info on shooting TV pilot

mastermind

mastermind

Well-known member
I'm in development for a TV pilot but need some information. It is a themed travel show but i don't want to disclose the full idea ofcourse. I guess similar to a cooking travel show but food or cooking is not the theme.

heres my questions:

1) how many episode should i shoot as pilots to be able to realistically pitch a network? I'm hoping to shoot 4 episodes in 4 different cities around the world to provide a good look at the diversity of the show. So pretty much 4 [1/2 hour episodes] is this sufficient, too much or not enough?

2) do sponsors help finance a pilot and not a "signed" tv show. I was looking to shoot it on a very low budget because all it would require is airfare to 4 world destinations, about 4-5 nights accomodations in each city, rental cars and basic contingency money. I was thinking of pitching airlines for airfare for 2, hotels for accommodations and car rental companies. does this sound realistic if it is just for pilots? i would ofcourse offer them first bids if it did get picked up and if not i was looking to distribute it independantly on dvd or as a documentary. I'm just not sure that they would even consider it if it didn't already have secured distribution.

3)exactly how long is a 1/2 hour tv show minus commercials? i'm thinking its 26 minutes but not sure.

thanks for any responses you may have.
 
Hey mastermind-

I have the exact same questions that you had (you were just two years ahead of me). Did you ever go through with your concept and sell your show idea? Do you want to lay out the story of if it was successful and what you did to make it successful?
 
1. One. a sizzle reel is all that is required. A one-sheet and a show bible will be required after that. Content in the can is an added selling point but most of the time the show is revamped too much to use the stuff shot prior to a deal.
2. Being a salesperson is part of the gig. Any sponsorships you can pick up will only help your cause both now and when pitching.
3. varies per network. 24 is the norm. Your networks will provide you with run down sheets for air. They'll tell you where to put bars, tone, slate, show, breaks, close, ect.
 
24 isn't the norm, sorry to say. We get even more screwed with commercials than that. :( I watch a ridiculous number of TV shows on DVD, I finished all of Weeds Season Two yesterday, for instance, haha. That show is almost 30 minutes long thanks to its network of origin. But for network TV, 22-23 minutes is the norm. It's easy to check this, just get a season of South Park, The Simpsons, Futurama, etc. Episodes of The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network are about 22:30 each, they can be almost 23 minutes but never hit that mark. Sometimes it'll be closer to 21 minutes for 30 minute shows.

60 minute shows have gotten worse and worse, they are burdening us with way too much commercial time, which is why I only watch TV shows on DVD. It's too much of a waste of time otherwise. That does seem to vary more, not really sure why. But it's on the decline. Back in the day, with Star Trek: The Next Generation for instance, each episode would be about 48 minutes long, sometimes even about 50 minutes. Not bad! Then with The X-Files in the early '90s it was around 45 minutes, sometimes 46. More recently, Alias was notorious for having some of the shortest episodes and most commercials ever. One episode actually was only 38 minutes and change on DVD, I am not joking. That's just awful. But episodes of Alias were almost never longer than 40 minutes and change. Other networks, besides ABC, aren't so bad. House for instance is 42-43 minutes still. I would say 42 minutes and change is pretty much the standard for 60 minute shows, so really if you're getting 22 minutes for 30 minute shows, that's not bad. I guess we can't complain.

It does depend on the network of course, though, I'm referring to major networks, and not of course ones like HBO and Showtime, but across a lot of different types of networks, like The CW, Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, USA Network, etc., there doesn't seem to be that much of a difference. It also will depend on the individual episode. It doesn't vary a lot but it will vary up to a minute. So one episode of House will be 43:15 and another will be 42:27 or something.
 
mastermind said:
I'm in development for a TV pilot but need some information. It is a themed travel show but i don't want to disclose the full idea ofcourse. I guess similar to a cooking travel show but food or cooking is not the theme.

heres my questions:

1) how many episode should i shoot as pilots to be able to realistically pitch a network? I'm hoping to shoot 4 episodes in 4 different cities around the world to provide a good look at the diversity of the show. So pretty much 4 [1/2 hour episodes] is this sufficient, too much or not enough?

2) do sponsors help finance a pilot and not a "signed" tv show. I was looking to shoot it on a very low budget because all it would require is airfare to 4 world destinations, about 4-5 nights accomodations in each city, rental cars and basic contingency money. I was thinking of pitching airlines for airfare for 2, hotels for accommodations and car rental companies. does this sound realistic if it is just for pilots? i would ofcourse offer them first bids if it did get picked up and if not i was looking to distribute it independantly on dvd or as a documentary. I'm just not sure that they would even consider it if it didn't already have secured distribution.

3)exactly how long is a 1/2 hour tv show minus commercials? i'm thinking its 26 minutes but not sure.

thanks for any responses you may have.
Click to expand...


With a travel themed show you only have a certain group of networks to air on. Pilots are use mostly to sell advertising. The sad truth is to get networks like Food, Discovery to buy a show is very hard. Because they use production companies they have worked with before (track record) like High Noon (Food Network) or Dangerous Films (Discovery) and others to produce programing. Its not impossible just get in line.

I shoot and edit a real estate themed show showcasing large ranches -it airs on Fox Sports Southwest. It's a half hour show 28:30 min long with 3 spot breaks 2 are 2min and 1 is 2:30 so total program time 22 min. Our pilot was an open and one segment. The guys who own the show buy 26 weeks (13 orig programs-then re-run them) the spots they sell pay for airtime, me to shoot and edit, overhead etc.

I would suggest you travel to a cool destination close to you edit a 5 to6 min seg. with a killer open (flash sells). Then secure air time. The truth is that you will prob. have to sell (commercial spots) and develop sponsors to pay for this thing and they will not buy time on a show unless it has somewhere to air. You can work the airlines, rental car companies etc. but still you need to have a pilot or something and more than likely a network and airtime. The airline PR guy needs to get A LOT or at least feel like he's getting a lot before he gives you anything. It sounds bad but the TV business is a money pit you throw a ton of it away to get that thirty mins a week on the air.
Good luck
 
Would anyone like to share any contacts? History Channel HD, Discovery HD....

What would a ballpark figure be for a 6 part documentary series? 1/2 hr or 1hr format...
 
there is no such thing as a ballpark figure. It's whatever is negotiated.
In negotiating my deals with no agent, and in doing most of my production as a one man band, I discard all rates and go by what the show is worth to them. As you can imagine show budgets range from nada to crazy.
 
1dog Studios said:
Would anyone like to share any contacts? History Channel HD, Discovery HD....

What would a ballpark figure be for a 6 part documentary series? 1/2 hr or 1hr format...
Click to expand...

Somewhere between free and ten million dollars. Seriously. It is wide open depending on thousands of factors.

Here is the contact for you. Unless you personally know people at a network, the front door is the web
http://producers.discovery.com/
http://www.producerspassport.travelchannel.com/
http://military.history.com/guidelines.html

Good luck,

Dan
 
Those links are to keep people from stalking the execs of the networks and showing up on thier front door :)

Seriously,

If you make a good program that is compelling for thier network they will find you!

Or you could get lucky and have the mom and dad of the Discovery Channel's Vice President live accross the street from you. That would be freaky.
 
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