5 answers
Teriyana
Student
Omaha, Nebraska
10
Questions
Asked
1626 views
I plan on writing my first screeplay in 2022. However, I'm not sure whether to write a tv or movie script for my first screenplay?
I have many ideas that could be either a tv script or a movie script. However, just curious, what does the entertainment/film industry value more? TV or Movie Screenplays? I am struggling on my decision. I plan to use the script to submit to writing competitions and apply to grad film school. I would really appreciate some feedback on this matter. Thank you.
#movie #film #acting #college #writing #tv #screenplay #script #writer #moviescript #tvscript #teleplay #entertainment #filmindustry
5 answers
Houcine Lakhchach
Career Development Specialist | U.S Department exchange Alumnus | EFL/ESL trainer | Program manager
139
Answers
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
Updated
Houcine’s Answer
Choosing between writing a TV or movie screenplay for your first project is a significant decision, and both formats have their unique merits. Ultimately, the choice depends on your storytelling preferences, the nature of your ideas, and your long-term goals. Here are some considerations to help you decide:
TV Screenplay:
Long-Form Storytelling: TV series allow for more extended and nuanced storytelling, providing the opportunity to delve deeper into characters and plotlines over multiple episodes or seasons.
Character Development: TV scripts often focus on character arcs and development, creating more intricate and layered personalities over time.
Diverse Storylines: Multiple episodes provide the chance to explore diverse storylines and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive narrative.
Sustained Engagement: TV shows can build a dedicated audience over time, fostering a more sustained engagement with viewers.
Movie Screenplay:
Focused Storytelling: Movies offer a more condensed and focused storytelling format, requiring concise character development and plot arcs within a limited timeframe.
Cinematic Experience: Films provide a cinematic experience with a clear beginning, middle, and end, making them well-suited for impactful and self-contained narratives.
Big Moments: Movie scripts often emphasize big moments, crucial turning points, and visual spectacle, capturing the audience's attention in a shorter duration.
Stand-Alone Stories: Movies typically tell stand-alone stories, allowing you to create a complete narrative within a single script.
Considerations for Writing Competitions and Grad Film School:
Diversity of Skills: If you're applying to grad film school, showcasing versatility in both TV and movie scripts may be beneficial. Grad programs often appreciate students with diverse storytelling skills.
Competition Guidelines: Review the guidelines of the writing competitions and grad film schools you're interested in. Some may prefer one format over the other, so align your choice with their criteria.
Industry Trends:
Current Industry Preferences: Research current industry trends and preferences. The landscape evolves, and certain periods may favor TV over movies or vice versa.
In conclusion, both TV and movie scripts can be valuable assets, and the industry values skilled storytellers in both formats. Consider the strengths of your ideas, your storytelling style, and the specific requirements of the competitions and grad film schools you're targeting. If torn between ideas, you might choose the format that best serves the story you're most passionate about telling. Ultimately, your ability to craft a compelling narrative will be a key factor in the success of your screenplay.
TV Screenplay:
Long-Form Storytelling: TV series allow for more extended and nuanced storytelling, providing the opportunity to delve deeper into characters and plotlines over multiple episodes or seasons.
Character Development: TV scripts often focus on character arcs and development, creating more intricate and layered personalities over time.
Diverse Storylines: Multiple episodes provide the chance to explore diverse storylines and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive narrative.
Sustained Engagement: TV shows can build a dedicated audience over time, fostering a more sustained engagement with viewers.
Movie Screenplay:
Focused Storytelling: Movies offer a more condensed and focused storytelling format, requiring concise character development and plot arcs within a limited timeframe.
Cinematic Experience: Films provide a cinematic experience with a clear beginning, middle, and end, making them well-suited for impactful and self-contained narratives.
Big Moments: Movie scripts often emphasize big moments, crucial turning points, and visual spectacle, capturing the audience's attention in a shorter duration.
