Paper Team

Alex and Nick discuss the basics of meetings for TV writers. From generals to staffing, here are some tips and tricks to get and ace your own one-on-ones.

What are the different types of meetings? How do you get in the room? How should you prepare for a general or staffing meeting? How do you make a good first impression? What are dos-and-donts during and after your meeting?

Plus, we answer additional questions from our "Writing your first TV pilot" Scriptchat session.

The Paper Team takes the general...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: TV pilot Scritpchat questions (00:25)

1 - Types of meetings: generals, staffing, and pitch (07:28)

2 - How to get a meeting (11:29)

3 - Tips for the meet: before and during (16:46)

4 - After the meeting (31:43)

Takeaways and Resources (35:59)

Links

"Writing Your First TV Pilot – A #Scriptchat Experience" - TV Calling

TV Pilot 101 (PT30)

TV Pitching 101 (PT13)

Networking 101 (PT05)

Resources

"Good in a Room" - Stephanie Palmer

"Good in a Room" - Talks at Google (Video)

x.ai

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 the importance of teasers in television writing and key elements that make cold opens effective.

What is the point of opening scenes? What makes a good teaser? How do you reveal character, story and theme in those first few pages? Are there teaser differences between comedy and drama?

Plus, we talk 2017 Emmy winners and the revamped Fox Writers Lab.

The Paper Team opens up...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Emmys 2017 & Fox Writers Lab (00:28)

1 - Why are teasers and opening scenes important? (11:00)

2 - What makes a good opener: tone, character, expectations, story, and world (14:55)

3 - Specificities of teasers: comedy vs. drama, length, pilot vs. normal episode (32:01)

Takeaways and Next Week On (38:19)

Links

69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017)

The Handmaid's Tale (TV Show)

Lena Waithe

Donald Glover

Sterling K. Brown

Frank Pembleton

Fox Writers Lab

"Six Feet Under" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

"Riverdale" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

Glee

Election

"Scandal" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

Firefly

Psycho

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

In medias res

"Rick and Morty" Lighthouse Scene (Video)

"Breaking Bad" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

"Lost" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video)

"Breaking Bad" Crawling Scene (Video)

Stargate SG-1

Goa'uld

Futurama

Cheers

"Lost" Season 2 Opening Sequence (Video)

"Lost" Season 3 Opening Sequence (Video)

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]

NEW: Get the episode cheat sheet on our Patreon!

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of tone in TV shows and how to establish it in your own writing.

What is tone in television? Where do TV shows fit on the scale between farce and gritty realism? How can you establish tone through story, character, themes, and world? How do you keep a consistent tone in your TV script?

Plus, we announce brand new episode transcripts.

The Paper Team goes dark and gritty...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: New Paper Team transcripts (00:23)

1 - Defining tone and its importance (01:56)

2 - How to set-up or establish tone: world, character, story, dialogue, themes, and marketing (08:12)

3 - Tonal dissonance and "tonal recall" (32:53)

Takeaways and Resources (38:35)

Links

"TV World-Building 101" (PT44) – Transcript

"Joke-Writing, Stand-Up and Late-Night TV ft. Simon Taylor (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)" (PT22) - Transcript

"Writing Adult Comedy Animation ft. Alison Tafel (BoJack Horseman)" (PT39) – Transcript

"Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt (Superstore/The Goldbergs)" (PT43)

"Breaking in & Writing From “Outside the System” ft. Hilliard Guess (The Screenwriter’s Rant Room)" (PT47) - Transcript

Psych

The Shield

The Mentalist

Burn Notice

Homeland

Arrested Development

Ozark

Jason Bateman

Coen Brothers

Burn After Reading

Desperate Housewives

Doctor Who

Christopher Eccleston

David Tennant

Matt Smith

Veronica Mars

"Fly" (3x10 - Breaking Bad)

Rian Johnson

"Wormhole X-Treme!" (5x12 - Stargate SG-1)

"200" (10x06 - Stargate SG-1)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Kingsman Church Scene (Video)

Star Trek: Discovery

The Orville

The Mummy (2017 Film)

The Mummy (1999 Film)

Saw

The Room

The Disaster Artist (Film)

"It insists upon itself" - Family Guy (Video)

Terriers

Sweeney Todd (Film)

Cougar Town

The TV Set

Flanderization

The Practice

David E. Kelley

Boston Legal

Baywatch

Baywatch Nights

Resources

Tone Shift (TV Tropes)

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 Daniela Garcia-Brcek, manager at Circle of Confusion, to discuss the ins-and-outs of managing TV writers.

