Joy Kecken

Writing for Episodic Television

Friday, December 15, 2023, 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. 

Joy Kecken

This seminar provides a conceptual approach to the art and craft of writing for television. Emphasis is on writing from a visual point of view, as well as analyzing and exploring the elements fundamental to the style of a teleplay. The goal of this presentation is to examine seven key topics that need to be considered in formulating a pilot from concept to script, and to introduce the writing and development process from idea selection to outline and first draft. We will look at various clips from television shows, both comedy and dramatic, to illustrate the concepts discussed. Industry standards will be shared by showing the screenwriting contests and residency opportunities to demonstrate how students will be expected to compete amongst professionals. After this lecture, we will discuss the state of the industry and writing for television.

Outcomes expected from the lecture:

1. Deconstruct various episodic dramas and comedies.

2. Analyze a viable television bible to reflect how to tell a story visually, with comedic or dramatic elements.

3. Analyze a pitch template used in the industry to develop your own television pitch.

4. Demonstrate best practices when it comes to writing for television. 

5. Demonstrate pitching skills to the room with supporting documents.

6. Take any questions about the state of the industry and writing for television.

Required Reading (in Reader):

Rimes, Shonda. Grey’s Anatomy Pitch. “Surgeons.” ABC.

Available online at: https://script-pdf.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/greys-anatomy-pitch-tv-script-pdf.pd