Course Details

Lifetime, Oxygen, Women's Entertainment, Style, TLC, and SoapNet are just a few of the extremely popular networks that cater strictly to women's audiences. The list continues, and with the emergence of broadband and digitally created networks, there will be even more of a demand for programming for these venues. This 3-hour seminar explores the special nuances involved in developing talk shows, dramas, comedies, game shows and documentaries--all content that appeals to women's audiences. Women's programming, from the soap operas of the 50's to today's Desperate Housewives, will be discussed. The tools needed to prepare a perfectly polished pitch, a no-fail query letter and selling synopsis are analyzed to compete within this marketplace. The mysteries surrounding the process of how to approach a broadcast and/or cable network's insider staff and be a player in the arena of woman-oriented cable networks will be revealed. The result will leave participants with a higher awareness of how to pitch and write for women's television markets.

In this 3-hour class you will learn:  

• The TV and Cable landscape and the primary and secondary networks that program women's-related programming
• A brief history of women's cable networks and how they got to be where they are today
• How to create high concepts, loglines, and selling synopses that development executives will buy and audiences will love
• How to write compelling and marketable treatments
• How to write query letters and prepare your selling audio and in-person pitches
• The current marketplace and climate for women's programming
• How to approach Development executives, producers, actors, agents, and managers
• How to brand yourself and your material
• How to plan for a long and successful career as a writer for women's entertainment

Instructor Bio

Laurie Scheer's Courses

Laurie Scheer is a former vice president of programming for WE: Women's Entertainment and is currently a key member of the Film Faculty at Flashpoint Academy in Chicago. She has worked as an assistant, d-girl, and producer for some of the most powerful media conglomerates in the world, including ABC, Viacom, Showtime, and AMC-Cablevision. She has been a professor at numerous universities across the US and considers herself a media goddess, helping creative professionals realize their goals of working and improving 21st century media. Her book Creative Careers In Hollywood: From Extra Girls to Errand Boys (Allworth Press, 2002) chronicles and celebrates all of the movies ever made that feature women working in Hollywood. She also has a DVD, How to Pitch and Sell Your Screenplay.

Testimonials

Laurie has boundless enthusiasm and offers the opportunity to succeed. -- Paul Hagen

"Aside from priceless information and insight based on her background in TV, Laurie offers constructive feedback and moral support that fledgling TV writers are unlikely to find elsewhere." -- Roslyn Ross

"Laurie's seminar was by far the best I have ever taken! She's the most knowledgeable instructor I've ever had, excellent on every level. I can't say enough how much I got out of attending." -- Jamila Bey

"Laurie's seminar was the best money I've ever spent! I learned more about how television programming works in 3 hours than I picked up in a lifetime as a television news reporter." -- Brigette Polmar

"Laurie's class provided invaluable tips. She's one of the coolest instructors I've ever had. I would recommend her classes to anyone interested in learning more about writing for film and television." -- Imani Dawson

"Laurie's generous advice about television writing helped give me the confidence I needed to negotiate the contract process. I'll always remember that if you are a professional, you're worth it." -- Gina Laurie

"Laurie's classes are musts for anyone wanting to progress in the television industry.It is quite unusual to have someone offer to share their experiences, and even more unusual for them to truly want you to succeed." -- Tamara Federici, writer & former associate producer, Chappelle's Show

"Laurie is a professional who generously shares with her students her love and first-hand knowledge of the complex TV industry. She has a wonderful knack of encouraging writers, instilling confidence, and showing them where they have taken a wrong turn." -- Nancy West

"Laurie was informative, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. I found myself riveted and wanting to know more. If anyone is thinking of a career in television writing, this course is your starting point." -- Inger Slade

"Laurie's message of being well-researched, prepared and realistic -- while also having supreme confidence in yourself and your ideas -- is one that all producers should hear." -- Tony Monterastelli

"Laurie's engaging presentation, her wealth of knowledge, and her personal stories about the TV business will give any aspiring TV writer the necessary tools to succeed. Laurie gives you a thorough step by step process that will make you hone in on your concepts, brand, writing, and pitching skills." -- Denise Hendricks