How To Professionally Develop Your TV Series Idea-DO NOT RESELL

Hosted by Jessica Kardos

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Jessica Kardos

Webinar hosted by: Jessica Kardos

Producer / Screenwriter at Works with Archie Comics, Warner Brothers, Preferred Content, USA, The CW, Disney

Jessica is a Producer and Screenwriter who specializes in female angst stories and is currently developing “Fran Frazer” withArchie Comics. Over Jess’ career she’s not only written dozens of episodes of television but has actively produced her episodes, becoming an experienced and valued on-set producer.Jess finally made her way into television as the showrunner’s assistant on USA’s “Covert Affairs,” Disney’s “Bunk’d” and CW’s “Supergirl.” It was “Supergirl” where Jess received her big break, writing episodes for the show until she was fully staffed on season four. Jess remained on staff as an Executive Story Editor until the show’s sixth and final season before jumping onto CW’s horror-romance (and “Supernatural” prequel) “The Winchesters.” Jess started her career at the Gersh Agency and then went on to work in film sales at Preferred Content. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Learn how to professionally develop your television series with acclaimed television writer and producer Jess Kardos, who has written for the CW’s SUPERGIRL and the prequel to SUPERNATURAL, THE WINCHESTERS!

PLUS! You will receive examples of a writer's room "board," story outlines, and a structure cheat sheet to help you in developing your series!

Every award-winning, binge-worthy television show started out as the same thing… a great idea. So how does a show go from “great idea” to Emmy or BAFTA winning TV series? A pilot script that introduces the world and the characters in the most compelling and exciting way. Choosing what, and why, to put in your pilot is know as "breaking the pilot" - and it is the way professional TV writers start their process. But that's easier said, than done, right?

Breaking the pilot for your series can be overwhelming. Knowing where to start (and where to end!), what to include, how to tell a complete story while leaving enough to act as a springboard for future episodes, making the audience care about your characters, their wants, their needs, their struggles…it’s a lot, even for the most experienced writers. You spend hours, days, weeks (sometimes years!) thinking about the plot, the characters, and the world before you write a single scene. And the pilot is just the tip of the iceberg. What lies under the surface is much larger than you could ever imagine. So how do you get there?

In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how to take your kernel of an idea and turn it into an original one hour pilot that will garner the attention of agents, managers, and executives alike. Teaching you how to "break the pilot" for your one hour television series is TV writer and producer Jess Kardos. Jess has been a TV writer for ten years and has written for shows like the CW’s SUPERGIRL and the prequel to SUPERNATURAL, THE WINCHESTERS. Jess is also developing the Archie Comics property FRAN FRAZER and adapting the NYT’s bestselling series, SHANE SCULLY for television.

Jess will walk you through her personal pilot-breaking-process and share tips she learned inside the writers’ room on how to most efficiently and effectively break an episode of television. You will walk away from this webinar with the necessary tools you need to effectively develop your pilot so you can get it on the air and in front of millions of people!

PLUS! Jess will provide you exclusive handouts to help you develop your TV series and streamline the pilot breaking process to get your writing on the page and into the hands of Hollywood’s movers and shakers!. Downloads include:

  • Examples of a writers' room “board”
  • Examples of story outlines
  • Structure Cheat Sheet

"I am so excited to share with the Stage 32 community all the tips and tricks of breaking a TV pilot that have been shared with me over my ten years writing for television." -- Jess Kardos

What You'll Learn

  • Not every idea is a pilot
    • How to see if an idea has legs
    • What works for television and why?
  • What is the purpose of your pilot?
    • Who is the audience?
    • What is the end goal?
    • How to set the scene for a successful series
  • Blue Sky Fundamentals
    • Inspiration/Research
    • What are you trying to say? What themes do you want to explore?
    • How to develop strong characters that last multiple seasons
    • Plot/Story
  • Beating Out the Story
    • Creating an A, B, and C story
    • Is the emotion being serviced?
  • How to structure your pilot
    • Overlaying the emotional moves onto the plot
    • How to blend your beats in the “right” order
    • Acts and pacing in television
  • Outlining your pilot
    • How to get micro and macro without getting stuck
  • How to translate your outline onto the script page
  • Q&A with Jess

About Your Instructor

Jessica is a Producer and Screenwriter who specializes in female angst stories and is currently developing “Fran Frazer” withArchie Comics. Over Jess’ career she’s not only written dozens of episodes of television but has actively produced her episodes, becoming an experienced and valued on-set producer.

Jess finally made her way into television as the showrunner’s assistant on USA’s “Covert Affairs,” Disney’s “Bunk’d” and CW’s “Supergirl.” It was “Supergirl” where Jess received her big break, writing episodes for the show until she was fully staffed on season four. Jess remained on staff as an Executive Story Editor until the show’s sixth and final season before jumping onto CW’s horror-romance (and “Supernatural” prequel) “The Winchesters.”

Jess started her career at the Gersh Agency and then went on to work in film sales at Preferred Content.

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