Saturday, November 22, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
pitching and prep
So it’s not about protecting your idea; it’s about protecting your real asset…the talent. If you’re lucky enough to run into a real life character who has potential; you may have found your reality show. So make sure to secure and lock-down your future star with an exclusivity agreement drafted by an attorney familiar with reality television.
THE PITCH MEETING IS DEAD. Mark Burnett who is the creator of “Survivor” may be able to walk into a network or pick-up a phone and sell a concept, but otherwise you need to forget anything else you envision about the process. Someone new to the business will need to take a much more common approach and pitch to a production company.
Similar to many modern day movie studios, the networks fund and broadcast the show, but they didn’t create it. In the film and television industry the projects are actually made by independent production companies. If you get a production company excited about your concept and characters, they might cover the expense of the ‘sizzle reel’ (see below) and try to sell your show to the networks. Pitching directly to the networks should be considered a last resort.
PAPER TREATMENTS. There are two important presentation documents for a
pitch; the one-sheet and the treatment. The one-sheet is similar to the layout of a movie poster, with some important differences. A logline summarizing the show in a couple of sentences should appear near the top of page. (This is sometimes referred to as an “elevator pitch” because you should be able to summarize your concept within 30 seconds.) The one-sheet will also contain a brief synopsis around twenty-five words long, a tagline or teaser, and contact information. The graphics should reflect the tone, theme and setting of your concept in a simple but effective way. Look on the internet for examples.
The one-sheet should be accompanied by a one or two page treatment which details each character and the plot lines. (A single page treatment could appear on the back of your one-sheet) Focus on the characters’ unique personality traits and include the decisions and confrontations that generate the chemistry and conflicts. Reality television is still storytelling so include some exciting moments and how the story evolves over time. In short, even though reality television is unscripted you still need to construct situations that create the potential for drama and humor.
SIZZLE REELS. The other major pitch tool is the “sizzle reel”, which can vary in length from three to seven minutes. Reels longer than seven minutes, which may also contain full scenes, are considered “presentation reels”. What will the production company be looking for in the sizzle reel? It won’t be your filmmaking skills, instead it’s a chance for the producers to view and experience the characters. If you can get the production company enthusiastic enough about your concept and the characters, the production company could decide to cover the costs for making a professional reel, and then send it around to their network contacts.
At the 2012 Realscreen Summit a panel of leading producers and network executives agreed the shorter the better for a sizzle reel; and that the most common problems were “Fake-fighting, trailer-style edits with too much blaring music and an over-reliance on straight sit-down interviews.” The panel was unanimous that Coldplay should be banned as background because their music screamed “just another sizzle tape.” As to music in general it’s important to remember that use of copyrighted music without permission is considered infringement. Since you will not be able to use popular songs without paying an exorbitant amount of money, it’s best to find a website with free music in the public domain or find a struggling film composer who may be willing to help out for the experience and recognition.
If you’re unable to talk a production company into covering the expenses, you might consider hiring one to create a professional level sizzle reel. Since costs can range from $20,000 to $100,000, your first step should be to have them craft a proposed budget. Many companies will charge a fee of a thousand dollars or more for putting together the budget, so you will want a provision applying the fee as a future credit towards making the reel. If you decide to go forward, make sure any agreement requires the production company to help you pitch the show to the networks.
SUBMISSION PROCESS. What’s the process for getting an independent production company to consider your pitch? First you’ll want to locate the ones that specialize in the type of reality show you are pitching. There are numerous sub-genres, including: Docu-Series, Competition, Makeover/Renovation, Dating, Supernatural, Survival, Talent Searches, etc. As usual the best tool is the internet; and you don’t need to limit the search to your local area.
Many companies no longer accept unsolicited submissions, so you’ll need representation by an attorney or an agent from a known agency. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is weeding out the mountain of submissions the production companies would otherwise need to review. In addition, submissions from unrepresented individuals make the production companies more vulnerable to allegations they stole someone’s reality show idea. Your attorney or agent will send your submission with a cover letter to the production company and will often include a signed release stating you own all copyrights associated with the reel and materials or have permission for use from the rights holders. As discussed above using copyrighted music without permission is the biggest problem in this area.