What is the relationship between managers and screenwriters? What should TV writers do before getting a manager? How do managers find their clients? What are differences in representing TV writers, feature writers and playwrights? What kind of material attracts managers? When should you let go of your representatives?

The Paper Team gets signed...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Becoming a manager, representing TV writers, finding clients, writer's voice, queries, working with clients, staffing, developing projects, letting go of your rep or client (00:00:32)

Resources and Next Week On (01:01:36)

Links

Daniela Garcia-Brcek on Twitter

Circle of Confusion

Breathe In

Darren Aronofsky

Spare Parts

Ryan Coogler

Entourage

Eric "E." Murphy

Mayhem

Resources

"Musts, Maybes, and Nevers" - David V. Picker

"The Operator" - Thomas R. King

"Inventing David Geffen" (26x07 - American Masters)

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 the differences between inspiration and stealing in screenwriting and television.

What constitutes an original idea? Where is the line between inspiration and stealing? Where can you get inspiration from? What is considered an homage? How many different stories are there to tell?

Plus, an answer to how many episodes of a TV show you should watch before speccing it.

The Paper Team pays homage...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Episodes to watch before writing a TV spec (00:52)

1 - What is an original idea? (03:34)

2 - Why everybody "steals" (06:36)

3 - Paying homage and the different stories being told (09:23)

4 - Inspiration in TV and spec scripts (22:58)

Takeaways and Next Week On (34:13)

Links

Armageddon

Deep Impact

"Protecting and Over-Protecting Your TV Script: Copyright, Ownership and Idea Theft" (PT23)

Parallel thinking

Rough Night

Girls Trip

Akira Kurosawa

Stranger Things

Aesop's Fables

Jean de La Fontaine

Hero's Journey

Christopher Vogler

"The Art of Fiction" - John Gardner

"Save the Cat" - Blake Snyder

"The Seven Basic Plots" - Christopher Booker

"The Six Main Arcs in Storytelling, as Identified by an A.I." - The Atlantic

The Shield

The Simpsons movie references

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Evan Schmitt 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 Becca Burgess, casting associate on ABC's Last Man Standing, NBC's Undateable, and TBS' Cougar Town, to discuss how casting works in television.

What is the casting process for TV shows, pilots and regular episodes? What can TV writers learn from casting? How much interaction does casting have with writers and producers? What are differences between casting comedy and drama? How does casting approach writers' character descriptions?

The Paper Team gives a read...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Becoming a casting associate, casting TV pilots and episodes, finding series regulars, interactions with writers and producers, approaching diversity, using character descriptions, casting discovery, reading process, advice for writers (00:55)

Resources and Next Week On (34:52)

Links

Becca Burgess on Twitter

Annie (Musical)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Breakdown Services

Superbad

SAG-AFTRA

Taft-Hartley report

13 Reasons Why

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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 share stories about being immigrants in the US and working in the TV industry as foreigners.

Should you move directly to Los Angeles or first get experience somewhere else like New York or Vancouver? When would a show hire you if you're not a US citizen? What are cultural differences and initial difficulties to watch out for when moving countries? What is the visa and green card process for TV writers? What are some unique setbacks of being an immigrant in the TV industry?

Plus, we talk about Shonda Rhimes' move to Netflix.

The Paper Team migrates...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Shonda Rhimes moving to Netflix (00:45)

1 - Before arriving in the US (05:36)

2 - First months in Los Angeles (14:05)

3 - Cultural differences and expectations as an immigrant (19:14)

4 - Getting settled: driver's license, credit score, social security (29:18)

5 - Staying and working in America: visas, green card and citizenship (35:47)

6 - Representing our home countries (50:39)

Resources and Next Week On (53:54)

Links

"Netflix signs Shonda Rhimes in counterpunch to ABC and Disney" - New York Times

"Moving to Los Angeles (and Things We Wish We Knew)" (PT01)

"How to Meet People in LA (When You Don’t Know Anyone)" (PT03)

"Managing Finances as an Assistant & Staff Writer" (PT16)

J-1 Visa

E-3 Visa

O Visa

US Diversity Visa Lottery

Resources

ImmigrationPortal Forum

Australians in LA (Facebook Group)

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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 three TV writers to discuss what comes after winning a major screenwriting or TV writing competition.

Guests include: Talia Gonzalez (Teen Wolf/iZombie) from the 2013 Tacking Board Launch Pad Feature Competition, David Hoffman (Timeless) from the 2015 Launch Pad Pilot Competition, and T.A. Snyder from the 2017 Launch Pad Pilot Competition.

