How did TFTS get here?
Well ... from that short story it blossomed into a speculative (Spec) script through the MFA - Creative Writing program at Full Sail University. It was after all my thesis project. During the first month and the first class (which it has totally changed now) we have to put forth three ideas that we have to our professor. Our professor would then give us feedback about the one that seemed the most fully realized, which is much harder than people think it is. We have to think about what medium we're going to write it for, is it half hour comedy or hour drama? Is it animation or comic book? My professor liked TFTS the best and I had no idea what medium I was going to write for. No one really goes in wanting to write for television but he recommended it as a series. Imagine that. Another prof, a different school, telling me the same thing. So, that's where it went. I had started TFTS as a series that began at home and took the view to Iraq via flashback. But something about that didn't quite sit well with me. It felt forced and phony. During one of our re-writes I cut out all the junk in the front with the characters going to a counseling center and sitting in group and all that. While it is important that it is seen, it just didn't fit with the story that I really wanted to tell and that is how a female views war and what effect it has on them. Fast forward to September 2015, Dr. Giese sends a link to me for this pitch fest for A&E Networks. "A&E be original" So, why not? I had a little bit of extra money, my spec script was for the most part done. I entered and to my surprise got selected to pitch in NYC. I invited Dr. Giese along (the beauty of being a professor, he used it as a research trip) and I pitched to some execs from CINE and A&E Networks. It was a learning experience but my concept was not what they were looking for. They gave the meeting to a documentary about the late (and great) Gilda Radner. I'm fine with that! I loved her on SNL. So, we get back home and Doc does me another solid, for which I hope I can swing an exec producer cred if we get picked up. He puts me in touch with a producer that's in town and for where I live that's a fabulous feat. I email my script to him before he hits L.A. for the month. He takes it as reading material on the plane. Loves it. We meet and I feel in my gut that this is what I should do. We've been working since then on polishing the script. This is where the co-creator comes in. I made the decision to include Tim Jackson as co-creator because he's put so much effort in this project over the past few months to make it read ready for the L.A. set. Now, it's in L.A. with him as we speak. I hope to hear good things soon.
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So, to give a little history of the life to TFTS...
This started out as a short story, which the pilot has no resemblance to it today, for my undergraduate work. Never in a million years did I think that it would be where it is today, a full-fledged spec pilot working it's way through L.A. in the hands of Tim Jackson, my co-creator. (We'll get to that...) I spent about 9 - 10 months in Iraq, 2009 - 2010 with a lovely group of men and women that I am proud to call family. The majority of us trained together since 2008 to deploy and that kind of training builds bonds not easily torn. But that is neither here nor there. I made the decision, despite the great pride and honor it was to serve my country, I needed to put my education first. So, when I came home from Iraq in 2010 I went back to college taking advantage of my GI Bill. I researched the advantages of UCA and UALR (one being closer than the other and the fact that I had a young child at the time also was a factor in my choice) I happened across a professor, Dr. J. Mark Giese, while doing my course work for my film minor. We maintained a friendship, I firmly believe it is because I was one of the oldest students in class and I was genuinely interested in the courses, but I'm sure if you asked him it's because I'm awesome, after I completed my minor hours. I was up in Mass Comm one day for another class and we had been chatting and as I was leaving he goes, "Hey Sarge, I can see you writing a show called 'Tales from the Sandbox' about a group of female medics." Well, okay then. Here it is. While it's not about a group of female medics, it's about one female medic. Me. It's a very fictional account of the experience of Iraq through the eyes of a single mom, Soldier and medic. |
AuthorFormer Soldier, Medic, Military Police, and volunteer firefighter. Freelance writer, single mom and hu-mom to a Siberian Husky. ArchivesCategories |