I was sitting in an airport lounge this morning waiting to fly to LA for some meetings and I struck up a conversation with a fella sitting beside me. We were talking about the Super Bowl and gambling and the conversation eventually came around to lottery tickets. He was saying his Mother spends upwards of $300 a month on the lottery.

Apparently she always tells him, “You can’t win if you don’t play.”

I was thinking about that after he left and I compared her playing the lottery to me spending my hard-earned money to fly to LA this week to meet some Producers.

This guy’s Mother spends $3600 a year hoping she’ll win a jackpot, I probably spend around that much each year flying different places to have meetings with Producers and Broadcasters.

I know some people who have given up on their dreams of making TV. Some say the market isn’t looking for their kind of show, some say it’s taking too long, and some say it’s too expensive to keep pursuing.

I say this: If I had quit three years ago when it was difficult I wouldn’t have been flown to Washington, DC and Los Angeles to meet with TV Executives and the biggest agency in the world who all wanted to know more about me and my show ideas.

If I had quit two years ago when it was difficult (yes it was still difficult) I wouldn’t have sold a show to History Channel US last year.

If I had quit last year when it was difficult (by the way, it’s difficult every year) I wouldn’t have received an email two weeks ago asking me to come to LA this week to meet with the EP of Hawaii Five 0 and a colleague of his who has some show ideas he wants to discuss working with me on.

So I think in a weird way the random airport lounge dude’s Mom is right; you can’t win if you don’t play.

Now please excuse me but I have a flight to catch. Next stop Paramount Studios, Hollywood.

It was a nasty day outside and it ticked me off because if I had checked earlier I could have easily picked some up before I got to the final stages of “making” my dinner. Needless to say I chose to brave the elements and quickly run to the corner-store because really, a pizza without pepperoni isn’t much of a pizza at all.

It reminded me of this kid Tony I went to elementary school with whose family owned a pizza joint. This kid always knew the daily lessons’ answers before our teacher taught the class because whatever chapter we were supposed to read, he would read the next chapter as well, so he was always ready for whatever questions came up the next day.

As I was walking to the store to get the much needed pepperoni I was thinking about the prep I’m doing for some upcoming meetings I have in LA, and how I need to be prepared with all the ingredients for my shows; how I need to be prepared for the questions before they get asked.

When I talk about ingredients I mean: being an expert on the characters, setting and stories in my shows, knowing what Broadcaster I see my shows airing on, who will watch them, and why they’ll watch, knowing other shows in the genre of my shows – both shows that are similar, and shows that seem similar but are actually quite different, and having an understanding of how my shows can work in a multi-platform capacity.

It occurred to me I cannot leave a meeting to run out to find the answers to their questions like I was doing to get my pizza ingredients. And I cannot tell them I’ll get back to them later with the answers. I need to be 100% prepared before the meeting, and that means knowing all the ingredients my shows need, and having them ready.

I was discussing this with a colleague and he agreed, but countered with the question, “But there are so many different questions they can ask. How can you know which ones they’re going to ask?”

He’s got a point. I cannot possibly know exactly what they’ll ask. But what I can know is everything there is to know about my shows, because they’re my shows – I created them.

If I don’t know the answers the Execs will think“Well if he doesn’t know the answers who does?”But if I know everything there is to know about my shows I don’t need to worry about what questions they ask, because I know I’ll have the answers.

Before I go to LA next week I’ll be prepping for my meetings by looking through my shows and comparing them to other shows on TV. I’ll look at the other shows and make sure I have all the ingredients they have used to get made. I’ll review my shows and make sure I have every ingredient I could possibly need to make them.

By taking stock of what I do and don’t have: by researching the “recipes” before I “start cooking”; by doing thework before it is asked for, just like Tony in the 5^th grade, I’ll have all the answers I’m asked.

If you have any subjects you would like to see addressed simply click here  http://iwanttomakeatvshow.com/contact-us/ to send in your question and I’ll do my best to get to it.

If you’re ready to pitch this is definitely a great place to meet Execs as it is chock full of them. However, if you’re not quite ready to pitch yet there is another small Summit in Los Angeles. The TV Writers’ Summit is only a couple weeks after the Real Screen Summit and looks to be a great value (and it’s warmer there).

For $395 you get two days of exposure to some of TV’s great writers. These are also tremendous relationships to build. Sure there will be a ton of other writers there trying to get their attention as well but the take-away value of the information you get from conferences like the TV Writers’ Summit can impact your career as a writer tremendously.

They provide information that can change the foundation of how you are writing your show. At both the Real Screen and the TV Writers’ Summits you will meet great people who are writing and pitching their shows, but it’s at these smaller festivals where the experts come to share their wisdom with the up-and-comers who are fighting to get their shows made.

