TV Script Project: Pilot

• Check out the 50 of the Best TV Scripts to Download for models and examples.

Television scripts are comprised of:

1. A slugline (all in CAPS) indicating EXT (exterior) or INT (interior): LOCATION, and time of day.
2. Description (left-justified) written in paragraphs that are NOT indented. Skip a line between paragraphs for easy reading. A general rule is to limit your scene action to four or five descriptive and specific lines PER action.
3. Dialogue has the character's name all in CAPS, indented to about 2.5" or 3" (5-6 tabs over); A character's dialogue appears under the character name. It is NEVER centered! Instead, tab over 3 tabs so that your dialogue occurs at 1.5". ACTOR NOTES (if used) should be in parenthesis and 4 tabs over (2"). 

• Keep your dialogue specific. 
• Do not waste your plot time with incidental or unnecessary dialogue! Tighten your script!
• Remember to describe necessary and important action in the ACTION tags (that which is describing the action/setting or what a character does that is not clear from the dialogue. See #2 above).

4. Transitions. Transition notes are RIGHT justified. FADE OUT, CUT TO (are the most typical transitions); DISSOLVE TO, or INTERCUT are used less frequently.

WRITING THE TV SCRIPT:

• How to Write a Television Script
• How to Write a TV Show Pilot Script that Sells 
• Writing Advice from Trey Parker & Matt Stone (South Park) for NYU film students...

REMEMBER: You are not the director or cinematographer for your episode. You don't have to worry about directing notes or camera movement in general. See the sample TV script samples as examples for the kind of writing you should be doing!

You might find it helpful to jot notes on index cards for the different scenes you are including in your pilot script. Use the index cards to help you progress. If you get stuck during an act, move on to write the second or third act, then come back if necessary and complete your 1st. You don't have to write a script from beginning to end, but from scene to another scene. You can always organize your scenes later.

Your scripts should be formatted for TV script format and range between 15-20 pages in length. (A half-hour pilot).

FAQ:

In a 15 page script, you might have each act about 5 pages long. Of those 5 pages, 1 or 2 pages should be dealing with your subplot.

In a 20 page script, you might have each act about 6-7 pages long. Of which about 2 pages should be dealing with your subplot.

You may, if you need to, have a longer script. But 16-18 pages is a good target. (18=6 pages per act.)

Your pilot is due around June. See Google Classroom for specifics.

Television by Decade; The Television Pitch (Teaser Pitch)

The television pitch. A television series is pitched to television producers. If the producers like the idea, they often will hire the writer(s) to submit a pilot or sample script. If all goes well, the pilot might lead to a series. If all goes well again, the 1st season of a show may be renewed for a second season or third or 31st, as in the case for The Simpsons. The Simpsons, by the way, has recently been hired again for its 32nd season!

Celebrate the Simpsons (the longest-running television show in history!) on Google Classroom. While you're there, also take a look at some sample TV shows from the 1950-1990s. These tv shows may give you an idea for your OWN teaser pitch...[see below!]

The teaser pitch is a very short pitch of the idea behind the show. Let's start here. In 5 sentences or less, hook your peers by creating a teaser pitch:

• What is the premise of the show? Answer: "This show is about..."
• Who are the main characters in the series? (Who will be the program's protagonist(s)?)
• What is the main setting for the series? This might include time, place, season, weather, etc.
• What does the show resemble? What previous shows, films, or books are sort of like this idea? 
• What is your vision?
• How much might the show cost to make?

Once you have created your pitch, please send me your teaser pitch. We will be using these as possibilities for our TV script pilot.

See the assignment on Google Classroom for details/due dates.