tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65938732643620216772023-11-15T11:13:53.665-05:00Lisa Goldman's Animated Development and Pitch Bible Studies ClassWelcome! Here is a blog about what happens in my Pitch Bible Studies Classes. It is all the ups and downs of the development process. See what my class learns from each other and our guest speakers - development execs, producers, writers, and show creators in the whacky world of children's television!
Sign up for a Pitch Bible Studies Class today. The Schedule: Monday evenings from Feb. 2nd – March 23rd (No class on Feb. 23). Class to be held at Frederator Studios. Details below.Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-91892464801387515642014-09-17T11:15:00.001-04:002014-09-17T11:15:49.279-04:00Exciting news! Frederator is promoting this class to members of Channel Frederator Network. One class has started and we're doing a Freebie Pitch Bible class for Frederator folks on Thursday so you can join if you're also a member and there's still room. Another class will begin in October! Don't miss out on the fun!Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-5875825175595637122014-02-13T22:26:00.001-05:002014-02-13T22:26:19.981-05:00The 10 Pitch Bible CommandmentsHello Animated People!<br />
<br />
After the pitching frenzy that just went on at Kidscreen 2014 in snowy New York City, it reminded me that it is probably a good time to post the 10 Pitch Bible Commandments again. These go through the process from idea to pitch and are always a work in progress and here
they are....<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
<b>Thou shalt:</b><br />
<br />
1. Have a strong stomach – risk the rejection and go for it!<br />
<br />
2. Be ready for the muse and have something to write your ideas in (you
are a creative person so this means you’ll have many – for some they’ll
come in words and others, doodles and pictures. Inspiration comes from
many places and most times, we’re inundated with information. Get ideas
from newspapers, books, films, TV, people who inspire us or don’t, etc.
Trust your creative process!<br />
<br />
3. Create a show. What came first the character or the show? Some
people are inspired by a character and create a show around it. Others
are inspired by a cause or theme then create the characters for it.
Sometimes you can get the TV rights for a book then do the show. Once
you have the idea, know your show—everything about the world you create
and the characters in it. The who and what your show is about. Does it
give the world something new? Is your show an animated show or can it
be done live-action?<br />
<br />
4. Know your audience. Never write down to kids. Make sure your show is
age- appropriate. If your show has curriculum, make sure that is
age-appropriate too. You may need to get a curriculum specialist if
you’re pitching to PBS.<br />
<br />
5. Create a show with legs. Can your show go on for many episodes or
is it a one-off? It’s not just enough to have a great character or
characters, but what do they do and how long can they keep doing it? You have to be able to generate many
episode ideas. <br />
<br />
6. Know the function of a pitch bible – sell, sell, sell! It is also
your leave-behind after your pitch meeting. The person you pitch to may
have to sell or pitch your show to their bosses or partners so make it easy, let your pitch bible be the "Your Show 101." A pitch
bible is also a great portfolio-piece. Pitching is also a way to begin building
relationships. The writing of your pitch book is more
promotional writing and whatever you can do visually,
all the better.<br />
<br />
7. Write a bible that captures the spirit of your show and makes it
come alive! If your show is a comedy, your pitch book needs to
hilarious, or if it’s a mystery, that pitch book better be a page
turner. Some don’ts - Never say my character is hilarious, write a
hilarious pitch bible and make your character(s) and world of your show
come alive and show how they are funny. Contents: Catchy title, logline,
show summary, format section, character descriptions, 5 episode
summaries, rules of your world or myth or backstory (if necessary), and
artwork. You may want to include “What an episode is like section.”
For preschool, it’s very important to have segments that
happen in each episode. Kids look forward to that and love the
repetition.<br />
<br />
8. Put other eyeballs on your pitch bible and have people tell you what they get or
don’t get about your show. Then get some distance from your bible (if
you can). When you jump back in hopefully, you'll be able to see it with fresher eyes so you can revise and take it to the next level. <br />
<br />
9. Research your networks and who you should pitch your show
to. Be brave and jump in. Pitching is about relationship
building and selling yourself as much as it is about selling your show.
Pitch your show in a conversational style – talk the person through it. Love your show and watch how your enthusiasm is contagious. Your pitch
book also gives you something to do with your hands. <br />
<br />
10. Most importantly, never give up!<br />
<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Cheers,<br />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lisa</span>Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-35646306571237314982013-04-04T15:51:00.000-04:002013-04-04T15:53:24.848-04:00On EdgeHello Animated People,
I am pleased to announce that through Edge Studio, we have a new Pitch Bible Studies class happening that will be in session until May 14th. Edge Studio is a fabulous place for voice actors learn voice acting and the business end of it all too. Many of their students do voice acting for animated shows so why not learn how to create your own series. So I was brought in to do that.
