The Preschool Curriculum
A preschool series in the United States normally requires a separate curriculum in addition
to the bible. This must be prepared in depth by a qualified expert in the field—a doctor in
child development or in the specific subject covered by your series. The curriculum includes
issues covered and goals for each episode. This can run anywhere from twenty to seventy-
five pages in length.
It’s harder to finance preschool programming, so it is usually harder to sell. Your concept
must be very special!
The Feature Presentation
If you’re developing a feature film, you’ll want presentation material similar to the tele-
vision bible plus a fifteen- to twenty-page treatment. If you’re new to screenwriting, I’d
recommend a well-written script as well. Writers who are well known in the business do not
need a script for the pitch. For your feature pitch you’ll want to include casting suggestions
with names of stars who might be interested. You’ll probably want to include some musical
components, maybe with some sample orchestrations. Artwork will be of higher quality as
well. Unfortunately, original animated features are difficult to sell. Direct-to-video or DVD
features, which require less financing, sell a little easier.
Independent Shorts
Independent films are about creativity and expressing yourself. In an independent short you
want to develop a concept or theme with variations, twists, and surprises. The film may or
may not have a story. Without a story you might have no script, and you could have no need
for a presentation to sell your idea. You may choose instead to develop your film by listing
your ideas. From there you might want to outline your concept before going to storyboard.
Shorts are made for many different reasons. Why are you making this film? What is the
content? Is this meant to be educational? Does it sell an idea or product?
Who is your audience? A teacher? Fellow students? Festival judges? Schoolchildren?
An independent film normally does not have to please a mass audience, but it can afford to
delight or even horrify a small one. The film will be remembered by the payoff at the end.
Is this film meant to be shown on a large screen where we can appreciate nuances, or is
it meant for the Internet where subtleties are lost? How long will it be? Some independent
animators advise that a short be no more than five minutes long.
Student films can be entered in festivals and compete for awards at places like the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ences in the United States. Some cable networks show student films. In order to air your
film, you need to get clearances on all rights like music, brands mentioned in the script, and
so on. Be sure to check out all legal issues.
A short that can serve as a pilot for a series of interstitials might be easier to sell than
a series itself. Broadcasters need to spend less money to air a series of shorts than they would
86 Animation Writing and Development