For the past few months, I have been polishing a TV pilot to take out in the new year. And it seems like every time I go back to it, something is missing.So I went ahead and made this checklist that I've been using to make sure my stuff is done and ready to send around.I tried to make everything on it follow what I believe is the core of the best TV pilots: A pilot shouldn't just be the "prologue" to your story. It needs to be a functional episode of television that demonstrates what the "average" episode will feel like.Let's dive in.Your TV Pilot Checklist1. The Engine & ConceptThe "Series Engine": Identify the central conflict. If it’s a procedural, where do the cases come from? If it’s a serialized drama, is the core friction (e.g., Succession’s sibling rivalry) sustainable for 50+ hours of television?The Hook & The "Inciting Incident": Does the "world-changing" event happen by page 10? More importantly, does your protagonist make a proactive choice in response to it, or are things just happening to them?The World & Rules: For "high-concept" shows, have you established the Cost of the Magic/Technology? Stakes are only high if the audience knows what happens when the characters fail or break the rules.2. Character & Internal LogicThe Want/Need Gap: Does the protagonist’s Want (e.g., "I want to be CEO") directly conflict with their Need (e.g., "I need to learn to trust people")? This internal friction is what makes scenes dynamic.The Character Grid: Can...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday