you have an idea for a TV show I think I
can sum up the show for you with one
word nothing you can see it so clearly
in your head nothing
it's funny oh this must be your dad
actually no I'm her husband don't be
fooled by the me a second emotional come
on exciting things I do for love that's
a great stuff
how do you turn this kernel of an idea
into the brilliant pilot it needs to be
right we'll show you how to start that
process and help guide you through the
steps that lead to actually writing the
script sort of problem let's take the
time to answer simple question is my
concept a story this is Matt Rickett
matt has worked on Arrested Development
lady dynamite future man a bunch of
other people don't know he's getting
Brad Stevens his face tattooed on his
back they are part of the writing
process probably when you get free lunch
often times you'll hear executives talk
about how an idea doesn't have any legs
when someone says a show has legs that
means that this show will be
entertaining and interesting be on the
pilot not every great idea is a great
story with an active engaging plot as
the famous quote from AM Forster goes
the King died and then the Queen die is
a story the King died and then Queen
died of grief is plot every story starts
at the beginning right sometimes yes
sometimes no the best pilots tend to
start at the end all of these moments
are endings but they're also dramatic
new beginnings you want to take your
idea and frame it in a way that ends a
normal state of life to begin a new
course and then ends again with a
compelling question this way you can
build a backstory with strong conflict
and drive while teasing a larger arc
that drives the show's future laying the
groundwork for entire series of pilot is
something that every pilot tries to do
but very few actually do it and that's
why a lot of pilots don't get picked up
the series a lot of that has to do with
developing the world and developing the
characters as a way to very clearly
indicate like this is who this person is
and this is what they want you have to
have a global drive for that character
to go over the series and then that way
you can kind of give people a sense of
like this is probably where the show's
gonna go for example cheese is
considered by many writers to be a
perfect pilot but one of the reasons why
I love it because it's so tight and
everything that happens happens for a
reason and the way that you're
introduced to people is apparent of how
it's gonna be for the rest of the series
the show centers on Sam and Diane's
romance it's the will they won't they
premise of most rom-coms but when it
started the hands story was with she was
his plucky ta and the two were on their
way to elope somewhere tropical but when
that ended she had to begin again her
turn going from the first act to the end
of the second act when she actually
takes the job to be waitress at Cheers
she could work here watching that happen
and watching the way she interacts
Sam in that process clearly sets up
where the shows gonna go and what we're
gonna see down the road Carla what am I
making
- vodka gimlets one straight up one
blended rocks one old Bushmills Irish
decaf hold the sugar ending beginning
ending we end an old life to begin a new
one to end the pilot with a question
that establishes the rest of the show
will they or won't they
let's go from Boston to Kentucky and
check in with Raylan Givens from
justified but first
Raylan is forced to end his nice sunny
life in Miami when this happens so he
has to bolt and begin a new one in his
hometown picking up pieces of a life
he'd left behind and you get out of
Harlan County but Lauren and I will come
looking for you only to confront the
same problems all over again
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which ends the pilot leaving us with the
question can Raylan ever escape is
violent nature honestly you're the
angriest man I have ever known
here's an ensemble show where the town
plays a critical character the pilot
started at the beginning of the first
day of the football season and so you
got to see through the media and this
media craze like who was who and what
they wanted and what they're trying to
accomplish and you get to get its old
rundown on the characters in the world
with like the first 10 minutes just
because of the way that they set it up
on get a lot of media and a lot of press
asking all these expository questions
Tim I don't mean to be inappropriate but
I do smell alcohol on your breath have
you been drinking no so if there's kind
of like a normal day in the life that's
a good place to really introduce the
characters and what they do but this
moment right here that's the end of the
story of Jason Street the star
quarterback and the beginning of a story
no one expected
a wide-open
which ends the pilot with the
cliffhanger question who will Jason
Street be from now on as you progress
through the series you'll see that the
more groundwork you lay before you start
scripting the stronger your pilot will
be up next we'll show you how to develop
strong characters that take these legs
you've developed and run with them make
sure you use our screenwriting software
while developing your show and
characters and tell all your friends
about how Cheers
is the best pilot ever made cheers is
filmed before a live studio audience
or was it Breaking Bad
[Music]
you