FROM SCHTICK TO SCRIPT
ORIGINAL TV COMEDY PILOT WRITING INTENSIVE
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
My flagship TV comedy writing program is back!
This five-week training program is designed to give you all the tools you will need to successfully write your first - or next - market-ready original TV comedy pilot script, with live support from me, Daniela Saioni, along the way. I strive to save you months of rewrite time by empowering you with a process strategy that sets you up to win by tackling most of the questions that will lead you to the comedy long before you start writing your first draft.
The focus is on how to apply your existing comedic voice (as a stand-up comic, improviser, sketch artist, storyteller, novelist or funny human being) to the medium of half-hour TV pilot writing at an industry standard level. You'll learn both professional comedy formats: single-camera and live-to-tape. Although the focus is on the thirty-minute comedy, some of my students in past years have ended up writing one-hour dramatic pilots and that is also always welcomed if that is where your authentic voice and premise lead you, but I will always train you through my comedy lens.
The program is heavily geared towards mining from your own life or comedy act so that your series concept and screenplay are authentic to you, and this approach has worked out well. Since I created the program in 2012, some of my alumni (a mix of experienced pros and first-time screenwriters in six countries), wrote the script in my class that landed them an agent or won a comedy writing award, and a few have even gone into development. Because this program and the subsequent Writers' Room experience (a separate course) are so focused and intensive, I have continually seen significant progress in my comedy writers in a relatively short period of time. And that is part of my mission.
After many years of dissatisfaction with the lack of process and slow progession of other comedy screenwriting programs, I put together the kind of program I wanted to see in the world, one that offers a clear and repeatable process that garners results for writers in a supportive learning environment. And I can say with all confidence that it has worked out (check out some of my alumni testimonials below).
The cost is similar to just one level of a multi-level sketchwriting class and costs less than one semester at a college comedy writing program, yet the curriculum packs significantly more punch than either of those options.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Within the first 5 minutes of Daniela’s writing course, I knew I’d already gotten my money’s worth.
Peter C. Hayward (Winner of the inaugural comedy.co.uk award)
Los Angeles
The lessons I have learned from Daniela about structure and technique when it comes to writing for TV and Film have been invaluable. Daniela is a generous, supportive and encouraging teacher, with years of experience to draw from. Participating in her Feature Film Writing Room was the catalyst I need to write my first film script. Thank you Daniela!
Barb Scheffler (Actor, Playwright, budding Screenwriter)
Toronto, ON
I came to Daniela from an improv background and despite having comedy experience I didn't really have a clue on how to consistently write or develop comedy beyond an improv sketch. I don't say this as some exaggerated testimonial comment : there is no one out there with Daniela's talent for writing who has her talent for teaching.
The thing that just wows me is that she truly and deeply cares about every student. If you have struggles, she helps you through them (but if you are really high maintenance don't take the class because I want her to have some time for me).
Rob Watts
Toronto, ON
I have enjoyed both Daniela's material and her genuine enthusiasm for comedy. I find that she gives a wealth of resources to her students and it is clear that she genuinely wants everyone to succeed. The material has helped me strengthen my own work so much and I look forward to learning more with her in the future.
Amanda B.
Lethbridge, Alberta
I started taking Daniela's classes when Covid-19 hit, and I was hooked from day one! Her online learning approach was fantastic. She showed specific and clear examples in her teachings with clips and interviews, and had multiple resources readily available. Each student was given individual attention and feedback on their work, and she was always quick to respond to email inquiries. Daniela's passion for the work is infectious, and paired with years of on-set knowledge and experience, she has crafted a truly invaulable set of courses for anyone looking to expand their skills in the film industry.
Sarah Bransfield
Toronto, Canada
Daniela is a natural teacher who can bring out the best of your ability with much encouragement and patience. This, combined with her knowledge of the industry, ensures that your class is immensely informative and at the same time, thoroughly entertaining.
Nobumi K.
London, UK
From Schtick to Script was an amazing experience - I took the class twice - and I still use things I learned in the TV writing rooms where I now work. It's an excellent, comprehensive and super fun workshop.
