Tom Basden: How to Make a Career as a TV & Film Writer

Have you ever wonder how to make a career as a TV & Film writer?

Join Ben Hanlin as interviews Tom Basden about his journey in filmmaking, focusing on the transition from a short film to a feature, the collaborative writing process, the challenges of production, and the role of music in storytelling. Tom shares insights on improvisation during filming, the importance of passion in writing, and offers advice for aspiring writers in the comedy genre.

What You’ll Learn - How to move from an early version (short/idea) to a full feature without losing what made it special.

 - Why finishing the script before involving “the system” can protect tone, confidence, and creative clarity.

 - A practical way to think about structure: if scenes can be removed or reordered without consequences, something’s off.

 - How to collaborate when two writers have different strengths (one generates fast, the other simplifies and sharpens).

 - When improvisation helps and when it’s a trap (especially under extreme time pressure).

 - How to handle disagreement across script, shoot, and edit without killing the vibe.

 - Why momentum is the hidden fuel of film projects and what to do when it starts to stall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.