Summary
TV movies are very much alive and well, and if you’re a screenwriter or producer looking to break into this huge market niche, you’ve come to the right webinar.
Despite the change in viewer habits with on-demand movies, the TV Movie and the Movie of the Week on Hallmark, Lifetime, and Disney, as well as many other channels are still extremely popular. To breakdown this landscape and share the truths behind the TV Movie model, Stage 32 has brought in MarVista’s former Acquisition and Co-Production executive, Justine Wentzell. Justine has worked on almost 100 different TV movies in MarVista’s core business.
After she digs into the specifics of what these networks are looking for, Julie will offer tips on writing a successful script for this niche. Stick around for a Q&A after the webinar to take an even deeper dive into other key elements of this form of storytelling.
You will not get more in-depth overview of TV movies, what goes into developing, writing and producing them anywhere else!
What You'll Learn
The Landscape of Movies of the Week
- The 3 major players in the US: Hallmark, Lifetime & Disney - what specifically are they looking for?
- Who are the secondary players in the US and what specifically are they looking for?
- How do you get in front of these companies?
Cold Hard Truths:
- What does the domestic vs. international business look like?
- What do distributors really care about?
- Profit margins in detail.
- What are the current habits of TV movie distributors
3 Biggest Buyers: Hallmark, Lifetime & Disney Channel
- Hallmark
- Audience & General information about the network
- Why Hallmark succeeds.
- What to write and what not to write.
- Popular themes
- Lifetime
- Audience & General information about the network
- Movies of the Week
- What to write and what not to write.
- Popular themes
- Disney Channel or Disney-esque TV Movies
- The general landscape for such films.
- Tips for writing such films
Other Elements to keep in mind
- Pacing
- Casting
- Budget
Q&A with Justine!
Who Should Attend
All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn in-depth overview of TV movies, what goes into developing, writing and producing them.
All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn in-depth overview of TV movies, what goes into developing, writing and producing them.
Producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) who want to learn in-depth overview of TV movies, what goes into developing, writing and producing them.
Actors who want to learn in-depth overview of TV movies, what goes into developing, writing and producing them.
Executive
Justine Wentzell-Chang is a producer and former acquisitions and co-productions executive working in film and television.
She has developed, produced and written countless scripts including RIP TIDE and GYMNASTICS ACADEMY: A SECOND CHANCE for Netflix, BACK OF THE NET for the Disney Channel, LOST BOY, 10 YEAR REUNION and A CHRISTMAS ARRANGEMENT for Lifetime, GIRLFRIEND OF CHRISTMAS PAST and CHRISTMAS CALENDAR for UPTV and STARTING UP LOVE for Reel One.
Justine is a passionate storyteller and loves working with other writers to develop compelling and marketable scripts. With her strong storytelling skills and deep knowledge of the industry landscape, she’s able to give notes that not only elevate the story and characters, but also take into account what certain buyers may be looking for.
Credits
