![]() The series pitch bible is your chance to hook us and make us want to read your pilot script and ultimately commission your show. If your show is light, warm and funny, make sure the series bible reads that way too. Remember also that the tone and style of your prose in the series bible should match that of your show. You’re a wordsmith after all, and just as with your script, every word on the page should be carefully chosen to carry as much weight as possible. Treat writing the series pitch with the same care and attention you did your pilot script. Just like your screenwriting skills, pitch-writing skills can be learnt and you’ll get better at it you more you practice. The bad news is that this is a skill you’re going to have to get good at if you want to get your original series commissioned. If that’s you, the good news is that you’re not alone. Writing a compelling prose description of your series might not come easily to you. You might be commissioned to write a more extensive series treatment later on but for now, if you’re writing on spec and it can be any length, we’d recommend no more than five pages total. Keep it succinct.įor the prestigious Studio21 Drama Series Script Competition(on which Script Angel is a partner) we ask for a series pitch document of 1-4 pages. Like most pitching documents the rule of thumb is, the shorter the better. Tone and style: Gritty or quirky? Dark and naturalistic or bright, vibrant and heart-warming? How long should it be? Story world: what is the precinct of your show? Is it a busy city centre hospital, a deprived rural village, the wealthy elite of the French Riviera? Theme: what is the show really about and why do you want to write it? Season two and beyond: what is your vision for the longer-term direction of the show? This isn’t a detailed breakdown of future episodes but rather a one or two paragraph summary of the main thrust of the show beyond series one. If your show is episodic (each episode has a self-contained story, eg NCIS), these synopses should give a flavour of the kind of stories that would work for your series as well as indicate any major turning points for your regular characters if you envisage series arcs for them. If your show is a serialised story (one story arching over the whole series or more, eg Breaking Bad) these episode synopses must show how the story progresses through the series, with clear turning points and episode hooks. ![]() Try to hone in on the essence of their personality and how they are in conflict with themselves (flaws), the world they find themselves in and the people around them (other characters).Įpisode synopses: a one-paragraph synopsis for each episode of the first series. It summarises, in four or five paragraphs, all the key elements that will make your show compelling.Ĭharacter biographies: a short paragraph biography for each of the main characters. One-page pitch: your first page should be able to stand alone to pitch your show. Series logline: a very short paragraph summary of the series concept which conveys the essence of your show. Written by: your name – obvious, I know, but you’d be amazed how many supporting documents omit this!įormat: eg 6 x 60’ serialised drama or 8 x 60’ episodic police procedural or 6 x 30’ sit-com. Series title: give it a working title (w.t) even if you think you may want to change it later. Does the idea have ‘legs’? Is there a clear story engine that will generate twenty, forty or sixty-plus hours of drama? What should you include? It needs to answer the producer’s fears about whether the project is worth the investment. It must demonstrate that you know what you’re doing, not just in the pilot episode but across the whole first season and beyond. The job of your series treatment is to excite the reader about your idea by pitching the essence of what it is. Whether it’s called a series bible, series pitch or series treatment, if you’re writing it on spec in order to get interest in your show, your document is designed above all else to sell your vision of the show. If you’re writing on spec, here’s our guide to writing the television series pitch bible.Ī full series bible for an existing show is a comprehensive, detailed guide to the show which evolves and grows with it. If you’re ever commissioned by a producer to write a supporting document, eg treatment, series pitch, always ask them what they expect. Treatments, pitches, outlines and show bibles are terms bandied around which can be used to mean different things. We all know what a script should look like but what about your tv series pitch bible? There is a lot of confusion around the myriad of supporting materials you might also be expected to write.
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