Key Takeaways
- Emmy-winning writer Rick Cleveland leads a real-world television writers’ room experience at VFS on May 29-30.
- Participants will collaborate to break an original episode inspired by Six Feet Under while learning the practical skills behind modern TV storytelling.
- The Bootcamp offers emerging writers a hands-on introduction to pitching, story breaking, character development, and collaborative television writing.
The inner sanctum of a television writers’ room is one of the most fascinating – and perhaps misunderstood – parts of the entertainment industry. While we binge episodes from the comfort of our couches (with as many snacks as we can carry from the pantry), the real magic happens long before cameras roll, inside a room filled with writers pitching ideas, shaping characters, solving story problems, and collaborating under pressure to break an episode together.
For aspiring television writers, learning how to adapt and thrive in this environment is essential. That’s why, for our next In-Production Bootcamp, Vancouver Film School is getting you inside the writers’ room for a practical, hands-on introduction to the collaborative process behind modern television writing.
Led by Emmy-winning television writer and producer Rick Cleveland, this two-day experience will pull back the curtain on how television stories are actually built by having attendees ‘break an episode’ of a fictional reboot of HBO’s Six Feet Under. Participants will get to pitch ideas, build characters, and create a ‘beat sheet’ for their career portfolios. While tickets are currently sold out, seats are still available for the Industry Talk.
LEARN FROM A TELEVISION INDUSTRY VETERAN
Rick Cleveland’s career spans some of the most acclaimed television series of the last three decades. His credits include The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, House of Cards, Archer, and Legit – an impressive range that speaks to his ability to navigate prestige drama, comedy, political storytelling, and character-driven television.
Alongside six Emmy nominations, Cleveland has earned three Writers Guild Awards and the Jury Award for Best One Person Show at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival for his play My Buddy Bill. His screenplay for Runaway Jury was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award, while his theatrical work has received grants from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kennedy Center’s Fund for New American Plays.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Cleveland is also deeply committed to mentoring emerging storytellers through the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veteran’s Writing Project, making him an ideal guide for writers looking to better understand the realities of the industry.
Rick Cleveland has written for some of the most memorable series in television history.WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN TV WRITERS’ ROOMS
Once considered a “lesser” medium during the golden age of Hollywood, television has become one of the most respected, writer-driven forms of entertainment. From prestige cable dramas to streaming series, modern television relies heavily on collaborative storytelling. Unlike feature films, where a screenplay is often developed by one or two writers, television is built through teams. Writers’ rooms bring together multiple perspectives to break stories, refine character arcs, and solve narrative problems collectively.
While the ideas, of course, matter, the ability to communicate them clearly, pitch effectively, adapt quickly, and contribute meaningfully in this fast-moving creative environment is supreme. In many ways, writers’ rooms function like creative laboratories, spaces where stories evolve through discussion, debate, experimentation, and teamwork. For emerging writers, understanding how that environment works can be just as valuable as mastering screenplay format or structure.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BOOTCAMP
The event begins on Friday, May 29 with an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Industry Talk and screening with Rick Cleveland. During the fireside-style discussion, Cleveland will share stories and insights from decades in television, discuss breaking into the industry, and answer questions directly from attendees. Participants will then screen the landmark finale of Six Feet Under, setting the stage for the collaborative workshop experience the following day.
On Saturday, May 30, the real work begins. Participants will enter a simulated television writers’ room led by Cleveland acting as showrunner. Working in small groups, attendees will collaboratively break the first episode of the fictional Six Feet Under reboot. The episode centers on six young adult characters first introduced as children in the original series, creating a compelling jumping-off point for exploring character evolution, emotional stakes, and serialized storytelling.
Throughout the workshop, participants will:
- Pitch story ideas in real time
- Develop character arcs and episode structure
- Collaborate with fellow writers under creative pressure
- Practice articulating and defending story decisions
- Contribute to a completed beat sheet for the episode.
VFS’s Bootcamp emphasizes process and collaboration, the same skills television writers use every day in professional environments. By the end of the experience, participants will walk away with a completed beat sheet: a detailed story roadmap that serves as the foundation for a full television episode outline.
VFS’s Bootcamps are intensive, hands-on training experiences that get you working alongside industry professionals on real productions.A TASTE OF VFS’S WRITING PROGRAM
This Bootcamp also offers a glimpse into the collaborative, industry-focused philosophy behind Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film, Television & Games program. This In-Production Bootcamp brings that philosophy to life in an intensive, condensed format led by a writer who has lived it firsthand.
At VFS, our Writing students train hands-on in a true studio environment, collaborating with students from our Film and Acting programs as they craft their multi-piece production portfolio – enough material to pursue representation. Midway through the program, students specialize in their choice of Film, Television, or Games, learning from a faculty of professional screenwriters, narrative designers, and showrunners while receiving valuable feedback from our industry mentors.
VFS’s Writing program has created artists that have worked on Tron: Ares, House of the Dragon, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Andor, Game Awards-nominee Ghost of Yōtei, and more.
HOW TO REGISTER
Whether you’re hoping to sharpen your pitching skills, better understand the realities of television writing, or simply experience the energy of a real-world writers’ room, this Bootcamp offers a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of television’s most accomplished storytellers.
Seats for the Bootcamp are sold out, but you can still register for the AMA Industry Talk for exclusive industry insights.