Paper Team

Alex and Nick invite Mary Bonney, production coordinator on NBC’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Go90’s The 5th Quarter, to talk about on-set producing and being a production coordinator in television.
What is the role of a production coordinator and on-set producer in TV? What is production’s relationship with scripts? What are the differences between unscripted and scripted? What elements should writers watch out for in their TV scripts before production? How should you select projects to work on as favors? What does a typical day of TV production look like?
The Paper Team gets it done…
SHOWNOTES
Content
Becoming a production coordinator, working as a line producer, TV production, scripted vs. unscripted, production relationship with scripts, working on non-union shoots, advice for writers (01:09)

Resources and Next Week On (45:22)
Links
Mary Bonney on Instagram

Mary Bonney on Twitter

Running Wild with Bear Grylls on NBC

The 5th Quarter on Go90

Pretty Little Liars

Whitney Avalon

Snow White vs. Elsa: Princess Rap Battle (Video)

​Break: The Musical

Katie Moest

Academy Award for Best Original Musical

Last Action Hero

Movie Magic Scheduling

Movie Magic Budgeting
This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions



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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: PT51 transcript now available

Alex and Nick look at the importance of dialogue in TV writing, and give an overview of what makes it stand out.

What can you use dialogue for? What makes good or bad dialogue? How do you introduce character quirks in the dialogue? What are some common pitfalls in dialogue writing? How do you fix bad dialogue?

Plus, we respond to a review and talk over-used pitches.

The Paper Team trades words...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Odds-and-ends: Review & Pitches (00:48)

1 - Purpose of dialogue (09:06)

2 - Specificities of dialogue: style and character (13:08)

3 - Finding your dialogue (16:38)

4 - What makes bad dialogue and how to fix it (22:41)

Takeaways and Resources (34:42)

Links

Mumblecore

Mark Duplass

Big Brother Live Feeds

The Newsroom

Littlefinger's "Chaos is a Ladder" speech from Game of Thrones (Video)

"Oh, hi Mark" scene from The Room (Video)

Code-switching

Draft Zero Podcast

Resources

"Dialogue Secrets" - William C. Martell

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 celebrate the fiftieth episode of Paper Team with a special look back at the first year of the podcast, including updates on past episodes, guests, and other news.

What are some of our own favorite moments and episodes? What are the most popular Paper Team episodes? What new lessons have we learned since recording them?

From assistants and coordinators, to writers and producers, we also catch up with several of our amazing guests: Tennessee Martin, Steven Darancette, Sam Miller, Chris Corbett, Maggie Herman, Jimmy Nguyen and Gary Sundt.

The Paper Team pops the champagne...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - Follow-ups to Paper Team episodes and some of our favorites (00:01:21)

2 - Follow-ups from our guests, ft. Tennessee Martin, Steven Darancette, Sam Miller, Chris Corbett, Maggie Herman, Jimmy Nguyen and Gary Sundt (00:15:01)

3 - One year of Paper Team (00:54:21)

Special Thanks, Outro and Next Week On (01:13:14)

Links

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

"Getting Your TV Script Read" (PT29)

"TV Writer Representation 101" (PT31)

"Australian TV ft. Chris Corbett" (PT18)

Australian Survivor

"Managing Finances as an Assistant & Staff Writer ft. Kiyong Kim" (PT16)

"Web Series and TV Writing ft. Sam Miller (Single by 30/Mom)" (PT27)

SeeSo

Over-the-top content (OTT)

"Diversity in TV and the Writers’ Room ft. Francesca Butler & Kelly Lynne D’Angelo" (PT14)

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

"Breaking in & Writing From “Outside the System” ft. Hilliard Guess" (PT47)

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

"Act Breaks" (PT15)

"TV Viewing Habits: Writing for the Binge" (PT42)

"Bringing the TV Writers’ Room Process Home" (PT06)

"Writing Themes and Values in TV" (PT36)

"TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction – Paper Team at WonderCon 2017" (PT38)

