DVX TV pilot

K

krimson-noiro

New member
Hello everyone,

I've been coming to the DVXuser website for quite a while now, reading all the posts and looking over all the clips, impressed with the passion and commitment all the folks have for the DVX and its abilities. I started a production company a few years ago and with the help of all those on this site (and Barry’s wonderful DVD) we started cranking out commercials, corporate industrials and music videos...but, up until now I didn't feel we had anything of merit to post on this board worthy of all those who have come before us...

So, after several years and a lot of hard work, we present our latest project...a TV pilot called "The Pit". http://www.youtube.com/?v=Jc_Y5zaLGx4

We're in the process of shopping it around to local TV affiliates looking to fill their schedule with "commercially viable, yet budget conscious" content.
Let us know what you think and thanks again to everyone who supports and actively engages this site...without your passion, our passion would have suffered.

Richard Todd Aguayo
Krimson-Noiro Productions
 
I enjoyed it. However, when they all pulled out their guns it looked like you didn't cover yourself. your footage I mean. It happend so fast, like there was no reaction. I like the idea of it though, the acting was okay. I liked the shots, but the colors are a little to blown out for my taste.

What music was that? Copyrighted?
 
First, some questions?

1. Do you have a completed episode, roughly 45 minutes?
2. Do you have a bible for the series?
3. Do you have completed scripts for premier pilot plus 2nd and 3rd episodes?
4. Do you have a-list attachments?
5. Do you a proven showrunner on board?

If you don't have the above, then you don't have something that can be pitched in Hollywood, at least in the eyes of any producer or agent I know.

Not to burst your bubble or anything like that. Just want to inform you on the realities of this business and what the insiders look for when you pitch something like this.

Now for some advice:
A. Your "teaser" is nothing like what you want to have for a pitch. For your pitch, you need to have a trailer, like the commercials you see on TV for new shows in that genre.
B. The trailer MUST convey the nature of the premise and who the main stars will be. Your teaser conveys nothing to me.
C. The trailer should have considerable cuts from different points within the pilot and built to a very dramatic moment, most often with expositional VO.
D. Good to have a 30 second and 60 second versions.
E. Things like blowouts and over saturation may be a neat artistic choice, and possibly work for some features like in Domino (though I don't care for it), it would not be recommended for a pilot, as it would grow old very quickly, and I doubt a studio head would allow it.

Remember that most people's bigest mistake is going out with something before they're ready, and thereby burning a bridge thay could have used later if they had been patient enough to properly prep. There's nothing easy about.

For the record, just so you know, pilots are the hardest thing to sell in Hollywood. The best bet, though still a longshot (as is everything in Hollywood) are very low budget thillers and horror features, also action though less so because they tend to cost more.

Hope some of this helps
 
"Things like blowouts and over saturation may be a neat artistic choice, and possibly work for some features like in Domino (though I don't care for it), it would not be recommended for a pilot, as it would grow old very quickly, and I doubt a studio head would allow it."

oh, you'd be surprised. in fact, quite the opposite has been happening lately. producers are turning to aesthetically interesting content to try and set thier shows apart from the norm, and this is something that interests many studios.
 
Icarus2005,

Answers to the first set of questions are as follows:
1. Yes and no, our series is based on a 1/2 hour run time (roughly 22 minutes)
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. No, our pitch is based on a low-cost/high quality model (think Southwest or JetBlue airlines)...and as such we're not pushing for "A-List" attachments, or anything else that can artificially inflate our costs.
5. No, but that's part of what we're shopping for as well...finding people who will take us under their wing based on our concept, storyline, and business model...then using their experience to refine the concept and help navigate the waters.

As far as Hollywood producers and agents...we're not taking such a narrow approach and are actually looking everywhere else FIRST, taking alternative routes and going around the system in order to get in and reshape it (again, if you told people back in 1971 that Southwest Airlines would be making giants such as United, Delta, and American bend at the knees, they would have called you crazy)

No bubbles have been burst...we appreciate your comments and the time you took to give us your thoughts, information and questions are always beneficial.

As far as your advice:
A. We're working on a trailer as we speak, we just wanted to put the "teaser" (ie: pre-credit sequence/opening of the show) online to get a few comments as we proceeded further.
B. See above.
C. That's one point of view and well noted, but perhaps we're going to go in another direction from the "normal" trailer format.
D. Thanks, we're working on it.
E. Again, we're taking a different approach, if we find that that approach proves detrimental to the project then we may consider altering it, but as you pointed out, Tony Scott (not to mention John Cassavetes) has had quite a career at pushing the limits of convention and it seems to have served them well.

Again, we'd like to thank you for all your thoughts and the spirit in which them were given...your concern and all those on this board continue to inspire us to do our very best to bring all our passion to bear, with the DVX leading our charge.

Gratefully,
Richard Todd Aguayo
Krimson-Noiro Productions
 
I thought that this was interesting. I liked the acting and stuff, but I couldn't stand the shooting "style". Crappy hand held and grossly blown out highlights do not constitute "art", as far as I'm concerned. To me, this piece looked terrible. Just my opinion. Of course I couldn't finish watching "Traffic" for the very same reasons.

It would be interesting to see an identical piece done with more traditional production values, (properly exposed, steadycam or tripod mounted cameras). I wonder which one would generate more interest from local TV affiliates.
 
I admire you went out and did it. It was a good piece for putting together an idea, for sure. I think you made a good effort and kept me watching. But I agree with the above in that we are at another one of those points again where a certain style has been so imitated so much that it is now no longer "innovative". The over saturation and the hand held constant snap zooms, etc. make us feel we are watching every other cop show on TV or another trailer to The Transporter 2. And I think it is starting to say "I'll shoot it this way so it covers anything else we screw up on" even if you are not screwing up on anything.

