I got an email from a reader a few weeks ago with a pretty good question. It went like this:
Do u have a producer friend? Seems its best to have a producer on board when pitching to a network. Does the same go for a director?
To start, I’m not going to take issue in this blog with the writer’s grammar, spelling and punctuation.
But the question asked about whether it is advantageous to attach a Producer and/or a Director to a project is a good one. When I was getting started I asked it too, and the answer is pretty darned simple.
No.
You do not need to attach a Producer or Director to pitch a show. The only way it adds weight to the quality of your show is if the Producer or Director is a really heavy hitter.
And by heavy hitter I do not just mean a working Producer or Director, but a person who has gotten shows made; a person who already has a track record for producing big shows (think at a level like Survivor, Amazing Race, American Idol).
Even if they are a working Producer or Director they are still just a hired gun, and any Production Company or Broadcaster can get one of those any day of the week. Frankly, if you have $500/day you can get one too.
My business partner, for example, has a track record of working as an Executive Producer on huge shows such as 24, the CSI franchise, and most recently Hawaii Five-0. He can pretty much walk our projects in anywhere and the Execs are going to take the meeting because he makes big hit shows.
So if your Producer or Director is not big like that, there is no point attaching them. All you are doing is watering down your stake in the show and showing yourself to be a bit new.
This is a good question and this is the right place to do it, but if you’re going into meetings with someone “attached” and nobody has heard of them, you’re not doing yourself or your show any favors.
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.