Hello there,
I hope I am posting this in the right section. I know this is a very common question asked, but please read my entire question, if you will, anyway. I sincerely thank you for your time. I've posted this question on Yahoo Answers as well...If this is the wrong section for this topic, please delete the thread.
Thanks again.
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I have with me, right now:
78 Episodes of Screenplay Written
1 Fully Storyboarded Movie [First 8 1/2 Episodes] (An hour and a half in length)
12 CD outlined of Soundtrack, 2 CDs (1 hour and 30 minutes of music) Complete
I've put together the first Movie, and dubbed all of the male voices myself, created all of the SFX myself, and have scored it completely. I have character designs, and short descriptions about the series laid out and ready to go (if I need to pitch the idea).
I started work on this project since April of 2005. It's now September 22nd, 2011, and I don't know where to go from here.
The basic answer I've found so far has been to buy the Hollywood Creative Directory and try and contact an agent, as it seems 99% of hollywood will not accept any unsolicited material. Do I just make a cold calls and quickly pitch the idea? That seems like it could be kind of degrading...Though if it's the way you do things, I guess it's the way you do things...? I don't know...
Another thing is, I live in Upstate New York. Luckily, New York City is only 3 or 4 hours away...I probably would have to drive down for a meeting, right? (Since there are probably no producers or agents that live in Upstate New York...?)
Thanks for your time.
Well.........to be candid............you have probably done a fair chunk of work for nothing.
If the network doesn't like your voice work......you have to toss all that. Or what if they want certain stars for the sell-factor?
If they don't like your designs, or your movie......or some of your scripts.....out it'll go. What if they don't like your content, as is?
Can they make toys of the stuff? What's the age-group its aimed at?
Big questions they'll need answered.
And speaking of scripts.......78 episodes is awfully presumptuous.
You are an UNKNOWN creator, with probably zero-track record, I assume........best offer you could hope for is a 26 ep commitment from a network, if they are absolutely nuts about your property. 13 is more cautious and standard nowadays.
78 eps is a HUGE investment.....and if you figure that an animated cartoon episode costs about $200,000 average to produce.......you are asking for over $15 and a half MILLION bucks.
They don't hand that kind of money to someone who walks in off the street.
That you are planning for that kind of outlay from them, at the outset will drive away any consideration of what you are shopping around.
You need to get in touch with an agent who will take a chance on you. Someone who can help you pare down your pitch package and idea into something that can be sold ( and swallowed) to the networks.
Expect your idea to be ruthlessly hacked into something you may barely recognize.
Honestly, for something as ambitious as what it sounds like you have.....animate the thing yourself in FLASH and slap it on Youtube.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
Well, I think Ken could've been more diplomatic in his reply, but he happens to be correct.
When you pitch an animated series (and, honestly, based on your description, I cannot tell if you're writing a t.v. series or some kind of franchise film series), what you ideally need is the following:
- character designs (turnaround sheets optional)
- character outlines
- a pilot script (although having as many as 6 scripts doesn't hurt)
- a list of potential storylines
- knowledge of the industry and industry terms
That last one is key. For instance "78 episodes of screenplay" doesn't mean anything. This isn't a phrase that's used, and I don't know what you're saying. Are you trying to say you've scripted 78 episodes? How is "1 storyboarded movie" also "8 episodes"?
You need to take a step back, start reading industry trade magazines and learn the vernacular.
You enthusiasm is terrific, and people will definitely respond to that, but you do need to understand the industry.
Remember, nearly everything in Hollywood is collaborative effort -- you're the creator, but there are showrunners and executives who have people THEY like to work with. So even if they like your show, they're going to want their people on it, which means those people will tinker. Like Ken said--they'll have their own VO people and someone to score your series.
Be sure you have a professional presentation. And they way you know that is by doing your due diligence, which you've not yet done.
Ultimately, your location won't matter.
Oh, and the way the South Park guys got their start? They made a 5-minute movie, put it online, and it blew up. Try that, man! And good luck!!
What if Someone was to create a show but only wants to post it on youtube and can't find a website to create it.
Hey, sorry to barge in with unrelated questions. But in my country I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FIND any armatures. But I will be in new york for a while so do you know a place where they sell them?
It would be much appreciated.
Mark, contact me about producing your series.
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Decided to remove this post as many of the answers I needed seem to be scattered around the forums, albeit not in one place.
Thanks to everyone that posts.
Z