I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

    There's a bit about this on one of the older Nerdist podcasts - the one with Jane Espenson on it. The gist was that you won't get to show-run without putting in time in the writer's room because you won't have the business and political nous to deal with the non writing pressures. And even if you do get to be called a producer, the studio will put in someone to do that stuff who will de facto be calling the shots, not you.

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

      Originally posted by spinningdoc View Post
      There's a bit about this on one of the older Nerdist podcasts - the one with Jane Espenson on it. The gist was that you won't get to show-run without putting in time in the writer's room because you won't have the business and political nous to deal with the non writing pressures. And even if you do get to be called a producer, the studio will put in someone to do that stuff who will de facto be calling the shots, not you.
      And for more on that....

      http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2006/0...howrunner.html

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

        Originally posted by holly View Post
        not quite - he had sold two features and another pilot before the oc. he was a professional writer. im not sure if the poster is or not, that makes a big difference.
        there are lots of examples of showrunners who havent written for tv before, but i dont know of any who werent considered professional.

        That was I meant. Schwartz may have sold his work, but he wasn't a staff writer before coming out with "The O.C.".
        "A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.- -Frank Miller

        "A real writer doesn't just want to write; a real writer has to write." -Alan Moore

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

          Diablo Cody made a couple of features before she got her tv show out. if you don't want to be a staff writer then this is another way in, but...

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

            Originally posted by NikeeGoddess View Post
            Diablo Cody made a couple of features before she got her tv show out. if you don't want to be a staff writer then this is another way in, but...

            There's also her Fempire homegirl, Liz Meriwether. She wrote some plays and "No Strings Attached" before creating "New Girl".
            "A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.- -Frank Miller

            "A real writer doesn't just want to write; a real writer has to write." -Alan Moore

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

              she had a movie made and wrote for an adult swim tv series. again - a professional writer.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                Originally posted by holly View Post
                she had a movie made and wrote for an adult swim tv series. again - a professional writer.
                Also, NEW GIRL wasn't her first pilot. She had already had SLUTS at Fox, too.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                  Originally posted by holly View Post
                  she had a movie made and wrote for an adult swim tv series. again - a professional writer.

                  Do you have to be produced/published to be a professional writer? Honest question.
                  "A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.- -Frank Miller

                  "A real writer doesn't just want to write; a real writer has to write." -Alan Moore

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                    Originally posted by Madbandit View Post
                    Do you have to be produced/published to be a professional writer? Honest question.
                    i dont think so, but you have to have sold a thing or two. you have to be working in the hollywood system or a comparable one. you have to have reputable representation. you aren't a one hit wonder, youve done this more than once, people can vouch for you, you have some history of pitching successfully, interviewing successfully, solving problems, making deadlines and working and playing well with others. all of that, PARTICULARLY in tv is important.

                    working in tv requires SO MANY OTHER SKILLS than what is on the page. countless more. i think you need to be vetted or vett-erable in all these areas.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                      August and Mazin have a great podcast episode on the definition of a professional writer. Worth a listen.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                        i dont know if it was in that podcast or a subsequent one where they burst a bubble that really needs to be burst - that once you sell something, you're in. even screenwriters have that "discovered at the mall" fantasy that actors have and it doesnt work like that.

                        being a showrunner is akin to being the CEO of a company where you also invent the product. i keep talking about being a "professional writer" (even if you're not a pro tv writer) here because no network is going to hand someone a million to three million dollars a week, entrust them with producing an hour (or half) of tv on an insanely tight schedule, hire and manage 200 people, adhere to network guidelines, jump thru all sorts of budgetary and creative hoops - based on the fact that that person has written a great 30 pages or 60 pages in their kitchen between starbucks runs.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                          Is it best to write a treatment or go for that 57 page pilot episode? I have a pitch window in June and wanted to flesh out the story by actually writing the pilot instead of just talking about an idea to this executive.

                          any advice, thoughts, experience in this?

                          Gracias

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                            Originally posted by montevideo View Post
                            any advice, thoughts, experience in this?
                            Just finished reading Ian Gurvitz' HELLO LIED THE AGENT where he talks about writing a pilot on spec and then pitching it, not telling them he'd already written a draft. If you know the people you're pitching to and you don't think anything will be changed radically, it could be helpful to write the script as once you sell it and get the outline approved, it could be as late as September/October and you only have two months to really nail the script. But at the same time, if they totally change the pitch/outline, you've done a lot of work for naught. I guess the question is how comfortable are you with the people you're pitching to, but I'll defer to the pros.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                              Originally posted by killertv View Post
                              Define pointless. I think the process of writing a pilot is very challenging for a writer, either one who writes features or television. Doing everything a feature has to do in 1/2 to 1/3 the pages while setting up potential future stories is potentially the hardest screenwriting format. I'd be interested if anyone thinks there's a harder one to nail.
                              Personally, I find pilots easier than features... I see features as a necessary evil on the road to TV...
                              Trainee Writer Blog

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: I Don't Want to be a Staff Writer...Should I Still Write My Pilot?

                                For each its own. Feature and tv. Frank Darabont does both! Sorkin as well.. yeah yeah but they're pros. so what. Either you choose to learn it, master it or you don't. No need to set barriers by convincing yourself that you can't do both.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X