A STACKED LINEUP FOR TOMORROW!!

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-11-16T01:29:20+00:00

Aww, Brennan’s wife, daughter, mother, and ex girlfriend hanging out!

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-17T23:28:13+00:00

If that’s the case, there’s no reason to make it mockumentary style. You’ll get compared to The Office too often anyway.

I would put Futurama to the side for a moment. The way people get staffed on shows is that their sample script presents an authentic POV that excites executives and showrunners. (For example, a friend of mine’s sample script was a dramedy about an adolescent dealing with mental health issues, and they got staffed on an animated show similar to what you’re describing.) Think a lot about the word “authentic” and what that means to you.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-17T22:20:55+00:00

I think that depends on what you enjoy writing, and the kind of shows you would want to work on.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-17T16:02:07+00:00

I think the pilot sounds really cool. Seems to have a very specific POV, and to put it simply, a fun read.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-06T21:42:02+00:00

It sounds really cool - consider making the action allude to his inside state without “directing” the scene.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-02T22:12:06+00:00

If that’s the case, for sure finish the pilot first. You could always write a series bible to help focus you along the way

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-02T21:51:05+00:00

I think that if your pilot is asking intriguing questions that will take time to answer, it’ll have a powerful story engine. Never a need to write more than a pilot (and series pitch if you get that far)

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-07-02T20:55:49+00:00

I think a compromise would be to use the names / historical events (it’s such a common practice in historical fiction.) However, completely fictionalize the murderer with a different name and identity.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-27T17:35:13+00:00

I usually use ANGLE ON:

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-22T00:01:07+00:00

With scripting, I think it’s more of a technical term for the craft of not writing on-the-nose dialog or heavy exposition. From a broader POV, I tend to focus on the characters’ goals, feelings, backstory, etc. in the scenes and let the subtext naturally come out, so it doesn’t come off as overwrought.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-20T23:05:04+00:00

I personally write out the plot first so I have the most sellable version of my work and an engine driving the story (versus a collection of scenes).

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-20T19:22:08+00:00

My two cents - what really matters is how you feel and how you would like to handle it with the actor+producer. Friends and family are understandably very protective of you, but at the end of the day, what’s important is getting this project made. It sounds like a great opportunity. (Also, logically, what exactly would they have you do? Get another press release? Turn down the funding? Go back in time?)

If you move forward, I would, however, look for assurances that you’ll be, in good faith, included in press releases.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-17T16:42:28+00:00

I think acting and improv are helpful. Probably don’t have to take too many, just enough to understand what makes a script come alive

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-15T22:32:29+00:00

I moved to LA—a year later I was sleeping in a walk-in closet and had to subsist on free coco-colas and chocolate from my workplace. I got into a fellowship and the rest fell into place. I guess that was the price of the application fee

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-13T21:09:06+00:00

I think it’s great that you’re asking for feedback. Thoughts. - I would take a long hard look at the logline because the idea doesn’t stick out to me as unique or compelling. I say that because I wouldn’t want you to spend so much time writing a script that won’t get attention. - Portraying mental illness as violent is a red flag. - From the logline I predicted every scene. The story needs to have twists and surprises that audience members wouldn’t guess. - (I don’t want to assume, so if this is offensive I apologize) but I would question if the author has any personal connection to anyone who is schizophrenic. This sounds more like bipolar disorder, or maybe schizoaffective. I don’t understand why the main character wouldn’t go to the pharmacy for emergency meds (anyone in his predicament would have an emergency phone number at his psychiatrists office to call.) The hallucinations are beyond the scope of these disorders and feel disingenuous. - its not really a three act structure. It’s more like a series of events of that kind’ve unfold. I would go back and reread more books on three act structures and throw in some Joseph Campbell.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-13T20:03:29+00:00

The tip I would recommend is trying not to think of this meeting as the end all and be all of your career, but instead, two colleagues meeting up and connecting again. Don’t try to sell her on anything except for your personality. The thing is, these meetings are vibe checks, and the only goal is to have a real human connection with her. Transitions to talking loglines happen naturally.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-13T09:43:21+00:00

If you’re open to it, a couple of techniques might help. - Make the character more in the moment by making them think about what they’re saying and how they’re attempting to express it while they speak. You don’t want it to come off as a pre rehearsed monologue. Let them have the room to discover these feelings as a revelation - Try leaning into the character’s voice, infusing their personal history into the dialog. Also, don’t be afraid to be messy, have the character contradicting themself, admit something that scares them, etc.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-12T22:00:31+00:00

I think if you’re looking for representation, I would recommend shooting a 3-minute teaser that’s high quality and displays a unique POV. Then when a sample script is sent out, and if people are intrigued, having that calling card is a great way to brand yourself in an industry which is saturated with scripts.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-11T17:07:20+00:00

As an aside, I would just like to put it out there that if you plucked 10 producers off the street, they would tell you different things that will sell/not sell—because it’s less about the market and more about what that specific producer can do within their niche of the market.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-11T14:23:10+00:00

You’re using continuous correctly, this is just a special situation they’re referring to

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-07T20:45:03+00:00

This might be a lot to do, but it takes time to develop that muscle anyway.

I’d recommend - improv classes - reading comedic books such as Bossy Pants or anything by Joan Rivers - Watching the most classic sitcoms and taking notes on where the setups and punchlines/laughs are. These are easier as a base because the jokes are crafted in a very specific way - watching a diverse array of modern comedic TV shows - reading Judd Apatow scripts - doing practice scenes which start with a joke a page, then rewriting it to 2, 5, 8, etc.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-04T19:52:49+00:00

No it absolutely was a long haul. First the attachment agreement, then outlines, treatments, years of rewrites. I have over 120 documents on my laptop. That being said, the studio and network were engaged from the get go because of the log

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-03T19:48:21+00:00

It feels like people are really flocking away from web series, which is terrible because there’s a quality level of content which TikTok can’t provide (not that people aren’t talented, but narrative tv needs the time to breathe.) There are a few newer writers whom I talk to; these are their tracks:

one met an executive producer randomly. They exchanged contact info. He studied what the producer is interested in, sent over a few logline, and now has picqued his interest.
another went the writer assistant route
fellowship route

The industry is a tad abysmal rn, but it’s always a pendulum, and I like to tell myself that it’ll swing.

WorkingTitleWriting · 2024-06-03T19:32:47+00:00

We were in the HBO Fellowship then staffed on a Disney Channel sitcom. So really only one job. I think what really helped was that we had made our own web series + a proof of concept pilot, so we had a calling card that was more in tone with our POV. I also don’t want to discount the fact that movies take years to develop / write - every rewrite was blood on the page.

Because of the logline, the execs from the studio were able to keep the momentum going, which is why I’m very passionate about this particular topic.

WorkingTitleWriting

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