Summary
Learn how to create your hit fantasy TV series from Erin Conley, a writer on the Netflix's fantasy series SHADOW AND BONE and SIX OF CROWS
PLUS! You'll receive a fantasy series world-building checklist and multiple scripts of pilot episodes for fantasy TV series to help you when creating your fantasy series.
Did BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER make you want to write television? Are you still dissecting the ending of GAME OF THRONES? Have you thought about what gives fantasy TV shows like this such staying power, both in the minds of the audience and in the cultural zeitgeist? Creating a marketable television series concept is hard enough, but creating a fantasy series and building a world from the ground up is its own challenge entirely.
Since GAME OF THRONES took the world by storm, fantasy television has become a global phenomenon. The opportunity for large casts and jaw-dropping visuals is endless, and genre elements can provide a rich context in which to explore and deepen character relationships. Fantasy series like THE WITCHER, THE WHEEL OF TIME, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER are adapted from existing books or movies. But how do you create your own world, establish enough of it in a pilot script, and create a product that is marketable as a fantasy television series?
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how to create your own marketable fantasy TV series with Erin Conley, a writer on Netflix's hit fantasy series SHADOW AND BONE and SIX OF CROWS. Erin worked on SHADOW AND BONE from day one, assisting showrunner and Oscar nominee Eric Heisserer on the first season as he navigated adapting the international phenomenon young adult book series by Leigh Bardugo. She went on to co-write the season 2 finale with Heisserer and served as a staff writer in a pre-greenlight writers’ room for the SIX OF CROWS spinoff. Previously, Erin worked in the writers’ room on Fox’s SLEEPY HOLLOW and Marvel’s IRON FIST. A longtime fan of genre content, Erin will break down the elements that make a fantasy TV series stand out so you can create your fantasy series that resonates with audiences across the globe!
In this information-packed webinar, you will learn the difference between primary world and secondary world fantasy, explore how to create the rules for your fantasy universe, and determine how to choose the right protagonist through which to introduce the audience to the world. You will walk away from this webinar with the tools you need to effectively create a fantasy series that will get the attention of buyers and distributors, so you can bring your vision to life!
PLUS! Erin will provide you with exclusive handouts to help you develop your fantasy series idea. Downloads include:
- Multiple pilot scripts for existing and past fantasy T V series
- A Fantasy Series World-building Checklist
"I am excited to connect with the Stage 32 community and share a bit of what I've learned in my time in the industry. In this tumultuous year for the writing profession, staying motivated and connected with fellow writers is crucial, and I'm grateful to have this platform." - Erin Conley
What You'll Learn
- What elements make well-known fantasy series a hit?
- What is the difference between primary world and secondary world fantasy?
- Basics of worldbuilding
- How to decide which worldbuilding information should be in your pilot script
- How to choose a protagonist and point of view
- Challenges when creating an original fantasy series not based on IP
- Questions to keep in mind when adapting an existing fantasy world for television
- How to plot out your series, and why this step is especially important when writing a fantasy story
- Q&A with Erin
Who Should Attend
All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to create a hit fantasy television series.
All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn the fundamentals of what make fantasy television series world-building successful.
Producers looking to learn how to create a successful fantasy television series.
Directors looking to learn how to create a successful fantasy television series.
Actors looking to learn the fundamentals of fantasy television series and characters.
Executive
Erin Conley grew up in upstate New York and developed a love for television and writing at a young age. One of her earliest memories is discussing the series finale of Full House with a kindergarten classmate, and she used to write stories about pre-teen female detectives and save them to floppy discs.
She attended Boston University’s College of Communication, majoring in Film and Television. While there, she worked on the crew of BUTV10’s Bay State, starting as a production assistant as a freshman and working her way up to Executive Producer her senior year.
After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the industry. She started off as an agency assistant before working on scripted television dramas as a production assistant. She went on to be showrunner’s assistant on Fox’s Sleepy Hollow, Marvel’s Iron Fist, and Netflix’s Shadow and Bone. She was promoted to writers’ assistant for season 2 of Shadow and Bone and co-wrote episode 208, which aired in March 2023. She was then staffed on an unannounced Netflix drama series where she completed 27 weeks in the room and wrote her first solo episode.
In addition to her television work, Erin began writing theater reviews in 2014 and founded the website On Stage & Screen, which quickly gained recognition in the theater community. This earned her membership in the exclusive Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and in 2019 she produced their 50th annual awards gala at the historic Pasadena Playhouse. She has written three multi-part podcast series for Wondery Media’s hit show Business Wars, exploring corporate rivalries in the worlds of makeup, fast fashion, and art auctions. She is proud to be involved with her union, the WGA, as a strike captain and lot coordinator.
Credits
