Notes from Underdog.

(Via Script Magazine) Sobering thoughts on trying to write and sell specs for TV

This is a sobering but important article on the reality of submitting TV scripts written by Chad Gerwich for Script Magazine that folks on Twitter's #tvwriterchat and others among you who are trying to get your spec TV scripts read and even sold.  

How Do I Submit My Scripts to TV Shows?>>

Just a couple of snippets:

TV shows don’t accept submissions from outside writers.

Most TV shows — from sitcoms and dramas like Raising Hope or Hawaii Five-Oh to sketch, talk, and variety shows like The Colbert Report or The Tonight Show — are written by staffs, groups of (usually) five to 10 writers hired to architect the season and write every episode … so they’re not actively looking for new scripts, writers, or story ideas.

...

And lastly … yes — the world of professional TV writers is, ultimately, a fairly small pool … so even when shows hire new writers, or new shows put together a staff, they’re hiring from the same well of writers that’s been circulating for years. This isn’t to say those writers aren’t talented. Far from it … I find that most TV writers, especially the veterans, are A) incredibly passionate and talented, and B) absolute experts on structure, character, joke-writing, etc. But even the freshest voices can become un-fresh, and the true geniuses — the Larry Gelbarts and the David Chases and the Louis C.K.’s and the Joss Whedons — only come along once in a blue moon.

...

Having said that, the WGA, the Writers Guild of America (the labor union governing professional screenwriters), in an effort to inject new blood into the writing world, does require TV shows that have been on-air for at least a year to farm out 2-3 freelance episodes per season to writers who aren’t on staff.

Most of the time — and by “most” I mean “pretty much all of” — these freelance scripts are given to either:

• The show’s writers assistant
• The assistant to the show’s showrunner or executive producer
• A personal writer-friend of the showrunner, often someone who’s already an established professional writer

 

 

Pitch Panic: How to Get Past the Tripping Point (Guest post by Peter Desberg and Jeffrey Davis.)

[Editor’s note: I decided that in order to post something here about pitching, I should call in someone with more experience in that arena than I have. I am still learning the art of pitching, having done most of mine so far on the phone or via e-mails. But these two guys, who know a good amount about comedy writing and the writing business, "pitched me" and I was sold. So here you go. Feel free to post comments below with your own pitching stories -- good and bad. --Craig]

by Peter Desberg and Jeffrey Davis

In our book Show Me The Funny!: At the Writers Table With Hollywood's Top Comedy Writers, twenty-seven comedy writers take a generic premise we gave them and develop it into twenty-two unique stories. An unexpected bonus is some great pitch stories that emerged during these interviews. Both screenwriters and sitcom writers from the golden age of TV to Everybody Loves Raymond talked about their experiences with producers and executives. That gave us the idea of writing a pitch book. We called in two friends: a writer/director with forty movies to his credit who has spent time on both sides of the desk and a producer who has two Oscars to her credit. The four of us started spit-balling.

Within twenty minutes we heard that a competent producer “can smell a good story regardless of how it's presented.” Then we heard: “The story isn't that important. It's the enthusiasm of the person making the pitch.” The same person made both statements…our award-winning producer.

This double message showed us why so many people go into pitch meetings with shaking knees, sweaty hands and pounding hearts. We decided we could be much more helpful talking about how to handle the stage fright that emerges whenever even the most experienced and successful writers pitch. 

Stage Fright? What is it good for?

Stage fright can actually be useful if you can convert it into excitement. Too much of it can be devastating, but it can motivate you to practice. To kick that off, here's one tip to help you project enthusiasm.

1. Go over your idea or script and make sure it's good enough to merit your enthusiasm. It's important that you think it's great.

2. Take a stab at this classic acting exercise: practice pitching over-the-top; do it with wildly exaggerated enthusiasm. Go for a cartoony effect to get in touch with the most extreme enthusiasm you can create. (Make sure you're alone when you do this.) Next, look for something within that crazy, out-of-control pitch and find an element in it that resonates with you. Try it again, only this time, dial it down to a level you feel comfortable pitching with.

