Sunday, April 9, 2017

#Scriptchat Transcript: Breaking into TV - Deanna Shumaker @deannashumaster writer on BLINDSPOT

Tonight we talked with Deanna Shumaker @deannashumaster writer on BLINDSPOT about breaking into TV, fellowships, working in a writers' room, and more! Enjoy! @jeannevb

Read the transcript below or on the Storify site.

Note: No #scriptchat next Sunday, April 16th, because of Passover/Easter holidays!

#Scriptchat Transcript: Breaking into TV - Deanna Shumaker @deannashumaster writer on BLINDSPOT

#Scriptchat Transcript: Breaking into TV - Deanna Shumaker @deannashumaster writer on BLINDSPOT

Tonight we talked with Deanna Shumaker @deannashumaster writer on BLINDSPOT about breaking into TV, fellowships, working in a writers' room, and more! Enjoy! @jeannevb

  1. Hello all you lovely #scriptchat people! Welcome @deannashumaster, let's get this party started!
  2. Just a reminder, the best site to do the chat from is here...  http://www.tchat.io/rooms/scriptchat  ... it autoadds the hahtag #scriptchat
  3. Super psyched @deannashumaster is here tonight! We're going to inundate you with questions to see if your fingers can keep up #scriptchat
  4. @deannashumaster how about we start by talking about how you broke in? And yeah on the @StoryBroads pre-gaming! #scriptchat
  5. I broke in by getting into the WB Writing Workshop. After the program, they worked their magic and got me on #Blindspot. #scriptchat
  6. @deannashumaster Q: What were some of your most important takeaways from your time in post prod. and as a writer’s assistant? #scriptchat
  7. @SamSquamchman yes and no. I was on CSI for 8 years. 5 as a post PA. 1 as a writers PA. And 2 in the writers' room as WA. #scriptchat
  8. @deannashumaster An executive told me that Office PA is the entry point. Any truth there? #scriptchat #scripttease
  9. @deannashumaster @jeannevb Q: I read about how you did that CSI: script that didn't get produced. How do you approach specs? #scriptchat
  10. @deannashumaster Q cont'd: Particularly in terms of then being staffed/writing scripts? #scriptchat
  11. @deannashumaster @jeannevb Q: And would you recommend anyone trying to break in to do a spec of an existing show? #scriptchat
  12. @SarahAlexis4 post was great. I got to observe how the industry works, and get comfortable with the ins and outs of a TV show. #scriptchat
  13. @deannashumaster @jeannevb I know that specs of existing shows aren't necessarily being recommended these days, though. #scriptchat
  14. @dwacon any PA job is great. Writers PA is best, but those are so hard to get. So yes, office or post is good. #scriptchat
  15. @deannashumaster what was most surprising thing about post that you wish you knew ahead of time? #scriptchat
  16. If you aren't at #scriptchat, you are missing out. TV writer @deannashumaster is in the house.
  17. @deannashumaster @dwacon From your experience as a writer's assistant, what did you learn about the way writers' rooms work? #scriptchat
  18. @dwacon post seems to be easier to come by. also post and writers are almost always in the same bldg. office PAs aren't always #scriptchat
  19. @filmwritr4 @jeannevb when I wrote the CSI, the idea was to write it for the show, which isn't the typical procedure for specs #scriptchat
  20. @filmwritr4 think specs are mostly good for getting into fellowships. tho i've heard some showrunners say they still read them. #scriptchat
  21. @deannashumaster Great advice, thanks! Did a PA 101 course and they only covered set and office. #scriptchat
  22. @jeannevb I mean that was my first intro to the industry. I was overwhelmed. I wasn't prepared for the HOURS. #scriptchat
  23. @deannashumaster Q: Having done freelance scripts & now being staffed, any tips for how best to learn the tone/rhythm of a show? #scriptchat
  24. @deannashumaster @jeannevb Q: When doing a show like Blindspot, what's the best way to write action sequences? #scriptchat
  25. @jeannevb We'd work until midnight or 1 some nights and have to be in to pick up dailies at 7am. #scriptchat
  26. @filmwritr4 @jeannevb i think it's really important to have all kinds of samples. originals and specs. #scriptchat
  27. @SarahAlexis4 @deannashumaster I bet binge watching helps a lot. Poor writers before they had that luxury for research #scriptchat
  28. #scriptchat Is it insane to try to adapt a true story to episodic TV? This one could cover at least 3 16-episode seasons, I think.
  29. @jeannevb @SarahAlexis4 @deannashumaster :) Agreed. You could definitely come up with a lot of story ideas that way. #scriptchat
  30. @filmwritr4 we had amazing stunt choreographers - sometimes we'd write detailed fight scenes, but mostly we left that up to them #scriptchat
  31. @jeannevb @SarahAlexis4 @deannashumaster Yes, hooray for Hulu and Netflix! And reading scripts one could get their hands on... #scriptchat
  32. @filmwritr4 #scriptchat *Waves* back. Been busy working 2 full-time jobs and photographing volleyball.
  33. I spoke w/ fellow Philadelphian Adam Goldberg if he worked during hiatus. I think the answer was sleep and time with family. #scriptchat
