Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2013
Capstone Advisor
Geri Clark, Professor of Drama
Honors Reader
Tom Seeley, Professor of Television-Radio-Film
Capstone Major
Television-Radio-Film
Capstone College
Public Communications
Audio/Visual Component
yes
Audio/Visual Location
Honors Library
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Creative
Subject Categories
Creative Writing | Film and Media Studies | Television
Abstract
My capstone project is a television pilot script about the trials and tribulations of a minor league baseball team’s front office. Following around the new general manager and his various colleagues and colorful characters around the ballpark, the show, tentatively titled Prospects, is meant to be optimistic and warm-hearted, but still with a bite of humor and cynicism.
For the composition of this piece, I initially used the free screenwriting software Celtx, as well as your standard tools of writing: pad and pen.
My goal for this project was to create a quality ensemble-driven show that, while centered around the running of a baseball team, was not just about baseball. All successful television shows, I’ve learned, center around the relationships between well-developed, lifelike characters. Thus I also mined material from my own life in an attempt to give the characters this lifelike air, using my own experiences to try and give the show more universal appeal, beyond just fans of baseball. The show wound up being an hour-long dramedy, with moments of comedy as well as plot points with a more serious tone.
Through this experience, I was able to learn about the finer aspects of television pilot writing, as well as how to tailor my work towards a larger market, which would make it more appealing to networks and production companies. My skills were also sharpened through the outlining, writing, editing, and re-writing processes.
Recommended Citation
Slack, Kevin, "Prospects: An Original TV Pilot" (2013). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 15.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/15
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