Film Courage: How much of the world needs to be created in the [television] pilot?
Niceole R. Levy, Screenwriter/Author: That’s an interesting question. I would say it depends on the show. If you are writing a genre or a fantasy show I think you need to have a sense of what rules need to absolutely be clear in the pilot especially if it involves magic or it involves superpowers or anything like that, executives tend to get a little mystified by that stuff, so clear rules are very helpful to them. Even if you know that you’re going to build off that and expand on that, as you continue the writing process, if it becomes a show, what’s absolutely essential in the pilot that your audience knows. That’s part of your world building is in this if you’re writing a fantasy show let’s say that in this Kingdom there’s this kind of magic and in this Kingdom there’s this kind of magic and here’s what happens when that kind of magic bumps up against each other that might be all we need to know in the pilot but make sure that the rules of all that are very clear. If you’re writing more let’s say like a Grey’s Anatomy kind of show, you really want the characters to pop. You want to be sure that each character is incredibly distinct and that we understand what’s most important to you about those characters from the pilot. Now you’re also creating a scenario that’s going to tell us how the show works. For instance using Grey’s [Anatomy] as an example, interns in a residency program, all the stuff getting thrown at them and then also commiserating with each other and building a relationship with each other to get through it is easy to understand. That’s what the show is but that’s all set up in the pilot. A lot of times what you’ll hear is What’s the engine? It really is about…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BUY THE BOOK – THE WRITER’S ROOM SURVIVAL GUIDE: Don’t Screw up the lunch order and other keys to a happy Writers’ Room by Niceole R. Levy
BIO:
After growing up near China Lake Naval Weapons Center in the middle of the Mojave Desert, Niceole escaped to the bright lights of Los Angeles. While studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she realized her true love was writing stories, not playing them out. She worked as a police dispatcher to pay her way through USC undergrad and then completed the Master of Professional Writing program, also at USC. An alum of the CBS Writers Mentoring Program, NBC’s Writers on the Verge, and the WGAW Showrunner Training Program, Niceole has written on “Ironside,” “Allegiance,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “Shades of Blue,” “Cloak & Dagger,” “Fate: the Winx Saga,” “S.W.A.T,” and “Graymail.” She also co-wrote a feature, “The Banker,” with former “Allegiance” showrunner and director George Nolfi, available on AppleTV+, and is now writing “Spark,” a film inspired by the life of Claudette Colvin. Niceole is currently a co-executive producer on an upcoming Netflix series and has several TV and feature projects in development. Her first book, “The Writers’ Room Survival Guide,” will be released in October of this year.
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