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Posts tagged as “Abrams”

TV Prose 201: Breaking Rules (PT156)

TV Prose 201: Breaking Rules (PT156)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:51 — 42.2MB)

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Alex and Nick delve into the nuances of editorializing on the page, and take a look at unconventional ways of breaking rules in your TV writing.

What is the goal of breaking rules with prose? What are unique tools to convey information in scene descriptions? How do you direct on the page in an emotional way? When can you editorialize your writing? What is meta-prose and how should you use it? When is formatting worth playing with?

The Paper Team comments…

Content

1 – Preface (01:01)
2 – Editorializing the prose (04:19)
3 – Directing on the page (23:56)
4 – Meta-prose and breaking the fourth wall (30:25)
5 – Playing with formatting (37:48)
Takeaways and Next Week On (44:16)

Links

TV Prose and Scene Description 101 (PT48)
The Girlfriend Experience (TV Show)
The Rules of Attraction (Movie)
TV Characters 101 (PT46)
The Hunt

This episode brought to you by Roadmap Writers
Use the code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF your Roadmap Writers Program

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

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

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

Paper Scraps Monthly VI – Mentorship Announcement, November Paper Tease, Overall Deals & Executives (PT113)

Paper Scraps Monthly VI – Mentorship Announcement, November Paper Tease, Overall Deals & Executives (PT113)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:40 — 41.1MB)

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Alex and Nick offer feedback on four more teasers and cover a couple TV headlines from the past month, including expensive overall deal and top executives leaving their networks.

Plus, we give official information about our Paper Team Mentorship!

The Paper Team eyes the prize…

SHOWNOTES

Paper Tease Entries

“Valkyrie” by Jamel Northern
“Together Alone” by Tyler Jordan & Mark Anthony
“Totally Human” by Josh Naquin
“Gasland” by Augusto Federico Amador & Diggi Singh

Links

“J.J. Abrams Seeking Record-Shattering Overall Megadeal” – Variety
“The death of Hollywood’s middle class” – Fast Company
“ABC shakeup: Channing Dungey resigns; Karey Burke becomes entertainment president” – Los Angeles Times

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]

Analyzing Great TV Pilots: Case Studies of Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun (PT54)

Analyzing Great TV Pilots: Case Studies of Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun (PT54)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:23 — 61.0MB)

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Update: PT54 transcript now available

Alex and Nick break down six iconic TV pilots to look at what makes them great TV scripts (Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun).

What makes a memorable TV pilot work? How do they introduce characters in unique ways? How do they set up the world and engine of the show? What rules do they bend or follow, and why? What TV writing lessons can you learn from them?

Plus, we discuss how seriously you should take glowing feedback from screenwriting competitions.

The Paper Team starts things off…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Glowing feedback from competitions (00:00:50)
1 – Introduction to the six TV pilots (00:05:49)
2 – Why we selected these TV pilots (00:10:43)
3 – Teasers and openers (00:19:55)
4 – Character introductions, ensemble dynamics and dialogue (00:26:37)
5 – World and exposition (00:42:00)
6 – Pilot structure vs. series representation (00:47:35)
Next Week On (01:02:53)

Links

BlueCat Screenplay Competition
“Feedback and Notes: Building Your Reading Onion” (PT08)
“Brains and Eggs” (1×01 – 3rd Rock from the Sun)
“Truth Be Told” (1×01 – Alias)
“Pilot” (1×01 – Community)
“Gone for Goode” (1×01 – Homicide: Life on the Street)
“Premiere” (1×01 – The O.C.)
“My First Day” (1×01 – Scrubs)
Josh Schwartz
David Simon
Dan Harmon
in medias res
“Morning Routine” – American Psycho (Video)
Paul Attanasio
“TV Characters 101” (PT46)
Tom Fontana
Diner (Movie)

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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]