One of the greatest (anglo American) TV sitcom pilots of all time is the first episode of Cheers.
It still stands up.
It is noteworthy for effectively introducing an entire ensemble cast by giving each character their own "moment", and also for motivated character entrances and exits.
If you write for TV, film, theatre, or other forms of performance, it's worth studying the script.
One of the all-time great introductions of a character in TV is for President Jeb Bartlett in the pilot episode of The West Wing.
It's a great example what George Bernard Shaw called a "star entrance". (Did I get that right? It's been a while and I'm going by memory.)
That pilot script is an advanced class in TV writing / writing for performance / storytelling. 1/n
Almost every time I recommend an episodic series, I find myself saying: "The pilot is a bit weak but if you watch until episode 2, it finds its way."
I should not have to say this.
I am aware of the worldbuilding and introduction challenges of writing series pilots -- they have to fulfill some very specific story functions -- and I still shouldn't have to say this.
BTW, one of the best pilots of all time is still the first episode of Cheers.
Life is Strange: Rewriting Max and Chloe’s Reunion for the Show
When adapting a beloved game like Life is Strange to television, some narrative choices from the original medium need reevaluation. One of the most significant of these involves the reunion between Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. In the game, Max doesn’t immediately recognize Chloe after returning to Arcadia Bay. While this works in an interactive gaming context—where the player experiences discovery and uncertainty—television is a different medium. The audience needs to understand […]
It's not especially relevant to my current life, or to my conversations on Mastodon, but I'm an international award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker.
I used to talk about screenwriting regularly on my pre-Fediverse accounts.
Are there hashtags or groups that TV and film writers congregate around in the Fediverse? I wouldn't mind picking those conversations back up.
(And I'm pondering a related project to launch in the new year.) 1/n
"3%" from Brazil and "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" from South Korea exist in a shared universe in that they both know exactly what the game engine is that underlies their series premise and the writers deploy that game engine skillfully and elegantly in each episode (at least in the first few seasons of 3%).
I recommend both series to anyone interested in advanced episodic writing.
#BonAppetitYourMajesty #ThreePercent #Netflix #TVWriting #EpisodicWring #Screenwriting #Kdrama
Started #DeptQ Enjoying it, but have to say, the least interesting thing about it is the main character. IMHO I think we’ve seen more than enough of the misanthropic, yet brilliant, tortured man who is hard to be around, even if the angle of his having PTSD is a little differentiating. Other perspectives than difficult CIS Het men are more interesting to me now,we’ve had this thoroughly explored with Dr. Gregory House & Sherlock after all.
Just worked with a writing coaching client, and applied some of Aristotle's Poetics to a half hour comedy pilot, and we gained useful, actionable insights. Very old school and very cool.
#writing #ScreenwritingCoach #ScriptSky #screenplay #ComedyWriting #TVWriting #ComedyPilot #AmWriting #WritingTips #Scriptodon #tv
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