Paper Team

Alex and Nick discuss the basics of meetings for TV writers. From generals to staffing, here are some tips and tricks to get and ace your own one-on-ones. What are the different types of meetings? How do you get in the room? How should you prepare for a general or staffing meeting? How do you make a good first impression? What are dos-and-donts during and after your meeting? Plus, we answer additional questions from our "Writing your first TV pilot" Scriptchat session. The Paper Team takes the general... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: TV pilot Scritpchat questions (00:25) 1 - Types of meetings: generals, staffing, and pitch (07:28) 2 - How to get a meeting (11:29) 3 - Tips for the meet: before and during (16:46) 4 - After the meeting (31:43) Takeaways and Resources (35:59) Links "Writing Your First TV Pilot – A #Scriptchat Experience" - TV Calling TV Pilot 101 (PT30) TV Pitching 101 (PT13) Networking 101 (PT05) Resources "Good in a Room" - Stephanie Palmer "Good in a Room" - Talks at Google (Video) x.ai Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of teasers in television writing and key elements that make cold opens effective. What is the point of opening scenes? What makes a good teaser? How do you reveal character, story and theme in those first few pages? Are there teaser differences between comedy and drama? Plus, we talk 2017 Emmy winners and the revamped Fox Writers Lab. The Paper Team opens up... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: Emmys 2017 & Fox Writers Lab (00:28) 1 - Why are teasers and opening scenes important? (11:00) 2 - What makes a good opener: tone, character, expectations, story, and world (14:55) 3 - Specificities of teasers: comedy vs. drama, length, pilot vs. normal episode (32:01) Takeaways and Next Week On (38:19) Links 69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017) The Handmaid's Tale (TV Show) Lena Waithe Donald Glover Sterling K. Brown Frank Pembleton Fox Writers Lab "Six Feet Under" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) "Riverdale" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) Glee Election "Scandal" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) Firefly Psycho "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) In medias res "Rick and Morty" Lighthouse Scene (Video) "Breaking Bad" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) "Lost" Pilot Opening Sequence (Video) "Breaking Bad" Crawling Scene (Video) Stargate SG-1 Goa'uld Futurama Cheers "Lost" Season 2 Opening Sequence (Video) "Lost" Season 3 Opening Sequence (Video) Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

NEW: Get the episode cheat sheet on our Patreon! Alex and Nick discuss the importance of tone in TV shows and how to establish it in your own writing. What is tone in television? Where do TV shows fit on the scale between farce and gritty realism? How can you establish tone through story, character, themes, and world? How do you keep a consistent tone in your TV script? Plus, we announce brand new episode transcripts. The Paper Team goes dark and gritty... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: New Paper Team transcripts (00:23) 1 - Defining tone and its importance (01:56) 2 - How to set-up or establish tone: world, character, story, dialogue, themes, and marketing (08:12) 3 - Tonal dissonance and "tonal recall" (32:53) Takeaways and Resources (38:35) Links "TV World-Building 101" (PT44) – Transcript "Joke-Writing, Stand-Up and Late-Night TV ft. Simon Taylor (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)" (PT22) - Transcript "Writing Adult Comedy Animation ft. Alison Tafel (BoJack Horseman)" (PT39) – Transcript "Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt (Superstore/The Goldbergs)" (PT43) "Breaking in & Writing From “Outside the System” ft. Hilliard Guess (The Screenwriter’s Rant Room)" (PT47) - Transcript Psych The Shield The Mentalist Burn Notice Homeland Arrested Development Ozark Jason Bateman Coen Brothers Burn After Reading Desperate Housewives Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston David Tennant Matt Smith Veronica Mars "Fly" (3x10 - Breaking Bad) Rian Johnson "Wormhole X-Treme!" (5x12 - Stargate SG-1) "200" (10x06 - Stargate SG-1) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 The Hitman's Bodyguard Kingsman Church Scene (Video) Star Trek: Discovery The Orville

