My Program Idea

Less is More

2012-01-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

The third of Sondheim's principals is a phrase that you may have heard before: "Less is More." If you've spent any time in a group critiquing a poem or novel,play or movie, or a song, you've heard someone say, "less is more." That means that a simple, straightforward expression of your idea can be much more effective than a more elaborate, fancy expression.

Creators like to overstate. Actors love to show more emotion than their role calls for, because they think that's the way the audiences can see how good they are. Writers and lyricists love to show off their facility with words. Larry Hart once rhymed "company" with "bump a knee." In general, your audience finds simplicity and honesty more compelling. Doing less allows the true feelings of a scene to emerge. Less does really create more impact.

Of course, you always have to be careful to make sure that less doesn't mean less. If you are letting the form dictate content, and taking care with the details, you'll know when less is more for your piece.

One other lesson learned from Sondheim is to keep refining your work. You'll probably not get it right the first time, the second time, the third time, and maybe not even the fourth time. Keep working until you get your content right. Your audience is giving you their time and sometimes even their money for your art. You owe them your best effort.

Keep these principles in mind, and maybe you will be a vital artist when you hit 80.

Sondheim's First Principle

2012-01-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Form Dictates Content. The format of your piece will influence how you create it. If you're writing a musical, you should include some songs. If your program is about a group of twentysomethings living in New York, they're going to talk differently than a group of twentysomethings working on oil rigs in West Texas. If you're painting a picture in watercolor, it's not going to look the same as if you used oil paints.

Those extreme examples may seem obvious to most of you, but the principle applies to the most subtle details. If you're writing a play and you need to add some dialogue to cover a scene change it's important to remember what the play is about so your dialogue fits the characters and advances the plot. Sondheim says in his book that he can't write songs for any play until the librettist provides him with the characters and dialogue. The songs grow out of the characters' actions and passions, and become an integral part of the show.

What form are you using for your content? Let the form inform the content you create.

God is in the Details

2012-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Let's start discussing the second of Stephen Sondheim's principles: "God is in the details." That's another way of saying something I've said several times in this blog -- it's how you express your idea that matters more than the idea itself.

For example, I might want to create a comedy about a group of friends in their 20s living in New York. But depending upon the details of who the characters are I might create "Friends," or "How I Met Your Mother." If I make the group older and have one of them be a comedian I might create "Seinfeld." All of these shows have a very similar basic premise, but became hits because of the character details that the writers, producers, and the actors created that made these characters live for the audience.

The great creative artists care about every detail when they create a show. Not just the words of the script, but the set and costume design. Not just the design, but the props that the actors use - - what brand of coffee they drink and what type of coffee maker do they use? A compelling, memorable story is the accumulation of lots of evocative details. No detail is too small for you to ignore; every detail you choose to put into your story is significant.

You may not get everything right in your first draft of your content. (I hope you do, but not everyone does). Stephen Sondheim keeps looking for ways to improve his songs even after his shows open, and sometimes after they close. As you keep working to improve your piece, think about how the details you're adding advance your story and make your content more compelling.

How Steven Sondheim can help you

2011-12-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Many theatre critics consider composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim the greateest living Broadway composer. There's no denying the groundbreaking musicals he wrote changed the way we create musical theatre today. A short list of his shows include West Side Story, Gypsy, Company, Follies, and Sweeney Todd, among others. He recently released the second volume of his lyrics, called "Look, I Made a Hat." Sondheim discusses the lyrics he wrote for all of his songs, gives opinions about other composers he admires, and tells stories about his experiences writing the shows. He distills his advice about writing lyrics to three simple rules:

Form dictates Content
God is in the Details
Less is More

All of these rules serve to increase the clarity of the piece.

I'll address each of these in a subsequent post. There's one other lesson that practically shouts from the pages of these books, which include not just all of his finished lyrics but also different versions and pictures of his original hand-written note: Stephen Sondheim worked hard! He would write as many different versions as he needed until he got it right. The effortless brilliance of his lyrics was the result of Sondheim's continual effort to improve his work.

Perhaps we can't all be Sondheim, but we can all learn from his effort. How much time are you putting into your content projects? Try for continual improvement.

Why are they still building movie theaters?

2011-12-18T09:48:00.000-08:00

Today's headline in my local news was that Deltona, Florida, is celebrating the opening of a new movie theater this weekend. Deltona is a bedroom approximately halfway between Orlando and Daytona. It was built without a town center, shopping mall, or industrial park. I was happy to hear that its residents are celebrating the opening of a business that could provide entertainment for their own city.

But the larger question for me is why is anyone bulding a movie theater today? After all, can't we access just about any movie we want on line, or via cable, only a few weeks after it opens? Isn't it more convenient to see the film in the comfort of our own home, where we can eat our own reasonably priced food and pause the film when we want? For years experts have been predicting the death of movies. First, television was going to kill them, then cable TV, then home video stores, and then the internet. And yet, they are building new movie theatres in Deltona! And not just in Deltona, but probably in your town, too.

The fact that people are still building movie theatres demonstrates a fundamental truth about human nature: People enjoy some kinds of entertainment in groups more than they do as inviduals. Concerts are more fun (and cost more) than listening to CDs. It's more exciting to be at a live ballgame than to watch it on TV. And people still prefer to watch a good movie with strangers on a big screen than to watch it at home later. Current technology creates many more opportunities to consume content that even just a few years ago. It has not changed human nature.

Our ancestors revered story tellers who could enthrall them while they sat around their lonely campfires in the wilderness. We are still looking for great stories today, however they're told. The rewards for telling a great story remain great for the individuals that do. My blog has identified examples for you of authors who didn't give up on their stories, and achieved great success when their stories finally reached an audience. Don't you give up either. Keep developing your story and your content, no matter what form it's in. We can never have enough good stories. Someone's got to make the movies that they're showing in Deltona.

Create Compelling Characters that Last

2011-12-04T15:24:00.001-08:00

I went to a Barnes and Noble on Colonial Drive last Saturday for a book signing featuring Janet Evanovich, author of the latest Stephanie Plum novel, Explosive Eighteen. I’ve read all 18 books in this mystery series, and wanted to meet the lady herself.

For those who don’t know, Stephanie Plum is a former lingerie saleswoman who became a bounty hunter in Trenton, New Jersey, out of desperation. Her cousin Vinnie ran the bail bonds service, and she didn’t have prospects for other jobs. Stephanie’s fictional adventures have become so popular Ms. Evanovich has written 18 best sellers in the main series, some other novels that feature characters out of the chronological order of the series, and everything from graphic novels to how-to-write books. The movie version of the first novel will be released January 2012, starring Katherine Heigel.

I knew Ms. Evanovich was popular, but I thought if I got to the store at 11:00 AM for a 1:00 book signing I would be safe. I was wrong. So many people had already gotten received a wristband for the signing that I was too late. Wouldn’t you like to sell out your book signing?

Janet Evanovich’s success creating compelling characters and great stories transcends her medium – printed books – and reaches across all content platforms. That’s why when you are creating your content think always about character and story first and method of communication second, or even third and forth. People remember great stories and respond to compelling characters. That’s true whether they’re completely fictional like Stephanie Plum, produced reality characters like Snookie, or real people with compelling narratives. As you’re creating your content, always be thinking “what’s the story? How can I make it more interesting? Why should I care about this character?” Who knows? Someday you may create a character as enduring as Stephanie Plum.

Art of Fielding sold to HBO

2011-11-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

To add to the good news for Chad Harbach, HBO optioned the film rights to his book. It will be produced by Scott Rudin, who has a long string of hit projects to his name.

As you remember from the last post, Chad Harbach, who labored on his novel in obscurity for ten years, appears to have hit the lottery with this book -- big advance, great reviews, HBO sale, and that's just the beginning. What will he command for an advance on his next project?

Of course, you shouldn't create content because you hope someday you'll hit the lottery like Harbach. Create the content that you love; tell stories you believe in. But if you aren't creating content now, it's a guarantee that you won't hit the lottery. So what are you waiting for?

Inspiration from The Art of Fielding

2011-11-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

"The Art of Fielding" is a new novel from author Chad Harbach. Harbach's novel has received several rave reviews and made some best seller lists. The novel tells the story of a young college shortstop who suddenly has trouble making a throw to first, and how his life impacts the lives of other people at the college. But just telling the plot doesn't do the book justice. This story is riveting even if you don't know anything about baseball.

The true story of how the novel came to be published is even more fascinating, and can be an inspiration for all of us developing our own content. Harbach worked on the novel for over ten years, while performing various other jobs in the New York literary world -- freelance writer, magazine editor, etc. He never made much money. But while he was doing these other jobs he kept writing his novel, constantly cutting and rewriting to make it better.

Finally, Harbach thought the novel was ready. He sent it to several publishing houses, who rejected it. He sent it to several book agents, all of whom rejected it -- except one. With some final revisions and a push from the agent, the novel was sent to other publishing houses, and became the subject of a bidding war. One company paid $750,000 for the rights, and after ten years of hard writing Harbach became an overnight success.

I want to stress that this is a modern story. The Art of Fielding was released this year. Aside from the happiness we feel for Harbach, we can all learn some lessons from this inspiring story:

1. Persist. If you think you have a good story, whether you're writing a novel, a poem, or a web video, keep working on it. You can only be defeated if you give up.

2. Content is king. A good story in any medium, whether it's print, film, television, or any media still not invented, is going to find an audience.

3. Get good feedback, but stay true to your vision. Harbach received a lot of advice from friends, writing workshops, and editors over the years. Good, constructive feedback can help you improve your content. But you must know where the heart of your story lies, and always stay true to what excited you about it in the first place.

Keep developing your content. If it's good, you may end up in the same situation as Chad Harbach sometime soon.

50 Documentaries to See Before You Die

2011-08-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite series this summer is Current TV's "50 Documentaries to See Before You Die." Hosted by Morgan Spurlock (Director/writer/star of "Supersize Me"), the series counts down the top documentaries of the last 25 years. Documentarians like Michael Moore and Penelope Spheeris, as well as an expert panel of film industry pros and critics, discuss the impact of the films and tell the stories of how they were made. At this writing they haven't revealed the top ten yet. I suggest you all watch the series and the final ten next week. There's a lot we can learn to apply to our own content.

First of all: Passion. All of the documentarians exuded passion for their subjects. No matter whether the subject was Heavy Metal, the rise of extreme skateboarding, or the truth about the Vietnam War, every filmaker believed passionately that their story was one that had to be told.

Second: Go where the story takes you. Errol Morris never thought he'd get a 20 hour interview with Robert MacNamara, which became the center of "The Fog of War." Andrew Jarecki started to make a film about children's entertainers in New York and ended up making "Capturing the Friedmans." Go where the story takes you, and don't be afraid to tell the truth.

Third: Make it happen. Every project had its own troubles, ranging from a lack of funds, lack of historical footage, inexperience of the filmakers. They didn't let the roadblocks stop them. The documentarians figured out a way to incorporate the roadblocks in the story or they worked around them. The passion they had for their subjects wouldn't allow them to give up.

So find a story that fires your passion. Go where that story takes you. Make it happen. In the words of M.B. Ray:

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand -- and melting like a snow flake."

I Have a Great Idea ...

2011-08-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke to two different people who said the same thing. "I have a great idea for a television show. How can I make sure the networks won't steal it?"

Here's the answer: You can't. That's right -- you can't protect your generic idea. Here's a generic idea example: Let's do a show about two single guys with women problems who move in together. Make them divorced and middle aged and you have The Odd Couple. Make one Charlie Sheen, add a child, and you have Two and Half Men. You can't protect an idea -- you can only copyright your expression of those ideas.

The only way to protect your idea is to develop it in as much detail as possible. You can't protect the idea of creating a movie about a dysfunctional suburban family, but when you license the movie rights to a novel and create a screenplay, you can copyright your version of the story. It might be "Revolutionary Road" or it might be "Ordinary People," but both films are fully copywritten expressions of ideas.

Look at television today -- how many different shows about cake making companies are on the air on different networks? Why aren't they suing each other? Because you can't copyright an idea. You can copyright a show about a specific cake company, like Staten Island Cakes or Cake Boss, but the idea of making a show set in a cake shop cannot be owned.

You may be thinking, "but I watch a lot of reality television and it sure looks like they need better ideas." I know. I work in that world every day. Believe me, it takes a great deal of effort and creativity to grow a simple idea into a concept, characters and setting that viewers will want to watch and can sustain itself over time. That's why the people who can do that with several different series over time make a great deal of money.

So don't just come up with generic ideas. Develop them into properties, and then you'll have something to sell.

Even Laurence Olivier couldn't do it alone

2011-07-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

If you asked critics and fans who the greatest actor of the 20th century was, it would be very likely that Laurence Olivier would be first on the list. Remeber I said the greatest actor, not necessarily the biggest movie star. When he was young Olivier made women's hearts flutter in Wuthering Heights. He won an Oscar for Hamlet in 1948, but also redefined film with his groundbreaking Henry V, not to mention Richard III. Later he in life, he made an indelible impression as the evil Nazi dentist Szell in Marathon Man, and as the romantic old man in "A Little Romance." These are all great films.

Yesterday Turner Classic movies devoted their afternoon to a series of films Olivier made in the 30s and 40s which were less than stellar. They did show his Richard III, but also included potboilers like "Westward Passage" and the Divorce of Lady X. I wouldn't recommend seeing them if you haven't already, but take my word for it that even Olivier can't look good as a Russian inventor falling for an Englishwoman. I'm sure Olivier brought the same talent to those films as he did to Wuthering Heights; why are these films so bad?

Because even the great Olivier couldn't succeed alone. He needed talented writers, directors, co-stars, and designers to show case his genius. Without a talented team, even the greatest actors look mediocre.

So when you're creating your content always find the best available people for your team. They will spur you to greater heights, and together you might create something extraordinary.

Queen is still popular

2011-06-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched a two hour biography of the band Queen on the Bio Channel. I was a teenager when Queen released "A Night At the Opera" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" I became a big fan, and their songs remain on my favorites list on my ipod.

The documentary included recent interviews with the three surviving members of the band and lots of archival footage. For some years even after they began releasing albums Queen made very little money. Their management told the drummer to stop breaking sticks in concert because they couldn't afford to buy new ones. But they kept working,creating new music and eventually became fabulously wealthy stars.

Once they became famous, they lived a rock star life. But despite the temptations of stardom, they kept working: writing new music, recording, touring, and pushing themselves to get better.

The takeaway for you is this: Stars work hard. Creating hit songs and movies, bestsellers, and viral videos may be fun work, but it's still work. It requires an enormous investment of time and creative energy. Are you happy with the response to your content? If not, how hard are you working? Try putting more time into your content creation, and see how much the end product improves.

It's not about You

2011-06-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I heard a lecture from poet laureate and teacher Ted Kooser. He told the story of a student who came up to him after class and showed him some poems, saying, "I wrote this for myself. Would you mind taking a look?"

If you're creating content for yourself that's great. We all have hobbbies. You never know, someday your novels or videos may be found by historians or critics and you will become famous for your art after death, just like Emily Dickinson, who never sent her poems to be published while she was alive.

