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What About the Voices in my Head?

6/2/2020

Have you ever felt like throwing your freshly blended non-fat, organic caramel, unsweetened, mock-choc at a random person in your local Starbucks, for no apparent reason? Just a weird funny unexplainable urge that came up? Naturally, good manners and the idea of forfeiting the seventeen dollars and sixty-four cents remaining of the gift card your sister bought you prevents this—but did you ever feel like it, or something like it?

How about the time that alpha Brentwood producer dude was backing up his Lexus RX in the Spago parking lot and you knew damn well he was going to nick the car behind him, and you allowed it, giggling all the way back to your very pre-owned Prius?

These are what I call the little devils—we all have them, it is only human, but we do ask ourselves…where did that come from? It came from inside your head but more specifically, the programming and belief systems you learned from ages zero till now. This is where all of the “voices” come from.

This is also where our self-doubt stems from. Any writer, actor, or artist in this industry worth their salt damn well better have a healthy amount of self-doubt to contend with by now, it just comes with the territory. In fact, most film schools require this as a prerequisite for entry, it is the first question on the student application form.

Self-doubt, the voice of that critical inner parent that looms inside of us just when it is time to really take the risk and go for it is quite a formidable obstacle, a major cause of self-sabotage. The general advice is don’t listen to these voices—ward them off, tell yourself you got this, ignore them, binge-watch Curb Your Enthusiasm. I will agree with that for the most part, but I’ll also suggest that you use these voices to inform your work.

But I want to go deeper here, I want to go bleaker, I want to go Donny Darko, Wild at Heart, Joker. These films, and many like them, with their cool takes on the mental and the psychological that are injected into characters, came from inside the writer’s head, from inside the writer’s psyche. This is where we want to go.

So, what if you could create characters from the darkest parts of you? The parts that are so deliciously wrong and bring up sides of you that exist, but you don’t want to admit to? This is what a lot of writers do naturally as we are working from our subconscious, but how much more could we glean if, instead of repressing them we actually went down into the depths of our psyche and got to know these parts of ourselves, made friends, accepted them and said “let’s go folks, you’re on”?

Yeah, I’m going to go Jungian on you here. I love going Jungian. In fact, I have a picture of Carl Jung inside my hallway closet and the inscription under it reads. “what are you not looking for that is in here?” I love going Jungian as it opens up the whole barrel of apples and gets right to the hidden rotten ones down at the bottom. Those crushed, buggy, smelly ones, that brown goo between the slats in the side of the wood. The apples that nobody wants to eat or even look at yet are always turning up no matter how many times you throw them away.

These are voices that lie deep within the shadow part of us, the part we do not want to look at or acknowledge, the part that comes out when we least want it to. This is story, character and narrative gold as it permeates all aspects of the world, tone, and genre of what we are writing and melds it all true because we already know it and are it.

These voices in our head are many and varied and like it or not they are also a part of who we truly are. They are sensational, sordid, twisted and beautifully dark. They come from hidden parts of our own personal pit, a great treasure trove for characters. They offer truthfulness, freshness and a never before seen reality that painting by the numbers could never come close to. They already are part of us so we know how they will speak, act, think and behave bringing a sometimes reckless but believable authenticity to every aspect of our screenplay or TV show.

The argument that is immediately made is, “heck, I don’t really need to do that. I can write looney characters, bent up zombies and crazies, anybody can, right? I don’t have to go down there.” Sure, if you want inauthentic, inconsistent, pot-boiling copies with cookie-cutter traits relying on fixed characterizations that never feel 100% real, living and breathing.    To write a Donny Darko, Wild at Heart or Joker, you do have to go down there.

Oh, all right. How, do, I, get, down there…then? You acknowledge the seedier embarrassing and humiliating aspects of yourself and you welcome them. The sleazy, wretched even homicidal fantasies, the never spoke of weird desires—the nutty dreams you keep having about the middle-aged sales lady at K-Mart. Yes, K-mart because that is where you would never want to be seen. I am talking about our bigger, nastier and scarier demons. The ones we would never dare tell anybody about. The thoughts, feelings and distorted perceptions about our world that influence us in ways we could never act on but sometimes do? Our dark side. Are you ready to integrate these aspects of yourself? Are you willing to put that on the page?