Alex and Nick invite Daniela Garcia-Brcek, manager at Circle of Confusion, to discuss the ins-and-outs of managing TV writers. What is the relationship between managers and screenwriters? What should TV writers do before getting a manager? How do managers find their clients? What are differences in representing TV writers, feature writers and playwrights? What kind of material attracts managers? When should you let go of your representatives? The Paper Team gets signed... SHOWNOTES Content Becoming a manager, representing TV writers, finding clients, writer's voice, queries, working with clients, staffing, developing projects, letting go of your rep or client (00:00:32) Resources and Next Week On (01:01:36) Links Daniela Garcia-Brcek on Twitter Circle of Confusion Breathe In Darren Aronofsky Spare Parts Ryan Coogler Entourage Eric "E." Murphy Mayhem Resources "Musts, Maybes, and Nevers" - David V. Picker "The Operator" - Thomas R. King "Inventing David Geffen" (26x07 - American Masters) Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick discuss the differences between inspiration and stealing in screenwriting and television. What constitutes an original idea? Where is the line between inspiration and stealing? Where can you get inspiration from? What is considered an homage? How many different stories are there to tell? Plus, an answer to how many episodes of a TV show you should watch before speccing it. The Paper Team pays homage... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: Episodes to watch before writing a TV spec (00:52) 1 - What is an original idea? (03:34) 2 - Why everybody "steals" (06:36) 3 - Paying homage and the different stories being told (09:23) 4 - Inspiration in TV and spec scripts (22:58) Takeaways and Next Week On (34:13) Links Armageddon Deep Impact "Protecting and Over-Protecting Your TV Script: Copyright, Ownership and Idea Theft" (PT23) Parallel thinking Rough Night Girls Trip Akira Kurosawa Stranger Things Aesop's Fables Jean de La Fontaine Hero's Journey Christopher Vogler "The Art of Fiction" - John Gardner "Save the Cat" - Blake Snyder "The Seven Basic Plots" - Christopher Booker "The Six Main Arcs in Storytelling, as Identified by an A.I." - The Atlantic The Shield The Simpsons movie references This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Evan Schmitt for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick invite Becca Burgess, casting associate on ABC's Last Man Standing, NBC's Undateable, and TBS' Cougar Town, to discuss how casting works in television. What is the casting process for TV shows, pilots and regular episodes? What can TV writers learn from casting? How much interaction does casting have with writers and producers? What are differences between casting comedy and drama? How does casting approach writers' character descriptions? The Paper Team gives a read... SHOWNOTES Content Becoming a casting associate, casting TV pilots and episodes, finding series regulars, interactions with writers and producers, approaching diversity, using character descriptions, casting discovery, reading process, advice for writers (00:55) Resources and Next Week On (34:52) Links Becca Burgess on Twitter Annie (Musical) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Breakdown Services Superbad SAG-AFTRA Taft-Hartley report 13 Reasons Why This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick share stories about being immigrants in the US and working in the TV industry as foreigners. Should you move directly to Los Angeles or first get experience somewhere else like New York or Vancouver? When would a show hire you if you're not a US citizen? What are cultural differences and initial difficulties to watch out for when moving countries? What is the visa and green card process for TV writers? What are some unique setbacks of being an immigrant in the TV industry? Plus, we talk about Shonda Rhimes' move to Netflix. The Paper Team migrates... