The Ultimate TV Pitch Class
Other education that may be of interest to you:
How to Break Into TV Writing: Get Repped, Get Staffed, Get Sold
Learn From A Top Literary Manager And Receive Exclusive Handouts + THE STRANGER THINGS Pitch Deck Are you looking to be staffed on your favorite TV show or sell your original TV project? Now is the time. But first, it's important that you understand the overall TV landscape, how you fit in, and where to begin. With so many fresh shows emerging on television and various streaming platforms, more writers' rooms are looking to staff up and more original ideas are getting bought. The opportunity to start a career in TV writing is more attainable than ever. Literary manager Spencer Robinson can help you get there. Spencer is literary manager at one of the top management companies Art/Work Entertainment who has been selling and staffing his clients on the industry's leading series for years, including shows on Amazon, HBO Max and Jason Bateman's production company Aggregate just this year. He's also had clients work for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few. Spencer is one of the most sought-after literary managers in the business for nearly two decades and is one of Stage 32's most popular and in-demand educators. In this 3-session on-demand class, Spencer will go in-depth on the steps you should be taking to find work as a writer in TV. Whether you're interested in selling your own TV show or film, or if you want to join a writers' room, there are specific steps you need to be taking aside from simply writing well, and Spencer will break it all down for you. Spencer will provide you with the proper approach when it comes to talking with reps, managers, agents, attorneys, showrunners and execs. What’s more, he’ll share his powerful pitching knowledge for writers looking to sell their show idea or screenplay. You’ll leave this four week class understanding what it takes to write on assignment, what kinds of written tools you should have prepared prior to meetings, and the general etiquette you should come to the table with so you can land a job as a writer in the industry. Plus! Spencer will provide exclusive and helpful downloads and resources you can take back to your own projects including: The real STRANGER THINGS pitch deck The real ADVENTURE TIME pitch deck Story Structure Diagrams Sitcom Chart "I had a great time learning and progressing my knowledge of the craft of writing and working directly with a mentor who is a professional in the industry. Spencer was fantastic to be taught by! Thank you!" - Natalie A. "Spencer tells it like it is - he doesn't beat around the bush. He gave me practical, solid, actionable advice. It opened my eyes and I can see how it can help me shorten my path to break in." - Wally M.
Make Your Characters Funny: Tools to Create Authentic Comedy in Your Television Script
What is it about the most successful TV comedies that have allowed them to stand the test of time? Whether it’s ALL IN THE FAMILY, SEINFELD, PARKS AND RECREATION, or FLEABAG, it’s not the jokes that have made these shows so successful—as funny as they might be—it’s the characters. Distinct, hilarious, memorable and, above all, authentic characters are always the ingredient that will make a good TV comedy great. Whether you are working on your own comedy project or are hoping to write on an existing show, it’s crucial to have an understanding of what makes TV comedy characters great and how you can create your own Archie Bunkers and Leslie Knopes. Crafting great comedic characters is not only important in creating a successful show; it’s also how you can get noticed. After all, with so many different types of comedies in the marketplace, it is becoming the toughest genre to break into. Writing great characters can separate your work from the rest and give you the kind of attention that solid jokes and a good sense of humor simply can’t muster on their own. This means it’s vital not only to have great characters, but to know how to make them shine on the page. The good news is there are strategies and actionable lessons you can use to elevate the characters in your own television comedy. Vijal Patel is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning writer and executive producer who has written for many award-winning comedy series including ABC’s BLACK-ISH and THE MIDDLE. Vijal currently serves as writer and co-executive producer of the ABC comedy series SCHOOLED, starring Tim Meadows and AJ Michalka. He also writes and develops feature film projects for the powerhouse studio DreamWorks. Vijal has built his career on writing comedy and using it to explore race, family, religion, politics, and class struggle. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar Vijal will teach you how to make your characters funny. He’ll go through the 2 most basic comedy archetypes and explain the difference between jokes and attitude humor. He’ll teach you how to differentiate your characters and ensure they’re unique and will guide you through both the “One Word” exercise and “Situation” exercise to help improve your characters, using examples from THE SIMPSONS, FLEABAG, BLACK-ISH, SEINFELD, and others. Vijal will then delve into how to make your characters feel authentic and how to write impactful character descriptions to ensure they pop on the page. Finally he will dive deep into how to write funny dialogue for your characters, including how to use humor, how to end the joke, metaphors, similes, and reactions. Vijal will leave you with a series of strategies and clear examples that you can bring back to your own project to make your characters, funnier, more memorable, and more authentic. Praise for Vijal's Stage 32 Webinar " LOVED IT!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Vijal was very engaging, intelligent and helpful. He gave so much insight to the nuts and bolts of creating comedic characters that are authentic." -Debbie C. "Exactly what I needed to know" -Shashank M. "Great info, every moment jam packing with knowledge. Great perspective from a working writer." -Ashton S.
