I am a Brazilian writing beginner. I started watching your videos yesterday and I'm already on episode 4. Please keep posting episodes, it's helping me a lot.
Andy, so glad you are back! The owner of the best screenwriting channel on the internet! I make short films and hearing your insight is entertaining, inspiring, and helpful for my own short screen plays! I hope the family is doing well, and aspiring writers are glad to have you back in our corner!
Thank you so much Andy for this brilliant insight into writing for television.I've been writing for movie screenplay and attempted to write a screenplay for TV and failed miserably. Will try to attempt again keeping your tips in mind. Would appreciate more writing techniques for daily soaps.Welcome back love your podcast.
Thanks. I'm glad the series is helping you. Sorry, but I'm afraid daily soaps are one of the few genres of TV I have never written, so I know next to nothing about how to write specifically for them, save for what a few friends have told me anecdotally.
The best part of a show is when characters reflect on their lives. A great example of this is the TV movie lonesome dove which has many places where the characters stop and take stock of their past. I always thought a second title for that movie could have been REGRET, since almost every character had heavy regrets to contend with
Great to have you back! This is great stuff as always and it brings up a few questions. What defines characters and situations that are “bigger than life?” Why would MASH the film be bigger than life, but not MASH the TV show? Or Gunsmoke vs any western film? How does one devise a TV show that is life-size, but not pedestrian or common place and allow for escalation? Does life-size still hold true for streaming shows which only seem to cast movie stars. These are the same actors who used to be bigger than life screen actors (Nicole Kidman seems to be in a lot of streaming shows for some reason) . Thank you!
Great question, and MASH is a great example. The comedy of the movie tended to be in bigger, elaborate set pieces (the wacky football game, the plot to expose of Hot Lips in the shower, the ruse to make the dentist think he was committing suicide), and the ugliness of war was bloodier. The jokes on the TV version were much more verbal, and the surgery scenes less shocking. And of course, the movie ended with Frank Burns removed to a mental hospital, Hot Lips seduced by one of the doctors, and Hawkeye going home. In short, the TV version was brought "down" in scope and intensity from the movie so we could be with the characters for 10+ years instead of 2 hours. Likewise, go back and look at any "Gunsmoke" episode and you'll see it's mostly talk, with only the occasional action scene. No "Wild Bunch" shootouts, no epic journeys like "The Searchers."
Watched an interview of demond wilson where he said that him and redd foxx both had pistols on them at all times during the show incase someone in the audience tried something violent. Have you known actors or directors on TV shows to carry concealed?
Yes, some of the more dramatic episodes were aired here in the US sans laugh track. Audiences didn't miss it. Now the concept seems like from another age.
Andy thank you so much. Can you please to cover Documentary topic from the same angle based on cameras, type of show and how screenplay will be different for this form? Also if you can please cover also Domestic crime shows structure. Thank you in advance
Welcome back! The internet just got smarter and brighter! Thank you!
Thanks. Gosh, you almost look like someone I know... Wait a minute!
I thought you quit!! I’m glad to see you’re back giving us amateurs gems! Can’t wait for the pilot writing class!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾
I'll never quit! (probably)
Thanks Andy. So glad you are back!
I'm glad to get back in the saddle too!
I am a Brazilian writing beginner. I started watching your videos yesterday and I'm already on episode 4. Please keep posting episodes, it's helping me a lot.
It's great to hear I'm of some help to you. And don't worry, I'll keep posting as long as I have something to say.
Andy, so glad you are back! The owner of the best screenwriting channel on the internet! I make short films and hearing your insight is entertaining, inspiring, and helpful for my own short screen plays! I hope the family is doing well, and aspiring writers are glad to have you back in our corner!
Thanks for the kind words.
So excited! Was scared you stopped.
Never! Thanks for watching.
Great to have you back! I checked a few times to see if you'd uploaded but YT had failed to notify me. Great video as usual.
Glad you enjoyed it. More to come.
Welcome back Andy !
Glad to be back. Thanks.
Thank you so much Andy for this brilliant insight into writing for television.I've been writing for movie screenplay and attempted to write a screenplay for TV and failed miserably. Will try to attempt again keeping your tips in mind. Would appreciate more writing techniques for daily soaps.Welcome back love your podcast.
Thanks. I'm glad the series is helping you. Sorry, but I'm afraid daily soaps are one of the few genres of TV I have never written, so I know next to nothing about how to write specifically for them, save for what a few friends have told me anecdotally.
The best part of a show is when characters reflect on their lives. A great example of this is the TV movie lonesome dove which has many places where the characters stop and take stock of their past. I always thought a second title for that movie could have been REGRET, since almost every character had heavy regrets to contend with
Yes, those can be effective scenes, as long as they don't stop the story.
Great info! I learned a lot, thank you!
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
i still love you!
Thanks. I'm going to take that in the most platonic, teacher/mentor, spiritual way possible.
Great to have you back! This is great stuff as always and it brings up a few questions. What defines characters and situations that are “bigger than life?” Why would MASH the film be bigger than life, but not MASH the TV show? Or Gunsmoke vs any western film? How does one devise a TV show that is life-size, but not pedestrian or common place and allow for escalation? Does life-size still hold true for streaming shows which only seem to cast movie stars. These are the same actors who used to be bigger than life screen actors (Nicole Kidman seems to be in a lot of streaming shows for some reason) . Thank you!
Great question, and MASH is a great example. The comedy of the movie tended to be in bigger, elaborate set pieces (the wacky football game, the plot to expose of Hot Lips in the shower, the ruse to make the dentist think he was committing suicide), and the ugliness of war was bloodier. The jokes on the TV version were much more verbal, and the surgery scenes less shocking. And of course, the movie ended with Frank Burns removed to a mental hospital, Hot Lips seduced by one of the doctors, and Hawkeye going home. In short, the TV version was brought "down" in scope and intensity from the movie so we could be with the characters for 10+ years instead of 2 hours. Likewise, go back and look at any "Gunsmoke" episode and you'll see it's mostly talk, with only the occasional action scene. No "Wild Bunch" shootouts, no epic journeys like "The Searchers."
Watched an interview of demond wilson where he said that him and redd foxx both had pistols on them at all times during the show incase someone in the audience tried something violent. Have you known actors or directors on TV shows to carry concealed?
No, thank God. Actors with guns is a terrifying thought.
In the UK MASH was broadcast without the laugh track. Samples of MASH with the laugh track was no joke :-)
Yes, some of the more dramatic episodes were aired here in the US sans laugh track. Audiences didn't miss it. Now the concept seems like from another age.
Andy thank you so much. Can you please to cover Documentary topic from the same angle based on cameras, type of show and how screenplay will be different for this form?
Also if you can please cover also Domestic crime shows structure. Thank you in advance
I'm not a documentary filmmaker per se, but I will certainly try to address the form in the future. Thanks for the feedback!
Finally!
Sorry, occasionally Life intervenes and I have to step away for a bit.
William Shatner was total Z movie fodder :-)
What I don't like about Television Writing is that almost always is too on the nose
Depends on the show. There is a lot of great TV writing out there, but you have to find it.
@TheGoDraft "The Americans" was well written