Showrunner Rules from Jeffrey Lieber: Numbers 141–150

Jeff Lieber is a screenwriter and TV writer. His movie credits include Tuck Everlasting and he is currently an executive producer of the USA Network series “Necessary Roughness.” On Twitter (@JeffLieber), he has run a series of tweets called Showrunner Rules. For background on Jeff and this Twitter series, go here.

Today: Numbers 141–150:

Showrunner Rule #141: Look at “1 pagers” as chum for drawing sharks. Get’m out quick & crude just to see what ideas are dead in water.

Showrunner Rule #142: Get personal shit done BEFORE show starts. If not, you’ll end up w/ 1/2 glasses missing.

Showrunner Rule #143: Trust writers to find the beauty. Break foundation & floor plan in room, let staff discover design flair in outline.

Showrunner Rule #144: Backstory is neither plot, nor need, nor stakes. Backstory is just the sauce in which backstory/plot/need are stewed.

Showrunner Rule #145: On notes call in car, pull over 2 avoid that “drop out” moment. “Character we insist must die is… “

Showrunner Rule #146: FACTUAL reality vs EMOTIONAL reality. Violate former, lose viewers 4 an episode. Violate latter lose viewers 4-ever.

Showrunner Rule #147: When hiring DP, sit directly under a light. If greater than 5 min before DP tips shade so that 1/2 your face is in shadow… hire.

Showrunner Rule #148 (1 of 2): Pilot scope is not about visual canvas, but about how large a footprint your lead character has…

Showrunner Rule #148 (2 of 2): …meaning, when lead character acts how much of the show’s world is affected?

Showrunner Rule #149: Let Script Super fight ALL line battles. Cast needs to know he/she is only/final arbiter of law of the spoken word.

Showrunner Rule #150: For important guest rolls write sides NOT in script, otherwise actor’ll codify audition perform before they get 2 set.

Here is Jeff’s bio:

One day in 1986, after blowing up a glass beaker in a lab in high school, Jeffrey Lieber’s science teacher, Dr. Nagoi, turned to him and said, “Jeffrey… you be an actor… you be a writer… maybe have a family… but please, dear God, don’t be a chemist.” And it was those words that launched a journey that has ended up with Mr. Lieber becoming a screenwriter, showrunner, blogger, father and husband (Credits? Go here). Every day, while pursuing his passions, Mr. Lieber takes a moment to stop and thank Dr. Nagoi for his sage advice.

We can look for more Showrunner Rules from Jeff in the weeks and months to come. You can follow them live on Twitter as Jeff rolls them out. Then with every group of ten, I’ll post them here and add them to the archives.

For all of the Showrunner Rules, go here.