The Bible Assignment

FVM 2032 - THE TV PILOT

Instructions:

You will write a TV Bible for the show you have created using the available TV Bibles in our Shared Folder as an Outline.

For this assignment, you will create and complete the following sections:

  1. An Introduction – This should give the reader a sense of what your story is about. BE ENTERTAINING. BE ENGAGING.

For example, read Stranger Things “Introduction, The Montauk Conspiracy, and Story” or The Wire “Overview.”

  1. A Character Section

For example, read Stranger Things “The Kids, The Outsider, The Teenagers, and The Adults,” or Grey’s Anatomy “The Doctors.”

  1. A Plot Section

For example, read Stranger Things “Story and Structure,” or Fargo “The Arcs.”

  1. A Tone or Style Section

For example, read Stranger Things “Horror, Tone, and Style,” True Detective “Suspense and Humanism.”

And one of the following:

  1. Series Section

  1. For Hour Long Pilots

    1. Summarize in detail your first two episodes: Pilot Episode and Episode 2.

      1. For example, read Grey’s Anatomy “Episode 1” or The Wire “Episode 101.”

    2. Sketch out the remainder of your Season 1 with A,B,C Storyline loglines.

    3. A minimum of 10 episodes is required for the entire Bible.

      1. For example, read True Detective “One,” or Scrubs “Pilot.”

  2. Half Hour Pilots

    1. Summarize in detail your first four episodes: Pilot Episode, Episode 2, 3, and 4.

      1. For example, read Grey’s Anatomy “Episode 1” or The Wire “Episode 101.”

    2. Sketch out the remainder of your Season 1 by A, B, C storyline loglines.

    3. A minimum of 10 episodes is required for the entire Bible.

      1. For example, read True Detective “One” or Scrubs “Pilot.”

What is a TV Bible?

Early in the year, we pitched story ideas. The idea of a pitch is to persuade and excite the audience (listener) into the world of your story. A pitch should excite, entertain, and connect the listener to the promise of your show. At the end of your pitch, a listener should be able to see the endless possibilities of your show or curious enough to ask.

A pitch sets the stage. A pitch is a hook.

The Bible, then, is a more detailed pitch extended out over your show’s entire season or series.

When creating your Bible, you are trying to answer the questions, “Why are you telling this story? And why now?”

“Why are you telling this story?”

This question is answered by the funny, kooky, straight-laced, and weird characters populating your story. It highlights their wants, needs, fears, flaws, problems, secrets, and motivations.

“And why now?”

This question is answered by the world, the style, the time, and the tone of your story. This answer requires you to declare your story as being different than anything else produced. Here, you compare and contrast the different parts of your show to other shows, highlight the differences, and focus on the audience’s emotional draw.

Suggestion

I suggest you pick a Bible from our folder and use its structure as an outline. As you write more Pilots and more Bibles, you will eventually create your own style. There is no universal way to write a Bible, but most Bibles contain the same elements. So if you are unsure of what those elements are, what it should look like, or their overall feel, use the Bibles provided as an Example.

Download the original Word document