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Showrunning is a feat of choreography than anything else 

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Showrunning is a feat of choreography than anything else 

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Incredible freedom on premium cable, but not as many opportunists to make as much money as network television.

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Incredible freedom on premium cable, but not as many opportunists to make as much money as network television.

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https://scriptmag.com/features/writers-edge-tv-writing-opportunities-writers

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Writer’s Edge: Cable TV Writing - Bigger Opportunities For Writers

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There’s an exploding market that has arisen on the scene within the last few years that had never been there in the past. This has opened up doors for writers

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Procedural and Serialized type writing for shows. Procedural is a "One and done" type writing. Serialized is an episodic writing where each episode is built upon the last episode. 

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Procedural and Serialized type writing for shows. Procedural is a "One and done" type writing. Serialized is an episodic writing where each episode is built upon the last episode. 

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Procedural
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls002756842/

Serialized
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls070064686/

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Procedural Dramedy Tv Shows , My Favorites - IMDb

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Procedural Dramedy Tv Shows , My Favorites

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Tips for young writers: Is this hill you're gonna die on?

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Tips for young writers: Is this hill you're gonna die on?

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The more stories that you write for a show, the more stories you can't write again.

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The more stories that you write for a show, the more stories you can't write again.

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The challenge in writing for comedy, you have to block off all available doors except for the one that leads to the punchline. 

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The challenge in writing for comedy, you have to block off all available doors except for the one that leads to the punchline. 

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Doesn't matter how often you solved a written problem. It's the next one that'll probably "kill" you.

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Doesn't matter how often you solved a written problem. It's the next one that'll probably "kill" you.

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When writing a show you have to 1) not know where you're going in the show, and 2) have an idea of where you're going in the show. 

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When writing a show you have to 1) not know where you're going in the show, and 2) have an idea of where you're going in the show. 

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Spec = unsolicited script written to display writer's ability 

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Spec = unsolicited script written to display writer's ability 

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https://nofilmschool.com/What-is-a-Spec-Script

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Have you heard anyone say "I wrote it as a spec script" and not understood what they meant? We look to debunk speccing myths and talk about screenwriting in Hollywood.

If you're breaking into Hollywood you're going to do a lot of work on spec. It sucks. Trust me. I think I have broken in three times now. But before we get into why it sucks we need to answer another question.

But what does work "on spec" mean?

Today we're going to go over one of the most common terms in the film industry, "spec," and talk about when it makes sense for your career. We'll also go over when you should never spec a script, and how people speccing as an opportunity to break in.

Let's get into it!

What is a spec script?

A spec screenplay is short for "speculative screenplay" and it is one the writer does for free outside of the studio system. It's " speculative".

You write the spec based on the speculation that the idea is good enough to sell in the open market. The purpose is to showcase the budding screenwriter's acumen at telling a story through action, structure, and dialogue.

It's a chance to demonstrate that the writer is capable and that the idea has legs.

Spec screenplays are the lifeblood of Hollywood. Largely because you can't beat that price! They're free!

While spec sales are generally down, only 40 sold in 2018, they're a great way to get an agent or a manager to notice your voice. And since no one has to pay for them, they've become the most common way to break in.

Wait. I thought they were free!

They are at first. They're specs because the writer writes them for free, but the producer or studio can't produce them until they pay. There was a time when a lot of spec scripts went for very high numbers.

Writing a hot spec script gets you a ton of general meetings that can lead to paid assignments later.

Spec Script v Shooting Script

Generally speaking, specs usually are scripts naked of "attachments"(stars, directors, etc.) that just serve to deliver a story.

Shooting scripts have camera moves, scenes numbered, and the finished version a script that the crew uses to make the movie.

How does a spec script become a shooting script?

Well, first you need to attach producers to your spec, then talent, and sell it. Shooting scripts only are created if the movie is prepping or going into production.

Where can I find spec scripts online?

I like to look at places like IMSDB, No Film School, and Go Into the Story to see if spec scripts have been posted. If you're looking for a particular spec, just Google it!

What is a TV spec script?

