All Media Access 2025 (Part One)

About the Role

This article explores how to determine the best medium for your story idea—whether it's a screenplay, limited series, novel, or network series. The goal is to match your concept to the right market before writing, ensuring it fits the format and audience expectations.

Key Considerations

• Market Fit: A story idea must align with the medium (e.g., a movie vs. a TV episode). Writing a script first and then considering the market is a common mistake.
• Medium-Specific Storytelling: Different mediums require different types of stories. For example, a movie needs a strong central conflict that escalates over 110 pages, while a TV series may require multiple subplots to sustain episodes.
• Idea Selection: Writers should generate multiple ideas and select the one best suited to the intended medium. A "100 Idea Theory" is recommended to avoid forcing a mismatched concept.
• Adaptation Challenges: Converting a movie idea into a limited series (or vice versa) often requires significant tweaks to avoid padding or weak subplots.

Theatrical Movie Ideas

Movie ideas must appeal to a global audience and justify the effort of theatrical viewing (e.g., leaving home, paying for tickets, etc.). These stories require a strong, escalating central conflict to sustain 110 pages.

• Big Event Films: Epic stories (e.g., Marvel movies, Dune, Gladiator II) that appeal to a global audience. Original screenplays must have an amazing, universally compelling idea.
• Meat and Potatoes Genre Films: Targeted at specific audiences (e.g., action, horror, rom-com). Examples include The Beekeeper (action), Heretic (horror), and Anyone But You (rom-com). These require original, genre-focused ideas but don’t need global appeal.
• Independent Films: Often dramas or personal stories targeting older audiences. These are typically low-budget and may originate as novels, stage plays, or self-funded projects (e.g., The Bikeriders, Anora).

TV Movie Ideas

TV movies are smaller, more personal stories designed for living-room viewing. They require limited locations, few speaking roles, and no expensive crowd scenes. Examples include holiday romances (e.g., Hallmark, Lifetime) and SyFy channel films.

• Conflict and Structure: Must have a compelling central conflict and be structured around commercial breaks (e.g., 7 acts + a teaser, with cliffhangers to retain viewers).
• Genre-Specific: Networks have specific preferences (e.g., Lifetime focuses on female-led mysteries, SyFy on disaster/monster movies). Research is critical to match the network’s style.
• Budget Constraints: Stories must be feasible for low-budget production (e.g., avoiding complex sets or large casts).

F.A.S.T. Movie Ideas

Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) networks (e.g., Tubi, Pluto, Roku) produce original movies with a focus on genre-driven, budget-conscious storytelling. These films often follow the TV movie model (e.g., 7 acts + teaser) but may have arbitrary commercial breaks.

• Genre Focus: Targets "meat and potatoes" audiences (e.g., action, horror, thrillers). Example: Tubi’s original movies often emphasize "fun" or genre-specific appeal.
• Budget and Structure: Requires limited locations, speaking roles, and crowd scenes. Cliffhangers and commercial breaks must be integrated into the script.