Six Reasons that Can Stop Your Cartoon Series from Getting a Green light

  

Michael Maurer, Writer 

Kids and Family Entertainment for TV & Film

Got a great cartoon series idea? 

 (Flickr.com)

Michael Maurer, film and television writer/story editor and developer for animation and live action -- gives you six key reasons that could prevent your series from getting the green light.   

A must-read before you start writing that bible or submit to a studio.

 

Michael has optioned 10 feature films. (including one produced) His most recent projects include a 3D animated feature for Starz Animation (based on his original idea, and a TV animated feature for Toonz Animation, based on the classic Speed Racer franchise, which is currently in production.

(TV Tropes.com)

He's also penned over 300 animation and live-action scripts for television, story edited series and developed series bibles for Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, and a dozen international companies.  

His most recent projects include scripts for A Squared Entertainment's new Warren Buffett series, Secret Millionaires Club, airing on HUB, and Pac-Man:  The Adventure Begins, premiering this year on Disney XD.
 

 Michael Says...

These are some of the key reasons that can prevent a series from getting the green light.

Reason #1 - Your series concept and/or characters are good but lack a unique element or twist to make them blow away the competition.

Reason #2 - Your basic concept and characters are unique, but your bible isn’t written with a visual and/or comedic flair that properly communicates your vision. 

Reason #3 - Your pilot script isn’t closing the deal because it’s built on a flawed concept and/or underdeveloped characters that don’t grab the reader’s attention. 

Reason #4 - Buyers can’t see that your series is working because you lack a top notch pilot script to convince them that they have a hit on their hands. 

Reason #5 - Your series bible doesn’t have 4-6 fully developed stories to prove your concept has the potential to last for three seasons or more.  
  

Reason #6 - Your series doesn’t fit the marketplace because you’ve mixed demographics.   For example, your characters are pre-school, but your concept is suited to 6-11 year olds.

Push your project to it's fullest potential with a Project Analysis and/or any of my other Writing Services...

WRITING SERVICES:

* TV Scripts * Features * Re-writes * Story Editing * Bibles * Pilots * Story Ideas * Project Analysis *

"You did a first class job re-writing our bible. You know what the audience wants and how to match that with the business strategy of your client."

Antonio Bernal Dionis, Founding Manager, InMagic (Spain)

For a summary of Michael's recent work, go to: http://michaelmaurer.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/writing-highlights-from-2012/

Stay tuned for an upcoming interview with Michael Maurer.

 

A Chat with Freelance Animation Writer, Joelle Sellner - PART TWO

(Norman Rockwell Painting of Ruby Bridges)

Make Dreams Happen...Yours and Others - Grant Writing Success

(Teen Titans - Cartoon Network)

FADE IN:

Thanks for stopping back for this week's text-webisode. We're so glad you liked our debut launch.

We're thrilled to welcome back Joelle Sellner to the Got Toon-Game Scribe? interview chair for - PART TWO - a second look inside her exciting freelance animation, copywriting, game and comic book writing world.

(Joelle-Sellner)

She also has some great advice for newcomers.  So grab your favorite beverage...

and comfy chair ...and enjoy! 

All set?  Great, let's get started.  We won't keep you in the dark any longer.

GTGS - What should a successful animation script have?

Joelle:  If it's comedy, the jokes need to be character-driven. In action, I try to focus on interesting set pieces for the fight scenes. All scripts need to have an emotional arc for the character. Kids need to care about the hero/protagonist or they'll stop watching.

GTGS:  What kind of specs should newcomers write? 

Joelle:  Newcomers should have one example of each, a comedy and an action spec. There's a lot of preschool work, so a spec in that genre wouldn't hurt. Comedic shows will also read live action sitcoms.

I don't think there's any specific script people want to read, but it should be something most writers and execs are familiar with. Check the  ratings and find a popular show that appeals to you.

GTGS:  What are a few common mistakes new writers make?

