The New Media

I haven't written a post in a long time. Since my last posts my PR business has gotten so successful so I decided to focus my efforts on making money and doing something I love just as much as finding characters, making sizzles and pitching. 

To be honest, after putting together my latest sizzle "Behind the Bit" we decided that we would start our own online network. So we are in the process of laying the ground work for this online network. The TV industry has changed dramatically and if you aren't currently producing on a show, it's really hard to sell. Wait, it's really hard to sell anything in general.  

I'm sick of "maybe's" and "were discussing internally" which always means no or they have something too similar. So, I'm entering the world of online TV. My own. I'll keep you posted as we progress but in the mean time happy creating!

Lessons from a Sizzle Reel

Right now you can bet that someone just like you is sitting in a room pitching a reality show and is showing a sizzle reel.  If you don't have a sizzle you can just about forget about selling a show on the spot from a treatment.  What's most important to show in a sizzle?  I've done some great sizzles and nothing is going to ever be perfect for a network executive, but the elements in the sizzle should all be there to get them interested to garner a sale.

Your number one thing - you need a smoking hot sizzle to seal a deal!  You have to capture your message and your audience.  Here are some tips I have learned:

1. Make it no more than 3 to 5 minutes long.

2. Have a good Editor.

3. Have great characters.

4. Have good content.

5. Know your audience. 

6. Get to the Point.

Here's one of our character sizzles.  We took this out (mind you this wasn't the show sizzle) and we signed a deal from this...

If you have any tips to share from your POV, we would love to hear them!  Everyone always wants to know what you did for a sale - send your stories so we can share them with people who are out there pitching their shows and ideas!

Reality Television And The Limitations Of Copyright 

Great article today in the Huffington Post written by David Ginsburg - here's a blurb in case you didn't see it...

Recent weeks have seen much entertainment industry and legal attention to an aggressive dispute between two networks over a pair of "reality" television shows. CBS has broadcast Big Brother in the United States since 2000, and it got wind of a prospective but as-yet uncompleted show entitled The Glass House it believed ABC was developing for a June 18, 2012 debut. In general, both shows involve a group of people living together in a house, sequestered from the outside world, continuously monitored by numerous television cameras, and on both shows contestants are eliminated over a respective season until there is a prize winner. To Read more click link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-r-ginsburg/glass-house-lawsuit_b_1622293.html

My thoughts are that I totally agree, you can not copyright an idea in reality. There have been so many knock off's of knock off's that one idea gives light to another and so on. That is what has made reality REALITY! For every idea that we take out into the marketplace there have been 3-5 others that have pitched - that same idea - only yours might be slightly different. My connections and my timing might also might be different as well. 

I think that ideas are a dime a dozen and it seems to me that CBS approach should have been different. What if they were flattered that the idea was a spin off and similar from theirs? What if they went on with the attitude that "we have created so many hits in the past, present and our future is going to be even better!" Let Glass House try and have a run. I think that anything that gets on the air these days is lucky. Its hard to sell and get things green lit! Lets change that focus and work on future stuff that has the potential to be the next "Survivor," or "Glass House," vs. taking people to court. Let's make this genre even better than it is.

What are your thoughts about David's article in the Huffington Post today?  I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Follow Up to Poker Faced Pitches

I wanted to write a post to follow up after our "Poker Faced" pitch meeting that we had at "said big corporation" with "said Jr. Development Exec."  Hence the mouse with the trumpet - we overcame our obstacles with our show from the lessons we learned at that pitch...

So, I came back to the office frustrated and confused.  Their big top executive wanted us to pitch the concept after they heard it.  We were pitching the people below them.  (I still don't completely understand this process of pitching someone under the main big person who likes the concept -  but wants the people under them to say no after hearing your pitch, because they've never got anything green lit the entire time they are at "said corporation."  It totally baffles me.


We brainstormed and completely took every single note they gave us and reworked and reformatted the show.  I mean complete overhaul.  Since we didn't have money for a sizzle on this particular project I knew we needed some kind of a visual to show anyone we pitched so they could have a peek into SEEING what we were thinking.  So, I found a clip on the Today Show of Matt interviewing one of the people I could see on our show and we made a CD of the interview.  We incorporated that into our pitch.


We had two other pitches lined up with production companies and on our first pitch (before 11 am - which is apparently the best time to pitch during the day) we knocked it out of the park.  It happened to be thundering during our pitch, a dog was running around barking and it was loud and noisy, but we pitched and they liked.  I really felt that our visual clip was what sold it.  So, right now we are working on our deal, the talent's deal and moving forward.


