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Posted by Spex on 09/12/06 18:10
Steve Guidry wrote:
> Awwww, Paul, go easy on the guy. (grin)
>
> He's just giving you a bit of what we all go through when we "have an idea".
> Everyone weighs in, and most of them are uninformed - - even some of the
> folks who might be able to give the project the go-ahead.
>
> Steve
>
> P. S. Email me prtivately, and I will give you a name of a guy at a
> ewll-known prod. co. who might know who you can pitch this to . . .
>
>
Didn't he make himself clear? He doesn't need any help.
>
>
> "PTravel" <ptravel@travelersvideo.com> wrote in message
> news:4mo79qF6to6oU1@individual.net...
>> "Spex" <No.spam@ta.com> wrote in message
>> news:4506e28d$0$577$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...
>>> PTravel wrote:
>>>> "Bryan Heit" <bjheit@NOSPAMucalgary.ca> wrote in message
>>>> news:ee6fdh$jff$1@news.ucalgary.ca...
>>>>> nobody special wrote:
>>>>>> I had a friend try to pitch a show to them. Discovery has a small
>>>>>> number of "favorite son" production companies that feed product into
>>>>>> them. Your only real hope is to go thru one of them, and once you do,
>>>>>> they basically make you sign over the idea and most of the control
>>>>>> over
>>>>>> the idea to them (as well as most of the profits). You get a small
>>>>>> piece of it unless you can retain some producer credits on it.
>>>>> This is probably the only route to go, but I don't think it is the
>>>>> "death sentence" you make it out to be.
>>>>>
>>>>> Firstly, if you look at what is needed to make a documentary of the
>>>>> type which appears on Discovery, National Geographic, etc, its pretty
>>>>> obvious you need a full production team. For the "average" documentary
>>>>> of this quality you'll need:
>>>>>
>>>>> Film crew(s) + audio crew
>>>>> Researchers
>>>>> Audio technicians/editors
>>>>> Video technicians/editors
>>>>> Host(s) and/or narrator(s)
>>>>> Script writers
>>>>> Animators
>>>>> Lawyers (for licensing, releases, and so forth)
>>>>> Music composition (or licensing)
>>>>> Someone to keep everything on track (Producer)
>>>>> Plus directors to keep all of the sub-groups organized
>>>>>
>>>>> Although one person can do all of these jobs (I've done all of this for
>>>>> some of my own work) it is doubtful one person could do all of these
>>>>> jobs well enough for Discovery-level production. Not to mention the
>>>>> vast amount of time it would take to make a single episode.
>>>>>
>>>>> But this doesn't mean that you'd have to give up control, or make very
>>>>> little $$$ from it. For example, if your documentary involves a
>>>>> technical field you could easily work not only as a creator, but as a
>>>>> researcher/consultant. If you're decent at writing you may also be
>>>>> able to do work as a writer. Any stock footage you may have may also
>>>>> be used - either for the planning of the footage they shoot, or used
>>>>> directly in the production. All of these would give you additional
>>>>> input into the work, and probably get you a little more $$$.
>>>>>
>>>>> Another option to consider is approaching a smaller (i.e. local)
>>>>> broadcaster first. This would give you the opportunity to develop the
>>>>> show, be it with fewer resources, but this would give you greater
>>>>> control over the project. This way you have the opportunity to develop
>>>>> the show, work out the bugs, develop a small team, etc, before you
>>>>> approach discovery or a larger production studio. You're far more
>>>>> likely to be taken seriously if you come to them not with an idea, but
>>>>> with a project that has some history - even if its just a small show
>>>>> which runs on a local station.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bryan
>>>> I appreciate your taking the time to post this, but to pull it back on
>>>> track (and as I posted originally), this is not an idea for a
>>>> full-length episodic program, nor is it something that requires a full
>>>> production team. I don't intend to say any more about it because I
>>>> don't wish to disclose the idea, but I'm perfectly capable of executing
>>>> it myself (in SD, for which my prosumer gear is completely adequate) and
>>>> without additional crew (beyond what I already use). As for clearances,
>>>> I only need music, I have a source for that, and I'm a lawyer who does
>>>> licensing, so legal formalities are not a concern at all, as I will
>>>> handle them myself.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> He gave you good advice.
>> Neither he nor you know what the project is. His advice is completely
>> inapplicable.
>>
>>> I bet my mortgage that you don't get anywhere close to getting your
>>> programme made and aired on Discovery.
>> Quite likely. This is a long shot.
>>
>>> Without wishing to be rude I've seen your travel videos on your website
>>> and I don't think that level of quality should ever be seen on TV.
>> No offense taken. My travel videos on my website aren't the project.
>>
>>> You cannot edit for toffee.
>> Perhaps, perhaps not.
>>
>>> If you show any of those videos you'll be shown the door. I promise you
>>> that.
>> I'm sure you're right, which is why I have not intention of showing any of
>> those videos.
>>
>> So many assumptions, here. So many of them wrong.
>>
>>> Climb down off your high horse and listen to Bryan's advice.
>> Bryan's advice is inapplicable to my project. Even if I wanted to, there
>> simply isn't anything for all those production people to do. One of the
>> first things a lawyer learns is, before giving an opinion, find out all
>> the facts. That's good advice, too.
>>
>>> Have you even rung Discovery Channel to ask about submissions?
>> No, I thought I'd start here.
>>
>>> A simple phone call should be sufficient to determine how a pitch or
>>> submission should be made.
>> An a simple post is simpler.
>>
>>> You should be aware that Discovery has some extremely fierce
>>> requirements you have to adhere to.
>> Which you could have shared with me, I suppose, in response to my post.
>> Instead you chose to lecture me about my project and my talent, neither of
>> which you have sufficient information to judge.
>>
>>> The best advice anyone will give you or should have given you is to leave
>>> it to the pros.
>> What should I leave to the pros? What was my project again? Oh, yes --
>> you don't know have any idea at all.
>>
>>> Take the idea to a production company and they'll be honest with you as
>>> to whether the idea is a goer or not. They may even be able to run with
>>> the idea, come at it from a different angle, sell the idea to Discovery
>>> and get it aired. You play a part in the making of it, get a broadcast
>>> credit and paid. Otherwise the idea however good it is may never reach
>>> the screen.
>> As I said, you don't know what the idea is -- it is not suitable for
>> taking to a production company.
>>
>>> I've never seen a credit roll with one person's name on it. Its for a
>>> reason.
>> This project isn't one that entails credits. However, please feel free to
>> keep making judgments based on assumptions and no information whatsoever.
>>
>>
>
>
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