TV Pilot Revision
FILM S4039 - 3 POINTS
SESSION B: July 6–August 14, 2026
INSTRUCTOR: Stephen Molton
Day & Time: MW 10 AM—1 PM
FILM
SUMMER 2026
This course has been cancelled and the TV Writing Intensive will no longer be running in the Summer 2026 term. Intro to TV Writing - Pilot (Session A) will run as a standalone course.
Students take a completed original pilot script into this class to learn the craft of revision. The course will review the basics of writing scripts for TV with an emphasis on character, structure, and an eye towards the current marketplace, while workshopping drafts. We will also prepare for a professional career in the writers room, pitching completed original pilots, and work towards revising this sample for staffing as well as selling. Students will learn strategies to revise their completed pilots, reverse outline structural changes, add depth to character, punch-up dialogue, and create gripping pages from fade in to fade out. Students will complete 3 revisions by end of course.
This course is part of the TV Writing Intensive alongside Intro to TV Writing - Pilot. The intensive is a concentrated and encompassing introduction to the field of television writing and is designed to prepare students to join the professional worlds of half-hour comedies and one-hour dramas across platforms. Please note that students must register for both courses separately, and either course may also be taken on its own.
Columbia students do not need to apply, but they do need to register. All visiting students will need to apply to the School of Professional Studies and register upon acceptance.