Paper Team

Alex and Nick invite Des Doyle, director of the Showrunners documentary, and behind several writing programs for Screen Skills Ireland, to discuss international TV writing and exporting the showrunner model to other markets.

How does the American showrunner model differ from the way television is written internationally? How do you create that setup globally? How does auteur theory impact TV? Why is there a rising cost in television production? How do you move up the ladder of TV writing outside America? Is the showrunner model the best for a writers' room?

The Paper Team exports itself...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Showrunning and International TV models with Des Doyle (00:53)

Final Advice, Resources, and Next Week On (51:56)

Links

Des Doyle on Twitter

Showrunners documentary

"Showrunners" - Tara Bennett

Screen Ireland

Screen Skills Ireland

"Judge Dredd Owner Rebellion Sets Up $100 Million U.K. Film and TV Studio" - Variety

Resources

Children of Tendu

3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

This episode brought to you by Script PipelineSubmit by March 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss cold contacting people. From formulating queries for your scripts to the proper etiquette when reaching out, learn how you should go about contacting people who don't know you.

What are the best ways of contacting people cold? Do query letters work? What should you put in a query letter? How do people perceive you when you reach out? What is the proper etiquette to cold contacting people?

Plus, we celebrate our new Patreon subscribers!

The Paper Team formulates...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - How to cold contact people (02:24)

2 - Query Letters (17:30)

3 - Etiquette: Dos and donts (26:03)

Takeaways, Resources, and Next Week On (35:51)

Links

Paper Team on Patreon

"Networking 101: How to Talk With People in Hollywood" (PT05)

"Managing TV Writers ft. Daniela Garcia-Brcek (Circle of Confusion)" (PT59)

"TV Writer Representation 201" (PT108)

"How to Follow Up (Without Seeming Desperate)" (PT07)

Resources

Star Wars Cover Letter

This episode brought to you by Script PipelineSubmit by March 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Julia Yorks, writer on The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Skylanders Academy, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On, to discuss finding stability as a nascent TV writer and moving up the ladder.

How do you navigate building a career as a new TV writer? How do you deal with the instability of the profession? How can you balance other jobs with writing? What is the process of transitioning to full-time staff writer? How was the writing process of Puss in Boots, Skylanders Academy and Trolls?

The Paper Team steps up...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Finding stability as an up-and-coming TV writer with Julia Yorks (00:53)

Final Advice, Resources, and Next Week On (42:17)

Links

Julia Yorks on Twiter

The Adventures of Puss in Boots

Skylanders Academy

Trolls: The Beat Goes On

"Finding Content for Digital TV ft. Hillary Levi (VRV)" (PT112)

Jack Reacher (Film)

Julia Yorks on Cinemorgue

Resources

"Save The Cat" - Blake Snyder

This episode brought to you by Script PipelineSubmit by March 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite fellow TV writers Liz Alper (The Rookie/Hawaii Five-0) & Kai Wu (Deception/The Flash) to debate what samples are worth writing, and how they get ready for staffing season.

Are features better samples than TV pilots or specs? Should writers chase trends? What are ways of researching a spec script? How can you get ready for staffing season? How do you handle a difficult showrunner as a staff writer?

Plus, we give feedback on three Paper tease entries and discuss the latest TV writing news.

The Paper Team cuts deep...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Tease Session (00:00:48)

1 - TV writing samples and getting ready for staffing season with Liz Alper & Kai Wu (00:17:33)

2 - Paper Scraps: SMILF allegations, Bandersnatch, and TV watching (00:52:16)

Final Advice and Next Week On (01:07:53)

Paper Tease Entries

"Endwell" by Diana Lampiasi

"Test.ed" by Melissa Long

"Mediocre" by Chris Thomas

Links

Liz Alper on Twitter

Kai Wu on Twitter

The Rookie on ABC

Deception

Daniel Kunka's Twitter thread

Kai and Liz's Twitter responses

Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg on Writing (Video)

"'SMILF' Creator Frankie Shaw Investigated Over Misconduct Claims" - The Hollywood Reporter

"Sexually Explicit Casting Contract for HBO's 'Westworld' Extras Has SAG-AFTRA Concerned" - The Hollywood Reporter

"HBO Hires “Intimacy Coordinators” To Monitor On-Set Sex" - Deadline

"Inside the 2-Year Journey of 'Bandersnatch'" - The Hollywood Reporter

Lords & Ladles

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

Nailed It!