Joelle:  Sometimes new writers get very attached to their work and don't want to cut any of it.  Scripts are 22 minutes or shorter - the network isn't going to extend the show to include that great action sequence you wrote.  

If your story editor tells you to cut something, just cut it.  Don't argue and don't sneak it back in thinking they won't notice.  If it's really the best joke you've ever written, use it in your next script.

(Justice League - Cartoon Network - Examiner)

GTGS:  What's the most important part of the animation script?

Joelle:  Getting the audience to connect with the characters.

GTGS:  How does writing for video games differ from animation writing?   How did you land that gig?  What kind of spec did you show?  What specs do you present to a video game company?

Joelle:  An animation script has a specific format. In a 22-minute show you have two or three acts, act breaks with cliffhangers and a resolution at the end. Game writing isn't that structured. 

When the player makes a decision, you have to write what happens in each possible scenario. Some companies have you write using software designed to handle this branching situation, other writers have to write in Excel.

The company I'm currently working for contacted me. I'm not sure whether they already had my resume. I sent them an episode of another web show I wrote for which was a good match for their demographic. 

Since most game jobs I apply for are action-oriented, I usually send out my Avengers episode or something with good fight scenes. Some companies only want to see other examples of game writing, and many will give you a writing test to see if your style matches theirs. 

(Ben 10 Omniverse Game)

GTGS:  How did you start writing for comic books?  What is the best way to get started?

Joelle:  I was very lucky. I had written for a show called Secret Saturdays on CartoonNetwork.  A good friend of mine had been an editor at DC and got me in touch with some people he knew over there. 

(fanpop - cartoon network)

DC (DC Comics) was publishing a Cartoon Network comic with stories from their shows, including Secret Saturdays. I sent in some pitches and ended up writing two stories for them.

If you're not established as a professional writer in another field, the best way to get in is to publish your own comic. With the web, the barriers to entry are lower so if you put up your own web comic and get a following, people will notice. You don't need a lot of money, just enough to pay an artist if you can't draw.

GTGS:  What inspired you to write your feature screenplay, Flushing?

JOELLE:  Flushing is loosely based on what happened to me when I was sixteen and lost my mother. I had no other family or guardian to go to, so it was a strange time for me and something I always wanted to write about one day.

 

GTGS:  Feel free to add any final advice or words of encouragement to writers from neophytes to professionals?

Joelle:  Try to write something every day, whether someone's paying you for it or not.

<!--[endif]-->

Meet Joelle Sellner... Freelance Animation Writer, Copywriter, Video Game Writer, Graphic Novel and Comic Book Writer

There’s no putting it off any longer.  Get Your 'Freelancer’s Website' Running – in Just 4 Hours.  Here's how...

Freelance Website in Four Days’ Express

FADE IN:  It's no secret, historically the fellas have dominated the writing of superhero cartoon shows.  But the ladies have made a significant mark, and making strides daily. 

ANGLE ON Freelance Animation Writer and Story Editor of Samurai! Daycare for Shut Up Cartoons -- Joelle Sellner, proves that when it comes to action, like penning her recent Ben 10 Omniverse script -- gender is definitely not an issue. 

Let's not forget our animated divas in front of the camera who refuse to take a back seat to the show's superhero, and continue making their presence known in the action/adventure world. 

Kim Possible -- one our favorite ninja divas, and The Powder Puff Girls -- will forever stay in their fans' hearts. 

Kim Possible

(Gwen Tennyson)


Ben Tennyson's go-to-cousin, Gwen, may not have an Omnitrix on her wrist that transforms her into an alien fighting machine, but she can still kick the aliens' butts without breaking a nail. 

Eventhough she's off to college, enjoying the galaxy she fought to save -- fans can still see her galactic smarts in many episodes.

We're thrilled Joelle took time out of her busy freelance schedule to chat with Got Toon-Game Scribe? for our debut close-up.
 
She's our first scribe to brave our interview chair.  But before we find out about her adventures in animation, let's do a quick pan of her writing career.

