How to Break into Drama TV Writing for Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Other Streaming Platforms
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Webinar hosted by: Spencer Robinson
Manager at Art/Work Entertainment
Spencer Robinson is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment who's been in the industry for over twenty years. His clients have been in films with directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Gore Verbinski and more. In the TV world, his clients have been regular cast members on shows for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, TBS and more. Spencer’s clients have also recurred on series for Freeform, TNT, AMC, Showtime and many more. He currently has a client writing on 2 Netflix series, and another client who just sold a show to Amazon. He also reps a writer who currently has a project at Aggregate Films, which has a deal at Netflix. One of Spencer’s clients had her first film shot for Netflix last year. Art/Work's writing clients work in both features and television on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
The big streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV) are leading the charge in original programming. The number of new shows being produced has never been higher. However, these platforms have different needs, different expectations and different boundaries and mandates than those of traditional broadcast networks. So how does a creative navigate the big time streaming world? And how does a writer stand out to get staffed or sell a standout drama series? This webinar will explain in comprehensive detail how drama series are pitched, developed, and sold to streaming platforms and what you can do as a writer to position yourself to get noticed.
With so many writers vying for an opportunity to sell or be staffed on a show, it’s incredibly important to understand the changing landscape and know the best ways to operate within it. Having a clear sense of how executives at streamers think and what they’re looking for will give you a distinct advantage in adjusting your script to pique their interest or in presenting yourself more effectively to sell your show or get staffed on one of their growing number of series.
Spencer Robinson is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment who's been in the industry for over twenty years. His clients have been in films with directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Gore Verbinski and more. In the TV world, his clients have been regular cast members on shows for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few. His writing clients work in both features and television on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. He currently has a client writing on two Netflix series, and another client who just sold a show to Amazon. He also reps a writer who currently has a project at Aggregate Films, which has a deal at Netflix.
Spencer will use his extensive experience working with writers and selling their shows to streamers to share some of the do’s and don’ts of writing a drama pilot for streaming television and outline how to tailor your script to make the best impression with the executives at these platforms. He will do this by first laying out how the streaming platforms differ from one another and what exactly they're looking for. Not all streaming platforms are created equal and it's imperative you know the difference. From there, Spencer will dive into script structure and formatting, specifically analyzing what you should be considering before you write your pilot. Next, he will tackle staffing and sales, so no matter what your goal whether to be in a writer's room or selling your pilot, you have all the information you need to position yourself correctly and with the best chance of success. Spencer will even get into the difference between streaming platforms and broadcast networks so you can determine where your material might be a best fit. Expect to leave this class with a comprehensive understanding of the shifting industry of streaming television and a toolkit to better excel within it.
Like what you heard from Spencer during this webcast?
Send your script to Spencer and speak with him for an hour by clicking here.
Praise for Spencer's Stage 32 webinar:
Spencer was awesome! Super informative and detail driven - providing great insights. Packed so much into a short amount of time which I'm super grateful for!
-Eric C.
Spencer Robinson has high energy and packs a ton of information in his lecture. Most importantly Spencer gives realistic advice while encouraging writers to move forward fully informed of the terrain.
-Oweeda N.
Spencer opened my eyes to how the TV world works with broadcast and streaming. What a great crash course!
-Ricki L.
"Very enlightening. Gave a realistic view of how difficult it is to get a pilot made but was just inspiring enough to give hope. :)"
-Clive M.
What You'll Learn
- Different Streaming Platforms
- How do the streaming platforms differ from one another?
- Script Structure and Format
- Before you write your pilot
- What should your pilot be about?
- Characters
- What structure should your pilot script follow?
- How do drama scripts for streaming platforms differ from broadcast pilots?
- Staffing on a Streaming Show
- How does staffing work?
- What materials do you need to get staffed?
- Diversity hire
- Getting your material to the right people
- Showrunner meetings
- Selling A Streaming Show
- When is the right time to sell a streaming show?
- What materials do you need to sell a pilot?
- Importance of IP
- What are some common misconceptions about selling a TV series?
- Streaming Writers Rooms vs. Broadcast Writers Rooms
- Writers Room schedules
- Taking episode budgets into consideration
- What happens when the show goes into production?
- Time between streaming seasons
- Q&A with Spencer
About Your Instructor
Spencer Robinson
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