I was chatting with a TV producer friend of mine earlier tonight and happened to mention the faux reality show idea that I plan to shoot the first (and maybe only) episode of later this year. She asked me a bunch of questions and said "Sounds great! Give me a treatment or 20 minutes of video and I'll get it in front of the networks next month." WHAT? I just came up with the idea for this thing last week, I am nowhere near ready to shoot any footage. Does anybody have any really good links to how to do a treatment and pitch that work? Since I am new to this part of the industry, I'm really looking for a paint by numbers sort of format here.
Oh CRAP!
- Thread starter Lucky Hardwood
- Start date
I do have another series idea that's in the very early stages of development. It is much more NBC's style. I haven't worked on it because I was so busy working on this series, two documentaries and a feature pitch. Once I get moved into the new house and recuperate, I will probably get started on the next series.
It has been a loooooong time since I updated this thread. The reason for that is simple, nothing much has happened. NBC has officially passed on the show. Our connection at A&E is still on his vision quest in Africa and they now want a filmed pilot. The same is true of the other networks that we have approached. The general consensus is that everybody loves the idea but nobody wants to pay for what they consider "experimental television." My producer has meeting next week with potential investors to attempt to wrangle enough funds to shoot the pilot ourselves. Fingers crossed, we shall see how it goes.
I believe that's what the initial reaction was when Craig Gilbert pitched An American Family. Now look at where Reality TV is.
I believe that's what the initial reaction was when Craig Gilbert pitched An American Family. Now look at where Reality TV is.
The NBC guy said that he's positive that the show will be a huge hit for somebody, just not NBC.
He is probably right. While there are a few exceptions, NBC does not tolerate hits these days.
Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!! My wife said something very similar when the NBC possibility first came up. Her reaction was, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! If you put your show on NBC, either they put it in a really shitty time slot and nobody will ever see it or everybody will love it and they'll cancel halfway through the first season."
Another suggestion was that Netflix is creating new original content. My brother said that I should look into that. Does anybody have any experience with dealing with Netflix for an ongoing original series?
Just had a potentially interesting development. The NBC guy has been chatting up the show to various people. One such person is a wealthy guy in Detroit who wants to bring the film industry back to the area. He said that he might be on board if we shoot the show in Detroit. We are currently in the early stages of negotiation. As always, we shall see what happens. The NBC guy also strongly suggested that I apply for the screenwriting fellowship at NBC/Universal.
My producer is flying to Detroit next week for a face to face with the potential investor.
Thanks guys. While she is there, she is going to feel him out about one of my features as well. I so wish that I could go with her. I hate having the fate of my projects in other peoples' hands, even if I implicitly trust those hands.
I have decided that I am just going to emotionally divest myself of this project. The latest is that the potential investor in Detroit can't meet until around Thanksgiving. I am having the worst dejavu ever. I believe that it is time to put this idea behind me and focus on things that I can do myself. If the funding comes through, I can always change gears.
Real people are out there, you did the right thing trying to feel out the situation. But yeah most of them are talk. So what is the project that you're going to do without an investor?
My producer will still be chasing down any leads or possible funding for this series, I just don't want to hear about it anymore. I have been putting things off because every few weeks I'm told that a deal is "just around the corner." Well, until that deal finally decides to turn that corner, I have other things that I should be working on.
I basically did the same thing with my feature screenplay the requires Kevin Smith. I realize that it's not a great idea to write a screenplay that NEEDS one specific person to be able to make it unless you already have that person committed. That one was an idea that I thought was too cool to not follow through with. Through intermediaries, the treatment package was delivered to Kevin Smith. After a month of not hearing anything, I decided that it wasn't going to happen and moved on.
I have a couple of web series that I have been putting off. Neither one requires any real sets or expenses that I haven't already paid. These two are just a matter of making the time to shoot, edit and post them. I also have a few TV shows and movie screenplays that I have been fleshing out. A couple of the series are broadcast network friendly. Without a deadline or pressure from my producer, I can take my time on the other screenplays.
I basically did the same thing with my feature screenplay the requires Kevin Smith. I realize that it's not a great idea to write a screenplay that NEEDS one specific person to be able to make it unless you already have that person committed. That one was an idea that I thought was too cool to not follow through with. Through intermediaries, the treatment package was delivered to Kevin Smith. After a month of not hearing anything, I decided that it wasn't going to happen and moved on.
I have a couple of web series that I have been putting off. Neither one requires any real sets or expenses that I haven't already paid. These two are just a matter of making the time to shoot, edit and post them. I also have a few TV shows and movie screenplays that I have been fleshing out. A couple of the series are broadcast network friendly. Without a deadline or pressure from my producer, I can take my time on the other screenplays.