STORY MAPS: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot
Page 1
INDUSTRY PRAISE FOR STORY MAPS: TV DRAMA:
"STORY MAPS: TV Drama is a handy, practical guide that walks writers through the process of creating a compelling TV drama. Using examples from some of the most respected shows on television, writers will learn to master the form from outline to Fade Out. I wish I'd had this book when I was first starting out!"
— Hilary Weisman Graham, Writer, Bones (Fox)
“On one hand, I’m thrilled for you that Dan has written this fantastic new book that will undoubtedly help you structure your original TV pilot. On the other hand, I’m furious at him for not writing it a couple of years ago when it could have saved me a ton of brainpower figuring it out for myself. Perhaps one day I’ll forgive him. Perhaps not. But the bottom line is, don’t learn the hard way like I did. Use Dan’s book instead.”
— Joe Nimziki, Creator/Executive Producer of upcoming Sony TV series Kreskin; Director, The Howling, Outer Limits; Senior Executive, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures and MGM.
“This book blows all others out of the water! There’s no other TV writing book that offers this level of detail when it comes to how to structure a one-hour television drama pilot. I wish I had this back when I was breaking in as it would have saved me a lot of time and effort.”
— Larry Reitzer, Writer, Melissa & Joey, My Big Fat Greek Life, Twins, Just Shoot Me!, Ugly Betty
“I’ve worked in film and television for years and I can say for certain that there is nothing else like Calvisi’s book anywhere out there. His system is truly unique and breaks TV pilot structure down step by step for the first time, using very specific examples from some of the great pilots of recent years. An added bonus is the information about the industry, format and terminology that is clearly explained for the new writer to better understand the scripted television business in Los Angeles.”
— Fritz Manger, Producer, A Deadly Adoption with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig
"I've turned to Dan for notes on several feature scripts in the past, and this new book is well-timed as the industry makes a huge shift toward television. The information inside is a fantastic primer in developing a rock-solid one-hour TV pilot. I recommend this book to writers as the foundation in creating excellent story structure.”
— Richard J. Bosner, Producer, Fruitvale Station, The Wannabe, Other People
"Daniel Calvisi does an expert job of breaking down the structure of television pilots in a way that's not only easy to understand, but can be easily applied to one's own work. He uses references that are current and offers clear, succinct advice for novice writers which also serves as a great refresher for professionals. If you're thinking of writing a TV pilot, read this book first! It may save you a lot of time in fixing structure problems later."
— Christine Conradt, Writer/Producer/Director of 50 Lifetime network movies, The Bride He Bought Online, Stalked at 17, Hotel California, Summer's Moon
"Dan has a firm grasp on the nature of the one-hour drama for television. I have little doubt that by following his guidelines and doing your homework, he can lead you to create a great pilot of your own!"
— Jenny Frankfurt, Literary Manager, High Street Management
STORY MAPS: TV Drama:
The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot
1st Edition for Kindle
By
Daniel P. Calvisi
Act Four Screenplays
STORY MAPS: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot FIRST KINDLE EDITION
By Daniel P. Calvisi
Published by ACT FOUR SCREENPLAYS
Copyright © Daniel P. Calvisi 2016
ISBN-10:0-9836266-9-3
ISBN-13:978-0-9836266-9-5
Cover art by Emir Oručević (www.pulp-art.squarespace.com)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This document is meant for educational purposes only. All images included in this book are screen captures.
Breaking Bad copyright © Sony Pictures Television
Downton Abbey copyright © BBC
Game of Thrones copyright © HBO
House of Cards copyright © Netflix
Mad Men copyright © Lionsgate Television
Mr. Robot copyright © Universal Cable Productions
Scandal copyright © ABC Studios
The Walking Dead copyright © AMC Studios
The Good Wife copyright © CBS Television Studios
True Detective copyright © HBO
Story Maps on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/danielcalvisi
The TV Pilot Beat Sheet Webinar: http://bit.ly/TVBeatSheet
Work with Dan: ActFourScreenplays.com
For all of the aspiring screenwriters who are working to turn their night job into their day job, their passion into their purpose, and their stories into reality.
For the world builders, the creation machine engineers and the captains of imagination.
For those inspired by the “Golden Age” of scripted television who are now navigating the stormy waters of “Peak TV.”
About the Author
Daniel P. Calvisi is a story consultant, screenwriter and the author of Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, Story Maps: 12 Great Screenplays, and Story Maps: The Films of Christopher Nolan (with William Robert Rich). He is a former Story Analyst for major studios like Twentieth Century Fox and Miramax Films. He teaches webinars on writing for film and television with The Writers Store and speaks at writing conferences. He holds a degree in Film and Television from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He lives in Los Angeles. To learn more about Story Maps and how you can work with Dan, visit ActFourScreenplays.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Creator...Writer...STAR?
CONTENT IS KING!
