You write alone (or in a team), but to make the final product, the work of dozens to hundreds of people is required, and they all have a contribution to make. The work is a product to be sold to buyers and an audience, and they get a say in what they want to purchase and consume. Screenwriting is also the ultimate iterative process. No script is ever perfect on the first draft, and scripts evolve and grow even during production itself. So you will be receiving notes – lots and lots and lots of them. Some you will ask for: notes from other writers, professional consultants, managers and agents. Some you will hope for: producers, executives, directors and stars. Some you will agree to: showrunners, studio and network executives. And some will remind you that necessity is the mother of invention: from line producers, casting directors, set dressers, and costume designers. The bottom line is you need to understand what these notes mean and how to execute them when you agree and what to do when you don't. Anna Henry is a Producer and Development Executive. Anna has set up projects at Sony, 20th Television, EOne, Starz, Amazon, Netflix, Corus, ITV America and more. Anna began her career as a development executive at Nickelodeon, then crossed over to prime-time television working at CBS and ABC in drama development and programming before working in management and establishing herself as a Producer. Anna has been on the giving and receiving end of script notes of literally hundreds of scripts throughout her career. She has developed a strong understanding on the "lingo" of script notes and what the note behind the note means when it comes to your script. Now, you will learn how to dissect the feedback you get on your script from an executive's perspective. Anna will take you through the entire process of receiving notes. She will take away the anxiety of the entire process and teach you how to accept notes with professionalism and grace. She will explain to you who you should be getting notes from and how listening to the wrong voices can set you back. She will teach you what notes you should think about and when you should take a note as gospel. She will explain what notes are worth challenging and which you should absolutely adapt. She will help guide you through what it means when you get notes that go over structure, plot, stakes, character and exposition. She will take you through logic and clarity, cuts, action lines, dialogue and scene notes. And, she'll even go over what you should do if you get vague notes, nit picky notes and when you get suggestions and alternatives. Anna will remove all the fear and apprehension one feels when asking for and receiving notes, giving you a comprehensive guide to reference every time you get notes on your work. You will learn how apply them to tighten your work and put yourself in a position to sell your material and/or get hired! PRAISE FOR ANNA'S TEACHINGS: Great webinar and Ms. Henry really shines as a very knowledgeable and caring professional. -Angela U Great presenter. She provided a wealth of information. -Karen B
TV Series Pitch Document Writing Lab (One on One Mentoring)
The writing lab is full. If you have any questions, contact edu@stage32.com By popular demand, we're bringing in TV executive Anna Henry (who has 100% satisfaction with her webinars!) to teach a one-on-one TV pitch document writing lab! Need help with writing your TV series pitch document? Look no further! Anna's here to help. "I thought it was a great course and really helped me understand the format. Anna is knowledgeable and quickly cuts through to what can help your story better. Her notes on my script were insightful and really demonstrated her thorough experience." - Lee L. "Anna’s class was by far the most thorough, well put together, and organized screenwriting class I’ve ever taken. I have an MFA in filmmaking and, after graduating, I still felt as if I didn’t fully understand the structure of pilot writing. Anna’s class laid it out step by step and she went through every piece in detail. She was also extremely available to her students. During our one-on-one sessions, I expected to have a quick 15 minute call with her but she ended up speaking extensively with me about my story from outline through script stages. She really, truly cares for her students and is there to answer any questions, which, given her abundant experience in the industry, is a priceless piece of her labs. Thank you, Anna!" - Jacqueline D. "Anna was concise, and detailed. I've been working on log-lines/treatments/synopsis for 2 years for my scripts and never had it nailed like Anna was able to do. She rocks!" - Cheryl Lynn S. This is the golden age of television and the appetite for content has never been greater. What does everyone network and streamer want? Fresh, unique, authentic voices with never-been-told stories. While the door is open to new writers, the competition is fierce. Of course you need a very strong finished script, but before that will be read, you need to be able to communicate what makes your show stand out from the crowd, what will make people want to watch it for years and years, and why you are passionate about writing it. You need a blueprint of what the series will be beyond one episode. That's where a pitch document (aka bible, aka treatment) comes in. Whether you are selling your show verbally, sending the pitch to a potential producer, or applying for a fellowship, this document carries the weight of your imagined world with all its inhabitants and stories. That's a tall order! So where do you begin? How do you organize your ideas? What should be in a pitch? How detailed should you get? Should you start with a summary of the pilot? Should you have ideas for future episodes? What should you say about your characters? In this lab we will delve deep into writing an effective pitch for your scripted television idea - one that will clearly communicate your intentions, excite the reader, and convey your voice and your passion. I have spent my career developing television projects with writers and selling those show ideas as a development executive, manager and producer. What I have found is that most screenwriters have taken classes that helped them learn about story structure, writing scenes, dialogue, etc. but writing a pitch is entirely different. Most writers need help with switching gears and selling their story in addition to telling it - which is the purpose of this lab. Payment plans are available - contact edu@stage32.com for more details
Writing a Network Pitch and Pilot that Sells
THIS WEBINAR HAS A 100% SATISFACTION RATING! Network TV is dead, right? All good shows are on cable and streaming! Not so fast! Network TV is alive and well, as demonstrated by the critical success and healthy ratings of shows such as 9-1-1, Black-Ish, Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Resident, New Amsterdam, as well as powerhouse veterans such as Grey's Anatomy, Law and Order, The Simpsons and NCIS. Broadcast networks are increasingly having to compete for top talent and ideas in a crowded marketplace. While landing a series order from ABC or FOX is no easy feat, the networks’ deep coffers mean they can buy and develop a high volume of shows, season after season. Producers of course enjoy the prestige of developing ideas for HBO or Amazon, but they are equally eager to find the next network hit, which can yield huge financial dividends with multiple season orders. What’s more, agents and managers judge prospective clients based on their original pilot scripts, and the right network pilot can demonstrate to a potential representative that you are ready to staff and ready to sell. As a manager, I always recommend writers have at least two or three finished scripts ready to go, and a mix of cable and network samples increases the number of producers and executives who may be interested in your work. In this webinar, you will learn about the brands and programming models of broadcast networks, how to know what ideas they will find appealing, what you need to include in your network pitch, and the do’s and don’ts of writing your network spec pilot.