3. Use a camcorder to record yourself. Tinker with the presentation until you're happy with the results.

4. When you're ready, try the pitch out on a few discerning friends who will give you honest and knowledgeable feedback.

5. Find some other more extreme friends to help you simulate a pitch going very wrong. Ask them to push even beyond that point. Tell them they can't hurt your feelings. Remind them that you're a writer and you have no feelings left.

We were struck by the level of enthusiasm Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (Dinner for Schmucks, The Santa Clause 2, Bubble Boy), one of the writing teams we interviewed, generated during their pitch. As they were developing a story their enthusiasm for what they were creating grew exponentially. Soon they were finishing one another's sentences and feeding off each other's energy and ideas. 

If you find this useful, we'll be happy to provide many more tips to battle “Pitch Panic.” Come to our web site Show Me the Funny! [or www.smtfo.com]. And, hey while you're at it 'Like' us on Facebook.

 

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About the Authors:

One out of every 150 people in America bought a copy of a joke book that Peter Desberg has written. Unfortunately, Scholastic sold the most popular one for $1 each, so he still has to work. Counting his five joke books, he has had twenty books published. In addition to this lucrative writing career, he is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the area of stage fright. He has worked with many top stand-up comedians, who are regularly confronted with massive cases of flop sweat. He also has been moonlighting as a full professor at California State University Dominguez Hills for over thirty years.

Jeffrey Davis's earliest memories are of sitting around the writers' table at Nate & Al's Delicatessen, where his father and his comedy writer cronies gathered over corn beef and Doctor Brown's Cream Soda, told war stories, and tried to fix third acts. He began his own career writing jokes for Thicke of the Night. Among his situation comedy credits are Love Boat, House Calls with Lynn Redgrave, Give Me a Break, Diff'rent Strokes, and Night Court. He has also written for such shows as America's Funniest People, America's Funniest Home Videos, and Small Wonder, and has had film projects developed by Bette Midler's All Girl Productions, among others. His plays have been produced in New York and Los Angeles. His most recently published play is Speed Dating 101. He is the Screenwriting Department Chair and associate professor of film and TV writing at Loyola Marymount University. His one night of stand-up at the Comedy Store convinced him that he should stay permanently seated at his desk.

 

 

THE INTERRUPTERS: A doc you need to see.

****1/2 out of 5.

With a title that makes it sound like an action film, Steve James' new documentary THE INTERRUPTERS actually is an action film in a way -- it's about the incredible actions of a few brave, reformed souls who try to do some good in a world of violence.  James, who co-directed the masterful epic HOOP DREAMS, returns to Chicago for this story of those who call themselves "interrupters," people who try to mediate gang-related disputes before they escalate into violence. 

The film, based on a book by Alex Kotlowitz, has a remarkable, "fly on the wall" style of which Frederick Wiseman would approve. Many of these real-life characters, both gang members and former gang members, plus their connected friends and family, are too good to be true. Front and center is the unforgettable Ameena Matthews, whose father is Jeff Fort, one of Chicago's most notorious gang leaders, and who was herself a drug ring enforcer. But having children and finding solace in Islam solidified Ameena's life. She is blunt, strong, funny, and admirably determined, the kind of character you cannot make up. Another interrupted is Cobe Williams, who also had a life of crime before he turned his life around. Now he's on the streets, bravely intervening, as when, in a memorabe sequence, he talks a beyond agitated gang member out of seeking revenge. And that guy himself becomes another indellible, likably human, character as the film progresses. In yet another story, Williams takes a young gang member, now out of prison and wanting to fix his life, to the scene of his crime, where he apologizes to a skeptical store owner. It's an utterly moving scene. 

I will not spoil other events and turns as seen in the film. I only urge you to see it. It's not just engaging, despite a fairly long 2+ hour running time, but, despite the depressing setting and tragic events that lead to a lot of this, it is inspiring beyond words. 

Here's where it's playing currently: http://interrupters.kartemquin.com/screenings

Further reading and actions:
The NY Times article that started it all. 

And, connected to the film, I highly recommend learning more about CeaseFire, a national public health strategy that has been scientifically proven to reduce shootings and killings. CeaseFire maintains that violence is a learned behavior that can be prevented using disease control methods. The model employs former gang members to interrupt and intervene on situations likely to result in a shooting or killing, and works to change the behavior and social norms that perpetuate violence.