Script to screen
Interested in getting into writing TV scripts for children? Amy Sparkes gets advice from the experts
W iting for children usually conjures up thoughts of writing books or short stories. However, writing scripts is also a fantastic opportunity. Last month, we looked at writing plays. This month we explore screenwriting for children’s television, with two experienced industry professionals sharing their insight and advice.
Paddy Kempshall:Screenwriter
What have you written for children? I’ve done a lot of writing for licensed characters – everything from Transformers to the Tweenies. I’ve also written a children’s picture book series: Pete’s Magic Pants.
For TV, I started out co-writing an episode for the CBeebies show Kerwhizz. I then wrote several episodes for the first two series of Justin’s House, sketches for Gigglebiz and episodes of Something Special. I then did some writing for Numtums before working for Nickelodeon and Blue Zoo on Digby Dragon. Most recently I spent a year writing ‘appisodes’ for a children’s educational app.
How did you get involved in the business?
I spent a few years as the editor of CBeebies Weekly. The magazine was closely tied to the programmes, so I had a good relationship with people who made the shows.
One day, I suggested to someone that I’d like to know more about screenwriting. I only really wanted some feedback but to my surprise they said that they knew I could write and had a feel for the brand from the magazine, so they gave me a live episode to co-write with them! Within a week of asking I’d had my first script approved and accepted.
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July 2019
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