What Kind of Reality Check Do I Need Quiz
Q&A for How to Write and Pitch an Idea for a TV Show
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QuestionHow can I write for television with no experience?Lucy V. Hay is a Professional Writer based in London, England. With over 20 years of industry experience, Lucy is an author, script editor, and award-winning blogger who helps other writers through writing workshops, courses, and her blog Bang2Write. Lucy is the producer of two British thrillers, and Bang2Write has appeared in the Top 100 round-ups for Writer’s Digest & The Write Life and is a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspot’s #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK. She received a B.A. in Scriptwriting for Film & Television from Bournemouth University.Concentrate on making contacts for later while also working on your writing. Try following agents and production companies online, learning about the industry, and gaining an understanding of what the industry wants. Though the writing is important, so is the business. Think about creating entertainment that people want to see, and study things like target audience, genre, genre conventions, and the type of things that sell well versus what does not sell well.
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QuestionWhat makes a great script?Lucy V. Hay is a Professional Writer based in London, England. With over 20 years of industry experience, Lucy is an author, script editor, and award-winning blogger who helps other writers through writing workshops, courses, and her blog Bang2Write. Lucy is the producer of two British thrillers, and Bang2Write has appeared in the Top 100 round-ups for Writer’s Digest & The Write Life and is a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspot’s #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK. She received a B.A. in Scriptwriting for Film & Television from Bournemouth University.Writing a great script for TV is the same as writing a great script for anything, whether it be a short film or a feature film. Make sure you have a great concept as well as a strong sense of structure and character. All of those need to be amazing in some way, as the competition is too stiff to rely on only one of those.
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QuestionCan I do this if I am a teenager?DonaganTop AnswererIf your idea is good enough, they won't care what your age is. However, you will have to jump through a few contractual hoops an older person would not.
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QuestionWhat if I publish episode 1 and nobody likes it?Community AnswerThat's okay! It's a process. Read people's comments or ask people why they didn't like it. Listen to their feedback and make changes to your show where appropriate. Lots of shows aren't great when they start out, but get better over time. Keep at it.
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QuestionWhat if I also want to star in my show; how do I pitch it then?Community AnswerYou can at least say that you will be in my show as the main character, and you pursue the people in a meeting to do so too.
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QuestionHow do I know that my idea will stay mine and some higher up will not steal my project for their own?Community AnswerYou could secure a copyright for your idea, or hire an entertainment lawyer to ensure your intellectual property remains your own.
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QuestionI have written a proposal for a TV show and I am now looking for sponsors. What do I need to do now?Community AnswerSubmit it to as many film agencies as you can under the TV show category. You might want to start developing a script or a story board; millions of people get ideas every day, and you're not going to stand out unless you think yours is worth something.
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QuestionI've come up with a show and I may add a cartoon. How do I know if it's been done before?Community AnswerYou may want to research your topic. However, even if it has been done before, yours might be way better. The worst thing you can do is not try.
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QuestionWhat is a pitch?Dylan WintleCommunity AnswerA pitch is a short explanation of your show to gather interest and/or reel in potentially interested parties. There are a few variations, but the most popular is an "elevator pitch" - designed to be said in the short duration of about 20 seconds that you may have with someone on an elevator.
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QuestionI want to pitch two funny commercials I've written for Geico. I've written twice to the marketing director but no response. What should I do now?Community AnswerFind out their agency of record (ad agency) and write to the Creative Director.
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QuestionI am British but want to pitch my idea to FOX. What should I do?Community AnswerIf you mean in person, make sure you have everything prepared. Look physically presentable. The plot for your show must be intact, you have worked on your 15-minute pitch, and you have the entire show, as well as characters, mapped out. If you mean pitch to FOX online, go over and edit your script, make sure you have no spelling mistakes and try to get others to read it - to get opinions on if it was good, boring etc.
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QuestionHow does a British person pitch to an American studio?DonaganTop AnswererAmerican producers -- like any others -- are just looking for good ideas. They don't care where they come from.
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QuestionIf my TV show idea is based off of real people, do I have to do anything differently?Community AnswerChange the names for protection against defamation and such. Also, altering events always helps. For example, when making 8 Mile, Eminem purposely chose not to use his own name so he didn't have to be 100% accurate with the depiction and could alter things slightly.