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: Shonda Rhimes moving to Netflix (00:45) 1 - Before arriving in the US (05:36) 2 - First months in Los Angeles (14:05) 3 - Cultural differences and expectations as an immigrant (19:14) 4 - Getting settled: driver's license, credit score, social security (29:18) 5 - Staying and working in America: visas, green card and citizenship (35:47) 6 - Representing our home countries (50:39) Resources and Next Week On (53:54) Links "Netflix signs Shonda Rhimes in counterpunch to ABC and Disney" - New York Times "Moving to Los Angeles (and Things We Wish We Knew)" (PT01) "How to Meet People in LA (When You Don’t Know Anyone)" (PT03) "Managing Finances as an Assistant & Staff Writer" (PT16) J-1 Visa E-3 Visa O Visa US Diversity Visa Lottery Resources ImmigrationPortal Forum Australians in LA (Facebook Group) This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick invite three TV writers to discuss what comes after winning a major screenwriting or TV writing competition. Guests include: Talia Gonzalez (Teen Wolf/iZombie) from the 2013 Tacking Board Launch Pad Feature Competition, David Hoffman (Timeless) from the 2015 Launch Pad Pilot Competition, and T.A. Snyder from the 2017 Launch Pad Pilot Competition. Why is entering screenwriting competitions important? What should you look out for before submitting a script? What should you expect and do after winning a writing contest? How should you brand yourself as a TV writer with your samples? What is the process of selecting the right agent or manager for you? How do you balance working on a TV writing staff and developing your own projects? The Paper Team competes... SHOWNOTES Content Winning a screenwriting competition and what comes after (01:08) Resources and Outro (59:50) [NOTE: Our usual "Next Week On" segment at the very end was unexpectedly cut. We'll be talking about working in TV as immigrants in next week's episode!] Links David Hoffman on Twitter Talia Gonzalez on Twitter T.A. Snyder on Twitter Matthew Weiner Charlie Kaufman Shawn Ryan Eric Kripke Launch Pad mentors TV Writing Fellowships WTF with Marc Maron Podcast Radiolab Podcast Traffic The Limey This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Update: PT54 transcript now available Alex and Nick break down six iconic TV pilots to look at what makes them great TV scripts (Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun). What makes a memorable TV pilot work? How do they introduce characters in unique ways? How do they set up the world and engine of the show? What rules do they bend or follow, and why? What TV writing lessons can you learn from them? Plus, we discuss how seriously you should take glowing feedback from screenwriting competitions. The Paper Team starts things off... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps: Glowing feedback from competitions (00:00:50) 1 - Introduction to the six TV pilots (00:05:49) 2 - Why we selected these TV pilots (00:10:43) 3 - Teasers and openers (00:19:55) 4 - Character introductions, ensemble dynamics and dialogue (00:26:37) 5 - World and exposition (00:42:00) 6 - Pilot structure vs. series representation (00:47:35) Next Week On (01:02:53) Links BlueCat Screenplay Competition "Feedback and Notes: Building Your Reading Onion" (PT08) "Brains and Eggs" (1x01 - 3rd Rock from the Sun) "Truth Be Told" (1x01 - Alias) "Pilot" (1x01 - Community) "Gone for Goode" (1x01 - Homicide: Life on the Street) "Premiere" (1x01 - The O.C.) "My First Day" (1x01 - Scrubs) Josh Schwartz David Simon Dan Harmon in medias res "Morning Routine" - American Psycho (Video) Paul Attanasio "TV Characters 101" (PT46) Tom Fontana Diner (Movie) This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

