Masters of Craft: Writing & Producing Compelling Television in Today's Market with David Weddle
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Webinar hosted by: David Weddle
EP for Carlton Cuse & Guillermo Del Toro's 'The Strain' at FX
David Weddle is a prime time Executive Producer and Writer with an impressive career spanning over two decades on award winning shows. David is currently an Executive Producer and Writer for The Strain – a primetime television series created by the acclaimed writer/director Guillermo del Toro, based on his series of best selling novels, co-written with Chuck Hogan. Showrunner Carlton Cuse (Lost) serves at the helm. Prior to The Strain, David worked on shows such Falling Skies, CSI, and Peabody Award-winning Battlestar Galactica. He has also written and produced for such series as Alphas, Defiance, The Fearing Mind, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is the author of two books: the critically acclaimed "If They Move... Kill 'Em!" The Life and Times of Sam Peckinpah, and the best seller, Among the Mansions of Eden. As a journalist, he has written for such publications as:Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, L.A. Weekly, Sight & Sound, Film Comment, and Variety. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
There is no hotter market right now than television. More content is being ordered than ever before. And with streaming networks such as Netflix planning to have 50% original content in their libraries within the next few years, the demand for quality television scripts, products and minds isn't going away anytime soon.
But what makes a television show work? What elements are networks, premium channels and streaming platforms looking for? How do you navigate what has quickly become a very crowded market?
By learning from the best, of course.
Stage 32 is beyond proud to introduce a new, timely, important and exclusive Masters of Craft webinar: Writing & Producing Compelling Television in Today’s Market.
Your teacher is 20+ year television veteran, the one and only David Weddle. Over his prolific career, David has been an award winning producer on some of the most famous shows of all time (Battlestar Galactica, CSI, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, The Twilight Zone). Currently, David is an Executive Producer and Writer for The Strain – the highly acclaimed television series created by writer/director Guillermo del Toro, based on his series of best-selling novels, co-written with Chuck Hogan. David is working alongside one of the most famous and in demand showrunners in the business, Carlton Cuse (showrunner for Lost, Bates Motel, Colony and the upcoming Amazon Studios' show Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski).
As an added bonus, in this exclusive worldwide online event Stage 32’s very own CEO, Richard Botto, a writer and producer himself, will sit down with David and discuss the ins and outs of TV. David will take you into the world and processes of creating quality, compelling television. He will get in depth on how shows get bought and made – from writing to budgeting to casting. In short, you will gain pertinent, usable knowledge and information on writing and producing for TV.
Further, we will have an extensive Q&A session where you can ask David any questions you have.
This is masterful information brought to you by a master of his craft!
What You'll Learn
David will begin by discussing the evolution of the television industry over the last 2 decades and how he’s seen it change and evolve.
The Hierarchy of the Roles in the TV Landscape:
- Staff Writer, Script Coordinator, Writers Assistant, Writers PA
- Progressing to the next level: Showrunner, Executive Producer, Supervising Producers, Executive Story Editor/Story Editor
- How the chain of command works and who does what
How To Ascend To The Top Spot - Paths to Becoming A Writer/Executive Producer For Television
- What was David’s path to EP?
- Why the writer is the king in television (as opposed to the director)
- How to work your way up through the writer’s room
- What are some other paths to make it?
- Upon being hired what are EPs concerned with first and foremost? What are David’s first priorities?
Overview Of Expected Responsibilities Of An Executive Producer On Primetime Television:
1) Staffing and Running The Writers Room:
- Not every room is organized the same.
- Learn what is most important to Executive Producers and Showrunners when staffing their writer’s room. Is what’s on the page most important? Or, is it all about who you know and what you’ve done?
- Learn how an Executive Producer/Showrunner will guide their writers room through setting out the season arcs, outlining episodes and breaking them down by theme as well as assigning episodes to writers.
- David will lead you through the experiences he has had on both sides of the table as a writer and as the man doing the hiring. Learn how to impress and what you can do as a writer to establish a positive relationship with your EP or Showrunner.
2) Scheduling:
- Gain an in-depth look at how TV shows are run day in and day out. David will walk through how a TV show gets organized and provide examples from his time on FX’s The Strain created by Guillermo del Toro, Battlestar Galactica, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
3) Budgets:
- Learn how budgets are put together, who oversees them, and what happens when you go over budget. David will give a thorough look at how Executive Producers manage their budget, wrangle for more and deliver everything on time.
4) Getting The Directors And Crew Set For The Show:
- David will speak to the priorities and challenges Executive Producers and Showrunners face when building the team. He’ll give an overview of working with directors, the art department and everything else vital to producing the TV show. He’ll talk about building the team and deciding on how to delegate responsibilities
5) Casting:
- Gain insight on how some of the most iconic shows make their casting decisions. How much importance is placed on finding the right guy/gal? Who’s in charge of casting main parts? Does an EP decide before or after other departments?
7) Bringing It All Together: The Life Of An Executive Producer:
- Daily operational tasks and how to accomplish them
- Handling the Network: How to interact with the network executives, build beneficial relationships, taking notes for episodes
- Planning for the long-term needs of a project
- Dealing with the unforeseen and any hidden responsibilities
Plus, exclusively for Stage 32 David will open the floor to answer any questions you have!
About Your Instructor
David Weddle
FAQs
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32.
Q: Do I have to be located in a specific location?
A: No, you can participate from the comfort of your own home using your personal computer! If you attend a live online webinar, you will be able to communicate directly with your instructor during the webinar.
Q: What are the system requirements?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you attend a live online webinar, you will be able to communicate directly with your instructor during the webinar. If you cannot attend a live webinar and purchase an On-Demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to rewatch?
A: Yes! After the purchase of a live or On-Demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the audio recording, which you can view as many times as you'd like for a whole year! For a live webinar, you will be given the link within 2 business days after the live session.
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