Doing Your Homework
The process of pitching a TV pilot for writers is like the audition process for actors, so it's important to prepare for the meeting. Foito says writers should be aware of the marketplace before they go pitch—and that means knowing what's going on in the TV world and who's buying what. She recommends reading the trades, such as The Hollywood Reporter, and keeping up with Deadline.com. "One of the first questions I ask is, 'Who's this right for?' Because, as a studio, you don't buy something that you love; you buy something that you love that you think there is at least one buyer for," says Foito. Butler says managers and agents can help with this. She says, "They know what networks are currently looking for and what different production companies are currently shopping for, and they can point you in the right direction. There's no way that a writer alone can keep up with all that, because it's constantly changing."
Being mindful of the buyer's schedule is also important. Laura Lancaster, executive vice president of drama programming at NBC Universal, says she hears pitches for two to three months, and during that time she's hearing seven to eight pitches a day. She says writers should "be as clear and concise as possible and just let their passion shine through." Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Army Wives") of The Mark Gordon Company says that because producers and executives are busy, "The more straightforward and concise a writer can be, the easier it is for me to simply understand the idea. You want the first pitch to be somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes, and then you leave time for conversation to talk about the characters and discuss it." Butler times her pitches to be 10 to 12 minutes, but she says, "Because people ask questions, and stop you and start talking about something that they were interested in, they end up being 20 minutes. But definitely you don't want to go in there with a 30-minute pitch."
Know your material, too. Butler says pitch documents are long, oftentimes eight to 10 pages, and she says they should be memorized. When she and Bell pitched their Nickelodeon pilot, she says, "We knew exactly what we were going to say. I knew where I stopped talking and he started." Memorization is especially important for comedy, Bell says: "You have to memorize the jokes—it's the only way you can tell them." But it's perfectly acceptable to bring the pitch documents into a meeting and refer to them. Bell says you can use tricks like waiting for the executive to take notes to sneak a peek at the pitch document to make sure you're on track. Butler adds that while you should be prepared, you aren't being graded on your performance: "Somebody who memorizes a terrible pitch is not going to sell their show simply because somebody else who has a great pitch stumbled a couple of times."
Growing From the Ground Up
Lancaster says even though there is a way for unrepresented writers to go through the legal department to pitch networks, in general writers with the needed experience to create a show will have representation. She thinks it's rare for someone without writing-staff experience to come in and understand what it takes to create a long-running show. Bell says, "You don't really pitch a pilot; you pitch a series." So it's important to make sure the idea is right for television and sustainable as a series, says Gordon, "because there's no point in selling and making a pilot if there's no series in it."
Pitching an idea might not be the best route if you are a new writer. If you don't have much of a résumé, Butler suggests writing the pilot on spec. Because, she says, "if you're a young writer, you need to prove that you can do it." Bell agrees, saying, "You're so much better off writing it." And if it doesn't sell, Butler says, the sample can be used to get writing-staff jobs.
One way to get around the experience issue is by teaming up with a veteran. Bell says, "If you've never sold a pilot before, you probably need a more-experienced writer coming in with you." Gordon says that as producers, his team "will work very closely with writers to shape their pitch. So even if they come in with something that is not 100 percent fleshed out, we will work very closely with writers to get that pitch in shape to sell." And when it is ready, he goes out with the writer to pitch to the various broadcast and cable networks.
Getting the Meeting
With representation, the process of getting a meeting is fairly simple. Basically, says Butler, "You have an idea, you write the pitch, your manager or your agent calls, they talk to their connections at the network and ask if they want to hear it, and you set a time. That's sort of the 'normal' way people get meetings like that."
Foito says, "You definitely want representation, but if you can call in favors, it's amazing how far you can spin that to try to meet people if you're aggressive and you know how to network." And if the buyer isn't familiar with your work, Gordon says, he or she will request a sample, "because if we're not fans of the writing, then we don't listen to the pitch, because frankly it doesn't matter how great the pitch is if we don't feel that the execution of this writer's work is something that's interesting to us."
Meeting Expectations
Buyers look for originality, characters, and sustainability. Lancaster says, "It really is true you've heard almost every idea, but what you don't hear is someone's unique point of view about that arena or a certain character." Butler agrees, "You'll read all the time [about] similar shows that sell. It's really not about the idea; it's about the execution. And generally if you come up with an idea that you've never seen on TV before, the fact is it's been pitched a million times—they've just never loved how it turned out." Gordon says he looks for a show that he likes, thinks he can sell, and thinks can run. Foito feels that "TV is different than features in that it's character-driven. So it's really a question of do I want to follow along with these characters, not even do I like them. They don't have to be likable; they just have to be interesting. And they have to be someone I care about watching and want to spend time with them an hour a week."
Writers shouldn't be too concerned with putting on a show. Though gimmicks such as PowerPoint presentations or art can be entertaining, Foito says the main thing a writer should focus on is convincing "a buyer why you're excited about [the idea] and that you can actually execute and deliver it." She adds, "It's against most writers' natures to pitch. They're good at writing; they're not necessarily good at speaking and selling. It's kind of like learning and knowing how to interview." Foito suggests learning from other writers how to pitch. She says, "Networking with as many people as you can and getting their feedback before you go into a room is incredibly imperative." She wants writers to be confident, enthusiastic, and articulate about their ideas. Bell reminds writers, "They're buying a good show and not necessarily a great pitch."
Leaving written pitch documents is also unnecessary. Lancaster notes that what programmers are looking for is a connection with the writer. Gordon says, "It's always easier to work with people if you make a connection with them, but it's really about the collaboration. You want to work with someone who will engage with you, collaborate with you, spark you, and inspire you." Gordon and Lancaster emphasize that they read the writer's work and know who they are as a writer before the meeting. And executives understand that writers are not actors. Lancaster says, "I don't expect them to come in and entertain me. It really is just about trying to help have a conversation about what they are passionate about and what they want to write about."
After the Windup, the Pitch
The people who spoke with Back Stage suggest these elements be included in a pitch:
General show idea: What's the theme/concept? What's the world? What's unique? What's your personal connection to the idea?
Who is the show about?: Give descriptions of the main characters.
Tone/pace/style of the show: Who is the intended audience (cable/network)? Is the show serialized or stand-alone?
Week to week: What's the main conflict in the show that generates a story each week?
Examples of episodes: Include a detailed description of the pilot and three to five short descriptions of possible future episodes.
Melinda Loewenstein
Prior to joining the Backstage team, Melinda worked for Baseline StudioSystem tracking TV development. When she's not working, she enjoys cuddling with her cats while obsessively watching every television show to ever air.
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