In television, a spec has a different meaning. A spec TV script is a sample episode for a current TV series that proves you can write in the voice of the show and adapt the characters on it. TV specs are not so much of a thing anymore, some showrunners love them but others are looking for great original voices that can contribute at any level.

If you're going to spec a TV show make sure the episode you write stands out. Some famous TV spec scripts that have landed the writers work are a Friends episode where they all get AIDS and a Seinfeld episode about 9/11. As you can imagine, these were stunt scripts that were passed around as "must reads."

Generally, I'd advise new writers trying to break in to create their own work.

Spec script examples

Spec scripts and huge sales are rare now. The LA Times even wrote them an obituary earlier this year. Every year things like the Black List and Hit List celebrate the biggest specs that hit the market. But most of those don't sell. Back in the 1990s, there was a glut of specs that made a ton of money.

People like Joe Eszterhas and Shane Black were selling screenplays for millions of dollars.

Basic Instinct sold for three million dollars.

The Long Kiss Goodnight says it sold for four million dollars.

What's going on in recent years?

Well, Hollywood is making more and more stuff that's based on I.P. so we have fewer specs selling. Original ideas have a hit and miss reputation at the box office, and the more expensive they get the smaller the chance they have to sell.

Think about it. What is "good" is very hard to quantify, right? It boils down to a matter of opinion and the opinion may be wrong. Hollywood as a business needs to invest money wisely, it's run by major conglomerates. They want to minimize risk.

But before you get too jaded over that, think about it from your perspective. If the multiplex is showing both Joe's Spy Adventure and The New James Bond what are you more comfortable paying to see?

You know what you will get with James Bond. Joe's Spy Adventure could be awful. You have no clue what it will be.

This is a silly example, but you get the idea. IP is sort of like a movie star but even more reliable. What star is bigger than a franchise like Star Wars?

Now that Netflix and Amazon have waded into the conversation, there are, however, more and more chances for specs to make a mark.

Netflix has been known to acquire movies and pay a premium for them. They paid three million dollars to the writer of Bright, who is a piece of shit and I refuse to print his name, but it happened.

[Editors note: we condone and second this character assessment and the choice not to print his name.]

Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3cph8xHGbE

I have already covered the screenwriting sale strategies in the above link, so you should click to learn more there. Most spec scripts sell now because they come with a package. Packages are important because they create value where the intellectual property might not be present. You need an A-list director or actor, or producer to get people excited about the project.

The Juno screenplay PDF was passed around Hollywood after the Academy Awards. Everyone was talking about the unique voice, tone, and screenwriter. So what else can you learn from Diablo Cody's screenplay?

Click the link to learn more!

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What is a Spec Script (and How to Write One)

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Have you heard anyone say "I wrote it as a spec script" and not understood what they meant? We look to debunk speccing myths and talk about screenwriting in Hollywood. If you're breaking into Hollywood you're going to do a lot of work on spec. It sucks. Trust me.

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Each show needs to have a separate intent

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Each show needs to have a separate intent

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Showrunnering for TV, you're trying to create something unique and on a budget with a deadline. Great writers can't do that.

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Showrunnering for TV, you're trying to create something unique and on a budget with a deadline. Great writers can't do that.

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ignore outside well-meaning people who try to help your writing because they're not your audience. 

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ignore outside well-meaning people who try to help your writing because they're not your audience. 

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 99% of the audience aren't aware of who writes for TV

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 99% of the audience aren't aware of who writes for TV

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bad episodes come out in the wash. good episodes come out in the wash. all that matters is the whole.

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bad episodes come out in the wash. good episodes come out in the wash. all that matters is the whole.

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arrogance, ignorance, and over budget gets you fired by TV executives. 

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arrogance, ignorance, and over budget gets you fired by TV executives. 

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https://www.careermatch.com/job-prep/career-insights/profiles/television-executive-producer/

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The Television Executive Producer for a TV series makes important decisions about the show, and fast. The Television Executive Producer responsible to the network his or her show is on, and may even pitch in as a Writer in addition to the mile long list of other responsibilities. As the Television Executive Producer, you're the final word for both the business and creative decisions.