But if you want success while you're alive, keep in mind Ted Kooser's advice about writing poetry. It is great advice for creating stories in all media. He said to "write with the reader in mind." Remember, at some point you're going to share your video, your story, or your film with someone. Is it going to make sense to them? Will your work engage your audience, transport them to a place they'd always wanted to go, and give them a satisfying surprise when they're there? If not, you might want to revise your work.

It's great if you want to express yourself. But creating successful content -- content that reaches the audience and moves them -- is not about you and your feelings. It's about the effect you have on your audience. Can you make them laugh? Or cry? Can you change the way they think or feel about their lives? Can you make them forget their problems, even for a few minutes?

Create your content with your audience in mind. Think about the effect you want to achieve. How do you know if you've achieved it? You'll know when your audience starts recommending it to their friends either buy e-mailing links, buying books as presents, or just posting positive reviews on Facebook.

Copycat shows

2011-06-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

How many talent/singing competitions have launched on television since 'American Idol?' I can list at least a dozen without searching the internet. How many can you name?

I am looking forward to Simon Cowell's latest: the American version of his British hit, "the X Factor." The pre-show publicity has been great. Without giving away details of the show, they've let us know there might be a judge even meaner than Simon! I can't wait.

Why do networks keep creating similar programs? Wouldn't they get more viewers if they only aired unique, original programs?

I'll answer the second question first: no. In general, viewers prefer familiar forms of story telling. TV history is filled with innovative formats that didn't catch on with viewers (look up "Cop Rock" on the internet for an example). It makes sense for networks to put their own spin on formulas that work for viewers.

Remember, too, that most television networks are headquartered in New York or Los Angeles. Because of that, most production companies are headquartered in one of those cities. The production heads and programming executives attend the same parties; rumors run rampant about shows in development. Also, shows are usually pitched to several networks, so most executives know what shows are available.

Therefore, if a development executive at one network hears there's a singing competition show in the works at Fox, they may start development one at their network, just in case. Then, if it becomes a hit, the other network has a concept ready to go.

Say you don't live in Los Angeles or New York, and you believe you have a completely original idea that will transform television as we know it. Good luck with that; those are the most difficult ideas to sell. Think about trying your concept on the internet first.

Tom Hanks at Yale

2011-05-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Tom Hanks gave the Commencement speech to Yale graduates. Like many Commencement speakers, he urged the class to choose faith over fear and move forward with their lives. But the real star of Hanks' talk was not his message, but Sam Tsui, one of Yale's graduating seniors.

Some of you may not know Sam Tsui, Yale class of 2011, although I've written about him before. Search for "Michael Jackson medley" on the web, and you'll see a video of several versions of Sam signing all the parts to an accapella medley of Michael Jackson songs. The video was produced by Kurt Johnson, Yale 2010, and has received millions of views since it was posted. Sam and Kurt created other videos that made Sam an internet star, whose video views run in the hundreds of millions. Tom Hanks referenced Sam Tsui's success at this several times during his speech, and using him as an example of someone who followed his passion, and still got his Yale education.

Can Sam's success teach content creators anything? I wouldn't be writing about this if I didn't think so. One thing we can learn is the value of actually creating the content you're dreaming about -- no one can watch your videos unless you make them. Go and do it. Second, it's important to be original. This concept was fresh when it appeared, and became viral when people started sending it to their friends to view. So make your video fresh. Don't imitate others: create your own compelling content. Remember you have no control over how the public will respond to your work; your job is to make it as compelling as you can.

If you dedicate yourself to creating your content and making it as good as possible then perhaps one day you'll be as famous and accomplished as Tom Hanks -- or Sam Tsui.

What Programs do networks want?

2011-05-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Fans of this blog and friends in the busines frequently ask me "What are the networks looking for?" I also ask cable networks a similar question -- "What shows do you want to air?"

It's tough for most networks to answer that question except in the most general terms. Even if you have aimed your network at a particular audience segment -- for example, Women 25-49, or men 35+ with average incomes of $75,000 per year -- your audience is always changing and evolving. Women ages 25-49 do share similar interests in products, for example, but they don't all buy the exact same products. Each member of that group is a person making their own individual choices. Every year, fashions change, tastes change, and a network needs to evolve with their audience or lost them.

While network executives can usually articulate what sorts of shows they will consider, they are also willing to push the envelope if that means they can add a hit show. For example, MTV started as Music Television. When was the last time you saw music videos on MTV in prime time? The network changed, because their audience's taste changed

So the answer to the question, "what do networks want?" is simple. They want hits. But no one really knows for sure where the next hit show is coming from. So in my opinion you shouldn't spend a lot of time tailoring your idea for a specific network in the beginning. Create as strong an ida as possible. Prove to the network that you have a potential hit for them. Then what will the networks want? They will want you.

Why not call it a Variety Show?

2011-04-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

When I was young The Ed Sullivan Show was the #1 show on television. Ed was endlessly imitated and kidded for his stiff manner -- he would never be a show host today -- but he was a savvy promoter and showman. Ed had a great talent for booking acts that America loved -- not just the Beatles, but also the Rolling Stones, along with vaudevillians, comedians, dancers, and novelty acts. There was something that appealed to everyone in the family, and families watched Ed togther.

The #1 show in America today is American Idol. American Idol brought competition to the variety format, and has been followed by a host of imitators: America's Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars, and very soon, the new Simon Cowell show, the X Factor.

I recently watched the American Idol results show. It did feature some competition elements: they told us who was safe, who was in the bottom three, and who was going home at the end. In between those moments, it looked like a variety show. Popular singers performed, Ryan made some jokes, and the ensemble sang a number. Would a variety show without a competition element succeed in primetime? The networks wouldnn't produce one -- variety shows are dead. Yet competitive variety shows have never been more popular.

What does that mean for you? As a content producer, look for ideas that worked in the past, and aren't on television today. Think about them: Can you give a classic idea a modern twist? If you can, you might have a hit on your hands. Just don't call it a variety show.

High Stakes = High Ratings

2011-03-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Have you been watching American Idol as I suggested in my last post? We've had the usual run of terrible performances mixed with people rising to the occasion and outperforming expectations. Once again it's the number one show on television, even if ratings are down from last year. How do they do it? The answer is two words -- High Stakes.

Each performance on American Idol can literally break, if not make, the performer's career chances. It doesn't matter how much you've performed before, or even how you performed during the dress rehearsal. It comes down to your three minutes of singing, with millions of people watching. If you survive, you go on. Those are high stakes -- and people watch.

It's the same reason why there are so many police and doctor dramas on television. In these occupations the stakes are life or death -- at least during their hour on television.

When you're creating your program, make the stakes as high as possible. Even if the stakes aren't literally life and death, it must feel that way to the character. Look at this year's Oscar winning film, The King's Speech, for a great example of how to make something that isn't life or death (stuttering) feel like it is.

As always, feel free to send me any comments you have.

What Are You Watching?

2011-03-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

In his book On Writing, Stephen King said the two most important things an aspiring writer can do are: 1)Read a Lot, and 2)Write a Lot. If you're an aspiring television or content producer, the same advice applies: 1)watch a lot of content; 2)Create a lot.

What shows are you watching? If you want to create a content for a specific medium, whether it's movies, television, or a web site, you need to be familiar with the other content that's already successful. You don't need to imitate that contentbut you do need to understand what elements make a piece of content successful. If you can incorporate the successful elements into your own story, you will go a long way toward making your story succeed.

That's also important if you want to sell your content. When I was in network programming, nothing made me more upset than a producer who proposed a program idea we already had on air. Clearly, they weren't watching.

So watch your favortie shows. And watch the shows you don't like, but are popular. Don't watch just to enjoy them -- watch critically. Analyze why a show is successful. Learn from its successes and its mistakes. Remember almost nothing that you create will be perfect the first time. Apply the lessons you learned from other content in the revisions. Your work is important to you; it's worth putting in the time necessary to make it as good as possible.

The New American Idol

2011-02-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

Let me state right at the top that I'm a fan of American Idol. I enjoy watching the auditions -- they remind me of some of the auditions I had to sit through while I was a theatre director. I love Hollywood Week -- the pressure to perform is so intense it raises the stakes to amazing heights. The competition shows are almost a relief by comparison, but it's always fascinating to watch the personalities emerge and watch the performers grow. And who cares if the Idol winner has a great career afterwards or not? It still makes great television.

Why didn't Fox just let it go after last year's lackluster performance (by Idol standards)? Simple. The show remains a formidable force on broadcast. Even if it's only the number two show on broadcast, it's tremendously profitable for Fox. It's a great platform to promote their other shows. Trust me, when you're head of programming for a major network, you will do whatever you can to save your #1 show. What surprised me is how well the show's producers managed it.

This year on American Idol is mainly an exercise in making the show seem different while actually changing as little as possible. Yes, we have two new celebrity judges, but that just restores the total number to the original three. Jennifer Lopez has many of the same qualities as Paula Abdul, without the craziness. Randy has moved to Simon's old seat, but it appears that both he and Steven Tyler are trying to bring a little of Simon to the show. They've moved the first show to Wednesday from Tuesday.

And it's working. Last week both American Idol shows were the #1 and #2 highest rated regular programs (the Grammy Awards was the highest rated). Steven, Randy and JLo are making me forget Simon Cowell -- at least the Simon of last season who was clearly bored by the proceedings. They have managed to re-invigorate the show without re-inventing the format. If you think that's easy, then you have never produced television.

If you want to produce television, you should study why American Idol is such a success. The lessons we can learn from it can help us no matter what type of show we're producing. Watch the show for a couple of weeks and I'll write about those lessons in a later post.

Unique Ideas

2011-01-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

I can't count the number of times that people not in the television business have said to me, "I have a great idea. It's like nothing else on television."

In my experience, that's very rarely the case. There are very few unique ideas. If you have an idea, it's very likely that someone else had a similar idea. The difference is in the way you execute the idea. There are many steps between the conception of an idea and a finished television program are movie. There's writing, casting, filming, production, and post-production. All of them have to work well together for the final product to work. If one of them goes wrong, your project could fail.

A successful producer or director can shepherd a project through all of these steps, keeping its essential integrity and telling the story clearly and compellingly. The people at the top of the profession -- a James Cameron, for example -- make millions of dollars because they've demonstrated that ability in projects that earned hundreds of millions of dollars. And in some cases they can spend years on a project and it can still fail to find an audience.

So if you have an idea, that's great. Remember that the idea is only as good as its execution, and spend time developing it the best way possible.

Use Your Life Stories

2010-12-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season is a quiet time in the world of television. Most of the network development and programming people take time off; offices are quiet and people spend time with their families. Maybe you are spending time with your family, too. That's wonderful. Enjoy your time with them. I have a great suggestion that will help you make the most of your time together and help you develop great content for your projects:

Ask your family to tell you their stories.

Ask your parents and grandparents about how things were when they were younger. See if your parents, sisters, brothers, or cousins have stories about you when you were younger. Ask why your relatives decided to follow their career path, or how they came to live in the town you're visiting. Tell them some stories about you.

You'll have a great time sharing memories with each other. And, as a side benefit, you might have the material you need to start your next project. Your family's stories are unique -- and because you know these people intimately you are the best person to know which of these stories might spark a content idea that other people will want to watch. The most authentic, compelling material always is rooted in people's real behavior. So listen and share stories during this holiday season, and see what material you can create from it. Use Your Life Story, and Your Family's Story, to make great content.

Have a Happy New Year!

Programming lessons from the Beatles

2010-12-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

More than 40 years after their U.S. debut in 1964 the Beatles remain one of the world's most popular rock groups. Itunes announced with great fanfare their agreement to finally sell Beatles tunes in the istore. New books about them are published every year. What can we learn from the Beatles' success that will help us make more compelling content?

First we have to work. Before they became famous the Beatles played everywhere and anywhere in and around Liverpool and the U.K. The first time they went to Hamburg for an extended set they literally lived in a toilet behind the screen of a movie theatre. After many years and countless hours spent working on their music, writing their own songs, and polishing their stage act they finally received the recognition they deserved. Yes, they were talented, but they were willing to put in the time to get better. How much time are you willing to put into your work?

Lots of different artists influenced the Beatles. For example, they named their group in homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The Beatles' stage act also included songs from many U.S. artists -- the Shirelles, Smokey Robinson, Arthur Alexander, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and more. But when you listen to the Beatles' cover recordings it's clear that no matter who originated the songs, the Beatles made them uniquely theirs. Are you creating original material, or are you copying other people that are successful?

So two very important lessons from the Beatles:

1. Work Hard. Put the time in to keep refining your material and make it better.

2. Be Original. Make sure your work is uniquely yours.

There's more lessons to learn which I'll post in a future blog. For now I'm going to listen to the remastered CD box set of Beatle albums I got last year.

Time for Variety Shows

2010-12-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

I saw the Nielsen ratings for last Saturday night (11/27/2010) and was surprised to see Sabado Gigante, the long-running variety show on spanish-language channel Univision, rating 1.2 for the night. That puts this warhorse in a strong fifth place amongst broadcast networks -- only .4 of a ratings point behind Fox. This is particularly interesting when you remember that Sabado Gigante (Big Saturday) is performed entirely in Spanish. Yet the show beat some English language networks (Ion, and others) in the ratings.

I must confess to being a fan for many years of Sabado Gigante and Don Francisco. I can enjoy the show even though my Spanish skills stalled at the high school level. It's always clear what's going on, even if you don't speak the language. If you don't like the current act, just wait five minutes. There's bound to be soneone on that you do like.

These high ratings demonstrate the importance of the Spanish speaking audience. But I think they also show that the time might be ripe to revive Variety shows on network television. When I was growing up, the Ed Sullivan show was the most popular, but other highly-viewed Variety shows included The Dean Martin show, the Sonny and Cher show, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and Laugh-In, among others. Audiences enjoyed the ecapist entertainment of songs, jokes, sketches, and novelty acts. I think today's economic circumstances provide the environment where a good variety show can flourish.

Don't beleive me? The two most popular weekly network series are variety shows. American Idol showcases a variety of musical acts and Dancing with the Stars shows a variety of dance acts. I wouldn't be surprised if the broadcast networks' development slates include new takes on the tried and true variety format. If they don't already, maybe the time is right for you to create one.

What's your niche?

2010-11-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

When I was a boy, my whole family looked forward to watching The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights. We watched it together. There was something for everyone -- comedians, musical numbers, jugglers, novelty acts, and sometimes even rock and roll bands. If I found something was boring I could leave for a few minutes, knowing that something I liked would be on shortly. Ed's show was a Sunday night staple for 23 years, and its ratings were high even when it was cancelled, in an effort by CBS to attract a younger audience.

Today every member of the family has their own screen in the house. It's common for young people to watch multiple screens -- texting or surfing the web on their phones while watching a show on the big screen TV. Television shows and even networks are focusing on trying to capture a larger slice of a narrow, but clearly defined audience. Instead of aiming at the whole family, one show will target teenage boys, while another show may target 25-49 year old women.

Content creators must adapt to the times. Make sure you know what slice of the audience you're aiming at. That will focus your own efforts and help you make the decisions to shape your material.

New Job at AMS Pictures in Dallas

2010-11-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

This blog has always been about helping you create more compelling content and finding places where you could place it. Now I'm putting my money where my mouth is by taking the position of Managing Director, Original Programming, for AMS Pictures in Dallas. My job is to lead the programming group there to conceive, develop and sell programs to networks and other media outlets. I expect to keep blogging about content development, but will probably have to take a week or so off while I'm acclmating to the new position.