I guess the point I am getting to is that all pitch meetings give you clues on how to make it better and how to refine what you have.  It may have been one of the weirdest pitch meetings of my career but it made our show better and WE are in the process of signing a deal to produce this with a production company that we like!  And to top it off, I had to go into "said corporation" again for a meeting with someone else - and I saw one of the people who we pitched and I wanted so badly to tell them "remember our show we pitched you in that awful meeting where you stared me down the whole time - we got a production deal, ha ha!"  I have heard that they still have not gotten anything green lit since!  Oh well...

Poker Faced Pitches

Have you ever been in a pitch meeting that right from the beginning felt like you were in a meat locker? You could see your breath because it was so COLD? I am not talking about the room being cold at all, if you catch my drift. Yup. That was a pitch meeting we had this week. It was like a meat locker inside. And really, it wasn't our team. We actually came in because a big executive wanted our concept to be heard by some of the folks underneath them. We pitched this big corporate place before and experienced the same cold bone chilling feeling.

Picture this, your executive walks in. He or she shakes your hand with the "cold fish" handshake, smiles slightly and sits down. Every word that comes out of your mouth they are examining. The whole pitch they are poker faced, no inflection, no smile, no real interest and are set on hating what you have? When they finally do make a comment - your left going hu? No personality, no presence, nothing to add value to even try and act like you like us or the idea of the project or yourself for that matter!

I have been in many pitch meetings where if they like a small bit of what you have - you talk about ways that it could be better. We brainstorm together and make the outline of what we came in with be something even better. That happened to us when we went to pitch USA recently and the exec loved the conceptual idea and we sat there for two hours talking about how we could make it better, bigger and fit into what they had. It was one of the best meetings that I have had in a long time, outside of a few great ones at FremantleMedia.

I really didn't want to pitch this place again esp after our first meeting with the uninterested Jr. executive. But my TV intern reminded me that this meeting doesn't mean that it will end up the same way...I had my doubts and boy was I right--again. When you pitch someone that has a job just to have a job and hasn't ever gotten anything green lit EVER - and has only had one production job...it makes you wonder what the heck you are doing there.

Granted, I appreciate any time given to me to hear my ideas. But what I don't appreciate is the hardness and the lack of personality when meeting with someone. At the end of the pitch they didn't even walk us out! They disappeared so fast that they were not even in the hall when we left! I am actually still scratching my head 5 hours later going, what happened there? What do they like anyway? ESP since their big exec wanted them to hear the pitch...

The bottom line, you should pitch people you like but sometimes when a bigger contact initiates that they want their team to hear the pitch, you go do it. You smile, you say thank you, you shake hands and then you walk away talking about them outside of their building...

Two Years have Passed Since My Last Post!

Two long good years have passed since my last post. I can't believe that it has been so long! I have to admit that I had so much going on that I barely had time to write and update anything. Since my last post, I finally landed a deal at a huge world wide company and a first look deal as well. My business I created has taken off - as many of you know I run a Media Consulting firm. My core business over the last three years has been helping clients and brands with getting major media! It wasn't what I had originally envisioned for myself, but with the economy as bad as it was - I needed a way to survive. What better way to do that than with the skills I already had! With the help of my coach Eli Davidson (in fact she is the one who helped me get featured and on the cover of Kiplinger's Financial Magazine) I started a business.

Needless to say, I have been burning the candle at both ends - doing what I love. Balancing both worlds - media and producing. Everyone reading this knows that I love reality television and LOVE creating it. I love a good title that can spark an idea. That's what happens to me quite a lot. It happened the other day and next thing I know I am pitching it and they LOVE it. So, now its off to do some initial casting and find my subjects.

I promise to write more often now...see you soon! Oh and PS if you think you have a great idea, we want to hear about it! Contact us on our webpage and we'd love to see what you have!

Lessons from The Big Guys

Its been a crazy year with lots of pitches. I am finally seeing some results from my hard work. I have pitched my way all over Hollywood - meeting with some of the best and brightest Executives in town. We pitched last week in NYC at A&E and TruTv and LA for NBC. Now, its back to LA and set for another two big meetings today and tomorrow.

One great lesson that I learned this past month. I've created lots of shows over the past two years and learned a lot from the Talent. When creating a show around a talent you MUST make sure you do one thing with your Shop and Pitch Agreement...make sure that you have your talent sign an agreement that is longer than three months with a clause that will cover you when you are in the middle of pitching!