Even though paper treatments without sizzle reels are still reviewed by some of the production companies, you should try to include at least some amateur footage of the main talent. A written description of the characters cannot compare to the impact of seeing a sample of them in front of the camera…even if you only used your smartphone.
YOU ARE THE PITCH. If you’re lucky enough to meet with a production company or network in person, you may be surprised to know the producers and network executives are evaluating you as much as they are your pitch. They want to know you have enough passion to see the project through, while at the same time being a little flexible about your concept. In short, they want to determine if you’ll be a good team member for the show.
Even if your meeting is scheduled for an hour, the pitch itself should take no longer than ten to fifteen minutes. This is still a relationship business, so leave plenty of time for of back and forth conversation. The executives will ask questions about the show and may even try to poke holes in it. For this reason it’s important to know everything about your concept and even do some dry runs (without over rehearsing). You need to be good at reading the room and willing to change your pitch on the fly. It’s a balance between being prepared and being yourself, and you don’t want to appear like your putting on an act. The dress code will reflect this…a nice pair of jeans and shirt should suffice.
It’s important to know as much as you can about the production company or network ahead of time; such as what shows they have produced and which ones are doing well. Finally, it’s critical to have more than one idea for a show. If they like you and your initial idea it’s not at all unusual for them to ask if you have any other ideas. For many reasons they may not be willing to produce what you’re pitching, but they’re always looking for good ideas.
THE PITCH AGREEMENT. If the production company agrees to cover the expenses for submitting your show to the networks, the next step is entering into a pitching or shopping agreement. This contract is a type of option agreement where you grant exclusive rights to the production company to develop, produce, and shop your reality show to the networks. The option period is for a set time and a common length could be something like nine months; with an automatic three months extension if the production company is in active negotiations with a network.
If the show is green-lit you will enter into an agreement with the network for ‘reasonable and customary’ fees, and the production company will enter into a separate contract to produce the show. If your concept isn’t picked-up by a network, all of the rights will revert back to you. The production company will own the sizzle reels and paper treatments created by them, but will sometimes agree to transfer it back to you. When it’s all said and done, your greatest tools may be patience and resilience. It took some of the popular reality shows many years to make it onto the air.
THE PITCH MEETING IS DEAD. Mark Burnett who is the creator of “Survivor” may be able to walk into a network or pick-up a phone and sell a concept, but otherwise you need to forget anything else you envision about the process. Someone new to the business will need to take a much more common approach and pitch to a production company.
Similar to many modern day movie studios, the networks fund and broadcast the show, but they didn’t create it. In the film and television industry the projects are actually made by independent production companies. If you get a production company excited about your concept and characters, they might cover the expense of the ‘sizzle reel’ (see below) and try to sell your show to the networks. Pitching directly to the networks should be considered a last resort.
PAPER TREATMENTS. There are two important presentation documents for a
pitch; the one-sheet and the treatment. The one-sheet is similar to the layout of a movie poster, with some important differences. A logline summarizing the show in a couple of sentences should appear near the top of page. (This is sometimes referred to as an “elevator pitch” because you should be able to summarize your concept within 30 seconds.) The one-sheet will also contain a brief synopsis around twenty-five words long, a tagline or teaser, and contact information. The graphics should reflect the tone, theme and setting of your concept in a simple but effective way. Look on the internet for examples.
The one-sheet should be accompanied by a one or two page treatment which details each character and the plot lines. (A single page treatment could appear on the back of your one-sheet) Focus on the characters’ unique personality traits and include the decisions and confrontations that generate the chemistry and conflicts. Reality television is still storytelling so include some exciting moments and how the story evolves over time. In short, even though reality television is unscripted you still need to construct situations that create the potential for drama and humor.
SIZZLE REELS. The other major pitch tool is the “sizzle reel”, which can vary in length from three to seven minutes. Reels longer than seven minutes, which may also contain full scenes, are considered “presentation reels”. What will the production company be looking for in the sizzle reel? It won’t be your filmmaking skills, instead it’s a chance for the producers to view and experience the characters. If you can get the production company enthusiastic enough about your concept and the characters, the production company could decide to cover the costs for making a professional reel, and then send it around to their network contacts.