If you want to see the programs we're currently making go to op.amspictures.com. Meanwhile, stay tuned here for more advice content advice in the next few weeks.

Who's Your Audience?

2010-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

If your answer is "everyone," that's an indication that your idea is not focused. 'Everyone' will not like your work (see my previous post on that subject). Remember, everyone does not watch the Super Bowl.

Any media company that's interested in your work will want you to answer that question. You need to know. At Golf Channel we built a successful business aiming our programs at the core golfer, an adult male with a large annual income. Advertisers were willing to pay a premium to reach that audience, even when our overall numbers were low compared to other networks. We knew our audience. Do you know yours?

Knowing your audience does not mean pandering to them. It does mean shaping your work so they can relate to it. It might mean putting music from the early eighties in a work intended to reach 35-45 year-olds. If you were 10 in 1980, you're 40 this year. It will inform the type of vocabulary you use, the camera angles you choose, and the references your characters make.

It's a truism of creating content that the more specific you are, the more universal your appeal can be. Sesame Street is aimed at pre-school children, but its humor even amuses adults. The Harry Potter books were aimed at tweens, but then parents discovered how good they were. The recent Paranormal Activity was aimed at horror fans, but found a much larger audience.

Keep your audience in mind while creating content. Picture them if possible. It's a great way to keep you focused on the spine of the piece.

Five Lessons from Atomic Tom and Viral Video

2010-10-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

Already over 1.5 million people have seen Brooklyn band Atomic Tom's you tube video for their latest song, 'Take Me Out.' If you haven't seen it yet, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAllFWSl998

The video was shot on the subway in New York, by the younger brother and friends of the band on their iphones. The band plays the song while sitting in subway seats using their iphone instrument apps -- piano, microphone, bass, guitar and drums. They sound and video quality are fabulous. The song is catchy, but it's the idea and the execution of it. Word is spreading fast. People are sending it to friends. You will probably do the same after you see it.

If we analyze the elements, there's much to learn from this example to apply to our own work.

1. They had a great idea: Not just recording with the iphone apps, but playing on the subway and recording it on iphone cameras.

2. They executed the idea well: It's not enough to have an idea, you have to try to implement it. If they hadn't shot the video and edited it so well, the fact that they used itunes apps wouldn't be enough.

3. They were willing to try something different. Conventional videos hadn't helped the career of Atomic Tom (how many of you heard of them before this) so they were willing to try something unconventional.

4. They were ready to take advantage of their opportunity. had spent a great deal of time polishing their musical skills. Because they were accomplished musicians they made the best use of the iphone apps. They practiced for years so they would be ready for the opportunity when it came.

5. They weren't afraid to look ridiculous. They certainly thought they had something unusual and different, but the band had no idea if people would like it or not. They put it out on the web anyway.

How many of these lessons are you applying to your project? The band created a popular video success for a fraction of what it would cost a major media company. They didn't get paid directly, but the payoff will come in acclaim, tours, and downloads of their music. They had no money to pay a professional company to shoot their video, and used their creativity to make up for that.

Don't own an iphone? There are plenty of other phones, webcams, and reasonably priced HD cameras out there. What are you waiting for?

All Rights in Perpetuity in all media that currently exists or may be conceived

2010-10-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

That phrase sounds a little like the Constitution, doesn't it? It isn't the Declaration of Independence, that's for sure. That phrase or something like it is becoming the standard request from media companies seeking to license your work, whether it's a movie, show, or five minute youtube video.

Media companies have a good a reason for that -- for example, they do not want to spend millions of dollars to license television rights for live major league baseball games only to find out that the baseball leagues are streaming games live on line to compete with them. Media companies have lost billions of dollars over the years through not anticipating future trends. Some movie companies didn't think it was worth the filing fee to renew copyrights on what they considered disposable entertainment, which is why so many films are in the public domain. In the early days of television the networks only licensed one play and one repeat for shows like "I Love Lucy," Just like the movie companies undervalued their films, the networks assumed sitcoms had no shelf life. Can you imagine the hundreds of millions CBS could have earned had they been able to negotiate a percentage of future earnings of "I Love Lucy?" Media companies are using this very broad language because they do not want to make that mistake again.

Should you agree to this? If you're just starting out you may not have a choice. Just recognize that this language eliminates any future earnings you'll have from the project, and sell it for as high a price as you can. As your work becomes more popular you will gain more negotiating leverage, and you may be able to retain some rights to your work. However, if you are going to retain certain rights make sure you can exploit them. For example, don't retain international rights to your show if you have no idea how to sell them. You may be better off taking a percentage of the ancillary income -- all sales made beyond the initial license. If your show becomes a theme park ride, shouldn't you get some money for that? You only will get that if you put it in your contract.

As I've said before, don't sign any agreement unless you've had your own entertainment lawyer review it. It will be more than worth the legal fees to make sure your rights are protected.

Competition

2010-10-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

In my post 'Lessons from Lone Star,' I pointed out that the main problem with the show was its unsympathetic, if good-looking, hero. In USA Today last week, (after my post) TV writer Gary Levin agreed that Lone Star's "con-man concept was a hard sell." Fox marketing chief Joe Earley is quoted saying "viewers may have found that a turnoff." I'm sorry the show failed, but glad to hear Fox agrees with me.

Levin also cited the show's tough time slot, 9:00 PM on Mondays, as another factor. The show was scheduled against ABC's Dancing With the Stars and CBS' Two and a Half Men, two of the most popular shows on broadcast television. Both shows have long-time fans that make appointments to see those shows.

Competition for eyeballs is something programming executives need to keep in mind, but something creators need to forget while developing their content. You need to focus on making your content as compelling as possible. Don't worry about anything else on television or being developed. Make your show so good that your competition will avoid you.

Remember the top shows are #1 until someone knocks them off. Two and a Half Men is the top-rated sitcom now, but some day another show will come along that will be more popular. That may be your project. Just appeal to more people, and you will have higher ratings. Since it takes time to develop shows, you never know what show will be popular when yours is ready to premiere. Don't worry about the competition. Make them worry about you.

Lessons From Lone Star

2010-09-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

What can we learn from the swift cancellation of Fox's new drama "Lone Star" after only two episodes?

First: You need to reach your audience out of the gate. If your show doesn't get good ratings from the start, it will be gone. How strong is the beginning of your show or movie?

Second: No one knows for sure if a show will succeed until the audience gets a chance to see it. The best film and television programmers are right more often than they're wrong, but even they don't know for sure. "Lone Star's" fate is one more proof of the great William Goldman's statement about the film business: "Nobody knows anything."

Clearly Fox thought "Lone Star" had great potential. They scheduled it on Mondays after "House," one of their most popular shows. The high-salaried cast included veteran stars like Jon Voight and David Keith and many attractive young actors,led by star James Wolk. A team of experienced writer/producers spent a great deal of time and money on writing and production values. Yet the show's premiere lost more than half of the audience "House" delivered and was close to the lowest rated show in that time slot. I saw both episodes of "Lone Star" and believe I know what went wrong.

Viewers didn't like James Wolk's lead character, Bob. In the first scene of the first episode we see Bob leaving his middle class girlfriend, who he loves, to travel for his job. It turns out this nice young man is married to a different pretty girl, who is filthy, Texas oil rich. Then we learn this same nice young man is actually a con man, who married the girl so he could rob her family. That's where they lost me, although I stayed to the end for professional reasons. Why should anyone root for a crook?

Some shows featuring criminals have achieved success on television -- but in those shows the thief was usually reformed and working for good guys. "White Collar" on USA is a current example of that show. The producers may have thought the audience would sympathize with the hero because he felt bad about being a con man and said he wanted to go straight. But he didn't.

The second episode of "Lone Star" had even lower ratings than the first, despite receiving a promo spot in almost every break of "House," and Fox had no choice but to cancel the show.

Third: It's much better for your piece if your main character is struggling to do good than if he's passively accepting his evil role.

Fourth: If you ever become a network programming executive, have a deep bench. Fox can afford to cancel Lone Star because they have episodes of the more popular series "Lie to Me" in the can to start playing next week.

How is the Head of Programming Like a Baseball Manager?

2010-09-26T17:43:00.001-07:00

Simple. Both know they're hired to be fired.

Most baseball managers, no matter their success, are eventually fired. The Yankees fired Casey Stengel after he'd won 10 pennants in 12 years. More recently they fired Joe Torre after the most successful pennant run in recent history (OK, technically they didn't renew his contract, but it was still a firing). Two of the most successful recent managers, Davy Johnson and Tony LaRussa, were fired by several teams. Occasionally the team will allow you to announce your retirement, like the Atlanta Braves are doing this year with Bobby Cox. But in almost all cases, baseball managers are fired.

A similar fate awaits those heading the entertainment divisions of the major networks or movies studios. Even Brandon Tartikoff only had twelve years as Head of NBC Entertainment. Why is that? The people who rise to these top jobs generally have creative flair, a successful track record, and competitive instincts. Why is it so hard to stay there?

Tastes change. What works one year may not work the next. The audience likes their favorite shows, but they also crave variety. For example, police procedurals like Law and Order, CSI, and NCIS are popular, but there is a law of diminishing returns. The next police procedural is less likely to be popular. And in all of those jobs, the goal is to predict public taste one, two, three, or even ten years in the future. No one can do that consistently over time.

So if tastes change, and it's difficult to pick the hits, what do we do as creators of projects? We make our projects as good as we possibly can. We work on several projects at the same time. We remember to be original -- Look for what's not being done, and put your own original spin on the material.

Finally, we should make friends with people at all levels in the business. This has two purposes: 1) You'll have more friends. You can never have enough. 2) You never know when today's development assistant may head the network tomorrow. Jeff Zucker, although he's leaving as head of NBC Universal, started as a research assitant on the Olympics.

So keep working. What have you done on your project today?

A Life in The Theatre

2010-09-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw the first preview performance of the Broadway production of David Mamet's play A Life in the Theatre starring Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and TR Knight (Grey's Anatomy). Previews are public performances with a paying crowd but everyone understands that these shows are not in final form. The director and actors expect to make changes before opening night, depending upon the audience response at previews. No matter how well you think things are going in rehearsal, you don't know what's working until you put it in front of an audience. There was much to like about the play, but based on the performance I saw they still have work to do.

In case you haven't seen the play, A Life in Theatre follows the relationship between two actors -- an older actor, played by Stewart and a younger one played by Knight. At the start of the play, the older actor (Stewart) is the star and the young actor (Knight) is naive and eager. Over the course of working together in several plays (some of them quite hilarious) their relationship changes and the mentor becomes the supplicant.

I saw the original production of the play off-Broadway 20 years ago (starring Jose Ferrer). The virtue of that production was its simplicity. There were two actors, a few set pieces that fit all the scenes. In the current Broadway production there are large flats that glide in and out. I felt like we spent as much time watching the scenery move as we did watching the actors. Patrick Stewart and TR Knight did well, but still need to grow into their roles.

But this isn't a theatre review blog; why am I telling you this? To remind us of two things: 1) Keep it simple. The core of your project is the story and characters -- special effects, elaborate scenery and costumes can enhance a good story, but they can't save a bad one. They can hurt a good story, if they're not based on the needs of the piece.

2) No matter how much success you achieved in the past, each new project has its own challenges. I am sure the director, designers, and actors will eventually fix the problems and improve A Life in the Theatre. If these successful artists don't always get it perfect the first time, you shouldn't get down on yourself if you don't, either. Just keep trying to improve every day.

Brandon Tartikoff's most important lessons

2010-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you've read the last two posts you know I admired Brandon Tartikoff's show business acumen, sense of humor, grace under pressure, and leadership skills. What I admired most about Brandon Tartikoff was his courage.

Tartikoff contracted Hodgkin's disease at age 23. He beat cancer then, but suffered a relapse at age 31, the year he was named President of NBC Entertainment. He didn't let a little thing like cancer and chemotherapy stop him. He took chemotherapy treatments, got a wig, and kept going to work. His illness wasn't made public -- Only a few people at NBC knew. Could I have achieved what he did if I was suffering from cancer? I hope I don't have to find out.

Tartikoff left NBC in 1992 for the new challenge of heading Paramount Pictures. NBC continued on top for awhile under Tartikoff's able deputy, Warren Littlefield. Eventually new people came to head the Entertainment Division and the company. NBC's viewership declined and the network fell to fourth place behind Fox, CBS, and ABC.

During his second year at Paramout, Tartikoff's wife and daughter were badly hurt in a car crash. He left his high profile job to spend more time with them. He eventually got back into television working for various companies creating and pitching shows to networks. It was in that capacity that I finally met my hero for a few minutes at a NATPE (National Association of Television Programming Executive) conference in 1997. I was in charge of programming for Golf Channel and Brandon Tartikoff pitched an idea to me for a golf comedy show. I still have the one page pitch in my files. I don't know what it meant to him, but it meant I had arrived in the big time.

Tartikoff passed away not too long after that convention, at the young age of 48. Cancer finally killed his body, but it can never erase his legacy.

The most important lessons I learned from Brandon Tartikoff are: 1) Do work you love. 2) Make time with family and friends 3) Keep learning and challenging yourself to get better 4) Do your work and life your life with joy.

Are you spending time working toward your dream? If not, why not? How do you want to be remembered?

More Lessons from Brandon Tartikoff

2010-09-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm passing on some more of the lessons I learned following the career of Brandon Tartikoff. It was easy to follow. He worked in the public eye much like an athlete or actor. When NBC's shows were hits, he was praised. And when they flopped, the critics roasted him. Under those circumstances you have to develop a tough skin and a sense of humor to survive.

Brandon Tartikoff knew televison was a business of ideas. In his memoir, The Last Great Ride, he wrote "Ideas are the key to everything ... Good ideas don't come along very often and they can't be constructed at will. I myself have had at least one Misfits of Science and one Manimal for every Miami Vice. That's to be expected, and it's nothing to get depressed about. It takes just a few good creative flashes to work economic wonders."

That's why I urge you to work on multiple projects. You probably never saw Misfits of Science or Manimal (I did, but I was TV junkie) but they certainly weren't hits. But NBC didn't know that until they aired them. You never know which of your ideas will find an audience until you put it out there and get a response.

The second lesson is that, no matter how good your ideas are, the details of how you create the show are crucial. Tartikoff gave producer Michael Mann a two word phrase of an idea -- MTV Cops -- from which Michael Mann created Miami Vice. His execution of that idea changed the way dramas looked on television forever. What would you do with that idea? What would another producer do? It's not just the idea, but the show you create, that becomes the hit. Ideas are important, but the show you create from the idea is what people will see.

So keep developing your ideas, and don't worry if one or two of them don't work. You will develop one that will work, if you keep at it.

Lessons from Brandon Tartikoff

2010-09-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Who is your role model? You may have different role models for different parts of your life. My role model as a television programmer has always been the great Brandon Tartikoff, head of NBC's program department in the 80s, who left us much too soon.

Tartikoff became Head of Programming when NBC made the legendary programmer Fred Silverman head of the network. When he started, NBC was in last place. Tartikoff led NBC to first place in the ratings, and held that spot until he left the network. As he liked to say, "Our plan was to play dead for four years and then put Bill Cosby on Thursday night."

