HOW TO GET AN AGENT
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities

So you've written a few specs and you think they're pretty good.  Now what?

Well, unless your cousin is a show runner or your uncle is a network executive, you're gonna need an agent to literally SELL you to the show runners.  But first you have to sell yourself to the agent.

So how do you do that?

First things first.  If you don't live in Los Angeles or at least within reasonable driving distance of the city, then don't bother trying to get an agent.  It's a waste of everyone's time, including yours.

You wanna write for TV?  Then you gotta live where they make TV and that's here in LA.  So if you're currently living in bumfuck NOT LA, then put your scripts in a drawer and go watch LOST on your Tivo.

Otherwise, move to LA.

Secondly, those specs you've got better be fucking BRILLIANT.  You've got one chance to impress an agent.  ONE.  And if those specs are not the absolute bomb, you can kiss your career good-bye before it ever begins.

So, now that you're in LA, and you have killer specs ready to go, how do you get an agent to read them?  The easiest way is through a contact.  A writer who already has an agent.  A friend of a friend who knows a writer who has an agent.  A friend of a friend of a friend who knows someone who works at an agency.

See what I'm getting at?  Think long and hard about who you know.  Because, more often then not, THAT is what gets your foot in the door.  Most agents won't read material from some schlub they've never heard of without a referral or recommendation.

So what do you do if you have absolutely no contacts?

The next best way to get an agent is to win a writing contest.  There are several TV writing contests now that are on the Hollywood radar.  ScriptapaloozaTV, Austin Film Festival, TVWRITER.COM and others. 

Search the net for a reputable TV writing contest.  More often than not, there are legitimate agents looking to read the winning scripts.  Win a contest and an agent might just be calling YOU.

The last and least effective (but not impossible) way is through a query letter.  Basically, you're writing a letter to an agent telling them about yourself and your specs and asking if you can send them.

Most query letters end up in the trash but sometimes - if the letter is effective - an agent might just bite and ask you to send your scripts.  Here are some tips for writing an effective query letter:

1) SEND THE LETTER TO A SPECIFIC AGENT AT THE AGENCY.
I can't tell you how many morons just send a letter to AGENCY "X" and address it to "To Whom It May Concern."  That's the fastest way to the trash.  The fucking thing won't even get opened.  Write the letter to ONE AGENT.  And make sure they represent TV writers.  If you send a query to an agent who only reps for features or even worse only reps actors, then you've just told them that you're an idiot and the letter goes in the trash.

You can send multiple letters to different agents at an agency but again, make sure they actually rep TV writers.  Do your research!

2) KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE
Don't tell the agent your life story about how you've always dreamed about being a writer ever since Aunt Sadie told you your book report in 3rd grade should be eligible for the Pulitzer Prize.  They don't give a shit and their time is short.

Introduce yourself, where you are from (originally) and what you have written.  If you won a writing contest somewhere, tell them about that.  If you did some research and you know the names of some clients they represent, tell them you chose them because you respect their client list.  (A little flattery goes a long way.)

Then politely ask them if they be so kind as to take a look at your material.  Thank you.  The end.  And make sure you put a phone number on there.  If they can't reach you easily....TRASH. 

3) MAKE ONE FOLLOW UP CALL
Give the agent at least two weeks to have gotten your query letter and read it.  Then call the agent and follow up.  Be prepared to be blown off big time.  They get calls like this all the time.  No matter what happens BE POLITE AND FRIENDLY.  If you're lucky enough to actually get the agent on the phone, they will most likely tell you thanks but no thanks.  Most of the time you'll just hear this from their assistant.

But once in a while an agent will ask to read one of your scripts.  An that's like hitting a slot machine jackpot at Vegas.  It's rare but it happens.

Send them the script and pray that it's as good as you think it is. 
Because if it isn't...game over.

But if it is...and they like it...they may want to meet you.