How To Develop The Story Of An Iconic Person From History For Film Or Television
Learn how to develop iconic characters from history for the screen from Sam Sokolow, an executive producer of GENIUS: MLK/X, GENIUS: ARETHA, GENIUS: PICASSO & GENIUS: EINSTEIN on Nat Geo/Disney+! PLUS! You'll receive a copy of the GENIUS: EINSTEIN television pilot script and the ALI feature film screenplay! There have always been films and television shows about the great iconic figures in history - from movies such as SCHINDLER'S LIST and ALI to TV series like THE CROWN and GEORGE & TAMMY. Do you have an idea to tell the story of an iconic person from history? Someone whose name has lived on through time or their accomplishments resonated and changed lives or, perhaps, both? Telling the story of an icon from history can be more challenging than telling almost any contemporary story. Often times their accomplishments put them on a cultural pedestal. It’s more expensive to go back in time on-screen. Distributors crave younger audiences who may not care about a certain person from history. And creatively, how do you truly decipher if your character’s life story can effectively fill a 2-hour movie or a 10-hour series? And then, if everything points to a worthy endeavor, what specific legal rights might you need to tell the person’s story that you want to tell? Stage 32 is here to answer all of these questions and more. Taking you through this professional-level training is Sam Sokolow, a 2-time Emmy nominated executive producer with a focus on historical drama. Sam has put almost 20 original shows on television, including the 20-time Emmy-nominated limited series GENIUS for National Geographic Channel and Disney+. The fourth season of GENIUS – GENIUS: MLK/X – will premier in the Fall of 2023. He is currently in development on several films and television series based on real people or true events from history. During this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how to determine if an iconic person from history’s story has a high or low probability of becoming a film or TV series and why. You will discuss how to best develop a dynamic and engaging story for the screen based on an iconic character in history. You will delve into how to best create an on-screen version of your iconic person that an A-List actor would want to play, which is usually a key component of getting a green light for a historical film or TV show. And so much more. Developing the story of an iconic person from history has the advantage of audience awareness in many cases but there are real challenges and creative questions that need to be answered and addressed early on for your project to have the best chance at success. You will be given the tools to make the most informed decisions on whose story to develop and why, how best to develop that person’s story and how to position your project for success. PLUS! Sam will provide you with the pilot script from his series GENIUS: EINSTEIN and the feature film screenplay from Michael Mann's Muhammad Ali biopic ALI. If you are considering telling the story of an iconic character from history for the screen, or if you are already in development on a project about an iconic character from history and need to figure out how best to tell their story for commercial success, then this webinar is a must! Praise For Sam's Teaching on Stage 32 "I'm so glad I got to work with Sam. His knowledge is very evident in his teaching and I'm better for it! After taking this course, I feel much more confident in pitching." -- Carolyn R. "There's a lot of info I learned here that I had no idea I didn't know. The pitch can really sink or swim your project, so I can't express the importance of learning this material enough!" -- Amanda H.
The Pitch Tank Webcast with Special Guests Rachel Crouch & Rich "RB" Botto
This week the Writers' Room welcomes two very special guests into the Pitch Tank! Jason brings in Director of Development Rachel Crouch of Cold Iron Pictures, a production/financing company that most recently produced Being Frank starring comedian Jim Gaffigan and Anna Gunn. Previously Cold Iron produced Swiss Army Man starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, as well as Marielle Heller’s directorial debut The Diary of a Teenage Girl starring Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, both of which premiered at Sundance. Previously Cold Iron releases also include Joseph Cedar’s political drama Norman starring Richard Gere which was released by Sony Pictures Classic, Don't Think Twice, and Lake Bell’s second film, I Do...Until I Don't.As a writer, Rachel has had articles published by The Mary Sue, TVGuide.com, EveryGeek.net, and co-founded the geek girl podcast and blog The Babes in the Woods. We are also joined by the Founder and CEO of Stage 32, Rich "RB" Botto. RB is a writer, producer, and actor himself, who is currently writing a biopic with a major company on board! During the Pitch Tank, Rachel, RB, and Jason give feedback on pitches a diverse set of project from members around the world!
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