By
Scott Manville
Producer | Founder, TVWritersVault.com
| "The volume, quality, and global reach of drama is unequaled in history. The biggest talents are being attracted to TV and that is driving the quality." |
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Now
is an era of opportunity in television if you�re a
screenwriter or filmmaker pitching to find a home
for your binge-worthy series or indie film. Studios
and Networks are no longer the gatekeepers, and that
falls right in line with the the spirit of
TVWritersVault.com, and the reason we created our
platform for pitching and scouting.
When production companies can set up deals with streaming outlets
like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Studios or any of the
premium cable networks- the opportunity for
producers, filmmakers and screenwriters to see their
work actually get made and released is now a
reality.
At TVWritersVault.com we�ve seen a consistent increase in volume of TV scripts, movie ideas, and films being pitched and scouted by our producers, largely because production companies today no longer face the past challenges of pursuing a theatrical release to generate money, but even more so because of the huge appetite for dramatic entertainment. It's a storyteller's market.
Endeavor Agency�s Lorenzo De Maio was at Cannes for Canneseries and trumpeted our state of programming, saying, �The volume, quality, and global reach of drama is unequaled in history. The biggest talents are being attracted to TV and that is driving the quality�. Film and "TV" are becoming one and the same."
In the end, outside of financial flow and structure,
movies are just moving pictures on any size
rectangular screen for viewing...not to mention-
Netflix has a much broader audience reach, while
allowing for a more diverse spectrum of stories
being acquired from filmmakers and screenwriters.
But first, to get there, your movie pitch must meet
a litmus test for key elements that all successful
projects have.
| "While being in love with a personal project can deliver inspiration, remember that love is blind, and it doesn�t necessarily close deals." |
Producers
and executives are selling to the public a story.
Audiences are only interested in dedicating time to
watching a movie if they�re interested in the basic
idea of the story.
Titles: A title should hit at the heart of the story and theme, and not be so ambiguous that it doesn't give us a powerful hint at what the film or series is about. Often the title speaks to the main character's plight.
Loglines: They aren't taglines. They aren't teases. They're the two sentence summary that tells the very specific and unique premise and plight of the story and main character. While that paints the picture of what the story is, the writing style of a logline needs to be clever and roll off the tongue easily. There's a cadence when reading, and often words and phrases chosen can be cumbersoem. Think, clear, clever, and quick.
An extremely talented screenwriter may be able to write a screenplay that wins writing contests, but it doesn�t mean that the idea and story for that screenplay is right for broad distribution, or worthy of investment as a piece of business. Check out our article on Creating Loglines for deeper understanding of this vital craft. The logline and idea hold the heart of any potential for your project.
It takes a lot of ideas pitched and scouted to find those screenplays that go the distance through development, sale, production, marketing, distribution and ultimate business success. While being in love with a personal project can deliver inspiration, remember that love is blind, and it doesn�t necessarily close deals. Start with discovering or developing core concepts and stories that tap into subjects the general public hasn�t seen yet, and would be compelled to see by hearing the title and logline.
| "...they�ll continue reading further into the script, and they will have a mindset for solution instead of dismissal..." |
Producers don�t read a hundred and twenty pages to
find out if they like a project. They know by
reading your Logline, and one page of your
treatment. While a film treatment may be 10 or 20
pages, if the story can�t be outlined in one page of
broad, compelling story beats, then it would be hard
to market as a film. People want to know what the
product is quickly, especially for television.
Another great reason to have a tight pitch written
that works, is because when a Producer reading the
short pitch is captivated by it, they�ll want the
screenplay to work- they�ll continue reading further
into the script, and they will have a mindset for
solution instead of dismissal. Storytelling is an
art form, but to do business, the story will only
sell if it captures the minds and hearts of readers
quickly. Read our popular article �How To Pitch
Scripted TV Shows & Pilot Scripts� for a deeper look
at creating and writing pitch treatments for a
dramatic series.
| "Find the flaw in the hero. It�s their personal flaw that causes them to stumble on way to redemption or conquering their plight." |
In life, nothing is absolute, and if it is, it�s
boring to watch. Audiencesiwant to witness the
complicated struggle humans have within themselves
and with the world they�re in. Find the flaw in the
hero. It�s their personal flaw that causes them to
stumble on way to redemption or conquering their
plight.
In contrast, find some element of direct or indirection redemption in your antagonist. Even if on a surface level, it can serve as a device that is very human in the way a sociopath must be likable to take advantage of his prey.
Most importantly, exploit the conflict in relationships. Oil and vinegar may repel one another simply because of their individual components, but when tossed together they make quite a tasty pairing. In the same way, you want characters that are forced to rely on one another because of the circumstances that bind them together.
| "Take us into worlds we�ve never imagined, or worlds we thought we knew. Surprise us. Surprise yourself!" |
One
of the greatest things about selling TV series or
movie ideas and films in today's streaming studio
universe is
that they are not beholden to advertisers. It is
literally "a la carte programming" for any subject for
anyone. Those outlets need projects delivered by our
production companies, fueling the expanded activity
we�re seeing at the TVWritersVault.com, ultimately
delivering new programs to niche audiences on a
broad scale. It�s your
opportunity to stamp your own passport and sell a
pitch or screenplay that is 100% authentic. Just
like a professional will stand out in their industry
by �specializing� in a niche product, your subject and
story being pitched should commit 100% to it�s own
voice. Take us into worlds we�ve never imagined, or
worlds we thought we knew. Surprise us. Surprise
yourself!
| "Your script deserves a great representative, and it's not a literary agent. It's you!" |
Just
like the best producers have a keen creative sense,
often creating winning wrinkles in a story, or
tweaking a concept in a way that unleashes its
entertainment value, a
successful screenwriter or filmmaker must have a
keen business sense. It's not enough to be a
wordsmith. Focus on stories and concepts that have
relevance to our current social conscience. Identify
its packaging potential by suggesting creative
casting (casting an up-and-coming star, or casting
against type). Only invest time in a project that is
easily digestible for the executive listening when
you're pitching.
Your script deserves a great representative, and it's not a literary agent. It's you! When you think like a producer and piece together the elements that will capture the attention of executives who first read or hear the pitch, then the script and film will be able to live out it's life potential.
So you can see, again, this goes right back to the core idea of your script's story. This is why producers work on many projects to find one that goes the distance. You must find the balance between being an artist obsessed with your own passion project, and a businessman who must make a sale. And finding success with a sale brings you more future opportunity as your network expands.