Because the turn-around in TV is much faster than in filmmaking, you need to work through the process of preproduction, production, and postproduction on a weekly basis. From start to finish, here's what you're responsible for: You have to create the concept, create the characters, supervise the script meetings, approve the story lines, hire the Television Director (there are usually multiple Director for a TV series, unlike for a film), hire the regular cast members, supervise the budget, supervise the production schedule, oversee final cuts, and even approve ad campaigns.

The work is strenuous and involved, and you have to work quickly to get it all done, but it's so worth it to have your complete vision aired in people's living rooms. And, as with all of your entertainment career choices, your success in moving up depends on your luck, talent, persistence, contacts, and experience. Networking (get it? networking?) can help you move up that ladder from Assistant Producer to Associate Producer, Television Producer and finally Executive Television Producer.

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Television Executive Producer Salary and Career Advice | Chegg Careermatch

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The Television Executive Producer for a TV series makes important decisions about the show, and fast. The Television Executive Producer responsible to the network his or her show is on, and may even pitch in as a Writer in addition to the mile long list of other responsibilities.

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Showrunner.  Writes, produces, runs the show over all.

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Showrunner.  Writes, produces, runs the show over all.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showrunner

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series,[1][2][3][4] who outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing.[5] In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the head writer (or its most prolific writer). The role of a showrunner is not present on all television series, especially outside the US; this article describes the nature of the role where it is present.

Writer Alex Epstein, in his book and blog Crafty Screenwriting, defines a showrunner as "the person responsible for all creative aspects of the show and responsible only to the network (and production company, if it's not [their] production company). The boss. Usually a writer. Traditionally, the executive producer of a television program was the chief executive, responsible for the show's creative direction and production. Over time, the title of executive producer was applied to a wider range of roles-from a senior writer, to someone who arranges financing, to an "angel" who holds the title as an honorific with no management duties in return for providing backing capital. The term showrunner was created to identify the executive producer who holds ultimate management and creative authority for the program."[6] The contract gained by the Writers Guild of America in the 2023 strike now explicitly defines "showrunner" as writers and people responsible for making hiring decisions regarding a project's other staff writers.[7]

In a January 1990 submission to the United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of Justice, Barney Rosenzweig (Executive Vice President and Chairman, Television Division of Weintraub Entertainment Group) wrote:[8]

In the early days of Hollywood, no one questioned what Producer David O. Selznick was to Gone with the Wind, or Pandro Berman to all those Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers [sic] films, or Walt Disney to his early work, or Arthur Freed to the MGM musical. They were the producers... the storytellers. Today in television, the producer is still that person: the show-runner. Television is a producer's medium. Ask the people who make and stand behind their shows - from Aaron Spelling to Stephen Cannell, Stephen Bochco, Len Hill, Edgar Scherick or Phil de Guerre [Philip DeGuere Jr.]. The definition of who does what in television today is not that different from what it was generally in Hollywood before a few critics in France coined the term ' auteur' and the Writer's Guild took the producers, their traditional nemesis, to court - thus all but destroying the Producer's Guild and giving leave for the studios themselves to usurp the name producer.[8]

Los Angeles Times columnist Scott Collins describes showrunners as:[9]

"Hyphenates", a curious hybrid of starry-eyed artists and tough-as-nails operational managers. They're not just writers; they're not just producers. They hire and fire writers and crew members, develop story lines, write scripts, cast actors, mind budgets and run interference with studio and network bosses. It's one of the most unusual and demanding, right-brain/left-brain job descriptions in the entertainment world....[S]howrunners make - and often create - the show and now more than ever, shows are the only things that matter. In the " long tail" entertainment economy, viewers don't watch networks. They don't even care about networks. They watch shows. And they don't care how they get them.

