Small screen, big picture : a writer's guide to the TV business

Format:

Book

Title:

Small screen, big picture : a writer's guide to the TV business

Other title(s):

Writer's guide to the TV business

Author:

Gervich, Chad. author

ISBN:

9780307395313

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York, New York : Three Rivers Press, 2008.

Physical Description:

xii, 430 pages ; 24 cm.

General Note:

At head of title: Mediabistro.com presents.

Includes index.

Contents:

Foreword -- Author's note -- Introduction -- Part 1: From The Inside Out: -- How the industry is structured: -- Top of the food chain -- Networks, studios, and production companies -- Syndication and backend: how TV shows make money -- Inside a television network: a lesson in programming -- New show development process: an overview -- Part 2: Development Season: -- From pitch to pilot pickup: -- Recipe for a TV show -- Pitch -- Art of the deal -- Development hell -- Part 3: Pilot Season: -- From pilot pickup to series: -- Preproduction -- Principal photography -- Postproduction -- Upfronts -- Part 4: Staffing Season-And Beyond: -- Getting the series up and running: -- Staffing season: how show runners staff new shows -- Writers' room -- Production -- Staying on the air -- Part 5: New Frontiers: -- Where TV is headed: -- Cable -- Reality TV -- Digital media and the Internet -- Part 5: Breaking In: -- Your guide to infiltrating Hollywood: -- Write your ass off -- Representation -- Networking -- Assistants -- Getting a job -- Other ways of breaking into Hollywood -- Glossary -- Appendix -- Acknowledgments -- Index.

Summary:

"From Mediabistro.com, the media industry's most well-respected source for jobs, professional development, and community, this inside-the-business guide gives you the knowledge and tools you need to infiltrate Hollywood and land a job as a TV writer. That's right - Small Screen, Big Picture gives you a competitive edge over millions of other aspiring writers who share your talent, creativity, and determination ... because after reading these pages, you'll have the one thing they lack: an understanding of the business of television." "This journey into Hollywood's inner workings not only details how networks, studios, and production companies work together, it teaches you how the process affects the creation and writing of TV series, how shows make money, and - ultimately - how you can use this information to break into the industry."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject(s):

Television authorship.

Television -- Production and direction.

Television -- Vocational guidance.

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	791.4502 Gervich, C. 2008	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Take On Hollywood and Make It as a Television Writer.

From mediabistro.com, the media industry's most well-respected source for jobs, professional development, and community, this inside-the-business guide gives you the knowledge and tools you need to infiltrate Hollywood and land a job as a TV writer. That's right- Small Screen, Big Picture gives you a competitive edge over millions of other aspiring writers who share your talent, creativity, and determination . . . because after reading these pages, you'll have the one thing they lack- an understanding of the business of television.

This journey into Hollywood's inner workings not only details how networks, studios, and production companies work together, it teaches you how the process affects the creation and writing of TV series, how shows make money, and-ultimately-how you can use this information to break into the industry.

You'll learn-
. What really goes on in the inner sanctum of the writers' room-and how to be a part of it
. How today's TV business model works-and how rapidly it's changing
. Who has the power to buy a show idea-and how to pitch your own
. How new media formats are changing television-and how to use them to your advantage
. Which jobs will kick-start your TV writing career-and how to get hired
. And much more . . .

Armed with this solid foundation of knowledge, you'll be ready to plan your entry into the industry and begin your successful TV writing career.

Author Notes

CHAD GERVICH has worked as a TV writer, producer, and executive. He's written, developed, and produced shows for the Littlefield Company, Fox Television Studios, Paramount Television, NBC, Warner Bros., ABC, Fox Reality Channel, E! Entertainment Television, and 20th Century Fox.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* This could just be the most informative book ever written about the television industry. While such works as Bill Carter's Late Shift (1994) and Desperate Networks (2006) focus on the personalities behind TV's hits and failures, Gervich, who has worked in television production for about a decade, concentrates on the mechanics of the industry. He takes a budding scriptwriter through the lengthy, often emotionally draining process of getting a script onto the air, pausing along the way to talk about such fundamental things as pilot season, the way a broadcast day is broken into key segments (called dayparts ), how the TV ratings work, the different requirements of specific genres, how to schedule a new series, the syndication process (generally speaking, a show doesn't turn a profit until it's sold into syndication), even the mechanics of filming a television show. The book is also full of surprises the fact that cable TV was accidentally invented 60-odd years ago by a Pennsylvania appliance salesman who just wanted to sell more television sets and it's written for the general reader, someone who hasn't already spent years in the business. It would be difficult to imagine a more engaging, user-friendly, and educational book on the subject.--Pitt, David Copyright 2008 Booklist

Foreword	p. 1
Author's Note	p. 4
Introduction	p. 9
Part I From the Inside Out: How the Industry Is Strutured	p. 17
1 The Top of the Food Chain	p. 19
2 Networks, Studios, and Production Companies	p. 27
3 Syndication and Backend: How TV Shows Make Money	p. 46
4 Inside a Television Network: A Lesson in Programming	p. 60
5 The New Show Development Process: An Overview	p. 80
Part II Development Season: From Pitch to Pilot Pickup	p. 93
6 Recipe for a TV Show	p. 95
7 The Pitch	p. 111
8 The Art of the Deal	p. 124
9 Development Hell	p. 131
Part III Pilot Season: From Pilot Pickup to Series	p. 139
10 Preproduction	p. 141
11 Principal Photography	p. 156
12 Postproduction	p. 167
13 Upfronts	p. 176
Part IV Staffing Season ... and Beyond: Getting the Series Up and Running	p. 187
14 Staffing Season: How Showrunners Staff New Shows	p. 189
15 The Writers' Room	p. 202
16 Production	p. 219
17 Staying on the Air	p. 227
Part V New Frontiers: Where TV Is Headed	p. 239
18 Cable	p. 241
19 Reality TV	p. 250
20 Digital Media and the Internet	p. 267
Part VI Breaking In: Your Guide to Infiltrating Hollywood	p. 287
21 Write Your Ass Off	p. 289
22 Representation	p. 307
23 Networking	p. 321
24 Assistants	p. 331
25 Getting a Job	p. 343
26 Other Ways of Breaking into Hollywood	p. 360
Glossary	p. 373
Appendix	p. 391
Acknowledgments	p. 403
Index	p. 407

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

Table of Contents