Inspiration, Determination and Risk

Sometimes things happen when the universe is ready to deliver them to you. There is no universal time line that says when things will begin or will end. Through inspiration, determination and risk you set out with your goal and hope for the best.

When it comes to pitching my television concepts, I realize that when the timing is right - the universe will deliver. I did get incredible news on Friday, which I am dying to share, but can’t until everything is in order…

After talking to friends in the industry before I got this good news, they brought up many scenarios and stories of great projects that didn’t happen until the universe was ready to let them happen. There were many stories that involved people who put their heart and soul into writing, creating and pitching all for the hope of a sale. One story stood out in my mind and this person’s determination reminded me of mine and my recent path…it’s about Reality Creator and really the Father of Reality TV, Mark Burnett.

Of course you know of him. His name is Mark Burnett. He is the genius behind the wildly popular "Survivor" and "Apprentice" series. But this reality television producer wasn’t always the hottest reality producer in town. When he first came to Los Angeles he was a nanny…or “manny” as I like to call the male nannies. In 1990, he was selling t-shirts on our beaches.

In 1995, with no television experience he sold a show to MTV called Eco-Challenge. Through inspiration, determination and risk he transformed his life from manny to on his way to becoming a mogul reality tv producer. But it didn’t happen overnight…

In the summer of 1999, he pitched an unknown executive at the time, Ghen Maynard over at CBS. Ghen was a young executive at the network who took a call from Conrad Riggs about a hot producer with an exciting idea for a new kind of show…Burnett was an unknown producer that was producing Eco-Challenge. So on July 27, 1999, Burnett pitched Ghen “Survivor.” In May 2000, Survivor aired and the reality frenzy began! And so did the making of a reality superstar producer and creator.

Here is someone that took many risks. He went out virtually as an unknown and pitched his ideas. He found that “someone” to believe in his idea and who ultimately saw that same vision that Mark saw. It wasn’t easy - even with a big believer like Ghen, who pitched his boss Leslie Moonves several times to get him to see the great vision that he saw in Mark’s idea.

If someone like Mark Burnett who was virtually a nobody in our reality tv world can set out and carve his path...so can you. I say three cheers for anyone who is out pitching and determined with their vision to sell a show. Keep pitching and paint your vision with your words like its a painting...with hard work and determination your bound to be rewarded by the universe if your ideas are good!

My Kiplinger's Cover is on News Stands!

It's official! My Cover and cover story are now out on news stands across America! I've gotten hit by a triple whammy with some really GREAT news today...I can't reveal all of it right now but just know that it has to do with my blog and the reason I set out to write the blog in the first place!! It has to do with a Magazine, Television and Radio...

God I can't wait to share it with everyone! Please support and go get a copy and read about my success through paying a career coach. Kiplinger's did a story on my coach Eli Davidson and the magazine interviewed me as a part of a story they were doing about her group coaching program. I did the interview and they called back the next day and said that my story was so inspirational "how would you feel about being on the cover?" My response was "that sounds like so much fun, I would love to!" Here is a big cheer for Eli's program! Thank you Eli!

The Road To Making a Sale

I felt compelled to have to write something based on Sarah's comment and MR. Anonymous' comment from my last post. I totally respect her comment and love that I have people interested in my blog...

First things first. Selling a television show is no easy task. I would love to hear your success and all about you selling a show if in fact you are in the business! You just may have some secret ingredient that I don't have wrapped up in my pitches, but you could teach me!? You must not be in this business and don't understand how long it takes and how many seeds you have to plant before you get a sale! I've said before that I think it's a lot of seeds planted, luck, likability factor and lots of other things tied in.

I have seven concepts. I started out in January of this year developing and flushing out the concepts. So from January to May, I spent 5 months on developing. In May 2008, I made a shop and pitch deal for the project that I have with Christopher Titus. MIND YOU THIS WAS MY FIRST PITCH OUT!!! We then started pitching that concept in June of this year. Our pitches for that one show to all the big Networks went through to September! Like I said we have one big bite and one pitch left to do. This project only went straight to the Networks. And you are not sitting in a Network Executives office pitching a show with a major celebrity if its a piece of crap...They screen every pitch before you even sit in their presence! People have tight schedules and meetings get pushed and changed around. Networks are constantly changing their programming schedules around. Network Executives are constantly changing jobs. The Universe is swirling with constant flow.

