Not sure if I phrased this properly, but if, as a Producer/Production Comany, I want to sell a not yet produced series to a cable network such as Discovery, A&E, etc, what are the general steps that one would take?

Thanks in advance.

Shoot a pilot.

Is shooting a pilot pretty much a requirement for TV series, as opposed to just writing a treatment or that sort of thing?

It sure would be easier to shop if you had a show, especially if you will be competing against someone who does have a show for them to look at.

You don't need to shoot a pilot, a 3 minute demo will do (if you can't hook em in 3, you can't hook em in 30).

But I agree, making a sale is much easier when you have something visual.

I'd certainly be willing to shoot a 3-minute demo. It's a visual medium, so I guess it only makes sense to make a visual sales pitch. I wasn't sure what the standard procedure was.

I always get yelled at for being negative and crushing people's dreams, but you need to know exactly how Networks develop projects.

Read these:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/145555-selling-tv-ad.html

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/136648-help-new-tralvel-show-pre-production.html

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/236907-i-need-some-info-starting-tv-ad-agency.html

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/documentary-techniques/386706-shooting-pilot-travel-channel-need-portable-gear.html

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/totem-poll-totally-off-topic-everything-media/140346-what-exactly-shooting-pilot.html

And here's the most recent example of me being chastised for telling the truth about how the business works:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-care-business/467364-how-pitch-movie-idea.html

Even though not all the posts are applicable to your specific suituation, I think after reading them all (not just my brilliant and pithy observations, but also those from others who have experience working for networks/studios/agencies and the like), you'll get a good idea of how this all works.

The bottom line is most Networks do not take outside pitches. Shooting a pilot will most likely be a waste of time, effort and money as most Networks will not look at your stuff if you don't have an agent, for fear of being sued. (And technically it's not a "pilot" if you haven't signed a production agreement and they're paying you. It's just a spec show.)

By all means pursue your dream. But do your research so you know what you are getting into. Realize that an idea itself is not enough. Be sure to go to the Networks' websites and read their policies on unsolicited material.

And yes, there are always exceptions to everything, so please let us know if you find a way to beat the system. And I would actually love to hear stories of how others have accomplished this, so we can all learn if there is a better way. The rules are changing all the time: Just this week CBS announced it was putting into Development a sitcom based on the Twitter site "S(tuff) My Dad Says" (not the actual title). It should be noted that they assigned veteran show-runners as Exec Producers, and it's unlikely that the original creator will have much input. But he'll probably get paid, even if the show never makes it to air.

Thanks Adam, and all, for taking time to repsond. Adam, I've read a lot of your posts and found them informative. I also don't have a problem with your directness.

Sounds like my pitch should instead be made to agencies, is that correct? Any tips for that?

BTW, with so many cable networks out there, it would seem there is a huge need for material.

I'm not sure I'd go out pitching the actual idea to agencies at this point. If you're a writer, you write a bunch of spec scripts and get a directory showing every agency in LA and NY, phone each agency to see if they're taking new clients, and send your pile of scripts to anyone who says yes. I'd do something similar as a producer/director... make a really good reel of clips and after targeting any agencies who will agree to look at your stuff, send copies to them all. Once you have an agent, then you tell him or her the idea you want to pitch and see if they can get you some pitch meetings.

There are probably a million ways to skin this cat, but that's the most common path. Of course, there's always the end run -- leverage any contacts you could possibly have. Maybe someone you know works for one of the Networks or a Studio or an agency -- now is the time to call in those chips and see if they can get you a meeting. Any meeting.

Your goal here is to prove that the experience you have will translate to your new project, so the clips you put on your reel should parallel your new idea. Remember, the purpose of the pitch meeting is not only to make them love your vision of the idea, but to make sure they think you're the only one who can do it. And, of course, that they will make money, so you need to do some research. A knowledge of Nielsen ratings, demographics and advertising rates will be beneficial here. Know the difference between rating and share, what CPM and Audience Flow mean, and what the threshold for success or failure is... because your competition does.

Your agent will have ideas on this as well. So that's the first step, I think.

Adam, when looking at shows like Man vs. Food, Bizarre Foods, Dirty Jobs and the like, was the talent also typically the originator/producer of these shows?

Also, do you have a website? I'm curious about your current business.

The talent is typically found by the producer...

Just keep in mind that, as an individual with an idea, you are throwing your hat into a ring already occupied by some pretty big players who are known quantities to the networks. The chances for an individual with a good idea getting a hearing with a network executive, based on a trailer or pilot, tend to be small.