NEW: Get the episode cheat sheet on our Patreon! Update: PT53 transcript now available Alex and Nick discuss the importance of weaving A, B and C stories in TV writing, and interesting ways of doing it in TV scripts. Why is it important to cut between storylines in TV? When should you start and end each storyline? Which storylines should you spend more time on in your TV script? When should you only do a single A story? What are some noteworthy and unique formats for A/B/C plotlines? Plus, we talk about where to read TV scripts. The Paper Team become master-weavers... SHOWNOTES Content Paper Scraps (FKA Odds-and-ends): Finding TV scripts (00:55) 1 - Why does TV have A/B/C stories? (03:51) 2 - Nuts and bolts of using A/B/C stories (10:27) 3 - Interesting and non-traditional uses of weaving A/B/C stories in TV (18:22) Takeaways and Resources (32:22) Links Writers Guild Foundation Library TV Calling Script Library Zen134237 Lee Thomson Script Library Simply Scripts Daily Script IMSDb "What are A, B, and C stories in screenwriting?" - TV Calling Team America Montage (Video) "Marge vs. the Monorail" (4x12 - The Simpsons) "Ozymandias" (5x14 - Breaking Bad) "That's My Dog" (4x05 - Six Feet Under) "Eleven Angry Men and One Dick" (3x07 - 3rd Rock from the Sun) Boomtown Graham Yost 24 (TV Series) "Kim vs. the Cougar: The Oral History of 24’s Most Infamous Scene" - Vulture "My Bad" (1x06 - Scrubs) Awake (TV Series) Kyle Killen "How Lost revolutionized storytelling" - TV Calling "Walkabout" (1x04 - Lost) "The Constant" (4x05 - Lost) Watchmen Slaughterhouse-Five This Is Us Oz (TV Series) Carnivàle

NEW: Get the episode cheat sheet on our Patreon! Update: PT51 transcript now available Alex and Nick look at the importance of dialogue in TV writing, and give an overview of what makes it stand out. What can you use dialogue for? What makes good or bad dialogue? How do you introduce character quirks in the dialogue? What are some common pitfalls in dialogue writing? How do you fix bad dialogue? Plus, we respond to a review and talk over-used pitches. The Paper Team trades words... SHOWNOTES Content Odds-and-ends: Review & Pitches (00:48) 1 - Purpose of dialogue (09:06) 2 - Specificities of dialogue: style and character (13:08) 3 - Finding your dialogue (16:38) 4 - What makes bad dialogue and how to fix it (22:41) Takeaways and Resources (34:42) Links Mumblecore Mark Duplass Big Brother Live Feeds The Newsroom Littlefinger's "Chaos is a Ladder" speech from Game of Thrones (Video) "Oh, hi Mark" scene from The Room (Video) Code-switching Draft Zero Podcast Resources "Dialogue Secrets" - William C. Martell This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Evan Schmitt for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick celebrate the fiftieth episode of Paper Team with a special look back at the first year of the podcast, including updates on past episodes, guests, and other news. What are some of our own favorite moments and episodes? What are the most popular Paper Team episodes? What new lessons have we learned since recording them? From assistants and coordinators, to writers and producers, we also catch up with several of our amazing guests: Tennessee Martin, Steven Darancette, Sam Miller, Chris Corbett, Maggie Herman, Jimmy Nguyen and Gary Sundt. The Paper Team pops the champagne... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Follow-ups to Paper Team episodes and some of our favorites (00:01:21) 2 - Follow-ups from our guests, ft. Tennessee Martin, Steven Darancette, Sam Miller, Chris Corbett, Maggie Herman, Jimmy Nguyen and Gary Sundt (00:15:01) 3 - One year of Paper Team (00:54:21) Special Thanks, Outro and Next Week On (01:13:14) Links "How to Follow Up (Without Seeming Desperate)" (PT07) "Getting Your TV Script Read" (PT29) "TV Writer Representation 101" (PT31) "Australian TV ft. Chris Corbett" (PT18) Australian Survivor "Managing Finances as an Assistant & Staff Writer ft. Kiyong Kim" (PT16) "Web Series and TV Writing ft. Sam Miller (Single by 30/Mom)" (PT27) SeeSo Over-the-top content (OTT) "Diversity in TV and the Writers’ Room ft. Francesca Butler & Kelly Lynne D’Angelo" (PT14) "Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt (Superstore/The Goldbergs)" (PT43) "Breaking in & Writing From “Outside the System” ft. Hilliard Guess" (PT47) "Writing Adult Comedy Animation ft. Alison Tafel (BoJack Horseman)" (PT39) "Act Breaks" (PT15) "TV Viewing Habits: Writing for the Binge" (PT42) "Bringing the TV Writers’ Room Process Home" (PT06) "Writing Themes and Values in TV" (PT36) "TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction – Paper Team at WonderCon 2017" (PT38) Tennessee Martin on Twitter Lucifer

