I Can Do Better Than That

Recently I received an e-mail from a friend of mine with this question:

Wanted to ask you about your pitches to different networks for new webisode ideas.

Just wondering how you set up those meetings. Do you have a relationship with someone at the studio, etc? I have a friend who has written 10 episodes of an original webisode show and is looking for some insight as to either pitching it….going out an shooting an episode as the pitch…etc.

Wondering what you found to be most helpful, and how you got in to talk to different studios.

Here was my response to him:

At this point, your friend’s best bet would be to go out and shoot his project, or at least part of it. Because, unless he already has an online presence (like he’s done another successful webseries in the past, or he writes a popular blog), the industry is not ready to pay for his idea. They have to know his personal voice first, and he has to be proven. The best part about this problem, is that unlike Film or TV, if you’re a good producer with good ideas (which I’m going to assume your friend is and has), you can accomplish this yourself and mostly on your own terms.

It’s not enough just to have a good idea anymore, and for better or worse, you can’t go around saying, “well I could do better than that.  This is because of the ease of shooting and distributing projects yourself online. Now you have to back up that statement now, and then let the public decide. A project that can deliver a consistent online audience gets the attention of advertisers (or website who have advertisers). Then you did do better than that.

Once your friend’s project is hit (and the audience responds), more than likely all those “online studios” and networks will open their doors to them and take a meeting. In many cases the studios (or representatives) actually search out these creators. And all the video websites out there will help you out with exposure, because they love free good content. Some websites are actually created just to find that talent. For example: UTA has Veoh.com, CAA has Funnyordie.com, and Sony has Crackle.com.

We did an article that will be out in this months Script Magazine that talks about this DIY generation of Webseries Producers that talks about this process.

One of the guys we interviewed is named Francis Stokes. He shot (wrote/directed/edited…) a webseries last October over two weekends called God, Inc.. He released a few 4-5 minute episodes on Youtube.com, and with a little help from the YouTube Gods (the front page editors) it got featured on the site and quickly amassed over 1,000,000 views in a weekend. He got a following, and ended up releasing all 6 episodes total, that’s it. But more than that, he got a ton of networks calls, and Sci-Fi picked up the series a few weeks ago, along with a separate deal to create another project of his.

This is by no means the standard on how to get a project sold, but it’s a safe bet for now that has worked on more than one occasion. My overall point: if your friend has got a unique voice and can produce something which people are interested in, he can sell and make money on his next idea.

As for us, we get our pitches set up two different ways: First, through our own personal contacts from working in the Film/TV Industry and second, through my old boss who is an agent. But please keep in mind that our pitches don’t just get set up because we have a good idea. Like I spoke about above, in order to be in this position in the first place, we too had to prove ourselves because we don’t have extensive resumes. So we went out and shot, edited, and distributed Flipper Nation. We created an online experience, and got a great following in the niche online real estate world.

Although Flipper Nation not a huge success, it has proven that we can produce for the web medium and that we have good and relevant ideas. We knew shooting Flipper Nation that we would not make money at first. This was a way to mark our way in the online world. It was an investment as much into us as producers as it was the show concept.

Winning at the ITV Fest didn’t hurt either :)

Hope this helps.

Bob

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