Paper Team

Update: PT46 transcript now available Alex and Nick discuss one of the most important parts of television writing: creating compelling characters. Why are characters so vital to television shows? What are some key elements to watch out for when writing characters in a TV script? Why are character introductions so important in screenwriting? How can you create interesting people that fit your TV show? The Paper Team explores their existence... SHOWNOTES Content A special announcement (00:46) 1 - Television is a character's medium (01:41) 2 - Describing characters: introductions, archetypes, and traits (02:42) 3 - Character voices, filler characters, and empathy (17:38) 4 - Characters in the story: goals and arcs (23:43) Takeaways and Resources (28:25) Links House, M.D. Hugh Laurie "The Hero's Journey" - Joseph Campbell "The Writer's Journey" - Christopher Vogler Michael Clayton (Film) Sam Seaborn "Pilot" (1x01 - The West Wing) "Pilot" (1x01-02 - Lost) "Pilot" (1x01 - Community) Legion (TV Series) Anton Chigurh "Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt" (PT43) Maslow's hierarchy of needs Resources "The Art Of Dramatic Writing" - Lajos Egri "The Emotion Thesaurus" - Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi 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 Billy Domineau, writer of the popular Seinfeld 9/11 spec script and staff writer on Family Guy, to talk about the pros and cons of writing a TV stunt spec. When should you write a stunt script? What is the process of making and distributing one? How can a TV spec get shared around town? How do you use that popularity to get represented and staffed on a TV show? The Paper Team goes viral... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Brainstorming, writing, distributing and having the stunt spec script go viral (00:54) 2 - Getting representation, being staffed on Family Guy, lessons from the writers' room, and using social media as a TV writer (31:01) Resources and Next Week On (53:23) Links Billy Domineau on Twitter Seinfeld Billy Domineau's Seinfeld 9/11 stunt spec ("The Twin Towers") (PDF) Family Guy Upright Citizens Brigade Nicole Conlan's The People v. O.J. Simpson stunt spec ("The Briefcase Switcheroo") (PDF) The Bechdel test Jerry Seinfeld (character) Elaine Benes Cosmo Kramer George Costonza Julia Louis-Dreyfus "The Conversion" (5x11 - Seinfeld) "The Secret Code" (7x07 - Seinfeld) Rachel Bloom "The 9/11 Seinfeld spec script you absolutely have to read today" - The Comic's Comic "What Happens When Your 9/11 'Seinfeld' Spec Script Blows Up the Internet" - Splitsider "This Seinfeld Episode about 9/11 Is a Model of Comedy Writing and Monumentally Bad Taste" - Slate Jon Lovett James Adomian Chris Kelly Brandon McCarthy "Billy Domineau talks September 11 spec script" - Entertainment Weekly Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Rachel Bloom's "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury" (Video) 3 Arts Entertainment United Talent Agency

Update: PT44 transcript now available Alex and Nick discuss the importance of world-building in television writing and TV pilots. What is the point of world-building in TV shows? What are some good and bad examples of mythology? How can you implement world-building effectively in your own writing? What are some common pitfalls to avoid falling into? The Paper Team sets the scene... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Defining world-building (00:58) 2 - Tools of world-building (10:03) 3 - Common pitfalls of world-building (20:19) Takeaways and Resources (29:22) Links The Shield Vic Mackey Claudette Wyms C. C. H. Pounder The Practice Battlestar Galactica The Man in the High Castle (TV Series) Firefly American Gods (TV Series) Cosmos: A Personal Voyage Logan Defiance (TV Series) 17th Precinct Battle of Serenity Valley (Firefly) The Handmaid's Tale (TV Series) "Unfinished Business" (3x09 - Battlestar Galactica) Caprica Lostpedia "TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction" (PT38) "The One with the Prom Video" (2x14 - Friends) Resources r/worldbuilding (reddit) Writing in the Margins' Sensitivity Readers 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 Jason J. Cohn 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 Gary Sundt, writers' assistant on NBC's Superstore and ABC's The Goldbergs, to discuss the ins-and-outs of assisting TV writers in comedy. How do comedy writers' rooms operate? How do those experiences in the room help your own writing? When and how should you navigate asking your boss to read your content? What are the priorities when helping a writer develop a pilot? What is the meaning of storytelling? The Paper Team pulls up a chair... SHOWNOTES Content Being a writer's assistant, assisting a showrunner in developing pilots, working in a writer's room, and the role of comedy in politics (00:01:20) Resources and Next Time On (1:14:32) Links Gary Sundt on IMDb Superstore (TV Series) The Goldbergs (2013 TV series) Playboy's the Antiviral Show Archie Comics Kill Bill Angel (TV Series) Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Marley & Me Clerks II Summertime Killers Rick Wiener Kenny Schwartz American Housewife Charlie Grandy Guys With Kids Super Fun Night Justin Spitzer Dan Harmon Mulaney America Ferrara Ruben Fleischer Colossal Adam F. Goldberg Joseph Campbell Michael Arndt Blake Snyder "Save the Cat" - Blake Snyder Neil Gaiman Twister (Film) Independence Day (Film) Adam Wingard Death Note (2017 Film) "The Hidden Life of Trees" - Peter Wohlleben "Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life" - Winifred Gallagher "Essays in Love" - Alain de Botton "Modern Romance" - Aziz Ansari Resources Michael Arndt's "Setting a Story in Motion" (Video)

