SUCCESS ON THE SMALL SCREEN:

CREATING AND PITCHING AN ORIGINAL TELEPLAY

By

Elizabeth Anna Calandrello

Creating and pitching an original teleplay is a complex process that is explored in this thesis. When creating a teleplay there are certain narrative and structural guidelines that must be adhered to if a writer wishes to be successful. Elements such as story, plot and character must be carefully constructed. The episode itself must attempt to maintain a basic three-act narrative structure, while being broken down into smaller units when televised to account for commercials. Furthermore, a script for television must follow a specific format in regard to its’ overall appearance, including distinctly different layouts for headings, scene descriptions and dialogue. When completed, there are numerous steps that must be taken to bring a teleplay to the small screen. A teleplay should first be registered with the Writers Guild of America and then the writer must face the obstacle of obtaining an agent. The process of pitching an original pilot is also discussed, including the significance of creating a “pitch packet” containing a logline, character descriptions, a treatment, the actual teleplay and a leavebehind. In recent years, some new stylistic trends in teleplays have emerged such as the dramedy, use of voiceovers and flashbacks and the use of the single-camera format for sitcoms. While a majority of the research suggests that writing a “spec script” is the most common way of breaking into the television business, it was also suggested that an original teleplay could be created as a “calling card” for future employers. The guidelines described were applied in the creation of an original pilot entitled “What Comes After” for which a pitch packet is also included.