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Posts published in “TV Writing”

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]

Being in a Writing Team ft. Kelly Lynne D’Angelo (PT12)

Alex and Nick are joined by comedy writer Kelly Lynne D’Angelo to discuss what it’s like to be in a TV writing team (with Nick himself).

We talk about their creative and writing process, how they pitch in a writers’ room, how they present themselves in general meetings, how they complete each other, and the benefits (or drawbacks) of being in a writing team over being a solo writer.

Plus, we finally explain what a “paper team” is! (Not something the WGA likes.)

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – The creative process of a writing team (00:36)
2 – Dealing with writing rooms and the business side (21:23)
3 – Resources, how to start a writing team, and who to choose as a partner (39:49)

Links

Kelly Lynne D’Angelo on Twitter
South Park 20 Experience at the Paley Center for Media
“My Life in Four Cameras” (4×17 – Scrubs)
WriterDuet
Settlers of Catan

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]

Feedback and Notes: Building Your Reading Onion (PT08)

Alex and Nick discuss how you can build a “reading onion” to get constant feedback over the course of your TV writing, and how to deal with the notes you’ll be getting.
Who should you get comments from? What do the layers of the “onion” stand for? Which notes should you be ignoring and which ones should you address?
The Paper Team has a few macro thoughts on the issue…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Who: Different people for different notes (00:37)
2 – When: The “reading onion” and its first layer (11:47)
3 – Outline: The second layer of the “onion” (15:15)
4 – Rough Draft: The third layer of the “onion” (18:29)
5 – Real Draft: the fourth layer of the “onion” (21:25)
6 – Macro v. Micro notes (23:09)
7 – What: Specific notes you should be getting and asking for (30:08)
8 – How: Reacting to notes and addressing them (39:51)
Takeaways and Resources (45:06)

Links

Writing Jane the Virgin

Resources

A Martian Wouldn’t Say That! – Compiled by Leonard Stern & Diane Robison
TV Network Notes (Twitter)

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]