Tartikoff loved television and loved his job. He understood the business of television very well, but it was his love for the medium that made him great. He was the perfect audience member. He supported 'cutting edge programs like 'Hill St.Blues' and 'Fame', but also thoroughly enjoyed escapist fare like 'The A-Team.'

That's the most important lesson I learned from Brandon Tartikoff. You do your best work, and you get the best work from your team, if you love what you do. Enthusiasm is contagious. Do you love the material you create? If not, why are you making it? Lesson Two: It's important to try different things, because not everything is going to work. The Cosby Show came to NBC after all other networks turned it down. Even Tartikoff didn't expect it would be one of the most popular shows of all time. NBC certainly had its share of flops under Tartikoff, but the strength of the hits made up for it. Are you working on more than one idea?

There are too many lessons to be contained in one post, so I will write more about this in my next post.

Labor Day

2010-09-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

This weekend is Labor Day, the traditional end to the summer. Here in Florida students are already in school, but up north classes will start next week or the week afterward. Wouldn't you love to take a three-day weekend just to relax?

Don't do that this weekend. If you have a full time job, a three day weekend is a great time to take stock of your projects. Block out some time to review your material. I like to work early in the morning before everyone gets up, but you may work better at night, or right after lunch. That actual time you pick is not as important as your reserving time for your idea, just like you would for a meeting with your children's teacher or your favorite TV show.

Write a summary (no more than a paragraph) of your project status -- it's either in first draft, second draft, being polished, or finished. If it's finished, send it out. If it's not finished, write down three things that you need in order to finish it. Pick a date by which you want to accomplish them. Then do them.

It's so easy to get caught up in a daily routine of work, family, errands, food, and entertainment that we lose sight of our creative goals. Time passes and that movie, television idea, or novel stays in your drawer. Don't let that happen to you. Take time this weekend to work toward your dream.

Five Tips for Effective Evaluations

2010-09-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

How many of us dread facing a friend who hands us their latest work and casually asks, "Could you look this over and let me know what you think?" I remember going to see a theater showcase in New York some years ago that was the worst show I ever saw. After the house lights came on the entire audience remained in their seats. We were all friends of one member of the production or another, and dreaded going backstage to see them because we had nothing positive to say. Finally, I settled on shaking their hand and saying, "Good isn't the word."

But we must learn to honestly evaluate our work and others, if we're going to create more compelling, effective entertainment. Here are some tips that I've used over the years as a theatre director, television programmer, and writer, that can help you evaluate better without hurting too much.

1. Praise First -- there's usually something good you can say about anything. Say it first, and the criticism becomes less harsh.

2. If there's nothing good to say at all, just pick out one thing that's particularly bad and talk about that. At least that will improve in the next draft.

3. Point out areas where you were confused and lost the story line. A good phrase to use is, "I wasn't sure why you did ..." or "I think I lost the thread of the story on this page (or this timecode)..."

4. Be specific -- point out page numbers and paragraphs (or scenes of the movie) or lines where you have questions. Avoid general comments like "it should be funnier," or "it lacked drama."

5. Praise last -- Always end on a positive note. Remind your friend or colleague that there's promise in the material and it will get better if they work to improve it. That will encourage them to revise and improve the idea.

Remember that no one can be sure what show, movie, or novel will achieve popular success. Every network passed on The Cosby Show before NBC took it. Studios paid top dollar for the screenplay of 'Showgirls.' Your friend's idea could become a hit, too. So praise and encourage, and be specific.

Can social media help me?

2010-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Absolutely. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and other social media sites are great ways to get the word out about your project -- if you have something to talk about! If you have the right idea and execution, your twitter feed could even lead to a sitcom (see my previous post on 'S**T My Dad Says').

That's why I recommend you spend the majority of your time developing your idea and turning it into a property. Just as Anthony Hopkins said in 'Zorro' - "when the pupil is ready the master will appear" -- so when your idea is fully developed you will know what medium to use. A note of caution is in order: Despite the plethora of self-styled "experts" who claim to know exactly how to use social media to market your material, the fact is that these tools are still too new for there to be tried and true practices that work every time. Remember when myspace.com was the Next Big Thing and was going to change the way we experienced media? Do you still have a page? When was the last time you checked the site out?

Ever since our cave man days, good stories have been keeping us entertained around the fire, holding back the terror of the night. Make your story compelling and your idea entertaining -- then social media can help you create awareness for your property. If it's not a good story, just being on Facebook and Twitter won't save it.

Protecting Your Idea

2010-08-20T11:57:00.001-07:00

The availability of the internet makes it more difficult than ever to protect our ideas. How do you protect your great idea from all the sharks in Hollywood that want to steal it? It's very tricky to protect an idea when what you want is to reach the largest possible audience. That's because the best way to protect your idea is never to talk about it or show it to anyone. Publish after you're dead and let your heirs get all the money. It worked for Emily Dickinson, didn't it?

However, if you read this blog you probably want to see your creation reach an audience in your lifetime. If that's the case, there are some practical steps you can take. Remember that copyright does not protect your idea, it only protects your expression of that idea.

1. First thing -- write it down, record a CD, or make a DVD. Once a piece has been created in a fixed form, it automatically has copyright protection. You can enhance that protection by registering with the U.S. copyright office. Mailing it to yourself return receipt requested to proved the day on which it was created does not prove ownership, although it could prove to be a strong piece of evidence should you end up taking a copyright violation case to court.

2. It's still possible that your written notes about the idea may not be protectable. You may have outlined an idea substantially similar to a show currently on television, or that has copyright protection. To use an example from Golf Channel: you can't protect the idea of a reality elimination show for golfers where the prize is an exemption on a professional tour. There have been several shows with this idea. However, Golf Channel can copyright 'The Big Break,' the specific program created around that basic idea. Does your idea have a unique expression?

3. One of the best ways to protect your idea is to control the property. For example, if your idea is to take a celebrity golfer and substantially improve his golf game (the idea for The Haney Project on Golf Channel) you can protect your idea if you are the agent or otherwise control access to the celebrity teacher and the celebrity. Do you own or control the rights to something other than your idea? (See my previous post 'Turn Your Idea Into a Property.'

4. Another good way to protect the idea is to produce it yourself. If you can't produce it yourself, can you get an established production company to commit to producing the project with you?

5. Create the unique expression of the idea yourself. Write a script, storyboard the movie or episode, or design the web site. The actual expression you pick depends upon your idea, of course. Writing the first script of your sitcom or screenplay for your movie provide the details of your expression that allows you to protect your idea.

For more information about copyright protection, go the U.S. Government's copyright site: www.copyright.gov E-mail me or post comments if you have more questions.

The Creativity Crisis

2010-08-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last month Newsweek posted a long story about the decline of creativity in America. Just as we test students' IQ in schools, a test for CQ, or creativity quotient, has been given to American schoolchildren since the 1950s. The article reports that, while average IQ scores have been rising by about ten points per generation since the 1950s, CQ scores have been falling since 2000. The CQ means creativity in the broadest sense -- not just ability to create art, but also the ability to invent new ways of doing things, improve mechanical devices, etc. This is a major cause for concern, since we count on human creativity and innovation to improve our standard of living in every generation.

There are several reasons proposed for this decline. One I find particularly persuasive is the de-emphasis of art, music, and theatre in schools in favor of more time spent teaching students to achieve better standardized test scores. Our children are born with remarkably fertile creative imaginations, as anyone who has played with kids aged 3-6 can attest. School and society supress these imaginations so thoroughly that when the kids do take an arts class, usually the teacher's first job is to free up that creative spirit -- break down those inhibitions so creativity can flow.

Those of you who read this blog are part of the solution to this crisis. Create finished projects. Get them out into the world. When people see your work, they will have their own creative response, and keep passing it on to others. We must resolve to solve the creativity crisis, one idea and one artist at a time. America needs you.

For more information, here's a link to the Newsweek article:

www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html

The Fall Season

2010-08-11T06:31:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up I eagerly anticipated TV Guide's Fall Season preview issue. This thick book contained pictures, stars, and premises for every fall show on ABC, CBS, and NBC's schedule (only three broadcast networks back then). I read each show description thoroughly, planning my viewing for the fall. I loved the book because it was full of promise -- here were all the new shows that the networks believed would entertain us, every one a potential hit.

Of course, most of the new shows weren't hits and disappeared from the schedule after a few months, or at the end of the television year in May. The networks could afford this waste of resources because the rest of their business was so profitable. When I started working in the television business, Network presidents were already proclaiming the death of the fall season. Although competition from cable and other broadcast outlets was just beginning, it was already eroding some of the profit margin. This margin would continue to erode over time as did network viewership. The competitive pressure forced networks to do things like cancel shows after one or two episodes, try more summer replacements, and launch shows outside the traditional fall window. However, they did not kill the fall season. In a couple of weeks magazines and web sites that follow television will be full of information about the new network shows and about changes in the returning network hits. Why is the fall season still around?

1. The fall season fits the rhythm of life in America. Most people in our country still vacation in the summer. School is out. People are outdoors more. It makes sense for the networks to fish where the fish are, and start series in the fall when viewers start staying home evenings.

2. The realities of production: It can take ten days or more to shoot and edit a one hour television drama, and an army of people working on multiple projects to keep it going and make deadlines. These people need a break to recharge their batteries, plan their next season, and work on other projects. Many of them also have families and like having some time off during the summer.

4. It makes business sense. Networks have limited resources. They can't afford to have great shows on all year round. The traditional model of pitching in the fall and creating pilots in the spring still works the best in most cases. Otherwise, they would have changed it years ago.

This doesn't mean there aren't exceptions to the rule. But until our national habits change radically, I expect the fall premiere season will remain with us. So start polishing your program pitches and get ready to hit the networks in the coming weeks.

Work on Multiple Projects

2010-07-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Top producers, directors and writers always have more than one project in development. You should, too. If you're grinding away on your novel, take a break to write a short story, or a poem. Once you've sent your screenplay to a production company, don't sit around and wait for their response. Start another one.

You can go stir-crazy waiting for producers, agents, and publishers to get back to you. Remember, they have several projects they're considering besides yours. If you don't have a specific project you want to write, look for material -- stories in newspapers, magazines, and websites can spark your creative impulse. You probably have one idea you like best, but you also probably have several ideas that might work as content.

This is important for two reasons. 1. We never know, until the show is done and gets in front of an audience, whether or not a piece will work. Developing several ideas makes it more likely that you'll have one that works.

2. When you have a hit, then there will be a demand for other work. You want to have an idea developed to have an answer to the question all creators dream of: "That last show was great. What else have you got?"

Remember, if you have questions about these posts or topics you'd like discussed, e-mail me or comment on the post itself.

Why would anyone want to watch this?

2010-07-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

I started writing this blog to encourage you and provide you with the tools to make your own content. The way you tell your story is unique; no two people will tell the same story the exact same way.

However, we must always remember the fact that we create our content to reach an audience. We hope our audience will be large and love our material enough to pay money to purchase it. Regardless of size, we should always keep the audience in mind. Remember that your audience wakes up every day with a myriad of entertainment opportunities -- television, video games, CDs, movies, books, sudoku puzzles, etc. Why should they take time to spend with your content?

You must be able to answer that question. If you're pitching a network or film company, that's the question they need answered even if they don't come right out and ask. You also need the answer to that question for your creative process. You don't need a profound answer -- it could be to thrill, to make them laugh, or to make them feel good about themselves. But you need to know. The answer to that question will inform all of your creative choices and help make your project unified. It's a lot easier to sell a project with a clear purpose.

While they're watching your piece your audience is also asking, "So What? Why Should I Care?" Give them a reason.

Commit Yourself to your Idea

2010-07-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

I evaluated program proposals at Golf Channel for 15 years. Every year we would get one particular idea from at least 50 different people. The pitch went something like this: "I'm an 18 handicap (or 7, or 11, or 30). Give me a year of the best instruction, equipment, and time to practice golf. I have a great personality and interesting family, so I'll let you turn my quest into making the PGA (or LPGA) tour a reality show.

Everyone who send us that idea thought they were the first person to suggest it. I don't blame them for that; after all, we didn't have a show like that on the air.

There are two main reasons we passed on this idea every time. Can you guess what they were?

Okay -- time for the answers.

One: it was practically impossible to work. Certainly any golfer who took a year and did nothing but play golf, take lessons, and use the best equipment would improve their score. However, there already are hundreds of professional golfers around the world who play every day, have top equipment and great coaches -- and can't play well enough to make the PGA TOUR. Unless an amateur was already the U.S. amateur champion (and receiving top coaching, equipment, etc.)the series was almost sure to end as a disappointment.

Two: These people weren't really committed to the idea -- they just wanted Golf Channel to pay for their year of golf lessons. Most golf courses in America are already staffed with pros and assistant pros working for peanuts just so they can get additional practice time to take a shot at the professional tours. That's why they're called golf pros and don't play in the club tournaments. If the people who sent the idea to use were really committed heart and soul to a career in professional golf they would already be pursuing it, and not waiting for Golf Channel to make it easy for them.

We did create a show at Golf Channel featuring people who had the skills to play professional golf already but hadn't quite made it yet -- The Big Break. It remains the longest running original series on the network (other than news) and is still going strong. The stakes were high for all of the players, and that led to some great dramas unfolding.

If you want your idea to resonate with your audience, you must commit to it. You can't wait for someone else to give their approval -- you must be commmitted to making it happen. If your idea isn't worth sacrificing something on your part, then it's probably not going to reach a wider audience.

It's not who you know, it's who knows you

2010-07-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Picture this scenario: You call Jeff Bewkes, the head of Time Warner, because you have a great movie idea you want to sell him. Does he take the call?

Now this scenario: Christoper Nolan, writer and director of The Dark Knight and the recently released Inception, calls Jeff Bewkes. Does Bewkes take this call?

Of course it's much more likely that Mr. Bewkes talks to Christopher Nolan than to you. Or me, for that matter. That's because Nolan's films have made hundreds of millions of dollars for Time Warner, and he's working on the next Batman sequel. Jeff Bewkes knows Christoper Nolan.

Every great artist was unknown once. What are you doing to increase the number of people who know you? Are you going to industry events? Are you joining groups on linkedin or facebook? Have you started a website or a blog? Have you finished your treatment and submitted it for consideration? Do you have an agent, or are you trying to get one? Of course it's great to write and direct a blockbuster movie. But there are many people who haven't done that who still have great careers in film, television and digital media.

It's much easier to get your work seen when people have heard of you. You should be doing something every day to make sure you're known in the industry you want to join. If you want more suggestions on how to do this, please read some of the previous blog posts, or ask me a question.

Remember, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.

Networks still matter

2010-07-11T19:39:00.001-07:00

Comcast announced in late June that they will launch a version of their VOD channel, Fearnet, as a linear, ad-supported cable network. Fearnet's VOD service is available in 28 million homes, and the linear, ad supported channel will expand its reach. Presumably, the ads and license fees will bring in more money, since the VOD service is available free to digital subscribers. This is a significant development. When Comcast launched Fearnet on Halloween 2006 they hailed the VOD-only channel as a new paradigm in cable service. The days of the linear network were numbered, since consumers wanted to consume their video on demand. Fearnet would be the first in a series of new VOD networks.

