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Posted by PTravel on 09/12/06 19:17
"Spex" <No.spam@ta.com> wrote in message
news:4506f813$0$2699$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> 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.
I never said anything of the sort.
Reading. It's fundamental. ;)
>
>
>>
>>
>> "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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