Stand-Alone Stories: Movies typically tell stand-alone stories, allowing you to create a complete narrative within a single script.
Considerations for Writing Competitions and Grad Film School:
Diversity of Skills: If you're applying to grad film school, showcasing versatility in both TV and movie scripts may be beneficial. Grad programs often appreciate students with diverse storytelling skills.
Competition Guidelines: Review the guidelines of the writing competitions and grad film schools you're interested in. Some may prefer one format over the other, so align your choice with their criteria.
Industry Trends:
Current Industry Preferences: Research current industry trends and preferences. The landscape evolves, and certain periods may favor TV over movies or vice versa.
In conclusion, both TV and movie scripts can be valuable assets, and the industry values skilled storytellers in both formats. Consider the strengths of your ideas, your storytelling style, and the specific requirements of the competitions and grad film schools you're targeting. If torn between ideas, you might choose the format that best serves the story you're most passionate about telling. Ultimately, your ability to craft a compelling narrative will be a key factor in the success of your screenplay.
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
852
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Teriyana,
I am not a published writer, but I do know published authors and some screen writers. I think that only you can answer your question. What I mean is that you are talking about entering very challenging areas - movies and television.
Television: If you had to do another screen play very quickly, could you do that? That is the pace of television - quick, quick, quick. Do you have a story arc that can be taught in small segments over a fast period of time? Is it ready for proper television which in the USA network television is 22 episodes, 22 scripts. Or do you see your work being used in limited series format (8 to 10 episodes to complete a story arc.)?
Movie: Is the story that you need to tell better set at a movie level? I understand from others that movie scripts have a formula in terms of certain number of pages. The story needs to be complete and standalone in a different way than serialized work.
I would say begin with what feels the most comfortable and natural to you. There is no right way to start but beginning with what feels natural is the less stressful way to go.
Gloria
I am not a published writer, but I do know published authors and some screen writers. I think that only you can answer your question. What I mean is that you are talking about entering very challenging areas - movies and television.
Television: If you had to do another screen play very quickly, could you do that? That is the pace of television - quick, quick, quick. Do you have a story arc that can be taught in small segments over a fast period of time? Is it ready for proper television which in the USA network television is 22 episodes, 22 scripts. Or do you see your work being used in limited series format (8 to 10 episodes to complete a story arc.)?
Movie: Is the story that you need to tell better set at a movie level? I understand from others that movie scripts have a formula in terms of certain number of pages. The story needs to be complete and standalone in a different way than serialized work.
I would say begin with what feels the most comfortable and natural to you. There is no right way to start but beginning with what feels natural is the less stressful way to go.
Gloria
Alexis Camins
IT Manager at Los Angeles County - Professional Actor
38
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Alexis’s Answer
Write it all. When someone is interested in a short, be ready in case they ask for your feature. If they like your feature, have your TV pilot ready to go.
Write it all. Read some of your favorites and write your stories. Write a short story. Write an essay. Write a play. But have a lot of different things ready.
Get it all on paper and don’t waste another minute.
Write it all. Read some of your favorites and write your stories. Write a short story. Write an essay. Write a play. But have a lot of different things ready.
Get it all on paper and don’t waste another minute.
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Teriyana
Hank Isaac
Writer/Director
41
Answers
Ocean Shores, Washington
Updated
Hank’s Answer
So your fundamental decision is: Teleplay or screenplay. Right?
A lot really has to do with the school you're applying to -- if that's your reason for writing at the moment. I would research the school and find out where their focus is. Keep the actual and immediate goal in focus: Getting accepted into the grad program. Oui?
Also, does the program look at you as a "writer" or as someone who does or doesn't write "producible material?" There is a huge difference. You can be a great writer but write a really bad story. You can also be a fantastic storyteller but can't write worth anything.
See if you can reach out to some current and/or former students. Ask them what they think the focus of the grad program is.
