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TV Calling

Perspective and POVs in TV Writing (PT88)

Alex and Nick discuss how to use your characters’ perspectives and points-of-view to drive your episode narrative. From unreliable narrators and voice-overs, to POV on the page, see the world through your characters’ eyes.

What is a point-of-view in the context of a television story? How can you put your audience in the shoes of a character? What are interesting and unique ways of using POV as a narrative device? How can you translate a character’s perspective to the page of a script? What are common problems with writing POVs?

Plus, a major announcement about the podcast.

The Paper Team looks ahead…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Paper Tease Announcement (00:45)
1 – Defining Point-of-View and Perspective (03:07)
2 – Interesting TV examples of POV as a narrative device (05:57)
3 – Using point-of-view on the page and common problems (21:53)
Takeaways and Next Week On (32:51)

Links

Paper Tease – TV Script Teaser Competition
“Analyzing Great TV Scenes” (PT77)
Rashomon
“The Ugly Truth” (2×16 – Farscape)
“Critical Film Studies” (2×19 – Community)
Boomtown
Graham Yost
The Affair
Big Little Lies
Peep Show
“Nonlinear Storytelling” (PT70)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

From Intern to TV Writer ft. Bob Dearden (iZombie) (PT87)

Alex and Nick invite Bob Dearden, writer on the CW’s iZombie, to discuss how he worked his way up from assisting Rob Thomas on the Veronica Mars movie to being staffed on a television show.

What is the journey of becoming a television writer? How do you work in US TV as a Canadian? What is it like working with Rob Thomas and cowriting for Play it Again Dick? How was the transition to iZombie from writers’ assistant to staff writer? How does the writers’ room break episodes and arcs?

The Paper Team picks a brain…

SHOWNOTES

Content

MFA programs, moving to the US, living in Austin, getting involved with Rob Thomas, experiences on Veronica Mars, experiences on Play it Again Dick, joining iZombie, being staffed, writing for iZombie, fandom (00:27)
Resources and Next Week On (57:07)

Links

Bob Dearden on Twitter
iZombie on The CW
Rob Thomas
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars Movie
Play it Again, Dick
Party Down
Jason Dohring
Ryan Hansen
CW Seed
Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television
Search Party

Resources

“Adventures in the Screen Trade” – William Goldman
“Which Lie Did I Tell?” – William Goldman

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Branding Yourself (PT86)

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of branding yourself as a TV writer and ways to define why you write what you write.

Why should you “brand yourself”? How are you able to drive the conversation about you? How to understand what you can bring to a writers’ room? Why is it important to know your strengths and weaknesses in TV? How do you translate your personal story into your writing? What are ways of showcasing yourself online?

Plus, an announcement about an announcement.

The Paper Team makes its mark…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Announcement of an announcement (00:31)
1 – Understanding who you are as a person (02:54)
2 – Understand who you are as a TV writer (11:24)
3 – Putting it all into application (21:49)
Takeaways and Resources (28:23)

Links

“Comedy v. Drama: Declare Your TV Major” (PT02)
“Putting Yourself Out There” (PT75)
Dunning–Kruger effect
$h*! My Dad Says
“Six Feet Under’s Alan Ball on grief and dying” – UTNE
The Goldbergs

Resources

“Building a StoryBrand” – Donald Miller

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]