Stage 32 4-Session Class: How To Develop, Sell & Produce Your Made-For-Television Movie
Limited spots available - grab your spot now! Work with a Writer-Producer-Director With Hits On Lifetime, Apple TV, Amazon + handouts to help you with your projects! **Michelle will be available on email during the 4 sessions to answer any questions you have about the class or your work.** Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details Made-for-television movies, also known as Movies Of The Week (MOWs), are incredibly hot content for both PayTV/Cable networks and streamers alike. Traditionally thought of as the romance, holiday, and thriller movies seen on networks like Lifetime and Hallmark, MOWs have seen a boom in viewership in recent years, which has resulted in the major streamers - Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, to name a few - green-lighting numerous MOWs each year. The tried and true structure, tone, and pacing of MOWs are clearly striking a chord with audiences right now, as more and more people are tuning in for these types of movies. Everyone is getting into the MOW business…and business is booming! In this interactive 4-part Stage 32 class, you will learn the step-by-step process of developing, writing and producing a high quality TV movie that will sell to a cable network or streamer. You will be taught by MOW guru Michelle Mower, whose debut film THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER, starring Andrea Bowen (“Desperate Housewives”), garnered the highest ratings for Lifetime in 2021. With MOWs featured on Amazon Apple TV, Michelle is a true expert in all aspects of making a MOW - from development to production and distribution - and will equip you with the necessary tools to conceive, sell, and produce a successful MOW. While many writers, producers, and directors are clamoring to make MOWs with networks and streamers, many professionals aren’t well equipped to jump into the niche and deceivingly complex world of MOWs. For example, holiday films, thrillers and romance are some of the most in-demand genres for MOWs, but what types of stories/themes are programmers wanting to buy? What type of cast do these movies feature? And how do you know if your idea would make a great MOW? Many independent filmmakers approach the development of made-for-tv movies the same way they develop independent features, but there are distinct differences that must be considered if you want to make a successful MOW. You will walk away from this 4-part class with a comprehensive understanding of how you can successfully develop and sell your MOW to a major network or streamer and how you can effectively produce the film to ensure it is a hit with audiences. Plus! Michelle will provide you with exclusive handouts to help develop and execute your current and future MOW projects! Downloads include: Michelle's Screenplay for THE PREACHER"S SIN A Made For TV Movie Shooting Schedule A Made For TV Movie Copyright/Licensing Deliverables List Copies of Michelle's Industry Blog Post An Example One-Sheet From A Made For TV Movie Testimonials on Michelle's Work and Teaching: "Michelle was incredibly helpful in getting my film in good shape to pitch to Netflix and Lifetime!" - Sammy C. "Michelle is a wealth of knowledge on everything from screenwriting to the business side of selling your project. I'm lucky to have had the chance to work with her before taking my project forward!" - Alison L.