This episode brought to you by Script PipelineSubmit by March 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Alethea Jones, director on Queen America, Wrecked and Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street, to discuss what goes behind directing TV comedies and half-hour shows.

What is the role of a director in television? How can writers better convey action for directors? How does a director work with a TV writer on set? What are differences between directing children's television and comedies? How do directors handle crossboarding? What are the responsibilities of being a producing director?

The Paper Team takes the shot...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Directing for TV comedies and dramas with Alethea Jones (00:43)

Final Advice, Resources and Next Week On (44:27)

Links

Alethea Jones on Twitter

Queen America on Facebook

Wrecked

Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street

Strictly Ballroom

Gretchen Enders

Charles Randolph

Babylon Berlin

Succession

Resources

DaFont

Shot Designer

Scriptation

This episode brought to you by Script PipelineSubmit by March 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss why TV formulas still matter and how to build a successful TV engine for your pilot and show.

What is a TV engine? Why is a "formula" a necessary ingredient for a sustainable TV series? What are some ways serialized and character-based series use formulas to their advantage? How do you generate a sustainable and compelling engine for your show? How do you express that formula in a script?

Plus, we launch our Patreon page and are hosting a mixer to celebrate!

The Paper Team regenerates...

SHOWNOTES

Announcements

1 - Paper Team is now on Patreon! You can support us starting as little as $2/month and get exclusive TV writing advice in exchange, including cheat sheets and bonus episodes. Join us at https://www.patreon.com/paperteam

2 - To celebrate the launch, we're having a free mixer! Join us Saturday, January 19 at the Harlowe Bar in West Hollywood. The event starts at 5PM and runs all evening. More information available at http://paperteam.co/mixer

Content

Announcements: Patreon launch and Mixer details (00:26)

1 - Why formulas are still important in TV (03:39)

2 - How to generate a TV engine (09:09)

3 - Common questions and problems (22:44)

Takeaways and Next Week On (26:34)

Links

TV Pilot 101 (PT30)

TV Pilot 201: Keeping the Reader Interested (PT84)

Day Break

Act Breaks (PT15)

Weaving Storylines: A/B/C Stories (PT53)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode and everyone else who supported us this year.

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick celebrate the holidays by taking a look back at an eventful 2018, for both Paper Team and TV writing, as well as revealing what's next for the podcast in the new year.

What were the most popular Paper Team episodes of the year? What were our favorite shows, movies, music and books of 2018? What are some of our goals for 2019? What gifts did Alex and Nick exchange?

Plus, big things are coming in the next month.

The Paper Team parties on...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - Paper Team Announcements: Patreon, Mixer and Mentorship (00:54)

2 - Paper Team 2018: A year in review (04:51)

3 - Best of 2018 (TV, movies, music, books, episodes) (21:47)

4 - Paper Team goals for 2019 (43:11)

Gift Exchange and Next Time On (45:25)

Links

Paper Tease TV Script Competition

The TV Writers' Room - A TV Calling Community (Facebook Group)

"An Evening in the Writers’ Room" (PT100)

"TV Writing Programs and Fellowships" (PT85)

"TV Pilot 201" (PT84)

"Analyzing Great TV Characters" (PT72)

"Tips and Tricks for TV Writing" (PT93)

Counterpart

Bodyguard

The Haunting of Hill House (TV Show)

Gerald's Game (Movie)

