Archive for the 'Television' Category

• e  6 Cablevision and the Supreme Court

  The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on the Cablevision case, allowing the Second Circuit Court’s decision to stand. Cablevision can begin introducing its service.

• e  4 When is it brown-nosing?

  Any sort of application, whether it’s for a grant, for college or for a job, needs to do exactly three things.

• e  43 What does a showrunner’s assistant do?

  Jonny Sommers has a job many readers want — or at least, think they want: the assistant to a successful and busy TV showrunner.

• e  10 Terminated

  Josh Friedman recounts the cancellation of his excellent show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

• e  9 Why aren’t adaptations ok for competitions?

  With an adapted screenplay, it’s not altogether obvious what awesomeness came from the screenwriter, and what came from the underlying material.

• e  26 Pilot School

  A site featuring tons of TV pilot scripts.

• e  9 The biggest TiVo in the world

  The thin line between unlimited DVR and video-on-demand.

• e  15 Alaska: The Satchel Boy

  A clip from my 2003 pilot, directed by Kim Manners.

• e  9 Kim Manners

  Mourning one of TV’s great directors: Kim Manners.

• e  65 Cablevision and the infinite TiVo

  How technology could upend the economics of filmed entertainment.

• e  45 How long should it take to write a script?

  Knowing the answer is part of the craft, just like a cabinetmaker promising a delivery date.

• e  13 Time jumps and oil drilling

  Two unrelated questions answered. 1. Clarifying young and old versions of characters. 2. How much research to do before writing.

• e  47 Writers need actors

  The survival of dayplayers benefits us all.

• e  5 HBO

  My agent leaves me to head HBO. Yeah Sue!

• e  5 Shot an indie pilot. What’s next?

  How to expose, fund and distribute your pilot appropriately.

• e  14 Test screening questionnaires

  DIY audience screenings help your product and save you money. Here’s what to ask.

• e  13 Short answer sprint

  Nine second answers to nine burning questions. Ready…go!

• e  6 Strike, day 29

  The strike gives you time to write fantasy mash-up scripts, if only in your head.

• e  11 The Office is closed

  Video courtesy of THE OFFICE writers.

• e  22 Heroes: Origins: Gone

  The WGA strike kills a spin-off, and my episode with it.

• e  36 Heroes: Origins

  How I got the gig to write and direct an episode of the (now defunct) HEROES spin-off.

• e  75 Her least favorite mistake

  An episode of Grey’s Anatomy might have the same title as your spec. That’s not even close to being plagiarism.

• e  53 Comments for Jane Espenson

  A correction for Jane’s awesome website.

• e  27 Trusting your audience

  Kudos to the writers of HEROES for letting the audience connect the dots.

• e  10 Lost Rooms and American Zombies

  When other people have the same ideas and act on them, it helps me clear my slate.

• e  7 Help! I’m getting screwed on my own series

  If this sounds like you, stop reading and start dialing. You need a better attorney, stat.

• e  24 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

  A shout out to a good show and their low budget ways.

• e  32 J.J. Abrams got a $55+ million deal

  I feel exhausted just thinking about it.

• e  21 Why I don’t have Google ads, part 432

  The annoying disparity between google ads and the content they glom on to.

• e  15 TV staffing season

  Mysteries of the staffing process revealed.

• e  7 The TV spec of the season

  Writing the right show sample during each season’s important.

• e  71 On accents

  Notes for auditioning actors.

• e  13 Organizing reality

  In reality TV, editors and producers often perform functions that would normally be the purview of writers; the question is, why aren’t they being compensated for it?

• e  40 Michelle Pfeiffer, Supervolcanoes and the Yellowstone Fallacy

  Having happened in the past doesn’t signify future action.

• e  56 Formatting a reality show proposal

  Here’s how to present a reality TV show. Use it wisely.

• e  7 New Fox show announced

  Announcement for a FOX pilot in the works.

• e  3 Very useful “Dead Zone” writer’s guides

  Example of a show “bible.” Yours to mimic.

• e  1 Researching and writing The Circle

  Four questions related to the research, creation and execution of a TV series.

• e  Comments Off Page count for animation scripts

  Does the page-a-minute rule apply across the board?

• e  1 Television specs

  Good reasons why you shouldn’t write a sample of LOST if you want to work on LOST.

• e  13 Television ideas

  Can and unknown writer get a show produced?

• e  2 Film vs. TV writers

  On the structures and control limitations of each.

• e  Comments Off Television scripts vs. Screenplays

  Learn and know the qualities of both. They’re not independent of each other.