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Posts published in “TV Writing”

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]

TV Stunt Specs ft. Billy Domineau (Family Guy) (PT45)

Alex and Nick invite Billy Domineau, writer of the popular Seinfeld 9/11 spec script and staff writer on Family Guy, to talk about the pros and cons of writing a TV stunt spec.

When should you write a stunt script? What is the process of making and distributing one? How can a TV spec get shared around town? How do you use that popularity to get represented and staffed on a TV show?

The Paper Team goes viral…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Brainstorming, writing, distributing and having the stunt spec script go viral (00:54)
2 – Getting representation, being staffed on Family Guy, lessons from the writers’ room, and using social media as a TV writer (31:01)
Resources and Next Week On (53:23)

Links

Billy Domineau on Twitter
Seinfeld
Billy Domineau’s Seinfeld 9/11 stunt spec (“The Twin Towers”) (PDF)
Family Guy
Upright Citizens Brigade
Nicole Conlan’s The People v. O.J. Simpson stunt spec (“The Briefcase Switcheroo”) (PDF)
The Bechdel test
Jerry Seinfeld (character)
Elaine Benes
Cosmo Kramer
George Costonza
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“The Conversion” (5×11 – Seinfeld)
“The Secret Code” (7×07 – Seinfeld)
Rachel Bloom
“The 9/11 Seinfeld spec script you absolutely have to read today” – The Comic’s Comic
“What Happens When Your 9/11 ‘Seinfeld’ Spec Script Blows Up the Internet” – Splitsider
“This Seinfeld Episode about 9/11 Is a Model of Comedy Writing and Monumentally Bad Taste” – Slate
Jon Lovett
James Adomian
Chris Kelly
Brandon McCarthy
“Billy Domineau talks September 11 spec script” – Entertainment Weekly
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Rachel Bloom’s “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury” (Video)
3 Arts Entertainment
United Talent Agency
Alec Sulkin
BET (Black Entertainment Television)
“The Wedding Squanchers” (2×10 – Rick & Morty)
Bowen Yang on Twitter

Resources

Writers’ Guild Foundation Library

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 Evan Schmitt 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]

TV World-Building 101 (PT44)

Update: PT44 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of world-building in television writing and TV pilots.

What is the point of world-building in TV shows? What are some good and bad examples of mythology? How can you implement world-building effectively in your own writing? What are some common pitfalls to avoid falling into?

The Paper Team sets the scene…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Defining world-building (00:58)
2 – Tools of world-building (10:03)
3 – Common pitfalls of world-building (20:19)
Takeaways and Resources (29:22)

Links

The Shield
Vic Mackey
Claudette Wyms
C. C. H. Pounder
The Practice
Battlestar Galactica
The Man in the High Castle (TV Series)
Firefly
American Gods (TV Series)
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Logan
Defiance (TV Series)
17th Precinct
Battle of Serenity Valley (Firefly)
The Handmaid’s Tale (TV Series)
“Unfinished Business” (3×09 – Battlestar Galactica)
Caprica
Lostpedia
“TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction” (PT38)
“The One with the Prom Video” (2×14 – Friends)

Resources

r/worldbuilding (reddit)
Writing in the Margins’ Sensitivity Readers

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 Jason J. Cohn 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]