I always have trouble with pilots...

For screenplays.

I get too caught up in the show's future, even thinking years ahead. How do I stay on the pilot? And how do I introduce each character? Right now I'm trying a voiceover-type-thing, but I feel like it may be copying Glee and/or Scrubs.

Also, I want to write legitimate ghetto people without seeming racist. On most shows they just at most give us a sassy black woman, but even she uses mostly correct grammar. The point is, most of my writing based on what REAL people say would seem racist, but it's not based on the race. Should I maybe add in a white guy? Or create a blerd (black nerd) ?

It's very tempting to get ahead of yourself when designing these sort of things. My advice would be to keep the forshadowing and mystery to a minimum for the first episode. At the same time you want to set up the premise of the show quickly. If it's a hospital show then your character should probably have a job there by the end of the first episode. Same for a cop, university student etc.

As for the voice over, that is entirely up to you. Thinking on it for a moment though, will you use the voice over after the first episode? Will you continue to use it throughout the series? If the answer to either is no, either don't use it or find some reason for it not to appear after the pilot. (Eg the character was telling the day back to someone else)

Hope that helps a little.

I may use it when necessary, but not all the time, like on Glee.

Find a reason to get excited with the pilot.

I usually do it by cramming in a bunch of foreshadowing. Not the obvious 'shadowy figure' stuff, just tiny little nuggets that seem pointless now until five years down the line...

Hmm... like have the guy who can ONLY sing Billy Joel mention that he likes... Billy Joel? XD

Or, there's one at-the-beginning background character who I want to make a complete monster at some point, or somewhere near that. In the first episode, while his cronies are goofing off, what can he be doing?

Just do a cameo. Cameos are fun.

edited 16th Oct '10 8:13:24 AM by A_H_R

In the first episode he'd just be a rebel who picks on people. Then later escalate to other things...