ULTIMATE Screenwriting Write The Great TV Script
$400.00
“TV Showrunners are the rock stars of their medium”. – Rolling Stone
- Our courses have a 98%+ client satisfaction rating over hundreds of verified customer reviews.
- Comprised of 6 core modules and 32 detailed lessons, the course takes 100+ hours to complete.
- Lessons include: Writing for Network & Niche Audiences, How to Handle Multi-Protagonist Drama, The Many Faces of Comedy, Planning from Pilot to Multiple Seasons and many more (breakdown below).
“Being staffed on a TV show is good money. REALLY good money”. – Defamer
- Includes detailed CASE STUDIES of both successful – and unsuccessful – major recent U.S. shows: GAME OF THRONES, THE WIRE, BREAKING BAD, THE BIG BANG THEORY, TERRA NOVA and LEGIT.
- Write-as-you-learn: develop a full teleplay as part of the course.
- Learn at your own pace and in your own time, and gain a certificate on completion.
- Lifetime Access: purchase the course and enjoy lifetime access including updates and bonuses.
View the course breakdown:
Description
With the so-called Golden Age of American TV showing no signs of abating, there’s never been a better time to get into writing for television. The explosion of channels means a constant flow of great scripts and content is needed, and TV showrunners are the bona fide rock stars of the medium.
Suited to writers returning to TV writing and brand new to it, our Write the Great American TV Script equips participants with all the skills, tools and knowledge to deliver world-class teleplays for the US market. So whether you want to create the next Breaking Bad, the next Mad Men or the next 30 Rock, our course delivers the foundation blocks you need.
While learning how to write a TV script, we’ll aim to systematically build your TV screenwriting knowledge and skill set, as well as your industry knowledge and understanding of how the TV arena works. Our course delivers the information and exercises required to enrich the teleplays of complete beginners and intermediate screenwriters who are looking to take their work to a professional standard.
The course is split into 6 modules, spread over 32 lessons. It is designed to put an early emphasis on selecting strong concepts for your television screenplay, before looking at major structural and character topics, and then drilling down to on-the-page script execution. Finally, it looks to explain more about the industry you are trying to break into and how to get your work noticed above all others.
WRITE THE GREAT TV SCRIPT COURSE MODULES
A) WRITING FOR TELEVISION
1. The Basics of Television Writing – The Pilot and The Series Arc, Formatting
2. What is Story? Definition and Crucial Components
3. Stage of Screenwriting – Loglines, Index cards, Synopses, Treatment and Script
4. Ideas – Generating, Judging and Testing
B) WHAT DOES THE TV LANDSCAPE LOOK LIKE IN 2015?
5. Genre – How it Works in Television, Defining Drama and Comedy
6. Plot Types
7. Platforms – Network, Cable, VOD, The Internet – how the platform affects content and expectations.
C) DRAMA
8. The (Anti) Hero’s Journey – Why Bad Means Good, The Character Arc
9. Case Study: BREAKING BAD
10. The Multi-Protagonist Drama
11. Case Study: GAME OF THRONES
12. Character Development in Network Drama
D) COMEDY
13. The Many Faces of Comedy
14. Case Study: THE BIG BANG THEORY
15. Writing for a Niche Audience
16. Case Study: LEGIT
E) BUILDING YOUR NARRATIVE
17. Conflict – The Building Blocks of Drama
18. Shots, Scenes, Sequences & Building to the Commercial Break
19. Theme
20. Characterisation through Action, Dialogue & Description
F) WRITING YOUR SHOW
21. Planning your Teleplay
22. Screenwriting Devices– Information Arrangement, ‘Setting the Table’, Repetition, Playing with Time
23. Dialogue – Functions, Subtext, Differences between Platforms
24. Description – Major Tips and Mistakes to Avoid
25. Pace & Writing Visually
26. Learning from Success (Case Study: THE WIRE)
27. Learning from Mistakes (Case Study: TERRA NOVA)
G) THE BUSINESS OF TELEVISION WRITING
28. The Marketplace
29. The TV Writer: From Room Assistant to Showrunner
30. Getting Noticed
31. Contracts and Pay
32. Showrunner Case Studies
We can take you from your initial concept to a completed TV script if you follow the lessons closely, complete the exercises, and develop your script alongside your learning.
