The TV/Film Summit

Six world-renowned speakers on the art and business of TV writing and screenwriting join together for two intense days of learning and instruction at The TV/Film Summit, the most complete weekend ever put together covering both the craft and business of writing for film and television.

The TV/Film Summit features three of the television industry’s top instructors – Ellen Sandler, Jen Grisanti and Chad Gervich – plus three legendary instructors from the screenwriting and filmmaking world – Chris Vogler, Linda Seger and Dov Simens – in a weekend that promises to entertain and educate.

Over two intense days, these six masters of the craft will provide you an unmatched depth and understanding of the TV and film worlds. Ellen, Jen, Chad, Chris, Linda and Dov will each teach an intense 3 1/2-hour long session that will also include an interactive Q&A period in which you’ll be able to follow up with any questions you may have. The speakers have taken the time to share their course outlines with each other to make sure they provide you the best, most engaging material possible without overlap.

Ellen Sandler has created original television pilots for the likes of ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Disney and Oxygen, and served as an Executive Producer on the CBS hit series Everybody Loves Raymond. Chad Gervich is a working television executive who has developed and produced TV series for nearly every broadcast and cable network in Hollywood. Jen Grisanti has been a TV executive for over 15 years, including having served as VP of Current Programs for CBS, and having developed such hit series as NCIS, Medium, Numbers, 4400 and Girlfriends.

Oscar-winning director of A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard said, "I've used Linda Seger's concepts on all my films starting with Apollo 13." Linda also has served as a consultant to Peter Jackson. Quentin Tarantino called Dov Simens an “inspiration” and said, “I took Dov’s class and launched my career as a writer who controls his scripts.” And Chris Vogler is an internationally known and highly sought-after Hollywood development executive who has worked for Disney, Warner Bros., Fox and many other major studios and production companies. His famed memo about The Lion King is Hollywood legend, and he’s consulted on such screenplays as Fight Club, The Lion King, Hancock, I Am Legend, The Karate Kid (2010), The Wrestler and more.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear six of the most respected speakers on TV and film in a single two-day weekend. With the class size being strictly limited to 185 participants, the TV/Film Summit in Los Angeles, the only event of its kind scheduled in 2011, will be a great and unique opportunity to hear some of the industry’s best and most-respected teachers in the world.

Course Outlines

Chad Gervich

Selling a Show and Playing Ball in the TV Big Leagues

You've seen every episode of Modern Family. You've pored over each episode of NCIS. You've studied Survivor, Top Chef, and Deadliest Catch. And one thing's for sure: you have a better TV idea than any of them.

The only problem is: in order to bring that idea to life, you need to pitch it… sell it… and navigate TV's development process.

The Story Unplugged seminar details each step of selling a TV show in today's broadcast and cable landscape. We'll discuss the elements of every successful TV show… how to develop and organize them into a pitch… and when, where, and how to get them to the most appropriate buyers.

You'll learn:

• Networks and studios' secret schedule for buying projects… and why timing is essential
• Creative ingredients every producer or exec looks for… and how to insert them into your pitch
• The most important element of any TV show or pitch… and how to convince execs you have it
• Which props, tools, and aids help your pitch… and which will undermine it
• When to attach actors, directors, or producers… and how to reach them effectively
• The unique traits of compelling TV characters… and how to design them
• Where to get an agent or manager… and when to find the right representative for you
• The structure of TV’s network/studio/pod system… how it's changing… and how to navigate it
• How to find, meet, and network with TV's power-players… and who you don't need to meet
• How the business is changing… and why these changes can help you—or hurt you 

Ellen Sandler

A spec pilot is the current must-have sample script. While the thought of creating an original TV show may strike terror in your heart, the good news is... you don’t have to face it alone! Whether your idea for a pilot is an hour, half hour, or even a three-minute webisode, Emmy-nominated expert Ellen Sandler can help you navigate the rocky waters of development.

In this hands-on workshop, Ellen offers professional guidance, and shows you how to:

• Focus your Premise – the key to your pilot’s development
• Find your Hook – the thing that sets your idea apart
• Define your Character – add strength and dimension 
• Build your “Family” – the foundation of every show and the hardest thing to do
• Create your World – locations, rituals, tone, style 
• Develop your Story – discover what your best pilot story really is
• PLUS: How to use your pilot to advance your career

Don’t have a concept worked out for your pilot? Not to worry – the class has been designed to help you develop your glimmer of an idea into a full-fledged script. Just see what student Jenifer Yeuroukis had to say about her experience with Ellen:

"Well, for someone who went into class not expecting to have to have a pilot idea already in hand, thanks to your class, I was able to take my sketch of an idea and realize that I had two shows rolled into one. It's a rare gift to be able to teach your craft and not just lecture about it."