...not saying it is impossible, of course, but the networks tend to go towards known quantities.

And, as the bigger studios and network executives are fond of saying, there just aren't that many original ideas out there. Chances are, somebody has already thought of -- and discarded -- your idea, or else some version of it is already being pitched by a bigger studio.

The reality is, there is an extent that they don't even want to hear your ideas, because if they are already working on a parallel idea, they open themselves up to lawsuits by hearing it from you, and you claiming that it was your idea. I've heard that expressed a few times. Even if you get a hearing, you will still have to sign a bunch of disclaimers to that effect.

You can get direct access to acquisitions editors at several conferences (Jackson Hole symposium and Silverdocs come to mind, and there are others, but you'll do better getting their attention, as everyone else has said, if you have an executive summary and a visual piece (trailer or pilot...). As an individual, that is the route that I would take.

My kids love the show 'Cash Cab' on the Discovery Channel - which is Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal etc. on wheels. Classic example of a unique delivery/rehash of an old idea.

Adam, when looking at shows like Man vs. Food, Bizarre Foods, Dirty Jobs and the like, was the talent also typically the originator/producer of these shows? Meryem has it right; typically the talent is "packaged" with the other creative elements, but this is done by the agent. Usually all the elements are from the same agency so they can get a "packaging fee." But if you know some well-known talent and can get them to attach themselves to the project, that might help open some doors, especially if they have an agent. Also, do you have a website? I'm curious about your current business. Working on it, but as most of our work is with minors and uses materials that we have the rights to but are forbidden from posting on the Internet, it'd be pretty silly to have a video site with no Video on it. But we're trying to figure that out.

My kids love the show 'Cash Cab' on the Discovery Channel - which is Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal etc. on wheels. Classic example of a unique delivery/rehash of an old idea.

Very often the game format rights are bought. A number of big UK players have been doing extremely well from selling these rights around the world.

If you've never made a programme series for a main cable networks, it could be a good idea to get involved with a production company that has. I guess this will depend on your contacts, but you should be working at expanding these anyway. Unless you've some track record it's unlikely the main cable networks will be interested. Also, they just won't look at 30 min pilots unless you've got all your pitch documentation together and they're totally hooked by that.

As with making your own film, it's a long shot. But if you want to pursue it by all means. I'm pretty sure Versus channel has a method of submitting shows on their website. Search around if you feel it's a show that could potentially air on their. Again, it's a long shot, but a shot.

Adam,

I've been following your posts about the not-so-obvious show-submittal process and have come to this conclusion - you tell me if I'm wrong on these two points:

1. DSC, NatGeo and others all have the disclaimer in their "sign up to submit" process that basically says (and I'm paraphrasing) that, "... the chances are good that your idea has already been submitted by someone else or, we've already thought of that idea in some form or fashion, so if we don't pick your exact concept and later release a show very similar to yours, you can't touch us with a lawsuit...".

2. It's my impression that those disclaimers are nothing but cleverly disguised legal mumbo-jumbo that gives them and their preferred short-list of producers a method to view show submissions and legally steal the ideas outright, allowing them to claim "similar idea already in the works" if someone did attempt to sue.

Basically: Get an agent to aid in the show concept submittal process or don't bother.

Is that an accurate overview?

I'd say that's a completely accurate bottom line, at least based on my experience.

Any agents you'd recommend?

2. It's my impression that those disclaimers are nothing but cleverly disguised legal mumbo-jumbo that gives them and their preferred short-list of producers a method to view show submissions and legally steal the ideas outright, allowing them to claim "similar idea already in the works" if someone did attempt to sue.

Basically: Get an agent to aid in the show concept submittal process or don't bother.

Is that an accurate overview?

I think the conclusion is correct, but the assumption seems to offer a very one-sided perspective...

Say you submit a concept to a network, and they don't put this protection in place...say they have already spent $100K developing a similar idea with another producer. Just by having your proposal cross their desk, they lose their idea and the money invested in it, they have to pay for the expenses of a lawsuit, and the chances are that you have a good chance at nailing them for a settlement.

It seems to me that they have very strong incentives for including this boilerplate. I know one producer, non-network but very successful with a fairly high profile, who tells me that every time he produces something new, he gets sued. By someone claiming that he is stealing their idea - which is never actually the case. It's a little phenomenon called the zeitgeist.

