UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Public Syllabus

UCLA Extension Writers’ Program
Public Syllabus
Note to students: this “public” syllabus is designed to give you a glimpse into this course
and instructor. If you have further questions about our courses or curriculum, please
contact the Writers’ Program at (310) 825-9415 or via email at
writers@uclaextension.edu. We are happy to answer any questions and to help you find
the best class to achieve your writing goals.
Zadoc Angell UCLA Extension Syllabus
TV Pilot Writing with a TV Lit Manager: Intermediate Workshop Syllabus
X 439.2 Film & Television 3 units
You want to write your next pilot in order to break into the TV business as a
professional writer. If that statement rings true, this writing course is for you.
Taught by Zadoc Angell, a former Paradigm TV Literary Agent and currently a TV
Literary Manager at Artist International, this workshop helps you write a pilot from
an informed industry perspective. You will learn current TV trends, network brands
and their specific needs, and get information about the kinds of pilots executives
and showrunners want to read today. In addition, the course explores how to get
representation in Hollywood and how to manage your relationships with
representatives to get them working for you. Mr. Angell and guest speakers from the
TV industry help to demystify the business and give you the tools to prepare for a
successful career in television. The goal of the course is to create a new comedy or
drama pilot over 10 weeks from idea conception to a strong first draft. Prerequisite:
X<\!s>430.4 Beginning Writing for the 1-Hour Spec Drama or X<\!s>431.6 HalfHour Spec Comedy, X 431.4 Writing the 1-Hour Spec Drama or X 431.6 Half-Hour
Spec Comedy, and any pilot course. Course may be taken as a certificate core
requirement. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Course may be taken as a certificate
core or elective requirement. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Internet access
required to retrieve course materials.
Grading Criteria:
Attendance: 15%
Class participation: 25%
Completion of Outline: 10%
Completion of Teaser & First Act: 10%
Completion of First Draft: 40%
Writers’ Program & Instructor Contact Information
For help with any administrative issues please contact the Writers’ Program: (310)
825- 9415 / writers@uclaextension.edu. If you have a question or need to reach me
between classes use
Identify yourself in the subject line as UCLA Extension Student.
Recommended Reading
TV WRITING TOOL KIT: HOW TO WRITE A SCRIPT THAT SELLS by Jen Grisanti
WRITING THE PILOT by William Rabin
Workshopping Guidelines
Please remember that when we discuss one another’s work in this open way, there
is great opportunity to hurt the writer’s feelings, even if it’s completely
unintentional. Try to focus on the technical aspects of the work and not on your
evaluation of the psychology of the writer. You will read the work of others,
exposing yourself to an array of responses and strategies. You will comment on the
writing of your classmates and receive from them comments on your own writing.
You will also receive feedback from me. Of course, feedback should avoid personal
attacks, insults, or harassment of any kind. Your stance should be that of a careful
and interested reader. You're making suggestions or observations the writer can
take into the next draft or into other pieces. In my feedback, I will always assume
your work is a draft in progress. I will gear my comments toward improvements
you can make in future drafts. Whenever possible, when identifying flaws, search
for some means by which to rectify the problem. If you were the author of this
piece, how would you choose to deal with this problem? And when you are the one
receiving feedback, be open and respectful to constructive criticism and resist the
sometimes knee-jerk response to become defensive. Workshops can be
heartbreakers or they can also be truly effective problem-solving sessions.
Weekly Topics:
Week 1: Crafting Your Pilot Idea
We will discuss the basics of crafting your pilot idea: how to build a compelling lead
character in a fully realized world. Students will be advised on areas that are
complete “no go’s” in television: for example, stay away from ideas that smack of
being “Hollywood insider.” We will also go over the basics of a good logline: one
that communicates a strong character with a clear goal in a specific setting. If you
can’t communicate your idea in a quick, compelling logline, you should probably
pick a different idea.
Assignment:
Develop two different pilot ideas and create your loglines to describe them.
Week 2: The Art of Pitching
Students will be asked to pitch their loglines to the group to get immediate feedback
on their ideas. Students will also receive feedback on their pitching style and will
learn about the basics of clear, effective pitching. Writing is only half the battle for a
successful TV writer: you must also be a clear communicator.
Assignment:
Students must select one pilot area and start to develop their pilot story.
Assigned Reading: TBD Produced TV Pilot Script(s)
Week 3: Creating a Compelling Pilot World & Outline
We will learn the building blocks of a successful pilot: Character, Teaser, Tone,
Structure, and Series Engine. We will also talk about the pros and cons of a premise
pilot vs. a pilot that plays more like a typical episode of your series. Successful
network pilots such as CBS’s THE GOOD WIFE will be studied for reference. The
importance and structure of the pilot outline will be addressed. Your outline is your
roadmap to a successful pilot script.
Assignment:
Each student must write the outline for his or her pilot, which is due in class in
Week 4.
Week 4: Broadcast & Cable Network Brands – Know Where You Fit
Outlines are due. Topic of Week 4 will be the different network “brands” and how to
target your writing (and your own brand!) accordingly. An ABC multicamera
comedy is very different from an FX low budget single camera comedy, and you
would never sell the same zombie script to AMC that you would sell to the CW.
Watching networks’ programming and understanding their specific brands (and, by
extension, their specific audiences) will help you decide where in the marketplace
you want to be. Know your strengths and interests as a writer and target your
writing for the marketplace that most desires your talents. “Network needs” for
development and for staffing will be discussed and demystified.
Assignment:
Students will be broken up into two groups of eight and will read each other’s
outlines for discussion in Week 5.
Week 5: Outline Feedback - Peer Review
In two groups, students will discuss each others’ outlines and each student will
receive specific feedback from instructor. Goal of this week is to solve problems at
the outline stage before going to script.
Assignment:
Students are off to script! The Teaser & First Act of each pilot are due in class Week
7, while the completed First Drafts are due in class in Week 9.
Week 6: Selling Your Story in the TV Industry
You will tell your life story over and over again in the entertainment industry. No
matter how famous or successful you may be, you will always be meeting new
people to impress and you will have to “sell” them on you and your story time and
again. Many writers fail to understand the importance of owning one’s life story and
telling it in a compelling way. Where did you grow up? What was your first job?
Why did you decide to become a writer? Answers to these simple questions begin to
paint a portrait of your life journey—and it should be full of compelling anecdotes,
memorable details, and, if you’re a comedy writer, jokes! Students will practice
telling each other their life stories in quick speed-dating sessions, with time for peer
feedback. The goal of this week’s class is to give you the tools to succeed in any
general meeting. And what in the world is a “general meeting”?! You’ll find out, and
learn how to conquer these informal interviews with ease.
Assignment:
The Teaser & First Act of your pilot is due in class in Week 7.
Week 7: The Art of the Deal – Explaining Your First Staff Deal and Pilot Deal
Teaser & First Act are due. The business side of Hollywood is something most
writers do not want to deal with (that’s what all those agents, managers, and
lawyers you’re paying are for, right?). But writers who learn the fundamentals of
dealmaking are at a significant advantage in understanding the benefits and
limitations of their contractual obligations. We will discuss the basics of two types
of legal agreements: your first full time staff deal and your first pilot script deal. Can
you write features while staffed on a TV show? What does “first position” in a pilot
deal mean? And what the hell is “10% of MAG” anyway?
Assignment:
Class will be broken into two groups of eight, and you will need to read your peers’
Teasers & First Acts and be prepared to give informed feedback in Week 8.
Week 8: How To Get—and Keep—and Fire—an Agent, Manager and Attorney
This week the secrets of representation will be revealed (well, most—I can’t reveal
all my tricks!). You’ll learn not only how to attract representation, but also how to
keep them enthusiastic about selling you with passion and consistency. The
agent/client relationship is one of the most passive/aggressive relationships in the
history of mankind, but that doesn’t mean it has to be. Communication is key, and
representation is a two-way street. But when should you cut and run and find new
representation? We will also discuss the important differences between the agent,
manager, and attorney and the services they offer you. And when in your career do
you need one, two, or all three?
We will also split into two groups of eight to give each other feedback on your
Teasers & First Acts to give you guidance as you continue the writing process.
Assignment:
First drafts are due in class in Week 9.
Week 9: Beyond This Course – How to Get Your Script Read and Choosing Your Next
Pilot to Write
First draft pilot scripts are due. We will discuss future steps for your pilot script:
how to get your script read (by the right people!) in order to find representation and
achieve that all-important first sale and/or staff job. Writers should always be
writing, so now that you’ll soon have a new pilot under your belt, you can’t rest on
your laurels—what are you going to write next? We’ll discuss the importance of
expanding your current library of work and how to write something new and
different without completely going outside your so-called “wheelhouse” of what you
write well. For example, complementing your CBS cop procedural pilot with an
edgy FX drama works nicely, but writing a multicam Disney Channel pilot probably
won’t help you—it will only confuse representatives and executives about who you
are as a writer. Find out what you write well, and do it consistently and brilliantly.
Assignment:
Class will be broken into two groups of eight, and you will need to read your peers’
first draft pilots and be prepared to give informed feedback in Week 10.
Week 10: Instructor and Peer Feedback on First Drafts
Students will break into two groups to give peer feedback on first drafts. This is a
critical time in your pilot process to find out what is and is not working about your
first draft. As always in our course, students should give constructive feedback that
is thoughtful, meaningful, and respectful. Students should avoid feedback that is
demeaning or attacking in any personal way. And if you are the one receiving
feedback, be open and respectful to constructive criticism and resist the sometimes
knee-jerk response to become defensive. Writing is, after all, rewriting!
A final note about this syllabus: it is a guide, and is subject to change. The goals and
expectations of the course will always remain the same, but the timetable may shift
as necessary as the course progresses.