The advantage of writing a TV series -- and BTW, you will initially write ONLY the pilot, never multiple episodes -- is that the pilot is mostly setup and is often the most fun to write. With a feature film, you need to pack the whole smash into 90 to 120 pages. That's a bit of work to do that well.
If instead of applying for school you're pitching a series to a producer, then you will need to get them to believe a series could last for at least three (3) season and preferably longer.
There is also a sort of compromise format -- the "limited series." Used to be called a "miniseries" but those fell out of favor a while ago. And yet they brought them back by simply calling them something else. Go figure...
Try to get to a headspace where you can determine which format suits you NOW and what the school is looking for NOW and write THAT. Folks often say it can't but the truth is: Any story can be told as a film or as a series. It just gets told differently in each.
Again... Eyes on the "prize."
Actually, all the "steps" are in the answer, I think. Go to it!
A lot really has to do with the school you're applying to -- if that's your reason for writing at the moment. I would research the school and find out where their focus is. Keep the actual and immediate goal in focus: Getting accepted into the grad program. Oui?
Also, does the program look at you as a "writer" or as someone who does or doesn't write "producible material?" There is a huge difference. You can be a great writer but write a really bad story. You can also be a fantastic storyteller but can't write worth anything.
See if you can reach out to some current and/or former students. Ask them what they think the focus of the grad program is.
The advantage of writing a TV series -- and BTW, you will initially write ONLY the pilot, never multiple episodes -- is that the pilot is mostly setup and is often the most fun to write. With a feature film, you need to pack the whole smash into 90 to 120 pages. That's a bit of work to do that well.
If instead of applying for school you're pitching a series to a producer, then you will need to get them to believe a series could last for at least three (3) season and preferably longer.
There is also a sort of compromise format -- the "limited series." Used to be called a "miniseries" but those fell out of favor a while ago. And yet they brought them back by simply calling them something else. Go figure...
Try to get to a headspace where you can determine which format suits you NOW and what the school is looking for NOW and write THAT. Folks often say it can't but the truth is: Any story can be told as a film or as a series. It just gets told differently in each.
Again... Eyes on the "prize."
Hank recommends the following next steps:
Aaron Escamilla
Mining Technology Developer
62
Answers
Gilbert, Arizona
Updated
Aaron’s Answer
I've never written a screenplay so I hope my answer is useful. I've definitely read about shows that were converted to movies later because investors decided it would be better or vice versa. If you look at Disney, they started with movies and now they are doing TV show spinoffs from their Marvel Universe. This seems to be more common from my experience as a "netflix/disney plus/hulu" user lol. How to train your dragon was a movie, now Netflix continues to make how to train your dragon shows. On the flip, "troll hunters" started off as a show and became one of the most watched cartoons on netflix during Covid and then they did a finale movie.
Not having written a screenplay I do write books and I find myself making a skeleton first of what I want before deciding if it's going to be one big Novel or a series of books. I imagine a similar principal can apply. I don't know if you've heard of the "save the cat" 15 key story “beats,” or “plot points.” You can find the outline for free online but it's a good way to put your ideas into a proven method that captures readers and provides the right amount of suspense at the right times. I start building my ideas around this model sometimes. Sometimes it helps me realize I need to split my idea into two books instead of just one. You could try doing that and then it might help you answer your own question.
Not having written a screenplay I do write books and I find myself making a skeleton first of what I want before deciding if it's going to be one big Novel or a series of books. I imagine a similar principal can apply. I don't know if you've heard of the "save the cat" 15 key story “beats,” or “plot points.” You can find the outline for free online but it's a good way to put your ideas into a proven method that captures readers and provides the right amount of suspense at the right times. I start building my ideas around this model sometimes. Sometimes it helps me realize I need to split my idea into two books instead of just one. You could try doing that and then it might help you answer your own question.
Thanks Aaron! This advice is incredibly helpful. I will try to apply some of the resources that you mentioned.
Teriyana
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