Tennessee Martin on Twitter

Lucifer

The Lady Parts Collective

The Lady Parts Collective on Facebook

Joe Henderson

Ildy Modrovich

Jennifer Graham Imada

Dawn Wells

"Writing Children’s Animation ft. Steven Darancette (Lalaloopsy/Tumble Leaf)" (PT41)

Steven Darancette on Twitter

Sam Miller on Twitter

American Airness (Video)

Vaudeville

Chris Corbett on IMDb

"TV Budgeting and Line Producing ft. Maggie Herman (Bosch) – On the Road at SDCC 2016" (PT10)

Maggie Herman on Twitter

People of Earth

Wrecked

Search Party

The Detour

The Last O.G.

Miracle Workers

Simon Rich

Man Seeking Woman

The Cops

Michael Showalter

"Independent Producing ft. Jimmy Nguyen (Showrunners)" (PT32)

Jimmy Nguyen on Twitter

Gary Sundt on IMDb

Death Note (2017 Movie)

Adam Wingard

Gary Sundt's Kong tattoo

Will/Sean Podcast - Episode 255 "Retcon the Episode" with Alex Freedman & Nick Watson

"The 2016 Paper Team Holiday Special" (PT25)

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

"TV Pitching 101: Who, What, and Why" (PT13)

"Spec v. Pilot: What You Should Be Writing Next" (PT04)

"TV Writing Competitions" (PT33)

"TV Spec Script 101" (PT34)

"Supplemental Income for Writers" (PT35)

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

"TV Pilot 101" (PT30)

Pocket Casts

"Goal-Setting as a TV Writer" (PT26)

Francesca Butler on Twitter

Jason J. Cohn on Twitter

Alex Switzky on Twitter

Evan Schmitt on Instagram

Elena Rodriguez Miranda on Dropr

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 and Joseph Yuan for the music.

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 Dana Bramble, coordinator in current programming at The CW, to discuss the ins-and-outs of working in the scripted side of a TV network.

What happens after a pilot gets picked up? How is current programming different from development? What notes do network executives give? How does staffing season operate for current shows? What arcs are pitched ahead of the season? How are standards and practices involved with scripts?

The Paper Team looks at the slate...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Working in current programming, network branding, giving notes, pitching, standards & practices, staffing, diversity initiatives and watching television (01:04)

Resources and Next Week On (34:01)

Links

Dana Bramble on Twitter

The CW

CW Seed

UPN

The WB

CBS Television Studios

Warner Bros. Television

Arrowverse

Broadcast Standards and Practices

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Machinima, Inc.

In the Loop

Sweet/Vicious

JHRTS

Resources

"On Writing" - Stephen King

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: PT48 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss why scene descriptions in TV scripts are so important, what to focus on in your TV prose, and treading the line between writing a script as a technical document versus a reading experience.

What makes good or bad prose? What are some examples of compelling scene descriptions? Should prose be efficient or florid? How do you convey textual information? When should you "direct" in a TV script?

Plus, a quick review of Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass.

The Paper Team illustrates their thoughts...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Announcements (00:49)

Odds-and-ends: Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass (02:23)

1 - What is screenwriting prose and why is it important (07:50)

2 - Why scene descriptions need to be efficient (09:33)

3 - Script: technical document or reading experience? (17:53)

4 - Describing versus telling (22:51)

5 - The screenwriter's voice (27:39)

Takeaways and Resources (30:15)

Links

Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass

Six Feet Under

Alien script by Walter Hill and David Giler

David Foster Wallace

Shane Black

American Gods (TV Series)

Courier Prime

"Two for the Road" (2x20 - Lost)

"Exposition in TV Writing" (PT24)

Sherlock (TV Series)

"Sherlock: How To Film Thought" (Video)

"A Brief Look at Texting and the Internet in Film" (Video)

Fringe chyrons

Resources

Hemingway Editor

Thesaurus.com

"The Synonym Finder" - J. I. Rodale

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 writer/producer Hilliard Guess for an in-depth discussion about his experience in the industry, working as a writer, and his involvement in the WGA and his Screenwriter’s Rant Room podcast.

