Hey Stage 32!
It's been a while since I posted, but I figured I'd pop back in with a question for you. So I'm working as an assistant to a writer, and my Writer requested that my next script be about my military experiences which I have since turned into a dark comedy 30-min pilot.
While passing this around through my writer friends, someone mentioned that this script might work better as an hour-long Dramedy. He wanted to learn more about the world and the characters, but also he mentioned that military scripts are expensive in a similar way that period pieces are. They require a lot of set and costumes that aren't regularly used on TV, and studios interested in making this show would be able to get behind a more expensive show if it were an hour long.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this or experience in the matter?
I hope everyone's projects are going well! Thanks!
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Everything is expensive for network TV. I worked post-production first year of "House of Cards" and my overtime pay went into "Golden time" for a whole month. listen to your writer-friends. They got jobs. Maybe partner with a TV writer with a track record.
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Finances are the producer’s problem. Just make sure the story is told well. As far as 30 or 60 minutes, those rules are going out the window with streaming these days, so pick the format you think works best. If your gut was for 30 minutes, that’s a fine option. Homecoming is a half-hour military-based drama that is doing very well.
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Joe Kore On the productive/educational end, it's writing for them, brain trusts, and pitch practices with occasional feedback on my own work. On the low-assistant end, it's occasionally doing house chores like calling gardeners and finding flights.
Dan MaxXx Agreed, I'm just about finished getting it to an hour, and I can already see how the world is a little more fleshed out which helps to heighten the drama and stakes that my characters encounter.
Stephen Floyd Thanks! i'll check Homecoming out.
IMHO a 30-min is so short you will always be out of time and you will have only an A story and a B story and a limited number or main characters, like a short movie, 3 acts. You need 3-4 minutes to properly introduce a character. 60-min can be considered a feature. So it has multiple stories and characters, 5 acts.