Pilot Crash Courses
Pilots are the most important document for any TV writer, aspiring or professional. They are also one of the most difficult things to write. Especially without access to the knowledge and workshop of a film class. That’s where I come in. As an NYU graduate and professional television writer, I’ve spent the last decade studying pilot and episodic structure. All that I’ve learned is packaged into these masterclasses. This 7-video series is designed to take you through the process of creating and writing your own original pilot script. From the basics of formatting and structure to outlining and scene analysis, each video serves as a detailed deep dive into every step of the pilot process in order to set you up for success when you’re ready for pen to hit paper.
Pilots are the most important document for any TV writer, aspiring or professional. They are also one of the most difficult things to write. Especially without access to the knowledge and workshop of a film class. That’s where I come in. As an NYU graduate and professional television writer, I’ve spent the last decade studying pilot and episodic structure. All that I’ve learned is packaged into these masterclasses. This 7-video series is designed to take you through the process of creating and writing your own original pilot script. From the basics of formatting and structure to outlining and scene analysis, each video serves as a detailed deep dive into every step of the pilot process in order to set you up for success when you’re ready for pen to hit paper.
Pilots are the most important document for any TV writer, aspiring or professional. They are also one of the most difficult things to write. Especially without access to the knowledge and workshop of a film class. That’s where I come in. As an NYU graduate and professional television writer, I’ve spent the last decade studying pilot and episodic structure. All that I’ve learned is packaged into these masterclasses. This 7-video series is designed to take you through the process of creating and writing your own original pilot script. From the basics of formatting and structure to outlining and scene analysis, each video serves as a detailed deep dive into every step of the pilot process in order to set you up for success when you’re ready for pen to hit paper.
Video Details:
Video 1: All about the basics. You’ll learn act structure for both comedy and drama pilots, how to use Final Draft, and how to format your scripts.
Video 2: A deep dive into the key components of storytelling - character and plot. Learn how I start conceptualizing my pilots to turn ideas into stories.
Video 3: Branding. As professional storytellers, we have to create a brand for ourselves. Here’s how to start curating your brand to ensure your pilot fits into your career goals.
Video 4*: Pitching is 90% of what we do. (Maybe even 99%). Here’s advice straight from my experience in the HBO Writer’s Fellowship on how to pitch yourself clearly and concisely.
Video 5: Scene Analysis. Here, we watch five scenes of television together and I analyze them in real time to aid in your own scene writing as you start writing your own script.
Video 6*: “The Office” Beat Sheet. Watch how we break story in a writers’ room by placing beats on the board. The step before outline and finally, writing. Recommended for aspiring comedy writers.
Video 7: Breaking Bad Beat Sheet. Watch how we break story in a writers’ room by placing beats on the board. The step before outline and finally, writing. Recommended for aspiring drama writers.
*Videos with asterisks are accompanied by original documents as described below:
Video 4 Series Pitch Document Template: an in-depth template of how I write pitch documents for my TV shows.
Video 6 “The Office” Outline: an original outline of The Office pilot script to show the process from going from beat sheet to outline.
Video 7 “Breaking Bad” Outline: an original outline of The Office pilot script to show the process from going from beat sheet to outline.