Learn the creative and business factors you need to consider when deciding to write your story as a feature film or television series from the VP of Packaging and Sales at Ramo Law who has worked with Amazon, MTV, and more!

PLUS! You will receive case studies of projects that have gone from feature films to TV series and from TV series to feature films!

You have a great story to tell and you are wrestling with the correct format for the story that will be most successful. 

Writers across the industry and at various levels in their career constantly grapple with this question - should I write my story as a feature film or a television series? 

The answer to this question is actually quite complex and is contingent on a number of creative and business considerations you should consider before developing your project.

For example, what is the breadth of the story you are telling? How complex are your characters and the world they live in? And from a business perspective, where are you, the writer, currently positioned in your career? What is the feasibility of getting your story produced as a feature versus as a TV series? Could one lead to the other?

While television series seem to be getting much of the attention in the industry these days, trying to get your story made into a binge worthy series makes you beholden to the wishes and timelines of one of the big streamers and networks actually making full blown series. Conversely, pitching your story as a feature film offers a larger set of opportunities to get produced with numerous production companies and independent financing sources in the business of making feature films but that poses its own set of challenges. Luckily, there are key creative and business elements of your project you can consider when deciding whether to turn your story into either a feature or a TV series to give yourself the highest probability of success. 

Here to guide you through the considerations of what format will work best for your project is Stuart Arbury, Vice President of Packaging and Sales at Ramo Law, a renowned entertainment law firm in Beverly Hills. Prior to joining Ramo Law, Stuart was Director of Development at Canvas Media Studios (StyleHaul’s ”Vanity”) and Captivate Entertainment (”The Bourne Identity” franchise and USA’s “Treadstone” series). Stuart will share his extensive knowledge of both the television and film markets with you so you can make the most informed decisions going forward with how best to develop and pitch your projects.

You will walk away from this exclusive Stage 32 webinar with a strong understanding of the different creative and business elements of a feature film project and a television series project and a framework to consider which format you should be working on for your current and future scripts.

PLUS! Stuart will provide you with exclusive case studies of projects that have gone from feature to series and from series to feature! Projects include:

• DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
• THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
• CARNIVAL ROW

Praise For Stuart 

"Stuart webinar was very informative and thought provoking. He explained and gave excellent examples of what makes a series a series and a feature a feature AND the 'cross-over' from one to the other. Compared features, broadcast, streamers clearly and so much more. A wealth of information that one can take away and make educated decisions about their project(s)." -Margaret M

"Stuart's experience and knowledge were incredibly helpful for me. I didn't realize the nuances of the industry but am now grateful to have learned from Stuart ." -- Sara M.

"Learning from Stuart was hugely beneficial to me as a screenwriter. I've been thinking if I should write my drama project as a feature or series and Stuart made me realize the pros and cons of each, both creatively and from a business perspective." -- Alex W.

"Thank you, Stage 32, for providing us access to Stuart. His webinar is fantastic and I can't recommend learning from him enough!" -- Kayla R.  

• Pros and Cons of Writing Your Story as a Television Series:
  • Creative Considerations
    • Scope of the world
    • Fully fleshed out characters, primary & secondary
    • Structure of an episode of television (30 minute and 60 minute)
    • How to incorporate multiple story lines
    • Story arc
    • How to structure each episode and the season as a whole to maximize audience interest
  • Business Considerations
    • Tools you will need: a pitch bible, pilot
    • The current TV market and the need for a strong package
    • Leverage considerations with Buyers
• Pros and Cons of Writing Your Story as a Feature:
• Creative Considerations
  • Creating a comprehensive story within 2 hours
  • How to create engaging essential characters within a limited scope of one movie
  • Structure of a feature film
  • Three act structure
  • Creating a full circle story that leaves audiences satisfied
• Business Considerations
  • Tools you will need: spec script, pitch deck
  • The current feature film market – options for operating outside of the major studios to get your movie made

• Case Studies
  • DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
  • THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
  • CARNIVAL ROW
• Q&A with Stuart

All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) interested in exploring different narrative formats can attend to determine which one aligns best with their creative vision.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) who have a story idea and are unsure whether it would work better as a feature film or a TV series can attend the class to gain insights into the strengths and limitations of each format.

Producers seeking new projects and evaluating potential stories can benefit from understanding the factors that influence the choice between feature films and TV series.

Actors who want to study the approach to a projects direction to either a feature film or TV.