40 years worth of TV writing experience and info, yours for the taking.
The Good News:
Amazon.Com has a very cool toy for all us writerly, film-makerly girls and boys. It’s called Amazon Storyteller and it’s a free online tool that turns scripts into storyboards. Oh, and it really seems to work. We aren’t ultra sure of this because of:
Or don’t work, as the case may be. For example:
Coming this FallAs a former showrunner of new shows, one of my constant battles was with the network promotion department. The network never aired enough promos of our show to suit me. I’m sure all showrunners say this (except maybe the WHITNEY guys two years ago – I’m surprised NBC isn’t still promoting it even after canceling it).
And when networks do run your promo, in which show do they air it in? Getting a pop on THE VOICE is way better than SAVE ME. Every new comedy on ABC wants exposure on MODERN FAMILY, not MALIBU COUNTRY. And of course promoting your show on Saturday night is like someone making announcements in an empty theater.
by Peggy BechkoEvery once in a while I’m asked by a reader, a fan, “what do YOU read?”
You mean besides my own work over and over and over again to edit, catch mistakes and generally polish?
I read a lot. A lot as in a huge volume of material and ‘a lot’ as in variety of material. So I belong toGoodreads and share some of my books there.
by Angelo J. BellThis year’s Great American Pitchfest (#GAPF) marks the 1-year anniversary of the beginning of the Royal Court of World Domination (#RCWD). It was one year ago that I drove up to Burbank to meet with Justin W Hedges. At the time I was submitting pitches to NBCUniversal through my prod co. Kiss Hug Five and a membership in IFTA.
Justin and I had met a year earlier when he came to LA for a visit and scheduled time with me. He even drove down to my neck of the woods to meet up. I was appreciative of that.
This time I had reached out to Justin because I’d read one of his scripts and I knew he embraced the concept of creatingcommercially viable projects. Yes, we understood the nature of developing passion projects, but we also understood that a project that won’t sell does very little for your career, if indeed you expect to make money in this business.
Yessir, it’s that time of year again. The time when Dan Harmon steps into the spotlight and monopolizes the television news. How does he do this? Why does he do this? Why can’t we @!%# do this?
by Chris Willman“If any of you are a midlevel writer who doesn’t work for ‘Parks and Rec,’ let me know that you exist and I would love to hire you,” the reinstated showrunner cracks at a Los Angeles Cinefamily event.
Somebody has a lot of catching up to do on Community. And that someone is Dan Harmon, who is formalizing his deal to return for the fifth season of the series he created. On Saturday night, he admitted he hasn’t been paying any attention to the NBC comedy’s creative direction since his unceremonious exit a year ago.