Writing For Television

- Before You Begin - Reality Check Can I Earn a Living From This? - Reality Check Creating an !riting For "# Television - First #te$s - %eneral &$$ortunities - Shortland Street - Creating Your &'n #ho' - !riting a T( )ro$osal - *rama an Come y - *ocumentary an Reality - Formatting an )resentation - !here Can I #en +y !ork? - I,ve #ent &ut +y !ork !hat -a$$ens .o'?

The follo'ing is $rovi e as a general gui e for 'riters 'ho 'ish to 'rite for .e' /ealan television0 Before You Begin #tarting out in this in ustry can seem aunting 1ut there are some 1asic first ste$s you shoul take0 !atch T(2 This soun s like o1vious a vice 1ut many 'riters em1ark on 'riting for television 'ithout having actually 'atche the ty$es of sho's that are likely to 1e $ro uce here0 If you are 'riting for television you nee to un erstan the me ium3 the 'ay stories are tol on television0 !atch great sho's0 !atch not so great ones0 Learn the ifference0 #tu y The +arket2 Learn 'hat ty$es of sho's are $ro uce in .e' /ealan 0 The market in .e' /ealan o$erates on 1u gets far lo'er than those in the "# an "43 for e5am$le0 +ost television is fun e 1y .e' /ealan &n 6ir0 )ractise2 !rite television scri$ts for alrea y e5isting sho's or for sho's that you have create 0 Create $ro$osals for your o'n sho's0 Every 'riter 'orking in the T( 1usiness has hone their craft an you 'ill nee to o so as 'ell0 Reality Check Can I Earn a Living From This? Yes3 although you 'ill have to 1e $re$are to 'ork har It also may take years 1efore you are 'orking fulltime as a T( scri$t'riter so on,t 7uit your ay 8o19 In com$arison to other 'riting me iums3 there is a range of $ai television scri$t 'ork availa1le an some 'riters manage to carve a career from sim$ly 'riting for television0 +ost scri$t'riters in .e' /ealan ten to 'rite across me iums inclu ing television3 film3 theatre3 ra io3 $rose3 $rint3 ne' me ia as it $rovi es a iversity of income an avoi s literally $utting all their income eggs in one 1asket0

Reality Check Creating an Writing For !" Television If your reams are to create or 'rite for a ma8or "# television sho' then you 'ill nee to $ack your 1ags an move to Los 6ngeles : on,t forget your %reen Car 9; an get an agent0 Breaking into the "# television 1usiness is tough an 3 for the most $art3 cannot 1e one remotely0 It is also almost unhear of for ne' 'riters to get a sho' on air in the "#3 net'orks 'ill only take $itches from 'riters or $ro ucers 'ith $roven track recor s0 Even e5$erience .e' /ealan television 'riters 'oul tell you it is ifficult to get scri$t 'ork on "# sho's3 let alone $itch a sho' to a "# $ro ucer0 6n 'riting 8o1s on to$-rating sho's are e5ce$tionally covete 3 only 6-list scri1es 'ill get these 8o1s you,ll nee a goo track recor 1efore you lan one of those gigs0 6lthough it may seem like it is ifficult to get a sho' on air in .e' /ealan 3 in many 'ays it is a far more o$en market than overseas0 You 'ill not nee an agent in .e' /ealan an $ro ucers 'ill look at material from uncre ite 'riters an if you create your o'n series it is likely you 'ill get scri$t 'riting 'ork on it0 If you have your heart set on 'riting for "# television you shoul invest in one of the 1ooks or courses that tell you ho' to o so0 First "te#s $eneral %##ortunities +ost $ro ucers of alrea y e5isting sho's 'ill only hire 'riters 'ith some scri$t e5$erience0 #ome sho's o have o$en call $olicies usually sketch come y sho's 'here you can sen in sam$le scri$ts0 .et'orks may also hol o$en call $olicies3 usually 'here they have negotiate an initiative 'ith ./ &n 6ir0 Shortland Street is the only sho' that has a formal3 ongoing structure for trialling ne' 'riters0 Shortland Street #hortlan #treet runs a test kit system0 This gives 'riters a chance to try ialogue 'riting 1ase on storylines from the sho'0 6ll su1missions are assesse an the 1est go on to 8oin the $ool of 'riters for the sho'0 The kits are sent out every month or so an test kits can 1e o1taine from #outh )acific )ictures :contact etails to re7uest a test kit are here;0 #hortlan #treet also allo's 'riters to come in an trial for the story ta1le0 #ome relevant e5$erience is $referre - this inclu es other scri$t or 'riting e5$erience3 'riters 'ith useful life or 'ork e5$erience or a me ical 1ackgroun 0 The trial lasts t'o 'eeks3 'riters take $art in story conferences an 'rite a sha o' scene 1reak o'n3 'hich is then assesse 1y the story $ro ucer or story e itor0 #hortlan #treet tries to recruit ne' storyliners several times a year0

Creating Your %&n "ho& 6s an uncre ite 'riter3 creating your o'n sho' is a goo 'ay to catch the eye of a $ro ucer0 6s the creator you 'ill often 1e hire to 'ork or 'rite scri$ts on the sho' or they may like your 'ork an eci e to trial you on another of their sho's0 )ro ucers an net'orks are al'ays looking for something ne'3 e5citing3 ifferent an fresh :you,ll hear those 'or s from them a lot in your career9;0 6im to create 'ork that ca$tures their imagination3 that tells stories not tol 1efore on television an that reflects life in .e' /ealan 0 +ost $ro ucers an some net'orks in .e' /ealan 'ill rea unsolicite material :this is uncommon overseas;3 'hich means you can sen them $ro$osals for ne' series at any time0 6ny $ro ucer or net'ork 'ill $refer to see a $ro$osal for your sho' rather than 8ust a ver1al $itch0 You shoul register your 'ork 1efore you sen it0 *on,t e5$ect anyone to $ay you for evelo$ing formats this is something you 'ill nee to o0 -o'ever3 this also means you o'n all the rights until such time as you sell them0

