Comments on: The Truth About Your Big Idea In Holywood

By: Filmmaking Success: Do You Have This Secret Weapon? | Joke and Biagio

Filmmaking Success: Do You Have This Secret Weapon? | Joke and Biagio — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:34:40 +0000

[...] to sell your one big idea to Hollywood and get [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:41:00 +0000

What if you are trying to bring back a reality show from hiatusland? I want to bring back Beauty and Geek so I can be the second she geek on it and the first autistic individual on it as well. I have sent some info to you via your youtube account.

By: Charles Bailey

Charles Bailey — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:52:31 +0000

Most people would suggest seeking out an agent, but, in addition to doing your homework concerning WHERE to pitch your idea, I would suggest finding a really great entertainment atty. Then have him present the material to your prospects.

Cold sending your material out, only causes it to end up unread, unwanted, and trashcan fodder.

By: Charles Bailey

Charles Bailey — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:48:18 +0000

In many cases it all boils down to legal issues. For example (this is a VERY true example), if you submitted to me a yarn about ghosts invading New York City, which – for whatever reason – I passed on, then later decided to produce a project about a young couple living in New York City, being haunted by ghosts, the ideas (while very much different) are too similar and the fear (or act) of being sued arises. Then, it becomes a nightmare in the court system to prove the two projects are NOT in fact, the same. Or even connected.

The legal issues involved on something of that scope are very daunting, time consuming, and more importantly, expensive. Unfortunately, that is one of countless reasons why it may be difficult for you to gain ground in “pitching”.

By: Producers Make Stuff

Producers Make Stuff — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:41:14 +0000

[...] idea is the easy part. Ideas are a dime a dozen. I’d go so far as to say an idea, in and of itself, is almost worthless. What IS worth something is the execution of an idea. Actually making something concrete, in the [...]

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:02:26 +0000

Most of us have a real job that pays. It is really sad that Hollywood is so concerned with the authors potential. There is an old saying that goes… “a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush”.

By: Truth about breaking in to Hollywood, or is Joke a Debbie Downer

Truth about breaking in to Hollywood, or is Joke a Debbie Downer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:07:06 +0000

[...] talked on this blog about the numbers game, about giving yourself an edge by being a hands-on-producer, about knowing the odds and diving in [...]

By: Biagio

Biagio — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:15:25 +0000

It really is a numbers game. Keep those creative gears turning, come up with enough good ideas, and eventually, one will hit.

By: Gedubbel

Gedubbel — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:12:27 +0000

If I only knew where to send my ideas ….. I have multiple great pitches …. at least one ios close to fenomenal but unless you pay loads of dollars on `pitch`site its bloody close to impossible for a dutchy to pitch in hollywood or the US in general ±)

By: RP

RP — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:41:43 +0000

By the way, Pirates and robots is not a bad idea!

By: RP

RP — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:40:53 +0000

I believe what you say, but there are those chances for pure luck to happen. Only problem with this, is that people will steal your ideas as well. I pitch as many ideas as I can and keep coming up with new ones. The more I pitch the better shot I have, and that’s all I can really do.. Thanks for the post, it’s real and that’s just how it is.(So I know I’m not alone)

By: Mark A Neal Jr

Mark A Neal Jr — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:20:40 +0000

I pitched a movie idea to Robert Kosberg, called Jeffery Kruegoff: The Last Don, its about a loser mailman who is hired by the Fbi to pose as a look a like mob boss in New York. Whats wrong with my pitch?

By: Biagio

Biagio — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:25:15 +0000

While your sense of humor is not lost on us, you’d be amazed how many people pitch shows just like that…only for real.

By: k.g.m.

k.g.m. — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:14:12 +0000

I’ve been pitching to everybody in town my idea for a reality show where pedophiles compete in a booby-trap filled house to grab the sweet children waiting in an upstairs bedroom but nobody shows any interest. What am I doing wrong?

By: Twitter Time Take 1

Twitter Time Take 1 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:25:56 +0000

[...] Will they take your idea and do it with someone else? There’s always a chance. Can you really afford to worry about that when you’re just starting out? No, you can’t. We’ve all been screwed at one time or another. It’s another reason why we preach that one big idea is not enough. [...]

By: Showbiz is Slow-Biz

Showbiz is Slow-Biz — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:34:20 +0000

[...] to send your idea into the abyss, is to start your next big project. Like we’ve said before, one big idea is not enough. Here’s another big reason [...]

By: Biagio

Biagio — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:14:43 +0000

Len,

You make a great point. Fact of the matter is that if you want to work in any business, ideas are just not enough–you need the skills to execute that idea. I think the trick is for aspiring producers to use their passion for that “big idea” to drive them to develop their skills. Use the promise of “what could be” to get through the long nights of learning to write, shoot, edit, etc. As you say, learn the craft so it becomes a tool you can wield to get things done.

By: Len Esten

Len Esten — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:49:34 +0000

One idea is not a career for certain. I would caution anyone who just assumes they will come up with something to take a little more time and learn before pitching that one project.

If it’s fictional learn about screenwriting, if it’s reality do some more brainstorming and research on what’s already out there.

You don’t want to be that hack do you? Then learn your craft and have it at your command. Anybody can come up with one good idea, but only an artist can create at will.

By: Biagio

Biagio — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:49:49 +0000

I forgot to mention the pirates/robots clause. This is usually the one exception to the entire article above :-)

Seriously, though, Andrew makes an excellent point: many hold fast to one idea (some as “interesting” as mixing pirates and robots) as if their artistic integrity depends on it. Your best shot at selling the robot-pirate show is to sell a bunch of other, less “out there” shows first, and then, when the industry finally realizes you’re good at what you do, they just might trust you with a Lost in Space meets Hook competition reality show.

For the record, I would trust Andrew with that show right now, but after all, he can fly.

By: Andrew Mayne

Andrew Mayne — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:08:52 +0000

Everything they say is a lie!!! You must have one idea and only one idea and it has to involve pirates and robots.