Several readers questioned my advice to write a TV spec:
I’m just curious as to why you suggested they write a TV script, since he had mentioned the only thing they’d written is one feature and I saw no mention of an interest in writing for TV.
TV scripts are shorter and faster to write. Jason and his writing partner need more writing samples, stat. This will be a quicker way to get something else on paper that shows their chops.
But in a bigger sense, of course they should consider writing television. So should every aspiring screenwriter. In 2011, the best writing happens in TV, not features. There are more opportunities, and better finished products.
Across the board — one-hours and half-hours, network and cable — we’ve never had this kind of quality. Why would you sit out?
Agents and managers are looking for clients that can work. While staffing is tough, television quadruples the number of chances to get their clients gainfully employed. Yes, there used to be a bias against hiring TV writers for features. I think that’s all but evaporated. Many if not most screenwriters play in both sandboxes.
So unless Jason and his writing partner are features-or-bust, they should be thinking television in addition to features.
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