You can choose to study the entire course before working on a project, or you can incrementally use the lessons to help write your teleplay – whichever works best for you!
Focusing on both the writing process, and the industry writers find work in, our How to Write a TV Script course aims to heavily de-mystify the process by which people become professional TV writers, and help new writers navigate the sometimes precarious early years of starting out in the business.
Participants are likely to leave with: an improved ability to identify a good idea; a thorough understanding of what producers are looking for; an appreciation of the importance of genre; knowledge of the fees paid to TV writers and typical industry contracts; as well as a host of other information relating to the world of TV writing.
***4 Cast-Iron Reasons to train with us…***
- Our courses and services have received a 98% positive rating – we like to think these customer reviews say it all.
- Many courses are designed by people with limited industry credentials, often on the periphery of the business. Ours, are not.
- This is one of the very few online courses devised by a current, industry-trusted script editor presently analysing scripts for the top companies.
- Finally – it’s a harsh truth for many graduates but the industry pays little attention to BA and MA degree courses in screenwriting. You can spend 3 years of your life and thousands of pounds on something that will not carry any weight with anyone. It is far smarter and kinder on your wallet to take an online screenwriting course, absorb screenwriting theory, read tons of scripts, and WRITE very, very hard. The quality of your writing IS your CV…
63 reviews for ULTIMATE Screenwriting Write The Great TV Script
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Joey (verified owner) –
I’ve been trying to convert a story I wrote in to a script and I’ve really struggled. Where I could add descriptive text to a story, i can’t in a script. So how do you create drama with just narrative? thankfully I got the help I needed through this course. It’s not an easy thing to do but I do now know how to think it through to make sure my narrative will give have the right effect on screen. I do find it hard when there’s no on to tell me what I’m doing right or wrong though, so it would be nice to have some avenue to gain feedback.
Samantha (verified owner) –
When I think about a TV script I think about ‘a’ script but of course in most cases it’s one of a series, and they all have to relate to each other. The series arc is nothing I’d heard of before and provided me with a better insight when it comes to tv script writing. My only concern was the overall cost of the course, but I know there are other course that charge more and provide less information. As an investment in my future I hope it pays off.
Jim (verified owner) –
Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to write for TV so I jumped at the chance to take this course. I have a number of ideas for scripts but needed guidance as to the best way to put them together to get noticed. While there is plenty of help throughout the course, I found the case studies to be the most help with this. Seeing the finished product and how it came to be provided useful insights, particularly with Game of Thrones.
Jen (verified owner) –
My script is a little different to the norm and is definitely for a niche market. There was a section about writing for a niche audience but I felt this could have been a bit bigger. Lots of the other information I could use so, so overall a very positive experience from this course.
Terry (verified owner) –
I’ve been toying with a few ideas, wondering whether to combine them or make them totally separate stories. I used the information in this course to test my ideas and was surprised at what I found out. I now have two scripts I am working on, neither of which are entirely like I originally planned. I’m hoping my research is right and that they both turn out well when I’m finished.
Hugh (verified owner) –
Useful insider tips. The case studies provide a good insight in to what the networks are looking for and the section all about character development in network drama had a lot of very useful information to help with this. It changed the way my script is now being developed.
Joe (verified owner) –
Having read “A Song of Ice and Fire” and watched Game of Thrones I was absolutely fascinated with the case study. Watching the book come to life was interesting enough, but learning the ins and outs of the screenwriting really did show me a lot about what’s involved.