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QuestionShould I add a copy of my W.G.A.E. registration with my treatment?Community AnswerNo. It can come across to the execs as paranoid. However, what you can do is include "WGA (W or E)" and your assigned script number in your contact information.
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QuestionHow can I pitch my show if I live in Canada?Community AnswerIt doesn't matter where you're from, as long as your idea is good. Just travel to whichever country your preferred network is located in.
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QuestionIf I get inspired by another TV program, would that be a ripoff?Mitali ShawarmaCommunity AnswerAs long as it's not plagiarizing the production's content. Your ideas should be original and creative, but that doesn't mean you can't be inspired by another show's creativity.
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QuestionWhere do I locate and get sponsors?Community AnswerYou -- as the developer -- are not responsible for finding sponsors. After they buy your idea, the production company or network will do that.
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QuestionWhat are episode arcs?Community AnswerThe arc is the main story and sub-plots of the episode. Often an episode will introduce and wrap up a sub-plot in one episode.
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QuestionHow can I sell my screenplay, commercial, or TV drama without having it stolen?Community AnswerGetting electronic proof of copy or WGA registration can help prevent someone from stealing your ideas.
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QuestionHow do you pitch a show based on a book series?Community AnswerFirst you should reach out to the author and let them know that you would like to pursue a TV show. You can give the author a sample of your work and show them your idea for the show, then ask if they will support it. In general, the ones who own the property should almost always be the first people you reach out to, since networks probably won't even talk to you unless the author is on board.
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QuestionDo I have to be an actor to pitch a show?Community AnswerYou do not necessarily need to be an actor to pitch an idea for a show.
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QuestionAt what age will a network like Comedy Central accept a TV show pitch from someone?Community AnswerIt's unlikely Comedy Central would listen to a pitch from someone under 18 (even adults usually can't get in the room to give a pitch without a lot of professional experience). If you're younger and you have a pitch, consider talking to Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network instead.
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QuestionIf I'm only a middle schooler, will they still treat me seriously?Community AnswerIf you have an agent, for your own protection, they shouldn't care about your age, as long as your idea is amazing.
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QuestionCan I create TV shows if I am still a preteen?Mitali ShawarmaCommunity AnswerMost likely not, because age does play a factor in dealing with certain agencies or companies. You may have a great idea, but a company would not accept a pitch from someone younger than 20 years of age. Besides, even if you were successful in getting your pitch to a company, there is no guarantee an agency would view your idea seriously. Match sure to keep notes about all the great TV show ideas you have and then pitch them when you're old enough to be taken seriously.
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QuestionI have an idea for a reality show that is very much based on the well-known Training Camp show, but with a different league. Would I need approval from the original show?Tom De BackerTop AnswererYes. If you're going to base your idea on their show, you need permission to use their format; otherwise, you are infringing on their copyright.
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QuestionMy show idea is to be an animated cartoon for teenagers, but the problem is that I'm not a good drawer. Would the network care about my drawing ability?ChallengebutnotlimitedCommunity AnswerIn the long run, if the idea of your show is a solid concept and they buy into it and you are sincere about your illustrative limitations, they might just subcontract an artist or agency to produce your cartoon images. You could also seek out an artist on various social media apps or sites like Craigslist; there are usually art students looking for internship opportunities.
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QuestionIs there any way for me to be able to pitch a show and also be showrunner?Community AnswerYes - if it's in your contract. If your show gets picked up and produced by a production company, you'll likely have to sign a contract with them. To be a showrunner, the most appropriate credits include having both the "Created By" and "Executive Producer" credits. Make sure you look at the fine print of the contract, including whether you'll have final say.
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QuestionWhere do I get a copyright to protect my idea?Community AnswerIf you're in the US, there are great tips for this in wikiHow to [[Copyright Material (US)]].
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QuestionWhere do I start when pitching an idea for a TV show?Community AnswerStart by summarizing your idea. Write a short version of what the show is about and read it out loud to yourself and see if it sounds like a good (or creative) idea.
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QuestionWhat do I say on the email to them? Do I give them the overall idea or do I give them all the details like characters, plot, etc.?Sophia JFCommunity AnswerGive them the general idea, as well as a character list. The pitch should include the plot, the time frame, and the main characters.
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