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Fade in: real life screenwriting
Writer John Rogers has decided to throw open the doors of the freelance TV writing process. He's an outside writer who's pitched an idea to a new TV show for an episode. He knew the show's writer-producers, and was familiar with the story arc, so he walked in pretty confidently. It looks, from his first post, that there will definitely be more to come. But as he says, "Lord knows if we'll actually shoot the bastard."
While he's circumspect about the details, he does let on that the show is called Eureka; it'll be on the Sci Fi Channel later this year.
What's cool is that he lets you in the door and sits you down next to him at the table as he looks up into the expectant faces. Scary! But he's got a good handle on things. We bet you could pay a fine pile of money to Syd Field and never learn as much as you can from John's blog, Kung Fu Monkey:
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This may reveal my old pulp roots, but for a sci-fi/genre show, my rough stucture is: 1.) Wow, have we got a problem. It is Very Bad.
2.) Whoops, no, we have an entirely different problem, and it's far worse.
3.) That problem? Yeah, that's going to kill us.
4.) Solve the problem. Marvel at the emotional wreckage. Prep for next week.
Really, you've got 48 minutes. 6 two-minute scenes an act. TV isn't haiku, but it's damn close.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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