AS now looking for TV series proposals

Lauri,
Here's two I borrowed from a local library.

Television and screen writing : from concept to contract
Richard A. Blum.


Small screen, big picture : a writer's guide to the TV business
Chad Gervich

Lauri, I'd suggest going to the library and doing a scout. Then order the book that moves you. But don't buy from amazon.com...lol

I'll probably buy the ebook from Amazon. I'm tired of hauling around physical books every time we move.

@Lauri - I think just as important as the script is, the bible may be more important. This might be useful for you, especially since AS is looking for brevity in the bible: http://www.bang2write.com/2009/07/how-to-write-tv-series-bibles.html

i'm working on a tv project right now with a West Wing writer as my mentor. i won the spot from a pitch-off contest. but i would never bring it here... not now. and AS only wants comedy and kiddie stuff so i'm out on that bit alone.

but you can go here: http://sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/home
for tv bibles, pilots, and scripts

now pay me $2 cause nothing is free in this world ;)

Thanks, Jay and Lisa!

I've just been browsing ebooks on Amazon and was looking for something that covered bibles.

I have the perfect TV series for kids.

"Flat Pennies"

Those little boys and girls will never, ever be the same again.

Is that equivalent to "Piggy Bank Dairies"?

In their book "Writing Movies For Fun And Profit," Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon talk about their beefs and experiences as TV comedy writers. When TV needs a comedy they said reps go down to the night clubs to find fat male comedians. Then they do a show with a really hot wife married to the fat guy. But the guy already knows how to pull of comedy. Which is why so many fat guys with hot wives shows are on the air.

Lauri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_(writing)

I would recommend the book although it's not really about writing TV comedy, there's a lot of info in there about what makes comedy work.

NOW A WARNING...Comedy is very difficult to write. AS is asking for new ideas, but in comedy things pretty much get recycled. Comedy is a matter of style and timing. When I was growing up I could lip off to my father and he would laugh. My brother could say the same thing to my father and get clobbered. This happened more than a few times. My brother would protest that I had said the same thing to my father before, and my dad would reply, ya but I could tell by the way he said it he was joking, and I know you meant it!

Also comedy, but it's nature, pushes the boundaries of good taste. As the offers of the book in my last post point out, funny comes from things that would embarrass us in life.

Seems to me AS is going to have to be a lot more open to controversial material is Amazon wants to succeed in doing comedy.

IF YOU AREN'T ALREADY FUNNY CRAZY LIKE JIM RUSS you will probably be wasting your time. Neel is another one of us who has the ability to be funny. Also, comedy, me thinks, more than any other from of writing works best with partners or in teams. As I have noted before most TV comedy is done by a team of writers who get together and go crazy.

OK Jim Rust, I think it sounds funnier as Jim Russ.

WRITING FOR EPISODIC TV, from the WGA site:

http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=156

Thanks for posting this, Lauri!

Question to AS in regards to CONTINGENT COMPENSATION:

"6.3.1. If the Episodic Series is first distributed on a linear broadcast or cable television channel, we will pay you a one-time payment of US$5,000 per hour-long episode, US$3,500 per half-hour episode and US$2,000 per 15-minute episode.
6.3.2. If the Episodic Series is first distributed via some other transmission means (e.g., webisodes that are first distributed online), we will pay you a one-time payment of US$4,000 per hour-long episode, US$2,500 per half-hour episode and US$1,500 per 15-minute episode."

Does the ONE-TIME PAYMENT constitute a per episode submission without possible residual renumeration?

Thanks!

Thanks Calvin

But if you tyhink Jim Rust is funny

My family nickname is Rusty

Don't think I can write a TV show. Do we mark a spot for a commercial or what?

@Sean,

Lisa posted a link earlier in this thread to a google writing site. You can find pilot scripts for a lot of shows there.

http://www.craftyscreenwriting.com/TVFAQ.html

Steph do you answer Studio mail? Just sent you one.

Thanks

I'm wondering if the pilots should have act breaks...

I would write it as a regular teleplay, which includes act info.

More TV writing info:

http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/television-script-format.html

How should my script be formatted?
All submissions should be in standard script format, with Courier 12-point font and standard script margins. Here are some general guidelines:

•Page size: 8-1/2 by 11 inches
•Page margins: No less than 1.5 inches (left) and 1 inch (right, top, bottom)
•Scene heading (slugline): 1.5-2 inches
•Action: 1.5-2 inches
•Dialogue: 2.5-3 inches
•Character names: centered
Dialogue should be single spaced for single-camera series or double spaced for multi-camera series. For single-cam, we encourage scripts to be 36 pages or fewer; for multi-cam, 54 pages or fewer.

Does that help?


and check this out

PDF at last. PDF at last. Thank God almighty PDF at last.


What file format should I use?
You may submit your script as a PDF. This may make it easier for you to format your script, and for others to read and review it.

You may also submit your script in .rtf file format. Saving your script in .rtf format allows it to be opened and edited in all word-processing applications and facilitates collaboration.