The Marketing Process

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

You must go to websites that review new fwriting projects and give you feedback.  Some websites will even help you 'market' a project if it gets HIGH reviews. This is the first step in marketing a new project and is critical so you having a sense of how well your project is going to be SEEN in the eyes of any producer or reader (assistants).   Look up the websites that are best associated with the film or TV industries and see how they rate before you pay to get your project 'reviewed.'  The more GOOD reviews you get and the more 'informed' you are about how people are 'reacting' to the new material --the better prepared you will be to fight for its success! is not for the fait or heart.  You must be passionate about your project and do your homework to figure out what is the best way to market your particularly idea and who would be the best one to receive it.   This 'marketing' information is available on line, but you will have to so many hours of research in order to understand it all and to process it.    

GET YOUR PROJECT REVIEWED

You must go to websites that review new screenplay writing projects and TV series projects and give you feedback on the script.  Some websites will even help you 'market' a project to producers who are associated with that website if the script gets GOOD reviews. This is the first step in marketing a new project and is critical to getting your project read.  Bad reviews means you have problems and need to get your project fixed.  Good reviews means it will move up on the website and get noticed.  Look up the websites that are best associated with your particular project and see how they rate your script.  The more GOOD reviews you get and the more  informed and confident you can be about how producers and readers in the industry will react to your new projects and ideas.  

FIND THE RIGHT TV OR FILM PRODUCERS 

You are new to this, so like anyone new you must do your research about the TV or Film world you are about to enter and how it works.  Look up all on-line websites that have ideas or suggestions about how to market a NEW Feature Film Screenplay or TV Series Project.  See which sites offer the best associations with producers in these industries and consider using the ones who help you market your project to producers who are associated with these companies.  

YOU MUST BE ON THE WEB

If you don’t have a web presence for your project, you will be considered an amateur and not a professional writer. Set up a simple website. This functions as your online resume. I recommend that you research which sites are best to promote your project and get noticed. You can create your own website using WordPress or GoDaddy and then promote both yourself and your project there.

APPROACH FILM AND TV PRODUCERS VIA EMAIL.

The basic method of marketing a project is with a logline, a brief synopsis, information about the writer/creator of the project and contact information.   This is usually called the query letter and can be sent via email to producers in the industry.  You must first however, look up which producers are accepted new projects from unknkown new writers.  This requires again, doing your homework and research on line.  You can see what these producers have done in the past and see if they might be a good fit for your particular project. DO NOT attach your screenplay or TV Bible until they request this from you.  You must follow the instructions each of these companies provides for soliciting new material to them and be willing to follow their particularly rules.

ENTER SCREENPLAY AND TV SERIES WRITING CONTESTS  

This is another way to findProducers interested in your project.  If your script gets attention at any contest it will be read by producers.  The goal here, like with most reviews is to get your project past the rejection stages and get noticed.  Each new contest award your project wins or receives notice in will get Producers to read it.  Do a search on-line about which contests would be best for your particularly project.

ON-LINE PITCH FESTS, WRITER’S CONFERENCES AND FILM & TV SERIES FESTIVALS

You can attend many of these events on-line now.  These events have producers present who are willing to hear about your new project. You must however, have your logline, pitch and other materials already ready, as well as a completed script to send them if they show any interest in your particular project.   Like all of these other marketing strategies there will be a fee to enter your project and attend these events.  

GET REVIEWED & DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Get your NEW project reviewed so you know not only what your competition is but more importantly how well your project STANDS UP in the eyes of professionals working in the industry.  Then go on-line and research tips on how to market a new TV Series show and see which site results are suited best for your project.  As a  'new' writer you can sell your TV show online as long as you follow the rules for submissions and research the TV companies that accept TV Series materials from 'new' writers. There are a lot production companies out there that are willing to pay money for a show idea that you just thought of. You don’t have to be acquainted with Hollywood or Netflix to make that happen. If you have a real creative and original idea for a TV show series, reality show, or any other visual content, you can try your luck at a few production companies that welcome pitches from the public. You could even make money, a handsome amount probably. Below, we discuss some production companies where you can pitch your show ideas. Make sure you have all the material you need before you apply.  A lot of the same rules apply to marketing a feature screenplay as well. 

PITCH A TV SHOW IDEA ONLINE 

A number of opportunities exist on the Internet. There’s a huge list of companies that are actively looking for such ideas and scripts that you can pitch within a few minutes. However, you need to make sure that your Idea or script is organized in a TV show bible template. Once your template is ready, you need to know which production company would be the most suitable for it. Many international and local organizations are looking for such ideas. If yours clicks, who knows it could be the next big TV show on Netflix or Amazon.