The TV Writers’ Summit is the type of festival that, if you can get to it, the value you take away is worth more than the money you are paying.

Now I’m not saying the Real Screen isn’t worth the money, but what I am saying is, if you are not ready to pitch yet, festivals like the TV Writers’ Summit are the ones you want to be attending. And they’re not just in LA. They’re in cities all over North America, which is why you need to be reading your trade magazines so you’re up to speed on what is coming to your area.

Getting the information straight from the successful writers in the business will change your show and future shows. It’s a great investment, and of course, (check with your accountant to be sure) it’s a write-off come tax time.

Festivals are a tremendous way to make contacts, but make sure the festivals are commensurate with where you’re at in your show development. You can get a lot of info without spending a lot of money if you do your research to see what’ available to you.

If you have any subjects you would like to see addressed simply click here  http://iwanttomakeatvshow.com/contact-us/ and send it in.

His first show idea was pretty good and garnered some interest from people in the biz but ultimately but it never found a home with the Broadcasters.

So it was Friday night and we were both out with friends. He said he’d received my Christmas card and meant to call: he has some new ideas for some shows he wants to kick around with me. He pulled out this folder and said, “Take a look at this next week and call me.”(NOTE: giving someone your show ideas in a pub on a Friday night is generally not acceptable but we’re pals so there is some license here)

Well here it is Monday morning and I look in the folder and what does he have but 25 show ideas. Twenty five!!!

Now they’re not ready to pitch: some of them are still raw, but for some of them he has a rough One Sheet, a Logline, the demographic he sees tuning in, and which Broadcasters he thinks they would be suited for.

From all I have seen I believe this is one of the most important reasons to never quit building your show. Once you have worked through the creative process of developing a show the first time, it is soooo much easier to do it again. No, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m saying it’s easier.

Once my friend knew the principles he learned building his first show he was able to duplicate the same steps for all these other ideas he had.

Yes you still need to have a good idea, and you still need to do the work to put it all together. But once you’ve done it once and you know the process of how to put one creative foot in front of the other, it isn’t such a massive deal to take another idea, flesh it out, and build the materials you need to pitch your show.

Now, 25 shows is a lot, and I’m not suggesting most people will be that prolific once they’ve built their first show, but, it is an example of what can be done once you’ve learned the system.

So keep going and don’t let the struggle of building your first show make you quit, because as my friend proved, it is incredible what you can get done once you’ve done it before.

 
Keith,
 
I just received a reply from a production studio. They are willing to assist in the development of my game show idea. For $1,200 CAD this studio will do the following:
 
1.     Preparation of the Story Bible
 
2.     Preparation of the Business Plan
 
3.     Prepare the Budget
 
4.     Prepare the Schedule
 
5.     Create the Marketing pitch package
 
6.     Complete a Broadcaster assessment
 
Also, if I sign an agreement, they will become my production company of record and will handle all broadcaster sales retaining a portion of intellectual rights and revenue.
 
 
I was happy to get his email, because I think he is very smart to be asking questions.
 
Paying a company to do all that work seems sort of reasonable, however, I personally am not a fan of giving up a portion of my prospective earnings to have someone else do the work for me. One of the problems with signing over a portion of your show for services rendered is you cannot guarantee the quality or direction of the company’s work. And once you’ve signed, there are no do-overs.
 
I can certainly not attest to the credibility of the company he is asking about but here are some questions I would ask in a situation like this:
 
What other shows they have produced? How many hours of aired content have they produced? Do they tend to produce a specific genre or are their productions quite broad in nature? What Broadcasters are they on a first name basis with? And which person or people at which Broadcasters would they take it to?
 
From that info you should able to see if they produce shows that are similar to yours. They don’t have to be the same as yours but if all they produce is talk shows they may not be right for your game show.
 
How much creative control will you retain over what they are developing “for you”? What are your options if they are taking the show in a direction you don’t like?
 
Can you be guaranteed an Executive Producer role or credit or Created By credit on the show? If so what will your fees be? If they want to make this deal they should be able to answer those questions.
 
What do they mean by prepare a schedule? Every show is different depending on budget, and most importantly, the calendar the Broadcaster attaches to the project.
 
(If you’re not aware the Broadcaster sets the calendar by saying something like: “We love it. It’s green-lit. We want ten episodes. The first one will air June 10th.” The production company then builds a calendar around those parameters.)
 
I worked on two massive shows last year and the schedules looked nothing alike. The first one had five months prep – the second had two months. The first one had three months shooting – the second had nearly five. And the amount of Post-Production time we had to deliver Episode I for the first show, was the same amount of time we had to deliver all ten episodes for the second. So you see it’s not quite as cut and dry as “We’ll make a Schedule for you”.
 