At the 2012 Realscreen Summit a panel of leading producers and network executives agreed the shorter the better for a sizzle reel; and that the most common problems were “Fake-fighting, trailer-style edits with too much blaring music and an over-reliance on straight sit-down interviews.” The panel was unanimous that Coldplay should be banned as background because their music screamed “just another sizzle tape.” As to music in general it’s important to remember that use of copyrighted music without permission is considered infringement. Since you will not be able to use popular songs without paying an exorbitant amount of money, it’s best to find a website with free music in the public domain or find a struggling film composer who may be willing to help out for the experience and recognition.
If you’re unable to talk a production company into covering the expenses, you might consider hiring one to create a professional level sizzle reel. Since costs can range from $20,000 to $100,000, your first step should be to have them craft a proposed budget. Many companies will charge a fee of a thousand dollars or more for putting together the budget, so you will want a provision applying the fee as a future credit towards making the reel. If you decide to go forward, make sure any agreement requires the production company to help you pitch the show to the networks.
SUBMISSION PROCESS. What’s the process for getting an independent production company to consider your pitch? First you’ll want to locate the ones that specialize in the type of reality show you are pitching. There are numerous sub-genres, including: Docu-Series, Competition, Makeover/Renovation, Dating, Supernatural, Survival, Talent Searches, etc. As usual the best tool is the internet; and you don’t need to limit the search to your local area.
Many companies no longer accept unsolicited submissions, so you’ll need representation by an attorney or an agent from a known agency. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is weeding out the mountain of submissions the production companies would otherwise need to review. In addition, submissions from unrepresented individuals make the production companies more vulnerable to allegations they stole someone’s reality show idea. Your attorney or agent will send your submission with a cover letter to the production company and will often include a signed release stating you own all copyrights associated with the reel and materials or have permission for use from the rights holders. As discussed above using copyrighted music without permission is the biggest problem in this area.
Even though paper treatments without sizzle reels are still reviewed by some of the production companies, you should try to include at least some amateur footage of the main talent. A written description of the characters cannot compare to the impact of seeing a sample of them in front of the camera…even if you only used your smartphone.
YOU ARE THE PITCH. If you’re lucky enough to meet with a production company or network in person, you may be surprised to know the producers and network executives are evaluating you as much as they are your pitch. They want to know you have enough passion to see the project through, while at the same time being a little flexible about your concept. In short, they want to determine if you’ll be a good team member for the show.
Even if your meeting is scheduled for an hour, the pitch itself should take no longer than ten to fifteen minutes. This is still a relationship business, so leave plenty of time for of back and forth conversation. The executives will ask questions about the show and may even try to poke holes in it. For this reason it’s important to know everything about your concept and even do some dry runs (without over rehearsing). You need to be good at reading the room and willing to change your pitch on the fly. It’s a balance between being prepared and being yourself, and you don’t want to appear like your putting on an act. The dress code will reflect this…a nice pair of jeans and shirt should suffice.
It’s important to know as much as you can about the production company or network ahead of time; such as what shows they have produced and which ones are doing well. Finally, it’s critical to have more than one idea for a show. If they like you and your initial idea it’s not at all unusual for them to ask if you have any other ideas. For many reasons they may not be willing to produce what you’re pitching, but they’re always looking for good ideas.
THE PITCH AGREEMENT. If the production company agrees to cover the expenses for submitting your show to the networks, the next step is entering into a pitching or shopping agreement. This contract is a type of option agreement where you grant exclusive rights to the production company to develop, produce, and shop your reality show to the networks. The option period is for a set time and a common length could be something like nine months; with an automatic three months extension if the production company is in active negotiations with a network.
If the show is green-lit you will enter into an agreement with the network for ‘reasonable and customary’ fees, and the production company will enter into a separate contract to produce the show. If your concept isn’t picked-up by a network, all of the rights will revert back to you. The production company will own the sizzle reels and paper treatments created by them, but will sometimes agree to transfer it back to you. When it’s all said and done, your greatest tools may be patience and resilience. It took some of the popular reality shows many years to make it onto the air.