There is a reason that they stick with producers with whom they have pre-existing relationships. It is much less risky, and networks are risk-averse entities -- they already have huge legal bills involved with high-profile productions. What incentive do they have to add more risk by giving an unknown producer a hearing? It's the opposite - they have no incentive, because they usually have a stable of existing relationships with producers who they trust and who deliver products they know that they can sell.

We all know how important it is to protect any entity or individual from a potential lawsuit especially with one with little to no merit, but the point I was hitting on, was that it's not wise if not downright futile to attempt a show submittal unless you have an agent or an "inside track".

Glad I did my due-diligence on this before I attempted the same process.

How many acquisitions editors have you actually tried to contact? I've spoken with five of them, with minimal effort on my part (I don't aspire to network TV, it really doesn't fit well with raising a young child, which is something that I learned, through these little talks...). But I did have to go through channels that had nothing to do with the web or the internet submissions to do it. A lot of networks are still very old school - tapeless workflows scare them, viral marketing worries them. They like to deal face to face, with people.

Acquisitions editors aren't as hard to track down as you would think. I think most people are afraid to call or contact these people.

It is never too early to think about distribution, for any project, whether it is a network production, a film, an instructional video. The beginning is always in the end, for film and video.

We know this in our commercial businesses and our wedding businesses - getting your arms around the delivery can save you a million headaches in the end - but somehow when it comes to making a TV series or film, the creative process is so much more complex and absorbing that we hope someone else will deal with the distribution issues. But the song remains the same.

One piece of smart advice given to me, once I started working on larger productions: "The easiest thing about the production is the production"

"How many acquisitions editors have you actually tried to contact? "

None, since I don't know any nor have the slightest idea how to find and contact them.

But I'm also highly skeptical and distrusting of the usual methods for proposing and submitting a show concept.

My gut tells me that Adam is spot-on, in that getting an agent is tantamount to being taken seriously and having an extra layer of protection from boilerplate disclaimers providing the big networks a method for cheating on show ideas.

I may abandon the concept of going to a network altogether and go a completely different route for what I'm working on, but if I found an agent that considered my idea pitch-worthy I'd go forward. But finding a willing agent is probably no easier than the pitch itself, so again I'm thinking I'm going to stay completely independent from the process.

Adam does give good advice. There's not a note that he has sounded that I would disagree with...

I was merely trying to elaborate on why things are the way they are. You're characterizing the networks as exploitative of new producers' brilliant, fresh ideas -- and that's simply not the case. I'm sure that there are instances in which that happens. But most of what makes network execs a challenge to deal with is -- they operate within a system, and that system is limited by what it can and will do.

The other thing that you're probably not considering is the ways in which network formatting requirements will hamstring your creativity. National network producer's specs are a baptism by fire, if you are outside of the stable of their trusted producer's -- and they will vet your work and hold it to a much more particular standard than if you are a known quantity.

A show that I had on Versus, for example, was initially rejected for soft dissolves that I put in an interview - they wanted all of them patched over with b-roll. So all five masters had to be re-done. The show aired, but it was a nail-biter to hit the deadline, and get all of the masters re-edited, re-close captioned, re-transferred, and shipped. Two days later, I was watching a regular series on the same channel, and another producer had used the exact same technique -- and theirs passed without notice, because, as a producer of a regular series, rather than a one-off (which is what I produced), they had already been vetted by the network and were able to submit their weekly without the same degree of scrutiny.

Discovery is the ultimate snack TV, and their specs are geared very strongly towards preventing their viewers from surfing at the commercial break. This mandate dictates and shapes all of the available editorial and creative choices.

Those are just some examples of the types of snags that you will encounter. My experience is that people often think that they have a great idea for a show, but once you try to mesh that idea with networks' expectations, it isn't always the best fit, for a variety of reasons.

Finding an agent is not really where your due diligence begins or ends. There are a lot of invisible expectations and unearthing these, as much as you can, will save you a load of headaches. That's why speaking directly to the acquisitions teams will be very educational and save you a lot of hassle - even before you consider pitching them, knowing what they are looking for in a project and a producer is absolutely invaluable.

Thanks for the insights, much appreciated. But everything you've just shared bolsters my gut reaction that if I'm ever going to launch a project built around my vision and creative style then it's going to not involve any network and be completely independent. And quite possibly just not even be for broadcast!

Ah, the times are a-changin'.