Stay tuned, more posts to follow!
Cheers,
LisaTaught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-67009790833790627582011-07-26T16:10:00.002-04:002011-07-26T16:19:46.925-04:00Broad StrokesHello Animated People!<br />
<br />
The nature of the beast for writing pitch books is to present your show (characters and their world) using the broad strokes. Save all the wonderful details and gems you create for writing the episodes. Well, using a select few for the bible is okay. You just don't want your reader to get lost in too much explanation and detail now. You want to hook them in so they want more!<br />
<br />
It's not easy to capture the essence of your characters and their world in a fun and concise way so that anyone who reads your bible gets your show as easily and clearly as you do. Remember, it is rare that you pitch to the person who has the power to green-light! You must make their job as easy as possible when they have to pitch your show to their bosses or partners to sell it.<br />
<br />
If you can't describe your show in a few words then you don't know your show!<br />
<br />
In class, I help students with the issues they're wrestling with on their shows and we all learn from each other.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
LisaTaught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-12505349252509123132011-02-21T16:57:00.000-05:002011-02-21T16:57:17.379-05:00Featured StudentHi, Animated People,<br />
<br />
I will often feature the work of past students now on this blog who have taken this class. Meet Tyler Heckman, a former student from SVA, and this is his animated short that he created for his senior thesis. Enjoy the viewing at: <a href="http://vimeo.com/11674931" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1298324912_0">http://vimeo.com/11674931</span></a><br />
<br />
The animated series that Tyler created for class was called "Village Bigfoot" about a brother and sister team who get lost on a camping trip and wind up in the town inhabited by bigfoot and think they are stuck there forever!<br />
<br />
I'll be posting student's websites and blogs soon as well so this can be a great way for class alum to be connected to each other. So stay tuned.<br />
<br />
Big cheers,<br />
<br />
LisaTaught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-77867753715691808602011-02-08T21:52:00.000-05:002011-02-08T21:52:30.101-05:00What's your line on a log line?Hi, Animated People,<br />
<br />
In class last night, we were going over log lines and an interesting point came up about the two types of log lines. There's a log line that summarizes your television series in a sentence or two. Then there's the log line that describes your show by making a comparison using two existing shows. You've heard these before "It's Rugrats meets Batman"<br />
<br />
I always ask development execs about which log line they prefer. Most don't like the one that compares two shows but some do. I don't like it either but my reason is this: what if the development exec or producer you're pitching to hates one of the shows you're using in your log line? You're dead-man talking. <br />
<br />
The problem really is this, you have no idea what the association is that the person you're pitching to will make with the shows you're comparing or using in your log line. If they don't like it, you're done. Even if they do like them, you still don't know if what you wanted to get across is what is going on their head. Too much guess work for me, the process is hard enough to begin with. <br />
<br />
Try to hit that bull's eye. I think the most successful log line is the one that summarizes your show in one or two sentences in your own words. It should capture the energy, the fun, the irreverence or the whatever of what your show is -- comedy, mystery, adventure, etc. <br />
<br />
It should be the hook to make someone want to know more about your show. This is not easy to do by any means, but worth the time and energy it takes to do it. You don't want any negative connotation attached to your show that doesn't belong to your show. This can happen easily if you use the comparison type of log line. <br />
<br />
Be totally original. It's not easy but like anything else, with practice you can get better at it, just try! You CAN DO IT! Send in some of your best log lines, vhy not!<br />
<br />
Big cheers to you,<br />
<br />
LisaTaught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-8824147726543752662011-01-27T13:10:00.000-05:002011-01-27T13:10:44.125-05:00Class Before the StormHi, Animated People!<br />
<br />
We managed to pull off our first class between snow storms! The group of students for this session are terrific--all illustrators, designers, or animators. Some work in publishing - books and ebooks and others work Internet, TV and new media. We love Frederator's new digs on West 21st Street. So my students will be surprised by the guest speakers lined up I have lined up so stay tuned!<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Lisa<br />
<br />
Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-66841540015123031832010-12-19T14:41:00.000-05:002010-12-19T14:41:47.460-05:00Pearls of WisdomHi, Animated People!<br />
<br />
This past semester was a super group who created some fantastic animated show ideas. I hope everyone in class gets out there to pitch them now that they know how. We had Fred Seibert speak to our group. After sharing statistics of how many animated films Fred has had to create to land the hits on his credit list, the class was hit a bit broadside. Why even do this? That's what they were thinking. Then Fred in his infinite wisdom shared with the group why he keeps going..."I'm too stupid to know that I can't be successful!" If you love what you do that's what keeps you going and hopefully the success will follow.<br />
<br />
Our class was also fortunate to have a visit by Diana Manson from Chorion and former Silverlining Productions fame. Di mapped out the whole process for the class. A good point that she had is that when you are going out to sell a show you must think about "What are we asking people to do in the world's greatest recession?" If it is to buy your show then you must do your homework and their homework. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <style>