International Writers: How to Make Your Series Succeed in the US
With the runaway success of breakout international television shows like HBO Max’s GOMORRAH and Netflix’s MONEY HEIST and LUPIN, US-based networks and studios are looking more and more to the international markets for creative inspiration. Whether in the guise of formats (established foreign shows adapted to air domestically) or direct buys from writers and producers, companies have finally realized that importing talent is good creative business. This means there has never been a better opportunity for writers outside of America to find success and interested buyers stateside, especially if you can write something that fits American sensibilities. It’s clear that writers from abroad bring fresh ideas and unique perspectives that reinvigorate the film and television. Yet they still need to adapt their sensibilities to make them successful across the pond—NBC’s adaptation of BBC’s THE OFFICE, for instance, didn’t find its footing until it took the core of its uniquely British perspective and polished it to reflect the unique politics of the American workplace. This same adjustment can be made for your own project, provided you understand what exactly this adjustment should look like. So what are American sensibilities? What makes a show more relatable to American viewers and what can you do as a writer to make sure American decisionmakers will see value in your film or series? James Crawford is Canadian/Australian, US-based producer and development executive who has worked with writers from Mexico, Finland, Spain, England, Scotland, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and the Philippines. James has developed several one-hour television series, pitching to EPiX, WGN America, Cinemax, and Universal Cable Productions, among others. James worked as Creative Executive at Cartel Entertainment, a television and film literary management and production company, and was responsible for identifying, developing, and pitching content for its first-look deal with Entertainment One, including the Stephen King novel The Regulators. At Cartel Entertainment, James developed pitches for Amazon, FX, Hulu, Netflix, Cinemax, UCP, and other major networks. While working at Cartel Entertainment, he developed formats from the Brazilian network Globo for the American market. He has taught at screenwriting retreats in France and worked for the Australian Film Commission (now called Screen Australia.) A man of the world, James also holds Estonian citizenship. James has a storied background as a producer and executive and is intimately familiar with working with foreign writers to get their projects seen and sold. James will teach you how to make your series idea salable in the US market. This doesn’t mean selling out, but rather translating your unique voice so that it’s better heard by American producers and development executives. Which subjects will or won’t work for the American screen? How do we understand the different cultural sensitivities of different marketplaces? What story structures and arcs are common internationally but don’t land over here? How does the entertainment business structure US (agents, managers, execs) differ from what you experience at home? And how does that environment change how your story is received? As we answer these, you will better understand how to adapt the cultural issues that are important in your home country and make them resonate abroad. Praise for James's Previous Stage 32 Webinars James was awesome. Clear, concise, and knowledgeable. -Stephen B. “James Crawford was very informative, and the way he brought the webinar across was entertaining and kept you engaged. I loved every bit of it! I hope he comes back for a round 2” -Imo C. Super helpful and very clear. Right to the point. Not full of anecdotes but actual teaching. -Helena W. “It was very informative in a practical way. James was great!” -Dave M.
Netflix + Stage 32 Present: Television Pilot Story Structure
SEE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BELOW: Netflix and Stage 32 have partnered on an exclusive global education series in an effort to democratize the worldwide entertainment industry. Together, over the course of 5 webcasts Stage 32's world class educators will bring their knowledge of what it takes to write, develop and produce today's television for the Stage 32 and Netflix creator community. To kick things off, we are going to talking about television pilot story 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, as well as multiple production companies and in literary management. Her clients have worked on shows such as THE DEUCE, VINYL, SEVEN SECONDS, VIDA, CHICAGO FIRE, and THE FLASH, and have set up projects at Netflix, AMC, Amazon, Starz, HBO, Sony, EOne, Corus, and others. 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 story maps/outlines broken down for each of these pilots: LUPIN (Netflix) SUCCESSION (HBO) THE EXPANSE (Syfy) THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (Amazon) Note: You will receive the Zoom link to login by the morning of the webinar. If you are not yet a member of the Stage 32 community, we encourage you to join the community today at www.stage32.com, it is FREE! You will instantly connect with over 800,000 creatives and professionals in the entertainment industry from all over the world who use Stage 32 to network, find work, learn and develop their projects. YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO.
Understanding a TV Executive's Role (and Why It's Important For You)
It is clear that this is the golden age of television with one incredible series after another coming out on cable, streaming and network. If you're interested in breaking into the world of television, there is one key position that you must know the ins and outs of in order to understand the set - a TV Executive. An TV Executive plays a huge role in a television production, serving as more than a key developer of story, but also a liaison between various departments on set. We've brought in veteran executive Stuart Arbury from Ramo Law (Ramo Law has worked on Netflix's Altered Carbon & Chef's Table, ABC's This Isn't Working, Hulu's Battleground and more). Stuart himself began his career at Captivate Entertainment, Dimension Films and Canvas Media Studios. Arbury was the on-set TV executive for MTV's Scream TV series for two seasons, which was based on the classic horror film franchise. In this webinar, Stuart will walk you through an explanation of the television eco-system and share war stories of his time during Scream. Having worked with various department heads, Stuart will also share tips on getting started in Hollywood on a television production. You will walk away with a clear understanding of a TV executive's role and how it relates to your part of the business, whether you're a writer, producer, director, actor or crew.
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