I am having a pro production company produce a sizzle reel for a sci-fi TV series I wrote. I am going to use the demo reel to pitch investors and/or crowdfunding to help raise financing for a pilot in the $250k range. Are there resources to learn what kind of return on investment can be expected per episode if the series is picked up by networks, cable channels, VOD, or can receive from sponsors if it goes to web series, etc? I get it there are no guarantees and I get it Hollywood accounting is skewed to screw everybody out of back end points, just ballpark figures for an initial pitch.
Resources for pitching TV pilot to investors
- Thread starter Kingda Ka
- Start date
I appreciate that, Audio. I think we might have a philosophical difference of opinion if you feel Hollywood does not need to improve its content or reality TV is not an insult to the 1200 cc homo sapien brain. Nor did I say all indie music is art, but the fact is, thanks to new media I'm sitting here listening to bands I would never hear on the radio or ever see at the Grammys.
I don't think I ever implied anybody should face the dragon alone, I made it quite clear I will be hiring the best people I can find. I don't think taking your sword and shield in hand and marching into the cave across a sea of skeletal remains is the best approach, myself. You are welcome to make your own game plan.
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/e...-shooting-elsewhere-to-save-money-1201125523/
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In my day job business, I had a smug little loan officer at a bank tell me my projections were unrealistic and no start-ups ever make a million dollars their first year. We started with ZERO money in the bank and I made it a personal mission to put $1 Million on the books our first year. For 11 months we didn't make a dime and sat there and hemorrhaging. 12th month, boom, landed a $1 million contract.
Just because your approach is different, doesn't make it wrong.
Just because your approach is different, doesn't make it wrong.
There are war stories that can prove both sides of the argument. The thing you need to consider about Hollywood is they've been here for a long, long time. It's hardly a collection of start up companies in the wild wild west. They have a way of working (of which a lot of it is covering their ass), and they have a way of extracting as close to maximum value as they can from their deals.
While you consider what Hollywood makes is crap, they are a business and need to earn a profit. How much money did you get from that loan officer who thought your projections were unrealistic? It may be the same amount of money you get from the studio exec if you have the attitude everything they make is wrong. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you need to consider *YOUR* market... those who control the financing.
I also get a feel that you're looking at attracting dumb money. That's fine.
Out of interest, who's going to be your showrunner?
I only located a production company this week. They've got some Emmys in the trophy case, so they know what they're doing. I'll be relying on the prodco to recommend a showrunner if the series goes anywhere. The focus right now is the demo reel. I will of course find out if there's a home for it somewhere before throwing any more money at it - mine or anybody else's.
I will say the major disadvantage to the studios is the same disadvantage ALL large businesses have. They are cumbersome. They cannot react quickly. They make deals that bind them decades down the road. Furthermore, they have HUGE overhead, their profit margins are miniscule. A 2% loss to McDonalds is a catastrophe. They cannot afford to take hits like smaller companies can - which can move back into the garage for a few months.
A smaller company is a faster, more dynamic company that can afford to take bigger risks. In other words, you have safe money with non-existent returns on your investments, and you have ambitious start-ups with huge upsides.
I have never met a true artist in the former category. The ones I know have total confidence in their ability and would not work for anybody else.
The quality I admire most and the thing I look for when hiring/working with anybody is the ability to make decisions quickly. People who have to think about things or consult others don't know what they're doing as far as I'm concerned.
The quality I admire most and the thing I look for when hiring/working with anybody is the ability to make decisions quickly. People who have to think about things or consult others don't know what they're doing as far as I'm concerned.
As I said before, my knowledge of TV is limited, but from everything that I've heard and understand how successful tv deals are pitched, this sounds like putting the cart before the horse. I'm sure you've done your research to whether this prod co have launched a series before, so, surely you're in good hands.
While some of what you're saying is true, not all of your generalizations are true of every larger entity. If you want to bring it into the entertainment industry, one only has to look at Weinstein to see how your view may not be correct in every situation.
What's with your fascination of being a true artist? I just don't get where you're coming from. On one hand you're a business person, on the other, your focus is on the art. In this industry, I find that a healthy level of both business and artistic chops are required.
Completely agree. It certainly does take a healthy combination of business acumen and artistic vision to be a successful film producer.
My personal interest is only to create art, I will only be raising capital from accredited investors who are well aware of the astronomical odds of a return and like myself aren't banking on it. It doesn't not mean I am going to be half-assed about about my film & TV projects, I will have plenty of skin in the game. It just means there's no financial pressure on it as there would be for a real business.
I think this is a common misconception. The astronomical odds typically occur when the business side is left to the artists. Poor decisions (for example, budget levels inappropriate for the project) can be made upon poor decisions and when it comes to sell the project, it has little to no value and financial risk mitigation was neglected and too late to fix.
Film financing is an odd duck. I'm sure it's similar odd duck in the world of TV finance too.
I do admire your gumption and with you the best of luck with your project. I don't think there's too much more I can contribute to this discussion than I've already said.
Quick decisions are not always good decisions.
Especially creative decisions can take time.
When it comes to creativity the quickest deciders are often the least creative people.
(But not always: the world isn't black and white only
)Sometimes the thoughtfull people know what they are doing and the ones making quick decisions have no overview, but only think or pretend they know.
https://vimeo.com/89936101
The quality I admire most is the ability to make decisions wisely. We have
very different experiences. I have found that people who consult with others
and think about options are people who know exactly what they're doing.
I would much rather work with a person who thinks things through and
consults with others with more experience than the one who doesn't have
to think about things or consult others.
I did qualify the statement by saying it was my opinion and experience. Everybody should do what works best for them to get their projects done on time and budget.