TV Screenwriter Series Bibles: Their Significance and Importance
Creating a TV series bible is a crucial step in the process of bringing a television show to life. This comprehensive guide serves as a roadmap for the creative team, playing a pivotal role in pitching and sustaining a series.
When adapting a novel into a TV series, maintaining the core themes from the original book is essential. This ensures that the essence of the story remains intact, resonating with fans of the source material. For instance, the Christian historical drama series "The Chosen", which began airing its first season in 2019, has been successful in preserving its themes, with Dallas Jenkins, the author of the series bible, serving as its creator, director, and co-writer.
Understanding the relationship between a series bible and a pilot script is crucial for any aspiring screenwriter. While the pilot script offers a snapshot of the series' world, the series bible provides comprehensive insights into the long-term vision and potential arcs.
A well-crafted series bible effectively conveys the show's future trajectory, illustrating character evolution, plot depth, and thematic undertones. This clarity is invaluable in the pitching process, as it helps decision-makers see beyond the pilot and showcase the series' potential for sustained audience interest.
However, it's important to avoid overloading a series bible with trivial details. Cluttering the narrative can detract from the series' uniqueness. Instead, focus on key elements that contribute to the series' uniqueness, such as the character's core journey and significant plot points.
Real-world success stories such as The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad have leveraged effective bibles to secure production deals, reassuring networks with detailed long-term narratives and strategic character arcs.
Inconsistent or static character development can disorient audiences in a series. Developing dynamic character arcs, allowing characters to evolve, is essential in maintaining audience engagement. Additionally, developing new plots that remain loyal to the source material yet enhance the visual storytelling aspects necessary for TV is important when adapting a book into a TV series bible.
In conclusion, a well-crafted series bible is a valuable asset in the pitching process, demonstrating a show's viability and long-term potential to stakeholders and producers. It serves as the foundation upon which a successful television series is built.