You're both absolutely right, of course. Networks aren't evil -- just part of a system and they have to protect themselves. At the same time, the suspected abuses you mention can and do occur.

The problem with trying to go completely outside the system is, where are you gong to show your stuff to reach a wide audience? Unless you're happy selling DVDs at the local dime store -- and many people are -- you need some channel of distribution.

I've got some ideas but unless they prove themselves worthy and find an appropriate audience for funding I'm keeping that close to the chest for now. Believe me, if it works - and I'm prepared for the possibility it won't - I'll share it openly.

As I mentioned, it isn't hugely difficult to access network acquisitions folks, but it does take time, money, and energy...

MIPFormats - Fresh Talent Pitch - MIPWORLD (http://www.mipworld.com/en/mipformats/fresh-talent-pitch/)

I've never attended this, but putting yourself through these types of processes and events can teach you a lot and answer a lot of your questions. And help you to refine your audience.

Have you heard about this "one in a million" (or should it be one in $30 million) success story:

BBC News - YouTube video leads to Hollywood contract (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417789.stm)

the direct video link:

YouTube - Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!) 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dadPWhEhVk)

Hey, I have this great play for the NY Giants that is sure to work. How do I get in touch with the coach?

You will not get past the door with the major networks.

The only way to make it is by working up the ladder. You can do it from the inside by starting near the bottom working for a network or a production company that does work for a network and over the years, gain experience and connections. The other way is by producing your own work on a small scale for local markets or the very small networks and make a name for yourself and climb that ladder.
To think you can start at the top and go from there is ...

If you currently haven't got a relationship with one of these broadcasters, it may make sense to approach a producer who has. This is extremely common because of the broadcasters tending to want with known producers. However, some of these people have gone directly with their next project and have had them commissioned. Much of this business is about building up relationships, so you just can't not put in proposals in case someone steals your idea, you have to find the best means of getting it through the commissioning process.

BTW A well known British broadcaster does have the reputation of in house producers stealing documentary ideas. I do know of instances where the only source of the idea was the independent producer's proposal. Not always the case, but it does occasionally happen.

This thread is quite old but worth resurrecting:

I'm not allowed to discuss details - of any kind - but I can tell you that the amount of money any of the "big" cable networks will pay for your show idea and to make you the EP is paltry if not downright insulting.

In short, if you bring a valid show idea to any network they will (as discussed in this thread) literally ask you to sign away your rights to the show and pay you what amounts to a "finders fee" for allowing them to take your idea on-air.

If you want to use a network deal to hopefully use as a stepping stone to something else or, make it part of your resume of work I suppose that would be fine, but if you're hoping that getting a "deal" would mean big-bucks or making an entire career out of a new show, forget about it. You're just another pawn to the network and paid accordingly.

If I do take my show concept to the next level it will *never* involve or touch a cable network, not unless they pony-up serious royalties. (yeah, right)

I've pitched directly to several majors - Discovery, TLC, The History Channel, A&E, SyFy - the key was getting a producer on board. Someone who had a track record of producing shows. We went in, did the song and dance, showed the sizzle reel - had some interesting discussions - and got the 'no thanks'. Sometimes right there, sometimes after they thought about it for a while.

Never signed anything that said "We might already have this." Although at one network - they said "We actually took a look at an IDENTICAL concept last month - and passed on it because of XYZ." "Well, mine is DIFFERENT BECAUSE it's ABC" I replied - and they listened and conceded that it WAS a 'bit different' - but they didn't feel the concept was right for them.

I'm still shopping it, and still believe in the concept. But it's just one of several I'm working on.

What is the deal with trying to sell a indie film or documentary, does a "finished" product increase the chances of a sale?

Does a show like PBS's "Independent Lens" pay filmmakers or do they "do you a favor" by agreeing to airing it?

I personally know of three different situations regarding PBS 'distribution'. For my own part, my documentary "American Jouster" was picked up by the local PBS affiliates and aired on their series "VIDEO - I" - I got a small payment, which was nice. (KQED and KTEH here in the San Francisco/San Jose bay area)

I worked on a doc (B-roll, some interviews) that has won some big festivals - and was picked up by PBS - and they paid a nice distribution fee to the producers.

I know of a THIRD doc - that PAID a local PBS affiliate a hefty fee - to 'represent' and place their doc, airing it across the US.

I would say that having some heat behind your doc - awards, accolades etc. - makes it more likely that you will be paid for distribution or the rights.