Here are some quick tips for meeting with an agent:

1) BE ON TIME
2) BE FRIENDLY AND POLITE TO EVERYONE
3) DON'T BE A JACKASS
4) BE WORKING ON NEW MATERIAL AND BE READY TO TALK ABOUT IT.
5) KNOW WHAT YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS ARE AND BE READY TO TALK ABOUT THEM.
6) BE PROFESSIONAL.  THIS IS A BUSINESS, NOT A HOBBY.

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HOW TO WRITE A SPEC SITCOM SCRIPT THAT DOESN'T SUCK

HOW TO WRITE A SPEC SITCOM SCRIPT THAT DOESN'T SUCK

So you wanna write for sitcoms?  Fine and dandy.  The first thing you need to do is write a spec script.  This is basically a sample or "pretend" episode of a currently running half hour comedy on network or cable television.

And it can't just be good.

It has to be GREAT.

Writing a GREAT spec is no easy task.  A sitcom spec should feel like it was written by a staff writer on the very show you're writing AND it should also have your own unique stamp on it. 

Again, this is a lot harder to do than it sounds. 

But I know you're determined to do it, so let's get started.

Make sure you choose a show that you know inside and out.  TIVO as many episodes of the show you can or get the DVD's of the show if they are available, and STUDY THEM.  Take notes as you watch them.  I cannot stress enough how well you need to know the show that you are writing because if you don't, it will stink of amateur.

I'm not going to talk about sitcom script format here because that's a whole article in itself, but see if you can get your hands on an actual production script from the show. There are many online "script emporiums" that can probably help you there.

Determine what you're "A" story and "B" story is.  For those of you who don't know, an "A" story is the main story and usually involves the characters in the show that take center stage.  The "B" story is usually a smaller story – sometimes related to the "A" story, sometimes not – that usually involves the secondary characters.

For example, here's a fictional example of a WILL & GRACE episode:

"A" STORY: Will and Grace have to pretend to be married in order to buy into a new co-op building.

"B" STORY: Jack enlists Karen's help in developing his new nightclub act, "Jacktacular!"

Make sense?

As you develop the story for your spec, make sure that it contains the following essential elements:

1)      A CLEAR PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED.

2)      A CLEAR ACT BREAK.

3)      AN INEVITABLE RESOLUTION.

If any of these elements in your script are weak, it will be tossed into the trash, guaranteed.

The act break is particularly important.  There needs to be a life-changing twist at the end of act one that leaves the main character in hot water.  When we come back to act two, we'll spend that act seeing how they get out of it.

I'm not going into the beat-by-beat mechanics of how to WRITE the spec.  There is a fantastic book on that subject that I can't recommend enough that covers that.  I'll tell you what it is at the end of this article.

Here are some things you should COMPLETELY AVOID when writing your spec. 

HOLIDAY EPISODES:  Never ever write a holiday episode.  EVER.  Leave these to the people who actually work on the show.  No Halloween.  No Thanksgiving.  No Kwansa.  NO HOLIDAYS.

DO NOT CENTER YOUR EPISODE AROUND A NEW CHARACTER:  Do not, under any circumstances, build your episode around some "guest star" character that you've created.  NEVER.  We don't want to see how clever you are at creating new characters.  We want to see how well you know THE CHARACTERS IN THE SHOW.  In fact, you should avoid external characters completely.  Aside from maybe, a shop clerk here or a waiter there, your spec needs to be centered around the actual characters in the show. 

DO NOT CHANGE THE BACK STORY OF THE CHARACTERS OR INVENT NEW CHARACTER ELEMENTS.  Do I really need to tell you this?  YES.  Because amateurs do it all the time.  Again, your creativity should shine through in the story you tell with the characters in the show as we know them, not as you re-create them.

DO NOT WRITE A SPEC OF A SHOW THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY ON THE AIR.  Nobody cares about your great idea for a FRIENDS episode.  It's dead and gone.  Only write a spec for a show on the air NOW.

Here are some things to try to DO when you write your spec.

MAKE IT BELIEVABLE.  Make sure the characters act and talk the way they act and talk on the show. 