So, from May until September I was also out by myself at all of the production companies listed pitching my other six concepts. Out of those 10 or so production companies I would say three have given solid passes. But 7 are currently interested in one to four of those six concepts...that's a pretty damn good ratio if you ask me or anyone else who has gone out there and pitched ideas to Network Executives and Production Companies.

You could in fact get a Yes and then at the last minute the network or company decides its not for them, so its a gamble. I am taking a risk pitching. I know I will eventually sell something. This blog is all about my pitching journey and the road to making a SALE!

Also, I love my career. I love what I do and I also love making television. I have my hands in quite a few other projects at the same time that pay me money. People in the film industry know all too well how hard it is to sell a film. There are some films that were huge blockbuster films that took years to get someone to invest in it...so you don't know what you are commenting about...and if you do, please fill me in on your success selling a show. I'd love to hear about it!

My Persistence will pay off...

Summer 2008 Pitch Schedule

(Me at my Kiplinger's Cover Shoot with the LA Skyline in the background!)

It was a summer full of pitching! I have to say a big thank you to Chris Ryan, my manager over at Oceanside Entertainment. He has done such an amazing job working on my team and booking all of my meetings and following up.

Our Summer pitches included the following Networks & production companies...

It was me and the "suits" at:

ABC
NBC

CBS
SPIKE

FOX

MTV

3Ball

Stone & Company

Trump

QED

GRB

Evolution

A. Smith & Co.

Granada USA

LMNO

E!

Intuitive Entertainment

Whew, it was a full schedule that is for sure! We have 6 solid concepts and a bunch of bites. The biggest bite again is with our Devil's Workshop, the show Christopher Titus and I came up with. Here I sit typing and waiting ever so patiently... read my previous posts on how I am waiting patiently for the universe to reward me for all of my hard work! :)

I am in the process of preparing my next six concepts to hit the road with this fall. I've got two of them that I need write treatments for and 4 more that I still need to think up! I actually have two docu-soaps that I am researching. I really need to find more time during the week to really focus on doing the research. One of the subjects is in San Diego and I will need to go down there and sit and watch them a bit more...

In the mean time I am interviewing for Supervising Producing jobs and had a great interview on Monday. Keeping the fingers crossed, because my brain needs some outside stimulation - outside of my own office that is...I love working on shows and love being around people and creating!

I would love to have you comment on my blog! If you have not signed up to get my blog - please do so! I also want to hear if you enjoy reading my blog. Oh and if there is anything else you want me to cover - that you are interested in about pitching.

(I know I have not sold anything just yet, but I have huge bites and its only a matter of time and I know I can give you great advice if you are looking for a pitching question to be answered!) So please comment, sign up and tell me how much you love my blog!?

Ask Yourself - Am I Really Giving a Good Pitch?

Saturday, I was a panelist expert at the "Final Draft Take a Meeting" PitchFest. What a great venue for writers new and old to have a chance to pitch their ideas. My managers table was one of two reality television tables taking reality pitches at the event. At exactly 9:30 the clock started to roll as people ran in to the hall to find their "appointment" for the next 15 minutes to give their pitch. So for 15 minutes participants got to try and sell their idea and get sound advice for their projects. What a great inspiring place!

Our first pitch of the morning was the best pitch of the day. I can't say what the pitch was about, but it was in the High School genre. The gal pitching had just graduated from Vanderbilt College and was full of energy. She had done her research and it was a well thought out idea. She took notes from our notes and listened intently as we told her we liked her idea...put together a treatment and get back in touch with us.