David (verified owner) –
I’m currently working on a very complex script involving a number of characters who work together. I’ve been finding it very difficult to get them to work together on screen, so the module involving multi protagonists was a huge help to me.
Liam (verified owner) –
Finally a way to find out how to get all my ideas together and use all the scraps of paper I have with notes written on, to produce a script. I really had no idea how to go about setting my script out so ‘Planning your Teleplay’ was the first module I went to. I did go back over the others which were before this but I was able to start putting everything together as I went along.
Di (verified owner) –
Most of my favourite TV shows are American so this course was great to teach me how to target a script. I love Big Bang Theory, having watched it from Day 1 so I was intrigued by the case study. Having done that I can now see how each episode is put together. Fascinating course, and maybe one for the UK market too?
Josh (verified owner) –
I’m very interested in how the internet is now being used a platform for TV. I’ve watched a few shows over the internet and I was hoping to pitch my finished script for that medium. I was very happy to see that this was covered as part of this course and I got a lot of very useful information about it. Many thanks.
Alice (verified owner) –
What I liked most about this course is that there is a good mix of information for both comedy and drama. While the basics will still be the same they are both aimed at different markets. This was shown in the case studies. The Big Bang Theory and Game Of Thrones were two great examples to choose.
Linda (verified owner) –
Narrative isn’t everything with a script, as I found out when I read mine through. The information provided in this course really helped me to get to grips with how to add descriptions and set the scene. I am now rewriting my script with what I have learned.
Andy (verified owner) –
I had an idea for a one off TV script. I use the course to format and write it as a pilot episode. I was then stuck as to how to proceed and turn the idea in to a series. I got a lot of ideas and suggestions which I am using to come up with ideas to develop. While there is information about sending off your completed script, I’d like to have some idea of the companies to approach for different genres and ideas.
Sarah (verified owner) –
The case studies are the best thing about this course, particularly as it shows one which is labelled ‘learn from mistakes.’. I never saw Terra Nova but having seen the case study and found a few episodes to watch, I can clearly see the difference between right and wrong. Sometimes very subtle things too. Hopefully this course has steered me in the right direction.
Stacey (verified owner) –
For me the internet is the future, so learning how to pitch my script for that market was important to me. Learning the different markets that are out there are well was very interesting and obviously helpful. If one market isn’t interested, another may be. Well structured course, with both new information and some I already knew.
Jack (verified owner) –
One of the things I hate most when watching something on TV is the sudden appearance of a commercial. These are often just ‘stuck in’ in what seems to be a good place. So I was very happy to see that this course has a section dedicated to how to build the tension up to a natural break for a commercial. For me that makes a programme much easier to watch and the help makes it easier to write.
Liam (verified owner) –
I never realised that there was more than one type of plot, but now I’ve completed my course, it’s pretty obvious. This is the sort of information I was looking to get: Things that you just don’t think about. While I think I already knew a lot that was in here, (probably because I’ve attended smaller, amateur courses) I still think this was great value for money.
Kat (verified owner) –
I was interested in the case studies, as these always provide information which is totally relevant to getting your script noticed and produced. While I can’t say I wasn’t pleased with what I got from all of them, it would have been nice to have been able to see a case study of a more niche programme, or maybe one that isn’t quite so well known.
Stuart (verified owner) –
I used the case studies for ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Terra Nove’ to look at the different ways to write comedy, drama and fantasy. I found all the case studies really added something to the course and were a good source of information.
Dean (verified owner) –
I love the phrase ‘setting the table’ and I really thought this was a fun module. I really enjoyed playing with my ideas and getting everything in the right order at the right time. It made my script come to life before I even started it! lovely course.
Adrienne –
Before spending hours working in a script, I wanted to find a way to see if I could get opinions on my idea first. In this course there is a section which gave me some suggestions how I could do this which was very helpful to me. In finding out what may or may not be popular it meant I could develop my story in the right direction to allow for future plots to develop. There was a lot of other information as well about how to market and send off your script when completed. All very useful.