Writing a T' (ro#osal )ro ucers 'ill normally 'ant to see something in 'riting3 es$ecially from a ne'comer0 You shoul not iscuss i eas 'ith any1o y i eas are im$ossi1le to $rotect 'hen not 'orke into any concrete form0 )rama an Come y 6 $ro$osal shoul at the very least2 Begin 'ith a 1rief summary :t'o to ten lines;0 In a ition a log line the series enca$sulate in one sentence is useful0 E5$lain e5actly 'hat it is :e0g0 a one hour action rama3 a half-hour live action sketch come y;0 It,s goo to 1e s$ecific here a one hour romantic- rama3 a half hour $erio chil ren,s rama3 an animate a ult-oriente half hour come y;0 %ive an i ea of the au ience for the sho'<the a$$ro$riate timeslot0 %ive some character 1reak o'ns0 Contain some story i eas<outlines0

6 more etaile $ro$osal might2 &utline the $remise of the sho' in more etail0 -ave etaile character 1iogra$hies0 Contain $aragra$h versions of sam$le e$iso es0 Contain a treatment for the $ilot scri$t an <or sam$le scri$ts from the sho'0 Contain the $ilot scri$t an <or sam$le scri$ts from the sho'0 Inclu e the un erlying 'ork :if it is 1ase on a $lay3 novel or film;0

)ocumentary an Reality 6 $ro$osal shoul 2 Begin 'ith a 1rief summary :t'o to ten lines;0 In a ition a log line the series enca$sulate in one sentence is useful0 &utline the un erlying conce$t for the ocumentary<reality sho' *ocumentary - #houl sho' that some research has 1een one #houl in icate ho' the story is to 1e tol 2 !hether the sho' 'oul 1e 1est 'ith a $resenter or riven 1y a narrative scri$t revealing the story0 %ive an i ea of the au ience for the sho' *o 'e follo' one character or one issue ? Formatting an (resentation )ro$osals - "nlike film there is no set format for $resenting television $ro$osals0 )ro uction com$anies may have their o'n set re7uirements so it may $ay to ask them if they have any s$ecial re7uirements0 &1viously 'ork 'ill nee to 1e ty$e on,t use Courier :that,s for scri$ts only; use some easily rea font such as Times .e' Roman3 6rial etc0 #ome 'riters like to $resent $ro$osals 'ith s$iral 1in ing3 a $lastic cover an car 1oar 1acking sheet0 You might even inclu e some images :on the cover an throughout; if relevant<useful0 Ensure the $rogramme,s title an your name<contact etails are easy to fin 0 #cri$ts - If $resenting a scri$t:s; 'ith your $ro$osal you shoul format that as a scri$t television an feature scri$ts are similarly formatte 0 Ty$ically .e' /ealan scri$ts are formatte in the follo'ing 'ay2 6= $lain 'hite $a$er >?-$oint Courier font0 T'o $unche holes :stan ar ;0 T'o 1rass $a$er fasteners often calle @1ra s,0 !riting $rogrammes3 like Final )raft3 can assist greatly 'ith formatting0 Final *raft an scre' ty$e *rass *ra s are availa1le from the ./!%0

Where Can I "en +y Work? Before you sen your 'ork to anyone register it 'ith the %uil 0 The most common $laces to sen television $ro$osals are2

In e$en ent $ro ucers a list of $ro ucers in .e' /ealan is availa1le from the %uil for mem1ers only0 T(./ T(A )rime

./ &n 6ir is a fun er of television in .e' /ealan 1ut you o not sen 'ork irectly to them 'ithout a $ro ucer<net'ork commitment0 !hen you sen your 'ork out you shoul sen a $olite covering letter an make sure your etails are on the front $age of the $ro$osal<scri$t0 It is usually 1est to sen the 'ork to one $ro ucer at a time0 Can,t think 'here to sen it first? Choose the $ro ucer 'hom you think 'ill res$on most favoura1ly to the 'ork or 'ho $ro uces 'ork of a similar nature<genre0 I,ve "ent %ut +y Work What -a##ens .o&? If the $ro ucer isn,t intereste they 'ill return your 'ork0 If they are intereste they may eci e to o$tion the 'ork0 They may also ask you to retool the $ro$osal to 1etter suit them<the net'ork<fun ers or to o some more in- e$th evelo$ment 'ork on the sho'0 In the latter case they may engage your services to o that 'ork 1y contract0 If the sho' is @$icke u$, 1y a net'ork an receives ./ &n 6ir evelo$ment fun ing the net'ork may choose to evelo$ the sho' 'ith you0 6t some $oint they 'ill likely 1ring a $ro ucer on 1oar to 'ork 'ith you0 They 'ill then a$$ly for ./ on 6ir $ro uction fun ing0 If the sho' goes into $ro uction you may 1e engage to 'ork on the sho' as a 'riter3 $re$aring storylines3 'riting scri$ts3 e iting0 The %uil can $rovi e a vice on contracts an rates0