Jen Grisanti

Writing the TV Spec & Pilot Script

• LOG LINES
  • Log Line For Your Life
  • Log Line For Your Script
• STORY STRUCTURE FOR TV SPEC AND PILOT SCRIPTS
  • Powerful Dilemma
  • Clear Goal Stemming from the Dilemma
  • Act outs need to connect back to the goal
• FICTIONALZING YOUR TRUTH
• WHAT SPECS TO WRITE – Go into selecting which script to write.
• WRITING YOUR TV SPEC SCRIPT – Go into the process of writing the TV spec script.
• WRITING YOUR TV PILOT SCRIPT – Go into the process of writing the TV pilot script.
• ADDING THEME, SYMBOLISM AND MESSAGES TO YOUR SCRIPT – I consider this the icing on the cake. It will take your script to the next level.
• FIVE KEYS TO WRITING A STRONG SCRIPT
  1. Do we empathize with your central character?
  2. Do we understand what’s at stake?
  3. Do you start your story with a powerful dilemma?
  4. Is your goal clear? Do your pivotal points connect back to it?
  5. Do we hear your voice in your story? (Theme, symbolism, message)

Chris Vogler

The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler has become one of the cornerstones of modern screenwriting theory. Based on an influential memo he wrote while working at the Disney studios, the book has been translated into eight languages and its ideas were promptly put to use by a whole generation of screenwriters and novelists.

• The origins and essence of storytelling
• A 12-stage template for story structure derived from myths and fairy tales
• How to connect with the emotional centers in the body
• How to use the engine of polarity to make your story come to life
• How to add deeper levels to your stories and characters
• How to create the powerful emotional effect of catharsis
• How to use 8 useful archetypes of character
• Current screenwriting techniques for winning over the reader
• Secrets of entertainment from the worlds of vaudeville, Disney Animation and fairy tales

Linda Seger

“Every film is about meaning, and conveys meaning through its story and through its characters. In Part One, we'll look at how to connect the ideas in your script with your audience to make your film more commercial.” – Linda Seger

Part One: Deepening your Story through Theme and Ideas

• Making your story more commercial through a universal theme.
• Discussing universal themes found in many great films.
• Fitting the theme to the demographics of your audience.
• 4 ways to express the theme: through the dialogue, story, characters, and images.

“Film is meant to be cinematic, not talky. In Part Two, we'll look at ways to use images to better express the theme and to bring the story to life cinematically.” – Linda Seger

Making your Story more Cinematic through Images and Image Systems

• What is an image?
• How to think in images to become a better screenwriter.
• Creating metaphoric images that help express the theme.
• Creating image systems that travel throughout the entire film.

Dov Simens

The Business Of Filmmaking & Screenwriting

Dov Simens is famous for squeezing in every ounce of content and information he can into his classes. Dov’s appearance at Story Unplugged will be no different. Dov will take you through the process of screenwriting, filmmaking, budgeting, financing, producing, directing, marketing and distributing your film – whether you produce your own script or buy a hot script to produce – and explain it in a no-nonsense way that will make the seemingly overwhelming process of producing and shooting your own film into one that is firmly in your grasp. An amazing, over-the-top way to close the Story Unplugged weekend, and one that will energize and excite you as to the realities of the business of screenwriting and filmmaking.

Dov will cover:

• The Hollywood System
• Filmmaking A to Z
• Budgeting
• Directing
• Scheduling
• Contracts and Agreements
• Writing a script vs. Buying a script
• Digital filmmaking and editing
• Financing your film
• Marketing Dos and Don'ts
• The film festival circuit
• Distributing Your Movie
• Profiting from your movie 

When: June 25 - 26, 2011, 8:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Where:
Theatre
Westin Hotel
5400 West Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045

Coming From Out Of Town? If you need a hotel, we've made special arrangements with the Westin Hotel to offer our TV/Film Summit participants an incredible rate of only $89/night + tax! (Normal rates range from $139 to $159). For details and to book your room directly, please visit Westin's TV/Film Summit webpage