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Posts published in “Paper Team”

Presenting Paper Tease: a TV Pilot Teaser Competition

Presenting Paper Tease: a TV Pilot Teaser Competition

It’s been nearly two years since Paper Team began, and we’ve decided to lean into our mission statement with a new, free competition — Paper Tease.

Every month, we read on air a few listeners’ teasers from their TV pilot scripts and offer feedback. The best ones even win prizes!

Paper Tease is open to any original teasers (or cold-opens) of up to 8 pages, of any TV format (one-hour/half-hour) and any genre (comedy/drama). No features though.

All the rules and prizes can be found on the official Paper Tease entry page.

Yes, it’s really free.

Do you have a TV teaser ready to go, and have read the linked rules on the Paper Tease page? Enter right here:

    Required: *
    I acknowledge the teaser script I'm attaching may be read and discussed publicly on the Paper Team podcast, and it could show up in full or in part online. This free entry isn't a solicitation of employment, or guarantee of compensation or response.
    I do not hold Alex Freedman and Nick Watson liable for any comments made - all feedback is intended for educational purposes. Similar or identical ideas may already exist, and I waive any right to claim that they stole or copied this submitted material.

    Perspective and POVs in TV Writing (PT88)

    Perspective and POVs in TV Writing (PT88)

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:58 — 32.2MB)

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    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)

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

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:56 — 57.8MB)

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | More

    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]