An 8-week* live-on-Zoom course for TV writers who want to create a knockout pitch they’re excited to share with their network!
*NB it’s actually 8 sessions over 10 weeks because I’m going to Europe :)
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For TV writers with an excellent half-hour sample pilot who want to create a pitch to go with it...
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OR for TV writers who do not yet have a half-hour sample pilot and want to start creating one the old-fashioned (professional, industry-standard) way: pitch first!!
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This course takes you from…
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I don’t know how to create a half-hour tv pitch ➡️ I am confident I can create an industry-ready half-hour tv pitch
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I don’t feel confident talking about my tv show ➡️ I can’t wait to tell people about my tv show
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I’m not ready to start meeting with producers and executives ➡️ I can confidently say “I’d love to pitch you my idea”
LIMITED TO SIX STUDENTS
$350-$650 no questions asked, need-based sliding scale
WHO AM I?
I'm Julia Meltzer, a screenwriter/TV creator who pitches a lot and is universally acknowledged to be good at it. How did I get good at it? I was a development assistant for 4 years, and I LISTENED to a lot of pitches.
What separated successful pitches from the unsuccessful ones wasn’t anything mysterious about the writer’s energy or performance: it’s that the successful ones described a TV show the listener wanted to make. The unsuccessful ones did not.
When I develop my own pitches now, I give the listener all the information they need, and only the information they need, to decide whether or not they want to help make this TV show. People seem to like that. This class will teach you to do the same!!
"Julia is an incredible writing coach. Not only is she an excellent resource for structure and logic, but her approach is balanced with a gift for deep character work. She really meets you where you are and helps you to expand your personal voice, instilling confidence and meaning into the process. Whatever stage you are in with your project, Julia will illuminate the path and enrich the journey!"
-Actor/Writer
WHO ARE YOU?
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you are a screenwriter who wants to create a pitch for a half-hour television show
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you are available Mondays from 6:30-8:30pm PT between March 31 and June 2 (skipping May 5 and 12)
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you have another few hours throughout the week to prep for the next class
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you might be brand new to screenwriting, you might be early career/“aspiring,” or you might be more of a peer of mine who wants to kick the tires of their own process by seeing how someone else does it. All are welcome :-)
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you may have already written the pilot of the show for this pitch, you may have just an idea in your head, or you may have something in between — either works! Creating a pitch is an excellent (if time-consuming) first step to writing a pilot. It’s how the pros do it after all.
Julia is a godsend. I always leave our sessions feeling motivated and reinvigorated. When she helps guide you to a solution that you can 100% achieve (and wonder how you didn't think of it sooner) it's kind of the same feeling you get after taking a hot shower and tucking yourself into fresh-from-the-dryer sheets.
-WGA Television Writer
WHAT IS THIS CLASS?
This class breaks down a pitch into 6 distinct elements:Â
- Title & Logline
- Why I Want to Write This
- Characters
- Pilot Story
- Week to Week/In Series
- Sample Episodes
For the first six sessions, students will present one section of their pitch and receive verbal feedback/workshop it with Julia. Students will submit written feedback on each other’s material on the online messageboard. (This minimizes the amount of time we all spend on zoom as well as the cost of the class.)
Each week, after everyone presents/workshops, Julia will teach about the pitch element students will present next, as well as pitch a real example from her current work. There will be time for questions each week and Julia will also answer questions on the message board in between classes.
The class is designed so that by the end of session six, students will have written all the elements of their pitch.
Over the course of the final two sessions, each student will do their full pitch for the group and get feedback from Julia.Â
Students will also get access to Julia’s pre-recorded pitch workshop (includes a second full example pitch) and various pre-recorded lectures on half-hour TV structure.Â
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SCHEDULE/SYLLABUS
WEEK ONE: 3/31 6:30pm-8:30pm - LOGLINE
WEEK TWO: 4/7 6:30pm-8:30pm - WHY I WANT TO WRITE THIS
WEEK THREE: 4/14 6:30pm-8:30pm - CHARACTERS
WEEK FOUR: 4/21 6:30pm-8:30pm - SAMPLE EPISODES
WEEK FIVE:Â 4/28 6:30pm-8:30pm - WEEK-TO-WEEK/IN SEREIS
**SKIP 5/4 and 5/11**
WEEK SIX: 5/19 6:30pm-8:30pm - PILOT STORY
WEEK SEVEN: 5/26Â 6:30pm-8:30pm - first 3 student pitches
WEEK EIGHT: 6/2 6:30pm-8:30pm - last 3 student pitches
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"Not everyone who can “do” can teach, but dear God, can this woman teach. I wish I’d found her 15 years ago; it would’ve saved me a lot of heartache. Julia is an intuitive and prepared teacher. She isn't stingy or self-indulgent with her thoughts. There’s literally no ego—she just wants you to succeed!Â
On top of her preparedness, she is straight-up talented. I’m in awe of the warp speeds at which her brain moves, always thinking of fresh perspectives and multiple angles. She’s direct while being kind and open-minded. Her willingness to engage in constructive dialogue is truly inspiring. She ensures that every participant feels heard, and I can confidently say that I have become a better writer and thinker because of her class. I saw tremendous growth in my classmates as well. From newbie writers to cynical professionals, anyone could benefit from Julia’s expertise."
