Hey guys I was wondering if there should be a special way to writing a television drama pilot. Or would you write it like any other episode of a TV drama? Thanks! 
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Drama Script Question
- Thread starter xxxtoxicxxx
- Start date
i think it works different in the UK
but
it depends on what genre your pilot is - if in comedy you should introduce the characters, but not introduce them so that they are entering a different situation, you have to introduce them as part of the environment that the audience will see for the rest of the series
it has to be something that people will tune into without feeling totally lost, as word of mouth spreads
that is at least what the bbc told us (our comedy team) about our 1st pilot script, that and get a bit older (we were 15).
welcomme!
but
it depends on what genre your pilot is - if in comedy you should introduce the characters, but not introduce them so that they are entering a different situation, you have to introduce them as part of the environment that the audience will see for the rest of the series
it has to be something that people will tune into without feeling totally lost, as word of mouth spreads
that is at least what the bbc told us (our comedy team) about our 1st pilot script, that and get a bit older (we were 15).
welcomme!
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The pilot episode is always the most difficult to write because it has to achieve so much.
1) It needs to establish the characters in such a way that you understand them and care about them enough to want to know more. This a delicate balance, you can't give the audience everyhting, there has to be an element of mystery or discovery about these people. It's like a first date, you have to be fascinating but not overpowering.
2) You need to set the story in motion and tease the audience into "having" to know what happens next. the whole pilot leads to that one thing.
The problem with this is
a) It requires huge technical writing skills and experience to craft something that does the whole job perfectly
b) It's almost impossible to achieve the above and make the drama flow well.
What tends to make this even harder is that when writing the pilot the writer doesn't really know the character that well. The character is still being discovered.
The trick therfore is to write a really dog rough pilot episode and then sit down and write the rest of the series. By the end of episode twelve you should know the characters inside and out, plus you've seen where the story is going. At this point you go back and craft your pilot.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but believe me it is the best way to approach this particular writing task.
1) It needs to establish the characters in such a way that you understand them and care about them enough to want to know more. This a delicate balance, you can't give the audience everyhting, there has to be an element of mystery or discovery about these people. It's like a first date, you have to be fascinating but not overpowering.
2) You need to set the story in motion and tease the audience into "having" to know what happens next. the whole pilot leads to that one thing.
The problem with this is
a) It requires huge technical writing skills and experience to craft something that does the whole job perfectly
b) It's almost impossible to achieve the above and make the drama flow well.
What tends to make this even harder is that when writing the pilot the writer doesn't really know the character that well. The character is still being discovered.
The trick therfore is to write a really dog rough pilot episode and then sit down and write the rest of the series. By the end of episode twelve you should know the characters inside and out, plus you've seen where the story is going. At this point you go back and craft your pilot.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but believe me it is the best way to approach this particular writing task.
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No Im talking about the format, is there a special way the format for the pilot should be or should it be the same then any other episode?indietalk said:
You mean the formatting of the screenplay? I imagine a pilot is formatted the same as the other episodes. I hope your readers care more about the story than the format 