MAKE A LIST OF TV COMPANIES THAT ACCEPT TV SHOW IDEAS FROM 'NEW' WRITERS

Research websites that list TV production companies worldwide that accept online submissions for TV show ideas and scripts from new writers.  SEE SOME EXAMPLES BELOW:

MEGALOMEDIA  

Megalomedia is a small TV show company that is owned and created by a true megalomaniac. It’s passionate about creating great TV shows that inspire and give good entertainment. The company has created some shows that have gained a lot of audiences such as “my 600lb life”: a reality show, “Shipping Wars” and “Marshal Law”. It has offices located in Texas, U.S., and London. Megalomedia offers a unique opportunity for scriptwriters to pitch in a great TV show idea. You can submit your idea by going on their website. On the uppermost tab click “pitch us” and submit your details along with your script. If your script is accepted, Megalomedia will give you your due credit.

BBC WRITERS’ ROOM

BBC Writers Room offers opportunities for both experienced and new writers to work for BBC and create scripts for a variety of TV shows. The colossal company has several opportunities for scriptwriters. BBC Writers room has categories of drama, comedy, children’s shows, and much more. Submission for scripts is not open all the time. In fact, there are submission windows with deadlines that are present on the opportunities page of the writer’s room. The window is usually open twice a year in December/January for drama scripts and March/April for comedy scripts. Any writer over the age of 16 and under 30 can apply. Writer’s room accepts only those scripts which are complete and show potential. The company takes its writing standards very seriously does not entertain sub-standard writing. As a writer you have to make sure your script is complete and according to the format specified by BBC. Once the script is submitted, it will be analyzed by a group of experts. Keep in mind that only the first 10 pages of your script will determine if your script has potential. If your script is part of a series, you can provide 1-3 pages of the summary as well.

PIETOWN

Pie Town is a reality show production company located in California, US. It has produced some of the most popular reality shows like House Hunters, Downsized, Joan Knows Best, Chef and the City, and many more. Pie Town Productions has been operating since 1996 and is always looking for talented individuals that have great ideas for reality TV shows. Writers can submit their proposal by clicking on the “pitch us” tab. You will be required to read the terms and conditions first before you can proceed to your submission. Once you have read the terms, you will be required to fill in your details and attach your submission. You can also add a log-line for your script in the submission form. Submissions are only accepted from individuals who are over the age of 18.

ROCKSHRIMP

Rock Shrimp is a production company started by celebrity chef Bobby Flay and executive producer Kim Martin. The company specializes in food, lifestyle, and documentary. Rock Shrimp Productions have produced series Emmy and James, TV commercials, and branded digital content. If you have a good idea for any of the categories offered by Rock Shrimp, you can pitch it and be rewarded. Simply go to the pitch us tab located at the finishing end of the web page content. Read the terms and conditions, add in your personal details and attach your submission. It can be a document or an MP4 file.

GASS PRODUCTIONS

Gass Productions is a TV production, outside broadcast, and branded content production company situated in Kent, UK. They have worked with big brands and huge live events around the world. The company has supplied production services to TV broadcasters such as BBC, Discovery, MTV, and PBS. Gass Productions works are based on storytelling and factual events. Gass Productions welcome ideas from any talented individuals. To submit your idea, go to the “pitch a TV Idea” tab situated on the top bar of the web page. You will be required to fill in your personal details and then add your submission. The production house only produces factual and documentary categories. Make sure your content is relevant to that. You can submit factual entertainment, 60-90-minute documentary, 6-12 episode factual series, or any interesting, thought-provoking program. You can get an idea about the type of content they produce by going to the production page on their website. When submitting a proposal as an attached file, make sure you have written information on the synopsis. This will include a summary of the idea, who will be in it, what will be the unfolding actions, how is it unique and the length of the show.

TAKE 3 TALENT

Take 3 Talent is a talent hunt agency in New York and Los Angeles. They represent children, teens, and adults for films, commercials, etc. Take 3 Talent offers opportunities to submit TV show ideas, comedy, and book projects as well. The department is led by Emmy award-winning producer Dave Marken and offers opportunities for a TV show idea in a variety of categories. As a writer, you can submit your idea in any of these categories by clicking the “pitch your idea to us” tab. Read the terms and conditions of the company before proceeding to submit your idea.

SHAKY ALIBI PRODUCTIONS

Shaky Alibi Productions is a reality show based production company that caters to different media platforms like feature films, broadcast television, internet streaming, and mobile entertainment platforms. Shaky Alibi Productions company has been nominated for many awards for its shows. If you are interested in pitching your idea to the production, you can go to the “pitch us” tab on the top bar of the web page. Here you will be required to fill in a form with personal details, a log-line for your idea, and a description of your pitch. You will then have to accept terms and conditions before submitting your pitch. Remember to add all the details in your pitch that will make your idea stand out. Shaky alibi only accepts ideas for a unique and attractive reality show. It is best to do a search on imdb.com to check if your idea has already been done before. If it’s not, feel free to submit your idea if you think it’s good enough.