Paul (verified owner) –
Having an idea for a script is one thing. Having ideas to keep it going is something else and this is what I got from this course. It really helped finding out about the components which are crucial to a good story. This alone gave me more ideas to make sure my script had more than just one plotline available to it. Plenty of help with ideas and finding out if they may or may not work too.
Katy (verified owner) –
I’m working on a comedy series and to me comedy is just something that makes you laugh. It’s become a lot harder since the section about the many faces of comedy, but in a good way. There is a lot to think about with comedy: target audience, age, visual or written comedy. I’ve now got my script in to one niche and it’s one I’m comfortable to develop as well.
Richie (verified owner) –
In the series of scripts I’m currently working on, I have 3 protagonists. The plot will revolve around a different one each week, with the other two keeping in the background. I didn’t find this easy to do as the personalities were all dominant. I am now a lot clearer on how to do this and I’m watching other series where this happens which a much more critical eye.
Stephanie (verified owner) –
I have an idea for a sci fi series which I am working on with the help of this course. The particular area I have chosen is quite a niche audience and I know how hard it can be to write something like this to make it appeal to everyone. I did find the section about writing for a niche market useful but it would have been even better if the marketing advice later on included ideas on who are the most likely to accept this type of work. There is help there, but on something like this, I know not all networks will appreciate it.
Paul (verified owner) –
I think I did this the wrong way round. I was so fascinated by the case studies that I read the one for Terra Nova and then went to watch the series. I had no idea what it was about but I followed the case study as the series progressed and found it extremely informative. In fact I was so engrossed in this that I left my own script writing for a while. I did enjoy the course and the good thing is that you have the freedom to go at your own pace and repeat any sections which you are unsure of. Unfortunately for people like me this can also be a drawback as it can be hard to motivate yourself sometimes.
Jason (verified owner) –
With a TV script it’s not usually a one off but just one of a series of scripts. I found I had to rework what I’d written as the course explained this to me and helped me understand how to develop my characters over a series of weeks. I actually felt that this really helped me with my plots and storylines as I could spend time developing those while my protagonist developed slowly. Lots of detail, lots of information which can be put in to practice but I’d simply like more. There were odd points which were covered which I personally feel would benefit from a little more explanation, even though you can still understand what’s being said. I’m rating 4.5 overall.
Alison (verified owner) –
Writing for television is difficult at the best of times so it really helps to do a course like this one. I read and read the section which explaine how it works in television as to me this is the most important thing to understand before starting work on any script. I read the course through twice before actually attempting to write anything as I like to make sure I understand things first to cut down on edits and rewrites.
Pat (verified owner) –
From the start I knew I’d be picking up things I’d never considered, such as a pilot episode. This has to be taken in to consideration as a script on its own. This also served as a good test script to make sure I got the formatting and style all done correctly too. A nice, well planned course which did help me finish my script.
Josie (verified owner) –
Watching Game of Thrones inspired me to start putting some of my ideas on to paper to come up with something suitable for television. I was, therefore, overjoyed to find that this was included as a case study. As my script is very much of the same genre, it’s something I am revisiting regularly to make sure I get my script just right.
Hannah (verified owner) –
When you watch TV you never really think about everything that’s involved. I thought I knew how to write a story until the early section of this course, which goes in to a lot of detail, explaining what a story is. As a result I sat back and made some notes and now I’m confident that I have a lot more depth, not just to my story, but to my characters as well.
Rob (verified owner) –
Terra Nova is an amazing show so I’ll admit that the case study was the first thing I went to. Seeing something on screen and in writing are two totally different things and being able to see how this program was put together is something else again. I think this case study taught me more than I expected.
