TV Network Executives – What You Need to Know from Paul Croce
TV Network Executives: the elite group that filmmakers and producers wish to meet, hope to pitch, and pray will fund their projects. For some, they seem to be mysterious, god-like figures who can make dreams come true. To others, they seem a closed-door group impossible to access. Today, Paul Croce is here to shed light on this seemingly all-powerful profession, and give you real tips and truths about TV network executives. We wish someone had told us these secrets fifteen years ago. It’s awesome to have Paul share them with you today. Paul Croce: Network Executive, TV Producer, Generous Professional Paul Croce is one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet in TV. We had the pleasure of producing a pilot for him when he was a TV network exec at VH1, where he was a part of numerous hit shows. He also had a successful run at TLC. On the producer side, he’s helped numerous production companies (including Mark Burnett and World of Wonder ) in their TV endeavors. Most recently, he produced on Bravo’s Then and Now with Andy Cohen. Additionally, he and Lindsay Harbert Silberman recently launched the buzz-worthy podcast Wigs and Wice. It’s a fun pop-culture romp with the tagline, “Two friends, one bottle and plenty of things to wig out about.” Today, Paul puts on his TV network executive hat to give you great advice on playing the TV network game. TV Network Executives – Not As Mysterious As You Think If there’s one thing Paul is clear about, TV network executives are real people, just like the rest of us. They’re under pressure. They want to be fair. They want you to succeed. They’re also facing a lot of obstacles in helping you put a hit show on the air. Just some of what we cover today: * Misconceptions about TV Network Executives * Who network executives answer to, and how it affects producers * The myriad of departments that weigh in on show pitches * How a lawyer or risk management professional can kill your project * The way a TV network executive listens to your pitch * How fast some executives know if your pitch is right or wrong for their air * The delicate balance a network executive walks when hearing pitches from producers * The hard truth for people just trying to get into the business – and what to do about it * Straight from a network exec’s mouth: every idea has been pitched. So what now? Solutions. * Why creating the “perfect cast” doesn’t usually work * The “one third” rule that used to exist in pseudo-scripted reality * How great leadership at a TV network operates * How to find out what buzzwords networks are using at any given time * The right way to couch an out of the box idea for a network pitch * And…advice for all those Biagio’s in Ohio (this applies to you!) Paul Croce is giving you great advice and revealing the truth about working with TV network executives! Hit that giant “play” button above and learn the right way to think about the TV business. Transcript Coming Soon! Helpful and Related Links * Keep up with with Paul’s podcast Wigs and Wice on the website, over on Instagram, on the Wigs and Wice Facebook page, subscribe on iTu...