Our table was specific to the Reality TV genre and we did have one guy who snuck into our table to sit down and pitch us his "movie." It was all about Cocaine. A town that was duped into eating a cookie that was unannounced to them was made with...you guessed it...COCAINE. I got really confused because he started talking about Sigmund Freud for 10 minutes and then about his story. I felt he took to much time explaining the inspiration for his script rather than his storyline. Anyway, bravo for being there and having the guts to pitch! The rest of the day was filled with average ideas. And my relief for the second half of the day turned out to be 2 other clients of my manager - both of whom are very funny, have great ideas and Sold and idea...Just signed papers this week. So Congrats to them!

Some Components to Giving a Good Pitch:

Introduce yourself, give a brief background of you and then your logline.

The most important thing of your pitch...is your logline. Get out what your project is about within the first three minutes of your pitch. I personally don't mind if you open with a short sentence on why you thought of the idea, but have your logline memorized and ready to roll off your tongue. "Its a competition to see who gets the most fame...the fastest! The tables are turned on “Celebrity Bloggers” to see if they can make ‘stars’ out of total nobodies, in the ultimate quest for fame. Can just about anyone with a little determination, winning personality and a desire to inspire, become famous?"Now this is one of my own loglines... but you get the picture.

Practice your Pitch!

The thing is, I am not going to be excited if you are not excited about your own creation. I know that its nerve racking to do it all in under 15 minutes, (or how ever long you have) but you have to get over the nervous factor and get your pitch out. Practice your pitch. Do it in front of a mirror. Pitch it to your brother, mother or lover. Just keep practicing. And, you want to be able to have good energy, because it will help people visualize your idea. If you describe it as though its unfolding right there at that very moment - and I can see your excitement THEN I can see your vision and I am going to want to hear more!

Always Have a Back Up!

I say this as experience from pitching. A few scenarios can happen:

A. They have something just like it! What else do you have?

B. Pass, what else do you have?

C. I love it, what else do you have?

Take Constructive Criticism Evenly

When the person listening to your pitch explains to you why they are passing, listen to their comments constructively on why they are passing. Don't get mad if the other person is giving you a pass. Listen, there have been times in my past that Network executives have told me their thoughts on why it wouldn't work at their Network. I take everything they say into my brain - even if I don't agree. Chances are its only going to help me at some point down the road with this project or another one.

All in all it was a good day for me to see just what other people are pitching. You want to be in the know, to see if your ideas are on the money, and to see what not to do! Congratulations to everyone who pitched on Saturday!

P.S. I want to know are there people out there that would be interested if we set up a REALITY TV pitch fest? Please comment and let me know!

Believe in Your Vision

Last night, I was finally finishing up a book I have had on my nightstand since January by Russell Simmons, "Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success."

I got to thinking this morning about how much he stresses in the book to believe in your vision. Never giving up. He gave great examples in one of the chapters about people he knows who never gave up. Kanye West, Puffy, and Michael Jordan are three people he specifically writes about. I bet you didn't know that Michael Jordan was cut from his HS basketball team? He worked hard to get back on the team and in his senior year brought them to state championships. Look at his career span now...

Some of the most successful people started at the bottom of the barrel. But they kept their vision clear and they kept going. They didn't listen to the naysayers. They just didn't give up. If they did hit a wall they found a way to go around it, on top of it, through it...

You can't quit, because when you quit and give up its over. As Russell says in his book, "its your job to make the universe say YES!" Persistence pays and the world rewards people who don't quit. You may think that the seeds that you are planting are going no where, turn that thinking around because those very seeds are going to bring you rewards. Great rewards.

So, thanks Russell for keeping me going, its only a matter of time now with all of the patience I have gained (read my last post) that the universe will reward me and buy one of my shows!

NBC Rumors

According to reports, Ben Silverman and his head of development are getting fired and the network is already dreading their programming slate for the new season! Could it be true? Could they hate "Knight Rider?" I found that story on two of the popular gossip websites! One of them Perez...and he usually is on the money with his "rumors." Another website said that he had not been into his office for over a month and had been at the Olympics "partying" if you know what that means...not the liquid kind of party like most of us do. Please say it isn't so. He is a smart man, so I doubt this is true.

Devil's Workshop is on the radar at NBC and I wonder what effect this will have on our show?!

Does anyone know if this is a bad rumor or not? I'll have to scour Variety today...