Monday, October 13, 2014
To Establish Yourself in Film
Finding And Building Your Community
Understanding who your community is central to establishing a fan base. Four primary steps are: 1. Who is the audience for your channel? Be as specific as possible, knowing as much as possible about the metrics will really capture the identity of your channel. With that in mind figure out the primary age, demographic, online habits, and locations to really target your audience. 2. Where does your community live online and offline? What sites do people go to within this community i.e. blogs, youtube channels, websites, etc… How can you engage with these sites and build relationships with them to further expand your online presence? Are there events offline that can help build your presence? 3. How to engage with this audience? How can I create a strong presence through active social participation through Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and StumbleUpon? 4. Discussion of the types of videos that will trend well with your audience/community, and are on brand with your vision.Programming
Now that you’ve built a platform, understand who your audience and overall community is, and you’ve created a vision for your channel - It’s time to program.Developing the ideas you’ve brainstormed into a workable format. Creating enough content that will sustain you for at least 1 month. Plan a collaboration with influencers in the Community. Programming a regimented upload schedule that your fans can count on pilot programming to see what’s working and not working The importance of Behind the Scenes Videos and ancillary content.
Marketing & Distribution
Now that you’ve competed your first video and it’s ready for upload, how do we come up with the best approach to market and distribute it? Some techniques we will discuss for this are:
- Creating the proper thumbnail, annotating, tags, trending techniques, linking social sites, accessing your relationships with digital influencers and community blogs or channels that can help market your content to further expand your growth.
Film Industry Scouting
Whether you are someone considering a career as a Scout, or a Filmmaker looking for ways to increase your production value and anticipate potential location problems, this is the webinar that will help you learn the basics about scouting
Some topics which you need to cover..
“Who’s Your Boss?” - Getting the call from a Location Manager, Production Manager or Producer to begin Scouting.
The Assignment - What Locations are they looking for? When does it shoot? What is the Story Line? How much Prep Time do they have?
Equipment Needed - An overview of Cameras, Tripods, Laptops, Apps, Websites and more
Skill set required of a Scout
How to break down a script
How to do your homework before “hitting the pavement”
Architectural Styles
Use your “Spidey Senses” - Why Internet Research and Google Street View can be helpful but not enough.
The Cold Call: Knocking on the door and the first things to say to a homeowner
Getting Permission from Property Owners
Working with and getting help from Local Film Commissions
Understanding Municipal and Federal Laws and Permits
Photography Tips and How To Present Photos of a Location
How hiring an experienced Scout is worth every penny to a filmmaker
Working with Directors and Producers
Production Designers - Keeping them happy and finding out what they need
The differences between Commercials, TV movies, TV Series and Feature Films
Big Budget to No Budget – Challenges and approaches to each
Director Scouts and Tech Surveys
Saving money and gaining Production Value by using Local Scouts
Get to Know your local area landmarks and “go to” locations, i.e. -“The Usual Suspects”
Deal Memos, Daily Rates, Expenses and Getting Paid – What to do before you start to make sure you don’t get screwed.
Terminology of Scouting and Film Production
Getting Your Foot in the Door – how to become a Scout even if you’ve never done it before
Live Q&A session with Tim – all questions will be answered!
Some topics which you need to cover..
Who Should Attend Seminars and Continue To Learn (As it is never ending)
- Independent Filmmakers
- Production Assistants
- Directors
- Producers
- Production Designers
- Art Directors
- Film Commissioners
- Actors
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Research which I conducted covers many aspects..and no one has ever done such this off their own bat.. except me..interesting
Researching gives you information, and with research material gives you many interesting aspects in life... sometimes too much information... as some people cannot accept it... then again doing the Entertainment Industry and over 80,000+ has so much information as to respect. Location, age groupings, areas of industry, to male, female, family, studios, what types of instruments, what type of software, what type of usage in all areas.. What type of lights, gigs, venues, social occasions, film, and non film? Recording styles, times. Food eaten. Cars driven. Policies, agents, managers, industry codes, contracts, copyrights and who abuses copyrights. Frustrations, good times, bad times...etc... So much we all take for granted, even the lifestyles...wants needs and where illness occurs and how many artists are careers...what the challenges were/are. Interesting... I did a research for myself t actually see where things are and you know it is interesting as it gave and still does give me an inside into an Industry and the lives of those within it a really good look.. Some people like to question which is great... I also suggest that they take the time to fully find out for themselves... I know my research and done it with more than what I have placed down... it took time, patience and understand that confidences are respected... as if you start to dissect it all.. You have great responsibility to all those who gave you such a real trust...
