TV Development Guide

  pied the most time (2.8 hours per day), account-

  ing for just over half of all leisure time, on aver-

  age. The amount of time people spent watch-

  ing TV varied by age. Those ages 15 to 44 spent

  the least amount of time watching TV, averag-

  ing around 2.0 hours per day, and those ages 65

  and over spent the most time watching TV, av-

  eraging over 4.0 hours per day.” ( See table p.160)

  !159

  Act 5

  !

  !160

  Act 5

  WHAT SOME ACTORS HAVE SAID ABOUT WORKING IN TV:

  “I feel like some of the best talent is on TV right

  now, with the writing, acting and great direc-

  tors. I've also been looking for the consistency

  of work that TV provides for you. And, I al-

  ways thought it would be really interesting to

  live with a character for months, if not years.”

  CHRISTINA RICCI ( Brainyquote.com)

  “I wanted to be involved in TV and film in

  some capacity, so a compromise, because acting

  seemed unrealistic, and so risky, was to get into

  the production side. And it was a really fortu-

  nate, smart move looking back on it, because it

  gave me perspective on another side of the

  business.”

  WENTWORTH MILLER

  (Brainyquote.com)

  “When you're doing a TV show, it's not like you

  just shoot for six weeks and you're in an editing

  room with all of your footage. It's like a guitar

  or a car, you have to fine tune things. You stop

  doing what's not working, you work on what is

  working and you add things that do work.”

  CHRIS PRATT (Brainyquote.com)

  “I don't have real big aspirations to be a movie

  star. I would love to be on a long-running hit

  TV show. You end up playing a defining role.”

  JENNA FISCHER (Brainyquote.com)

  !161

  Act 5

  TAKE NOTE

  Most TV shows don’t make it to the small screen. According to

  Wikipedia.com, in 2018 it categorized 45 pages of “Unaired Pro-

  duced Pilots.” Each year, millions of dollars are spent on pilots

  that don’t get picked up to series. But every show that does get on

  TV, on all the networks, cable and streaming platforms, shows you

  that you can beat the odds and get a show on the air!

  Another thing to consider is that your TV show may change as

  time goes by due to many influences beyond your control, such as

  budget constraints, actors, directors, life, and timing. But the hope

  is that your show/pilot gets better and better even through delays

  and detours.

  FINAL TAKES

  YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED A COURSE IN TV DEVEL-

  OPMENT!

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  You have acquired the tools you need to sell your ideas because

  you have studied the processes and heard from the experts.

  Also, you have a pre-requisite for becoming a TV Development

  executive, TV writer or TV producer. I hope you feel you have a

  good understanding and a greater appreciation of what it takes to

  develop and sell a TV show.

  !162

  Act 5

  WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

  If you are interested in becoming a:

  Development/Current Executive at a network, streaming ser-

  vice or a studio:

  • Get in the door at one of the big companies and start as

  an assistant.

  • Read, learn, network!

  Agent or Manager:

  • Sign up for a company’s training program.

  • Network and read!

  Writer:

  • Keep writing.

  • Submit online.

  • Get in a writing program.

  Producer:

  • Keep working.

  • Find great material.

  Director:

  • Keep directing. Work on your craft.

  • Get a job working for a director.

  Most Important For All:

  • NEVER GIVE UP!

  !163

  Act 5

  NOW, GO MAKE YOUR TV SHOW!

  When you do get your show in production, you will have a

  chance to hire a director (unless one is already attached), a staff of

  writers (it’s critical to get the best), a cast, and all the below-the-

  line producers and production crew who will figure out every-

  thing necessary to transform what is on the page to the small

  screen. Seeing your hard work grow from a mere idea and come

  to life on the screen is no less than wonderful.

  SUCCESS

  In my experience, when a show gets on the air and continues for

  several seasons, it is exhilarating! It’s a great experience for you,

  the audience, the networks, the studios, and everyone involved.

  My years in television production have been very rewarding to

  me; professionally, personally, and financially. On top of that, I

  truly enjoyed working on every show I have been a part of. That

  is why I am so enthusiastic about this business.

  !164

  GLOSSARY

  Terms used in the TV industry

  ACQUIRED CONTENT: TV shows that previously aired on one

  network are then purchased by another network to broadcast.

  ACT BREAKS: Places where a TV show is divided up to allow

  for commercials.

  AGENCY PACKAGE: Talent agencies represent key people or

  companies attached to a show. They receive a fee from the pro-

  duction for every episode.

  ATTACHMENTS: Key people and companies to add to your

  project when developing it.

  BEAT SHEET: A bullet-point outline of a pilot or concept for a TV

  series.

  BELOW THE LINE: Crew members that work on the production

  of a TV or film.

  BIBLE: A document that details the extended plan for the series.

  It would include all of the character descriptions, themes, tone,

  world and have episode ideas and/or arcs for the characters.

  BRAND: How a network is in the marketplace as evidenced by

  their choice of programming, target audience, marketing focus,

  development objectives, etc.

  BREAK THE STORY: A term used by writers on a show when

  they are fleshing out the plot and character arcs for a series.

  BUYERS LIST: A list of all the networks, including streaming

  outlets. A buyer is any network who will pay for content to air.

  !167

  Glossary

  COLD CALL: A term used when you don’t know executives per-

  sonally, but call to see if you can get a meeting for your project.

  COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT REPORT: A list of what

  projects the networks are actively buying for development.

  COVERAGE: A report that an agent, manager, producer or exec-

  utive asks a reader to put together on a script or book.

  DEFICIT FINANCE: The amount of money it costs a studio to

  produce an episode above the network’s license fee.

  FIRST RUN: The first airing of a show on a network.

  FLYER: When a network will take a risk with a particular project.

  GREEN-LIGHT: When a project is moving into the production

  phase.

  HIP-POCKETING CLIENTS: When an agent or manager does

  not formally re
present someone, but they are working with them

  on the side.

  INDIE TV: When you receive independent financing to produce a

  pilot and/or a season(s) of a show.

  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP): Published or produced

  works. This would include articles, books, comic books, graphic

  novels, someone’s life rights (past or present), short stories, po-

  ems, blogs, past TV shows, foreign TV shows and movies.

  LICENSE FEE: A fee that networks pay studios, per episode, for

  the rights to air their shows.

  LOGLINE: One or two sentences describing what the TV series

  or movie is about.

  !168

  Glossary

  NOTES: These are thoughts that are given to writers about their

  material.

  OPTION AGREEMENT: A contract where the person proposing

  for the agreement/producer pays the rights upfront, and every-

  thing is negotiated before the producer can attempt to sell it.

  PACKAGE: All the people and organizations affiliated in any

  way to a project.

  PAGE NOTES: Small thoughts on a specific page of a script.

  PITCH: A verbal presentation of a project from the writers and

  producers to a studio or network.

  PITCH DOCUMENT: A blueprint for the pitch. Producers and

  writers use this as a tool for preparing the pitch before going out

  to the networks.

  POINTS: A legal term used in contracts regarding the sharing of

  profits on a project.

  PRIME TIME: Term used to describe when adults, ages 18-49, the

  most coveted demographic, watch television. It’s TV viewing af-

  ter dinner and before bedtime, or from 8:00-10:00 p.m.

  PROCEDURALS: Dramas (could be comedies as well) that have

  stand-alone episodes. They do not need to be watched in order.

  Sometimes called franchises.

  PUT-PILOT: Term used when an idea is sold and the network

  makes a commitment to shoot the pilot before a script is written.

  READERS: People who are paid to read a script or book and

  write a report on it, similar to a book report. They can be a profes-

  sional reader for hire, an assistant or a lower level executive.

  !169

  Glossary

  REBOOT: An updated version of an old TV show or movie.

  REVERSE ENGINEER: A strategy used to manipulate an idea to

  better accommodate a particular market.

  SERIALIZED: A series that has episodes which are connected

  and must be watched in order.

  SHOPPING AGREEMENT: A contract where there is no upfront

  cost for the person proposing the agreement (the producer). This

  gives the producer the right to try to sell the project for a specified

  amount of time.

  SHOWRUNNER: The writing executive producer on a TV series.

  They are responsible for everything from the writing to the pro-

  duction of the show.

  SISTER STUDIO: A production company that is attached to a

  network.

  SIZZLE REEL: A video presentation, or proof of concept, for the

  pitch of a project.

  SPEC SCRIPT: A pilot script written before being commissioned

  or paid. This is a sample of a writer’s writing skills and voice.

  STAFF WRITER: The entry-level position for a writer on a TV

  series.

  STANDARDS AND PRACTICES: Rules networks must adhere

  to that control the content of their shows.

  STORY AREA: The first document presented after a script is

  commissioned by a network. It consists of the general story of the

  pilot episode.

  TEASER: The opening scene of a TV show.

  !170

  Glossary

  TREATMENT: This is usually the first document a writer

  presents that gives details about his or her idea.

  TV TALENT: The department in talent agencies that represent

  actors (as opposed to the literary departments which represent

  writers and directors).

  TV DEVELOPMENT: The department in networks, studios and

  production companies that work with writers on ideas and strate-

  gies for TV shows.

  WORLD: Where a TV show takes place, i.e., setting, location,

  time period, etc.

  WRITERS LIST: A list of potential writers that development ex-

  ecutives and producers put together for specific projects.

  !171

  SPECIAL THANKS

  I would like to thank Bobbi Michaels, Yvette Lowenthal-Mulderry,

  Jill Karnick-Grill, Jill Cote, Stephanie Stein, Deb Weisberg, Karen

  Horwitz, Nicole and Larry Seymour, Eric Balfour and Marty

  Berneman for all their love and support over the years, it has

  meant the world to me.

  !173

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Stephanie Varella is a partner in the independent production

  company, TheNew Entertainment.com; the creator and instructor of

  “TV Development: From Idea to Small Screen,” a class in the En-

  tertainment Studies department at UCLA; and a professional TV

  expert/consultant/owner of TVDevelopmentCoach.com.

  As Vice President of Series Development and Production at Jerry

  Bruckheimer TV and Development Executive at Spelling Enter-

  tainment, she developed and worked on such hit TV shows as

  CSI, CSI: NY, CSI: MIAMI, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Amazing Race,

  Charmed, 7th Heaven, Any Day Now and The New Love Boat.

  Stephanie is in development, or has developed shows, with all the

  major studios and broadcast/cable networks and is currently sell-

  ing to the newer streaming platforms. One of her shows in devel-

  opment is at Freeform (fka ABC Family) with Warren Littlefield

  Co. and MGM.

  !175