Thread by @apollopods

IT'S @SarahRheaWerner TIME!!! 📢📢📢

Live tweet starting here for My Almost TV Show: An Honest Talk About My Podcast-to-TV Adaptation Experience

I cannot WAIT for this one. This topic is always, always on my mind! #PM22

First, a disclaimer: this is Sarah's experience, NOT a how-to! It's just their story.

And when they say honest, they mean it. They say making this presentation was "oddly cathartic" #PM22

When Werner started, the landscape was VERY different 👀

Werner stresses they are *for real* from the midwest. Like, the for real for real Midwest.

Point being: if you want an adaptation, you do not need to live in NY or LA #PM22

But this talk is about how their TV show DIDN'T happen 🔥

Werner went through emails, photos, memories from production, wondering, "What did it all add up to?"

First up: what are your expectations for going through adaptation? #PM22

What comes first? An agent? Writing a pilot? Pitching? What does this look like?

And consider: what do you want out of the experience of adaptation? Fame, fortune, yeah legit--but what does this mean for you as an artist, a creator, someone who can make an impact? #PM22

"There are a million reasons your show may not go through. 999,999 of them *are not you.*" --Bill Harper via Sarah Rhea Werner at #PM22

Let's talk representation:

Most podcasters don't need an agent or representation, especially not to start. "Unfortunately, TV's a little bit bigger than podcasting" 😂 so you're gonna need representation, a manager or agent #PM22

Agent? Manager? Both?

Varies on what you want. Werner has an agent, not a manager. Werner says the lovely @rowdyvega has a manager, not an agent!

How do you find an agent? Werner found theirs at a previous Podcast Movement! #PM22

Werner connected with Lindsay Bowen and an agent at CAA--agent was specifically a podcast agent, who connected them with a TV agent and a book agent!
caa.com #PM22

And now, pitching!

Werner's agent did all the pitching for them (god, the dream). This agent pitched to J J Abrams wait was THAT why his people were trying to connect with me (as an industry knower) after that conference?! 🤯 #PM22

Eventually, Werner was able to choose who they wanted to work with: Netflix or Paramount+

Werner is wearing the same shoes for their first meeting right now 😭💙

But also--they kinda thought they were being trolled 😂#PM22

Werner was going to move ahead with Netflix.

"This is when the paperwork started."

There's tons of paperwork, including the steps of the IP being acquired.

First: being optioned, a "network someone" will pay you money to get the rights to your show w a time limit #PM22

Werner's contract was for two years with Netflix

Next, IP/Entertainment Lawyer to represent you. Do not give up any rights you should own! You should own the rights to your IP!

PLEASE talk to a lawyer. Please. PLEASE!!! #PM22

Hehehehe Werner didn't sign an NDA so they're gonna share lots ✨

omg there's. literally pictures of the paperwork 👀 *drools in former journalist* #PM22

Werner reminds again: work with a lawyer. They will help you make sure your work is YOURS. #PM22

Werner's being transparent as hell over here. For each year, Netflix offered to option for $5k/year, and wanted to set a purchase price (as a TV series) for the IP would be $125k minus the option fee

for film, floor of $125k ceiling of $300k #PM22

Also in the contract: ROYALTIES.

$5k/episode bonus!

Netflix ordered 10 30-minute episode, which matched the podcast. Not Werner's decision, this was up to "people wearing suits" 😂 #PM22

Next: purchase agreement!

Netflix was ready to go to the next step.

Werner: "Ha Ha Ha. 😐"

This next step was about rights, roles, and royalties.

For roles: how involved do you want to be in the process? For Werner, up to agent, in collab with Werner #PM22

Options: writing role? consultant? just get left alone to work on new shit?

If you care about money, you get paid more for more roles you take on

Werner decided on three roles: co-write on pilot, consult on writers room, executive producer #PM22

"What does executive producer mean?"

"What do you WANT it to mean?"

😂 that tracks #PM22

Werner was also offered $85k for a prototype script with their co-writer

But: SHOUTOUT TO THE @WGAWest, @WGAEast, and especially the @WGAAudio (which is free and welcome to all audio writers!) #PM22

reminder: yes the big entertainment unions get you ✨healthcare✨ #PM22

Remember: unexpected things will happen

first: Werner lost their showrunner due to creative differences with Netflix

Werner didn't have any control here--it just happened. they just got an email about it lol #PM22

Werner lost the person who was going to be the head writer... and the person who did the budget... and then covid hit

Netflix still wanted to move forward, set up meetings with new showrunners to interview them to find a match #PM22

Eventually, Werner picked the person they thought fit the VISION of the show best

You MUST have a vision of your show! What's important? What is non-negotiable? You have to know before starting the process! #PM22

Question you need to ask:

"Why did you decide to tell this story in audio format initially?"

Hopefully you've already considered this if you've started podcasting! 😉 #PM22

When you adapt your story, you're "telling it in an entirely new way." It's "a translation process."

What do you keep? What do you leave behind?

Not everything in audio translates well on visual. "It ended up being a lot bigger question than I thought it would be." #PM22

Next: treatment/outline

Treatment: a little blurb about the show--not just plot, but mood, purpose, themes, and vibe

Werner shares theirs, written by their new showrunner, which is three tiny paragraphs long #PM22

Outline: y'all know what an outline is

Just kept to 10 30-minute episodes, what happens in each episode--luckily, super simple given it matched the podcast length #PM22

Next: ✨SHOW BIBLE ✨

Want some tips on making a show bible for your audio drama? I've written a guide!
discoverpods.com/how-to-audio-d… #PM22

"I think it's how people feel when they listen to your show that gets them addicted to your show." --Sarah Rhea Werner #PM22

And then Werner shows their show bible

and y'all

it's GORGEOUS. #PM22

From there, Werner and their showrunner met every single day and got to work plotting

Lots of sticky notes. Lots. 😂 #PM22

"Get ready to answer questions you've never even thought about."

Eg: how does gravity work on this ship? "Uh... magic?"

No. 😂 they like, have to build sets of ships. science has to be science lol #PM22

"Often, the interests of the executive team are different from your interests as a creator."

Execs wanted to push the audience from adults to YA, eg

Everything Werner and the showrunner would do, the execs would have to approve #PM22

Every draft they wrote, they got back pages and pages of notes. They were contracted to write two drafts and a polished version

Werner got one year of the option and signed the purchase agreement, got paid for both and their roles #PM22

And then... cancellation. 😭

Werner got a call from their showrunner.

Head of original content left, a new person came in, and then Werner's whole executive team got let go.

Wow.

Ow. #PM22

If and when this happens, KEEP IN TOUCH. Make friends with everyone during the process. Stay in contact. "You never know what other kinds of opportunities will come."

But like... at least Werner got paid hell yeah baybeeeee 😎 #PM22

But the cancellation came with a lot of grief. They worked on the show for two years, and then before it even started, cancelled.

Werner had no control. "They told me it was over, and I had to deal with that." 😭 #PM22

"The loss was real, but even more, the envy was real."

Love creators actually talking about this. It's real.

And having to tell people what happened was awful. 😭

Sarah Rhea Werner I'm gonna cryyyyy 😭 #PM22

Was it a failure? A success? Both.

But what you control is what you create. So go forth, and work on your next thing. 💙 #PM22