This, IMHO, is particularly effective for writing antagonists, anti-heroes and very nuanced supporting characters or characters that are alter egos in some fashion. Makes sense as you wrote the protagonist, so you know who and what they are not. You also know their fears, wound and flaw as well as just who to pit them against to test this in human (or inhuman depending on the genre) form.

I’m not just talking about Jekyll and Hyde here, I am talking about Jekyll and I wish I could hide as this is the vulnerability that this digging, and then putting it on the page is going to take, but, the self-honesty will be well worth it. Show us who you think you’re not.

The Joker was simply misunderstood.

The writer's own unique voice is the most important thing you can bring to the page because it is who you truly are, it is your life experiences--it is how you see the world and it issues from a place that is totally your own. Everything else can be fixed.

One of the best buys and biggest bangs for not only voice but all elements of your screenplay or TV series idea is our “Detailed Script Analysis” service. Click the button to find out why.

Let's talk about your script, story or project. We offer a free 30 minute phone consultation at no obligation.
Terry McFadden is an award-winning Script Doctor, Writing Coach and the founder of Story Builders Script Doctor and Writing Services. He is dedicated to helping TV Writers and Screenwriters find and hone their own unique voice.

Terry McFadden
Founder of Story Builders
(310) 927-9268
Terrintoit@att.net
www.storybuilderswrite.com
https://twitter.com/Storybuilderz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/storybuilders/
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Shameless

5/21/2020

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Shameless Self Promotion...Rocks

“But they don’t even know I exist.” How many times, on how many shows and in how many true to life situations have you heard that tired cliché line? Thing is, it’s true. The first thing actors, writers and creatives of any kind need to do then is to let the people who can hire them, produce them, publish them and buy them a double mocha, half-caff grande at Starbucks, know they exist.

Self-promotion is a funny concept. It falls somewhere between the extremes of being egocentric and purposely invisible and a lot of times is only done in the most common and run of the mill ways. Promoting an event on Facebook, Linked-in or Twitter, asking politely for subscribers on your site or sending out countless resume’s all are good and necessary; they provide the impetus, they are the foundational agents and vital aspects of our marketing and getting produced. But they are not enough.

Reminds me the oft repeated line in “The Untouchables” movie by David Mamet, where the character Malone, played by Sean Connery would ask Elliot Ness whenever there was an obstacle to him, “what are you prepared to do?” We need to ask ourselves the very same question especially if what we are currently doing isn’t really netting us much.

Today that translates into putting yourself out there and in a different way, a scary way. What are you prepared to do that is scary to you but that if it works could bring you to a whole new level and whole new level of people? How are you networking? What are you doing that is out of the box? What creative risks are you taking on your marketing to get you in the running?

Self-doubt, in my experience, does two things: One, tells me I am not good enough, or worse not good enough yet (oh, I better wait), and two, tells me I am bothering people who I have no business bothering. But I have heard the best in our business say that they learned on the job and in the midst of the project, and as far as the second one goes, yeah, people are busy and you may bother a few, several, a lot, but sooner or later you’ll hit gold.

Overcoming self-doubt is a muscle just like your roommate’s abs, the more you put it out there the less the rejection affects you—that is the key to it as well as real support and a tribe that are with you and doing it as well. Stay connected man, that six-pack is coming.

Yeah, sure, easy for you to say, you tell us, but what are you doing that is scary Terry? Earlier this month I finished an E-book for us writers and I needed to get some juice going on it. I was interviewed and published by a brilliant blogger on writing. I also asked for and then got, an interview on VoyageLA magazine. I then contacted a ton of multi-produced TV writers and producers and asked them to read my book and give me some promotional feedback.

This was scary as I too had the self-doubt and thought they would say “no”. And do you know what? A lot of them did say no and in the most creative of Hollywood ways; “I just ain’t got the bandwidth; not right now my mask fell off; I’ll get right back to you on that as soon as I slow down…in April of 2024; I'm teaching my dog social distancing” and, of course the dozens of non replies one factors in when reaching out. Bang, pop, pow—comes with the territory. But then again, a few people did respond and help me, and this is the where the gold is. Hit the buttons below.