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</style> <!--StartFragment-->Figure out the reasons “why” a broadcaster, producer, toy company, publisher would want your show.<span> </span>What are these folks worried about?<span> Have the answers to their questions. Calm their worries. </span><br />
<br />
Also, if it's your first time pitching - practice pitching your show clearly, concisely, and confidently.<br />
<br />
Come join us in our next session.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
LisaTaught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-59822635189588179242010-10-09T22:38:00.000-04:002010-10-09T22:38:36.210-04:00Back to School!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello Animated People,</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I promise to be a better blogger. I do. I do. I am happy to report that the Fall 2010 Pitch Bible Studies Class has started! Everything is moving along quite nicely and all students wrestling with their series ideas and loglines. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Spring class just had a reunion last Wednesday night. So far no sales on their pitches but one student has finished the novel of the same idea she developed for a series. We wish her lots and lots of luck!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I will share the pearls of wisdom from our speakers in the next few weeks. So stay tuned or should I say stay tooned!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Big cheers to you,</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lisa</span>Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-44724812594509748732010-04-20T15:35:00.000-04:002010-04-20T15:35:16.422-04:00A Frederated Fred Visit!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Hello Animated People,</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Last night Fred Seibert spoke to my class and gave some interesting advice. He said that the people who succeed are <b>the ones who want it</b> and not always the best ones. Some other key factors to success are persistence, volume, and relationships with people in the business.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Keep develop</span>ing,<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lisa </span>Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593873264362021677.post-72609330041387088422010-04-02T17:50:00.001-04:002010-04-20T16:41:25.919-04:00The 10 Pitch Bible Commandments<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello Animated People!<br />
<br />
The 10 Pitch Bible Commandments are going to be a work in progress. We will change them from input from you, my class, and from me. So here they are....<br />
<br />
<b>Thou shalt:</b><br />
<br />
1. Have a strong stomach – risk the rejection and go for it!<br />
<br />
2. Be ready for the muse and have something to write your ideas in (you are a creative person so this means you’ll have many – for some they’ll come in words and others, doodles and pictures. Inspiration comes from many places and at times, we’re inundated with information. Get ideas from newspapers, books, films, TV, people who inspire us or don’t, etc. Trust your creative process!<br />
<br />
3. Create a show. What came first the character or the show? Some people are inspired by a character and create a show around it. Others are inspired by a cause or theme then create the characters for it. Sometimes you can get the TV rights for a book then do the show. Once you have the idea, know your show—everything about the world you create and the characters in it. The who and what your show is about. Does it give the world something new? Is your show an animated show or can it be done live-action?<br />
<br />
4. Know your audience. Never write-down to kids. Make sure it is age-appropriate. If your show has curriculum, make sure that is age-appropriate too. You may need to get a curriculum specialist if you’re pitching to PBS.<br />
<br />
5. Create a show with legs. Can your show go on for many episodes or is it a one-off? It’s not just enough to have a great character or characters, but what do they do? They have to be able to generate many episode ideas. <br />
<br />
6. Know the function of a pitch bible – sell, sell, sell! It is also your leave-behind after your pitch meeting. The person you pitch to may have to sell or pitch your show to their bosses or partners. A pitch bible is a great portfolio-piece. Pitching is a way to begin building relationships. The writing of your pitch book is more like a promotional writing. Advertising writing. Whatever you can do visually, all the better.<br />
<br />
7. Write a bible that captures the spirit of your show and makes it come alive! If your show is a comedy, your pitch book needs to hilarious, or if it’s a mystery, that pitch book better be a page turner. Some don’t - Never say my character is hilarious, write a hilarious pitch bible and make your character(s) and world of your show come alive and show how it is funny. Contents: catchy title, logline, show summary, format section, character descriptions, 5 episode summaries, rules of your world or myth or backstory-(if necessary), and artwork. You may want to include “What an episode is like section.” For preschool, it’s very important to have repetition and segments that happen in each episode. Kids look forward to that and love the repetition.<br />
<br />
8. Put other eyeballs on it and have people tell you what they get or don’t get about your show. Then get some distance from your bible (if you can) then jump back in and revise and take it to the next level. <br />
<br />
9. Research your networks and the development execs you pitch your show to. Go in. Make a connection. Pitching is about relationship building and selling yourself as much as it is about selling your show. Pitch your show in a conversation – talk the person through it. Pitch book gives you something to do with your hands. <br />
<br />
10. Never give up!<br />
<br />
Let me know what you think and what you might want to add or delete!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheers,<br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lisa</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" />Taught by: Lisa Goldmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05590201813606253328noreply@blogger.com0