Developing a TV Pilot
Click here to read an article on the course from The Huffington Post.
An original pilot is the spec of choice in today’s television marketplace. 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 one hour, half hour, or even a three-minute webisode, Emmy-nominated expert Ellen Sandler can help you navigate the rocky waters of development. She will show you what you need to create a strong foundation for a professional level original pilot.
Ellen has developed and written pilots for all the major networks and has consulted on dozens more. She’s not only knowledgeable, she’s honest and she shares her career experiences and development techniques with you in this lively, inspiring seminar which covers:
A FEATURE IS A SCRIPT – A PILOT IS A SERIES
- How different is a pilot from a feature?
- Adapting a feature script to series pilot
CRACKING THE CODE – WHAT’S A PILOT & WHAT’S A MYTH
- The 1 Key You Must Have to Create a Pilot
- The 2 Essential Elements that Make a Series
- The 3 Pillars of Any Pilot
- The 4 Support Beams of Your Pilot
- The 5 Building Blocks of Story
- The X Factor that Sets You Apart
Using clips from pilots of on-air shows, Ellen shows concrete examples to illustrate the principles discussed in the seminar, and even provides tips on how to use your pilot to advance your career.
Only have a glimmer of an idea? Not to worry – the class will help you develop your idea into a series and set you on the path to successfully writing your pilot 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."
You can read Ellen’s article Top 10 Reasons to Write a Pilot by clicking here.
Where: The Writers Store, 3510 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505
Product Details
- Date available: 06/13/2013
- Publication date: 09/10/2012
- Return policy: This item is not eligible for return.
Meet the Author: Ellen Sandler
![]() |
Ellen Sandler was nominated for an Emmy as a Co-Executive Producer of Everybody Loves Raymond. She has created over 20 pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox Family, Oxygen and the Disney Channel and has consulted internationally on pilots for the ABC Australia; the CBC Canada; Media Marketing, Dubai; and MediaCorp, Singapore. A writer/producer on more than a dozen prime time TV shows, she is the author of The TV Writer’s Workbook (Bantam/Dell). Ellen is also a playwright and director. Her most recent theatrical project was her adaptation of N.Y. Times food writer Mimi Sheraton’s book, The Bialy Eaters, which st... |