A funny thing happened on the way to this future. Linear cable networks continued to launch -- news channels, local sports channels, foreign language channels, HD versions of current channels. There are groups looking for funding for several more. Instead of fading away, networks with limited distribution continued to expand. Satellite services like Direct TV and DISH made more networks available to homes and cable systems competed by adding more channels and creating their own proprietary channels. The VOD interfaces that cable networks put in homes turned out to require several clicks to find specific shows. Most consumers didn't want to work that hard. It was so much easier just to see what was currently on your favorite channels than hunt for specific VOD programs.

Comcast further demonstrated the importance of networks and content last year when they bought NBC for its popular cable channels like USA, and the most old-fashioned dinosaur of them all-- a broadcast network. Although an increasing number of people time shift their viewing of shows, they still rely upon networks to schedule programs at specific times so they can record them.

What does this mean for your program idea? It means that cable networks in the U.S. and around the world will be a viable market for the foreseeable future. Selling a program to a cable channel remains a good way to make money and increase your program's visibility. That doesn't mean you have to wait for a network to buy your show before you create some video for your web site. It does mean that you should consider a network sale as a viable part of your business plan. And if you're dreaming of creating a new linear network don't give up hope. It looks like they will be around for awhile.

Working Habits

2010-07-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

In order to create successfully, you need to work at it regularly.

You may still be working at your 'day job'. You have family obligations, errands to run, dates to go on, favorite television shows to watch. We all have many things we must do every day before we can work on our ideas.

But if you want to turn your idea or concept into content, and support yourself from that content, you have to work on your ideas regularly. Don't wait for inspiration to strike. Set aside a specific time every week -- every day if possible -- for you to work on your idea.

You may not make a great deal of progress at first, but don't worry. If you keep to your schedule, eventually the creative part of your brain will understand that's the time reserved for it to shine -- and it will.

Start reserving space in your day for creative time. The more time you spend, the sooner you will have a finished product.

Story Part 3: Writers Matter

2010-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Many years ago in New York I took and Introduction to Screenwriting Class at the New School. One day our instructor brought in a friend of hers who wrote for the one of the soap operas filming in New York. Although I can't remember his name, I'll never forget what he said. He told us, "Writers do get treated poorly by actors at times. But remember, actors are a dime a dozen. Writers are not a dime a dozen. Nothing happens until you turn in your screenplay."

There's an old joke in Hollywood about the starlet that was so dumb she slept with the screenwriter. But writers matter. Until the screenplay is written, there's nothing to shoot. If your screenplay is good, you have a chance. If it's not good, you have no chance no matter who is directing the movie and acting in it. To be clear, by 'good', I don't mean something that critics will love. I mean a screenplay that has a believable and compelling story that allows the movie to be made. If you can write a compelling screenplay, or television show, or novel, you will have a good
career in entertainment.

But, I hear you say, what about reality shows -- they aren't written. Reality shows may not have a writing staff, but they are not an exception to this rule. They're planned as meticulously as possible to make sure that the cameras are in the right spot to get the reactions they want from the participants. Much more footage is shot than is ever used, and narration is written after the fact. The drama and the comedy don't just happen; they are planned.

To make your program idea come to life, you need to learn to write a good script, or work with someone who can.

Conquering fear of pitching media companies

2010-07-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Some of my readers e-mailed that the thought of talking about them to executives they never met before terrifies them. That's very common. Many studies show that fear of speaking in public ranks just below the fear of death for people.

If you're in that category, I have a simple solution for you: Join Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters is a non-profit organization whose members meet regularly in local clubs to improve their public speaking skills. Toastmasters has over 250,000 members in more than 106 countries. The best way to find more information and a club near you is to go to their website: www.toastmasters.org

I'm a member I joined a club in Orlando ten years ago because my boss told me my presentations to the sales staff were boring, and I had to do something to improve them -- fast. Six months after joining I received much better response to my presentations. I have acheived the highest Toastmaster designation - Distinguished Toastmaster, and I even won a Florida District speaking contest. You could do the same, if you joined. I stayed in the program all these years because I enjoy practicing my speaking skills. It's fun, it's affordable, and very helpful no matter what business you're in.

Contact a club near you. Most clubs will allow you to visit as a guest until you decide to join. Remember it's not enough to develop an idea, you need to be able to communicate it clearly to your collaborators and your studio in order to bring it to life.

Authenticity

2010-07-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

There's a famous quote about the importance of sincerity that's been attributed to everyone from Groucho Marx to Bill Clinton. It goes, "Sincerity is the most important thing. If you can fake that, you've got it made."

You may have read a similar quote with slightly different words. It resonates with people because we are surrounded every day by fakes pretending to authenticity: beer commercials featuring men with washboard abs and not beer bellies, infomercials that promise untold riches gained by doing no work, politicians who promise to fight for the common man while voting on the side of big business, etc. We are so starved for authenticity that we don't even notice that we are missing it -- until we see it in our lives, or on the internet.

Authenticity is the key to all successful viral videos. When people see a wedding party dancing for joy, or discover a neglected but talented singer, or see multiple versions of the same singer crooning Michael Jackson songs, they instinctively understand that they're seeing the authentic expression of someone's feelings. They e-mail the video or the link to their friends because it touched them. The people who made the videos didn't start out with the idea to make a viral video. They simply created something they believed in and made it available for people to find.

There are ways to increase the opportunities for people to find you online. But if they find you and you're not authentic viewers will dismiss your creation. How do you make your work authentic? Make sure you are working on a subject you're passionate about. If you don't care about your characters or their situation, the audience won't either. If you care --- if you infuse your work with the power of your passion -- you at least give yourself a chance.

Everyone Won't Like Your Show

2010-06-27T18:28:00.001-07:00

Create it anyway.

No matter how successful and popular your idea becomes, there will always be someone who doesn't like it. Some groups tried to remove Harry Potter books from school libraries. Over 50% of Americans watch the Super Bowl every year - but that means over 40% do not. Shakespeare had his critics; so did Michelangelo. Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. If that happened to them, I can guarantee that not everyone will like your work.

Don't worry about it.

Bill Cosby once said, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

My other favorite quote on this subject is from the great rock and roll singer Rick Nelson (if you don't know about Rick, look him up on Wikipedia) from his song 'Garden Party,' "you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself."

Don't try to please everyone.

However, you do need more than an audience of one. Do show your idea to people you trust. Get their feedback. Show it to your mentors in the business (if you don't have one, get one) and get more feedback. Refine your idea. Your work really begins when you get in front of an audience. Arthur Fonzerelli was supposed to be a minor character in 'Happy Days,' --- Ron Howard's character, Richie Cunningham, was the star. But once Henry Winkler's Fonz became immensely popular, the show's creators changed their emphasis to take that into account. It's not compromising your dream to shape your work so the audience can enjoy it -- it's why we create.

So ignore the minority that won't enjoy your idea --- they have plenty of other entertainment options to choose. Be happy about the audience that does respond, and for whom you shaped your work.

Hot in Cleveland

2010-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

I read the glowing reviews for "Hot in Cleveland," TV Land's first sitcom, but I didn't want to watch it. Why would I, an American male during the week of the World Cup, the U.S. Open, the NBA finals, and the grand opening of Harry Potter World, want to watch a sitcom about three middle aged women in Cleveland?

However, I was visiting my 80 year-old parents, who were determined to record the show for future viewing. They way their home entertainment is configured, that meant "Hot in Cleveland" was the only show I could watch while it was taping. So I did. And I loved it!

The humor was defiantly not cutting edge -- almost every joke compared life in Cleveland to life in Los Angeles. A typical joke had the three women walking into a bar, marveling at people eating and not feeling guilty. The three seasoned sitcom stars -- Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendy Malick, knew how to wring every ounce of humor from each line. Betty White, star of Saturday Night Live and several commercials, practically stole the show from them playing the elderly caretaker of the house they rent. The show is a classic example of how sitcoms should work, and did work in their glory days.

I give you this glowing review not just to urge you to watch the show, but to use this lessons for your own work. As I've said before -- it's not the idea, it's the execution of the idea that counts. In lesser hands, this material might seem shrill and desperate rather than funny. Also, good acting and directing can make ordinary material great, and great material unforgettable. Never underestimate the value of great interpretive artists.

Finally, don't just follow the trend. "Hot in Cleveland" is a traditional, straightforward sitcom, and may just become the hottest show of the summer. A well done decent idea is better than a poorly executed trendy idea every time.

Is Traditional Media Dying?

2010-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out a box in my garage the other day and found an address book. Some of you may remember them -- I wrote down my friends' and families phone numbers and addresses in an address book. I memorized the phone numbers of my closest friends.

Of course today, my cell phone remembers those numbers for me. I no longer need my address book. But I still need a phone.

I think about this when I hear that traditional media has no future. Talking pictures were supposed to kill theatre. Television was supposed to eliminate movies. The internet is supposed to eliminate television. Of course, theatre, film, and television still exist and are going pretty strong. While it's true that single television networks no longer dominate viewing like they did in the days when there were only three broadcast networks, the research I've seen shows that overall television viewing is rising.

Of course people are now viewing their picturs on other devices than the traditional television set -- they're watching on computers, cell phones, and other mobile devices. They're surfing the internet to watch youtube and other sites. Some youtube videos and even twitter feeds are moving to traditional television.

We are not seeing the death of traditional media in my opinion. We're in the midst of a great cross pollinating change that will soon give birth to a new type of media that will exist alongside our traditional media. However this manifests itself, there will still be a need for compelling stories, great video, and sharp writing. While you're creating your ideas, concentrate on creating great stories first. The story will tell you the best medium to use for it, whether it's a movie, tv show, or twitter feed.

Maybe you'll even write a book.

Should I pay someone to read my work?

2010-06-14T08:57:00.001-07:00

Some legitimate distribution companies and literary agents do charge a 'reading fee' to look at your idea. This is not paying for representation -- this is paying for a critique. Some writer's conferences will have some agents and publishers available for individual critiques -- at an additional price.

Will you benefit from doing this? It depends upon your other options to get professional critiques. For example, many community colleges have writing, film and television classes available to the public. They are usually taught by professionals. You can work on your craft and idea while getting regular critiques. You also might know someone who works in the entertainment business, and is willing to review your work

Don't think that the agent or producer you're paying for a professional read will buy your work. Remember from my previous posts that it's not the idea, it's the execution of the idea that's important. If you don't have a track record of creating successful shows, there will always be a question about your ability to execute the idea. If you do have a track record, they will pay you to option your work.

In general, I'm not in favor of paying any company to review your work. However, in some specific instances it may have value. Make sure you're working with legitimate companies; avoid ads in the back of writer's magazines. Think of this critique as paying for some one-on-one tutoring, and make your decision based on whether or not you think the tuition fee is worth what you'll learn.

You may be better off just bringing your ideas directly to the public, instead of going through the gatekeeper media companies. I will write more about that next post.

Should I Pay Someone to Represent Me?

2010-06-13T05:13:00.001-07:00

No.

Agents and managers you want to represent you should work for a percentage of the income they generate for you. Anyone that wants to get paid up front doesn't really think you will generate enough income for them.

Don't pay someone to be your agent. However, you should expect to pay for services such as head shots, web design, graphics, duplicating, etc. I advise you to pay for the best work you can afford. Don't rely on friends and family who offer to help you for free, unless those friends already are professional photographers or designers. It's important that you and your work look as professional as possible.

If you've never written screenplays or treatments before, you can benefit from paying to take a screenplay writing class. You will learn the proper formats, and the critiques of the teacher and fellow students may improve your work. Just being around other people who have similar aspirations can be inspirational.

If you're not in a writer's group, you should join one. Even if the group isn't working in your specific genre of program, the act of critiquing other people and getting feedback on your work will help you learn to better refine your idea. It's also good practice for those times you will discuss your work with network executives and other people who might want to license it.

Story 2: High Stakes

2010-06-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

Why are there so many television shows about cops and doctors? Because both professions encounter life and death situations every day. The key to creating compelling drama is to keep the stakes high for your characters.

JK Rowling has become one of the wealthiest writers in the world thanks to the Harry Potter series. She created a believable world of wizards living alongside our 'muggle' world, complete with its own sports (Quidditch), school system (Hogwarts) and government (Ministry of Magic). She then places her compelling characters in life and death situations, fighting to preserve their world against ultimate evil. Some of them die. Her ability to create a world draws us in, but the high stakes her characters fight for keep us there.

High stakes are important for both scripted and documentary/reality shows. On American Idol, it's the chance to live your dreams and have a career as a singer. On The Biggest Loser, it's literally a chance to save your life by losing weight.

Thank about your own idea. What will change for your characters if they succeed? Are the stakes high? If their lives won't transform, rethink your idea. Make the story important for your characters to make it compelling for the audience.

Stick to it

2010-06-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

If you're going to live a life creating programs, stories, poems, or any kind of art, you must learn to overcome rejection. There are as many stories about artists starving as there are artists -- the ranks of restaurant workers are filled with young (and not-so-young)people making money while waiting for their big break. You probably know someone in this situation today; I certainly do.

Great ideas and talented people are rejected every day by the established media. Every record company in the UK passed on the Beatles, until George Martin at Decca decided to give them an audition. Every network passed on the Cosby Show, until NBC finally agreed to give it a shot. Robert Redford starred in both movies and theatre in the early 1960s, but almost didn't get the part of the Sundance Kid -- reportedly one studio executive said of Redford, "he's just another California blonde. Throw a stick at Malibu and you'll hit 50 of them." The film's producer and director believed in Redford, and gave him the part that launched him to superstardom.

You, too, need to persevere. Your ideas and art are likely to be rejected by most major companies, and even friends and family -- at first. If you believe in your idea, and your talent, you owe it to yourself to keep going. Find a way to create your vision. If you've been reading this blog regularly, you've received several suggestions for how to make that happen. You'll get more in the future. But all the advice in the world won't help if you won't get to work realizing your vision. Do something today that moves your idea forward.

After all, how do you want to be remembered? As the creator of your program, or as someone who had a great idea but did nothing with it?

Leverage

2010-05-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is not a post about the TNT series -- although I personally like it and am glad to see Tim Hutton acting again. This is about the leverage you have in your negotiation with a network, movie company, music company, or any corporate entity who wants to buy your property.

The specifics of the negotiation can get very detailed -- you will grant rights to your property in a specific number of territories and mediums. For example,if you are the author of a novel, you can sell the film rights to one company, the television rights to another, and the stage adaptation rights to someone else. A friend of mine just licensed the right to create a stage version of his screenplay to a company in Italy. He licensed them only the rights to Italy. If the stage version is a hit he can then license the rights to different producers in different countries. This could result in a much larger income for him than if he licensed worldwide stage rights to one company.

Of course someone needs to negotiate these deals. Now you know what keeps agents and managers busy.

After you get past the specifics of what you're selling, negotiations for intellectual property hinge on leverage: How much does the buyer want what you have; are other companies bidding, and how desperate are you to sell? The less desperate you are, and the more they want your idea, the better your chance of getting top dollar.

If you're negotiating with any established media company it's important to work with an experienced professional who understands the business (see my post from 3/3 about using an entertainment attorney). The top producers, stars and writers get the advice of the best agents and lawyers available. You spent too much time on your idea to allow it to go for less than market value, or entrust it to someone who won't treat it with care.

Of course, if you don't have a track record in the industry and you only have one buyer you may have to take what you can get. The Beatles first record deal gave them the industry minimuum for royalties. They were happy to get it. They did better in subsequent negotiations, after selling millions of hit records.

