Speaker 1: Hey guys, my name is Jason Sengarer from the Top Development team and today we'll be talking about the differences between writing a feature-length screenplay and a television pilot. And if you're interested in writing your great screenplay with a Top Development team, click the link below this video to work with us. Let's begin. So you may have heard that we are in the golden age of television. In 2021 alone, there were 559 scripted television shows that were made. And with some of the most greatest and most creative writing done on television, one may question which to write, a feature or a television pilot. And in this video, we're not going to be talking about the procedural TV shows like Law & Order because of the contained nature of each episode. We're going to be talking about the TV series that arc over the course of multiple episodes or seasons. The nature of both of these stories are similar to features, but the way they're executed are different. The first key difference is loose versus open ends. In a feature-length screenplay, your main character is introduced to a problem. They have to deal with that particular problem, and the problem is resolved in the end. The story goes through all eight elements of the story circle and fully resolves the central story conflict. The character either wins or fails based on the actions they take. This is why franchise films like Marvel's The Avengers fit the feature format well because the conflict is philosophically, emotionally, and externally resolved with minimal loose ends. Now in a television series, your main character is introduced to the problem in the pilot. The components that will help the main character resolve the problem are set up to be paid off in later episodes. The story circle is still active. There is some level of irreversible change at the end of each episode. However, the full arc of the story is not completed until the very last episode where the conflict is resolved. This is why television shows need a strong philosophical conflict in characters to drive the show so the audience is engaged to come back week after week. The second difference is plot versus characters. Feature films rely heavily on plot, concept, and structure. Take The Dark Knight, for example, a story about how a hero wants to bring justice to Gotham City as he faces the obstacle of the Joker. In Act 1, Batman wants to bring order and justice to Gotham by taking down the Joker. In Act 2, Batman captures the Joker but is crushed by Rachel's death. In Act 3, Batman has to protect Reese but Joker has let Harvey Dent loose from the hospital where he is detained. And in Act 4, Batman brings Gotham to a state of order and justice by killing Harvey Dent, saving Gordon's family, and allowing the blame for Harvey's killing to fall on himself. Now, there are still open ends to the story such as what will happen to Batman, but the core conflict of the film, which is restoring order to Gotham, is fully resolved. Television shows are character-driven but are much looser with the plot, allowing your main characters to have fully fleshed out arcs and time to grow. The first episode of Stranger Things, Season 1, opens with Will being snatched by the creature and the search for Will begins, setting up the problem for the whole season. The show keeps the audience engaged by creating irreversible change in the lives of the characters at the end of each episode, but the main conflict remains wide open. In Episode 2, after discovering Eleven, Michael brings her back to his house for help, but Eleven tells him that there are people after her and it would be dangerous to tell anyone. At Michael's house, Eleven sees a picture of Will indicating that she knows something about his disappearance, and she uses her powers to reveal that Will is hiding from a supernatural monster. Now, with this new information, the characters' worlds are changed irreversibly, but the conflict still remains wide open, setting up in the viewer's mind an inevitable showdown that they cannot wait to see. This is why this show is awesome. In Episode 3, Joyce discovers that she's able to communicate with Will through the lights, teasing the audience that Will is still alive. Irreversible change, but no full resolution. Each episode builds upon the fundamental problem introduced in the pilot. This is the engine of the show that impacts each character. The rest of the episodes build upon each other, as the characters take steps to points of no return at the end of each episode, bringing them into the season finale. And in the final episode, Eleven realizes she's the only one who can kill the monster, but it takes her life. The kids' escape and Will is rescued from the upside down, resolving the problem that was introduced in the pilot. Each episode builds upon another, with irreversible change, where the last episode concludes with the resolution to the first season's problem. There is still the unresolved problem of the monster that is still alive, setting up season 2, and obviously Eleven lives, but the main problem of the first season is resolved. The third difference is that TV shows require an engine. The engine is the central philosophical conflict that drives every episode and keeps the audience hooked until the end. In Breaking Bad, Walter White's desire for control over his life is the moral dilemma that we encounter. In every episode, the characters and obstacles challenge Walter's ability to choose whether he wants control over his life or not. This is the engine of Breaking Bad. This is also why TV shows need a strong hook. The hook will leave the audience longing for more of the philosophical conflict in the next episode. The reason why shows can last for one or two seasons and get canceled is because the story has abandoned the core philosophical conflict that established the show in the first place. An example of this is Westworld. So season one starts off strong with two main viewpoints. Should we take pride in our humanity or should we be ashamed of it? In season one, Dolores believes that despite the dark nature of human beings, there is still beauty in humanity. But the man in black believes there is no good in humanity and life is just a game. But despite their oppositions, both characters still believed there is a purpose to their life. This is what made the show engaging. The intention of the show is to come to an understanding of what human beings are truly like. We can see ourselves in Dolores because there's a part of our human nature that longs to be good. But we can also see ourselves in the man in black because humans have a darker side to our nature that we often want to hide. In season four, this does not follow the dilemma because the show is no longer about understanding what human beings are truly like. Instead, the show is about hosts taking over the human species with no philosophical beliefs. And as each season drifted away from the core philosophical conflict, the characters became inconsistent with the decisions they made, resulting in countless resurrections, unclear plot, and pointless mysteries. The fourth difference is your world. The type of world for your story is an important element to consider the format of your screenplay. Feature films can get away with a smaller world because the story is contained and focused on a specific set of characters and their goals. TV shows must have a larger world with detailed elements because the show deals with multiple character arcs, destinations, and cultures. In Whiplash, the story is clearly about two main viewpoints, pursuing greatness versus a normal life. Neiman and Fletcher both have the same view, but we don't get details about Fletcher's backstory, all his students' history, or how he became a teacher at the Schaeffer Observatory. We also don't get any details about Neiman's history of playing drums since he was a kid, previous romantic relationships, or his relationships with other family members. This is because you only have 120 pages to tell your story and you have to trim down everything that is extra information or doesn't add to the story's value. Now, the TV show Westworld has robots that look just like humans and they're controlled by Ford, the founder of Westworld. Now, this challenges the guests in the show, revealing who they truly are when they have the freedom to indulge in whatever they please. The world also has specific locations that are personal to each character. For example, the ranch reminds us of Dolores, the bar reminds us of Maeve, the train reminds us of Teddy, and the lab reminds us of Ford and the humans. This is important because the audience spends more time with the characters in the world of a show than in a film. But what about Star Wars, Avatar, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings? Aren't these big and detailed worlds? Of course they are, and this doesn't mean that you cannot create a big and detailed world for a feature film. There are many films that obviously do this, but what you have to understand is that big and immersive worlds do not save bad characters, a lack of structure, and poor philosophical conflict. So let's recap. Here's what you've learned in today's video. Features rely heavily on plot. TV shows rely heavily on the characters and the world. If you're trying to decide which medium a story belongs in, ask yourself if the selling point are your characters or if it's the plot of your story. Features rely on a fundamental understanding of story structure, plot, and character arcs. TV shows require a captivating world with an engine that hooks the audience in every episode until the end. We hope you enjoyed this video, and if you're interested in writing your great screenplay with a top development team, click the link below this video to work with us. Until next time.