Writing TV Scripts that Get Noticed in Development Departments OnDemand Webinar

ABOUT THIS WEBINAR

Every agency, production company, network and studio has a development department. "D-Girls" (folks, men and women, who work in Development), are the "threshold guardians" you'll need to impress in order to climb up the ladder to achieve a "Recommend" on your material. These dedicated professionals are on a mission to find material that will bring both financial and critical success to their companies. Make sure that your script or manuscript meets the standards these "D-Girls" require. Arm yourself with insider knowledge now so your material does not end up with a "Pass."

If you've ever wondered why you received a rejection on your material, this is the webinar for you. Too often, writers submit their work without the knowledge of what happens to their material when it is being evaluated. Are you aware that lack of proper formatting will surely disqualify your script? Do you know that submitting material with specific casting in mind, or elements (director, producer, crew) attached can help your project garner attention? Has it occurred to you that if you submit a specific genre to a potential buyer that does not work in that genre that you're wasting everyone's time? Learn about the tools used to evaluate your work such as coverage, production costs, commerciality, and franchise potential. When you know how your work will be judged-and why-you can improve your chances of getting produced.

Laurie has worked in network, production company, agency, and studio development departments working her way up from secretary to reader to story analyst to V.P. of Programming. She has also been a buyer for cable networks and syndication companies. She knows how material is evaluated behind the scenes based on her vast knowledge of the past, current, and near-future marketplace. She has also submitted projects personally and can speak from both sides of the development process-first as a former D-girl and secondly as a professional writer herself.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• How to create material that has a competitive edge in the world of development
• How to research, discover, and maintain information about potential buyers and what they are looking for
• How to anticipate what the coverage will look like for your project (we'll look at how characters, structure, and dialogue are judged)
• The importance of answering the question "Why make this project now?" with your work
• Making sure you are submitting your work in proper format
• A checklist of what elements will be judged in your work and how to make sure those elements pass evaluation
• How to assure your project is embraced and at least considered

WHO SHOULD LISTEN?

• Writers who are looking to submit their work to potential buyers
• Writers who have received one-too-many rejections
• Writers who feel they want to give up getting their work produced
• Writers who want to speak directly to the reader/D-Girl through their writing
• Writers looking for resources to research the right buyers for their projects
• Writers wanting to improve their writing overall based on the understanding of what potential buyers are looking for
• Writers who want to assure they are writing and submitting authentic material