How do you build a writing career without the traditional assistant or fellowship route? What are key differences in being a producer or writer, and juggling both roles? What are aspects of the WGA people should know more about? How do you overcome adversity and get things done? What are ways of putting yourself out there and opening doors?

The Paper Team goes rogue...

NOTE: We had a bit of noise on the line, and my upstairs neighbors decided to join in on the fun towards the end of the recording. We tried to fix most of the issue, but be aware there may be some residual audio.

SHOWNOTES

Content

Starting out, becoming a writer, getting writing jobs, being a producer, curating your work environment, being involved in the WGA, dealing with adversity, and the competition (00:01:22)

Resources and Next Week On (01:10:22)

Links

Hilliard Guess on Twitter

The Screenwriter's Rant Room on iTunes

The Screenwriter's Rant Room on Twitter

Hilldog Productions

Palo Alto (California)

Dangerous Minds

John Truby

Robert McKee

Jack Epps Jr.

Karl Iglesias

Z Nation

28 Days Later

World War Z (Film)

Two and a Half Men

Jaws

Million Dollar Listings

Million Dollar Listing New York

Fredrik Eklund

The Lot Studios

go90

WGA's LGBT Writers Committee

WGA's Committee of Black Writers

Lena Waithe

Michelle Amor

Dr. Phil (TV Series)

Dope

Straight Outta Compton (Film)

Wonder Woman (Film)

A Few Good Men

Precious (Film)

Mo'Nique

3rd & Fairfax WGAW Podcast

Lisa Bolekaja

Organization of Black Screenwriters

Kramer vs. Kramer

Jay Mohr

Mark Valley

Lynelle White

Army Wives

"Writing Action and Dialogue (126)" - The Screenwriter's Rant Room

Resources

Pilar Alessandra's On the Page

"Coffee Break Screenwriter" - Pilar Alessandra

Jen Grisanti

"The Sequence Approach" - Paul Gulino

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: PT46 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss one of the most important parts of television writing: creating compelling characters.

Why are characters so vital to television shows? What are some key elements to watch out for when writing characters in a TV script? Why are character introductions so important in screenwriting? How can you create interesting people that fit your TV show?

The Paper Team explores their existence...

SHOWNOTES

Content

A special announcement (00:46)

1 - Television is a character's medium (01:41)

2 - Describing characters: introductions, archetypes, and traits (02:42)

3 - Character voices, filler characters, and empathy (17:38)

4 - Characters in the story: goals and arcs (23:43)

Takeaways and Resources (28:25)

Links

House, M.D.

Hugh Laurie

"The Hero's Journey" - Joseph Campbell

"The Writer's Journey" - Christopher Vogler

Michael Clayton (Film)

Sam Seaborn

"Pilot" (1x01 - The West Wing)

"Pilot" (1x01-02 - Lost)

"Pilot" (1x01 - Community)

Legion (TV Series)

Anton Chigurh

"Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt" (PT43)

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Resources

"The Art Of Dramatic Writing" - Lajos Egri

"The Emotion Thesaurus" - Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

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 Billy Domineau, writer of the popular Seinfeld 9/11 spec script and staff writer on Family Guy, to talk about the pros and cons of writing a TV stunt spec.

When should you write a stunt script? What is the process of making and distributing one? How can a TV spec get shared around town? How do you use that popularity to get represented and staffed on a TV show?