Also, be prepared when you do have to put up, that’s the other side of it. Do you need notes; dazzling supporting documents such as a synopitch, one-pager, written pitch document; a rewrite, a revision or the best catchphrases of the day? We got that over here at Story Builders--M here for ya there too.

So tell me, what are you prepared to do now?

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May 12th, 2020

5/12/2020

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Does Your TV Series Have a Great Conceit?

Today we are going to talk about your TV show’s conceit. What it is, why it is important and how it cuts clear and fresh your premise, as well as your unique Voice right from the logline.

A story conceit is an idea, a distinctive approach to the concept of your show. It is what makes an everyday situation different and never before seen because it is the very basis of it. The show's conceit could be the nature of the main relationship of the series, as we demonstrate below, but it doesn’t have to be as it could be more situational, but, it does have to take the ordinary, the everyday and the expected and come at if from a whole new angle or spin.

The conceit is enmeshed in your logline and points the whole tone and feel of your show as well as implying the inner conflicts to come. Could be simple, could be severe but there is a uniting factor incorporated here and hints of the thematic going on, so, individuate your show and watch it take on a specific line of story and universal line of appeal.

Because your show’s conceit is a hook that is embedded in in the central idea and is driving the show’s concept in perpetuity after it is established, it does have to be already up and going in the pilot. It does not have to be initiated in the pilot, although it usually is, but it does need to give viewers the sense that this very element is going to be a major reference point and be illustrated in some measure weekly.

Also, it has to come from you, your take on this world you create or the subject as you will be illustrating it week after week. The conceit highlights your imagination and implies that this world is already second nature to you and that you will be able to allegorize it expertly as per your own life experiences and emotional core; that you have nothing but great ideas on how to progress it, arc it and keep the flow going continuously.

The logline is the first thing that anybody reading your Bible, Synopsis or Written Pitch Document will see but the conceit will be the first thing that they “get”.

Let’s look at a couple.

A sensitive FBI agent, fresh from an intense emotional break-up, is paired with a tough CIA operative who personifies his issues with his ex as they embark on missions to save the world but have to put up with each other in the process - Whiskey Cavalier

Yes, of course they are playing on the whole mismatched duo idea but look how specific it is. They are using a bit of role reversal, a little of the ole 80’s, “will they or won’t they” trope but it is done in a cool new world and the characters are fresh and inventive. We also see the central and external conflicts as well as a good idea of what the interpersonal ones will be and that they will be different yet ongoing.

Good loglines become more effective when the conceit is clear and built into it.

A talented but immature police detective is forced to curb his shenanigans when a no nonsense captain takes over the precinct as this off-kilter squad of cops work to keep the streets of New York safe and their personal lives in-flux - Brooklyn 99

Mismatched duos have been the basis for hooks and conceits since “I Dream of Jeannie” and “My Favorite Martian” and that is because when you put your own unique spin on it, it not only works but is the mainspring of your story engine that will illustrate how this premise and TV series will be able to run forever.

For more on proving how your TV show is unique, fresh and can go the distance, checkout the “Written Pitch Document' or 'Show Bible”.

Written Pitch Bible

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May 05th, 2020

5/5/2020

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Got A Kickass One-Pager?

Screenwriters, TV Writers and Show Creators need to have lot of supporting documents at their disposal when marketing their projects. There is the Treatment, the Outline, the Written Pitch Document or Show Bible and these docs are always asked for after the proverbial foot is in the door. But what about when the foot is still on the street or in the trenches or standing in line at Starbucks?

Generally, a simple query sent to film production companies, directors or agents comes with the cover letter and a blurb about the project; perhaps with a synopsis and logline attached but that is not enough anymore.

Things are moving at the speed of sound in the industry now, and yes there are a lot more opportunities and platforms to get your work out there but there are also a lot more creators and writers as well. It is vital when given or taking any type of opportunity to be as specific, clear and bam-pow-pop concise as you can.