Alex and Nick invite Dana Bramble, coordinator in current programming at The CW, to discuss the ins-and-outs of working in the scripted side of a TV network. What happens after a pilot gets picked up? How is current programming different from development? What notes do network executives give? How does staffing season operate for current shows? What arcs are pitched ahead of the season? How are standards and practices involved with scripts? The Paper Team looks at the slate... SHOWNOTES Content Working in current programming, network branding, giving notes, pitching, standards & practices, staffing, diversity initiatives and watching television (01:04) Resources and Next Week On (34:01) Links Dana Bramble on Twitter The CW CW Seed UPN The WB CBS Television Studios Warner Bros. Television Arrowverse Broadcast Standards and Practices Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Machinima, Inc. In the Loop Sweet/Vicious JHRTS Resources "On Writing" - Stephen King This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Update: PT48 transcript now available Alex and Nick discuss why scene descriptions in TV scripts are so important, what to focus on in your TV prose, and treading the line between writing a script as a technical document versus a reading experience. What makes good or bad prose? What are some examples of compelling scene descriptions? Should prose be efficient or florid? How do you convey textual information? When should you "direct" in a TV script? Plus, a quick review of Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass. The Paper Team illustrates their thoughts... SHOWNOTES Content Announcements (00:49) Odds-and-ends: Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass (02:23) 1 - What is screenwriting prose and why is it important (07:50) 2 - Why scene descriptions need to be efficient (09:33) 3 - Script: technical document or reading experience? (17:53) 4 - Describing versus telling (22:51) 5 - The screenwriter's voice (27:39) Takeaways and Resources (30:15) Links Shonda Rhimes' TV writing masterclass Six Feet Under Alien script by Walter Hill and David Giler David Foster Wallace Shane Black American Gods (TV Series) Courier Prime "Two for the Road" (2x20 - Lost) "Exposition in TV Writing" (PT24) Sherlock (TV Series) "Sherlock: How To Film Thought" (Video) "A Brief Look at Texting and the Internet in Film" (Video) Fringe chyrons Resources Hemingway Editor Thesaurus.com "The Synonym Finder" - J. I. Rodale This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :) You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Alex and Nick invite writer/producer Hilliard Guess for an in-depth discussion about his experience in the industry, working as a writer, and his involvement in the WGA and his Screenwriter’s Rant Room podcast. How do you build a writing career without the traditional assistant or fellowship route? What are key differences in being a producer or writer, and juggling both roles? What are aspects of the WGA people should know more about? How do you overcome adversity and get things done? What are ways of putting yourself out there and opening doors? The Paper Team goes rogue... NOTE: We had a bit of noise on the line, and my upstairs neighbors decided to join in on the fun towards the end of the recording. We tried to fix most of the issue, but be aware there may be some residual audio. SHOWNOTES Content Starting out, becoming a writer, getting writing jobs, being a producer, curating your work environment, being involved in the WGA, dealing with adversity, and the competition (00:01:22) Resources and Next Week On (01:10:22) Links Hilliard Guess on Twitter The Screenwriter's Rant Room on iTunes The Screenwriter's Rant Room on Twitter Hilldog Productions Palo Alto (California) Dangerous Minds John Truby Robert McKee Jack Epps Jr. Karl Iglesias Z Nation 28 Days Later World War Z (Film) Two and a Half Men Jaws Million Dollar Listings Million Dollar Listing New York Fredrik Eklund The Lot Studios go90 WGA's LGBT Writers Committee WGA's Committee of Black Writers Lena Waithe Michelle Amor Dr. Phil (TV Series) Dope Straight Outta Compton (Film) Wonder Woman (Film) A Few Good Men Precious (Film) Mo'Nique