The Paper Team goes viral...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - Brainstorming, writing, distributing and having the stunt spec script go viral (00:54)

2 - Getting representation, being staffed on Family Guy, lessons from the writers' room, and using social media as a TV writer (31:01)

Resources and Next Week On (53:23)

Links

Billy Domineau on Twitter

Seinfeld

Billy Domineau's Seinfeld 9/11 stunt spec ("The Twin Towers") (PDF)

Family Guy

Upright Citizens Brigade

Nicole Conlan's The People v. O.J. Simpson stunt spec ("The Briefcase Switcheroo") (PDF)

The Bechdel test

Jerry Seinfeld (character)

Elaine Benes

Cosmo Kramer

George Costonza

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

"The Conversion" (5x11 - Seinfeld)

"The Secret Code" (7x07 - Seinfeld)

Rachel Bloom

"The 9/11 Seinfeld spec script you absolutely have to read today" - The Comic's Comic

"What Happens When Your 9/11 'Seinfeld' Spec Script Blows Up the Internet" - Splitsider

"This Seinfeld Episode about 9/11 Is a Model of Comedy Writing and Monumentally Bad Taste" - Slate

Jon Lovett

James Adomian

Chris Kelly

Brandon McCarthy

"Billy Domineau talks September 11 spec script" - Entertainment Weekly

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Rachel Bloom's "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" (Video)

3 Arts Entertainment

United Talent Agency

Alec Sulkin

BET (Black Entertainment Television)

"The Wedding Squanchers" (2x10 - Rick & Morty)

Bowen Yang on Twitter

Resources

Writers' Guild Foundation Library

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]

Update: PT44 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of world-building in television writing and TV pilots.

What is the point of world-building in TV shows? What are some good and bad examples of mythology? How can you implement world-building effectively in your own writing? What are some common pitfalls to avoid falling into?

The Paper Team sets the scene...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - Defining world-building (00:58)

2 - Tools of world-building (10:03)

3 - Common pitfalls of world-building (20:19)

Takeaways and Resources (29:22)

Links

The Shield

Vic Mackey

Claudette Wyms

C. C. H. Pounder

The Practice

Battlestar Galactica

The Man in the High Castle (TV Series)

Firefly

American Gods (TV Series)

Cosmos: A Personal Voyage

Logan

Defiance (TV Series)

17th Precinct

Battle of Serenity Valley (Firefly)

The Handmaid's Tale (TV Series)

"Unfinished Business" (3x09 - Battlestar Galactica)

Caprica

Lostpedia

"TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction" (PT38)

"The One with the Prom Video" (2x14 - Friends)

Resources

r/worldbuilding (reddit)

Writing in the Margins' Sensitivity Readers

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 Jason J. Cohn 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 Gary Sundt, writers' assistant on NBC's Superstore and ABC's The Goldbergs, to discuss the ins-and-outs of assisting TV writers in comedy.

How do comedy writers' rooms operate? How do those experiences in the room help your own writing? When and how should you navigate asking your boss to read your content? What are the priorities when helping a writer develop a pilot? What is the meaning of storytelling?

The Paper Team pulls up a chair...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Being a writer's assistant, assisting a showrunner in developing pilots, working in a writer's room, and the role of comedy in politics (00:01:20)

Resources and Next Time On (1:14:32)

Links

Gary Sundt on IMDb

Superstore (TV Series)

The Goldbergs (2013 TV series)

Playboy's the Antiviral Show

Archie Comics

Kill Bill

Angel (TV Series)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Marley & Me

Clerks II

Summertime Killers

Rick Wiener

Kenny Schwartz

American Housewife

Charlie Grandy

Guys With Kids

Super Fun Night

Justin Spitzer

Dan Harmon

Mulaney

America Ferrara

Ruben Fleischer

Colossal

Adam F. Goldberg

Joseph Campbell

Michael Arndt

Blake Snyder

"Save the Cat" - Blake Snyder

Neil Gaiman

Twister (Film)

Independence Day (Film)

Adam Wingard

Death Note (2017 Film)

"The Hidden Life of Trees" - Peter Wohlleben

"Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life" - Winifred Gallagher

"Essays in Love" - Alain de Botton

"Modern Romance" - Aziz Ansari

Resources

Michael Arndt's "Setting a Story in Motion" (Video)

"What Are You Laughing At?" - Dan O'Shannon

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]