A kick ass one-pager is the best bang for the buck because when done correctly it conveys so much about you and your project and takes only minutes to read. But sculpting this document is no small feat. You want it to not only be fluid, new, have a fresh take, be in your own unique voice and, in the tone of the genre but it also needs to read easier than the grocery list you wrote on the back of a paper napkin while watching the kids at soccer practice. Specificity, pointedness and focus are required here but so, so, so worth the effort.

A well-crafted one-pager for TV, will, in small pleasurable bursts, convey the style of the show, what it is; include the logline, tagline, themes, the overall summary, the pilot episode, character descriptions, and a concept paragraph. It will imply why it has legs and the makings of a great story engine. This is the one page that could get them to ask for more, you have to kick-ass, man.

For a screenplay it should include the logline, a 2 or 3 paragraph synopsis/summary and a pitch paragraph where you also talk about your vision, how your take is unique and different yet relevant and identifiable and why you wrote it. Close the page with a sentence or two that lights a fire under their butts. Talk about why this script will succeed, who it will appeal to, the hook, perhaps budget—and end on a button that you want them to hit…on their I-phone.

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Synopitch

4/3/2020

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The Synopitch: One of the most effective ways to get industry people to ask for your script and I’m not just mincing words.

   People have been blending words together to give meaning to a duo-task, an obvious combination of a mix and match mingling, or even not so plausible get togethers in descriptive phrasing of hybrids in any arena for years. You take words like bromance, infotainment, guesstimate, vlogger, hangry, staycation, mansplaining and Spanglish--as soon as we hear them used in the context of a sentence, we get what they mean.

   Well here’s another one for ya, “synopitch”. I think I invented the word because when I google it, I keep coming up. But then again, I come up a lot in my searches. Pretty obvious though what the word means but sadly it is not used nearly as often as it should be. What’s that? You are correct, a synopitch is a cross between a synopsis and a written pitch paragraph—it is a document in one page.

   He said, "no, worse, I only have one page to…”

   The story goes like this. A writer I was working with called me on the phone from a Starbucks in a panic. I asked him if he just spilled his double caramel, half calf, unsweetened soy mock-choc Grande on his laptop. He said “no, worse, I only have one page to…” Apparently, a producer told him he has just one page to not only get his story, concept and idea across to him, but to convince him why he should read it. That’s when the idea of the synopitch hit me.

So, let’s see why and how this is effective. A synopsis of a screenplay is a one-page (or so) document written in present tense with active descriptions and complete characters. It should not only highlight your own unique voice, as should the screenplay you want to submit will, but it should also illustrate the major events of the story complete with twists, turns, reversals, obstacles/hurdles and surprises. It should be written in the tone of the script and imply the conventions of that particular genre. If it’s a comedy make it funny, if it's a thriller create suspense--you get it.

So why isn’t that enough to get them to ask for the screenplay? Because it is all about the what and not about the why. The synopitch takes care of the why, it blends the two. Keep in mind the idea is not just that of adding an overall summary or wedging in a pitch paragraph in at the end, it is about melding the two, as to entice, like the ingredients of a fine meal made by you.

A synopitch utilizes all of the elements in the synopsis while integrating the elements of the written pitch paragraph as well. This too is done in the voice and tone of your script showing prospective producers, agents and directors not only what the story is and how it is a fresh new take on the material and the genre, but why they will have to give it a read. A synopitch is cool, it’s different. A powerful two for one deal that’s sets clear exactly what is (your great script) to follow.

   Another point I want to make is that before you even think about submitting your synopitch make sure you have done your homework as to who you will submit to and why. Do the research on what production companies and filmmakers do the type of stories you are submitting. Not just the genre but the subject matter, the form and the style of films that yours may be akin to in some way. Draw up your list and do a bit of the honest legwork first.

   Who are the people there to E-mail and perhaps even call? Calls are important as getting to know someone in the office and doing the 90 second charm-injected phone pitch may remove the term “unsolicited” from your query. Sending it directly to an intern or gatekeeper that you actually spoke to and made friends with gives you a bit of the personal touch when you address it to them. Also, if it is really good and I am sure it is, they look good too.

