To say that the television landscape has changed in recent years is an understatement. TV dramas have been around for as long as TV has, of course, but they’ve taken on a new and exciting role in the culture and industry over the past 20 or so years. From THE SOPRANOS to BREAKING BAD, TV dramas have captured our imagination in ways they haven’t before, and deciding to roll up your sleeves and write your own is a great decision in this current marketplace.
Before you get typing, though, you should make sure you understand the various possible plot formats, conventions, and structures you want to write your pilot in. That’s why Roadmap invited Eli Edelson to give us all a crash course of pilot writing from A to Z!
This 90 Minute Pilot Will Cover:
- Pilot structure
- Characterization and development
- Voice and tone
- Setting up a series
After graduating from the University of Chicago, Eli returned to his hometown of New York to work in film finance and development at FilmNation Entertainment. Following a stint in TV development at Miramax, he transitioned to be a writers' assistant for drama shows on FOX (BONES), Netflix (UNBELIEVABLE), and Max (RAISED BY WOLVES) before being promoted to writer. Most recently, Eli wrote on all three seasons of the series MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM on Freeform/Hulu and completed the show's run at the Co-Producer level. In addition to having both feature and TV projects in development, Eli works as a creative executive for Tony McNamara at his company, Piggy Ate Roast Beef Productions. He also serves as a longtime volunteer and mentor with the WGF’s Veterans Writing Project and the Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program.
Questions?
If you have any questions or any trouble accessing the recording, email our Director of Education Alexandra Davies at alex@roadmapwriters.com!