Write to TV
Out of Your Head and onto the Screen
- 1st Edition - December 15, 2006
- Latest edition
- Author: Martie Cook
- Language: English
Learn to craft smart, original scripts and teleplays for a variety of television formats, including comedy, animation, drama, movies of the week, pilots, reality television, TV… Read more
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Description
Description
Learn to craft smart, original scripts and teleplays for a variety of television formats, including comedy, animation, drama, movies of the week, pilots, reality television, TV news magazine, and children's programming. Using the tools the author provides: checklists, sample outlines and treatments for each format, sample script pages, war stories from writers and executives, and a sample query letter to introduce finished script pages to agents, you'll avoid common pitfalls and come across as an industry veteran. Benefit from the experience of pros: 45 luminaries contribute their experience and wisdom, including Jay Leno, Mike Wallace, Norman Lear, Paul Haggis, writers for "Grey's Anaatomy," "Desperate Housewives," and more!
With twenty-five years of industry experience as a television writer and producer, Martie Cook teaches you not only how to hone your craft but also how to break into the industry. Guiding you through the often confusing television hierarchy, Write to TV offers practical advice on important issues such as how to get an agent, how to write a query letter, how to network, even how to "do lunch". By learning how to craft smart scripts for a variety of television formats and how to get your foot in the door and keep it there, this invaluable book will help you get that big idea out of your head, onto the page, and then to the top of the heap.
With twenty-five years of industry experience as a television writer and producer, Martie Cook teaches you not only how to hone your craft but also how to break into the industry. Guiding you through the often confusing television hierarchy, Write to TV offers practical advice on important issues such as how to get an agent, how to write a query letter, how to network, even how to "do lunch". By learning how to craft smart scripts for a variety of television formats and how to get your foot in the door and keep it there, this invaluable book will help you get that big idea out of your head, onto the page, and then to the top of the heap.
Key features
Key features
Learn how to craft smart scripts for a variety of television formats and break into the business through:
* Examples: In addition to examples of common pitfalls, book includes sample outlines for various formats.
* Industry wisdom: Benefit from the advice of an experienced writer. But you don't have to take her word for it--the book is filled with advice, stories, and examples from people currently working in the TV industry.
* Practical advice: Business section offers practical advice on important issues like getting an agent, how to write a query letter, and how to network your way into a job.
* Examples: In addition to examples of common pitfalls, book includes sample outlines for various formats.
* Industry wisdom: Benefit from the advice of an experienced writer. But you don't have to take her word for it--the book is filled with advice, stories, and examples from people currently working in the TV industry.
* Practical advice: Business section offers practical advice on important issues like getting an agent, how to write a query letter, and how to network your way into a job.
Readership
Readership
Up-and-coming television writers in the industry as well as non-industry TV buffs with secret aspirations to write for television.
Table of contents
Table of contents
PART ONE: HOW HOLLYWOOD WORKS; Chapter 1. An Overview of the TV Industry; 2. Getting Your Scripts Read; PART TWO: COMEDY; 3. Situational Comedies; 4. Developing Your Sitcom Story; 5. Sitcom Structure; 6. Outlining Your Sitcom Story; 7. Scripting Your Sitcom; 8. Other Kinds of TV Comedy; PART THREE: PRIMETIME DRAMA; 9. Plot-Driven Dramas; 10. Character-Driven Drama; 11. Outlining Your Primetime Drama; 12. Scripting Your Primetime Drama; PART FOUR: TELEVISION MOVIES; 13. Made For TV Movies; PART FIVE – CREATING ORIGINAL SERIES; 14. The Television Pilot; 15. Finding an Original Premise; PART SIX - CHARACTERS; 16. Creating Compelling Characters; PART SEVEN: DIALOGUE; 17. Writing Dialogue That Dances On the Page; PART EIGHT: HOW TO PITCH YOUR COMEDY, DRAMA OR MOW; 18. How To Get a Pitch Meeting; PART NINE: TV NEWS MAGAZINE SHOWS; 19. Writing For TV Magazine Shows; 20. A Mock Assignment; 21. The Shoot; 22. On Location; 23. Putting Your Story Together; 24. In The Edit Bay; PART TEN: REALITY TELEVSION; 25. Writing Reality Television; PART ELEVEN: CHILDREN’S TELEVISION; 26. Writing For Munchkins and Rugrats;
PART TWELVE: THE BUSINESS SIDE OF TELEVISION; 27. How To Get An Agent; 28. The WGA; 29. Writing Teams; PART THIRTEEN: HOW TO GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR; 30. How To Get Work as a Television Writer; 31. The Interview; 32. Now That you’ve Got the Job; 33. The Power of Networking; 34. Other Things That Can Help You Succeed
PART TWELVE: THE BUSINESS SIDE OF TELEVISION; 27. How To Get An Agent; 28. The WGA; 29. Writing Teams; PART THIRTEEN: HOW TO GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR; 30. How To Get Work as a Television Writer; 31. The Interview; 32. Now That you’ve Got the Job; 33. The Power of Networking; 34. Other Things That Can Help You Succeed
Product details
Product details
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: February 14, 2007
- Language: English
About the author
About the author
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Martie Cook
Martie Cook has over twenty-five years of experience as a television writer and producer and is a professor at Emerson College. She has written for such hit shows as “Charles in Charge”, “Full House”, “Joe’s Life”, and “One West Waikiki”. Her screenplay, Zachary’s Truth was a finalist in the Massachusetts Screenwriting Contest, and in the prestigious Chesterfield Writer’s Program, before being optioned by Universal Studios. Martie has served as writer/producer on “Real Life”, “Better Homes and Gardens”, “NBC Nightly News”, “The Today Show”, “Entertainment Tonight”, “America’s Most Wanted”, and the Emmy-award winning children’s show, “Zoom”.
Affiliations and expertise
Martie Cook has over twenty-five years of experience as a television writer and producer and is a professor at Emerson College in Boston. She has written and produced for such shows as "NBC Nightly News", "The Today Show", "Entertainment Tonight", "Charles in Charge" and "Full House."View book on ScienceDirect
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