What To Do After You’ve Written Your Pilot

You’ve completed a draft of your original TV pilot. Now what? Before you take it out into the world, you need to determine if it is truly ready to share and can compete in the competitive marketplace. In this course, you go through a checklist of items necessary to make your script shine. First, you examine if your TV series idea is sellable, with compelling characters and a story engine that has legs. You learn how to approach the rewriting process, the polishing stage and when you know you’re truly done. Craft techniques are also covered including dialogue, plot twists, formatting, character descriptions and relationships. Pitching, the series bible, establishing a writing career, the writer’s room and the business of screenwriting are also discussed, with guest speakers to provide expert insights and tips. By the end of the course, you are equipped with all the knowledge to take the next steps on your pilot draft.

This course is part of a large lecture series and does not include workshopping of student writing. It is ideal for those who wish to gain knowledge in a particular subject area without the concerns of receiving credit. Grades are calculated based on quizzes and exams. These courses cannot be applied to certificate completion at UCLA Extension.