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Posts tagged as “Movies”

TV Characters 101 (PT46)

Update: PT46 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss one of the most important parts of television writing: creating compelling characters.

Why are characters so vital to television shows? What are some key elements to watch out for when writing characters in a TV script? Why are character introductions so important in screenwriting? How can you create interesting people that fit your TV show?

The Paper Team explores their existence…

SHOWNOTES

Content

A special announcement (00:46)
1 – Television is a character’s medium (01:41)
2 – Describing characters: introductions, archetypes, and traits (02:42)
3 – Character voices, filler characters, and empathy (17:38)
4 – Characters in the story: goals and arcs (23:43)
Takeaways and Resources (28:25)

Links

House, M.D.
Hugh Laurie
“The Hero’s Journey” – Joseph Campbell
“The Writer’s Journey” – Christopher Vogler
Michael Clayton (Film)
Sam Seaborn
“Pilot” (1×01 – The West Wing)
“Pilot” (1×01-02 – Lost)
“Pilot” (1×01 – Community)
Legion (TV Series)
Anton Chigurh
“Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt” (PT43)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Resources

“The Art Of Dramatic Writing” – Lajos Egri
“The Emotion Thesaurus” – Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

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]

Independent Producing ft. Jimmy Nguyen (Showrunners) (PT32)

Alex and Nick are joined by Jimmy Nguyen, executive producer of the documentary Showrunners, to discuss independent producing, collaborating with other creatives, and lessons he’s learned over his years working in Los Angeles.

What is the role of a producer? How did the documentaries Showrunners and Barista came to be? How does he approach creative and professional collaborations? What are some tips to getting started and networking properly?

The Paper Team gets good at the ask…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Moving to Los Angeles, connecting with people, and getting involved in Showrunners (00:37)
2 – Working as an independent producer, their collaborative role, and helping make Showrunners/Barista (08:39)
3 – Inspirations and other projects (38:04)
4 – Tips and advice for aspiring producers (47:15)
Resources and Next Week On (53:48)

Links

Jimmy Nguyen on Twitter
Showrunners (Documentary)
Showrunners (Book)
Barista
Comic Book Sunday
Des Doyle
Ryan Patrick McGuffey
Jason Rose
Wally Schrass
Irish Film Board
Jane Espenson
Damon Lindelof
The Pirate Tapes
Indie Game: The Movie
Charles Mruz
Going Clear
The Imposter
The Family
The King of Kong
Shut Up and Play the Hits
Helvetica (Documentary)
Searching for Sugar Man
Man on Wire
The Jinx
O.J.: Made in America
Mayor of Sunset Strip
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Heroines (Short)
The Big Short
Rachel Moore
The Champ
Search Party
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Trollhunters
Top of the Lake
Essen Game Fair
Roy Lee
“Adventures in the Screen Trade” – William Goldman
The Ring
Gravitas Ventures

Resources

“A Pound of Flesh” – Art Linson
“Save the Cat!” – Blake Snyder

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]

TV Pitching 101: Who, What, and Why (PT13)

Alex and Nick discuss the basics of television pitching. From the cold pitch all the way to the general meeting and official “sales pitch”, we give an overview of the three major arenas where you’ll be presenting your TV show. This episode is all about understanding who, what, why, and some dos & don’ts for each step.

Who will you be meeting with? Where will you be doing each pitch? What is the goal of TV pitching? What absolutely needs to be included in your pitch? Is paying for pitch competitions ever worth it?

The Paper Team has a riveting audio presentation on the subject…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – What TV pitching means (00:45)
2 – The cold or “casual” pitch (02:24)
3 – The general meeting pitch (17:49)
4 – The sales or official “pitch meeting” (27:16)
5 – Some general advice for your TV pitch (29:22)
Takeaways and Resources (35:13)

Resources

“Buy the Rights” Card Game
Dan Harmon on Pitching (Video)
What’s Your Pitch? ATX Panel (Audio)

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]