I would also be concerned about turning over your intellectual rights and revenue this early in the game. Again, if they are providing a service for $1200 that is one thing, but to turn over rights and thus, future revenue, seems premature.
 
Rather than signing over part (or all) of my shows I prefer doing the work myself (even if it takes longer because I have to learn how it’s done) because I will retain more of the vision I hold for my show and I will be able to strike a much better deal financially when the show is more developed than if I bring on partners now and have them do the work.
 
I would move very slowly on this, ask lots of questions, AND seeking legal advice from an entertainment lawyer. It’ll cost you a bit of money now but better that than a lot later.
 
Your best bet is to be as informed as possible and not shy away from learning the business of the business. Nobody ever got the best deal by signing away rights to save time.

If you have any questions you would like to see addressed simply click here  http://iwanttomakeatvshow.com/contact-us/ and send it in.

In his blog last week he wrote about accepting feedback as a writer, and frankly, he makes a great point. I hope you find it useful.

——————————————————————-

I got back a flip response to some feedback I gave someone. It boiled down to “I don’t know why you would have that reaction to my script. I don’t see that there’s a problem where you say there is.”

The general rule for feedback is: if someone tells you how to fix something, you aren’t obliged to fix it that way. But if they tell you something is broken, you better fix it.

Your obligation is to figure out why your reader feels something is broken. You need to reread your own material through their perspective until you can see the flaw that they have spotted.

This takes emotional effort. Sometimes it takes a bit of time. It’s not easy to shift out of your own perspective, from which your screenplay is just dandy.

But learning how to take criticism to heart is really one of the things that separate professionals from the perpetually aspiring.

It’s a good idea not to respond to a critique at all until you can see the flaw. Otherwise you’re just going to piss off your reader, who will wonder why you asked for feedback if you didn’t want it. (For example, I’m kinda pissed off right now.)

When I get comment I disagree with on my own work, what I say is, “I’ll take a look at that.” And then I do. And, later, I usually realize the comment is right (if not the solution offered), I am wrong, and something is broken in the screenplay after all.

You can ask for a clarification — “Are you saying that X is a problem, or do you mean that the problem is Y?”

But all feedback comes from somewhere. And that means that all feedback is true. Figuring out how it’s true is the job of every good writer.

——————————————————————-

Thanks Alex for your wise words.To find more of Alex’s work visit his blog at http://complicationsensue.blogspot.com/

Wishing you all a happy and abundant 2012!!

“Have I got a story for you!”

Story story story. Development Executives will tell you a good show is all about the story. “Story is everything. If you do not have a story, you do not have a show.”

And they’re right. However, you need a vessel to convey these stories to your audience. And those vessels are your characters.

The characters in your show are as important in getting your show made as the stories are. You have to have the right people telling the stories in your show. This can be the difference between having your show run for a season or having it become a piece of North American culture.

But before your characters become household names you need to sell them to the Production Company and Broadcasters. And the only way to do this is to know everything there is to know about them. The good things AND the bad things. What makes them interesting? What makes them controversial? What is their expertise?

Your characters have to pop. They should be bigger than life. And they do not need to be likeable to everyone. They’re unapologetic about what they do? Great!

Look at the biggest characters in the last few years: The swearing, smoking, drinking characters in The Deadliest Catch, Dog the Bounty Hunter, The Teutel family from Orange County Chopper (have you ever seen a father/son relationship like that!?!).

These are not necessarily characters you would want your daughter to bring home for dinner but they make for great TV because they are out there!! They are living in a world you don’t get to see everyday and telling us the stories from that world.

So when you’re describing the characters in your show don’t be afraid of their edgy side. Embrace it. Encourage it. These are the colorful storytellers. These outrageous characters tell the stories the Broadcasters want to hear in a way most people can’t get away with.

Without these crazy characters living their stories on the screen, all you have for your show is words on a page. And that my friends, is called a book.

People are going to start pitching you their show ideas.

As people around you learn more and more about you writing your own show they are going to come to think of you as an expert. And why shouldn’t they? Out of most people they know you are probably the only person they know writing a TV show. And they’ve probable even told their friends about you.

Let’s face it – most people have had ideas for TV shows. Whether it’s based on a crazy adventure they had, or their job, or a spin-off of an existing show. And now that they know an expert (that’s you) they’re going to want an opinion. Your opinion.

This is an important time. Remember when you first had your idea and you didn’t know what to do with it? You probably told some people and some of them may have told you it was a great idea. Remember the good feeling you got when someone said “Yeah. I’d watch that.” Or “That sounds way better than the crap on TV.” Remember that rush?  Now is the time to pass it on.

