Interview with Michael Patrick King on the return of “The Comeback” on HBO
CREATOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MICHAEL PATRICK KING (“Sex And The City”) DISCUSSES THE RETURN OF THE HBO COMEDY SERIES THE COMEBACK “B level” TV star Valerie Cherish was a pioneer of reality...
View ArticleInterstellar: 5 Christopher Nolan Trademark Techniques
Christopher Nolan is the most daring film director working in the major studio system today, and each film he directs becomes an event. With Interstellar, he’s created (along with his co-writer,...
View Article4 Great TV Pilot Openings (The Good Wife, Downton Abbey, The Walking Dead,...
It’s Fall TV season and there are way too many new shows vying for only a few open spots in network schedules. You’re flipping channels, hoping to find a winner, but also itching to boot up your...
View ArticleTrue Detective Pilot Story Map Beat Sheet
In early 2014, the television landscape was rocked by the debut of TRUE DETECTIVE, an epic 8-episode drama from HBO that blurred the line between television and cinema more than ever. It was a serial...
View ArticleBOOKENDS: We are all Don Draper (the pilot and series finale of Mad Men)
Here’s a character arc we can all understand: From blocked creative to fulfilled creative. You know this story. You’re young and it comes easy. It flows out of you. You get a bit older and it starts to...
View ArticleDavid Simon interview “SHOW ME A HERO” on HBO
David Simon is the creator of The Wire, which is often cited as the greatest television drama of all time. I wouldn’t argue with that label. His latest project is SHOW ME A HERO, a 6-hour miniseries on...
View ArticleWHO THE F*$K IS STAN? and 14 other questions about TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON TWO
The great SLOG-WATCH of True Detective season two is over, and I’ve got a few things to say about it. But I’m not just here to point out flaws, I’m also offering solutions so that maybe we can learn...
View ArticleTV PILOT BEAT SHEET WEBINAR: From ABC to AMC to HBO to Netflix
Back by popular demand and updated with new material and a bonus map of the breakthrough show MR. ROBOT, my webinar THE TV PILOT BEAT SHEET: FROM AMC TO HBO TO NETFLIX is now available for download....
View ArticleStory Maps TV Drama hit #1 on Amazon and knocked out Robert McKee’s Dialogue...
I was so excited to see my book, Story Maps: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot grab the #1 and #2 spots (for the Kindle and Paperback versions) on the Amazon Hot New Releases in...
View ArticleThe Difference Between Film and Television Concepts by Daniel Calvisi
Dear Screenwriter, You may come up with a cool idea for a movie and be told that it would make a better TV series, or you may create a concept for a TV series and be told it’s more fit for the big...
View ArticleA script consultant is like a recording studio
One afternoon in April 1990, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and drummer Chad Channing arrived at producer Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin… “They rolled up in a van,” says Vig, “and they...
View ArticleChoosing a Script Service or Screenplay Consultant Part III: The Triple Threat
The Triple Threat: Industry Vet, Teacher and Coach Due to the recent economy woes and all the layoffs in Hollywood, you’ll probably spot more new script services founded by recently downsized...
View ArticleChoosing a Script Service or Screenplay Consultant Part II: The Three Main...
“Those Who Teach” Choosing a Screenwriting Coach by Daniel Calvisi, professional Story Analyst (Miramax Films, Dimension Films, Twentieth Century Fox, New Line Cinema) and author of Story Maps: How to...
View ArticleChoosing a Script Service for your screenplay: “Those Who Teach” by Daniel...
Looking for a professional script doctor or script service to teach you how to write a screenplay in the most professional, polished, industry standard method? Are you sick of wading through the...
View ArticleHow to Write a GREAT Script! page 2
back to page one In fact, each one of those categories in the Great Script list represents a great deal of study and practice. To truly understand each element is the first challenge and it takes time...
View ArticleHow to write a GREAT script!
Professional major studio Script Consultant Daniel Calvisi breaks down the essential elements that make the GREAT screenplay. A commitment to excellence is the beginning for any aspiring screenwriter...
View ArticleThe Bear pilot: Script to Screen
My idea of fun is to go back and watch the pilot episodes of my favorite shows. You find so many little moments and Easter Eggs that make you scratch your head and wonder, How did they know to plant...
View ArticleA Great Thriller
I’d like to tell you what I love to see in a great Thriller screenplay. Firstly, we should define the term, but I’ll avoid a long-winded definition of Thriller; suffice it to say it’s “a story of high...
View Article