  34. @deannashumaster True, but in my case entertainment journalism takes up a lot of that time. #scriptchat
  35. @SarahAlexis4 I just completely drown myself in a show. I read as many scripts as I can and I watch every episode. #scriptchat
  36. Q: What is the best way to get scripts from a show that you want to spec? #scriptchat
  37. @SarahAlexis4 I particularly pay attention to repeated phrases that certain characters like to use. #scriptchat
  38. @deannashumaster #scriptchat Is it insane to adapt a true story to episodic TV? This one could cover at least 3 16-episode seasons, I think.
  39. @SamSquamchman the WGA Foundation has a library, so if you're in LA, that's the absolute best place to find them. #scriptchat
  40. @blueneumann @dianewms @deannashumaster I've thought about writing limited series myself, including bc of budgetary concerns. #scriptchat
  41. @filmwritr4 @dianewms @deannashumaster But the approach, taking each element and exploring it in detail, worked great. #scriptchat
  42. @collinlieberg I've always been told that's not the way to go. It's so hard to get a show exactly right, and the EP will notice #scriptchat
  43. @deannashumaster what's the most challenging thing about being in the writers' room? #scriptchat
  44. @dianewms I honestly have 0 experience in this so I don't know. I think if u r passionate about it and u can get rights, do it! #scriptchat
  45. @filmwritr4 @deannashumaster I like so many shows but not sure which one(s) to spec because they're all so different #scriptchat
  46. @SarahAlexis4 That is AWESOME!! Thank you so much! I've been wanting #Legion ever so badly! You're my hero. #scriptchat
  47. @jeannevb it's definitely trying to both listen to everyone else's ideas and come up with your own. #scriptchat
  48. @collinlieberg @filmwritr4 pick the type of show that is closest to your writing style. it'll end up a better script that way. #scriptchat
  49. @deannashumaster Q: Have you found writing for Blindspot/being in the room has affected your approach to your original pilots? #scriptchat
  50. @deannashumaster How big was the CSI writing staff? How often did it change? How did you avoid getting lost in the shuffle? #scriptchat
  51. I did a Simpsons spec at the WB Comedy Writers workshop. Easy since the show has been on like F O R E V E R #scriptchat
  52. @SarahAlexis4 great question. I've been terrible. I haven't even opened MMSW since I left Blindspot. So I don't know. #scriptchat
  53. @dwacon Much like drawing them, I imagine writing the Simpsons is harder than it seems. #scriptchat
  54. @dwacon I've heard writing a spec for a show that's been on so long isn't a great way to go b/c it's all been done #scriptchat
  55. @SarahAlexis4 but being in the room at CSI FOR SURE affected my originals. You learn so much about what drives a scene #scriptchat
  56. @DevSeventyFive the CSI staff was pretty consistent while I was there. There were about 9 most of the time. #scriptchat
  57. @filmwritr4 know what the story is about at its core. not just what happens in the plot, but what are you trying to say... #scriptchat
  58. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 Q: Since Blindspot and CSI are procedurals, is it easier to do narrative arcs for those shows? #scriptchat
  59. @deannashumaster @dianewms I do have the rights. Books are out of (c) & other info is in LoC. Mid 1930s to WWII in the SPacific. #scriptchat
  60. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 Or is it harder to come up with continuing narrative arcs for a procedural? Just wondering. #scriptchat
  61. @filmwritr4 @SarahAlexis4 but being a procedural, it does seem easier to have very natural stakes built in. #scriptchat
  62. @deannashumaster tips for making WB Writers Workshop and Fellowship submissions stand out? #scriptchat
  63. @deannashumaster I hear that networks have larger staffs than cable and other outlets. The more, the merrier? #scriptchat
  64. One of my projects definitely feels like a SF procedural... makes it tricky to get the pilot right #scriptchat
  65. @jeannevb good question! i mean obviously, make your script REALLY REALLY REALLY good. #scriptchat
  66. @jeannevb for my essay, I tried to think of what a typical essay would be like and make sure mine was different than that. #scriptchat
  67. @jeannevb of course everyone is going to say they've wanted to be a TV writer their whole life. so don't write that. #scriptchat
  68. @jeannevb find what makes you different from everyone else applying and really lean into that #scriptchat
  69. @filmwritr4 @jeannevb @battyink oh yes! and my reps would prefer the word "immediately" to the word "eventually" #scriptchat
  70. @deannashumaster Q: What's something you wish somebody had told you before joining the writer's room? #scriptchat
  71. @deannashumaster @jeannevb @battyink Q: I'm currently writing/producing a web series, but I do hope to expand to other projects. #scriptchat
  72. @SarahAlexis4 also a good question...I'm kinda stumped. I'm thinking about it and I will try to answer this before this is over. #scriptchat