In a 2011 article in The Australian, Shane Brennan, the showrunner for NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, described the position thus:

He explains the moniker was created to identify the producer who actually held ultimate management and creative authority for the program, given the way the honorific 'executive producer' was applied to a wider range of roles. There's also the fact that anyone with any power wanted a producer's credit, including the leading actors, who often did no more than say the writers' lines. "It had got to the stage where it was incredibly confusing; there were so many production credits no one knew who was responsible," he says.[10]

In June 2023, Andy Greenwald of Briarpatch said of the title of showrunner, "It's a made-up title, and it's not a paid position". Without an overall deal, he said, a showrunner could be paid less than a co-executive producer "because everything else that I do - from hiring the writers, to being on set and producing, to being in post for months, then doing press - is not compensated". With the end of the streaming wars and Hollywood emphasizing profitability, overall deals became much rarer. Reduced compensation for showrunners and others in the writers' room helped cause the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.[11] In an interview that same month with Vox, writer Erica Saleh, who developed the series One of Us Is Lying, listed the function and structure of the personnel in WGA writers' rooms, explaining that showrunners determine the tone and genre of the show, and break down the structure of a season, its episodes, and storylines, prior to actual production of the program. Saleh listed the hierarchy of the staff on WGA shows, in order of authority:[12]

Level

Position

Notes

1. Highest position

Showrunner

The showrunner is the highest authority in charge of the production of a television show.[13]

2.

Executive producer

The executive producer has been likened to the CEO of a series.[14] The executive producer is often the creator of a series, and sometimes serves as the showrunner as well. They help write scripts, and run day-to-day production operations,[15] overseeing production of a story from script to screen. The precise functions of an executive producer can vary, depending on multiple factors. In some cases, the title is used to credit a writer who had signed off on a series, but had little involvement with its production.[16]

3.

Co-executive producer

Co-executive producers have been analogized to an executive producers's " first mate", the selection of which is solely the responsibility of the executive producer. They are usually the most senior writer on the staff, or "Head Writer", and therefore the dominant voice in the writers' room, who assist the showrunner by spearheading the management of the scripts. They also assist the showrunner in production, and in oversee the writers. The co-executive producer's duties typically include liaising between executives and staff, making design and directorial decisions, running the production when the Executive Producer is not present, and assisting with such daily activities as financing, staffing, scheduling, and other operations.[14]

4.

Supervising producer

Supervising producers help oversee a show's daily creative direction,[17] overseeing other producers and members of the production staff with administrative and creative duties. These include hiring episode directors, overseeing the writers' room, assisting with script rewrites, and training new writers. Supervising producers are required to have several years of production experience.[18]

5.

Producer

Producers coordinate and supervise all aspects of TV production, in both creative and administrative capacities, including making financial decisions, and handling contracts, talent, and bargaining agreements. They also address problems that arise during production, and make sure that it does not exceed its budget. Their duties include fundraising and networking, soliciting and assessing scripts and project ideas, hiring writers, and securing rights to other intellectual properties.[19]

6.

Co-producer

7.

Executive story editor

8.

Story editor

9. Lowest position

Staff writer

According to Saleh, this position, the lowest level in the writers' room, is the one in which new writers are usually placed when they obtain their first job writing on a television show.[12]

The Writers Guild of Canada, the union representing screenwriters in Canada, established the Showrunner Award in 2007, at the annual Canadian Screenwriting Awards. The first Showrunner Award was presented in April 2007 to Brad Wright, executive producer of Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1.[20]

In the first decade of the 21st century, the concept of a showrunner, specifically interpreted as a writer or presenter with overall responsibility for a television production, began to spread to the British television industry.[21] "Nonetheless, the show runner production model is still less common in drama production in the UK" than it is in the U.S., scholars Ruth McElroy and Caitriona Noonan wrote in 2019.[22]

The first British comedy series to use the term was My Family (2000-11), which had several showrunners in succession. Initially, the show was overseen by creator Fred Barron from series 1-4. Ian Brown and James Hendrie took over for series 5, followed by American writer Tom Leopold for series 6. Former Cheers showrunner Tom Anderson was in charge from series 7 to the final series, series 11.[23]

The first writer appointed the role of showrunner on a British primetime drama was Tony McHale, writer and creator of Holby City, in 2005.[24] Jed Mercurio had carried out a similar role on the less conspicuous medical drama Bodies (2004-2006).[25] But Russell T Davies' work on the 2005 revival of Doctor Who brought the term to prominence in British television (to the extent that in 2009 a writer for The Guardian wrote that "Over here, the concept of 'showrunner' has only made it as far as Doctor Who").[26]