Cindy (verified owner) –
I want to turn a story I’ve written in to a script. It really isn’t as easy as I thought so I’m glad I found this course. The one thing I was struggling with was not being able to describe anything which made it difficult for me to get my characters across properly. This showed my how to do that with action and dialogue and now my characters are coming to life again.
Jeff (verified owner) –
I learned a great deal from this course. Unless you understand the technicalities, your script simply won’t work. What interested me was learning about how to turn a normal script in to a television one. Creating a natural break for a play differs from a commercial break and learning how to do this will be of great use. There was further information regarding scenes and how to shoot for television and adding this information to the plot and characterisation, my script will hopefully get me noticed.
Laura (verified owner) –
When I sat down to start a script, I realised I had no idea how to go about it. I found this course and like the idea of working at my own pace. I had an idea for a plot, but it wasn’t until I read the module. which included logline and index cards that I realised just how different this is to anything I’ve written before. This is the sort of information which can save hours of rewriting.
Connor (verified owner) –
I’ve read a bit previously about character development but my protagonist was a little too good to be true and coming across as very bland. There is a section in this course which deals with that and it helps you to get the right balance between good and bad characteristics. Now my hero has all the good points he needs with just a few little ‘naughty’ tweaks to make him a little more believable.
Dave (verified owner) –
I’m really trying to develop my writing skills and this was the next step for me. Mad Men is one of my favourite TV shows so I really wanted to see the case study on this one. I wasn’t disappointed with it. It really helps being able to watch something after reading this as it helps to visualise what you’re writing. A well planned course.
Helen (verified owner) –
I’ve been trying to write a comedy script. I have the idea but Iv’e been struggling with making the comedy look ‘natural’. I love the Big Bang Theory so I was over the moon to see that was used as a case study. Everything looks so natural on the screen, and now I know what I need to do to make mine look the same. I’ve always written humour and that’s what I want to continue to work on. Now when I watch Sheldon, I see myself looking at how they developed the script.
Marianna (verified owner) –
A very detailed course which goes beyond mere outlines. The tasks are well prepared, and fulfilling if you decide to engage with them. They enable you to further understand the lessons and really develop the skills that you learn throughout the lessons.
Lauren (verified owner) –
I was prepared to send my screenplay to tv companies. That was until I got to the advice about marketing. I never even gave the internet a thought as a platform for a screenplay. Lots of advice how to approach different companies who use different media. All the information is here to help write a screenplay for different platforms, including the best way to approach them. This has opened up my eyes and made me rethink my target audience.
Mike (verified owner) –
I had a great idea for a plot but when I finished my first script it was way too short. Thankfully this course has a module which can help to develop the plot and characters. Having worked through this my script is now an acceptable length and my characters have a lot more about them. My plot also has some surprises which I hadn’t originally planned. Great course.
Will (verified owner) –
Having finished the course I was pleasantly surprised with the last section. The whole course is geared towards you getting the best from your ideas and making sure you pitch it right. The last section takes this one step further and provides invaluable advice about how to send off your finished piece and even what to look out for if you’re lucky enough to sell it. This kind of information is only usually acquired through experience so having a module to warn you of the best, and worst, ways of doing things in advance is probably the most help I could get from this.
Jake (verified owner) –
Initially I wanted to get help with the actual formatting of a script but I found the section about the TV market at the moment to be the most interesting. I never expected to find this module in a course and it simply made me think about not only my target audience, but the sort of company I would be selling my script too as well. That’s a big help in making sure my plot is correctly thought out. And of course the module about developing the plot helped even more. I would have like the opportunity for some sort of feedback but it has given me the confidence I needed to actually send off my first script.
Steven (verified owner) –
The secret to getting your writing noticed is to get it right. I have had expert help from this course to help me with developing all parts of my script. I’m still not confident enough to send it off, but I know if I carry on using the techniques advised then I’ll have something I can be really proud of.
Dave (verified owner) –
Positives: Well structured. Good, very useful, information. Nice modules which you can work through at your own pace.
