Solving Story Problems in Film and Television

This unit will cover the most frequent development notes given by studios and networks, such as making the project bigger, bringing down the budget, giving characters stronger arcs, clarifying the conflict, speeding up the pace, and making content for an audience.

It’s important to solve major story problems early on, but often the difference between a greenlight and development hell is getting the little things right. Fitting roles to actors, trimming dialogue, addressing legal issues, and providing information at the right time are just a few of the many page notes executives give over and over.

While getting specific notes on your screenplay can be very helpful, the reality is that companies pass on the vast majority of material they receive without giving notes, often using vague phrases that can be easily misinterpreted. During this session, Brandon will break down common executive phrases like we didn’t love the concept, we didn’t feel like the best producers, anything with (blank) is tougher for us, and it’s too similar to something on our slate.

By now you understand many common story issues, both from development notes and feedback on submissions. However, actually getting the work done can be time-consuming and headache-inducing. The final lesson covers how to best solve story problems, such as understanding suggestions vs. mandates, distilling down the note, using bad ideas to come up with good ideas, and pushing back when necessary.