In an interview, Davies said that he felt the role of the showrunner was to establish and maintain a consistent tone in a drama.[27] Doctor Who remains the most prominent example of a British television programme with a showrunner, with Steven Moffat having taken over the post from Davies from 2010 until 2017.[28][29] Chris Chibnall later took over from Moffat.[30] Davies returned, following Chibnall's departure. The term has also been used to refer to other writer-producers, such as Tony Jordan on Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach, Ann McManus on Waterloo Road, Adrian Hodges on Primeval[31] and Jed Mercurio on Bodies,[25] Line of Duty,[32] and Critical.[25]

1. ^

2. ^ "Showrunning in the UK" (PDF). Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2020.

3. D'Arminio, Aubry (October 10, 2016). "Gary Glasberg: 1966-2016", ^ upTV Guide. p. 17.

4. ^ MasterClass staff (September 10, 2021). "What is a Showrunner: Shonad Rhimes's Advice for Showrunners". MasterClass. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. para. 2: "He or she is... always an executive producer."

5. ^

6. ^ Epstein, Alex (August 24, 2005). "Tentative Glossary". Complications Ensue: The Crafty Screenwriting, TV and Game Writing Blog. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020.

7. ^ "These are the biggest wins in the WGA's new labor contract". September 30, 2023.

8. ^ Justice, United States Congress House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of (1991). Moral Rights and the Motion Picture Industry: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Administration of Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, Second Session, January 9, 1990. U.S. Government Printing Office.

9. ^ "Showrunners run the show", "Channel Island" column, Los Angeles Times, 23 November 2007

10. ^ Blundell, Graeme (April 23, 2011). "Getting the run of the place". The Australian. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.

11. ^ Adalian, Josef; Brown, Lane (June 6, 2023). "The Binge Purge". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023.

12. ^ "How streaming caused the TV writers strike". Vox. June 7, 2023. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023 - via YouTube.

13. ^ "showrunner". Random House. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023 - via Dictionary.com.

14. ^ "Co-Executive Producer". Chegg CareerMatch. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

15. ^ "What Is an Executive Producer? What's the Difference Between an Executive Producer and Producer?". MasterClass. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

16. ^ "What does an executive producer do?". ScreenSkills. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

17. ^ Schneider, Michael (September 27, 2022). "'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Promotes Matt Lappin to Co-Executive Producer". Variety. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

18. ^ "What Is a Supervising Producer". ZipRecruiter. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

19. ^ "What does a TV producer do?". New York Film Academy. June 16, 2017. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.

20. ^ "2007 Canadian Screenwriting Awards". Writers Guild of Canada.

21. ^ Lawson, Mark (October 22, 2007). "Britain's got talent - and it's untouchable". The Guardian.

22. ^ McElroy, Ruth; Noonan, Caitriona (2019). Producing British television drama : local production in a global era. London: Springer. p. 57. ISBN 9781137578754.

23. ^ "My Family". comedy.co.uk.

24. ^

25. ^ Brown, Maggie (February 10, 2014). "Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio". The Guardian.

26. ^ Martin, Dan (June 24, 2009). "Is Heroes lost without its superman?". The Guardian.

27. ^ Davies, Russell T (January 16, 2008). "Mark Lawson Talks to..." (Interview). Interviewed by Mark Lawson. BBC Four. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021.

28. Interviewer refers to ^ Doctor Who as "...one of the few UK series with a showrunner".

29. ^ McLean, Gareth (March 22, 2010). "Steven Moffat: The man with a monster of a job". The Guardian.

30. ^ "Steven Moffat stands down and Chris Chibnall to take over". Doctor Who. January 23, 2016.

31. ^
Wilby, Peter (March 3, 2009). "Melodrama class". The Guardian.

32. ^ Curtis, Chris (September 20, 2012). "Jed Mercurio: taking aim at the target culture". Broadcastnow.co.uk.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series,[1] [2] [3] [4] who outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over the production, and the executive producer's role is limited to investing.[5] In scripted comedy and drama TV shows, the showrunner also usually serves as the head writer (or its most prolific writer).