Month: October 2014

Herbie J Pilato: Thank you, “The Flash!” It looks like the dark and dingy days of TV may be over!

The-Flash-The-CW-Logo-2014-300x300by Herbie J Pilato

If what The CW is doing with The Flash is any indication of where television programming is going, then LONG LIVE THE FLASH!

Like Mad Men before it, there is nothing particularly ground-breaking about The Flash.

Its creative team, led by Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Smallville, etc.) is simply catching on that “dark and dingy” productions do not only a hit make. read article

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

Chapter 78: Juggling Less
by Leesa Dean

I’m not a huge circus fan but I seem to spend a lot of time juggling.  And it’s kinda driving me nuts.juggling

I’m simultaneously working on three projects (including a writing/developing brand new one), taking meetings, prepping to (gasp) start pitching and trying to maintain everything in, well, life.  Did I mention I’m also thinking about filming a couple of mini-shorts?

Something’s gotta give. read article

Cassandra Hennessey: What Makes AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD So Damn Good?

The-Walking-Dead-Season-5

by Cassandra Hennessey

What makes AMC’s The Walking Dead so damn good?

Well, everything. But let me break it down for purposes of explanation.

First and foremost is the writing, of course; and as a writer, I thoroughly appreciate and admire the painstaking attention-to-detail and realism that the writers pour into every script. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/13/14

TOSHIBA Exif JPEG

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman

  • James Wong (AMERICAN HORROR STORY) is writing a CBS pilot about an angel who teams up with a female police detective to solve crimes.  (Ye olde muncher isn’t too taken with that part of the premise, but wait, it gets cooler: The angel has lost his wings and is stranded on earth, which means that he and the detective spend a lotta time “trying to uncover the mystery” of why he’s been made mortal. C’mon, that really is kinda cool, no?)
  • Matt Wheeler (the upcoming TIN MEN) is writing an NBC drama about a mob family called THE FAMILY BUSINESS. (And if the series is anywhere near as “original” as that title, whoa, baby, NBC’s in big trouble…again)
  • Evan Dougherty (DIVERGENT) is adapting Five Ghosts, an Image Comic book by Frank J. Barbiere & Chris Mooneyham into a series pilot for Syfy. (The comic is about a 1930s treasure hunter possessed by Merlin, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Musashi, and Dracula, which means that come hell, high water, or incarceration by the Sheriff of Nottingham, el munchero will watch every episode of this awesomeness…even if the TV version turns out not so awesome. And, yeppers, I think you should too.)
  • Gillian Flynn (GONE GIRL) has been signed to write every episode of HBO’s new thriller series, UTOPIA. (Which means that you and I every writer we know – unless you know Gillian, is plumb out of lock for working on that damn series. So while I’m happy for Ms. F, I’m just a tad put out at all the lost $$$. I mean credit. I mean…experience. Yeah, that’s it, experience, that I kinda sorta wanted to get. Guess we’ll have to file this deal in the Life Ain’t Fair Department, yes?)

That’s it for now. Write in and tell munchilito what you’ve sold today. TVWriter™ can’t wait to brag to all your friends. (And, more importantly, enemies. Hehehe….)

Angelo J. Bell: Tips for Pitching for TV

TV biz structureby Angelo J. Bell

  • Enjoy watching TV. But when the time comes to put down the remote and pick up a keyboard to write, do it without reserve or hesitation.
  • Know the general theme of your show, i.e. Capitalism and revenge: Their effects on industry, culture and the individual (love & relationships).
  • Clear your mind of “can’t.”
  • Now more than ever is the time to take the lid off your TV concepts, consider all genre-bending ideas. Networks are looking for freshness. Don’t limit yourself – the sky’s the limit.
  • If you’ve had ideas that an individual, production company or network, PASSed on, go back, revisit, revamp. Reconnect to the characters and rewrite.
  • Many networks — TV and basic cable — are willing to push boundaries, be less specific and cross genres…IF the right project comes along. YOUR idea can be the impetus for their changes.
  • Working on a web series? Kick it up a notch for #TV. Hundreds of networks and stations are looking for content that stands out and is on-brand (don’t know what your network’s “brand is” watch it, research it and ask)
  • The best #TV pitching I’ve ever done has been on projects I connected with on an emotional, cerebral, philosophical and/or psychological level. Dig down deep into each character’s life and choices. When you truly know them, you can talk at length about any situation your character may find him or herself in.
  • When pitching, consider and include your PERSONAL connection to the story and characters. That’s what made the script/concept what it is.