   In the body of the E-mail include a brief cover letter letting them know that this is simply one-page, how you got their info and/or why you are submitting it to them.

          About a week or ten days later follow up with a phone call. You will probably get a secretary or assistant. Be cool with them and see if there is anything else they may need from you regarding getting your script and such. There won’t be but you will be reminding them of it and hopefully push things along. Then, do the same with the other 71 people you sent the synopitch to and keep on them until you are certain it is dry, or they want your script.

   You will get people to read your script.

So now, get cooking for your favorite director or producer and get ready to serve it up big.

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March 05th, 2020

3/5/2020

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Sure it's a Great TV Show Idea. Now Get Them To Buy It.

The value of the Written Pitch document.

“The ever-expanding video universe served up a record 532 scripted TV programs in 2019, according to research conducted by FX…”

Five hundred thirty-two shows on a multitude of platforms and streaming services running on demand and available 24/7. Shows that are varied and diverse culturally, thematically, by subject matter, by the genre, the sub-genre, the demographic of who will watch and of course the ole “niche market. With these numbers and resources, one would think that it would not be that hard to get a look-see from the people who produce original content.

Here's the rub: There are more creators out there now as well because everybody has a great idea. And they do you know what, a lot of these ideas are damn good, different, fresh or have a new spin on a tried and true design. So why are you not getting produced? One word: viability.

Now keep this thought in mind because it is true. Producers want and are looking for great shows, original shows and shows that they feel have staying power.

With so many good ideas out there (and everybody has one), it is important for a show creator to be able to demonstrate their idea--their "show". To prove that it is a sustainable show and series and not just a good idea. You are going to want to not only talk about your concept, your premise and your world but you are going to want to show how this is ready to rock. How are you going to do this?

The written pitch not only demonstrates the viability of your show but also makes visible every aspect of it in a clear concise (but in tone with the show) fashion. Not only is this going to be in your own unique voice but when done well these pages leave little to doubt and much to the imagination. The log-line, the concept, the premise; the characters and their history, where they are going, how they will develop by season 4; their relationships to each other and why. The kinds of stories we can expect to see week after week; the show’s hook; the motifs, the conventions; the style, the fun and the cool of the series. But most importantly, we are talking about a well-defined Story Engine that definitively shows why this “idea” can run for ten seasons.

Also, the written pitch makes the “in-person” meeting with producers so much easier as all you are doing now is imaginatively riffing and embellishing on what they already read. How fun is that?

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Is It You

2/11/2020

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Is Your Script Autobiographical or is it You?

Is your script autobiographical or are you bringing “you” to the page? There is a big difference.

A lot of screenwriters pull from their own true to life experiences. They write stories about actual events, situations and circumstances that have occurred to them or someone they know very well. Although this brings a wonderful aspect of realism to the script there are a couple of common issues that sabotage this process.

The first one is that writers may try to cram in too much of the repetitive story elements and situations because they are true and happened to them. This tends to slow up the narrative drive, through-line thus creating episodic scenes as there is not enough attention given to the forward and stake-creating elements that define good writing. The other common issue is that although the story is true-to-life and theirs, the execution on the page is not. It is typical, has a generic voice in the tone, the telling and the story and structural elements are common and oft seen. New story, tired and predictable execution.

On the other hand, bringing “You” to the page means more than just writing a script that you happened to be a part of--it means showing readers how you view that world and what that world is from a point of view that is entirely your own. The writer’s own unique voice is the most important thing you can bring to the page because it is who you truly are, it is your life experiences--it is how you see the world and it issues from a place that is totally your own.

The truth is great, but we need to add the fiction to it to make it a screenplay that will be taken seriously. The writer needs to be the silent narrator, visually commenting on what is going on and in ways on the page that only they can. He or she will be signing every plot point, twist, reversal, hurdle and surprise while moving the story forward in a way that only she or he could.

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January 30th, 2020

1/30/2020

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Dolittle: An excellent depiction of the effects of Childhood Trauma.

Last weekend, my three nephews, my niece, my sister and myself had the pleasure of going to see “Dolittle”, a very entertaining and lively “children’s” movie that takes a risky and bravely imaginative slant on the Hugh Lofting classic.