  73. @deannashumaster @jeannevb @battyink That being said, I will ask: would you ever consider doing a web and/or streaming series? #scriptchat
  74. @SarahAlexis4 @deannashumaster Q: And what's something that you've brought to the writers room? That others can/should? #scriptchat
  75. @deannashumaster @jeannevb @battyink Especially given the creative freedom provided by the medium, and by Hulu/Netflix/Amazon? #scriptchat
  76. @deannashumaster @jeannevb My mentors at the WGA always included “more conflict” in notes... #scriptchat
  77. @collinlieberg @SarahAlexis4 well everyone has their own specific skill set. so find what your role in the room is and do that. #scriptchat
  78. @deannashumaster Do you have any advice for someone who has always wanted to write a movie script, but doesn't know where to start. #scriptchat
  79. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 likes to pull out the tough-hitting ones. At least it's not a therapy couch question... yet :) #scriptchat
  80. @collinlieberg @SarahAlexis4 some are good at writing on the board (me!), some are great researchers, good with emotion etc #scriptchat
  81. @collinlieberg @SarahAlexis4 on BLINDSPOT we had a guy who was really great at explosions and techy stuff #scriptchat
  82. @DevSeventyFive It's a current events/cable news satire called The Late, Late News. #scriptchat
  83. @jeannevb @SarahAlexis4 what makes it so hard is that i asked EVERYONE I KNEW for advice before my 1st day. so ppl told me A LOT #scriptchat
  84. @DevSeventyFive It's a sketch/sitcom hybrid that pokes fun at cable news, w/ news stories exaggerated for comic effect #scriptchat
  85. @wcmartell My writing is akin to hieroglyphics. Maybe try to get staffed in Egypt? #scriptchat
  86. @wcmartell @deannashumaster I heard you don't want to be the one with the best handwriting, b/c you'll be doing ALL the writing #scriptchat
  87. @DevSeventyFive Alongside those elements are character arcs, a fictional story world... #scriptchat
  88. @wcmartell yes. some people hate it, but i like doing it because it also forces you to really distill ideas and follow the story #scriptchat
  89. @collinlieberg it's literally the person who writes the beats of the story on the whiteboard. #scriptchat
  90. @deannashumaster @wcmartell Ah, you literally meant "write on the board." I thought it was writer talk for something else. :) #scriptchat
  91. @wcmartell @collinlieberg @deannashumaster "They have the eraser, we could lose EVERYTHING we've been building towards!" #scriptchat
  92. @jeannevb @deannashumaster Awesome job, Deanna! Thanks so much for sharing your insight and advice with us! #scriptchat
  93. @deannashumaster Q: Were you able to be on set for your script filming? Curious what insights that experience might bring about. #scriptchat
  94. @deannashumaster Q: Or what you've noticed from script to screen with any of the scripts on either show? #scriptchat
  95. @SarahAlexis4 no. they don't fly staff writers to NY on Blindspot. But I did visit set once on my own dime. It was so cool! #scriptchat
  96. @deannashumaster if the Bolts play the Kings in the finals who will you root for? #scriptchat
  97. @SarahAlexis4 I did get to produce my CSI episode a few years ago. I think it's important for every writer to do this. #scriptchat
  98. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 I forgot you guys are out here with that one. I've probably seen the shooting flyers around! haha #scriptchat
  99. @deannashumaster Did you ever witness any disputes in a writers' room that got ugly? How were they settled? #scriptchat
  100. @SarahAlexis4 too see how much work from every department goes into every word and decision you've put on the page #scriptchat
  101. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 Q: Since you produced that episode, what were the additional responsibilities you had? #scriptchat
  102. Oh god damn it, now I need to design something called "Thunderknives" #scriptchat
  103. @DevSeventyFive I've witnessed a few "almost ugly" disputes. I won't say which show. #scriptchat
  104. @DevSeventyFive But I've been very lucky so far because both shows have had tremendously kind writing staffs. #scriptchat
  105. @collinlieberg I am GREAT at networking! I go to every event I'm invited to that I can. Bring business cards. #scriptchat
  106. @collinlieberg and treat those events as opportunities to meet people, not to sell your script or get repped. #scriptchat
  107. @deannashumaster What about being out of state? And should I bring my hometown strawberries? #scriptchat
  108. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg :) I always bring business cards when I'm at writers' group meetings, as well as festivals #scriptchat
  109. I gotta make new business cards. Have some interesting reserve cardstock #scriptchat
  110. @collinlieberg because if you're friendly and don't come across as desperate, people will genuinely want to help you. #scriptchat
  111. Hey Jeanne & Deanna, really enjoying tonight's conversation even if I'm not chatting... good stuff, gals! 😉👍👍🎬 #scriptchat  https://twitter.com/jeannevb/status/851233653434851328 