See the problem with Reality TV is you are dealing with newly found talent and they don't necessarily know our industry. They might think they know. They don't realize that any pitch takes time to move up the ranks and get a green light to start production. There are so many roadblocks, that you could never imagine. Russell Simmons has a great story about this very subject. I have blogged about him in past blogs. He states in his book "Do You!" how long he fought for MTV to take a chance with "Runs House," which did end up on MTV. BUT they told him NO over and over again - and he fought hard for his project and he believed in it 100%. He worked hard to get the end result - a show on the AIR!

What I got was "something should have happened by now." Mind you we pitched two weeks ago. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies. This business is all about who you know, who likes you and is your stuff good and LUCK! Glenn Larson, who had like nine series on the air at once once told me that there are so many factors that go into getting a show on the air. (From IMDB: Glen A. Larson is the man behind some of the world's best known primetime shows. His highly successful productions (successful both financially and popularly, less often critically!) include "Knight Rider" (1982), "The Fall Guy" (1981), "Battlestar Galactica"(1978), and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", "Knight Rider" (1982) and "Magnum, P.I." (1980). His venture "One West Waikiki".) He said "There are lots of office politics and you have to have LUCK on your side! It isn't just one factor like a good show that will get it on the air." So, for anyone who thinks that they will land a show with one pitch is crazy. You have to pound the pavement and you are going to get a lot of Passes or No's before you get a YES. And look - you can even get a YES and then someone up above changes their mind and says NO! You could even have a check in your hand - and shows in the can - and they still cancel it!

Everything takes time. Nothing happens over night in Hollywood. Patience is your friend. Having good Producers pitching you is also key. And Producers who know everyone in town is even better!

What I learned at Digital Hollywood

This week Digital Hollywood was put on at the Lowe's Hotel in Santa Monica, CA. What a great event! Even though the printed program was probably the most difficult program book to follow, I made my way to see several content summits that were held.

Day 1: My first round table was the luncheon where Mark Koops spoke. As many of you are aware Mark is a superstar in the TV world. He is co-creator of the hit series on NBC "The Biggest Loser" and managing director at Reveille. If you don't know that production company you should. Its got some major hits under its belt (the Office, Ugly Betty).

Next I hit up the Advertising Platform: Social Networks, TV & Video, Broadband, Mobile and Games. All things about understanding what advertising in the next generation will look like. Moved on to the Master Class workshop "Comedy: Superstars and Hidden Gems." Good stuff from Mike Polk from Break.com and Andrew Steele from Funny or Die. We ended up leaving it was a packed room and stuffy and hot - standing room only. Then I moved on to the Digital Hollywood Pitch Camp. This was a goodie - one of my favorite topics of course! 5 people got to get up and pitch while a panel of elites (Alex Barkaloff - EP Digital Lionsgate, David Gale - MTV, Mark Vega - Luce Forward) gave feedback on the pitches. Here is a breakdown of tips they gave in no particular order:

• Know what is it you are conveying?
• Audio & visual tools are a plus!
• Have a pitch that is intuitive and subjective.
• Innovative idea that understands the marketing of it.
• You get it!
• Know your audience.
• Have a great one liner. (your logline)
• Good idea that is adaptable.
• Have energy and excitement.
• You have to have a good idea, interesting characters are not enough!

The day ended with a nice cocktail reception by the pool and who doesn't love free drinks!

Day 2: I am still looking in the program trying to figure it out. The program is the worst piece of literature I have ever TRIED to read. I make my way to the Celebrity Media and Reality Shows Transforms to Broadband, Mobile, Social Media and TV. This one was a good one as well. Then on to the Video on the Smartphone Jumpstarting Revolution. Made my way to the Moguls, Indies and Youtube Stars hosted by David Gale and a few other great players. Last but not least, The Hollywood Real Deal Reinventing the Strategy the Platforms and Revenue Stream. This was a great session with Justine Bateman, Frank Nine, George Ruiz, Paul Kontonis. Here is a breakdown of tips this session provided:

• Keep your web content to 3-5 minutes. 3 minutes = 3 pages.
• Every episode has a mini cliffhanger that will demand attention.
• Characters have their own social media networks.
• Production/Writing Staff = key!
• It involves the audience.
• Demo/audience very important.
• Its an added benefit if you have stars that can talk with major outlets because of their celeb status.

I would recommend Digital Hollywood next year to those of you who didn't attend. Its a great way to hear from the experts what is going on in the industry (changes, future). Its also a great way to network. I met so many new faces and some old friends too. I feel as a producer its important to be cutting edge. So if you don't know about what's ahead in the industry your stuff is going to suck.

Performance Pitching

Two Tuesday’s - November 10th & 17th

2 Week Bootcamp with Producer Nicole Dunn & Motivational Speaker and Author, Eli Davidson...

Most times you only have one shot to pitch you, yourself, brand or your book. You’ve got to get their attention in a short amount of time. This workshop is for anyone who has an idea and wants to pitch it. Authors, Experts, Brands, Business Owners, TV Show ideas, Segment Ideas, Book ideas…You’ll pitch and we’ll give you tips and suggestions to help you brainstorm to create the perfect pitch.

In this workshop Motivational Speaker and Author Eli Davidson teams up with Team Emmy Nominated Producer & Creator Nicole Dunn, to help you get into the pitching game. Television Producer Nicole Dunn has personally pitched in over 200 meetings (Network Executives, Development Executives, News, Show ideas, Experts, Authors, Directors, Producers, Publishers) Put Jet Fuel in your pitch!

Being able to write a good pitch is an important business tool to have, no matter what line of work you’re in! You’ll learn to craft your pitch to be unique and stand out from the rest of the crowd. People will respond and return your calls, and book you! You’ll be able to pitch something that people care about hearing more about.

With a well-written pitch you will attract the interest of almost anyone (Producers, Directors, News, Editors, Book Publishers – even your boss!)

Each class will focus on your pitch. We’ll hear everyone’s ideas and help you make them spectacular. The first class is hands on! Everyone must come with a pitch. Not only will you learn from other people’s pitches, you’ll learn from your own.

• How a great logline will book you every time.
• How to be relevant.
• You’ll learn that doing research about who you are pitching and their target audience will land you the job or not.
• How to spot a news trend and piggyback off of it.
• You’ll hear examples of good pitches vs. bad pitches.
• You’ll hear examples of good tips vs. bad tips.
• You’ll work on perfecting a 30 second elevator pitch that you can use to pitch anyone with.
• What Ideas are worth pitching?
• What problems are you solving?
• What solutions are you offering?
• How to Deliver.
• How to follow up.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER NOW!
http://www.dunnpelliermedia.com/Dunn_Pellier_Media_Consulting/Schedules.html
Two Tuesday’s - November 10th & 17th 2009
6 PM PST

CALL IN FROM ANYWHERE: 6:00 PM PST

2 Weeks for $249.99
$1000 dollar value!

Reality Soul Searching

With the recent tragic events that transpired last week regarding reality show contestant Ryan Jenkins, production companies will be reassessing not only the casting process but also relationship shows! VH1 and it's series of "Love" themed reality shows will no doubt change because of what happened.

What did happen? I know that every reality series I ever worked on, we vetted every possible contestant/person with a fine tooth comb. We had a background check done on everyone, we interviewed the persons "mother, brother, father, cousin, co-worker, childhood friend" before they were ever even presented to our bosses or even the Network. Anyone that had any history of drugs, behavior issues, arrests, etc were declined. We even had people that would have made great reality Television with all of the drama that surrounded them, but they had a mark on their law record that made for an easy decision of a solid NO. We once had a guy that on the phone was funny and kind of charming. BUT on paper he was a drug user and was arrested at 19 for sleeping with a 15 year old, who's mother had him arrested for raping a minor. The now 40 something man pleaded his case that it was all a misunderstanding when he was younger. He never made it even close to my boss seeing his casting profile!

Not only did we do a full background check - we also had a full time psychologist that assessed each person's "true well being" from a psychological standpoint. He had the final word on whether the person being considered was considered to have a "sound mind." They were also assessed on whether or not they could withstand the Reality TV process before and after the shoot and its airing. To sum it all up, its a rigorous process where not just one Producer, Executive or Network has the final say. It's a multitude of folks that are involved in getting one person approved for a show. So really what did happen over there at 51 Minds? It's not one person that is responsible for the loss of life here, there are so many people involved in the process, so to blame it on the company that did the background checks is really not fair.

In a Times article today, VH1 President Tom Calderone stated "that VH1 was "trying to get together" with production company 51 Minds Entertainment to figure out where the vetting system went wrong and "fix this problem and never ever let this happen again." I certainly hope so. A woman was killed. Even worse, both parties put reality star Megan Hauserman's own life at risk. What if she had picked him? (We will never know because the show was immediately taken off the air). She could have easily have become victim to his hidden past and dead too. How sad for the family of Jasmine Fiore and tragic that such a beautiful woman's life was cut way too short at the hands of a jealous psycho, that hid his true identity to everyone involved.

Its a wake up call for our industry. I thought about what happened for nearly a week now. It's all very sad. I thought about all of those creepy people that I too had interviewed for past shows that we didn't pick. I always did my detective work along with the background company to vet them out. In reality we need to do better detective work in the beginning so that this never happens again. It can never be one persons fault, but in the future we can help each other decipher the bad eggs from the good.

Cancelled

I got to thinking yesterday about all of the short lived TV shows out there. Don't you hate it when you totally get into a show, and then suddenly it gets CANCELLED!? It seems to me that the networks rarely give shows a chance these days. With so many channels and so many shows, its more than just a fad to cancel a show after one or two episodes. I understand that these execs have a bigger person to answer to, but come on guys give shows a chance!

So where I am headed is - when you create something you never know if people are going to like it. And in TV you never know. When you create something you are guessing that people will like it. Nobody really knows what the public will end up liking in the end anyway.

I wonder how shows like "The World According to Jim," "America's Toughest Jobs," "The Baby Borrowers," "Celebrity Circus," "Cupid," "Harpers Island," "Secret Millionaire," and "Stilista" even got on the air to begin with. Someone obviously had a good pitch and a good relationship with someone to make that happen. At one point I even met a writer on "The World According to Jim," who said the show was stupid and how he couldn't believe it was still on the air! The other side of the coin is they cancel something as successful as "Samantha Who?" People actually watched that show. Who made that decision? The show won Emmy's! Were these shows cancelled because the public didn't like them or were they network execs who gave them the ax?

Anyway, you just never know what people are going to like. So create your heart away. In the end what really matters is if you like it. If you believe in your work, its all that matters anyway...Well, I guess another thing that matters is making the moola.

What favorite shows do you miss? Write and tell me!

The Holy S*^# Factor

I have been getting a big influx of people coming to me with pitches over the last two weeks. My head is in a virtual spin which is a combination of my own projects and everyone else's creative stuff colliding into my world.

The problem I am having with everyone else's projects (and one of my own) is how do you make the show have that important twist that has that "Holy S*&# factor," and stand out from the rest of the crowd in the marketplace? #1 - there is a hell of a lot of competition out there. #2 - if it doesn't have a "Holy S*&# factor" you may as well go back to the drawing board before you go out to pitch. The buyers are rarely committing so you better have something so great that it basically knocks them over like a big gust of wind and they can't get back up right away.

Before I even attempt to go into the marketplace, I address every single angle including research and development of what's been done, what's being pitched and who I can align myself with. Even when I hit the market and do my pitches, I am constantly tweaking utilizing the constructive criticism on every pitch to perfect mine for the next pitch. Its always a work in progress. Its hard work and its dedication!

Not only am I constantly tweaking my projects, but I am also finding other avenues to dip my toes into. Now, I am exploring the Digital marketplace because web based projects are a great way to get something off the ground as well. And there is money and advertisers to partner up with. Build the base and get the hits and fans and then you have content to hit the TV marketplace with. Small mini episodes, that eventually can be formed into a sizzle to pitch networks with. I know that the market is still in exploration mode, but it is where its going. If you can't sell a show to a network, why not align yourself with some partners and go the digital route first.

Think about it before you set out to pitch - does yours have that "Holy S*&# Factor?" Because, they are undoubtedly going to tell you that its missing something if you don't knock the wind out of them with an angle they have never heard before -- and in this town that is difficult to do!!

Are You Working with Your Head or Your Heart?

I was reading Bob Leftsetz's column that he writes for the music industry. He talked about something that I have thought a lot about. “The question is, are you working with your head or heart? At some point you've got to stop being who your parents want you to be and start being who you are.”

Very nicely stated. I have been earning a living working on other people’s shows as a television producer since 2001. I have been dreaming up show ideas since I was about seven years old. It happened each morning at the bus stop with my best friend Katie. (I have blogged about her before.) She told visual stories of the previous nights viewing of her favorite shows “Charlie’s Angles,” “The Love Boat,” and “Fantasy Island,” to name a few. I salivated at every juicy morsel – we couldn’t watch television after a certain hour at my house.

In 2003, I started pitching reality TV ideas. I made my own “hot lists,” from reading Variety and cold called people and got my own pitch meetings without a manager. While I worked on shows, I would “go to lunch,” or “the doctor,” just to pitch production companies.

In 2008, I began pursuing my dream full time - creating and developing television shows and pitching them. I started out developing something around Christopher Titus. Since then, I have learned a great deal and have not only increased my contacts, but I am closer than ever before to selling something. It’s officially been one full year.

It wasn’t until this year that I realized there’s been one thing in the back of my mind that I somehow could not let go of. It was a seed planted a long, long time ago in the depths of my blueprint. That seed was my mom telling me I needed to have a job with a 401k plan = job security. Which in today’s marketplace means nothing. There is no security any more unless you own your own company. In my mom’s career height, jobs offered not only financial security, but retirement benefits, health benefits and so much more.

What I am doing for a career is so unconventional “Creative Producer – Pitching Reality Concepts,” not your average career. It never will be. Most people in Los Angeles understand. BUT if you live anywhere else you probably won’t understand the scope of what I am doing. God Bless my Mom. She is a wonderful woman, who is now finding things that she loves to do in life after retiring. We couldn’t be more opposite – I travel a risky route with no guarantee, and she travels a safer route.

When I think about it, it’s as if I had an angel on one of my shoulders and a Devil on the other. My angel (aka my mom) on the left telling me that the route was to be secure and safe. The Devil (aka me) on the right, telling me the route was risky so go pitch and sell a television show! One thing I am certain about is what I did learn from her - that I think with my head and my heart, because I am truly doing something I love. I sleep, eat, drink, and dream about coming up with television shows.

What Defines Success - Michael Jackson

I was watching Kathie Lee and Hoda on the 4th Hour of The Today Show, and Kathie Lee was talking about how Michael Jackson had so much success but died billions of dollars in debt. She then asked "what defines success?" I believe that you define your own success no matter who you are.

Michael was about to embark on a Global Tour and had sold out 50 shows with a kick off in London (more than 750k tickets were sold!!). For A guy who in the media's eyes went from the "King of Pop" to "Whacko-Jacko," I would say Michael is an ICON that will continue to have success even in death.

I have written several posts in the past about success. In June I wrote "I got to thinking about Success and what makes people successful. I feel like its a formula. There is a big difference between people who achieve and people who don't. People who achieve approach things differently than those that don't. They also use lots of common sense, are consistent, have confidence and most importantly - they have PERSISTENCE. And they won't be defeated."

I've also written about Talent, you know when you have it. And MJ has had it since he was a little boy. He was a musical genius, with a complicated life. The whole world has been shocked and saddened by his untimely death. Millions of fans all over the world will be celebrating his success in the music world. Big success like Michael Jackson's comes with such things that you and I could not ever begin to understand. He lived oftentimes a very lonely life and spent way beyond his means. Tears and tributes are all we have now for the man with a gentle soul that touched people all over the world with his gift to music.

While Michael had many bumps in his road map, his blueprint for success can't be matched. Was he desperate to prove to the world that he could still have super star status? I worked with Michael Jackson back in 2002, when I was a Talent Producer for Dick Clark's American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Show. I was able to attend a private rehearsal where Michael Jackson was dancing with his dancers. There were 5 people watching, and I was one of them. At the end of his rehearsal he got down on his butt and started fussing with his foot. When I asked Larry Klein what he was doing, he told me he had a broken foot. I was amazed - because I would never have known by the way he danced. I was privileged to see what really went on behind the scenes when Michael Jackson entered the building! Fans followed him in packs, oftentimes putting their own lives at risk (like jumping in front of one of his caravans in the middle of the road or hiding out inside the theater for a chance meeting with the King of Pop). Cher spoke about that show on CNN yesterday, and how odd his behavior had become. I remember thinking "why is he covering his kids up with blankets like he was?" Quite possibly for their own safety.

In my eyes, he still is #1 and he is the definition of SUCCESS. But we each as individuals define our own success. You don't have to be a superstar in the music industry to be a success. Success means different things to different people. You define your own success, so create your success the way you see it. We salute a musical legacy.

My Reality TV World: How do I get pitch meetings?

My Reality TV World: How do I get pitch meetings?

How do I get pitch meetings?

How do you get pitch meetings once you have a reality idea that you think is sellable in the marketplace?  Its harder than ever before to sell an idea in Hollywood.  (Movies or TV) There are so many obstacles, a lot of competition and now with the recession, its even harder than ever to 'break in.'  It takes more than knowing the right people, its determination and sacrifice to create and sell a hit.  You could have all the knowledge and the skills, but if your blueprint isn't set on Hollywood Success - you could very easily FAIL.  Giving Up is not an option in my world.  It isn't enough to be in the right place at the right time - you also have to be the right person with the right idea in the right time.  

When I first started pitching my ideas in the marketplace, I didn't have someone booking my meetings and introducing me to key executives in the industry.  It was all ME!  And if you are reading this, there is a chance that you don't either.  What did I do?  I came up with my own strategy to stand out from the rest of the world trying to pitch.  

Here is what I did.  I got and still get a daily subscription to Variety.  I would read all about the reality shows that were being bought and sold in the marketplace, as well watch key executives moving from place to place.  I created my own HOT LIST of up and coming executives and production companies that I wanted to get a meeting with.  (I still have a HOT LIST) 

I would then pick up the phone and call their office, introducing myself and try and set a "meet and greet."  (This may be easier for me, because I have Producing credits and do know a good amount of people in my industry).  This can be a simple coffee meeting or a lunch meeting. What this did is it enabled me as a Producer to meet executives and find out what they were looking for in regard to Reality TV Concepts.  It also gave me a chance to introduce myself and give them my background and talk about some of the projects that I was currently developing. After my meeting, I would immediately send out a Thank-You note in the mail.  This gave me the leverage to be able to set a future meeting to pitch my ideas.   I did this with Evolution USA and now I can get a meeting there anytime if the idea is something that they are interested in. In fact we pitched there with Jose Canseco.

Since then the tables have turned, and I have a great management team as well as a great lawyer.  I have been pitching so much that I now get any meeting, with just about anyone I want in town.  Well, I take that back...Mike Darnell is a hard one to get a meeting with even if you have a big star attached (Christopher Titus).  Last year I blogged about how he cancelled 7 times, even as I was pulling into the Lot for the meeting.  

I do a lot of homework to see what is being bought and sold in the marketplace. That is one of the benefits of having a manager (and Variety subscription) to help guide you with all of the inside information.  Every three months we update our list of what the networks are looking for.  It dramatically changes. We recently pitched a big NEW network and what we found was that they loved all three of our concepts.  The next day they called and said "wait, we only love one," and the next day they called and said "scratch that - we love a nugget of what you had in that one that we decided we didn't like."  So what was a makeover show is now a reality game show.  Its crazy.  Now, we are in the process of pairing up with a game show runner who's agent is friends with my connection at Sony, and who knows where it will go from here.  I think it could be a big one.  But, then again it all goes back to "being in the right place at the right time - and being right person with the right idea in the right time."  

There are so many ways to get introduced and have an in...I've used friends of friends, networking groups, cold calling...How are you getting your meetings?  I'd love to hear all about how  your creative plan worked to get a meeting with a top executive.  Inquiring Minds want to know!

My Reality TV World: Digital Trends in the Reality TV World

My Reality TV World: Digital Trends in the Reality TV World

Digital Trends in the Reality TV World

Is Hollywood going Digital?  There are lots of websites that offer content that isn't available on TV.  And there are TONS of choices that Americans have!  Computer vs. Television Screen.  I personally love watching stuff on my television screen - its big, its clear and it takes me away from my computer for awhile.  (My wrists kill after typing so much).  But that doesn't stop me from checking out the latest video fad on the internet.

Web audiences are growing bigger by the minute.  So are the number of talents that are hidden gems or the flower beginning to blossom into a big brand. The more pitch meetings I am in, the more people are asking what I have for Digital Projects.  Its cheaper than producing a reality series on television.  If a network is interested in an Internet project, they obviously know that it works.  Otherwise people wouldn't be flocking to see just what all the fuss is about.   And they wouldn't decide to sink any money into bringing it to the masses.

 

I have had many people come to me and ask "when is it right for me to have my own show?" When I do media coaching for experts and budding stars, I always tell them that "Oprah and Martha didn't start off as media moguls."  Martha started off with a catering company that catered her husbands company party.  It just so happened that the company was a publisher. After the event they approached her about writing a book about - catering.  Its taken a number of years to get to where she has and it didn't happen over night.

But we have one BIG advantage in our generation...  The Internet.  More people can easily see you or your brand in an instant.  If you have something that is popular, fun and timely - you could easily create your own reality website and show - all you need is a camera and the know how to upload it to your site!  Your show can be anything you want to showcase what you've got or your idea!  Anything.  I have personally come across a few that I think are brilliant ideas and have the potential to be Brand Gems.  Take a look at my favorite Mutha Mae...

http://muthamae.com

This woman has the spark and the fun and the humor tied all in one that makes her one hot Missouri housewife and stay at home mom - that has her own show.  Its on the Internet.  Its here where she shares the hilarious and often absurd side of parenting.  Go have a visit to her world.  You will be seeing a lot more of her!

In my opinion Hollywood is going digital.  Its a big learning curve, but everyone is always on their computer so we are all adapting.  Even me as a Producer.

Got any Digital Stars or Gems that you know of?  Comment on their link in the comments box!

So does this mean that Reality TV is dying?  Nope.  It's not going anywhere soon.  But what is growing is Reality on the Internet.  In many cases I am hearing in pitch meetings that if something is a success on the Internet networks and the Sony's of America are more likely to invest in making that show a reality on television.  

Changes in Reality TV in Europe, Next Up the States

Working in Reality TV has brought up some big issues on the Production side as employees (Producers, Writers & Story Producers) and also on the Contestant side (TV Reality Stars).  

"In the past three years the WGA has tried unsuccessfully to play hardball by demanding that network and studio CEOs no longer make deals with Reality TV producers like Mark Burnett Productions, Fremantle, Endemol etc unless those companies become signatories of the WGA. This is part of the WGA's continuing campaign to ensure that Reality TV writers -- often referred to as the story editors or story producers of the shows -- start to receive the same benefits and pay and protections as guild members." (taken from http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com)

This past week In a ground-breaking ruling, the supreme court in France awarded three contestants on the French version of the programme Temptation Island compensation of about €11,000 (£9,500) each. The judges ruled that the trio were entitled to full employment contracts — including overtime, holidays and even damages for wrongful dismissal upon elimination from the show.

These decisions will in fact bring Reality TV to a new cost level.  First in Europe, next in the States.  I believe that our Producers, Writers and Story people that have been fighting to get what scripted TV writers and producers have been getting all along, will come to fruition.  Its only a matter of time that our savvy Reality TV Stars, will too get paid for taking time out of their schedules to be paid for entertaining our audiences.  

They said Reality was going to die...that was over 10 years ago.  Its not going away.  What do you think?  

Is Success is a Formula?

I got to thinking about Success and what makes people successful. I feel like its a formula. There is a big difference between people who achieve and people who don't. People who achieve approach things differently than those that don't. They also use lots of common sense, are consistent, have confidence and most importantly - they have PERSISTENCE. And they won't be defeated.

I think about what I am doing and how persistent I have been with my pitching, development of a concept into a show, networking, meetings - and then there is TIMING. I am a true believer in being in the right place at the right time with the right idea. I am also a big believer in listening to your inner voice; its telling you something. If you feel you should jump on something you should do it right away. For instance, when Sony asked me for a my Promoter package and said on a Monday that they needed it for their next week's Monday meeting, I jammed to get it all together. I had it in their hands at 5:45 PM Friday night. Hand delivered. If you feel you should hold out for a better deal, then hold out for a better deal. For instance, one of my partners and I pitched a great show (which seems to be a popular concept) and we made a deal. The deal went through our lawyers and the production company's business affairs department only to come back with a number that was insulting. As a Producer, I could have worked on a show as a Producer and made better money. So we decided to hold out for a better opportunity. Look at us now, we have OWN interested.

Winners are made. I mean look at Oprah. Her first job was a reporter for radio in Nashville, TN. Martha catered a party for her husband's publishing company. After the party, they offered her a book deal - for a book about catering! We all start somewhere. Oprah and Martha kept going, they were persistent. If you have a good product or a good idea or a good show or a great brand, people will tell you. And if you don't believe in you who will?

The company Lillian Vernon, was started in 1952 by a woman named Lillian Hochberg. It sold for millions and millions of dollars. Lillian said that she was persistent and she never listened to the naysayers. Lots of successful people make the same claim. I have talked about it in past blogs. If you have good ideas and people tell you, keep at it. Keep going. Sometimes it gets bad before it even gets good.

I would love to hear about success and if you think that there is a formula to it? I know that its just a matter of time with all of my great meetings and great ideas and great talent - that a show will be sold. Its hard work. Its a lot of time. Its a lot of networking. Its a lot of meetings...in an uncertain economy too but I know my team will make it happen!!