“Dolittle” is the story of renown animal psychologist John Dolittle, who, after he lost his wife on an adventure at sea, becomes a self-blaming recluse living in isolation away from anything human. And although he is summoned to heal the Queen of England, coerced to revive a dying squirrel and forced to reconcile a past that nearly kills him, it is not until he nurtures and accepts his own Inner Child does he find the true healing for his ills.

When film reviewers talk about what constitutes a great movie, they talk of dazzling and believable characters, a great story, a wonderful and consistent world, the tone, the relationships, the themes, the genre, is it heartfelt—funny?   They write of the outer and inner journeys that the main characters find themselves going on. The outer or external journey is the path, that is, what is driving the character to his or her desire, their physical goal and hurdling the obstacles in their midst in the doing. The inner or interior journey actively demonstrates what the character needs, that is, a quality or trait they either lost or never had, but now must acquire in order to be the person that achieves the outer goal. This is simply good story.

Watching “Dolittle”, I saw something else as well, that to me, was more profound. I saw a psychological journey. I saw a cast of characters both human and non, living their lives in perpetual replication to the dysfunctional upbringing they still carry with them. Writer/director Stephen Gaghan proves that unresolved childhood trauma will continue to affect us until we grieve our past hurts and take the vulnerable risk to be who we are really meant to be.   Okay, hey, whoa, don’t click that mouse—at least let me make my case.

Doctor Dolittle undeniably feels he has been betrayed by life, deserted. The only human being he ever took a risk to really get to know, his wife Lily, has been taken from him. Right there one gets the sense that this whole magical communicative ability with the feathered and the four-legged was necessitated years before the good doctor became just that. The wound to Dolittle is not only that he lost Lily, of course that is it for the movie, however, let us keep in mind he was talking to animals long before that. Lofting, the original author and creator made it known that Dolittle first learned to talk to animals from his pet parrot, Polynesia, (with mothering attention), and that makes sense, but what was the stimulus there?

It also makes sense that the original wound, or reason he became an animal doctor in the first place, occurred years earlier, in his youth, as a young boy? How so? If losing Lily puts him in a funk for years, has him feeling abandoned by life, has him unwittingly behaving as a victim, has him living in a distorted version of himself and what really happened--well then this has to be a place he was at before as this self-hermitizing is rather extreme (historical). I mean, plenty of people lose their spouse, grieve and move on don’t they? Why can't he?

Now, I’m going to go even more out on a limb here to draw the defining psychology of the behavior of Doctor Dolittle as he is depicted in this installation, and, maintain that his unresolved grief and self-imposed reclusion is a result of events long before Lily. I will assert, and stay with me here, that somewhere, somehow, someway as a young boy, Dolittle was neglected, deceived and/or ignored by his main caregivers, his parents. He had nobody truly to give him what he needed so he backed off—isolated. He realized at that very young moment in his life that humans can’t be trusted, will let you down, leave you and just don’t care.

Therefore, the animals became his respite, the symbolic characters who would represent the only people in his world he could trust, turn to and be heard by, yes, “heard” by. And now, when he finally does take the risk and gets what he feels, he needed all along, it is taken from him--just like back then.   However, this time, the animals are not enough to “fix” him, provide true recovery or offer a world where he could truly be himself. Those days are over. Without chance, without risk, without trust and without hope all he has now is survival. Truly grieving, not only Lily but the history of this, that is the original situational abandonment and neglect he suffered at the hands of his parents would help immensely. However, to ultimately bring him into his own, into the person he would have to be, into his True Self…well that would mean taking another one of those scary risks again—to trust again and that is never going to happen. Or is it?

Enter young Tommy Stubbins, the son of a hunter who is unable to kill animals, misunderstood, emotionally neglected and in need of a surrogate mentor/father that he senses is Dolittle. He is representative of that child in Dolittle who didn’t get the nurturing—but Tommy is determined to get his. He is who Dolittle needs to revisit to heal. Tommy wants to be Dolittle’s apprentice but Dolittle stalls this kid, his own very Inner Child who comes a calling, at every turn for a good part of the film which also creates many of the hurdles of Tommy’s own nice little plot-line while adding to the fine metaphors and symbolism this movie embraces. It is not until Tommy takes the risk to go for it and defies Dolittle by jumping on the boat and demanding he be part-of this, does their uneasy partnership truly begin and progress.   Albeit clumsily, Dolittle entertains the risk of Tommy, they are now a team—sort of.

