Maximise the impact of your TV Drama pilot & outline. 

Got a great idea for a TV drama series? Written a pitch document (outline, bible) and a first draft of your pilot? How do you get your pitch and pilot good enough to go? And how do you go about getting them in front of the people who matter?

This course with writer/producer Neil Arksey is aimed at writers who have completed a first draft pilot and pitch document and now want to go to the next stage and submit their material to agents and producers and get meetings.

On six Saturdays, over four months, six participants will develop and practice their verbal pitches whilst they review, revise and hone the pitch document and pilot screenplay for their series. Each project will be put under the spotlight to see if it has the ingredients that are essential for a successful submission and what can be done to improve its chances.

The course will focus on three main areas:

• Your outline/bible and pilot
• Your verbal pitch.
• Your submissions strategy

Through a mixture of group workshopping, one to one feedback and seminars each writer will be given the opportunity to take their project to the next level.

COURSE OUTLINE

Topics covered include:

• The story engine
• Act structure
• Emotional connection
• The one pager
• The full outline
• Submissions psychology
• Making contact
• The letter of approach
• Reading the room

Applicants will be expected to have had some (not necessarily professional) writing experience. They will be required to complete substantial in-class and homework assignments in order to achieve the course objective of completing a ready to go outline document and pilot script, and a honed submissions letter and verbal pitch. Email access and sharing email contact are essential.

The course has been designed with lengthy breaks between some sessions to maximise writing time and allow participants to work on the pilot scripts and outline documents of their original drama projects.

By the end of the final session,  having received one-to-one feedback on their project from Neil, writers that have completed all their assignments will have honed their pilot script and pitch documents, rehearsed their verbal pitch, and developed their submission letter and strategy to a point where they are ready to approach agents and producers.

Attendance criteria:

Ideally you will have attended LFS Pitch to Pilot or another course at a similar level with similar aims and outcomes. However, experienced writers looking to develop their skills are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for a place on this course you will also need to have a first draft of a pilot script for a TV drama or comedy drama and a first draft pitch document (outline, bible) for the same project.

Course structure:

Session 1

• All writers verbally pitch their projects and receive feedback on the pitch from each other and from the tutor.
• For the next two sessions, writers will be put into two groups. First group will read and make notes on the second group’s pilot scripts and outlines. And vice versa, the second group will read and make notes on the first group’s pilots and outlines.
• (additional activity, depending on time: Looking at sample scenes)

Session 2

• Discussion and feedback on the first group’s pilots and outlines.
• (additional activity, depending on time: table reads of pilot openings and endings]

Session 3

• Discussion and feedback on the second group’s pilots and outlines.
• (additional activity, depending on time: table reads of pilot openings and endings]

BREAK

6 weeks to carry out revisions to pilot and pitch document and write a first draft submission letter.

Session 4

• Approaching agents/producers: strategies, understanding the psychology, pitching, presentation skills etc. Letters of approach/submission – what should be the contents.

Session 5

• Verbal pitching of revised outlines.
• Feedback on letters of submission and approach strategy.

BREAK

4 weeks to carry out revisions and edits.

Pilots, pitch documents and letters of approach to be submitted for final feedback one week before final day.

Session 6

• One-to-one feedback on pilot, pitch document and submission letter
  

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Testimonials for Neil's workshop series

"The workshop was beyond expectations! Neil is a fantastic teacher and really pushed me to be focused and dedicated to my project. I've achieved so much under his mentoring. I would definitively recommend that workshop to anyone." 

Jean-Nicolas, 2021

"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a great deal about what it takes to write for serial television drama. Neil is a highly knowledgeable and thoughtful teacher, who not only helped  us form and improve our scripts from the seed of an idea to a more complete piece, but also gave us practical insight about the industry and made each session fun and enjoyable. Thank you Neil!" 

Paola, 2019

Neil was fantastic. He was clear and synthetic, not dwelling on his personal achievements or what being a writer means to him but instead focusing on giving us the practical tools needed to make progress and the right insights based on a vast experience. The group exercises have allowed us to become very fond and caring of one another by the end of the course, which I find to be a remarkable thing as we are all from such different walks of life. There was space to be critically constructive to others. Here, Neil had constructed a balance and a trust strong enough for everyone to speak truthfully and receive honest and generous feedback.

Olivia, 2019