(Teen Titans - Cartoon Network)

Joelle sharpened her animation teeth writing for the Cartoon Network, DC Comics, Marvel Studios, Mattel, Porchlight Entertainment, Dic Entertainment and You Tube... for the shows:  Samurai Daycare, Ben 10 Omniverse, Monster High, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, Teen Titans, Shin Chan, Secret Saturdays and Avengers:  Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 



(youtube.com)

Joelle also swims in the comic book waters, writing for Lion Forge, Marvel and DC comics. 

Whipping on  her copywriter's hat, she wrote webisodes, videos twitter feeds, mobile phone messages and web copy as eight different Mom characters for Kleenex's Get Mommed campaign. 

Her copywriting clients include:  Draftfcb - one of the largest global advertising networks; StudioCom - An Agency for Digital Times, Team One Advertising and the Rosetta Company (formerly LEVEL) - a consulting-centered interactive agency.

In the game world, she recently wrote story and dialogue for multiple characters and story arcs for Voltage Entertainment.

GTGS:  What's the best advice you've ever received from a fellow animation writer?

Joelle: 

The best advice I got from another writer was that writing (in any genre) is 5% writing and 95% sales. You always have to pitch yourself and your ideas, so if you're more comfortable staying home and writing than dealing with people this may not be the career for you.

GTGS:  What aspects of copywriting prepared you for the transition into animation writing?  And what prompted you to enter this field?

Joelle:

Advertising is excellent training for animation writing. Working with an art director at an agency, I learned to think visually. In animation you have to visualize what the scene looks like as well as what the characters are saying.

Also, copywriting teaches you to meet a strict deadline. Your client presentation is scheduled whether you have work to show or not -- so you better have something written.

I decided to pursue animation because I always loved cartoons, and I wanted to write longer form work. You can't get a lot of character development in 30 seconds.

(Geek Tyrant)
 

GTGS:  How do you start your writing process?

Joelle:

First, there's a research period where I read the scripts that have already been approved, or I watch the previous season of the show to get a sense of where it's going.  When I'm ready to start an expanded premise or an outline, I usually write the broad strokes of the story on a legal pad so I can scribble and cross things out.

GTGS:  What was your first television writing assignment?

Joelle:

I used to write with a partner, and one of the people he worked for got a story editor job on Mary Kate and Ashley Mysteries.  She had read our sitcom specs and liked them, so she brought us in to write an episode.  The execs were happy  with our work so we wrote two additional ones.  Sadly, the show only lasted one season.
 

GTGS:  Give us the highlights of writing for Samurai! Daycare?

Joelle:

Samurai! Daycare is the closest to a staff job I've ever had in animation. It wasn't a traditional staff job where you had to be in a writing room every day.  We only met in person once a week, and then went off and wrote our episodes and worked on everyone else's scripts to make them better.  There was constant communication over email, so we always knew what needed to be done.

GTGS:  Describe a typical day?

Joelle

Every day was different. I had two other shows I was writing at the same time, so some days I'd have to stretch my time management skills to get it all done. But usually I was able to set aside time to do whatever was needed for the show.  This might include making revisions on my work, giving notes on the other episodes, writing jokes, discussing and pitching premises for future episodes, etc.

GTGS:  What are the challenges and joys of this market?

Joelle:

Most animation jobs are freelance, so I'm always looking for work.  I can have multiple projects at once, or months with nothing to do. But I enjoy working with people in animation. Every story editor I've had has been great to work for and made my script ten times better.

GTGS:  What are some of the pitfalls to avoid?

Joelle:

Don't get pigeonholed.  If you're doing action and you want to do comedy, write a comedy spec.  If you do one thing well, sometimes it's hard to convince people that there are other things you've good at.  I write mostly boys action and I've had to make the case several times that I can write for girls.  Hey, I'm a girl. 

GTGS: What are your hobbies and interests? 

Joelle:
I try to run and take spin classes a few times a week.  Sitting in front of a computer all day makes me nuts -- sometimes I just need to jump around or bike so I can clear my head.

