Writing the 30-minute Dramedy: The New Frontier!

BONUS: Purchase includes a free Story Map of the pilot episode of MASTER OF NONE, the Netflix dramedy written by and starring Aziz Ansari!

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

There is a new format that is taking television by storm. The “new 30-minute Dramedy” is the most creative, cutting-edge form in use today, and prospective and experienced TV writers must understand how it has evolved and where it is going. Shows like TRANSPARENT, CASUAL, GIRLS, EASY, MAN SEEKING WOMAN, LOUIE, FLEABAG, ATLANTA and INSECURE are rewriting the rules of “Peak TV” and changing the face of television on network, cable and streaming platforms. These hit shows have their own unique formats, practices, strengths and pitfalls that modern writers must learn and master to gain success on the page and in the industry.

The traditional sitcom is dying. Audiences are more sophisticated now and are demanding more compelling emotional arcs, serialized storytelling, and challenging themes in their half hour shows. It is no coincidence that the most popular dramedies often come from creative teams with experience in movies and one hour dramas, as they have brought those techniques to the single-camera sitcom and created a dynamic hybrid format that is producing the most interesting work today.

If you want to tell stories that cannot be contained in a simple niche, mixing drama and comedy in a fresh, character-driven way, this is the form to learn that will impress a manager, agent, producer or network executive and get your foot in the door of the industry. This webinar will give you the tools to create the most unique and powerful work of your career in the professional space that is seeing unprecedented growth in an arena that has already experienced massive expansion in the past decade and shows no signs of slowing.

It is imperative that your pitch and pilot be as “noisy” as possible if you are going to be noticed by the industry, and this means moving beyond the generic sitcom norms and avoiding the same tired dramatic conflicts and engines. In a new 30-minute dramedy, the “Week to Week” structure is not predictable and the writer must think “outside the box” to grab and hold the reader. (And by the way, it is cheaper to produce a half hour show than a one-hour show, so the industry is more receptive to these pilots!)

Professional Story Analyst, author and speaker Daniel Calvisi has studied and dissected the 30-minute dramedy format and spoken with many industry professionals to come up with a roadmap to help you engineer your own compelling pilot. In this exclusive OnDemand webinar, he will bring you the tools and secrets used by the most successful creative teams today. This information is a must for aspiring and professional television screenwriters.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• When and how the new 30-minute dramedy movement began.
• The structural elements and dramatic secrets of these cutting-edge series.
• Why the “Peak TV” industry needs this unique form and rewards its creators.
• How to fit your most creative stories into an industry-standard format while still breaking the rules!
• What goes into developing a dramedy concept, pitch and rock-solid pilot before it is taken to market.
• How the industry views this form and format and how a newbie can use it to their advantage.
• How to vet your series concepts to see if they are more fit for one-hour or 30-minute.
• The screenplay format used in the 30-minute dramedy vs. the traditional sitcom and the one-hour drama.

WHO SHOULD LISTEN?

• Writers who want to understand the most popular and creative form in modern television.
• Writers who want to break rules and bring new levels of creativity to their scripts while maintaining commercial potential.
• Writers who have great ideas but need help implementing them.
• Writers who have primarily written one-hour dramas, single-camera sitcoms and multi-camera sitcoms who want to master this new genre.
• Writers who want to be able to reference the hottest shows in television in meetings.
• Writers looking for tips on how to craft their work for the current marketplace.

The Writers Store does not offer any refunds for the webinar. All sales are final.