Let’s say you get into an elevator, and there he is; the Executive you want to pitch your show to. You decide to go for it. You turn to him and…. wait a minute… what the hell are going to say? You’re not going to wing it are you? You have 30 seconds to impress this guy and you’re going to wing it?

The Elevator Pitch is an important tool in your sales arsenal and if used properly can do wonders for getting meetings booked with the people who can get your show made. But you must treat it like the fine tool that it is; a scalpel, not a machete. The words you use to craft the 30 second story must be chosen carefully and delivered precisely. …readmore

They say, “If you love something set it free. If it comes back it’s yours forever.”

When it’s time to take your first show to market you’re going to feel a lot of things: pride at having finished what you started, ecstatic at the possibilities in front of you, and fear: fear of being rejected, or fear that someone will steal your idea, or the big one we’re going to discuss today, fear that you’ve worked long and hard on your show and complete strangers who “don’t get it” are going to want to change it. …readmore

Anyone gotta match?

I just read a pitch. It started with the logline; great. However, the logline said one thing, and then the pitch talked about another.

The logline was about a setting. The pitch was about a character.

When I spoke with the creator and told them the logline and the body of the pitch wasn’t congruent he said “But what’s written IS what the logline is about.” I said, “But that’s not what is being communicated in the body.” …readmore

A friend of mine who recently sold his show to a Canadian production company is thinking about taking his next show to the US. It’s a super cool show and the Trailer is awesome, but he’s wondering if he should get an agent. He thinks it could help him get a better deal than he did his first time out.

I thought you might be interested in a few of his questions and the answers I gave him.

1) Does your agent hook you up with a production company and the broadcaster? Or just the production company? …readmore

It’s a question many of us heard as kids on the playground. The school bully wanted to make us feel small so he (or she) belittled us by challenging us to tell them, and everyone, why we were special. I don’t know about you, but I never seemed to have the answer back then. But I do now.

And you need to as well. No no, not about you personally. If you’re an emotionally aware guy or a girl who loves to watch sports and eat chips straight outta the bag that’s great, but it’s not what I’m talking about right now. …readmore

Howdy folks. Sorry this week’s blog is a little late. I’ll try not to let that happen again.

Today I want to talk about you.

Who are you? What is your brand? Who are you representing yourself to be?

The Banff Television Festival is coming up and if you’re going (especially if it’s your first time) you need to be clear on the answers to the previous questions.

When you meet people what are you communicating with your presence? With what you wear? With the words you choose?

You need to have a clear and consistent message. When you meet people and you are representing your show, at that point in time, you are the most tangible thing about your show they have seen, and you need to make sure you are communicating that. …readmore