V
vichoforevsky
Guest
Does anyone knows who you can sell or try to sell a pilot program fot tv series to a Tv network?
D
DerekEastham
Guest
ok... I'm sorry, but I'm having a little trouble understanding the question...
If you mean to ask if any of us know a person that you could sell an idea or pilot for a TV series to... the answer is I know a few peole in the industry, but no-one who works in sit-com's, television drama's, or other TV series avenues...
The best way to do this... would be to prepare an amazing pitch...
Here's how to do this:
#1 - have your concept down...
> Pilot Idea... character concepts... background... setting... location...
genre... target audience... marketing strategies... etc, etc, etc.
#2 - ideas for future episodes...
>where it goes from here... what happens to the characters... when...
#3 - have someone with you who is an amazing speaker... that usually
means someone with a brilliant producer's mind... someone who can
sell your product to the network executives...
#4 - Research your networks... know everything about them and the key
players there... otherwise you'll not be properly prepared for the
pitch.
After you get this all put together,
you'll want to get yourself a pitch meeting with the network...
do your best to sell yourself, and never give up...
once you get the meeting, pitch it...
For more producing, financing & funding tips, visit this post... my 10 tips for financing and funding a project... it's based for film... but it can be adapted to television quite easily:
http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=310
All I can really say, is good luck...
television is the most difficult industry to enter into... especially along this avenue...
you really have to tailor your idea to each network you present to... have a new pitch and style lined up for each of them...
because NBC will never air something geared toward an ABC line-up... and the same in reverse.
And with the network research... know everything... I mean everything!
Find out not only about that network, but the other affiliated networks... the parental corporation... partner corporations... and even figure out which mega-corporation owns them... it'll help you understand a lot about them...
for instance...
ABC, is owned by parent corporation Disney... they also own GE & several other corporations and television networks... as well as several film companies, like Touchstone... etc...
So, do your homework, and if you just keep getting turned down... dont' fret... maybe it's just not the right time for the show...
just keep trying...
If everyone shuts you down, don't be discouraged... think about what might have to change, so that you can go back and pitch it again... maybe the next time (with the changes) it'll be something the network can package and put on the air.
Good luck, and happy creating.
If you mean to ask if any of us know a person that you could sell an idea or pilot for a TV series to... the answer is I know a few peole in the industry, but no-one who works in sit-com's, television drama's, or other TV series avenues...
The best way to do this... would be to prepare an amazing pitch...
Here's how to do this:
#1 - have your concept down...
> Pilot Idea... character concepts... background... setting... location...
genre... target audience... marketing strategies... etc, etc, etc.
#2 - ideas for future episodes...
>where it goes from here... what happens to the characters... when...
#3 - have someone with you who is an amazing speaker... that usually
means someone with a brilliant producer's mind... someone who can
sell your product to the network executives...
#4 - Research your networks... know everything about them and the key
players there... otherwise you'll not be properly prepared for the
pitch.
After you get this all put together,
you'll want to get yourself a pitch meeting with the network...
do your best to sell yourself, and never give up...
once you get the meeting, pitch it...
For more producing, financing & funding tips, visit this post... my 10 tips for financing and funding a project... it's based for film... but it can be adapted to television quite easily:
http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=310
All I can really say, is good luck...
television is the most difficult industry to enter into... especially along this avenue...
you really have to tailor your idea to each network you present to... have a new pitch and style lined up for each of them...
because NBC will never air something geared toward an ABC line-up... and the same in reverse.
And with the network research... know everything... I mean everything!
Find out not only about that network, but the other affiliated networks... the parental corporation... partner corporations... and even figure out which mega-corporation owns them... it'll help you understand a lot about them...
for instance...
ABC, is owned by parent corporation Disney... they also own GE & several other corporations and television networks... as well as several film companies, like Touchstone... etc...
So, do your homework, and if you just keep getting turned down... dont' fret... maybe it's just not the right time for the show...
just keep trying...
If everyone shuts you down, don't be discouraged... think about what might have to change, so that you can go back and pitch it again... maybe the next time (with the changes) it'll be something the network can package and put on the air.
Good luck, and happy creating.
I believe the general rule is that you start by working on TV shows for years and getting a reputation for doing a good job. A new TV show is a major undertaking, and from what I've heard it's much harder to get a TV show off the ground than a feature film, even at lower budget levels.
That said, one option that's worked for a number of people in the UK has been to turn their idea into a successful radio show: radio is cheap and relatively easy to get into, and a number of such shows have then jumped to TV. I've no idea whether that would work in other countries.
That said, one option that's worked for a number of people in the UK has been to turn their idea into a successful radio show: radio is cheap and relatively easy to get into, and a number of such shows have then jumped to TV. I've no idea whether that would work in other countries.
V
vichoforevsky
Guest
yes
yes
Thank you for your tips
yes
Thank you for your tips
D
DerekEastham
Guest
The radio to TV jump actually sounds rather intriguing...
As far as the USA goes... I don't know if that would work here at all... because most of america has stopped listening to narrative radio programing... truely a sad thing
In Mexico or elsewhere though, I don't know...
Mark is absolutely right though Vichoforevsky...
Getting a TV show on the air is about the hardest thing to do in the media entertainment business. Mostly due to the fact that even though the show costs less to produce than a film... the potential to make the money back is a lot lower, and therefore the risk is sky-high...
I'm really intrigued by that radio to tv though Mark... do you know any examples of TV shows now or in the past that made that jump initially? it sounds really interesting!
As far as the USA goes... I don't know if that would work here at all... because most of america has stopped listening to narrative radio programing... truely a sad thing
In Mexico or elsewhere though, I don't know...
Mark is absolutely right though Vichoforevsky...
Getting a TV show on the air is about the hardest thing to do in the media entertainment business. Mostly due to the fact that even though the show costs less to produce than a film... the potential to make the money back is a lot lower, and therefore the risk is sky-high...
I'm really intrigued by that radio to tv though Mark... do you know any examples of TV shows now or in the past that made that jump initially? it sounds really interesting!
Well 'The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy' was one obvious example, though a relatively unsuccessful one on TV, never getting a second series. Most of the others that I can think of were comedy sketch shows, which work pretty well on radio and TV, and found enough of an audience on the radio to prove they'd be decent TV shows.
'League of Gentlemen' was another, more successful, example. That started on radio, won a few awards, then switched to TV, won more awards and has had several TV series.
'League of Gentlemen' was another, more successful, example. That started on radio, won a few awards, then switched to TV, won more awards and has had several TV series.
O
optimist
Guest
What about factual?
What about factual?
If you're talking about factual programming for television, it can actually be much EASIER to get something off the ground (as compared to an indie film). The best thing to do is check out all the networks on your cable platform - look at what they're programming -- and come up with a few ideas that mirror what's actually working out there in the marketplace. Creating a pitch and all that comes next - and of course submitting to the proper exective at the network -- but I've always had a much easier time getting my factual tv programs funded than when I was trying to get my films funded!
Stacey*
What about factual?
If you're talking about factual programming for television, it can actually be much EASIER to get something off the ground (as compared to an indie film). The best thing to do is check out all the networks on your cable platform - look at what they're programming -- and come up with a few ideas that mirror what's actually working out there in the marketplace. Creating a pitch and all that comes next - and of course submitting to the proper exective at the network -- but I've always had a much easier time getting my factual tv programs funded than when I was trying to get my films funded!
Stacey*
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