#Tv pilot festivals professional#
#Tv pilot festivals tv#

Cutting unnecessary words will make your script read better. For example, “Joe goes over to the couch and sits down.” Lose the words “over” and “sits”. As each scene unfolds, the tension, stakes and conflicts should go up a up a notch.ĭelete extraneous words. If Scene 3 and Scene 6 can be swapped, it’s a red flag that your story is off.

Sprinkle it in throughout your script rather than in one big dump. If there are lines in your script that could be assigned to more than one character, your dialogue needs to be tweaked so that each character’s voice is distinct.Īs characters are introduced, their personal histories must become quickly clear. (#6) Dialogue Shouldn’t be Interchangeable If a character uses proper English in some places and slang in other places, you need to make some changes. One way to achieve this is to go through your entire script reading each character’s dialogue separately as if it were a monologue. Scenes where everything is hunky-dory generally lack conflict, and therefore come off as horribly dull.

Conflict occurs when characters approach a subject with opposing points of view. Delete any dialogue that stops your story dead in its tracks so the characters can ramble on about something that has nothing to do with anything. If your pilot has a lot of characters, see if you can chop a few or maybe even combine some of them.Ĭharacters should come to life through story. It’s better to have a script with six well-defined characters than a script with fifteen characters who are less defined and therefore blend together. (#2) Too Many Characters Can be Problematic What binds them together? What tears them apart? What flaws does each character have, and how do those flaws affect the other characters? Make sure you’re crystal clear on how each character feels about all of the other characters. So, don’t just write a bunch of quirky characters. (#1) Spend Lots of Time on Character Relationships

Here are some things to consider as you start your second draft. With this in mind, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and do another pass.

#Tv pilot festivals professional#

Most professional writers will tell you that a big part of writing is rewriting. The truth is perfection is rarely (if ever) achieved in a first draft. A word of caution: Before you send your script to anyone, you want to make sure it’s as good as it can possibly be. Chances are you can’t wait to get those pages off of your computer and into the hands of someone who can take the work from script to screen. You’ve finished the first draft of your television pilot.

#Tv pilot festivals tv#

Rewriting Your TV Pilot from First Draft to Second Draft: 10 Important Things