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Here's what's included...
-8 2-hour live zoom classes with Julia and 5 classmates
-a step-by-step framework for creating an industry-ready pitch
-community message board for asking questions in between sessions
-Julia’s feedback and support on each element of your pitch as you create it
-the experience of doing your entire pitch for the group (with Julia’s feedback)
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You'll walk away with...Â
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A complete pitch for a half-hour TV show
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AÂ repeatable process to create another one!
Writer
"Not everyone who can “do” can teach, but dear God, can this woman teach. I wish I’d found her 15 years ago; it would’ve saved me a lot of heartache. Julia is an intuitive and prepared teacher. She is fully present in the class and has always spent time living in the world of our scripts beforehand. Her notes and guidance are super specific to each project, and she freely shares her insights, wisdom, and ideas. She isn't stingy or self-indulgent with her thoughts. There’s literally no ego—she just wants you to succeed! (I’ve had some teachers say they didn’t want to give specific advice without receiving a writer’s credit. Let’s be honest, when I sell something, I will be begging Julia to write on it, and she can have all the credits she wants!)
On top of her preparedness, she is straight-up talented. I’m in awe of the warp speeds at which her brain moves, always thinking of fresh perspectives and multiple angles. She’s direct while being kind and open-minded. Sometimes she’ll say, “Take that note or don’t, but I’d take it.” Other times she will say, “Nope, I take that back. Thank you for defending your choice. Here’s how to make that choice stronger…” (Excuse the paraphrased quotes, but you get the idea.) Her willingness to engage in constructive dialogue is truly inspiring.
Julia's classes are structured in a way that provides just the right amount of guidance, allowing for freedom and creativity within a safe and supportive environment. She ensures that every participant feels heard, and I can confidently say that I have become a better writer and thinker because of her class. I saw tremendous growth in my classmates as well. From newbie writers to cynical professionals, anyone could benefit from Julia’s expertise."
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Who am I?Â
I’m Julia - I’m a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, writing coach, and postpartum doula/lactation educator. I started my career in entertainment as a development assistant for Modern Family star Ty Burrell’s production company before selling my original multicam pilot YOURS, MINE & PAUL’S to 20th Century Fox Television in a competitive situation; it later sold to ABC with Burrell producing and Sarah Hyland attached to star. My next pilot, MARRIED WITH FRIENDS (also a multicam), sold to CBS in the room; I then went on to adapt the Israeli TV series THE STYLIST into a feature film for Amazon Local Originals. I also developed an original single cam pilot, MORE KIDS THAN PARENTS, with Fanfare Productions, and wrote on the scripted audio series THE GOOD LIFE (Broadway Video and Audible). I currently have multiple TV projects in development with studio and major talent attachments, and an original feature with Feigco.
During the 2023 writers’ strike, I staved off credit card debt (kind of) by teaching pilot writing classes through the Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center, and discovered that not only could I do, I could also teach :) I am now a sought-after screenwriting coach with an in-depth curriculum for three-act structure in half-hour pilots, and after observing my students’ challenges that could not be addressed by understanding how an effective pilot is structured, I developed tools to help screenwriters to overcome procrastination, writer’s block, and career stagnation. My coaching has been described “a magical drug,” “a godsend,” “perceptive as hell” and “legit brilliant.”Â
After struggling with my own writing practice after the birth of my son, I became passionate about parental wellness and empowering primary parents to share their creative voices with wide audiences, and created the groundbreaking New Parent Pilot Class, an incubator for parents of young children to create outstanding TV writing samples where their parenthood was seen as an asset, not a liability. This led to my training as a postpartum doula, lactation educator, matrescence educator, and parent coach. I am passionate about improving the wellbeing and general happiness levels of newborns and their parents :)
I have performed improv comedy at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade since 2015 and am now in the rotating cast of the theater’s flagship show ASSSSCAT. I have also taught improv workshops for screenwriters through the Humanitas Foundation and USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Middle Eastern Media Initiative.
