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.

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