Killing Eve

The Good Fight

Big Mouth

Barry

"Flight of the Conchords: Live in London"

"The Sincerest Form of Flattery" (1x07 - Counterpart)

"Two Storms" (1x06 - The Haunting of Hill House)

"Kiksuya" (1x08 - Westworld)

"Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast, and Keep Going" (1x07 - Barry)

"Free Churro" (5x06 - BoJack Horseman)

"The Ballad of Donkey Doug" (3x06 - The Good Place)

Bluey

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

"Airborne" by Prinze George

"Between Two Shores" by Glen Hansard

A Star Is Born (2018 Movie)

Avengers: Infinity War

Widows (2018 Movie)

"The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben

"Thrawn" by Timothy Zahn

"Building Your Career as a TV Writer ft. LaToya Morgan" (PT111)

"Creating Animated TV Shows ft. Tom Ruegger" (PT89)

"The Paper Team 99th Episode Special" (PT99)

"TV Spec Script 201" (PT79)

"TV Writer Representation 201" (PT108)

"Rewriting Your TV Script" (PT90)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode and everyone else who supported us this year.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Michelle Badillo & Caroline Levich, writers on Neflix's One Day at a Time and Freeform's The Bold Type, to discuss their experiences working in both half-hour and one-hour TV writers' rooms.

How do you approach your first days in a writers' room? What are some of the differences and challenges between breaking a half-hour and a one-hour show? What lessons can TV writers take from working in both multi-cam and drama rooms? How do you adapt to differences in tone between the formats? How are stories broken on One Day at a Time and The Bold Type? What was it like working on a Humanitas-nominated episode of TV? How can you use branding to your advantage as a writer? What are some tips for successfully transitioning between formats and genre?

The Paper Team changes tone...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Writing for both TV comedy and TV drama with Michelle Badillo & Caroline Levich (00:37)

Final Advice, Resources and Next Week On (47:28)

Links

Michelle Badillo on Twitter

Caroline Levich on Twitter

"One Day at a Time" on Netflix

"The Bold Type" on Freeform

Gloria Calderon Kellett

Hollywood Fringe Festival

Dan Hernandez

"Hello, Penelope" (2x09 - One Day at a Time)

Amanda Lasher

Resources

"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying" by Carol Leifer

"Just the Funny Parts" by Nell Scovell

The Comeback

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Cinqué Lee, indie filmmaker and writer on Netflix's She's Gotta Have It, to have a fascinating discussion about transitioning from movies to television, as well as adapting features to TV series.

How does the writers' room of She's Gotta Have It work? How do life experiences help shame themes and characters? How does writing TV compare to writing ongoing issues of a comic? What is it like working for Jim Jarmusch? What are lessons to take into writing from being on set and from acting?

The Paper Team gets it...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Working in features and TV with Cinqué Lee (00:30)

Final Advice, Resources, and Next Week On (45:24)

Links

Cinqué Lee

"She's Gotta Have It" available on Netflix

The Answer

Mystery Train

Coffee and Cigarettes

Crooklyn

"Floaters" - Cinqué Lee, Sean Fagan, Lance Tooks

Resources

"On Writing" - Stephen King

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick offer feedback on four more teasers and cover a couple TV headlines from the past month, including expensive overall deal and top executives leaving their networks.

Plus, we give official information about our Paper Team Mentorship!

The Paper Team eyes the prize...

SHOWNOTES

Paper Tease Entries

"Valkyrie" by Jamel Northern

"Together Alone" by Tyler Jordan & Mark Anthony

"Totally Human" by Josh Naquin

"Gasland" by Augusto Federico Amador & Diggi Singh

Links

"J.J. Abrams Seeking Record-Shattering Overall Megadeal" - Variety

"The death of Hollywood’s middle class" - Fast Company

"ABC shakeup: Channing Dungey resigns; Karey Burke becomes entertainment president" - Los Angeles Times

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]