Earlier, I said you should write THREE spec scripts.  I think writing three scripts – each different shows – will show your range with different tones and types of material.  I recommend writing a standard multi-camera spec, a single camera network spec, and a single camera cable spec.

Here are the shows I recommend you consider writing:

MULTI-CAMERA SHOWS

TWO AND A HALF MEN
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE
EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS

SINGLE CAMERA NETWORK SHOWS
MY NAME IS EARL
THE OFFICE

SINGLE CAMERA CABLE SHOWS
ENTOURAGE
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

"Starting Your Television Writing Career: The Warner Bros. Television Writers Workshop Guide" – by Abby Finer & Deborah Pearlman.

It is an essential guide for anyone who wants to write for TV.

STARTING YOUR TELEVISION WRITING CAREER

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HOW TO CREATE A REALITY SHOW PITCH
Category: Writing and Poetry

HOW TO CREATE A REALITY SHOW PITCH

Ten years ago, the classic Hollywood joke was that everyone was writing a screenplay.  Your cab driver.  Your busboy.  Your dentist.  They all had Hollywood dreams and scripts under their arms.

Today, everyone has a reality show idea.

Your cab driver.  Your busboy.  Your dentist. 

They all think they have that next great idea for a reality show.

Or do they?

Do you?

Let's find out what idea you have, what you need to do with that idea to make it sellable, and how to go about getting it sold.

Basically, there are several major categories of reality shows:

COMPETITION / ELIMINATION SHOWS

These include shows like FEAR FACTOR, BIG BROTHER, SURVIVOR, TOP MODEL, HELL'S KITCHEN, LAST COMIC STANDING, NEXT ACTION HERO, AMERICAN IDOL, ROCKSTAR: SUPERNOVA, THE APPRENTICE, YO MOMMA, DANCING WITH THE STARS, THE CONTENDER, etc.

Their basic premise, no matter what the talent or skill required, is that a group of strangers are thrown together to compete for an ultimate prize, and through a series of challenges and votes, are eliminated one by one, until a single winner is left standing. Currently, this is the most popular type of reality show on the air right now and consequently, the most over-saturated.

THE DOCU-SOAP

These include shows like, WORK OUT, BLOW OUT, THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY, THE RESTAURANT, THE REAL WORLD, etc.  In simplest terms, this is a reality soap opera.  No eliminations.  Just inter-personal drama.

THE REALITY SITCOM

This includes shows like THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR, THE SIMPLE LIFE, INVASION IOWA, GROWING UP GOTTI, etc.  Usually a fish-out-of-water based premise coupled with a peek behind the scenes of a strange world.

THE CELEBRITY RIDE-ALONG

This includes shows like BREAKING BONADUCE, THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW, KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE "D" LIST, etc.  This is when a celebrity - and I use that term loosely -  agrees to let cameras follow them around and document their crazy/funny/hectic/dramatic/ life.

THE "LET'S PRETEND"

This includes shows like BLACK & WHITE, 30 DAYS, COLONIAL HOUSE, SWITCHED, WIFE SWAP, etc. The premise to these shows is always, "What would you do if you traded places with...had to live as...or experienced the life of...?" 

HIDDEN CAMERA

This includes shows like, PUNK'D, HIDDEN HOWIE, SCARE TACTICS, TOTALLY HIDDEN VIDEO, etc.  The hidden camera genre was really hot in the mid 90's but it's all but fizzled out these days.

HELP ME, HELP YOU

This includes shows like INTERVENTION, NANNY 911, SUPERNANNY, EXTREME MAKEOVER, 10 YEARS YOUNGER, DOCTOR 90210, etc.  These are transformation shows, either physically or emotionally.

So now that you know what the major categories are, you need to ask yourself, "Which category does my show idea fit into?"  It has to fit into at least one if you want to have any chance of getting it sold.  More than one is fine too.  For instance, BREAKING BONADUCE is really a combination of a "Celebrity Ride-Along" and a "Docu-soap."  DANCING WITH THE STARS could be called a combination of the "Competition / Elimination Show" and the "Celebrity Ride-Along".