Core Formats
Procedural vs. Serial
Pilot vs. Spec
“Premise” Pilot vs. “3rd Episode” Pilot
YOUR PILOT
A FASCINATING PROTAGONIST
Rustin Cohle (True Detective)
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Senator Francis “Frank” Underwood (House of Cards)
Peggy Olson (Mad Men)
THEME
COMPELLING CRISIS
SETTING/WORLD
REGENERATING STORY ENGINE
THE “WEEK-TO-WEEK”
SEASONAL ARCS
SERIES ARCS
THE TV DRAMA STORY MAP
THE “BASIC” STORY MAP
Scandal BASIC STORY MAP
1-HOUR TV DRAMA BASIC STRUCTURE
TELEVISION SCRIPT FORMAT
TV Script Lengths
THE BEAT SHEET
THE “FULL” STORY MAP
TEASER (2-10 pages)
ACT ONE (12-15 pages):
ACT TWO (6-10 pages, often ends near page 30)
ACT THREE (8-12 pages, ends around page 40)
ACT FOUR (6-12 pages, ends around page 48)
ACT FIVE (2-8 pages, The Final Clash):
CASE STUDIES: BEAT SHEETS FOR SCANDAL, MR. ROBOT, TRUE DETECTIVE, THE WALKING DEAD, GAME OF THRONES, BREAKING BAD, HOUSE OF CARDS AND MAD MEN
SCANDAL PILOT “SWEET BABY”
MR. ROBOT PILOT “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov”
TRUE DETECTIVE PILOT “THE LONG BRIGHT DARK”
THE WALKING DEAD PILOT “DAYS GONE BYE”
GAME OF THRONES PILOT “WINTER IS CO
MING”
BREAKING BAD “PILOT”
HOUSE OF CARDS PILOT “CHAPTER 1”
MAD MEN PILOT "SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES"
TV PILOT STORY MAP WORKSHEET
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
I know there is a need for this book. I know because I’ve lost count of the number of writers who have asked me if I had a “Story Map for TV.” This trend began a few years ago. Many of the same writers whom I’d coached to write their feature screenplays were now starting to ask about television.
I was hesitant, at first. You see, I’ve always been a movie guy. I’ve always focused my writing and story analysis on features, from NYU film school to working as a studio reader and a writing coach to penning books on feature film screenwriting.
Until it hit me that I was watching a LOT more television than film. It was getting bad. Reality shows, too. Not just Mad Men or Curb Your Enthusiasm, but...The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Top Chef and Unbeatable Banzuke! (Don’t ask.) Too much watching, not enough writing. So I decided to focus only on the good stuff, the best that scripted television had to offer. As you can imagine, my search did not last long, considering the era, the so-called “New Golden Age of Television.”
The quality of writing on the small screen is undeniable. It makes perfect sense that countless blogs are dissecting every episode of many shows. TV series are the new novels. There’s a ton of writing and analysis out there on the subject of TV writing, but yet, not much that focuses on the details of structure. I searched online for such material but came up empty. I decided to forge my own template, and that process led me to develop this material, which, I surmise, will be of particular interest to feature writers who are planning to write their first pilot.
Whatever your background or goal, please know that this book focuses on the craft, not on career advice. This is not about getting an agent—I’m here as a Story Analyst to dissect great serial television drama to give you a clearer template to guide your own writing. Writing is a solitary and daunting endeavor. I wish for this material to be a lantern to help guide you through the dark tunnel of creation.
Although there is still a lot of quality storytelling out there, I believe that television is at a vital crossroads. We have reached the era of “Peak TV.” More shows are being produced and shown on more platforms than ever, and many of the landmark series of recent years have either ended or are coming to the end of their runs. Inevitably, with more content comes more watered-down storytelling. It’s time for new worlds, characters, themes and dramatic devices to be introduced by new creative minds from outside the established system. We’ve had our fill of compelling antiheroes, and the ride has been fun. Their names are iconic: Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Walter White and Dexter Morgan, to name a few. But their time is over.
Your time has just begun. So start that pilot today, not tomorrow, because we need your voice on TV. But remember one thing…
Just as we know from writing movies, the same is true of television: You can only reinvent the form once you know the form. Once you know the past, you can create the future: The next, great Golden Age of television.
Good luck and happy writing,
Dan Calvisi
For those of you who are new to the landscape of television writing in Hollywood, let’s review some important concepts and terms...
Creator...Writer...STAR?
In television, writers enjoy more prominence in the creative process than they do in studio films. Most producers on a show are also writers. There also tends to be more women writers in TV than in film, and there is a defined ladder of succession from Writer’s Assistant to Executive Producer.
The writing staff of a show is managed by a Showrunner, who is often the creator of the show who also wrote the pilot, and is essentially the creative force that steers the ship. The Showrunner is to TV what the Director is to film.
In recent years, several Showrunners have become celebrities themselves; building fanbases on the Internet and on talk shows. You can follow many Showrunners and TV writers on Twitter.
CONTENT IS KING!