Alex and Nick discuss how television viewing habits impact the writing and enjoyment of TV shows. How does the way you consume a show influence the audience? How have changes in viewing habits transformed television writing itself? What are some ways to use that paradigm shift in your own writing? The Paper Team binges in one sitting... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - How people consume TV today (00:52) 2 - How viewing habits impact the perception of TV shows (11:37) 3 - How viewing habits affect and influence TV writing (25:44) 4 - A little about the future of TV viewing (42:20) Takeaways and Resources (45:45) Links Over-the-top content (OTT) YouTube TV YouTube Red "Why mythological shows are often idolized" - TV Calling The Hatch Final Five "Damon Lindelof Doesn't Want Critics To Binge Season 3 of The Leftovers" - IndieWire "The Art of the TV Episode" (PT20) "Two Boats and a Helicopter" (1x03 - The Leftovers) "Guest" (1x06 - The Leftovers) "The Bythewoods and The Writers Retreat" - 3rd & Fairfax Flesh and Bone Resources "Netflix Studied Your Binge-Watching Habit" - The New York Times "Series, Movie, Series, Repeat: A New Netflix Binge Routine" - Netflix 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 Steven Darancette, writer on Amazon's Tumble Leaf and Nick Jr.'s Lalaloopsy, to discuss writing for TV children's animation. How does a non-primetime animation writers' room work? What are some of the distinctions in TV age-groups? How strict are censorship and regulations for children's content? What are unique challenges in writing for young kids versus young adults? Are there any mandates on an educational or promotional standpoint? The Paper Team channels their inner child... SHOWNOTES Content Getting started writing for TV children's animation, how the writers rooms work, and discussing content (00:55) Resources and Next Time On (40:51) Links Steven Darancette on Twitter Tumble Leaf on Amazon Lalaloopsy (TV series) Warner Bros. Animation Batman: The Animated Series Animaniacs Pinky and the Brain Alan Burnett Ozzy & Drix "A Growing Cell" (2x08 - Ozzy & Drix) Bleak Future KODAK Super 8 The Tick (2001 TV series) Jackie Chan Adventures Krypto the Superdog Guardians of the Galaxy (TV series) Ben 10 Lalaloopsy (Dolls) Bob the Builder IATSE 839 (Animation Guild) Resources "Producing Animation" - Catherine Winder & Zahra Dowlatabadi 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 discuss television procedural shows and how they work, from writing them to reinventing the genre itself. What kind of procedurals are there on TV? How do you juggle between the characters, the overall story, and the case-of-the-week? What are some common tips for writing a procedural? How does the structure evolve between episodic and serialized procedurals? The Paper Team solves the case... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Defining TV procedurals (00:46) 2 - Writing TV procedurals: structure, case of the week, and reinventing the genre (03:22) Takeaways and Resources (28:29) Links Carol Mendelsohn "How Joss Whedon and the Buffy writers’ room broke episodes" - TV Calling "My Overkill" (2x01 - Scrubs) Colin Hay "The Art of the TV Episode" (PT20) "Subway" (6x07 - Homicide: Life on the Street) Andre Braugher Dancing Baby "Tracking the long career of half-forgotten TV auteur David E. Kelley" - Stephen Bowie/The A.V. Club Ann Donahue Steven Bochco Century City (TV Series) "When every Fox show becomes a procedural, it gets very boring" - Daniel Fienberg/THR Michelle King Robert King "Common Descent" (2x17 - Stargate Universe) "Should You Pay for TV Writing Education?" (PT19) Resources "How The Good Wife broke the rules for legal dramas, and then broke itself" - Noel Murray/The A.V. Club 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 Jason J. Cohn 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: PT39 transcript now available Alex and Nick welcome Alison Tafel, staff writer on Netflix's BoJack Horseman, to discuss writing on an adult comedy animation TV show. What is the BoJack Horseman writers' room like? How different is writing for animation from live-action? How do writers interact with animators? How much is planned in advance of the season? How are episodes broken in the room? The Paper Team horses around... SHOWNOTES Content Starting out in Hollywood, getting staffed on BoJack Horseman, and the writing process on the Netflix TV show (00:46) Resources and Next Time On (48:53) Links Alison