5 Tips For Writing A TV Pilot

5 Tips For Writing A TV Pilot - Pamela Douglas

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Күн бұрын

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Pamela Douglas is an award-winning writer with numerous credits in television drama. The Fourth Edition of her book Writing the TV Drama Series (2018) has been adopted by network mentoring programs, and foreign language editions have been published in Germany, Italy, China, Spain and used around the globe. She is also author of the 2015 book The Future of Television: Your Guide to Creating TV in the New World.
She has been honored with the prestigious Humanitas Prize for "Between Mother and Daughter" (CBS), an original drama. Multiple Emmy and Writers Guild nominations and awards from American Women in Radio and Television went to other dramas she wrote. She was a creator of the PBS series Ghostwriter, Story Editor of the Emmy-winning CBS series, Frank's Place and wrote for A Year in the Life, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, west. At the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts she is a professor in the screenwriting division where she specializes in television.
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Пікірлер: 70

@renegademax Жыл бұрын

"The writer is the first dreamer among many dreams." Brilliant, Ms. Douglas. Thanks for great advice.

@DeLaSoul246 Жыл бұрын

I like her advice. It's always illuminating. When she was listing off medical shows, my brain took a hard left: "... and absolutely *none* of these are like Scrubs!" Lol

@kathrinphone0815 Жыл бұрын

She is right, write something, only you can tell. In my opinion, authenticity is the key.

@ghanimaatreides5889 Жыл бұрын

Was in Pam Douglas' class at USC 15 years ago, and thanks to her I had a good career. Listen to every word she says! (And thank you Film Courage for giving her time on your channel!)

@stephen1Oace Жыл бұрын

Funny, I went from writing TV&Film to writing my first book. Loved this advice, write the pilot.

@filmcourage Жыл бұрын

Best of luck Stephen!

@judichristopher4604 11 ай бұрын

"Amen Sista... Amen" I was writing a play... and I cried at this certain scene, to this day if I read it, I cry. Later my daughter read it... and was so mad at me.. because she didn't want to CRY.. but she did. Write what hurts... be real

@AndroidSpirit Жыл бұрын

“For one thing they’ll get better.” Very very very true!

@freddie5ive Жыл бұрын

I'm with this lady, she knows what she's talking about.

@purplemashedpotatoes8886 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Im writing a pilot now and its really good! But my lord it is terribly, painfully, agonizing! I mean you have to account for a season and most likely multiple seasons in just the pilot

@LandOfSteez Жыл бұрын

I'm going through the same thing! It's such a complex task. Constantly zooming in and out, planting the right amount of seeds, weaving theme through every event, etc... It's truly one of the most cognitively demanding things I've ever done, but so fun and so rewarding.

@purplemashedpotatoes8886 Жыл бұрын

@@LandOfSteez Yes! Exercise and strawberries helps me do it!

@avifor5772 Жыл бұрын

Good luck to you both. I hope you have a lot of success

@sirehbojang8472 Жыл бұрын

This woman is my hero!!!!! Wow!!❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

@Ruylopez778 Жыл бұрын

I can well believe that industry producers reject writers for 'dishonest' writing, but it seems the real irony is that many Hollywood movies & TV shows - especially in the last 10 years - feel 'dishonest' and insincere nonetheless, probably due to rewrites and the interference of too many different voices, combined with special effects and set pieces designed to distract the audience from questioning how or why we got from one set piece to another.

@Bluespirit12345 Жыл бұрын

I think the last 10 years has been pretty successful honestly. Game of thrones, Handmaids tale, Homeland. All very sincere writing

@lajmoneyyoung Жыл бұрын

I disagree there is alot of honesty just subliminal in some ways* most of the time so I get your point ...

@Ruylopez778 Жыл бұрын

@@lajmoneyyoung Not in all the endless sequels, reboots and remakes we've been getting. They are very cynical, with contrived plot points and annoying characters, or else utterly bland and devoid of imagination. For example: Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Ghostbusters, He-Man & Cowboy Bebop, Disney 'live action' remakes, Buzz Lightyear, Tomb Raider, Terminator, Transformers, Star Trek, Fantastic Beasts, Dr Who, GoT, Rings of Power, The Matrix, Robocop, Charlie's Angels, Ocean's 8, The Hustle, Flatliners, Total Recall, The Mummy, Fast and Furious and its spin offs, Godzilla etc.

@jozseflaszlo7445 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this, and every interview you've ever recorded. I doubt there is a more impactful source out there that has tracked and kept these heartfelt messages expressed by the creative titans you've gifted us with!

@filmcourage Жыл бұрын

Hi József, thank you for your support. (We may have just thanked you on Patreon 😊). We're doing our best. We've been fortunate to record a lot of great interviews recently so we have a lot more to share. Our best to you and your creative work!

@MysterianFilmGroup Жыл бұрын

Ms. Douglas is right and her high caliber perspective is rare. The audience must believe in the world they're viewing with their hearts & minds, but the director is the one whose gut decides on the actors' final takes.

