Pitch TV Series NOT Profile Pieces

Here’s a HUGE mistake aspiring producers make when pitching what they think are viable TV series: they pitch profile pieces instead. It’s something we’ve seen a rash of in the past few months, and we want to help you avoid this mistake immediately. Not kidding — we just passed on at least 40 or 50 projects that made the mistake we’ll help you remedy today. After today’s post, you will pitch TV series, and never, ever again accidentally pitch a profile piece disguised as unscripted television show.   Want to Pitch TV Series? Get This One Thing Right:   Don’t pitch a story that could show up on 20/20, 60 minutes, Entertainment Tonight, or the local news. Short, self-contained, entertaining stories are essentially profile pieces. Some simple examples: * A homeless man who turned his life around * An athlete who overcame a disability to win a gold medal * An interesting annual competition that’s just around the corner… You could see any one of those stories on a magazine-style news show. None of them, in and of themselves, are pitchable as TV series. It’s not that a profile piece can NEVER become a TV show, it’s that a profile piece alone will NEVER be enough if you want to pitch TV series. For example, one of our current TV series, Ghost Inside My Child, began as a profile piece on the local news in Cleveland, Ohio. However, using some of the techniques mentioned in today’s episode, we turned it into a TV series that’s now going into its third season. How To Develop a Profile Piece to Pitch a TV Series Just some of what we cover today: * How to spot a profile piece early on and the right way to course correct * Truly grasping the difference between a glorified profile piece and TV series pitch * Two things you must do to elevate a profile piece if you want to pitch it as a TV show * Finding larger phenomenons in smaller profile pieces * The 22 and 44 minute dilemma * What the movie Armageddon has to do with any of this * Props to all your Moms out there! And so much more! Don’t make the same mistake we’ve JUST seen made by so many aspiring producers. Hit the giant “PLAY” button above and never pitch a simple “profile piece” again. Transcript Coming Soon! Helpful and Related Links What’s a Story Engine and Why do you Need One? – A giant step to pitch TV series instead of profile pieces. Sell Film and TV by Crafting Your Second Hook – If you want to pitch TV series, yoru second hook is crucial. How to Pitch a Reality Show – the totally free, most in-depth web guide on pitching a reality show you’ll ever read. If you want to pitch to us, this guide tells you everything you need to know. Okay, since you now know how to pitch TV series and not profile pieces, you’re way ahead of the game. Here’s what’s next:

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*Named "New and Noteworthy" across all podcasts, as well as TV & Film, Arts, and Education. Subscribe now. Ready to create, pitch, and sell documentary series, unscripted TV shows or reality series and specials? From creating pitch tapes to meeting with TV networks, developing your ideas to discovering reality TV stars, this podcast features tips on working in unscripted film and television that you won't find anywhere else. Get top-industry secrets and even pitch your shows to Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers and Unscripted Television Producers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina. Recently, the duo have helped both new and experienced producers bring projects to television on MTV, BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY, A&E, and CNN/HLN. Your show could be next. Subscribe now. ABOUT JOKE AND BIAGIO: With over a decade of experience in unscripted film and television, this married couple has made TV shows, specials, and pilots for CNN, HLN, A&E, The CW, Biography Channel, NBC, CBS, Discovery, Investigation Discovery, Discovery+, E!, IFC, Logo, Oxygen, Style Network, VH1 and MTV. Their feature length documentary DYING TO DO LETTERMAN played in theaters across America, was invited by the International Documentary Association to qualify for Academy Award® consideration, and named “New and Noteworthy” on iTunes alongside The Dark Knight Rises, Brave, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Subscribers to this podcast will learn the secrets of the Unscripted TV and Film worlds, and how to apply them toward career success. Subscribe today.