So now that you know what category or categories your show fits into, let's talk about what the important elements of each of those categories are and what to avoid in them.

COMPETITION / ELIMINATION SHOWS

There are several key elements that are essential to a successful competition show.

THE GRAND PRIZE: 

It needs to be BIG.  Whether it's money or power.  A gift certificate to Sizzler ain't gonna cut it.

IF THE COMPETITION IS SET IN A SPECIFIC ARENA (SINGING, DANCING, BUSINESS) IT NEEDS TO BE SEXY AND INTERESTING:

American Idol crowns the next pop sensation through a national singing competition.  That's sexy.  People want to watch that.  If your show crowns the next hog calling champion through a county fair competition, keep it to yourself.  A boxing competition is sexy.  A pole-vaulting competition is not.  Your goal is to appeal to as many people as possible. 

It also helps to be original.  For example, coming up with yet another singing competition show is a BAD idea.  Did you see ABC's "The One"?  No?  Neither did anyone else.  This blatant American Idol clone was canceled after only 2 shows.

KEEP IT SIMPLE:

I can't tell you how many people pitch me competition shows with rules so complex and arcane that you would need a guide book at home to know what the hell is going on.  

Look at SURVIVOR.  Outwit.  Outplay.  Outlast.  That's it. 

Two tribes.  Reward/Immunity challenges.  Tribal council.  One winner.

Couldn't be more simple.

If your elimination/competition show has too many crazy rules, no one will buy the pitch.

THE DOCU-SOAP

The docu-soap requires more than just a pitch.  You can't just say, "Wouldn't it be great to follow seven hurricane Katrina survivors for 6 months and see how they rebuild their lives?"

Sounds like a great idea.

Do you know any Katrina survivors personally?

No?

Then you have no show.

Because any network executive could come up with this idea.  What makes it a sellable pitch to a network is if YOU went down to New Orleans and recruited seven Katrina survivors willing to have their lives taped for a docu-soap and THEN you came to a network with your "cast" ready to go.  That's how you sell a docu-soap today. 

THE REAL HOUSWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY idea was sold to Bravo by a well-known resident of the bedroom community in which those women live and who knew the lives these women led.  He could also provide the network with a "cast" because all of the families on the show are his friends.

In short, to pitch a docu-soap, you have to come to the table with much more than just an idea. 

THE REALITY SITCOM & THE CELEBRITY RIDE-ALONG

Both of these types of shows absolutely require you to bring a cast to the table.  Nobody cares about your great idea to follow Britney Spears around with cameras while she plays mommy and wife to K-Fed - UNLESS you are friends with Britney Spears and have already gotten her to sign onto the project BEFORE you go to a network.

THE "LET'S PRETEND"

The rule of thumb for these shows is fish-out-of-water.  And it's not good enough to just take that fish and put it on the sand.  You have to take that fish and put it in a desert.  Get what I'm saying?  Make sure your premise will solidly deliver the comedy and drama that ensues when people are completely out of their element and as far from their comfort zone as possible.  That's what people want to see.  They want to watch the show and wonder how they would do under such circumstances.

HIDDEN CAMERA

As I've already said, this type of reality show is all but dead.   Wanna revive it?  Then you better make sure it's truly different than the 100 other hidden camera shows that came before it - going all the way back to CANDID CAMERA in 1953.

HELP ME, HELP YOU

America loves to learn how to help themselves so this type of show flourishes on basic cable networks.  Just make sure your idea is fresh.  Yet another make-over show just won't cut it.  And there has to be the potential for a REAL TRANSFORMATION from the start of the show to the finish.  That's absolutely key. 

Okay.  So now that you've come up with your absolutely brilliant reality show pitch, based on everything you've learned above, how do you sell it?

Good question.

And one I'll answer for you in my next blog...

.

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SO YOU WANNA BE A SITCOM WRITER?

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