TV Writing Advice
Unlike film, television is not
subtle. In movies, major plot points may happen off-screen, and key
characters may ponder over big decisions
in relative silence. Not so in TV! Like a theatrical script, characters usually talk out their problems with other characters. If they are hot or cold or sad or angry, they say so.
In television almost nothing is left open for interpretation. Major plot points always play out on-screen, in full view of the viewing audience.
One great tip to remember about TV writing is that at any moment a viewer can choose to turn off the program or change the channel. This is not easily done in film (DVD's are an exception), and impossible in a play--apart from walking away or leaving the theater or cinema. That means you can't afford to be coy or aloof with your meaning. Tell it like it is, but tell it with everything you've got. If you bore your audience, they turn the channel.
One of the ways television writers keep their audience hooked is by creating strong iconic characters. When deciding upon your cast, try to make each character as radically different from one another as you possibly can, while at the same time recognizable as a TYPE. Characters that cannot be easily told apart get confusing to a TV audience.
Most programs also begin with a short, highly-comedic or highly-dramatic TEASER which stands alone from the rest of the episode, but also sets up the main storyline or theme of the script. Many shows also end with a short ending scene that pays off a lingering joke or plot point, called a TAG. These are not required.
The first act in a TV show tends to be longer than the final acts, and in half-hour programs there are usually around 15 scenes in the overall show. In hour-long programs that number raises to around 25. The teaser and the tag are usually comprised of just 1 scene each. The rule of thumb is that one page of writing generally equals just under one minute of air time. So a 24 page television script is roughly equivalent to 24 minutes of air time. If you divide that by 3 acts, that means roughly every 7-8 pages (if you have a teaser and tag) you have a new act.
Usually in most TV shows characters reset to their default status at the end of an episode. Homer Simpson may have won a million dollars and move to a new home, but by the end of the episode, he's back to being just plain old Homer, having lost his wealth and living again in Springfield.
If you go dry with ideas, watch some TV or read a script or two.
In television almost nothing is left open for interpretation. Major plot points always play out on-screen, in full view of the viewing audience.
One great tip to remember about TV writing is that at any moment a viewer can choose to turn off the program or change the channel. This is not easily done in film (DVD's are an exception), and impossible in a play--apart from walking away or leaving the theater or cinema. That means you can't afford to be coy or aloof with your meaning. Tell it like it is, but tell it with everything you've got. If you bore your audience, they turn the channel.
One of the ways television writers keep their audience hooked is by creating strong iconic characters. When deciding upon your cast, try to make each character as radically different from one another as you possibly can, while at the same time recognizable as a TYPE. Characters that cannot be easily told apart get confusing to a TV audience.
Most programs also begin with a short, highly-comedic or highly-dramatic TEASER which stands alone from the rest of the episode, but also sets up the main storyline or theme of the script. Many shows also end with a short ending scene that pays off a lingering joke or plot point, called a TAG. These are not required.
The first act in a TV show tends to be longer than the final acts, and in half-hour programs there are usually around 15 scenes in the overall show. In hour-long programs that number raises to around 25. The teaser and the tag are usually comprised of just 1 scene each. The rule of thumb is that one page of writing generally equals just under one minute of air time. So a 24 page television script is roughly equivalent to 24 minutes of air time. If you divide that by 3 acts, that means roughly every 7-8 pages (if you have a teaser and tag) you have a new act.
Usually in most TV shows characters reset to their default status at the end of an episode. Homer Simpson may have won a million dollars and move to a new home, but by the end of the episode, he's back to being just plain old Homer, having lost his wealth and living again in Springfield.
If you go dry with ideas, watch some TV or read a script or two.
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