Hello All - questions about TV writing

[DizzleJ]

I am a newbie and I am sure I will be posting here a lot. Any way I have recently decided to write a tv series. basicly for fun and maybe turning it into an internet series and what not.

my question is should i write a tv bible first to get down plot and stuff or should i do something eles first

i got basic genral ideas in my head i just need some guidance really. please any help would be great.

[clockwork]

Can you give us any more info as to what you're planning? Sitcom, one hour drama, soap, serial or something more appropriate to the web; ten minute episodes etc?

In any event, I'd say that in terms of scriptwriting nothing matters more than the pilot script. The pilot has to stand on its own without any dependency on future episode ideas, bibles or explanations on your part. It must completely encapsulate what your show is supposed to be about, the characters, the settings, the tone, the pace and, more difficult than a feature script, it has to create a sense of how it will develop and work as a long-running television series. Simply put, your pilot has to be outstanding.

If it's good enough, a producer may ask for your ideas about how you see it developing and future episode ideas you may have but you can't rely on those things to help sell the idea. The pilot has to have it all and then some.

[DizzleJ]

One hour drama

I just have this idea its been bugging me and I want to give it a try. It's just for fun but I want it to be as good as I can make it.

[clockwork]

Well, I guess it still stands. Write an awesome pilot. Approach it like any other writing project; you're creating something that has to stand and speak for itself. Your idea will really has to have legs as well; most tv series get greenlit in the belief that they'll go on and on for many years, even if they don't.

[wordmonkey]

Like clockwork says, rockin' pilot.

You'll need a tagline that tells me this is exactly like two incredibly successful, current TV shows but is significantly different and how.

Given the pilot is one small section of the whole, you'll need to do something like an overview of the show, what are the themes and major season/series long story arcs.

Leading on from that, you'll want to do a brief synopsis of several shows that will follow the pilot. These should be a paragraph of so long (no more than half a page). While it's usually not a good idea to do teasers, you can be a little looser on these. Think of them as a slightly expanded version of what you might see in the TV listings for an episode.

Lastly you will want to do mini character bios for the major characters. Same kinda length as the episode breakdowns.

Ultimately this will form the backbone of the show bible. But this is what you need to sell.

Additionally, try to get your show concept worked in such a way that you can sum it up in 55-60 words.

Even if you have a reputation, pitching a show idea is nigh impossible. If you want to work in TV, you'd be better picking a couple of your favorite shows and doing a spec script as samples. Just make sure they are current (popular helps, but current is a must).

Hope this helps.

[padnar]

what is the one hour drama ? will they take scripts from Indian script writers .
I am in the process of writing a script .It is about 25 pages . i have to stretch it to 100 pages for feature film but for Tv how many pages should i write ? pl can anyone explain?
padma

[donroc]

1 hr show=37 minutes of script. We have commericals and station promos of their other shows galore these days.

[wordmonkey]

The page counts of a minute a page don't translate exactly to a TV format.

For an hour, you want to have a teaser than three/four acts. Each act starts on a page-break. And you wanna aim for roughly a page count of around 55-60 pages.

Something like a sitcom, depending on the specific formating you go with (three-camera, studio vs. single camera) you might be running at roughly two pages per minute, meaning a 22 minute sitcom runs at 44 pages.

There are sites on line you can find that will give you some specifics. Just google TV script format, and you should find some useful info.

I would say that in general terms however, if you are padding to stretch a script you won't sell it because it will read like you padded a script. It's always better to have too much and cut back, than have not enough and add to. It really does show.

However, what might help is that you possible ONLY have your "A" plot. You are possible missing a "B" plot, and if you work in THAT, you might well find that the addition of that, and a couple of scenes where maybe your "A" and "B" plots interconnect, you have your page count.

[Plot Device]

I suggest you keep webisodes very short. Like 7 minutes each.

[padnar]

Thanks for the info
padma

[ParsonBoyles]

For an hour, you want to have a teaser than three/four acts.

The newer standard is five acts. Than means even more time for commercials. I think some networks use the five act structure so they don't air commercials between shows. Less chance of flipping away if the next show starts immediately as the previous one ends.

It's use is still developing, but I think many shows use it the same way Lost does, with the fifth act as a very short denouement or one last cliffhanger twist. It is only a couple of pages long.