But, you went out and did it which already puts you one up. Just think about coming up with a style that works for you as an individual and places the content first. Don't try to make it look too flashy as John Casavettes used to say "that sh$# takes away from the most important part: the story".
 
"No, our pitch is based on a low-cost/high quality model (think Southwest or JetBlue airlines)...and as such we're not pushing for "A-List" attachments, or anything else that can artificially inflate our costs."

Unfortunately you have to have named talent. Tons of pilots die each year that have some big name actor attached.

The sad truth is most people wont randomly turn on a show they don't recognize someone in.
 
Lucidz...
I respectfully disagree on your point about the "named" talent, people tuned in to a show called "Friends", "ER", and "Seinfeld" (then called "The Seinfeld Chronicles") without "big named actors" in them. In 1994, Anniston, Perry, Cox, etc were no name actors...Clooney, La Salle, Wyle, were also journeymen actors at best...Seinfeld was a pretty big stand-up, but not truly in the public eye (so much so that NBC originally cancelled the series) but, because of good storytelling and good acting, people watched. That's what we're trying to accomplish...good stories, good acting, at reasonable cost...built in product placement opportunities without sacrificing creative content, and a bit of fun and flash for those with attention deficit (14 - 24 demographic) and we'll see what happens.
The point is, we lessen the risk by lessening the profit to loss ratio, and let the chips fall where they may. We may put this project out there and get laughed off the planet, but, no risk no reward, and the wheels keep spinning and there are always other stories to tell...but just remember, they laughed at Dietrich Mateschitz when he said (in response to the statement that there is no market for his product) "I'll create the market."
Thanks for your comments, the adventure continues.
-RTA
 
i think it was good and i feel that good writing beats big name actors any day of the week...

the only problem i have is you said after several years of work...did you mean it took you several years of work to come up with that or after doing other things you now made that...

also keep us informed you may be the next Eli Roth, after all he was a guy that wrote his first script while being Howard Sterns' doorman during the shooting of private parts, he was going no where ..so they said
 
Your comment about A list is very well thought out and you raise an interesting issue of the role in celebrity in helping to generate interest in a product that your goal is obviously to generate interest in regards to.

There is a problem to your logic though, and that is that the examples that you are bringing up are exceptions, not the rule. If you take the cumulative experience that has brought up some significant issues already discussed and throw that out the window and say 'screw it, I'm doing it this way regardless' then what was the point in originally posting? You turn to a community to make an announcement and when you receive feedback that is both relevant and important to the success of your product you write it off immediately, then you have defeated the collaborative nature of filmmaking and community.

I wish you all the best and hope that you can create the next 'Friends' 'ER' or even 'Seinfeld'. You have named three massively successful shows that had a massive cultural impact. Now name for me the other pilots from last year. Did you come up with one or two? I read that there are over 70 pilots aired a year with only 1-2 being picked up. That is where experience that has been conveyed comes through.

If your idea is original and fits a true demographic then you will have a market, but remember the one rule about television... The ONLY reason that there are television shows is to keep you watching between the commercial breaks. That is the only reason (actually, the other reason lately is to get you to subscribe to a pay channel, but that's off topic). When you watch your pilot do people want to keep watching or channel surf?

I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but I think that you have ignored a lot of great advice, but I wish you the absolute best in your venture and hope that this works out for you. Good luck!
 
That song is called "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and I doubt you had permission to use it, so becareful when you start sending that out. You may want to use a local band to record some tracks or get some loyalty free music.

The blown out look was cool at first but got old. I probably would have liked it better if you went with the look of the movie "Out of Time".

IMO, there was too much hand held camera work going on and unneccessary zooms. The only zoom I would have used was a wide shot down to the drugs or maybe a wide right into the barrell of one of those guns or something.
 
i dont really see why people werent to impressed, i read all the comments here then watched it and thought it was great only problem was too much quick zooms on non dramatic bits but it was awesome anyway
 
Hey Yankee,

Thanks for the feedback. I must comment though, when you say, "you are bringing up exceptions" that's exactly the point...pretty much every hit/successful show IS the exception. Most shows (and most pilots) don't succeed, but in going for success in this business there is nothing to aspire to BUT the exception, because the odds are so astronomical against success (given the, show to success ratio) that trying to find the "formula" is impossible. Yes, there are things one can do to "increase" the odds of success, but as Goldman says, "Nobody knows anything", and following your heart and your instincts is usually the way to go.

As far as "writing off" the feedback I've received, on the contrary, I take in every bit of it and factor it into our plan...but, although I listen to the comments, I feel not "agreeing" with them isn't "writing them off", but rather following my vision and taking small steps to perhaps refine it based on what I've read. I appreciate the community that has assembled here, it's why I even posted our work, but it's a forum for feedback, discussion and debate...which is what I feel is going on here, and not immediately capitulating to others points of view is what I feel may be "defeating the collaborative nature of filmmaking and community".

Again, I thank you and everyone else on this board for their words, and will continue to listen and absorb every one of them.

Best regards,
RTA
 
Hey Krimsom-noiro,

I'm glad you're taking in all this feedback. I hope you also take these comments to heart.

DON"T CHANGE A THING. The odds of actually selling something in this business are pretty much the same as hitting lotto. So you have to go with your intuition and write, shoot, produce content that you care about. That's the only thing you have control over.

The only thing "unorigional" about this teaser was the music (The Temptaions "Papa was a rolling stone"). If you need some origional music let me know.

Can't wait to see the full show
 
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