Tafel on Twitter BoJack Horseman on Netflix Kenneth Parcell Raising Hope Bunk'd NBC's Late Night Writers Worshop Raphael Bob-Waksberg Project Greenlight "Fish Out of Water" (3x04 - BoJack Horseman) "Downer Ending" (1x11 - BoJack Horseman) "Stop the Presses" (3x07 - BoJack Horseman) Greg Kinnear Margo Martindale Jessica Biel Charming Cheetah Comedy on YouTube John Myers on Twitter Stoopid Buddy Stoodios David Hill on Twitter Superstore Rachel Bloom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Sheet Music Resources "Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation" - Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Howard Johnson "Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV" - Joe Toplyn 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

For the first Paper Team Live event, Alex and Nick go to WonderCon 2017 to host a panel on the dialogue between TV writers and their fans. This relationship has become a vital tool for many television shows — and one that is often very fickle. That's why we've invited writers and assistants from several beloved shows to share their thoughts on the issue. Panelists include Ray Utarnachitt (DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Jill Weinberger (Chicago Fire), Tennessee Martin (Lucifer), Diya Mishra (The Tick), and Taylor Brogan (The Shannara Chronicles). What does a typical conversation look like between a writers' room and their fandom? How much attention do TV writers pay to fans? Have fans' voices changed the course of a story or character? What is it like going from being a fan of a show to being involved directly in the creative decisions? The Paper Team goes live in room 209... SHOWNOTES Content Live Paper Team WonderCon panel (00:00:38) Next Time On (01:01:15) Links Taylor Brogan on Twitter Diya Mishra on Twitter Tennessee Martin on Twitter Jill Weinberger on Twitter Ray Utarnachitt on Twitter The Shannara Chronicles Into the Badlands Gilmore Girls Emily Gilmore Powerless The Tick Pokémon (anime) Lucifer South of Nowhere Chicago Fire Wonder Woman (TV series) DC's Legends of Tomorrow Buffy the Vampire Slayer It's Your Move The Tick Writers' Room on Twitter Lucifer Writers' Room on Twitter Into the Badlands Writers' Room on Twitter The Shannara Chronicles Writers' Room on Twitter Derek Haas Marc Guggenheim Ben Edlund Person of Interest Terry Brooks ATX Television Festival Hep Alien Amy Sherman-Palladino Sutton Foster Rachael Harris

Alex and Nick are joined by Buffy the Vampire Slayer expert Evan Schmitt to discuss visual storytelling in television writing through the prism of two episodes, "Hush" and "Restless". How do you convey information visually? How can you use imagery to illustrate story and character? What does exposition look like without dialogue? How creepy are the Gentlemen? What was the Cheese Man all about? The Paper Team invokes the First Slayer... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - About "Hush" and "Restless" (01:39) 2 - Narrative structures of "Hush" and "Restless" (11:08) 3 - Visual storytelling in "Hush" (18:33) 4 - Visual storytelling in "Restless" (40:53) Takeaways and Resources (56:37) Announcement Paper Team is going to WonderCon 2017! Join our panel "Writer Versus Fandom: TV Writer's Rooms and Fan Interaction" on Sunday, April 2 at 4:00PM in Room 209. Links Evan Schmitt on Instagram Paper Team panel at WonderCon 2017 Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD "Hush" (4x10 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) "Restless" (4x22 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Shooting script for "Hush" (dated November 3, 1999) Shooting script for "Restless" (dated April 8, 2000) The Ascension "Primeval" (4x21 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) "How Joss Whedon and the Buffy writers’ room broke episodes" - TV Calling The Gentlemen Cheese Man "Beer Bad" (4x05 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) "Ozymandias" (5x14 - Breaking Bad) Christophe Beck Saint-Saëns' "Danse macabre" "The Zeppo" (3x13 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Ethan Rayne "Band Candy" (3x06 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Ripper Maggie Walsh "Graduation Day" (3x21-22 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) "This Year's Girl" (4x15 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Dawn Summers Joyce Summers Mr. Pointy "The Gift" (5x22 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Resources

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of themes and values in television writing, and how you can use them to your advantage in your own TV scripts. Why are themes and values important in television writing? What are some examples of both? How do you work them in scripts? How do you avoid preachiness in the writing? The Paper Team shares their motifs... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What are themes and values? (01:20) 2 - How to write themes and values in TV (14:12) 3 - Avoiding preachiness in your writing (23:10) Takeaways and Resources (27:28) Links Survivor: Blood vs. Water Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "Far Beyond the Stars" (6x13 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) Sons of Anarchy Everybody Loves Raymond Desperate Housewives "Earshot" (3x18 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Danny Strong Buffy Studies "Beer Bad" (4x05 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Scorpius (Farscape) The Outer Limits (1963 TV series) The Outer Limits (1995 TV series) "Chaos is a ladder" speech from Game of Thrones (Video) "BoJack Horseman Christmas Special: Sabrina's Christmas Wish" Resources "Philosophy of..." Books "The Philosophy of The Simpsons" - William Irwin, Mark T. Conard, Aeon J. Skoble Star Trek episodes with social themes Special thanks to Jason J. Cohn 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 how to make supplemental income and getting side-jobs while working in TV or breaking in. How do you stay financially secure before and after breaking in the entertainment industry? How should you balance work and writing? What are some freelance jobs worth pursuing as a writer? What are the benefits and drawbacks of being an independent contractor? The Paper Team files their 1099... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Benefits and drawbacks of finding supplemental income or freelancing (00:22) 2 - Ways of making supplemental income as a writer (12:26) Takeaways and Resources (38:34) Links Managing Finances as an Assistant and Staff Writer (PT16) Stage 32 Roadmap Writers Virtual PitchFest Gig economy Friedman Agency AppleOne Care.com UpWork Chuck Tingle (NSFW) "Easy and Healthy French Recipes" - Claire Rose Swagbucks Amazon Mechanical Turk Patreon Resources r/BeerMoney (reddit) 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 ins-and-outs of writing a TV spec script of an existing show. How do you pick the show? Why is researching the series beforehand important? How do you brainstorm ideas for specs? What are some dos and don'ts to break the mold? The Paper Team picks their spec... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What makes a TV spec, a TV spec (00:29) 2 - Writing the TV spec script (08:15) Takeaways and Resources (25:39) Links TV Spec Script List TV Spec Test TV Writing Fellowships: The Bix Six Resources Ten Spec Writing Rules (and why you should care) WGA Library 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 television writing competitions, their personal experiences with them, and whether or not they're worth participating in. Which TV writing competitions are out there? What should you consider before paying and submitting your script? What do you actually get out of them? What if you win and nothing happens? The Paper Team submits their entry fee... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What are screenwriting competitions? (00:32) 2 - Why you should enter TV writing competitions (01:56) 3 - Competitions that are out there and our own experiences (09:44) 4 - What you should consider before entering a competition (22:50) 5 - What if I win and nothing happens? What if my win is old news? (27:41) Takeaways and Next Week On (31:42) Links Academy Nicholl Fellowships Tracking Board's Launch Pad TrackingB "Answers to the questions I've been asked" - Mickey Fisher Austin Film Festival Competition JHRTS Pilot Competition How to Meet People in LA (When You Don’t Know Anyone) (PT03) PAGE Competition Final Draft's Big Break Contest Script Pipeline Special thanks to Jason J. Cohn 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 are joined by Jimmy Nguyen, executive producer of the documentary Showrunners, to discuss independent producing, collaborating with other creatives, and lessons he's learned over his years working in Los Angeles. What is the role of a producer? How did the documentaries Showrunners and Barista came to be? How does he approach creative and professional collaborations? What are some tips to getting started and networking properly? The Paper Team gets good at the ask... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Moving to Los Angeles, connecting with people, and getting involved in Showrunners (00:37) 2 - Working as an independent producer, their collaborative role, and helping make Showrunners/Barista (08:39) 3 - Inspirations and other projects (38:04) 4 - Tips and advice for aspiring producers (47:15) Resources and Next Week On (53:48) Links Jimmy Nguyen on Twitter Showrunners (Documentary) Showrunners (Book) Barista Comic Book Sunday Des Doyle Ryan Patrick McGuffey Jason Rose Wally Schrass Irish Film Board Jane Espenson Damon Lindelof The Pirate Tapes Indie Game: The Movie Charles Mruz Going Clear The Imposter The Family The King of Kong Shut Up and Play the Hits Helvetica (Documentary) Searching for Sugar Man Man on Wire The Jinx O.J.: Made in America Mayor of Sunset Strip The Kid Stays in the Picture Heroines (Short) The Big Short Rachel Moore The Champ Search Party Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Trollhunters Top of the Lake Essen Game Fair Roy Lee "Adventures in the Screen Trade" - William Goldman The Ring Gravitas Ventures Resources "A Pound of Flesh" - Art Linson