JumpSport Fitness Trampoline Model 220

GTGS:   We all know about marathon writing in front of a computer.  For me, the physical outlet of choice is jumping on my rebounder, (aka mini-trampoline) while watching my favorite television show.  Of course, that's when I'm not teaching  a Dance-it-Out! class.  (Zumba, retro, hip-hop a little line dancing)

Jumping on a trampoline is a great low impact cardio workout... and great for our lymphatic system.  It's especially effective if you're recovering from an injury.  But always consult a doctor before starting any exercise program.

Stay tuned for more of our chat with Joelle Sellner in our next text webisode.

FADE OUT 

FADE IN: New Blog for Toon and Game Scribes!

Dr. Oz Pick!  JumpSport Fitness Trampoline Model 220

Happy New Year and Welcome to Got Toon-Game Scribe...

Where the Focus is on YOU!

FADE IN:  to our debut blog for today's animation writer, producer, director, show creator, video game script writer and designer.

What better way to start a brand new year than with a brand new blog focusing on our creative talent behind the cartoon shows and games children and the child-at-heart love to watch and play.

Game Story Writer

Beyblade: Metal Masters Ninentendo Game

ANGLE ON

We want to know about YOU... who you are in this wonderful world of cartoon and game scriptwriting/design.

We'll write from your perspective with interviews that'll make you nod, grin and even raise an eyebrow. Don't be surprised if you blush... after all, it's all about you and the projects you love creating.

You're a creative bunch.  Your imagination wheel stays on maximum.  We want to know about your creative process, your industry concerns, where the trends are and what the future looks like for you and the industry.

And for good measure, we'll throw in some history facts and profiles, not just the contemporary ones. We always need to know where we came from, to see what we're stepping into.  Right Gingka? 

BACK IN THE DAY... EXIT STAGE RIGHT

ORVILLE REDENBACHER POPCORN ALERT

From time-to-time, we'll even play an old cartoon favorite from back-in-the-day. 

(Fairly Odd Parents Book)

Graphic novelists and writers of Animated-TV-tie-in books... don't worry... we haven't forgotten you.  

Got Toon-Game Scribe?  will also check in to see what you're up to on the print side of things.  You think we're stopping there.  Think again.  

We're digging deeper into your Diet Coke and Cheese Fries for an up-close look at how you like to spend your downtime.  What are you passionate about outside of animation?  

(Koryaversa - Flicker.com)

Perhaps you attend classes at a circus school, scuba dive in the great barrier reef, play the ukelele or compete in table tennis championships?  Inquiring minds  will find out.

What to do when the Business Phone Isn't Ringing

Tough economic times call for diverse writing skills that'll help during the quiet time between projects.  We'll look at the hottest six-figure writing sidelines you can do, so the phone never stops ringing.  We'll even help you stay organized--design a work space that breathes creativity--and show off our fun fitness motto. 

Turn Your Writing Passion into a Passive Revenue Stream

The internet is ideal for creating passive income. A website never sleeps. Writing your own money-making website is the best way to add $500-$5,000 to your monthly income. Learn more: How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites

Cartoon Super Heroes

(Ben 10 Omniverse)


Stay tuned to our next text-webisode where we chat with Joelle Sellner, Freelance Copywriter, Animation Writer, Graphic Novelist, 
Comic and Game Writer who writes for Ben 10 Omniverse, D.C. Comics, Marvel Studios... and the list goes on. 





Ben 10 Omniverse

Like so many of you, juggling your many writing hats, Joelle also writes games, webisodes and pen comic books.  Meet her in our next post aka text-webisode. 


Feel free to say hi, and let us know what you want to see here.  Remember, Got Toon-Game Scribe is all about You.


Want to Add Another Writing Niche that Puts Your Scriptwriting Skills to Good Us?   Then cyber-trek over to Joan B. Average, Scriptwriter to check out a hot, emerging market.