First thanks go to my colleagues at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. In particular I would like to thank dean Bob Bassett and Media Arts Division chair Janell Shearer for their support and guidance of both my teaching and the writing of this book. I would also like to thank professor James Gardner for suggesting that I write this book and professor Gil Bettman for introducing me to my publishers, Ken Lee and Michael Wiese.

I’m also immensely grateful to my students, particularly those who have taken my Byte-Sized Television courses. You inspire me with your creativity, challenge me with your questions, force me to think deeply, and remind me every day that life is about learning.

Thanks also to my writing colleagues, who have generously shared so many insights about craft with me over the years, especially Bruce Watson, Bob Colleary, Neil Landau, and Deborah Brevoort.

Eternal gratitude and love to my daughters, Alexis and Rachel, for their support, encouragement, and the joy they bring to my life. And most of all, my deepest gratitude and love to my wife, Wendy, for the infinite gifts you’ve given me over the years: love, encouragement, wisdom, space, passion, compassion, joy, heart, and laughter.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is intended for a wide range of users, including

Aspiring filmmakers

University film, video, or other media instructors and students

Middle or high school video instructors and students

Experienced filmmakers new to the web series genre

Experienced film craftsmen (e.g., cinematographers, editors, grips, electricians) who want to expand their creative horizons and showcase their skills and talents beyond their current craft area

Actors hoping to promote their careers and expand their creative opportunities by creating their own showcase web series

Businesses interested in creating branded content or advertainment-oriented web series

Each group will find a wealth of valuable guidance in the book, but they may approach it slightly differently based on their needs and background. Here are some suggestions for each group on how to use this book:

Aspiring filmmakers: If you are brand new to video production and have never written a script, used a video camera, or edited video footage, you should use this book in conjunction with one or more books on video production and postproduction. This book will help you conceive your series, develop your characters, write a pilot script, and plan the key elements necessary for production, such as casting, finding locations, and making a shot list and shooting schedule, and will guide you through the creative choices and process of editing. This book will also help you market your show and yourself. What you will need to consult other books about are the nuts and bolts of using the camera, sound, and editing equipment. Appendix 2 of this book contains lists of suggested books to help you with technical instruction in these areas.

University film, video, and media instructors: If you teach at the college level, this book is organized not just as a textbook but as a kit for teaching your course. At the end of each chapter there is a “For Teachers” page with suggested assignments and techniques for reinforcing that chapter’s concepts. Appendix 3 contains the syllabi and a week-by-week breakdown of the two Byte-Sized Television courses that I teach at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. During the first semester each student pitches a concept and characters, then writes a script for a 3- to 5-minute web series pilot. I select two of the scripts to be shot and edited (assigning crew positions such as director, producer, director of photography, and editor to the students whose scripts were not selected for production). Then in Semester 2, the students write, shoot, and edit three additional episodes of each series based on the pilot.

Middle and high school teachers: Just like university instructors, you can also use the assignments and tips contained in the “For Teachers” page at the end of each chapter and the schedule and week-by-week breakdown in my syllabi. In addition, for your students completely new to writing for the screen, Appendix 1 contains a simple and effective tutorial on screenplay format.

Experienced filmmakers: If you’re an experienced writer, you can use the chapters on writing less as instruction and more as a stimulant to your creative process. What may be new and more useful to you are the sections on preproduction, production, postproduction, and marketing. Similarly, if you are a pro at production, you can skim that section and focus more on learning about writing — character, structure, dialogue, and so on.

Actors: This book can open your eyes to the writing, production, and postproduction processes in a big way. Learning the other parts of the filmmaking process will make you a

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