TV Writing: Spec Script

Start (and finish!) your sitcom or drama in 3 months!

TV Writing: Spec Script
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WHEN 12 weeks, June 3 - August 26
Online chats: Tuesdays, 9-10 pm ET

WHERE Online. Click here for more info.

LEVEL Intermediate/advanced

PRICE
$610 ($575 for )
more info

Course Details

So you want to break into scripted television? There is only one writing sample accepted by TV agents, producers, and networks across the board: a spec script of a current show. Getting your foot in the door starts with demonstrating your ability to write for someone else's show.

And you know you don't belong in a beginner's class. After all, you've already mastered the basics: churning out words, editing yourself, meeting deadlines. If you keep up with this workshop, you'll finish the first and second drafts of your sitcom or one-hour drama script. Each week, you'll learn about essentials like structure, plot, character, and dialogue, and get feedback on your script from your instructor and fellow students. The entire last class will be devoted to reading final drafts and learning how to get your script into the right hands. By the end of the class you'll be ready to submit your spec or pilot script to potential agents and buyers.

In this class, you will learn:

  • How to create characters that viewers will want to invite into their homes week after week
  • Basic formatting for comedies and dramas (2 act to 4 act structure)
  • Structure: how to break for commercial, find a good ending, and wrap things up seamlessly
  • The secret behind perfect dialogue
  • Subplots: Where to put them, how to tie them in
  • How your script reflects the existing show and climate within the marketplace
  • The cyclical behind-the-scenes events of the broadcast and cable world, including a discussion about pilot season
  • Everything there is to know about the TV business from an industry expert

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete spec script of a one-hour drama or sitcom.

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history), and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

Related Courses

Tell me when courses like this are scheduled.
Brand Yourself – ONLINE (Class starts June 11)
View all courses in Career Development | Production | TV |

Instructor Bio

Laurie Scheer's Courses

Brand Yourself – (Class starts June 11)
Developing Online Videos – Los Angeles (Seminar on June 5)
How to Write for (and Pitch to) Women's TV Networks – Los Angeles (Seminar on June 4)
TV Writing: Spec Script – (Class starts June 3)
Writing Scripts for Online Video – (Class starts July 15)

Laurie Scheer
Laurie Scheer is a former vice president of programming for WE: Women's Entertainment and is currently teaching at Yale University. 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 Scheer has boundless enthusiasm and offers nothing less than the opportunity to succeed in arenas where you have previously only dreamt of succeeding. I never realized that such friendship, such encouragement, such genuine goodwill and such human connection could be capable between people who have only met through a computer until I took this wonderful class. --Paul Hagen

"Laurie's seminar was by far the best class I have ever taken in my entire life! Not only was she enjoyable, clear, and relevant, she's the most knowledgeable instructor I've ever had. She is excellent on every level, and I can't say enough how much I got out of attending. Honestly, this is why I've gone to mediabistro events since 1999. You're better than anyone else out here!" -- 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. I look forward to spreading the word about Laurie's vast knowledge, practical teaching style, and terrific personality." -- Brigette Polmar

"Laurie's class provided invaluable tips on how to break into and master the murky world of television writing and production. She's also one of the coolest instructors I've ever had, which gave her class the breeziness of summer camp. I would heartily recommend her classes to anyone interested in learning more about writing for film and television and anyone who wants to have fun doing it." -- Imani Dawson

"Laurie Scheer's generous advice about television writing helped give me the confidence I needed to negotiate the contract process. Because of her seasoned knowledge and her willingness to share it, I'll always remember that "if you are a professional, you're worth it," even when you're just starting out." -- Gina Laurie

"Laurie Scheer's classes are musts for anyone wanting to progress in the television industry. After bumping around TV jobs for a few years, I took Laurie's class, and it gave me the flashlight I needed to see the whole landscape of opportunities available. It is quite unusual to have someone offer to share their experiences, and even more unusual for them to truly want you to succeed. If you need to be convinced that you are capable of writing or creating a show, take Laurie's class." -- Tamara Federici, writer & former associate producer, Chappelle's Show

"Laurie Scheer 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 still showing them where they have taken a wrong turn." -- Nancy West

"Ms. Scheer was informative, funny, and extremely knowledgeable about the business. I found myself riveted and wanting to know more after sitting still for 3 hours at the end of a long work day! If anyone is thinking of a career in television writing, this course and the instructor is your starting point." -Inger Slade
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