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About this Book
"You don’t have to live in Los Angeles to sell
your ideas to Hollywood. Hollywood needs the “Everyman.” If you are an
Everyman who is also an idea person, you could make a good deal of money
and have a whole lot of fun [pitching and selling your ideas]."
—From Pitching Hollywood by Jonathan Koch and Robert Kosberg
Anyone who has a great idea for a movie or a TV show shouldn’t miss
reading this book. Two successful movie and TV producers provide the
reader with the tools he needs to create, develop and sell ideas to
Hollywood.
Learn:
• What makes an idea a good one.
• How to find or create a good idea.
• How to develop a “high concept”.
• What ideas should be avoided.
• What goes into a good pitch.
• How long a pitch should be.
• How to find the right people to pitch.
• What to say when you contact them.
• How to protect your idea.
• How to “package” an idea with writers and actors.
• Necessary writing treatments.
• When it is better to have a screenplay.
• How pitching a movie differs from
pitching a TV show.
Table of Contents
Foreword........................................................................................xi
Chapter 1: Who We
Are...................................................................1
Photocopying.........................................................................4
Chapter 2: Who You
Are..................................................................9
Idea
People..........................................................................10
Selling You Ideas as
Property................................................11
Chapter 3: How We Created Our
Positions.......................................13
Chapter 4: What Is "High
Concept"?................................................17
Low
Concept........................................................................19
What if It's
Neither-Nor?.........................................................19
Back to High
Concept...........................................................19
Sample High Concept
Pitch...................................................20
Chapter 5: Start With a Good
Idea...................................................25
Freshness............................................................................25
Commercial
Viability..............................................................28
Marketability.........................................................................28
Timeliness............................................................................29
Demographics.......................................................................30
Other Factors to
Consider......................................................32
Finding those Great
Ideas......................................................33
Ideas from
Books..................................................................39
Public
Domain......................................................................41
When Looking for and Generating Ideas, Keep in
Mind.............41
Chapter 6: All-Time Worst
Pitches..................................................43
Good Examples of Bad
Ideas................................................43
So, Did This
Help?...............................................................50
Here's a List of Elements that Will Most Likely
Make Your Idea
Dead on
Arrival........................................................50
Chapter 7: How Much Is My Idea
Worth?........................................53
A Very Tough
Question........................................................53
Forms of
Payment...............................................................54
Chapter 8: Protecting Your
Idea.....................................................61
Register Your
Treatment......................................................62
Mail It To
Yourself...............................................................63
Be
Mindful..........................................................................64
Be Concise and
Specific......................................................64
Pitch It
Everywhere..............................................................65
Chapter 9: Preparing Your
Pitch:....................................................67
Titles..................................................................................68
Anatomy of a
Pitch..............................................................68
Film
Treatments..................................................................70
Reality Show
Treatments.....................................................72
Treatments for Game
Shows................................................74
Treatments for Hybrid Shows: Competitive Reality
Shows.......75
Treatments for Documentary/Biography
Shows......................75
Treatments for Soap
Operas................................................76
Treatments for News Magazines and Talkshows....................76
Treatments for Dramas and Sitcoms:
"Bibles".......................76
Refining the
Pitch...............................................................78
Chapter 10: Getting into the
Room................................................81
Where to
Begin?................................................................82
So You've Got a Good Idea, a Pitch, and the
Numbers to
call: Now
What?....................................................84
If You Don't Live in L.A.......................................................86
Chapter 11: Once You Are In the
Room........................................89
The
Do's...........................................................................89
The
Don'ts........................................................................96
Chapter 12: Staying Cool In Development
Hell.............................101
What Is
Development?.....................................................101
Why Does It Take So
Long?.............................................102
What's the
Point?............................................................105
Chapter 13: Sample High Concepts, Synopses, and Treatments...107
Game
Shows..................................................................108
Reality
Shows.................................................................115
Reality-Game Show
Hybrid...............................................119
Movies............................................................................126
Glossary of
Terms......................................................................137
References &
Resources............................................................145
Additional
Reading...........................................................150
Index........................................................................................153
About the
Authors......................................................................163
About the Authors
Successful movie and TV producers Jonathan Koch (Good
Samaratin) and Robert Kosberg (12 Monkeys) are known as the “Kings of
Pitch.”
Together they have sold over 70 films and television shows. And
currently have more than 30 projects in development at major studios,
including projects with Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Meg Ryan, Adam Sandler,
Barbara Streisand, and Drew Barrymore.
Reviews
"When these guys talk, everyone interested in pitching should listen
and take notes. Their combined track records and knowledge on the
subject are impressive and unbeatable."
—Shirley Neal, President, Park Hill Entertainment
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