Why is entering screenwriting competitions important? What should you look out for before submitting a script? What should you expect and do after winning a writing contest? How should you brand yourself as a TV writer with your samples? What is the process of selecting the right agent or manager for you? How do you balance working on a TV writing staff and developing your own projects?

The Paper Team competes...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Winning a screenwriting competition and what comes after (01:08)

Resources and Outro (59:50)

[NOTE: Our usual "Next Week On" segment at the very end was unexpectedly cut. We'll be talking about working in TV as immigrants in next week's episode!]

Links

David Hoffman on Twitter

Talia Gonzalez on Twitter

T.A. Snyder on Twitter

Matthew Weiner

Charlie Kaufman

Shawn Ryan

Eric Kripke

Launch Pad mentors

TV Writing Fellowships

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

Radiolab Podcast

Traffic

The Limey

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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]

Update: PT54 transcript now available

Alex and Nick break down six iconic TV pilots to look at what makes them great TV scripts (Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun).

What makes a memorable TV pilot work? How do they introduce characters in unique ways? How do they set up the world and engine of the show? What rules do they bend or follow, and why? What TV writing lessons can you learn from them?

Plus, we discuss how seriously you should take glowing feedback from screenwriting competitions.

The Paper Team starts things off...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Glowing feedback from competitions (00:00:50)

1 - Introduction to the six TV pilots (00:05:49)

2 - Why we selected these TV pilots (00:10:43)

3 - Teasers and openers (00:19:55)

4 - Character introductions, ensemble dynamics and dialogue (00:26:37)

5 - World and exposition (00:42:00)

6 - Pilot structure vs. series representation (00:47:35)

Next Week On (01:02:53)

Links

BlueCat Screenplay Competition

"Feedback and Notes: Building Your Reading Onion" (PT08)

"Brains and Eggs" (1x01 - 3rd Rock from the Sun)

"Truth Be Told" (1x01 - Alias)

"Pilot" (1x01 - Community)

"Gone for Goode" (1x01 - Homicide: Life on the Street)

"Premiere" (1x01 - The O.C.)

"My First Day" (1x01 - Scrubs)

Josh Schwartz

David Simon

Dan Harmon

in medias res

"Morning Routine" - American Psycho (Video)

Paul Attanasio

"TV Characters 101" (PT46)

Tom Fontana

Diner (Movie)

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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]

NEW: Get the episode cheat sheet on our Patreon!

Update: PT53 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of weaving A, B and C stories in TV writing, and interesting ways of doing it in TV scripts.

Why is it important to cut between storylines in TV? When should you start and end each storyline? Which storylines should you spend more time on in your TV script? When should you only do a single A story? What are some noteworthy and unique formats for A/B/C plotlines?

Plus, we talk about where to read TV scripts.

The Paper Team become master-weavers...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps (FKA Odds-and-ends): Finding TV scripts (00:55)

1 - Why does TV have A/B/C stories? (03:51)

2 - Nuts and bolts of using A/B/C stories (10:27)

3 - Interesting and non-traditional uses of weaving A/B/C stories in TV (18:22)

Takeaways and Resources (32:22)

Links

Writers Guild Foundation Library

TV Calling Script Library

Zen134237

Lee Thomson Script Library

Simply Scripts

Daily Script

IMSDb

"What are A, B, and C stories in screenwriting?" - TV Calling

Team America Montage (Video)

"Marge vs. the Monorail" (4x12 - The Simpsons)

"Ozymandias" (5x14 - Breaking Bad)

"That's My Dog" (4x05 - Six Feet Under)

"Eleven Angry Men and One Dick" (3x07 - 3rd Rock from the Sun)

Boomtown

Graham Yost

24 (TV Series)

"Kim vs. the Cougar: The Oral History of 24’s Most Infamous Scene" - Vulture

"My Bad" (1x06 - Scrubs)

Awake (TV Series)

Kyle Killen

"How Lost revolutionized storytelling" - TV Calling

"Walkabout" (1x04 - Lost)

"The Constant" (4x05 - Lost)

Watchmen

Slaughterhouse-Five

This Is Us

Oz (TV Series)

Carnivàle

"Bowling" (2x20 - Malcom in the Middle)

Sliding Doors

"Remedial Chaos Theory" (3x04 - Community)

"Split" (3x01 - Coupling)

"A Rickle in Time" (2x01 - Rick & Morty)

Resources

"Elephant Bucks" - Sheldon Bull

"Cracking the Sitcom Code" - The Atlantic

"Television Writing from the Inside Out" - Larry Brody

Plot Threads (TV Tropes)

Plot Parallel (TV Tropes)

Two Lines, No Waiting (TV Tropes)

Four Lines, All Waiting (TV Tropes)

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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]