[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: What does it mean to think cinematically?
Brandon Violette, Screenwriter / Founder and Host of The Story Series Podcast: I think there’s a kind of a myth that persists in writing for kids is that it’s either easy or boring or whatever.
I like to think that you could think big when you’re writing for kids television.
That’s really what it means.
Try to maximize the promise or the concept of every episode.
If there’s some opportunity or some promise of this action finale, really push it.
Every show is a little bit different.
And I like to say, creative restrictions are good.
You should draw a box around every show that you’re on.
Story Questions book — Now on Payhip here!
Even if it’s kids, it could still be they’re not all the same.
Every show has its own world of what can happen, what you could do, what not.
You should draw a box around it and then try to push as much as you can against the edges and that’s where you’ll really hit on something unique.
You could go over and that’s when the network is like that doesn’t work or that doesn’t ring true or you find it.
Finding the voice of the show and thinking cinematically just means pushing as much as you can to get the most out of a concept and make it feel like…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
About:
Brandon Violette was most recently the Head Writer for RoboGobo and Pupstruction at Disney Television Animation and the Co-Creator/Head Writer of CoComelon Lane (Moonbug/Netflix), one of Netflix’s top-performing preschool series. His writing credits span hit shows including Dew Drop Diaries (DreamWorks), Pupstruction (Disney Junior), T.O.T.S. (Disney Junior), Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! (Mattel), and Stretch Armstrong & The Flex Fighters (Hasbro Studios).
In addition to his screenwriting work, Brandon is the host of The Story Series Podcast, where he interviews writers, showrunners, filmmakers, author and creators about story structure, character development, pitching and the creative mindset.
Before moving to Los Angeles, Brandon studied at the Beijing Film Academy and continues to return to China as a guest lecturer, sharing insights on storytelling, animation, and the global landscape of entertainment.
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New book from Film Courage! – See it on Payhip here
New book from Film Courage! – See it on Payhip here
