Writing the Episodic Drama (COM FT512)
In 'drama writing' (for short), we learned about the structural art of television storytelling. From outlines to beat sheets to workshopping, we channeled what we learned into one speculative (aka 'spec') script of a critically acclaimed, currently airing show of our choice.
I chose You, which originally aired on Lifetime and moved over to Netflix after season one. Based on the book series by Caroline Kepnes, the episode I wrote extends beyond her first two novels. This would hypothetically exist as season three, episode one. Season three of the show has an anticipated release window of mid to late 2020. Episode Logline: While planning a baby shower with Love, Joe forms a relationship with a new neighbor and juggles the weight of several secrets. |
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TV to Tablets (COM FT503)
This course fostered a sense of curiosity and discussion among students. We studied large concepts like strategic partnerships, content licensing strategy, and media marketing with case study examples from the Harvard Business Review.
Our mid-semester solo project was a leadership paper comparing two executives or showrunners, their leadership styles, and how they did or did not incorporate new technology into their decision making strategies. I chose Steve Levitan and his work on Modern Family and Dan Harmon for Community.
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The end-of-term group project was to find a media company that needs a boost and create a strategic business plan for how it could best move forward and improve its market share or perception. We chose the premium cable network Starz.
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TV Management (COM FT517)
In one of my favorite courses from the semester, we learned about television development, deal negotiation, network advertising business models, and executive leadership.
Our culminating group project was the creation of a new streaming platform focused on unscripted and 'reality' television. |