How to Write a Film or Television Show, Build a Franchise, and Create Spinoffs, Worlds, and Universes
Writing a film or television show that evolves into a franchise is no small feat. Creating a compelling story and characters that engage audiences is just the start. For a TV show or movie to extend into a broader franchise, it requires a cohesive, expansive world and a universe with spinoffs and cross-platform potential. Writers […]
Build Your Screenwriting Brand: Voice, Genre, and Writing A Body of Work That Boosts Your Career
In today’s competitive film and television industry, writing talent alone isn’t enough to set you apart. Producers, agents, and executives aren’t just looking for great scripts—they’re looking for storytellers with a clear identity, a distinctive voice, and a defined creative brand that makes them stand out from the journeyman writers. They’re also looking for longevity. […]
What Are General Meetings In Film and TV? A Guide for Writers
In the film and television industries, general meetings—often simply called “generals”—are a vital component of getting yourself known among people who can start or advance your screenwriting career. You’ve may been recommended and they have probably read and enjoyed your work. Generals aren’t specifically pitch meetings. You’re not expected to come in with a fully […]
The Art of the Pitch: Shared Strategies Of TV’s Top Showrunners (Part 2)
Beyond the individual show origins, the panelists also offer insights into the pitching process itself, sharing both personal rituals and strategic approaches. Mara Brock Akil employs music as a ritual, curating playlists that help her “get the tone, get the vibe, get the texture” before a pitch, also serving to relax her. Eric Newman, drawing […]
The Art of the Sell: Inside the Pitch Room with TV’s Top Showrunners (Part 1)
How showrunners pitched their Netlfix shows. Mara Brock Akil, FOREVER
Mindy Kaling, Running Point
Mike Schur, A Man on the Inside
Molly Smith Metzler, Sirens
Eric Newman, Zero Day and American Primeval