Negatives: I feel the course is a little too generic at times, aimed at everyone.
Overall: On the whole a very professionally planned course and I did get a lot of benefit from it. I would recommend this to anyone thinking of writing a script. It really will point you in the right direction when it comes to plot, characterization, structure and even what to do once it’s completed.
Bernice (verified owner) –
Finally I can put all my ideas in to practice. I’ve tried a few times to write a script but it’s a lot harder to do than I thought. This provides a step by step guide which means I can do a section at a time and I know I’ve done it properly. Lots of ways to make me thing as well about plot and character.
Emma (verified owner) –
I’ve had some ideas floating around for a while but didn’t really know where to start to come up with a good script. This course really pointed me in the right direction. I appreciate all the professional advice it offers and more so, the advice about how to deal with agents. A very thorough course.
Lee (verified owner) –
Wonderful course. I decided to do this before actually putting pen to paper. It’s been great fun putting the ideas and suggestions in to practice as I’ve gone along.
Sue (verified owner) –
I was keen to find out just what I’d learn from this course and I got a nice surprise. It’s very obvious from the start that this has been written by someone who knows what they’re talking about. The information is not only practical but designed to make you think clearly about what you’re trying to achieve. A great help to my writing.
Gareth (verified owner) –
I thought this was a great course. It’s absolutely packed full of great learning, and information, and it crucially gave me a structure within which to write. I was definitely lacking that before, operating in a vacuum. If I have a criticism it’s that some of the 3-Act stuff I knew already, so those sections delivered less value for me. Having said that I did like the way the course was laid out and there is plenty of extra information on the market, and on the business of being a screenwriter. Recommended.
Neil (verified owner) –
I did this course before I started my script. I think if I’d done it the other way round I’d have had to make too many corrections. This is a thorough course which helps you think outside the box to give yourself the best chance of being noticed.
Zoe (verified owner) –
I learned a lot from the case studies in this course. It’s so much more useful to have something practical to compare your work with. These case studies alone helped me to develop my ideas more.
Steve (verified owner) –
I knew there were differences in style and formatting when writing for tv or film, but until I did this course I didn’t appreciate just how the style varies. I’ve learned a lot from this course and it’s all information I can use on other projects too.
Sam (verified owner) –
This is obviously written by someone who knows what they’re talking about. I don’t think I’ll write the next blockbuster, but this course will give me the confidence to at least send my finished script off.
Ellie (verified owner) –
Easy to follow modules that I can complete in my own time. I already have a half completed script now. Thank you so much for this course.
Tom (verified owner) –
I’ve had an idea for a TV show for a while but I didn’t know where to start. This course has really helped me to get started and given me some great ideas along the way.
Jess (verified owner) –
I really wasn’t sure about an online course but I also didn’t want to spend a weekend in a hotel with a bunch of strangers. This course is everything it promised to be. There are some useful tips in there which really make you think. I had a script written but now I’m going through it again with a lot more confidence.
Jack (verified owner) –
Not just a course to help me write a good script, but lots of useful information about the television medium as well. This information helps to target the script to make sure it created the best impression. Great course.
Paul (verified owner) –
Television is the most exciting format today, the place where all the best writers are heading. The creative possibilities are limitless – and it pays well! Industrial Script’s services are peerless. So take the course – who knows where it may lead!
Ruggero –
I LOVE Industrial Script’s courses and feedback services! They’re always my first choice and can’t recommend them enough!
Victoria Carrington (verified owner) –
This course teaches you how to create and write your own TV show by dissecting the successes (and failures) on our TV screens, and building your knowledge and skills in drama and comedy writing. It covers not just what’s on the page, but what you need to know about the business behind the scenes too. We hope you like it and learn a great deal in the process.
Industrial Scripts –
Everything you ever wanted to know about TV Screenwriting, in online form. Take it from home. Take it from the train. Take it at your own speed, and maximise your learning.