I wish to thank all those for allowing me into their lives to do this research... you have opened up my eyes and what I want now is to get the Foundation up and running in full so that at least the support network is in place for those who would like to use it and that assistance for all is available.. Thank you my extraordinary entertainment and family friends... I am truly privilege to have been asked into your lives and family... you are the most beautiful and creative people to whom I am honoured to know and love with respect.
As I have done all this off my own bat.. and no one has supported me in obtaining all this information.. it is closed for my personal use..
I dont care if you many critise it, place it as rubbish... the thing is it was done, it took work.. and i did it to find out what is required...
I am not scaming anyone, not gossiping about anyone... I am here to assist the Industry which I love and cherrish... I just wish I had supporters for "The Heart Of Music & The Heart of Entertainment" as the industry needs it own support network for illness, caring, compassion and maketing which gives the Artist freedom to do what they love doing...
Approaching many companies just for support is/was difficult as most wanted my research and that is not going to happen.. It was done for Entertainment and the Artists... and it is legally mine..you might reseach 100 to 10,000 people but you wont get what i achieved to obtain from thousands of Artists... who trust me
I wish to thank all those for allowing me into their lives to do this research... you have opened up my eyes and what I want now is to get the Foundation up and running in full so that at least the support network is in place for those who would like to use it and that assistance for all is available.. Thank you my extraordinary entertainment and family friends... I am truly privilege to have been asked into your lives and family... you are the most beautiful and creative people to whom I am honoured to know and love with respect.
As I have done all this off my own bat.. and no one has supported me in obtaining all this information.. it is closed for my personal use..
I dont care if you many critise it, place it as rubbish... the thing is it was done, it took work.. and i did it to find out what is required...
I am not scaming anyone, not gossiping about anyone... I am here to assist the Industry which I love and cherrish... I just wish I had supporters for "The Heart Of Music & The Heart of Entertainment" as the industry needs it own support network for illness, caring, compassion and maketing which gives the Artist freedom to do what they love doing...
Approaching many companies just for support is/was difficult as most wanted my research and that is not going to happen.. It was done for Entertainment and the Artists... and it is legally mine..you might reseach 100 to 10,000 people but you wont get what i achieved to obtain from thousands of Artists... who trust me
The Music Man Of Oz - Billy Thorpe
The Music Man Of Oz - Billy Thorpe
By Sonia F Stevens©
This is not to morn the passing of the man,
This is to celebrate what the man achieved. ...
The Music was his soul,
The times were full of Rock and Roll.
Giving his soul to the people
He was the light in a shining steeple.
He lived the life
He deferred all strife
He cared for the land Of Australia
He cared for life, love and music.
He lived and celebrated life
Through hard times
Good times
The music never left his soul
This man, of Australian Rock and Roll.
Billy Thorpe believed in music
Billy Thorpe believed in Australia
This man believed in its entire people.
This is a man who is still a true legend.
Copyright©2007 by Sonia F Stevens
The Music was his soul,
The times were full of Rock and Roll.
Giving his soul to the people
He was the light in a shining steeple.
He lived the life
He deferred all strife
He cared for the land Of Australia
He cared for life, love and music.
He lived and celebrated life
Through hard times
Good times
The music never left his soul
This man, of Australian Rock and Roll.
Billy Thorpe believed in music
Billy Thorpe believed in Australia
This man believed in its entire people.
This is a man who is still a true legend.
Copyright©2007 by Sonia F Stevens
Friday, April 25, 2014
Entertainment Flash World Wide
I have been pondering
on the Biggest Entertainment Flash. All money raised would go to Support
network For People in Entertainment who need assistance. I requires musicians
Artists and Dancers. Would you be interested in this.. just asking.. It would
be like getting musician to give their time to play in a public area ..starting
with one Muso, waiting for someone ..or child.. to place money in a case.. then
he starts playing a certain..piece of music.. We Are The World.. Choirs piece..
Then one dancer joins in.. then tow musicians fall in from the background..
then four dancers and so on..When fifty musicians play together,, and over many
dancers appear.. they routine builds up and finishes ..then dissipates.. All to
be captured on film and recorded. This is to happen in every big city or
town...across the states. I know it is a lot of work...I know it can work....
what do you think?
Camera crews, sound
engineers artists.. around the world.. England USA, Australia Greek... All
giving their skills to make this happen..
Saturday, March 15, 2014
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