This is not the time to poke holes in their idea or give them constructive criticism. (“constructive criticism”. Pfft…don’t get me started on that or we’ll have to issue a Parental Advisory for language.)

When people come to you (the expert) find something that works in their idea. Ask questions. Not in a way to help them improve the show but just to listen. Ask how they came up with the idea for the show and let them tell you the story of that, and the story of the show.

Now is not the time to share your knowledge on what doesn’t work and what they should do to make it better. You already know how hard this can be so let them explore their idea with you.

Have fun, let them have fun, and give them the encouragement you got when you started down this path.

Remember that you’re the expert and your opinion matters. So pretend Santa is watching and make it a nice one. After all, it’s F’n Christmas.

If the top business people are using the holidays to their business advantage, why shouldn’t you?

It’s time for you to make Christmas cards!! Or, if you prefer, Winter Vacation, or Happy Holidays, or Happy Hanukkah.

And it’s actually pretty easy.

It’s called a Christmas card, and you’re going to build one that is representative of you and/or your show.

The first thing to consider is what kind of picture can you put on the front of the card that represents your show? What picture will tell the story? If you have a cooking show it could be you in the kitchen, or cooking in a field – but make it fun. It should be a picture that makes people smile.

When I send out my Christmas cards the picture usually involves me riding a motorcycle somewhere kind of nutty or extreme. A couple years ago I sought out a snowstorm to ride in to take pictures of me riding my motorcycle in it with a Santa hat on (for those of you don’t know much about motorcycles, they don’t mix with snow very well). The bottom line is you want a picture that will make people take notice.

Secondly, once you have your picture sorted you need to decide what to have printed inside. On one card I sent of me in a snowstorm the inside read “Wishing you warm thoughts this holiday season.” It should be something witty and relevant to the picture (alright I know it’s not super witty but it is relevant).

Thirdly, sort through the business cards you’ve collected at festivals, seminars, and random networking events. Then go through your email list of people you’ve emailed with that are in the business, (send cards to people you’ve met who are trying to sell their shows as well – you never know what these relationships can develop into later). You’re going to send all these people card. It doesn’t matter if they know who you are yet. That’s the point of this: making sure they do know you when you’re ready to pitch.

If you come across cards or emails and you don’t have their mailing address search it out online, or if need be, you can email and ask for it. People are generally receptive to mailing address requests as receiving mail has become a bit of a novelty.

When you write your handwritten note inside the card keep it brief, and if appropriate, make it a bit funny. This is not the time to pitch, ask for a meeting, or delve into anything much beyond “It’s been a pleasure working with you (or whatever is appropriate) this year. I look forward to working with you more in the upcoming year. All the best. Keith” Nobody wants a Christmas card that reads like a novel.

Now you have all the components of your Christmas card except one: your contact info. Yes, this card is for self-promotion, but you still need to make it tasteful.

If you have a title for your show and you have taken all the steps to protect yourself legally have the name of the show on the back. If you have a website (if you have a Teaser as well that needs to be on a website) have the web address on the back of the card below that. If you are not at the point yet where you need a website, simply putting your email address across is great. Remember, it’s not self-promotion if they don’t know how to get a hold of you.

So that’s your Christmas card. Your costs with printing, envelopes, and stamps, should be able to get this done for around $150 max. Add the price of a nice bottle of scotch if you have your Art Director friend make it for you and you’re still looking at a cost-effective way to build the relationships you’ll need to sell your show.

After all, isn’t advertising what Christmas is all about?

Having a relationship with someone in the biz does not license you to bring half-baked ideas to them. All that relationship does is give you access. Access to get a meeting when someone else might not be able to get it. Access to have them take 10 minutes out of their exceptionally busy schedule to hear your show idea.

What my friend doesn’t realize is the reason he can get a meeting with the DOD is because they know each other, and the DOD trusts that my friend is not going to waste his time.

However, if he pitches his half-baked show that is exactly what he will be doing: wasting his time. And by wasting his time he is wasting that relationship because the DOD is going to lose the faith he has in that relationship, thus losing this chance and subsequent chances to pitch to this person and production company.

If you have developed a relationship with someone in a position to help you get your show in front of the right people you must treat it with the highest regard. Don’t call them with questions you can find the answers to elsewhere. And don’t assume that they will cut you some slack on your pitch because “you’re friends”. They are already cutting you slack by taking a meeting.

Your responsibility is to have your work done so well, so thoroughly, and have so much info to back up your pitch that the DOD is thrilled that they took the time to see you.

People have good ideas for shows all the time, but it’s the work that needs to be done in between the spark of the idea and pitching the show that separates what gets made and what doesn’t.

So before you call your friend in the biz to pitch your idea make sure you haven’t taken any shortcuts in the development of your show, or your first pitch meeting with them could be your last.