Work for Hire

2010-05-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

In the days when three broadcast networks ruled the U.S. television market, the financial model for programming was this: networks licensed programs from independent production companies for an amount that generally allowed the networks two plays per season per show. The license fee generally did not cover the production company's costs. Instead, the company retained the rights to syndicate, or sell the program, to other entities -- the network affiliates and independent stations that actually played the network's programs and foreign broadcasters. They could make enough money from selling the syndication rights to a network hit that production companies could afford to deficit spend on network series.

Those were the days -- the days of lavish executive dining rooms and corporate art collections in the New York skyscrapers that headquartered the Big Three networks. Some production companies still have this kind of agreement with networks -- it depends upon their leverage (see previous post). However, networks like Discovery, which already have channels around the world, see the advantage of owning the content they show. Therefore they are purchasing all the rights to shows outright -- paying production companies to produce work for hire.

In a work for hire situation, you create a program for a fee and the network or film company owns all the rights. If you are running a production company, it may be a good deal for you to accept steady work at a rate that covers your costs, plus a profit in exchange for all rights to your work. That's particularly true if the network brings the idea to you first.

However, if you have an idea that you have nurtured from conception and want to retain creative control, then you should not agree to create the show as work for hire. You will want control over rights, and a say in how the production looks. Of course, this might mean that the network will pass on your idea. You have to be prepared for that to happen if you want to retain control. If your idea and its execution are strong enough to attract an audience, you will find a network that will agree to your terms.

Make sure you know before you sign a contract whether your program will be work for hire or whether you will retain rights. Make sure the rights are spelled out clearly in the contract -- don't rely on any verbal assurances. As Samuel Goldwyn famously said, "a verbal contract is not worth the paper it's written on."

There's nothing wrong with doing work for hire. Just be sure you know what you're agreeing to do before you sign anything.

From Twitter to TV

2010-05-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

In today's New York Times I read the story of Justin Halpern, whose twitter feed, "S*** my Dad Says", will become a sitcom on CBS' fall schedule. There's a lot we can learn from Justin's story.

Justin was an aspiring screenwriter who moved back home to San Diego in his late twenties after his screenplay did not become a movie. Although he had a job writing for maxim.com, his dream of making it in Hollywood was dead. While living at home he started writing down his father's words of wisdom and posting them on Twitter (119 posts so far). His dad's witty and sometimes profane thoughts became very popular, and eventually a production company came calling.

Justin's story shows the extraordinary opportunity you have to get your idea directly to the audience. Twitter, Facebook, you tube, and other web outlets give you the chance to tell your story. If your work strikes a chord out there, you may be able to move it to the more traditional media that can pay you significant money for it.

Here are two lessons from Justin's story that are particularly important for you. First, create something. If Justin hadn't written down his father's words in the first place, nothing would have happened. Don't wait for everything to be perfect: just get going.

Second, create for multiple platforms. S*** my Dad Says" is a twitter idea that became a tv sitcom. Do you have a movie idea that can also be a novel? Try writing the novel first. Perhaps you'll find a publisher, but you can also self-publish. If you have a popular novel, the film and television rights will pay you more.

Whatever you're creating, get started today. Moving from conception to creation to publication can take months or years. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll get done.

You can link to the NY Times article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/arts/television/19shatner.html?ref=arts

What Rights Should I Sell?

2010-05-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last week (May 4) I provided some basic copyright information. Let's assume that you've developed your original idea to the point where a television network or some other entity wants to buy it. What rights should you license?

The buyer will want as many rights as possible for as little money as possible. For example when I licensed shows I started by requesting all rights in all media in perpetuity. As a seller, your goal is to get the network to pay as much as possible for each right, and reserve as many rights as possible for yourself. The outcome of your negotiations will depend upon the relative strengths of your positions -- how much the buyer wants your idea, and how desperate you are to sell. Knowing the rights you have available to sell is the key to maximizing the value of your content.

For the sake of this post, we'll assume you have a television idea. The first thing you want to negotiate is territory. Are you selling U.S. rights only, or U.S. and Canada? What about Asia? Don't ever just throw in worldwide rights to the program. There can be great value in that. The British producers of the show 'Pop Idol' make a great deal of money selling the rights to that show around the world. You know it in the U.S. as 'American Idol.' They would have left a fortune on the table if they licensed worldwide rights to the first network that asked.

Networks will also want the right to use footage on the internet. They may even ask for the right to post the show on their web site, or on a content aggregator like Hulu. If they want the right to use your program on the web, they should compensate you for it.

Make sure you have a plan to exploit any rights you do retain. If you have no plans to put your show on the internet, there's no harm licensing those rights to your buyer. Just make sure you're getting fair value for them. Remember in an earlier post I reminded you that 2% of something is better than 100% of nothing.

There are other rights to negotiate in addition to internet and territory. I will discuss them in an upcoming post.

Get Good Feedback

2010-05-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

You don't create and develop program ideas for yourself. You want to reach an audience: either on line, in movie theaters, or at home. Therefore you must develop your idea with the audience in mind. That may seem obvious, but not every creative person grasps that.

When I was a theatre director, I received feedback from everyone that watched rehearsals. But there was no substitute for putting the actors in front of a live audience. The audience's laughs told me what was funny (intentionally or unintentionally). When they were quiet (no coughs, sneezes, or shuffles) I knew they were riveted. And if they walked out, I knew we were losing them.

But what do you do if you're not directing live theatre? Find a small group of two or three trusted friends or colleagues that agree to take the time to review your work. They should be supportive, but even if they don't like your idea they should explain why. Someone who just says "that sucks," or even, "that's great!" without providing details won't help you.

Pay particular attention to the parts of your work when they say, "I'm not sure I understand why that character did that," or "I got lost here. I wasn't sure what was going on." That should be a red flag for you. It's important that the audience understand what is going on and believe the characters' motivation. That's true for reality shows as well as scripted entertainment. The story (as I mentioned in a recent post) is the most important thing.

Remember, that as the creator you have the ultimate say about what goes into your program. At least, I hope you negotiated that into your production deal. Thoughtful feedback will save you from going off track.

Copyright

2010-05-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Do you own the copyright to your idea? Do you know the difference between owning a copyright and owning the rights to your work? You should consult an attorney before signing anything regarding your work or idea. But you can save yourself time and money if you understand the basics.

"Copyright" is literally "the right to copy." If you are the copyright owner of a work (whether it is a story, book, play, song, or film) you have the sole right to make copies of the work, authorize adaptations, and also have the right to allow others to do so. No one can make copies without the copyright holders permission.

There are two key points. 1. You do not need to publish your idea. According to the U.S. copyright office, a "copyright is secured automatically when the work is created,and a work is “created when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time." This means your idea can't be copyrighted when it's in your head, but can be once you write it down or record it, even if it has not been published.

2. You cannot copyright titles, short phrases, anything not fixed (for example, unrecorded improv comedy sketches) or ideas. So for your own protection, write your ideas down, or film them on your flip cam, or record them on CD.

It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with copyright basics. The U.S. Copyright office has a number of publications available online. Just go to: http://www.copyright.gov/ for more information.

At some point you may want to assign rights to your work to publishers, producers, or film or television companies so they can make your program. Know what rights you're giving them, for how long, and how much money they're paying. Do not assign or give away your copyright.

If you are successful in the business you may at some point be asked to create a show as a "work for hire." For example, if you're a staff producer at a network you probably do not own the copyright to your show, unless you negotiated that right in your contract. I will discuss that in a future post.

Story

2010-05-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Some of my readers asked me to provide more details about what makes a good story. The best definition of a good story that I ever read is on page 462 of Which Lie Did I Tell?, a book about screenwriting and the movie business written by Academy Award winning screenwriter, William Goldman.

"A good story is something with an interesting premise that builds logically to a satisfying and surprising conclusion."

Goldman's book mainly focuses on screenwriting, but this definition is true for all sorts of stories -- novels, television shows, webisodes, songs, everything. Goldman uses the example of the children's story "The Little Engine That Could." Aren't we all just rooting for that train to get those toys over the mountain?

The most popular programs on television have the most compelling stories. Despite what the judges say, American Idol is not the top rated show because it is a singing competition. it's a top show because it's a singing competition repackaged as Greek tragedy. A group of characters we know well are fighting for their lives (a singing career that would change their life) and surviving intervention by the gods: the judges with human foibles who also have the power of miraculous intervention on their behalf (the judges' save).

By the way, you could do worse than imitate the story lines from Greek tragedy. I wish all of our work would last as long as the plays of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides.

But we were talking about story. Develop the most compelling story possible for your idea. You want the audience wondering "what happens next?" The story matters much more than the particular platform the program is placed, or its genre.

What's It About?

2010-04-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

When I was younger I wanted more than anything to become a theater director. When Carnegie-Mellon accepted me to the oldest graduate program in the U.S., I was very proud and excited -- especially since I had applied to 8 other programs that didn't accept me! I eagerly anticipated my first directing class with Drama Chair and Tony-Award winning director (for The Two Gentlemen of Verona) Mel Shapiro.

In the first class, Mel told us the secret to becoming a good director. "The first thing," Mel said, is you have to know what the f*** the play is about." I had never heard a professor use that particular expletive in a class before, and I admit it distracted me from fully contemplating the beauty and simplicity of that statement. That's the first step, not only for directing, but for all story telling. You have to know what it's about, or it's easy to get lost and end up with a mess instead of a program.

Once a content company licenses your program, all of sudden you'll be working with an army of collaborators -- designers, actors, writers, producers, prop masters, location scouts, company executives, and others. You must be able to articulate to them what it's about, so that they don't set your story about oil fields in Oklahoma in Beverly Hills, or dress your set with modern furniture when the family in your story collects antiques.

It also guides you while you develop your idea. When you must write an extra scene because the teleplay is too short, or cut something because it's too long, remembering what it's about will help you write a scene that fits or make the cuts needed to enhance the story.

Remember that other people working on the project may make a decision based on their own narrow understanding of the story. For example, it's said that the actor who plays the small part of the psychiatrist in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (he only appears in the last scene)was asked what the play was about. He said, "it's a play about a man who takes a woman off to the crazy house." He may have been right from his perspective, but you need to worry about the big picture.

Write what your project is about in simple, declarative sentences, and put it above the computer where you're writing. Keep it with you in your wallet so that when an idea strikes you can write it down while it's fresh and know if it fits your current project. Memorize it so you can tell others and observe their reaction. You must protect it to the death.

Why Won't They Listen to My Idea?

2010-04-23T17:43:00.001-07:00

I spoke recently with a colleague of mine who is the Executive Vice President of Programming for a major network. He tries not to tell people what he does for a living. Once people find out, they can't keep from pitching him stories. He's been on the receiving end of pitches from doormen, barbers, caddies, policemen, firemen, convenience store clerks, and dentists (try turning down your dentist's program idea when he's holding a drill!) among others. He says that his answer to the question, "Would you like to hear my idea for a show?" from anyone other than a professional is an emphatic "No!"

Why is that? Shouldn't he be on the lookout for the best stories and ideas, wherever they come from? It may surprise you to find out that most programming executives do not face a shortage of ideas -- they face a shortage of creative people who can make those ideas into compelling television shows.

That's why top producers can earn lavish amounts of money. They have proved they have the creative discipline to create quality programs every week or ten days, maintain that quality through all phases of show creation, and get the best work from their staff week after week of twelve hour days.

To make your program idea a success you must start cultivating your own creative discipline. Work on your idea every day. Develop your characters and situations in detail. Visualize how it will look on screen. You must act like a professional, if you want professionals to take you seriously. Otherwise programming executives like my friend will file your idea the same place they file the ideas they receive from all amateurs: the circular file under their desk.

How to Win the Pulitzer Prize

2010-04-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Paul Harding won this year's Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Tinker, a 191 page story of a dying man and his relationship with his father in Maine. Harding, a 42 year-old former rock drummer started writing his novel when he was studying at the Iowa Writer's workshop. He took some years to write the book, and once he was done he submitted it to every major publisher -- and every major publisher rejected it!

He was told the story didn't move fast enough -- no car chases, or big romances, or action scenes. However, he didn't give up. Eventually Bellevue Literary Press, a small independent publisher affiliated with NYU Medical School, published the novel. Before the news about the Pulitzer Prize came out, it had sold 15,000 copies since January, 2009. The book had become a favorite amongst independent bookstore owners, and they recommended it to clients. Now, of course, it will sell more. (By the way, I found most of these facts from stories in USA Today and the New York Times). Harding now teaches at the Iowa Workshop, and recently won a Guggenheim fellowship. And he will have a much easier time selling his next novels.

But this is a programming blog. Why am I telling you this? Take a minute and think about it. Figure it out yet? Here's why -- Paul Harding is a lesson for all of us. He wrote the book he wanted to write. Clearly he wrote it well. His success came from sticking to his vision, and not changing it just to be commercial. If you've read my other posts, you know that what's commercial today may not be tomorrow -- but quality programming endures.

Secondly, the best advertising is good word of mouth. If you have a program or an idea that people recommend to their friends, you've got a great chance for success. You don't have to start with a splash. Start with a small ripple, and let your network build.

One final lesson: Paul Harding put in time over several years and finished his novel. He didn't win a prize for his idea of a novel. What are you doing to make your idea a reality?

Middle School gets on Oprah; why can't you?

2010-04-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you the story of how Ocoee Middle School here in Central Florida created a video that Oprah played on her show. After seeing the Black Eyed Peas 'Flash Mob' video of their song "I Gotta Feeling", the Middle School reading teacher decided to make her own video based on it to promote reading. They got permission from the Black Eyed Peas. The teachers wrote new lyrics and called it "Gotta Keep Reading." Full Sail, a local media training school, supplied the video equipment and editing services. A PE teacher created choreography, a music teacher sang the song and created a professional recording. With the support of the principal and administrative staff, the entire school turned out on the grounds in December, each holding their favorite book, and joined in the dance.

The video premiered at the school to much acclaim from the parents, and was posted on the school web site. The students loved it, and were inspired to double the number of books they read over last year. That's where it could have ended -- except that one of Oprah's researchers found the video on line. Last March Oprah aired the video on her show and interviewed the principal and reading teacher via satellite. In addition to garnering great publicity for the school, Oprah convinced some corporate donors to fund a new media center for the school!

This story should be inspiring and instructive for you as you create your own programs. Here are some things I'd like to point out:

1. They didn't wait for some big company to fund their idea. The faculty and staff went ahead and worked with the resources they had on hand.
2. They thought big. Maybe the Black Eyed Peas won't give you the right to their music for your idea, but you don't know until you ask.
3. They didn't wait for the distribution pipeline to work. They put their finished project on the web, where it went viral.
4. They kept true to the original vision throughout the creative process, and remained passionate about their project.
5. They did it for the right reasons -- they wanted to create something to inspire kids to read -- getting on Oprah was just an added benefit.

If a Middle School in Florida can do this, so can you.

Make Contacts Friends

2010-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever looked a job description for Vice President of Program Development at a television network? Even if you don't want that job for yourself, you should know what they do. After all, you may someday be in that Vice President's office pitching your program idea.

