Download “Story Mapping the First Season of a Television Series” Webinar by Daniel Calvisi
So you’ve written a pilot, but have you considered how the subsequent episodes will play out? If you’re putting together a pitch or a series bible, you will need to put a lot of thought and craftsmanship into the major arcs and beats of your first season. Once you know your beginning and your ending, you can engineer what comes between, using successful series as templates for your outline. This roadmap will then help you make better decisions in the pilot on how to set up key elements and arcs for future payoffs.
Using case studies from well-known series on platforms like Netflix, FX, AMC, Showtime and HBO, best-selling author and professional Story Analyst Daniel Calvisi breaks down how to map out a complete first season using his Story Maps method, using examples from current and classic series to show the process in action. The many shows cited include STRANGER THINGS, SUCCESSION, BETTER CALL SAUL, OZARK, MINDHUNTER, ATLANTA, SMILF, MAD MEN, FARGO, I’M DYING UP HERE and BARRY. Exploring these stories will reveal structural patterns and best practices that you can use to aid your own writing.
Many decisions will go into your first season outline, and it can seem overwhelming. This webinar walks you through the process in a clear, concise way, and breaks this huge job down into smaller, more manageable tasks. You will learn techniques like building out the world, advancing character arcs and lines of action, expressing theme in action, developing villains and allies and using cliffhangers to suck in and hold your audience. You will also be given several techniques for generating stories.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- How to map out the first season of a TV series and how to set up season two.
- The importance of character, status and the key milestones you must hit in season one.
- The difference between network, cable and streaming seasons.
- How to use Theme to build dramatic elements and plot points.
- How to develop and pay off character arcs.
- The relationship between the pilot and the rest of the series.
- The importance of your Compelling Crisis, Meta-Theme, Season Engine, World and the Week-to-Week.
- How to define key character types, such as Shadow, Antagonist and Dynamic Ally.
- See how successful shows have structured their first seasons.
THIS IS THE ONLY SITE THAT SELLS THE REMASTERED VERSION OF THIS WEBINAR!
PRICE: $39 USD
YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Dan Calvisi
Daniel P. Calvisi is a Script Doctor, writing coach and the author of Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, Story Maps: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot, Story Maps: 12 Great Screenplays and Story Maps: The Films of Christopher Nolan. He is a former Story Analyst for major studios like Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax Films and New Line Cinema. He coaches writers, teaches webinars on writing for film and television and speaks at writing conferences. He has coached many professional screenwriters with credits that include Netflix, Hulu, Max, Apple TV+, Disney and more. He has been endorsed by Script Magazine and featured on Indie Film Hustle, Film Courage and L.A. Screenwriter. He holds a degree in Film and Television from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He lives in Los Angeles.