There are more channels and platforms that distribute scripted content than ever. Many cable channels that were established with documentary/reality shows are now focused on scripted content, and websites are buying pitches and pilots every day. Even cable delivery services like DirectTV and video gaming platforms like Xbox and PlayStation are producing original content.
Before you begin writing your pilot, consider the landscape and how your show may fit within it. You must first know the players, and then do your research to find out their individual “brand,” which often corresponds with their target demographic, or audience. (E.g., Freeform, formerly ABC Family, targets tween and teen girls, so don’t bother submitting your serial killer procedural to them.) These are the most active networks in the United States:
“Broadcast” Networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX
“Premium” Cable Networks: HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, CINEMAX
“Basic” Cable Networks: A&E, AMC, BRAVO, COMEDY CENTRAL, DISCOVERY, DISNEY, DISNEY XD, FREEFORM, FX, FXX, HISTORY, IFC, MTV, NICKELODEON, TBS, TNT, SUNDANCE, USA, WGN
Internet: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, Crackle
That’s not even a complete list.
Keep in mind that the networks listed above are not always the production companies that make the shows. For example, Lionsgate Television produced Mad Men, which aired on AMC.
Core Formats
There are very specific formats for scripted shows on U.S. television. You must know the differences in formats to decide which type of show you plan to write.
1-Hour Drama/Dramedy: A 60-minute show with or without commercials. (Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland)
30-Minute Single-Camera Sitcom: A comedy shot like a movie. (The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, New Girl, Veep)
30-Minute Multi-Camera Sitcom: A sitcom that uses a laugh track. Shot mostly in a studio, perhaps in front of a live audience. (Two Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory)
30-Minute Dramedy Hybrid: We’re seeing more shows in the 30-minute running time that use a unique mix of drama and comedy. Transparent and Girls are notable examples.
Web Series: A short form narrative video series. Length varies, but 3-8 minutes per episode is a common range. Webisodes are often used as pitch reels to sell a longer-form series. (Hulu, YouTube, Crackle)
In this book, we will focus on the 1-Hour Drama/Dramedy.
Procedural vs. Serial
A procedural series is one that consists of self-contained or stand-alone stories. Each episode introduces a specific dramatic dilemma that the characters must solve by the end of the episode. This is also known as “case-of-the-week.” In a procedural, the weekly case is the focus, while the ongoing arcs and themes, if any, are secondary. Common procedurals are police, lawyer, and medical dramas such as CSI, Chicago PD, Grey’s Anatomy, etc.
A serial or serialized show is one that comprises overarching storylines/character arcs that develop over the course of the season or series. These ongoing stories and themes take precedent and build towards a gradual climax. While serialized TV shows can contain “case-of-the-week’” stories, they are often secondary and used instead to explore/reflect the larger story/themes. They build and explore a sprawling world filled with a long list of characters who shift in and out of the spotlight. Serialized TV shows are best aired and viewed in narrative order to prevent viewers from becoming confused and losing pace with plot developments. These shows perform well on DVR, DVD and streaming, which allow fans to watch at their own pace. Examples would be Lost, Mad Men, The Walking Dead and most premium-cable dramas like Game of Thrones and Homeland.
Serial/Procedural Hybrids are also a popular form, and can vary in their construction. This usually means that a show will alternate between a case-of-the-week episode and a “mythology” episode that advances a long term narrative arc. A cla
ssic example of this form would be The X-Files, which alternated between “monster-of-the-week” episodes and episodes about the ongoing saga of the Smoking Man and a potential alien invasion (which also tied into Fox Mulder’s backstory with his missing sister). Like many hybrid shows, the mythology became more dominant as the series went on. A hybrid show can also combine a case and mythology in a single episode, as in many episodes of Dexter, where Dexter Morgan hunts a new target and he evades his sister or others as they get closer to learning his deadly secret.
Pilot vs. Spec
A “pilot” script is an original screenplay for the first episode of a series. A great pilot script is the only firm requirement to break into the business of writing television.
A “spec” script is an original episode of an existing show, written as a writing sample to show that you can write in a specific genre and within an established set of dramatic parameters. As TV shows are written by a writing staff, it’s important to show that you can be a team player and write effectively in someone else’s voice. Specs are not written as commonly these days by aspiring writers, but are sometimes requested as writing samples after a writer gets noticed for an original pilot. At the least, it’s good practice to write in your intended genre; e.g., if you want to write one-hour crime procedurals, then you could write a spec episode of Criminal Minds (or whatever the current incarnation of Criminal Minds may be). Keep in mind that a TV spec is different than a feature spec.
“Premise” Pilot vs. “3rd Episode” Pilot
The term “premise pilot” denotes a pilot that takes the entire script to fully set up the story that will be continued in future episodes. The structure of the pilot does not represent the structure of a regular episode of the series. The Walking Dead is an example of a premise pilot; there is a lot of ground to cover in setting up the zombie-infested world, so Rick Grimes is the “newborn” who takes us through it. He is the audience’s surrogate—we discover this new world as he does. In future episodes, he has met up with other survivors and they must tackle problems as a group.