  112. @wcmartell I'm a pro wrestling fan, so I was hoping for something with tables, ladders and/or chairs. #scriptchat
  113. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg I usually tell people about myself, what I do as a writer, and about my series. #scriptchat
  114. @collinlieberg being out of state is hard. you can go to all the film festivals you want, but you really need to live here. #scriptchat
  115. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg Basically, that means describing what it's about, the story, etc., in general. #scriptchat
  116. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg Just watch out for the folks who will drop your card on the floor after your back is turned… #scriptchat
  117. @filmwritr4 you have to go to all the prep meetings, approve props and wardrobe and photos, locations, etc... #scriptchat
  118. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg Of course, I also ask about what they do and what they're involved in, etc. #scriptchat
  119. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg Don't ever come across like you're only interested in talking about yourself. Ask about them. #scriptchat
  120. @filmwritr4 you also need to be on set and make sure that the intention of the script is what is actually shot. #scriptchat
  121. @deannashumaster @collinlieberg Ask about the kind of projects they're involved in, who they are, what they like, what they do. #scriptchat
  122. @dwacon @deannashumaster Note to self: make business cards. I've seen some with their faces on them? Yay/Nay? #scriptchat
  123. @collinlieberg hmmm. dealer's choice? I have so many cards of people I have no idea who they are. So that might help. #scriptchat
  124. @deannashumaster Q: Speaking of which, how have you approached changes/suggestions to the script that producers make? #scriptchat
  125. @collinlieberg @deannashumaster Haha! Never! Nobody is! It's always a two way conversation. Give and take. #scriptchat
  126. @filmwritr4 for my original, I've gotten suggestions from producers before. I always assess how much I trust the producer #scriptchat
  127. @collinlieberg @deannashumaster Coin toss. Mostly actors have headshot(s) or other picture(s). I like scaring people, so… #scriptchat
  128. @collinlieberg @deannashumaster When I attend these events, I learn about people, make contacts, not try to sell ideas. #scriptchat
  129. @filmwritr4 and how far away their suggestions get me from what I'm trying to say with my script. #scriptchat
  130. @wcmartell You did say 5 minutes when the self-promotion started. Like clockwork. :) #scriptchat
  131. @filmwritr4 @collinlieberg Don’t discount anyone. Today’s assistant is tomorrow’s agent or executive. #scriptchat
  132. Networking is making friends, not trying to shove your work down somebody's throat. Let them get to know you frirst. #scriptchat
  133. @deannashumaster Q: Did you attend table reads, and if so, how do the actors' feedback help to dictate changes on a script? #scriptchat
  134. @wcmartell Exactly. That's what I've been trying to say, but you clarified it perfectly. #scriptchat
  135. @deannashumaster Q: There any general good note you've gotten/heard that has kind of stuck with you as you write other scripts? #scriptchat
  136. @filmwritr4 we skyped in on every table read on BLINDSPOT and occasionally tweaked dialogue based on how the cast read it. #scriptchat
  137. @deannashumaster Awesome. Table reads definitely help, even though the only one I've done so far was with my writers' group. #scriptchat
  138. @SarahAlexis4 it's kinda obvious, but easy to forget: always make sure characters' emotions are driving the action of the story. #scriptchat
  139. @filmwritr4 There is a TWITCH group that does table reads for writers and gives good notes on the script. I enjoyed FWIW #scriptchat
  140. @deannashumaster Thanks for coming on and sharing your invaluable insights! Great chat tonight. Goodnight everybody. #scriptchat
  141. @deannashumaster Thanks so much for fielding our questions and sharing your insights. All the best with your writing! #scriptchat
  142. @deannashumaster @SarahAlexis4 @jeannevb Thanks so much for answering questions, sharing insights and being amenable! Awesome! #scriptchat
  143. @dwacon I'll definitely check it out. Thanks so much for sharing the link to it, and for letting me know about it! #scriptchat
  144. @deannashumaster You're very welcome Deanna! Thanks so much for joining us, and for taking the time to answer our Q's! #scriptchat
  145. @deannashumaster Thanks very much for sharing your invaluable insight and advice on TV writing! Really appreciate it! #scriptchat
  146. @deannashumaster I wish you all the very best with your writing career, and with your future projects! Can't wait to see them! #scriptchat
  147. @Mo_Mata And here's a #scriptchat roar of recognition (get it?) right back atcha! Thank you so much for the encouragement! #amwriting

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