You would see that one of the key requirements of the job is "good relationship with producers," or, "a good rolodex or contact list." Development executives are expected to know the best producers in the business and be able to leverage their relationship to bring the best shows to the network.

Last week I wrote that every contact counts. But making a contact is just the start. Follow up with your contacts. Let them know what you're doing. Ask them about themselves. Become a resource for them. Make your contact a friend.

Mark McCormack, the legendary founder of IMG, put it this way. "All things being equal, people prefer to buy from their friends. All things not being equal, people still prefer to buy from their friends."

This is important for you, and not just for business reasons. At the end of my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life, the angel Clarence leaves these words for George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart):

"No man is a failure who has friends."

There's great truth in that.

Can Books Help?

2010-04-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I checked out the entertainment section in my local Barnes and Noble. I saw lots of books about how to write screenplays, several on how to break into the business as an actor, and a bunch about how to write songs. There were very few on how to produce your own film, and none on how to break into television programming.

One of the reasons I'm writing this blog is because there are no books on how to get into television programming. But the question before us today is: can the information in these books help you?

Certainly, if you've never written a screenplay before, a book that gives you the proper format and some basic information can help you. If all you've ever done is act in your school play, you should read a book about how the professional acting business works before getting on that bus to Hollywood.

However, there's no substitute for talking to people actually in the business. (See my previous post, 'Fish Where the Fish Are'). If your town or city is of any size, you probably have a production company (or several) located there. Go talk to them. Find out what they know, and what they think. They might even connect you to people they know in Los Angeles or New York.

Books can help you, but they have their limits. Your particular path to success may not follow the one laid out in the book. Make the information work for you.

I know it can be intimidating to call people cold. But you have to get over that, if you're going to make your program idea a property. The more you can learn from people currently working in the business, the better chance you will have for success.

Of course, continue to read this blog for regular information updates. Recommend it to your friends.

Every Contact Counts

2010-04-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

Every time I speak to someone in the entertainment business I am reminded of the words of that great philosopher Ed Norton -- no, not the actor -- Ralph Kramden's downstairs neighbor on 'The Honeymooners'. Ed, played by the great Art Carney, was a New York City sewer worker. Ed often repeated a piece of advice he heard from one of his mentors -- "Be nice to the people you work with in the sewers. You're going to meet the same people going down as you do going up."

That's good advice for you when you're trying to get your program idea heard. Every person you speak with is a potential contact. Your dry cleaner might have a cousin who works for Warner Brothers, or your son's teacher might have a friend who went to Hollywood. That's why it's important to make every interaction with people a positive one. Remember to tell them you have a great program idea. People can't help you if they don't know.

Of course we are all human and not every contact will be positive. Give yourself a break if one or two contacts don't work out. But your overall average will be better if you remember that every contact counts.

What's true in your everyday life is particularly true once you get to meet the executives at a television or film company. Be nice and positive to the security guards, receptionist, and assistants also. If they're interested in your idea, the executives may ask their employee's opinion. You want them to like you and become your advocate inside the company. And you never know; one of them may end up running the studio some day.

People Respond to Passion

2010-04-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Before starting this post I want to thank those of you who are now following me regularly. In honor of your interest, I am starting this week to post two new pieces instead of one. This is the second piece for this week. Feel free to e-mail me back questions or comments.

What gets you excited? I bet that you have a hobby, a sport, a craft, a book, a movie, or a television show that you love. You spend a lot of time in activities related to it -- you speak enthusiastically about it to others, and your family either enjoys it too or is sick of you bringing it up all the time.

It doesn't matter what it is -- it could be anything from riding mountain bikes to hook latching rugs -- but chances are there are several other people who share your passion. You probably know many of them.

Why not make a program about it?

People respond to passion. Your audience will only get excited about your program if you care. Your passion will sustain you through the long development process, pitches, and rejection by various studios. The entertainment world is full of examples of shows people created because they have a passion for something that everyone wrote off. Until 'Antique Roadshow' became a hit who thought a show about stuff in people's attics would make sense? Now there are imitators on every home and lifestyle channel. No one thought shows about re-doing rooms would work until 'Trading Spaces.' I had the personal experience of running the Golf Channel's programming at launch. Many people thought it would never work, but we pursued our passion and became a worldwide success.

Of course, if you want a network or movie studio to buy your idea you still must put it in a professional package. You should have learned something about how to do that through this blog, and I'll be writing more about it in the future.

For now, start with your passion. Turn your passion into a property.

How to Get An Agent

2010-03-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

In previous posts I've talked about the importance of having an agent. Many networks and film studios won't even look at unrepresented ideas. A good agent can get you a meeting to pitch your idea to the film studio or television network most likely to buy it. That's part of the agent's job -- to know who to pitch. If they want to buy your idea, the agent will negotiate the deal for you, and work their hardest to get you top dollar, so they can take 10% of it as their commission.

So how do you get agents interested in your idea?

You must do research. There are literally thousands of agents in businesses ranging for one-person operations to large firms with hundreds of employees. Search the entertainment industry news on line to get some names. The biggest agencies, like CAA (Creative Artists Agency), represent so many famous clients that they're constantly in the entertainment news and trade journals. Look at the agency web site and see if they list agents by name and provide contact information. Not all of them do. For example, CAA does not list agents by name on their site, but William Morris Endeavor does.

Agents specialize. Some only represent film actors, some only represent musicians, some specialize in sports stars. You're looking for one who represents producers or writers of shows or movies. Once you get the contact information send a short, professional e-mail saying you've been developing an idea, have a treatment (or script), and are looking for representation. You may not get any response, especially at a busy agency, but keep trying. Send the e-mail to many agents. Eventually, someone will respond.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you should have created some material that represents your idea as professionally as possible. If an agent expresses interest, you'll send them the copy of your script or treatment to review. Agents are in business after all. They will only represent you if they think you have an idea they can sell. If they ask to review your material, make the experience as easy as possible for them.

If the agent likes your treatment, he may be willing to represent you and will ask you to sign an agency contract. The agent will represent you exclusively in return for a percentage of the sales of the project. Remember, that before you sign any contract, have it reviewed by an experienced entertainment attorney.

Remember, it can take years of hard work before you become an overnight success. But if your idea is unique and compelling keep trying. There's always a shortage of quality material. The trick is to get noticed. An agent can help you.

Make Your Idea a Property

2010-03-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Some of you asked me to explain in more detail about the process of turning your idea into a property. I mentioned that a couple of weeks ago in my post about Protecting Your Idea. Here's a story that illustrates the point.

When I was in Hollywood recently I spoke to the producer developing a movie version of the TV show 'Baywatch.' They commissioned different writers to create story treatments but haven't yet found one they like. He was planning to meet with more writers this week.

Some of you may be surprised at this sequence of events, but it's actually quite common in the movie business. The producer owns the property -- the right to produce a movie based on 'Baywatch'. He doesn't currently own the specific idea of the movie: what story will they tell that will appeal to today's audience without offending the core group of 'Baywatch' fans around the world?

Most people I speak with about their programs believe the idea is the most important thing. But anyone can have an idea. Producers and writers pitch ideas to executives, and executives suggest ideas to writers and producers. Your idea is just the beginning of the process.

For example, say you've always wanted to make a film version of your favorite TV show, 'My Mother the Car.' You turn that idea into a property by finding out who owns the rights to 'My Mother the Car' and licensing the right to make the movie from them. Instead of just having an idea that anyone can have, you now the property 'My Mother the Car.' All the studios that are hot to make this blockbuster have to deal with you, and only you, because you own the property.

Properties are not limited to old TV shows. They can be novels, short stories, songs, news stories, personal stories, poems (remember'Beowulf'?) spec screenplays, and even board games. Properties command respect; ideas are a dime a dozen.

Turning your idea into a property can take time and money. After all, Thomas Edison wasn't the only person who thought about making an electric light bulb. He was the only one who had the determination and resources to keep going through failure after failure until he made one that worked. As he famously said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

So if you really want your idea considered, turn it into a property.

And if you want to take a crack at the 'Baywatch' script, have your agent contact the producer. Don't have an agent? That's a subject for a future post.

No One Has a Job in Hollywood

2010-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

They have projects, instead. I just returned from a few days in Los Angeles. I had the chance to renew some contacts and speak with some of the top names in the entertainment industry. It has been rough out there in Hollywood over the last two years. Ad revenues are down, the big media companies are consolidating, and the number of movies in production is lower than it has been in years. On the other hand, there are over 90 television pilots in production, due in part to NBC's need to fill the five hours in prime recently filled by Jay Leno.

Most of the people I spoke with in the entertainment industry did not have a job in the conventional sense. They had "projects" that were either "developing," or were in various stages of "development" with a film company or television network. It seemed like they spent most of their time refining material to pitch to a media company or producer, or following up after a previous pitch. The selling of the project took up much more time than its creation. As a screenwriter friend of mine put it, "the writing is the easy part. Getting them to buy is hard."

Writers, directors, and executives who have made successful movies always have several projects they're working on. They have a sitcom to pitch to TBS and a drama ready for TNT. Or they have several sitcoms or reality shows handy, aimed at different networks. You never know which project will get a network or movie company to bite until you try. It may take many meetings before you get a green light.

What does this mean for you? If you only have one program idea, you're not really in the business. While you're refining your favorite idea, spend some time developing others. Even if you don't have buyers at present, at least you're in show business.

What to emphasize during the pitch?

2010-03-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

You have an idea that you love. You've got the series bible roughed out and have brilliant casting choices. You've got the opportunity to present it to a programming or development executive. What's the one thing they want to know more than anything else?

What is this show going to do for me?

You have to show them that the program will 1)increase their audience, 2)bring a new audience to their network, 3)attract the key demographic that they need.

Remember that your show is meant to be popular entertainment. Spend time in your pitch demonstrating how similar programs attracted audience for other networks. Describe the likely audience and how the show fits with the other programs on their network, or with their development slate. If you show that you've spent some time thinking about helping their business, the executives will give you a more respectful hearing. More importantly, even if they pass on this particular idea, they will be more open to hearing your next idea.

That network or development executive hears lots of pitches every day. Distinguish yourself by showing how your idea will make them money.

Do You Need An Entertainment Attorney?

2010-03-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

Your first job is to make your idea as compelling as possible so someone will want to buy it. But assuming you've done that, If an agent, producer, or executive is offering you a contract get yourself an experienced entertainment attorney to review it.

The entertainment world is full of artists who signed contracts without reviewing them only to learn later they signed away the rights to their ideas and projects. According to Dave Marsh, his biographer, Bruce Springsteen signed his first management contract on the hood of a car without reading it. It cost him lots of time and money to end that relationship. The best way to avoid that situation is to get the advice of an attorney that knows the business.

Some people recommend hiring an attorney before you start pitching ideas. I think that depends on where you are in your process. If you haven't committed your idea to paper and developed it to a point that would interest a media company, don't bother with an attorney. You need to make your idea compelling first. If you have done that work, an entertainment attorney can help you. A good one can even open doors for you with production companies and networks.

But just like you wouldn't sign a contract blindly don't hire the first entertainment lawyer you find on the internet. Ask friends for recommendations. Ask the attorney for references. Can you find out who else he or she represents in the business? Remember the attorney will be working for you, so treat hiring an entertainment attorney with at least the same amount of care you'd hire an employee at your business.

Remember: Don't sign a contract with anyone without having an attorney review it.

Protecting Your Ideas

2010-02-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

In my years working in television programming, I received literally thousands of program pitches, from everyone from my neighbors to my personal hero in programming, Brandon Tartikoff. I always tried to listen respectfully, and treat the people pitching the idea as I would want to be treated. I would remind myself that even though I might have heard this idea a hundred times, the person pitching it didn't know that.

One question would irritate me to a point where I couldn't help but show it. That was, "How do I know you won't steal my idea?" Usually I would respond, "if you're that worried about it, don't tell me the idea." Occasionally, that would stop the pitch in its tracks, and I would get a half hour of my life back.

Sometimes it's hard to tell what's a stolen idea, and what's just popular imitation. For example, I might think it's a good idea to launch a series about an adolescent with magical powers. That describes both the Harry Potter series and the Percy Jackson series. Were these stolen ideas? Of course not. While they both can be described broadly the same way, they differ in thousands of different details.

That's the best way to protect your idea. Write it down and make it as detailed as possible. Don't wait for someone at a television company to buy it before you create it. For example, you can copyright your novel about a magical boy in Brooklyn who saves the city; you have no protection if you're just walking into someone's office telling them you'd like to write a movie about that topic.

Of course, if you already have a track record in the business, you don't have to finish a piece before you sell your idea. Executives want to do business with you if you have a history or writing hit films or novels. If you're like most of us, trying to get our ideas a hearing, you have more to prove.

Protect yourself by turning your idea into a property. JK Rowling didn't sell the idea of writing a book about a young wizard named Harry Potter, she wrote the book first and sold that. So get busy.

Fish Where the Fish Are

2010-02-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

What's the best way to catch a fish? Fish where the fish are.

True, this is a famous cliche. It gets repeated, though, because it's good advice. You have a much better chance to catch a fish if you go looking for them where they're swimming. You still have work to do, of course, but your odds are better.

That advice holds even in today's internet-dominated world. If you want to increase your odds of getting your progam idea considered, meet people in television. You can glean some information from on-line forums about programs, or through groups on Facebook and Linked In. But that still is no substitute for meeting decision makers in person and getting their input face to face.

The best way to do that is through an industry organization. If you're a writer, join the writer's guild. If you're a director, the director's union. The National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) sponsors an annual convention and learning opportunities throughout the year, but you have to travel to where they are. (you can look for more information at www.natpe.org

Don't want to travel to New York or Los Angeles? Look for the film festival closest to where you live. Most of them will invite working producers and directors in for a talk. Join a group of aspiring producers in your own town. If you don't have a group, start your own.

Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." So make time in your week to meet people who can help you in person. You will be glad you did.

Nobody Knows Anything

2010-02-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

William Goldman, the great screenwriter, wrote two books about working in the movie business: "Adventures in the Screen Trade" was the first and "Which Lie Did I Tell" is the other. I recommend reading both of them, especially if you're interested in screenwriting.

On page 39 of "Adventures in the Screen Trade" Goldman introduces his key concept:

Nobody Knows Anything

What he means by that is that no one -- no studio executive, no star, no screenwriter, no director -- knows for sure what movies are going to become popular. At best, studio executives are making educated guesses based on their experience, research and what has worked before. But they don't know.

What does that mean for you? It means that your idea might actually work as well as an idea from an established producer. So if you believe in your idea don't give up. Develop it in detail. Keep trying to get the attention of network or film executives. The best executives know what they don't know. They're always looking for the next big thing. You just might have it.

2% of Something

2010-02-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

Some years ago I took a workshop about how to produce shows on Broadway. On the very first day we were given the following advice:

"2% of something is better than 100% of nothing."

Keep that in mind for your own idea. It doesn't matter if you own 100% of a bad idea: you'll never realize any money from it. However, you can make a lot of money on 2% of a good idea. Think how much you'd make if you owned 2% of the merchandise rights for Star Wars, or 2% of the gross box office receipts of Avatar.

How is your idea going to generate money for the network or publisher? Is it marketed to a specific demographic? Have they demonstrated in the past they will pay for ideas like this? All of the gatekeepers you pitch your idea to will be much more receptive if you can show they will receive 2% of something instead of 100% of nothing.