Zoe W. (Schitt's Creek, Crawford)
Toronto, Canada
Daniela's courses set me on the path of exploring my comedic voice in both series and feature writing. She is fabulously entertaining and a deft award winning screenwriter. She works with our industry's finest and teaches what she knows from an insiders perspective. If you're looking to hone your craft, find your voice, or explore comedy writing as a professional, Daniela Saioni is the real deal. I highly recommend any and all of her courses whether it's in the room or virtual, you won't be disappointed.
Leslie Ann Coles (Filmmaker, Quarterfinalist PAGE International 2020 and ScreenCraft Drama 2020)
Toronto, Canada
Everything in Daniela's 'From Schtick to Script' course clicked. It was like listening to a song for the first time and immediately feeling as though it had already been the soundtrack to my entire life. The 5 weeks are filled with one 'a-ha moment' after another. The course has fundamentally changed the way I understand stories and therefore create them.
It's given me the confidence to write without the pressure of making things perfect, but actually giving me a roadmap of how to get it there. I've taken countless Masterclasses, paid for many webinars and read quite a few books - but this course has taught me more than all of them combined. As much as there is an art to writing, there's also an art to teaching and Daniela has mastered them both. You won't regret signing up!
Tommy Cole
British Columbia, Canada
Daniela’s straight forward, dive right in approach was exactly what I needed to get motivated to develop my own work. I’ve walked away with a solid comedy premise and the tools I need to get my pilot written, and a method of working I know I’ll use well into the future.
Wendy Hanna (Screenwriter)
Sydney, Australia
After taking Daniela's 5-day premise creation challenge, the From Schtick to Script training program was a must-do for me. Daniela's process, attention to detail, ability to pinpoint what needs to be corrected, her guidance, and her constructive feedback were paramount! I enjoyed the way From Schtick to Script flowed and transitioned thru the phases of developing content for the script. It's all there, plus more! ...Daniela provides you with the tools and knowledge you need, because she wants you to succeed!
John P. Smith, Jr (Performer, Writer, Comedian)
Pasadena, California
As an experienced physician but novice writer, I have had the privilege of taking Daniela’s “From Schtick to Script” and “TV Writers’ Room” classes.
There are not enough words to express my gratitude for her commitment and talent. Her group classes are comprehensive and she devotes a significant amount of time above and beyond what would be expected to each of her students to ensure they develop the best script possible from beginning to end.
Lance C. (Physician)
Toronto, Canada
I had never done any comedy before taking Daniela's class, but her class made me want to write more!
Daniela created course content that is rich and accessible. She is funny, humble and her passion is contagious. She makes the process practical and enjoyable. Daniela is extremely generous with her knowledge and her time. Her methods help you come up with story ideas really fast. You definitely get way more than you pay for.
BONUS: you get to meet incredibly inspiring people from all around the world!
Chrystelle (Writer, Director)
Toronto, Canada
I always thought sitcom writing was some kind of secret skill only known to God-tier comics in LA writer's rooms across the sea. Daniela's well-structured and thoughtful lessons made me realise it's a skill anyone can learn by trusting their imagination and embracing their inner funny.
Joe Leather (Actor: Jersey Boys Tour)
London, UK
I loved this program! As a writer I’m always trying to find a way to better myself and my craft and this program really helped. Daniela has a way of getting you to really dig into character development that makes your writing so much better. As a first-time screenwriter, this program made the process less intimidating and a lot of fun.
Elizabeth (Writer, Winner of the 2008 Dorothy Shoemaker Contest)
Kitchener, ON
This was my first time working with Daniela and hopefully not the last. She starts with the fundamentals, her methods are clear and she sets each writer up for success. She meets questions with kindness and generosity and it's glaringly obvious she's passionate about this craft. Highly recommend: ten out of ten!
Sharon Spell (Writer)
New York, NY
I learnt an awful lot on this course. Daniela provides not a formula to write to, but a process for developing a script and an awareness of the nuts and bolts of what's required - with generous online materials and personal input. Great value, recommended, thank you.
William Vandyck (Writer, Winner - Pozzitive Funny Dot Comp 2021)
Penarth, Wales
I took Daniela's class on a bit of a whim, being very new to the idea
of writing for television (or film), and I honestly feel like it's
changed my life in some ways. Daniela is a wealth of knowledge and
experience, wrapped in warmth, genuity, and charisma. She is an
excellent mentor to both new and seasoned writers, and with her
feedback I feel like I have been able to not only learn about my own
creative process, but hone my ideas, and expand my understanding of
writing as a whole. She helped me build my confidence and is invested
both in her individual student's success, but also in bringing fresh
voices to the
industry. I cannot wait to sign up for more of her classes
and continue this process!