Together, they sneak into the castle, awkwardly supporting each other, and, when they combine their respective talents and slay (cure) the misunderstood dragon that is guarding the fruit of Eden, necessary to save the Queen, themselves and the day--they become one. The children have grown up. They are equal and the dialogue and relationship now reflects this. Dolittle, by taking this vulnerable risk and getting close to Tommy, also slayed his misaligned perceptions and distorted beliefs.   This is where the boy and the man merge, complete their psychological growth and become who thy are meant to be to each other and to themselves. It took a lot for Dolittle to become this but when Tommy, who symbolically is the Doc’s own younger self, presses on inelegantly sustaining his own susceptibility, Dolittle finally recognizes this--the medicine takes effect.

The theme of a doctor who needs a dose of his own medicine (“physician, heal thyself”) is clear. Also clear is the idea that what we learned or mis-learned from ages 0 to 18 is going to shape not only how we see the world but how we see ourselves participating (or not) in it. It is not only the basis of our successes, character, and good living but the root of all of our self-sabotage and dysfunction.   Not only does Dolittle meet his True Self and come around to who he is by dealing with his past (metaphor of castle and pissed ex-father in law) but so do all of the characters who have such issues programmed into them. Chee Chee the gorilla lives in misperception and self-doubt, not realizing one iota of how powerful he really is until, under the stakes of Dolittle being eaten, he acts and comes into his own; the ferocious tiger speaks of how his mother made him feel inadequate; a very tender yet funny moment is seen when the Ostrich and the Bear resolve their rivalry issues by sharing about their own poor upbringing; Polly the parrot is the Mom who would die for her kids; the dragonfly who has low self-esteem and cannot do anything right, until he can, and the squirrel hides behind the façade of a tough guy. Even the main symptoms of intestinal issues and IBS, the earmark of living with PTSD is suffered by the menacing dragon and she too changes when she is cured by having some genuine loving care shown to her.

As for me, I’m still out on this limb but the branch is about to break and I am either going to fall and be a victim or take the scary risk, spread these wings and soar. The choice is mine. Ah…yeah, I’m going to post this.

Terry McFadden

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August 16th, 2019

8/16/2019

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Creating a Great Original TV Spec Pilot

In the old days if a writer wanted to get staffed on a TV show or move up the ranks in any regard, the gig was that they had to write a spec script. That is, a script of an existing show on TV duplicating the voices, characters, tone, feel of the piece, the everyday situations, episode style and everything else to test their skills. That’s a lot of work for just one show.

Thanks to the explosion of content and platforms in the last few years that is no longer the case. Now the “original TV spec pilot” has literally replaced this as the calling card for the up and coming writer. Writers now can put their unique voice, their life experience, yes, their vision on the page. But this comes with a caveat, everybody is doing it.

This too is good news. Why? Because the cream rises to the top. The best spec pilots, the ones that usually are taken seriously and given a shot not only have a fresh idea, are showing us a world and a viewpoint in a different way and are timely, but they also are demonstrating why and how they will stand the test of time. How they will last 100 episodes.

A lot of spec scripts are unable to convincingly demonstrate this. Although some of them do have a unique take; are hybrid and get right to the central questions and issues; set-up the new ongoing dynamic and evolving situation; hint at the type of stories; have great hooks, conceits and conventions; demonstrate the engine, and even imply the conflicts to come there are usually inconsistencies or other issues.

Yes, it is about execution so let's not shoot ourselves in the foot.

Feeling confident about your project is vital when pitching. Knowing it kicks butt because you made sure it does will allow you to demonstrate this.

Making sure that it does kick butt is what we do in our “Pilot Analysis” service.

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Screenwriting; TV Writing; Film

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CategoriesScreenwriting; TV Writing; Film

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Screenwriting; TV Writing; Film