BenAs part of our 2017 intern program, we sat down with the students and recent grads who help make the NYTVF run smoothly and represent the next generation of televisionaries. In this interview, we asked Parisa Kosari, who recently pivoted from a career in advertising to pursue her passion for TV and comedy, to take us through her educational background and the shows she’s most excited to tune in for.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your educational background. What inspired you to pursue a career in television?

I studied advertising and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2015 and landed my first job in NYC shortly after. I worked in the advertising industry for two years. I learned a lot and met some great people, but I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me. I was always obsessed with TV but never considered pursuing a career in television because it didn’t seem practical. Fast forward to now - I am a sketch and improv student at UCB, working at The New York Television Festival, and I’m a freelance production assistant. New York has a way of making you rise up to the occasion.

 

What is an essential component of a successful TV pilot?

Setting is important for a number of reasons. Logistically speaking, the more settings within a show means more costs, permits, restrictions, and inevitable complications. Any complication may mean having to change a scene or adjust an entire script. Setting is also important because it can either shine a light on an untold community or tell a story with a fresh perspective. For example, Sex and the City and Master of None were both shot in New York City and they could not be more different. Master of None is cinematic in ways SATC wasn’t and probably didn't need to be. You’d think audiences would get tired of seeing another NYC-based series, but when a show gives a fresh perspective on a setting, it’s as if you’ve never been there before.

My favorite pilot episode has to be Friday Night Lights. Shot in Austin, Texas, this show holds near and dear to my longhorn roots. The pilot starts with expectation, builds into anticipation and later has you on the edge of your seat. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose, indeed.  

 

What is an upcoming show that you’re most excited about?

Insecure season two (and three)! I admire Issa Rae and her fellow collaborators (Melina Matsoukas and Natasha Rothwell, to name a few) and how they’re telling their stories. The style of Insecure’s writing, aesthetic, and music, always keeps me laughing and wanting more.

 

 


Check out previous downloads here:

Top 10 Reasons to Submit to the NYTVF | Past Scripts Winners Part 2 | Past Scripts Winners Part 1 | Past JFL Winners | Shrink Co Creators | NYTVF Alum Jorge Rivera | No Tomorrow Writers | FLOWERS Creator Will Sharpe | Comedy Central Insights - 5/6/16 | 2016 TV Town Halls Advice | 2016 Bento Box Interview | 2016 truTV - Marissa Ronca | NYTVF Best Comedy Animals Heads to HBO | Q&A with the Jamz | Alumni Q&A (Richard Keith and Erin Cardillo) - 5/29/15 | Alumni Q&A (Damian Lanigan) - 5/29/15 | Chicago Comedy Panel - 5/18/15 | Big Laughs at Just For Laughs - 5/5/15 | Alumni Q&A (Whatever Linda) - 3/27/15 | Insights from the intern bullpen - 8/27/14 | Insights from the intern bullpen - 8/19/14 | Insights from the intern bullpen - 8/6/14 | Insights from the intern bullpen - 7/30/14 | Insights from the intern bullpen - 7/24/14 | Rory Covey of My Damn Channel's Honchos - 4/10/14 | Drama advice from Siobhan Byrne O'Connor - 4/3/14 | NYTVF Alum Danny Abrahms - 3/21/14 | Drama Advice - 3/13/14 | Advice from Chicago - 3/10/14 | Unscripted LA Panel - 2/25/14 | Drama Development - 2/20/14 | MSN Development - 2/12/14 | Casting - 2/5/14 | The Network Development Process - 1/29/14 | History Development - 1/15/14 | Comedy Formats - 3/18/13 | A&E Pipeline - 4/3/13 | Fox Script Contest - 4/10/13 | From Film to TV - 5/17/13 | Lifetime Unscripted - 9/4/13

 

The NYTVF is a pioneer of the independent television movement, connecting its community of artists with leading networks, studios, agencies, production companies, and brands.

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