I think someone asked this in the Running Wilde thread but I'm not sure. Anyway, Mitch talked about this a little when I was working with him. He basically said they didn't really try to intentionally set things up for the most part. They worked the other direction. They put in jokes that made earlier things look as if they had been intentionally set up, when in fact they hadn't.

While it may happen, I think it's pretty rare that a writer on any show says "let's plant this seed now and pay it off next season." For one thing, there's just so much uncertainty about how long the show will even be around. For another thing, so much time and energy goes into producing a good episode without doing that, that it's just not on people's minds. I think when it happens it's more because the writers have decided to lay in certain character traits that they think are funny, small things and then much later decide to turn them into full on jokes/gags.

Wow, really? That's unexpected and I guess kind of awesome. Thanks again for the great thread.

fsoyars -- have you ever written an award-winning script? Have you lived in Los Angeles for at least 9 years? If the answer to either of those questions is 'no,' then you're just being Negative McNegativityson and we shouldn't waste our time.

stop tarding up the thread

What is the percentage of writers who really yearn to act? I want to write, I've never once had the desire to act, I'd venture to guess a lot of people ultimately want to see their faces on the screen, no?

(that being said, if someone offered me a role, i wouldn't hesitate)

No, but once a Santa Monica City College drop out turned intern/script reader gave my screenplay some kind of positive coverage. That counts for something, right?

Among the writers I've worked with, virtually none. If you ever step into a writers room and look around the table you'll understand why.

Hint: they share something in common with online poker players.

I guess it's just a matter of how much time you have to put into something. Also, I'm strictly speaking about comedies. For a drama I would guess it's not insane to have the first season arced out in broad strokes. I would caution you against writing too many episodes though. For one, it may not be worth your while. Secondly, you want to show that you're open to hearing their thoughts on where the show might go after the pilot.

Don't have any direct experience with those, but as I understand the opening monologues are entirely written by writers. I think they probably write a ton of jokes then the host picks the ones he likes. I have heard of writers on these shows even sending in their jokes from home, but I don't know how standard that is. If they are doing sketches and what not, those are all written. The interviews I think are loosely rehearsed with the interviewee. That is to say, the guest knows what questions are coming and the host knows what stories the guest wants to tell, etc.

edit: btw, I'm just guessing but I wouldn't be surprise if Leno and Letterman don't even pick their jokes. I bet the writers just give them a monologue and they do it. The younger guys seem more likely to be more involved in it though.

It works out well time-wise because when I would send a draft over, it would take a day or 2 for the notes. In that time, I would work on the other stuff. I'm writing episode 2 out but the rest are just the arcs, like you were saying before.

Also, I have nothing but time right now so it doesn't bother me. If it was something that would help immensely, I'd write the whole season now. I actually talked to producers about your suggestion for only basic treatments and they agreed. So, thanks a lot for that.

you obv don't have to give me specifics about your compensation, but i'm curious as to the ballpark of what writers on top shows make.
also it seems like most writers have partners, how do the logistics of this work?
do you guys always work on the same shows together?
i understand that you guys work on developing projects together, but when you get hired to work on shows as staff writers how does that work?

They have radio faces?

It's a very wide range and depends on a lot of factors like whether the show is cable or network, how long it has been running, how many episodes they do per season, etc. An entry-level staff writer on a network sitcom that does a full 22 episode season makes in the neighborhood of 100k over the course of 8 months of production. The other four months of the year when the show is not in production, there are no paychecks. That's the bottom of the range and the sky is the limit. On that same hypothetical show, the creator/showrunner probably makes at least 50k/episode (and a lot more than that if the show is beyond the first season or two), plus script fees (23k per script you author) so doing a full season puts him over a million. Of course, when you make it to syndication is when the big money starts.

Of course a lot of the top guys have "overall deals" with studios while they are on shows. Meaning, they are getting paid a salary to write for a show but they are getting a separate check for developing new shows on the side with the studio that produces the show they write for. These deals are often 7 figures as well. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of money at the top. Although, that's certainly not unique to this industry.

Well, there are probably more single writers than teams. On a given show there are usually one or two teams and another 8-10 single writers. Teams function as a single writer. They are hired together and they are fired together (presuming they stay together). They split all their money and develop all their projects together.

haha yes

How much does non-writing, non-industry stuff on the resume matter? Like, if you're trying to get a writing gig, does anyone give a **** what college you went to or what kind of jobs you worked to get through it?

Could a show about 20-something degenerates be funny and get decent ratings? kinda like fight club meets entourage meets swingers. or is stuff like that just played out in hollywood and every writer guy between 25 and 40 has that idea or something similar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountain_State ?

Elaborate on what you mean by degenerates, because right now it seems like you could be describing any number of different series. Like, gamblers and poker players, you mean? Are you picturing a Vegas setting?

That stuff doesn't really matter much at all. Most writers have gone to college. But it doesn't really matter where or what you majored in. No one cares about anything really other than the strength of your writing sample, how you do in a meeting (an interview) and whether or not you've had professional screenwriting experience, which would include like selling a pitch or something.

You have to be more specific. I don't know what "fight club meets entourage" means. If all it is is what you've given me, it sounds super low concept and character driven. Which is fine. But impossible to predict if it's marketable or not without having read/seen it.

If you mean degenerate as specifically about poker or gambling, all I can say is that a friend of mine did sell a pilot this year about 20-something poker degens (online and live) who move to Vegas. No idea what state it's in now though given Black Friday and what not.

20-somethings playing poker seems like the worst possible idea for a TV show. 2 months 2 million at least gave it a shot and the only interesting parts of that show was them being awkward.

This is comedy gold right here. "whats fresh" being DOUCHY opposed to that not so fresh feeling LOL. I love it. Accident or on purpose just great.

what i meant by degenerate earlier didn't mean solely gambling which it could include. i just meant 20 something males that have no interest in career, serious relationships, etc, just engaging totally in living it up in their 20s. by fight club i meant basically dudes with enough money to be rich while single and beating themselves up living crazy. perhaps more like the first few seasons of entourage.

yes, it would be terrible. but its the kind of crap most idiots would think is awesome or something. plus just add hot chicks.

I'm not trying to derail thread, just wondering if shows appealing to 20-something males is a common proposal, it seems like it would be.

Hey fsoyars,

I have a big issue that I'm to work through, it involves criticism/feedback.

I think it's safe to say that if you showed 20 people your spec script you'll get 20 different views on how to make it "better". It's probably also safe to say that not all of them are "right."

Now, if the notes are coming from a superior or someone established in the industry then it's obviously important to listen intently and heed all advice.

But how do you deal with notes from people who are not writers, or writers whom you don't really respect, or various crew (cameramen, editors, actors) who have never themselves put a story together/written comedy?

A part of me wants to change some stuff to appease these people (they do, after all, represent your potential audience) but another part of me wants to dismiss them as people who have no talent and just want to put their lame stamp on your work.

Thanks.

Yes, that could be successful. But since it's a pretty low-concept, character driven idea, it's impossible to say without having seen/read it. But, yes, if done well, that kind of thing sounds like something you'd see on FX. Again, though, all you've given us is basically one character type and that's not a show. So I don't really know.