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Index
INTRODUCTION
Creator...Writer...STAR?
CONTENT IS KING!
Core Formats
Procedural vs. Serial
Pilot vs. Spec
“Premise” Pilot vs. “3rd Episode” Pilot
YOUR PILOT
A FASCINATING PROTAGONIST
Rustin Cohle (True Detective)
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Senator Francis “Frank” Underwood (House of Cards)
Peggy Olson (Mad Men)
THEME
COMPELLING CRISIS
SETTING/WORLD
REGENERATING STORY ENGINE
THE “WEEK-TO-WEEK”
SEASONAL ARCS
SERIES ARCS
THE TV DRAMA STORY MAP
THE “BASIC” STORY MAP
Scandal BASIC STORY MAP
1-HOUR TV DRAMA BASIC STRUCTURE
TELEVISION SCRIPT FORMAT
TV Script Lengths
THE BEAT SHEET
THE “FULL” STORY MAP
TEASER (2-10 pages)
ACT ONE (12-15 pages):
ACT TWO (6-10 pages, often ends near page 30)
ACT THREE (8-12 pages, ends around page 40)
ACT FOUR (6-12 pages, ends around page 48)
ACT FIVE (2-8 pages, The Final Clash):
CASE STUDIES: BEAT SHEETS FOR SCANDAL, MR. ROBOT, TRUE DETECTIVE, THE WALKING DEAD, GAME OF THRONES, BREAKING BAD, HOUSE OF CARDS AND MAD MEN
SCANDAL PILOT “SWEET BABY”
MR. ROBOT PILOT “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov”
TRUE DETECTIVE PILOT “THE LONG BRIGHT DARK”
THE WALKING DEAD PILOT “DAYS GONE BYE”
GAME OF THRONES PILOT “WINTER IS COMING”
BREAKING BAD “PILOT”
HOUSE OF CARDS PILOT “CHAPTER 1”
MAD MEN PILOT "SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES"
TV PILOT STORY MAP WORKSHEET
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
Creator...Writer...STAR?
CONTENT IS KING!
YOUR PILOT
A FASCINATING PROTAGONIST
THE TV DRAMA STORY MAP
THE “BASIC” STORY MAP
A Fascinating Protagonist
THE BEAT SHEET
THE “FULL” STORY MAP
CASE STUDIES: BEAT SHEETS FOR SCANDAL, MR. ROBOT, TRUE DETECTIVE, THE WALKING DEAD, GAME OF THRONES, BREAKING BAD, HOUSE OF CARDS AND MAD MEN
TV PILOT STORY MAP WORKSHEET
Acknowledgments
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