@albertabramson3157 Жыл бұрын

She's right about this. If you write about politics, race, or religion, the theme must be about some philosophical conflict that is deeper or more fundamental than secterarian differences. You can write about your own background or even childhood, but include what hurts or creates struggle. Struggle-mire (conflict) It does sound a bit like she's suggesting overwriting, though.

@esajonda4253 Жыл бұрын

Pamela Douglas is the best writer i read 📖

@user-zd1jh5zz9n 8 ай бұрын

I love this lady. Go Pamela..

@Ramekink Жыл бұрын

She's so right about the excessively detailed worldbuilding in potential fantasy shows... You've got no idea the amount of pilots and scripts I've read which I know from the beginning it'll never be produced because it's so damn impossible to bring it to reality on a limited budget. There are some projects better left as novels or even in-universe tales rather than audiovisual projects

@Ruylopez778 Жыл бұрын

Blade Runner certainly has a unique world, but I don't think that is entirely down to the script. You have a director who went to art college, with a background in tv/commercials, the creative choices taken to hide the fact it was shot on the studio backlot, Syd Mead's futurism, Trumbull/Dryer's effects, and Vangelis' haunting score. And on top of all that, the actors rewriting their dialogue, grumpy from shooting night after night, and finally, Ridley Scott lost his younger brother shortly before production (which convinced him to take on the project to distract himself) and no doubt contributed to the deeper existential themes. Not to mention Alan Ladd Jr. backing the whole thing on instinct, just as he did with the original Star Wars.

@filmcourage Жыл бұрын

What is your favorite part of this interview?

@ells80 Жыл бұрын

Writers need to tap into what they must say.

@peterkalyabe7553 Жыл бұрын

As writers, we must avoid imitating what has been successful elsewhere and tap into our inner selves.

@epiphanipangkey5676 Жыл бұрын

Her voice

@printtvnigeria Жыл бұрын

Write what hurts. E.g, death of Robb stark in GOT. It still hurts till today.

@jozseflaszlo7445 Жыл бұрын

The call to honesty, authenticity and sincere expression of oneself.

@loredanagasparotto5677 Жыл бұрын

thank you so much for this awesome and honest advice!!!🙂

@ChildKika Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful interview!

@RodneySloan Жыл бұрын

Please interview Kevin Smith. You're a great interviewer and he has many insights into the industry.

@banziimavuso9974 Жыл бұрын

Haha, this is uncanny especially the opener. I was just thinking about the feature film I am currently writing and how it seems to have so many tragic moments. I've been critiquing myself on how to have a balance on the script while also studying the best films ever made that are similar to mine. Thank you Pamela :)

@sanvecino Жыл бұрын

so inspiring

@kenrickbautista6141 Жыл бұрын

Writing is kinda in my blood. Been coming up with lots of TV ideas (more than movies) for most of my life and will soon turn them into pilots. Personally, I always wanted to tell a story through my vision.

@PHlophe Жыл бұрын

Kendrick, we can encourage a creative. May all the stars line up for you. its well deserved .

@kenrickbautista6141 Жыл бұрын

@@PHlophe thanks!

@Wordsley Жыл бұрын

These Rock!

@nakshatrasoni288 Жыл бұрын

03:40 to 03:50 was hilarious and absolutely true!

@KyleRyanMiranda Жыл бұрын

“That’s you’re obligation to the universe and to you’re self”.

@thegrievancegordieshow9882 Жыл бұрын

I’m writing the Novelization for a television series called Linoleum Blownapart about Reincarnation B-Movies & Punk Rock

@devincahoon830 Жыл бұрын

I’d watch that!

@thegrievancegordieshow9882 Жыл бұрын

@@devincahoon830 Edward Norton is touting a new algorithm which hedges the bets on protects such as Linoleum Blownapart about a punk singer obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte because they were both born on the same day 200 years apart August 15th

@IceHibiscus Жыл бұрын

In 2005, I tried writing a pilot to a horror/suspense drama, expecting that it would not pay off directly, but rather indirectly. Here I am, 17 years later, after having shelved the pilot. I just now realized that I never touched it again. No wonder my subsequent writing hasn't gone anywhere. I feel like my pilot is emblematic of my abilities: stalled.

@GRORGvideot Жыл бұрын

There's probably nothing wrong with your writing, it's the procrastination/fear that takes over. Having written two books, I can say the battle never goes away.. I'm almost always shelving my stuff.

@Ruylopez778 Жыл бұрын

Well, I don't know what kind of writer you are, but some writers will often return to an earlier unfinished project and rewrite it. I expect after 17 years of more life, you would probably write it a totally different way than you did then. It might be an interesting (or fun) exercise to re-read it, rewrite it from scratch, and compare the two. It's not uncommon to hear about authors or writer/directors who returned to an idea they shelved or abandoned. Most 'successful' writers that I've heard speak say that they learn from every finished project, so perhaps you learned things from the pilot that you've just taken for granted?