How Linkedin Can Help You

2010-01-29T05:11:00.000-08:00

Do you have a program idea, but don't know who to contact at the appropriate network? You can search the network's web site, but that's not likely to have contact information about the specific people you need to pitch. You can send a blind inquiry to their mailbox, but you may not receive a response. LinkedIn can help you.

Linkedin is a professional social networking site: www.linkedin.com. Everyone who creates a profile can then link to people they know through the site. The beauty of linkedin is that it allows you to search by company and by name. For example, let's assume you have a show you'd like to pitch to Spike TV. You can search on Linkedin for people who work for Spike. You can view their profiles to see who works in programming. Once you've identified who you want to contact, you can also see if anyone you're linked to knows that person. Then you can ask your friend to send an introduction on line to the person you want to speak with. If they agree, you now have an introduction to the appropriate person.

Linkedin also has many groups that you can join to increase your connections and learn more about the media business. I'm a member of Media Professionals Worldwide and the International Television Experts Group, among others. These group sites often contain job leads and educational discussions. Remember to focus on specific goals while searching groups. It's easy to spend a lot of time surfing the discussions without advancing your projects and your career.

If you're not on linkedin, give it a try.

Late Night TV Wars Part Two

2010-01-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

Some newspapers reported today that NBC and Conan O'Brien have reached an agreement on a contract buyout. The numbers that were reported estimate a $40 million payout to Conan and severance for his staff. Would you go back to work if your employer gave you a $40 million buyout? Regardless of what you might do, Conan apparently plans to take some time off, and return to TV on another network in the fall.

One thing we can all learn from this -- there's still a great deal of money to be made in television. Apparently, NBC believes they'll make so much more money returning Jay Leno to the 11:35 PM time slot it was worth paying Conan off. Therefore, it's worthwhile for you to spend your time making your own program idea as strong as possible before you pitch it to a network.

Our other lesson is a hard truth to swallow -- sometimes you can have a good idea that doesn't work. The people running NBC certainly thought moving Leno to prime time would make their network stronger -- at least that's what they told the public, their advertisers, and their affiliates. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are two examples of topical comedy shows that succeed in prime. I'm sure NBC tested the concept on sample audiences and advertisers before committing to it. It just didn't work. As the saying goes, "That's show business." You need to be prepared for the fact that your idea may not become popular. Make sure you have more than one idea to pitch.

Late Night TV Wars

2010-01-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

TV news, web sites, and blogs have been buzzing all week with the news that NBC is moving Jay Leno's program out of prime time to 11:30 PM, cutting it to a half hour, and placing The Tonight Show at midnight. Conan O' Brien's statement has been all over the internet, so there's no need to quote the entire thing here. This situation provides such a "teachable moment" that I am compelled to point out some sides of the issue that I haven't seen discussed in detail.

1. It's impossible to predict audience tastes five years in the future: NBC made the decision to re-sign Conan and promise him The Tonight Show in 2009 to solve a problem they had in 2004. They assumed that five more years of building an audience would allow Conan to slip easily behind the Tonight Show desk at a time when Jay Leno's audience would be leaving the show. It probably appeared logical at the time -- it was just wrong. Leno was still popular, and NBC, which had very few other hit shows, found themselves scrambling for ideas to keep Leno and honor their commitment to Conan. Had NBC remembered that it's impossible to predict audience tastes five years in the future, they might have left themselves more options.

Therefore, when you're creating your own program ideas, don't spend any time worrying about making them "commercial." No one knows for sure if an idea will become popular until they make it available to the public. The best thing you can in developing your idea is keep it as close to the core of what excited you about it as possible. A good television programmer will respond to your passion.

I'll point out more lessons we can learn from this in upcoming blogs.

Look for What Isn't There

2010-01-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

Some years ago at a television convention I attended a presentation by Marcy Carsey, the founder of Carsey-Werner Productions, producer of legendary sitcoms The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Third Rock From the Sun, and That Seventies Show, among other hits. Ms. Carsey said that her approach for finding ideas was to review the types of shows that were popular at the time and see what types of shows were not on television. Then she would create a program idea to fill that gap.

For example, some critics and even television executives in the early 1980s believed situation comedies were dying. Their ratings had been declining for years and it had been a long time (in television years) since there was a new hit. Bill Cosby had starred in the hit comedy/drama I Spy, but his subsequent prime time shows -- a sitcom and a variety show -- had much less success.

Ms. Carsey packaged a show idea for a situation comedy starring Bill Cosby and pitched it to all the networks. Any of them could have licensed it -- only third place NBC took a chance on the show. (I'm writing about a time when most of America got their television from the three major broadcast networks). There were no other shows like it on TV, and the Cosby show became one of the most popular situation comedies of all time. Yes, it was well written, acted and directed (see my previous posting about an idea only being as good as its execution) but if the Cosby Show wasn't unique for its time, it would not have been nearly as big a hit.

Her work is full of other examples -- Roseanne was the first show about a working class family to come on in a long time; Third Rock brought aliens back to prime time after a long absence; That Seventies Show was the only show set during that decade, etc. Yes, they were all quality productions, but they also appeared fresh and new.

So as you start 2010, look for the ideas that are not out there. Be unique and original, and your idea will receive more attention.

Your Program Pitch

2009-12-31T12:39:00.000-08:00

Can you tell the essence of your idea in two or three sentences? If you can't, you may not have as good an idea as you thought. You know your idea better than anyone. How do you expect the on-screen guide to summarize your show if you can't?

Your program pitch should be both familiar and unique -- something like "romeo and juliet (instantly familiar) but in outer space with competing sexy alien races (makes it seem like a unique program). That's a one sentence pitch -- it should interest the programmer, producer or audience member enough to want to hear more.

The best pitch ever for a show came from a Head of Programming, the legendary Brandon Tartikoff, to one of his producers, Michael Mann. Brandon Tartikoff was Head of Programming during NBC's glory years, when the network carried the Cosby Show, Hill St. Blues, LA Law, the A-Team, and many other iconic shows.

The story is that Tartikoff gave Michael Mann a piece of paper with two words -- "MTV cops." Those two words inspired Mann to create "Miami Vice," a show that changed not only the look of police dramas on TV, but also spawned an entire fashion look for that time.

When you read "MTV cops," did you think of "Miami Vice?" Do you see it now? Can you put your program pitch into two words? How about two sentences?

If you can't do this, keep thinking about your idea. Strip it to its essentials until you can. When you can create your pitch, write it down. Memorize it and try it on your friends and family until it sings. Then try it on a programming executive or producer.

Is Your Life a Reality Show?

2009-12-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

Reality shows. They've been a staple of television since its inception, when shows like "Queen for a Day," "Candid Camera," and "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" showcased 'ordinary' people. However, ever since "Survivor" demonstrated in 2001 that you could create a hit show by putting carefully selected 'ordinary' people in a stressful setting, reality shows have popped up on every network. There is even a reality network.

I received a lot of reality pitches over the years from producers, viewers, and people I met at cocktail parties. The pitch from non-professionals was usually the same: "My job/life is fascinating. I'm sure if you sent cameras to follow me around you'd have a great reality show."

That might be true if you were a cop ("Cops" is still very successful) or a bounty hunter (it's worked out for "Dogg, the Bounty Hunter"). However, the fact is most people's lives are not dramatic and they like it that way. Think your teenagers are tough now? Wait until you put them on television. Be honest -- do you think your job would be easier if cameras recorded your every move? Would you be happier if you got home from work and faced intense dramatic situations every twenty minutes?

If you answered no to the last two questions, please don't try to pitch your life as a reality show. You won't be happy. But say you're still convinced that is your ticket to fame and fortune. Take step two: List the events that take place during that day the might interest an audience. If you can't list at least ten events, your life might not be the stuff of great drama. In an average one hour reality episode, you need at least one dramatic/audience grabbing event each segment -- that's an average of seven to ten each show.

If you've got your ten incidents then start having some fun. Write an outline for a one hour show based on your day. It should be at least two pages long, to make sure that you really have enough incidents to fill up an hour show. Too much work for you? Then you probably don't really want to make your life a reality show. If you don't care enough to write an outline, why should the audience care?

We'll talk about what you can do with your outline in an upcoming post.

Make Your Own Show

2009-12-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

When I started in television, everyone dreamed of airing a show on a big network. Unfortunately, making television cost a fortune. Cameras were big and difficult to move, editing required sophisticated and often custom-made equipment. You needed an advertising budget in the millions, not counting the free publicity you got from your network. Because of the high cost you had to get your show on a network in order to have a chance to make your money back.

Today, that's all changed. For a few hundred or at the most a few thousand dollars, you can have access to digital cameras and home editing systems that are as good or better than the ones professionals use. More importantly, You don't need a network. Sites like You Tube exist to provide you with a platform for airing your video. You do not have to convince some network honcho to give your program a chance; you can take it directly to the people, and promote it via the internet.

So if you have a program idea you believe in, don't wait. Make your own show! Buy or rent the equipment, or find a friend who owns it. Write the script. Make the storyboard. Get friends, or family, or people from the local college drama or film program to act in it. Once you have the final product, if you're proud of it, put it up on the internet.

This serves three purposes:

1. It demonstrates your passion for this project. No program idea can succeed unless its creator is passionate about it. If you don't care about the program, why should the audience?

2. You've created a pilot for the show. Some networks require a pilot before they'll consider a program idea. Putting the pilot on You Tube makes it easy for them -- You can send them a link to the site that shows your work, and they can make a determination at their desks.

3. Even if a network passes on the project, the show may catch on. You never know what will resonate with the public until you give them access to it. If your program becomes popular on the web, it will be much easier to sell to a network or even a movie studio.

Don't know how to shoot and edit a television show? Don't worry. There are books and web sites that can give you more information. You can take classes in video production at your local community college. And there are many consultants and production companies that can help you realize your vision if you don't feel confident creating it yourself. Consultants and production companies will expect to get paid, so make sure you have a clear understanding of what you want them to do and what your fee covers.

It's your idea. Why not make your own show?

Ready, Fire, Aim!

2009-12-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a great idea just before falling asleep, and then in the morning tried to remember it? Were you able to reconstruct your thoughts from the night before? If you're like me, you couldn't do it. What seemed like a great inspiration at night looked bland and ordinary in the daylight.

There are two things to remember:

1. Have a pad of paper and a pen with you at all times to write down your inspiration when they occur. First thoughts are the best thoughts.

2. Act on your idea as soon as possible.

That's why the title of this posting is Ready, Fire, Aim! If you wait too long for your idea to ripen on the vine, you risk it going sour. Start outlining immediately. Get down as much as you can -- if it's for a movie or television series, write the treatment. If it's for a book, create a proposal. If your idea is for an invention, start sketching.

Will you make some mistakes? Of course you will. That's how you learn. You can correct them and improve your piece as you go. The greater danger lies in not starting.

So take your idea, whatever it is, and move forward. Ready, Fire, Aim!

The Easiest Job in the World

2009-12-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

My mentor, Bob Greenway, always used to joke that the two easiest jobs in television were Executive Producer and Head of Programming. After all, everyone watches television shows, and everyone has an opinion about how to make them better. Of course, they'd rather review the baby at the end of the process, and not its messy birth. It's easy to make suggestions; hard to implement them.

When you're working on your idea, remember you don't have to listen to all the executive producers in your life. Your friends, family, co-workers, and even your hair dresser will all have opinions. If you take all of their suggestions, you will end up with a muddled mess, very far from your original conception. You must protect your idea against this death from a thousand opinions.

Get one or at most two people -- ideally people who know something about the media business -- whose opinion you trust and use only them, as a sounding board. You can take their advice or not, but remember you are responsible for the execution of your idea.

If you get to the point where a network is willing to pay cash for your idea, then you might want to discuss possible changes with them. How you do that will be the subject of a future post.

An Idea is Only as Good as its Execution

2009-11-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Everyone has ideas. Most everyone watches television -- the average American watches over Four Hours of Television Per Day, according to the Nielsen company. That's more than half of most people's total leisure time in a typical day.

Many people who spend a lot of time watching television think they can also create shows. Haven't you ever said, after seeing a bad TV show, "I could do better than that!" But no one sets out to make a bad show (even though most television shows fail to find an audience.) Why does it happen?

It happens because an idea is only as good as its execution. It's not enough to think of a good program idea in a simple one or two sentence pitch. The devil is in the details. For example, if your idea is to create a situation comedy about an alien living in the suburbs, do you want to make "Third Rock from the Sun," "Mork and Mindy," or "My Favorite Martian?" They have the same basic premise, but each show handled it differently. This story about two sitcoms from the 1980s illustrates the point.

NBC broke through as the #1 network in the 80s after putting the Cosby Show on Thursday nights. It was a massive hit, and of course the other networks tried to copy it. CBS rushed a sitcom into production starring Flip Wilson and Gladys Knight. Flip Wilson was arguably a bigger television star than Bill Cosby. While Cosby's first sitcom after I Spy had only modest success, Flip Wilson's variety show was one of the top shows on television during its run. Yet, while I'm sure you've heard of the Cosby show, most of you probably don't know about Flip Wilson's show. That's because it was off television after a few episodes. Why?

Poor execution of the concept. The writing just wasn't funny -- the characters didn't work. And although Flip was a big success hosting a variety show, he wasn't as interesting playing a working class father.

So the lesson to be learned from this is flesh out your idea. Once you figure out your one or two sentence concept, take time to flesh it out. Think about the characters. Write out some scenarios. After all, if you're not willing to spend time developing your idea, why should the audience want to spend time watching it?

What's the first thing you should do with a new idea?

2009-11-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

Write it Down!

The first thing you should do with any idea is write it down. Immediately. Keep a notebook handy if you have to, but get it on paper as soon as possible.

There are several reasons for this:

1. Your first impulse will almost always be your best impulse. Write down the idea exactly as you envisioned it. Be as detailed and specific as possible. If you don't write it down, it's likely that your second or third version will lack the excitement and passion of your first inspiration.

2. You may forget it. Lots of things happen during a typical day that can drive good program ideas out of your head. If you don't write it down immediately, you will find yourself spending lots of time over the next few days trying to recreate the circumstances that led up to your inspiration.

3. Once you write it down, you have some legal protection under current intellectual property law.

Keep your idea to one page -- if you have to go a couple of lines on to page two, that's OK, but in general, one page is better. There will be time later to flesh out the details. It's crucial to preserve the creative impulse, vision and image that excited you in the first place. For example:

Say you had the idea for a show about a varied group of castaways marooned on an island. It could be "Lost," or it could be "Gilligan's Island." Either way, keep it to one page. In the first paragraph, write the basic premise. In the second paragraph, flesh out the characters. In the third and fourth paragraph, explain why people would want to watch this show. Then put it aside for a couple of days. Look at it again. If you still think it's a viable idea, then it's time to go the next step, which will be in further posts.

How Can I Get My Idea on TV?

2009-11-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

That was the question I heard more than any other in my twenty-five plus years in television programming. I have a great idea for TV -- how can I get it on. Of course these days, it's not just TV -- ideas can be books, movies, internet programs, You Tube videos, mobile phone applications, or some combination of all of the above.

I will dedicate this blog to helping you answer those questions, guide you through your own use of media in the digital world, and generally help you develop those great ideas into actual programs. I plan to post regularly, so keep coming back.