CONSIDER ADDING A SHORT PRODUCTION SAMPLE

Your idea has more chances of being accepted if you have some supplementary material for your idea such as a clip, video, book or cast, etc. If you have the means, this could help by showcasing the TV Show’s overall concept and potential. 

DISCOVERY STUDIOS

Discovery Studios is a subsidiary of Discovery Inc. It is one of the biggest platforms of non-fiction shows and is watched in around 220 countries. Discovery Studios list some of its categories as reality, lifestyle, and adventure. The studio’s most well-known channels are Discovery Channel, Food Network, Animal Planet, and TLC. Discovery is open to ideas from individuals outside their network. You can submit your idea by going to the “Idea submissions” tab. Here you can submit your details and attach the document file of your idea along with a description of the pitch.

ITV STUDIOS

ITV is an Australian based production company that has its offices in Sydney, Paris, Stockholm, Koln, London, and Los Angeles. It is open to talent outside its company from anywhere. That means anyone can pitch their TV show ideas. ITV Studios offers a broad range of genres for TV and web shows. They encourage writers to submit scripts of any genre they like. To submit your idea, go to “ideas and casting” and from there go to “submit an idea” where you can enter your details and submit an idea. You can expect a response from the team within four weeks if the company is interested in your idea. They do not reply if they haven’t considered your pitch. ITV does not accept scripted pitches.

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (CBC)

CBC is a Canadian production company that aims to create shows that represent Canadians and their diversity. CBS offers producers to pitch their show ideas to CBC and get a chance to get their show on the channel. CBC.ca offers a variety of genres in which you can submit your idea. It will automatically go to the relevant department of each genre. Some of the categories are comedy, factual, and drama. You can view the complete list of genres on the CBC website. To submit a TV script, you have to download the submission release form from the CBC website and submit your idea along with the form. If your pitch interests CBC, you will get a response from the team within 6-8 weeks. If your show is accepted for production, CBC’s business and rights team will help you with all the business processes required for production.

CRAZY LEGS PRODUCTION

Crazy Legs Production is situated in Atlanta and offers low-cost production services to its clients. Some of these clients include TLC, Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, and the Travel Channel. Crazy Legs Productions  has produced shows in the categories of reality and scripted. Some of the shows include Family by the Ton, Hotel Amazon, To Catch a Killer and Dead Silent. Crazy Legs are accepting ideas for shows that have some mainstream potential. If you want to submit an idea, you can go to the “pitch us” tab on their website. You can submit any good show script along with supplementary materials such as sketches, video, demo, and characters

ABC TV

ABC TV productions is an Australian company that works with independent producers to create content for its viewers. The company also has subsidiary channels such as ABC Kids and ABC Comedy and a range of genres to pitch in. ABC TV has genres that include drama, comedy, arts, children, indigenous, documentary, and sports. ABC is open to pitches from external producers and independent production companies. Writers can pitch for any of the categories mentioned on the ABC website. Each genre has its specific rules and regulations. For example, the drama and comedy category requires a pitch document, a series outline, and a sample script for submission. Its best to also submit a sample video material. Once you have submitted your pitch, you can expect a response within 8 weeks if the company is interested your submission.

JUMA TV

Juma TV is a television production company that specializes in non-scripted shows, mostly in the genres of lifestyle and competition. Its services also include event production and consulting. Some of the company’s popular projects are Pool Kings, Greatest Holiday Commercials Countdown, Superstar Renovation, and Barn Hunters. Juma TV is open to show ideas which you can easily submit on their website. Go to “submit an idea” tab on the bottom of the homepage on the company’s website. You can fill the idea form with your personal details. Then submit a description of the pitch in the text box available on the form. Once this is done, you can accept the terms and click the submit button to submit your pitch.

MERCURY FILM WORKS

Mercury Film Works is a Canadian based entertainment company that specializes in 2D and 3D animation. It offers design and animation services. The company’s partners include Disney, Mattel, Warner Bros, Paramount, National Geographic, and many more. Mercury Film Works has worked on many popular animation projects such as Hilda, Tangled Series, and Mickey Mouse. Mercury Film Works is open to pitches from agents and publishers. They are usually looking for submissions that are in the children’s or teens category. To submit your pitch, create a one-page synopsis of the idea. Additionally, a storyboard or a script can go along with your synopsis. Mercury Films give some tips on its page, regarding submissions as well. Your idea should be simple and focused. Put a lot of effort into your log-line as this is what attracts the reader’s attention. If your submission has interested in the production company, you can expect a response from the team within 5-7 weeks