@lajmoneyyoung Жыл бұрын

I LOVE YOU LOVE IT

@filmcourage Жыл бұрын

Cheers Leonardo!

@capuchinosofia4771 Жыл бұрын

Hello Film Courage, I wanted to give you all a suggestion for a possible interview? I just saw Hear no evil, See no evil, and I thought that it would be amazing if you could interview Earl Barret, one of the screenwriters. Of course, I dont know if he wants to, but I think it would be a very informative interview!

@WannabeWryter Жыл бұрын

Question Below: For the past 2 months since I got out of grad school on summer break, I've been working on my Passion Project's Pilot. I just feel like it's something I need to have if I ever do get that miracle Offer. (I've got other scripts of course) Seems like everyday, I'm restructuring and reworking it but I've got something positive to say about the superhero comics/genre and maybe one day I'll get to. (I'm making a PG 13 Cartoon) Question: When you write a pilot, should you just creativily go all out with everything you have Or should you restrain yourself so you seem reasonable and the script seems possible. In my 1st act, There's suppose to be this flashy scene where the team shows off their powers in an performance-like manner, but instead of scripting it i just described the feel & purpose of scene because without knowing the resources, production vaule or the animation restrains the moment kept changing and I couldn't figure out what to make it.

@maracarlisle Жыл бұрын

The pilot will be rejected if it seems like a novel or personal diary. You need to script the scene, but you can play it safe with the things that will need special effects and resources. In the pilot you have to promise the best of your plot and characters, while not asking for grand locations and / or extreme special effects. You most certainly shouldn't "go all out with everything you have" (because, what will remain to show later?), while at the same time the pilot shouldn't feel like it's hesitating, in a storytelling matter. Special effects aren't storytelling so this should be the last to concern you. If you manage to deploy a set of interesting characters on a captivating plot, all the rest are not important. But in general, try and keep the budget low, meaning no big scale battles, no extreme special effects, not too many action scenes where doubles might be needed, not too many extras or crowds, not very exotic locations, and not too many animals (horses etc) because they cost a lot to maintain in a show.

@Ruylopez778 Жыл бұрын

Just my opinion, I haven't written pilots, but I think the thing to consider with the 'flashy scene' is what is your intention? The audience might theoretically be distracted, but if there's no deeper substance to it, it will be forgettable. If you have a clear intention on the purpose, and how it develops the characters/setting/plot, focus on that. And then try to bring out that deeper substance in 3 or 4 different versions of that scene - for 3 or 4 different budgets. Then go with the one that feels the most meaningful and imaginative (i.e. something that feels fresh, like a new angle on a tired trope). Or try listing 20 different ways you could do the scene. By the time you've exhausted all the obvious options, you might come to something that feels more real. If your script is read by anyone with the power to make it a reality, they will probably want you to rewrite lots of details the way they want it anyway, and then for the show you'll probably be with a room full of writers. I think if it speaks to them on an emotional level, they will find a way to take the essence of it and shoot it based on the budget. I think the problem comes when people write scripts with what would be expensive set pieces to produce that just don't engage the reader enough. I think writers worry too much about doing something flashy to keep the reader/audience captivated. The hook and stakes can be 'small' and still keep the reader reading if we care about the character(s).

@WannabeWryter Жыл бұрын

@@maracarlisle Thanks, although I should have mentioned it was for a PG13 Cartoon and I was thanking of making it a two part Pilot. But OK focus on the characters and setup a decent storyline.

@AC-gw4qu Жыл бұрын

The nightmare of "episode 900 of some action-fantasy-blockbuster adventure" is exactly why I write original television scripts.

@tolvfen Жыл бұрын

only create world building that the story is going through, so anything outside of the path, is not created

@kayag8 Жыл бұрын

All movies are Predictable and its all because of the midpoint. The all hope is lost moment. I know whatever the hero wants will appear to be lost in the middle of the film. In pixar its always 2 character fight then seperate then 5 minutes later they come back together. They should get rid of the midpoint.

@emelsaat Жыл бұрын

and Scrubs is its own world too lol

@sugebzzy2038 Жыл бұрын

Writing to never get your work made is the dumbest thing in 2022. Writing is cool but eventually you have to get your work made. Even if you have to raise the money or use your own. There is no greater satisfaction.

@theTeslaFalcon Жыл бұрын

1st pilot down. 4 more to go.

@hideoussails1783 Жыл бұрын

just make your books into pilots so then you have both 📘

@cjpreach Жыл бұрын

How to "differentiate" your work from the work of others? By being DIFFERENT! Not by playing Johnny Copy-Cat.

@itzme993 Жыл бұрын

this was sobering

@christophersmith49 Жыл бұрын

What nonsense. You should not write anything with idea it will not be made. Before you write you need to know you gona write something the will be made. You need to do anything and write in a way that it will b made or stay in bed and find some other job