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Tired of watching the same old shows season after season? If you find yourself saying, "I could do better than that," take matters into your own hands by writing the next hit television series! It all starts with the first episode, so read on to learn how to write a television pilot.
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Tired of watching the same old shows season after season? If you find yourself saying, "I could do better than that," take matters into your own hands by writing the next hit television series! It all starts with the first episode, so read on to learn how to write a television pilot.
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*A Multi-Fandom of The Best TV Show Pilots* - A Wonderwall of Broken Dreams
A compilation of the best moments from 18 different television pilots in one video. Includes Friends, Grey-s Anatomy, Heroes, Psych, Alias, Gilmore Girls, Lost, Dead Like Me, Veronica Mars, Desperate Houswives, The 4400, Everwood, One Tree Hill, American Dreams, The Office, Felicity, PB, and Eli Stone. Amazing! Enjoy.
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Introduction
- A television pilot is the first episode of a television series. Networks decide if they should green-light a series based on the quality of the pilot. Pilot season (January to April) is when networks tape pilots to decide which shows will make the fall line-up. Television is a competitive business, but with hard work, a fresh story concept and a fantastic pilot you can be on your way to a career in television.
Step 1: Brainstorm
- Brainstorm by writing down all your ideas and show concepts.
- Don't censor yourself! Allow yourself the freedom to write down whatever comes to mind.
- Find inspiration by watching as much television as you can handle.
- Pick your favorite genre, such as sitcoms, procedurals or other dramas, and pay attention to the structure and format of the shows within that genre.
- Try to create a fresh, appealing concept.
- Once you decide on your winning concept, you will need to create the logline. The logline is a one-line (or two-line) synopsis of your concept. Make sure you highlight what is special about your TV show.
Step 2: Outline
- First think about the format of the genre you have decided to write.
- If you are writing a 30-minute show, you will need to write about 22 minutes worth of material. It should have a teaser and three acts.
- If you are writing a 60-minute drama, you will need to write about 42 minutes of material. It should have a teaser and five or six acts.
- Mimic the format of the genre you are writing; watch pilots of your favorite shows.
- Make sure to consider commercial breaks when developing your outline.
- Start with basic plot elements, then flesh out with details and dialogue.
- Plot out every scene.
- You should have a beginning, middle and end.
- For a hit pilot, you will need to include:
- An intriguing hook.
- A surprising plot twist.
Step 3: Develop Your Characters
- Remember that your pilot is introducing a whole new set of characters. You want your audience to become invested in the characters and care what happens in their lives. If the audience doesn't care, they will change the channel.
- Create a back story for your lead characters. You do not need to include the entire history in the pilot.
- Develop each character's voice and personality.
- Understand each character's motivations.
Step 4: Write Your Script
- Start writing!
- Use proper screenwriting format, either with the aid of software or by relying on your own devices.
- A screenwriting software program does the formatting for you, so that you just concentrate on the writing.
- You can also do some research on proper formatting yourself and format by hand.
- For more information, check out Mahalo's How to Write a Television Script.
- Once the script is complete, rewrite until perfect; most quality scripts go through many, many drafts, so keep at it!
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