Sameena T.
Toronto, Canada
From Schtick to Script is another jam-packed course that Daniela offers for developing your comedy script. Her information is probably the equivalent of reading 10 books on Comedy. One-stop shop. I feel like my script will be 1000% better because of this course than attempting it on my own. The support of the other members in the group is like having another dysfunctional family, but the fun kind you want to hang with every day.
Roblyn Williams (former Script Supervisor turned Script Reader for Austin Film Festival turned Screenwriter)
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Daniela Saioni is a multi-award-winning comedy screenwriter whose stand-up has been described as "smart and subversive" and has aired to over 1.4 million listeners on CBC Radio One's Laugh Out Loud.
She has been training working comedians and laypeople alike in her various comedy writing programs since 2012, which have allowed her to shepherd the creation of over 80 original scripts.
Her own feature screenplay The WBI , co-written with Annie Bradley, won Best Reserve Screenplay at the 2014 Female Eye Film Festival and was named Harold Greenberg CFF's Top Ten in 2016. Her most recent feature script Jiyan, based on a story by Mazdak Taebi, has won nine international awards and honours, including Grand Prize at WE Screenply Diverse Voices 2021, 2nd place at Edinburgh Int'l Screenwriting Competition, Semi-Finalist at Final Draft Big Break 2020 and Titans 2021, Finalist 2020 Screencraft Comedy Awards and Best Screenplay and Best Fresh Voice at the 2019 Female Eye Film Festival.
Most importantly, her film & TV writing students are also collecting more screenwriting awards than ever before.
A veteran script supervisor on major motion pictures and TV series (Shazam!, A Simple Favor, Suits, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Work It), her talents are varied but her mission is singular: change the world, one laugh at a time.
Daniela's current collection of laurels for her comedy feature screenplay JIYAN
HOW IT WORKS
This is a fast-track 20-hour program that covers basic theory and beyond on PREMISE, CHARACTER, PLOT STRUCTURE, COMEDIC SCENE STRUCTURES, and DIALOGUE & JOKEWRITING. The course is delivered in a series of pre-recorded lectures online, which you will have access to for life.
At multiple times in the year, I wiill be doing guided sessions with weekly live Q&A and Idea Jams over zoom on five consecutive weeks (usually on Saturday afternoons at 3pm EST).
My next guided session will be happening April 23 to May 14, 2022, so if you purchase the program anytime before or during that time, you will be invited to join us live then if you would llke to interact with your comedywriting peers and develop your yes-and muscles and punch-up chops, and you can keep joining idea jams up to a full year after you purchase the program.
The goal is to come out of this intensive with at least one workable premise for an original sitcom based on your own life or act (though many people have ended up with several premises) as well as a solid strategy on how to execute your pilot script at an industry standard level in a relatively reduced amount of time, saving the screenwriter both time and money in excessive and unfocused rewrites.
You can also submit your premise, character work and story outline for direct feedback from me via email as you go through the FROM SCHTICK TO SCRIPT program, whether or not there is a current guided session in play.
Treatments, scene work and full script feedback happens in the small-group follow-up writing program only available to From Schtick to Script alumni, the ONLINE TV WRITERS' ROOM. The next TV Writers' Room is happening over five weekends starting in late April. The cost for that class is $597US (plus applicable taxes for Canadian residents) and is limited to 8 projects with, at minimum, completed premise and character work.
WHAT YOU'LL GET
20 hours of entertaining recorded lectures outlining not only theory, but a repeatable process you can use for life
Access to our private Facebook Group where additional content and recorded idea jams are posted
Access to a database of TV pilot scripts in both industry formats for study purposes
Free bonus content lectures PRO SCRIPT FORMATTING TECHNIQUES, PREPARING YOUR SCRIPT FOR PUNCH-UP, ARCING A SEASON, PACKAGING AND PITCHING YOUR SHOW and more!
LIfetime access to my private alumni Facebook group for comedy writers and filmmakers, where I continue to give all my alumni feedback and support, and where you can network with your fellow alumni internationally
FAQ