facebook_pixel Press "Enter" to skip to content

Looking to start your TV writing journey?

Posts tagged as “Characters”

2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – “The Pirate King” Overview (PT190)

2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – “The Pirate King” Overview (PT190)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:09 — 41.5MB)

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

Alex and Nick begin the 2020 Paper Team Mentorship with winner and mentee Ben Warner, with his new drama pilot THE PIRATE KING.

Step one of the process: a basic overview of the series and pilot, with premise, characters, themes, and arcs.

We hear for the first time Ben’s pitch and share our thoughts live.

The 2020 mentorship begins…

Content

About the 2020 Paper Team Mentorship and mentee Ben (00:49)
“The Pirate King” – Basic series overview (05:54)
Discussion of the basic series overview (11:44)

Links

“The Pirate King” basic series overview document

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]

Character Arcs, Writer Mutiny, and Gamemaster – Paper Scraps Monthly (PT188)

Character Arcs, Writer Mutiny, and Gamemaster – Paper Scraps Monthly (PT188)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:01 — 34.1MB)

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

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about character arcs and animated script length, and discuss the latest TV writing news involving the All-Rise writers’ room mutiny and the WarnerMedia restructure.

Plus, we talk with director Charles Mruz about his new board-game documentary Gamemaster, and tease an upcoming Paper Team mixer.

Content

Mixer Tease and Shout-Outs (00:35)
TV Writing Questions: Character arcs and animated script length (05:31)
Gamemaster documentary with director Charles Mruz (14:45)
TV Writing News: All-Rise mutiny and WarnerMedia restructure (25:16)

Links

Gamemaster Documentary on Linktree
Independent Producing ft. Jimmy Nguyen (Showrunners) (PT32)
“Writers Mutiny at ‘All Rise,’ the Rare CBS Show With a Black Female Lead” – New York Times
“Bob Greenblatt, Kevin Reilly Out at WarnerMedia in Management Shakeup” – Variety

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]

TV Pilot 301: Scope, Beginnings, and Ends (PT184)

TV Pilot 301: Scope, Beginnings, and Ends (PT184)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:03 — 52.4MB)

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

Alex and Nick talk about the big picture of your TV pilot script and its scope, from what the first episode should capture, to what it can leave out.

What defines the scope of your TV pilot? What are ways of deciding when the pilot should start and when it should end? How do you tell a satisfying episodic story while also setting up a longer-tail series? What are common mistakes people make when deciding on the scope of their pilot story? Why shouldn’t you “save it for later”?

The Paper Team hones in…

Content

1 – TV pilot scope and common mistakes (00:29)
2 – TV pilot beginnings and ends (28:58)

Links

TV Pilot 101 (PT30)
TV Pilot 201: Keeping the Reader Interested (PT84)
TV Formula 101: Building an Engine For Your Show (PT117)
Act Breaks (PT15)
Weaving Storylines: A/B/C Stories (PT53)
Teasers & Cold Opens (PT61)
Analyzing Great TV Pilots: Case Studies of Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun (PT54)

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]