Mutual Admiration Society Of Hideous Dancing

Ok, you want details… You’ll get details!!

Before you pitch, decide if it’s a good fit for the place you’re pitching it to. Don’t just pitch it to every studio in town. Each studio has a brand that they want to represent with their work. If you’re not sure what that brand is, ask the development person what kind of shows they’re looking for before you meet with them. That way you don’t waste anyone’s time. Brands evolve and change depending on who is in charge. Animation development and production has a HUGE lead time. What’s currently on the air may not reflect what they’re looking for now.

Think of it this way: McDonald’s isn’t going to put something on the menu that doesn’t fit with who they are, even if it’s delicious and people like to eat it. Maybe it’s more of a Taco Bell thing. Or a Panda Express item. Do your research and find the right match for your idea. That’s step one.

Your first meeting will usually be with what we’ll call the first “gatekeeper.” This means that person doesn’t make decisions on which shows get picked up. This person weeds out the deluge of pitches that come to the studio and tries to find ones that fit the criteria of what their bosses are looking for. If they say no to your pitch, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. They may have a few things in development already like it or they may not be looking for something like that right now. It’s like dating.

What should you bring to the pitch? Well I’m a fan of not overdoing it with too much pomp and circumstance. The important thing is to get this person interested in the idea and how you would execute it. I would recommend a lean pitch bible. Bring an example of your work to leave with them so they can see your sensibility (an online link or DVD.) 

So this “pitch bible”… what’s in it? Remember, none of this is a rule, I’m just telling you what’s worked for me. I usually try to keep mine around 10 pages. First and foremost, put in lots of art. Animation is a visual medium and they’ll respond better to the art over a giant block of text. It doesn’t have to be fully colored or too slick. But images of the characters doing things and interacting gives a sense of what to expect from the show. 

Make it easy to skim visually. Avoid large blocks of text. Don’t make the person work for it. The pitch bible should get them excited. All of the information should be digestible and memorable. Just put the most important stuff in there. It’s a lot to take in all at once if you’re not familiar with it, and these people see TONS of pitches, so they all start to blend.

Here is the most important thing about your pitch… EACH PERSON YOU PITCH IT TO NEEDS JUST ENOUGH INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO PITCH IT AGAIN TO THEIR BOSS. It’s a selling tool for a product. Think of it like a commercial on TV. You want the person to want to learn more, but you really just want that jingle to stick in their head first.

The first page is the overview of the show. It’s not the backstory! It’s not a long, convoluted set-up. It’s succinct and sums up the show and why people would watch it. Here’s what I wrote in my Chowder pitch:

“Chowder chronicles the magical misadventures of a young chef’s apprentice in the fantastic city of Marzipan.

Have you ever baked a flying pie or stewed up a pot of singing beans? Or shaved mushrooms of the back of a forest troll? Or had to put together a fruit that came as a 500 piece puzzle?

These are the kind of amazing and surreal chores Chowder deals with on a daily basis. And since he’s inclined to eat everything in sight, his days will be filled trying to avoid one disaster after another. Episode after episode, Chowder deals with funny, eccentric characters and fantastical situations. It won’t be easy for him, but it’s all part of learning to be a master chef!”

Now honestly, I could have mentioned that most of the stories revolve around his surrogate family at the company since those are the key relationships of the show. But it was just enough to give you an idea of what the show would be and why it’s different from other shows.

The next few pages show off the characters. I like to give each character their own page. Again, avoid giant blocks of text. Tell the reader who this character is, their role in show, what that character wants in life, how other characters think of that person, their traits, etc.

Where does the show take place? Is the setting important to describe?

Then have some sample story ideas. Keep them very short. But give a sense of what a viewer could expect. Five story ideas is fine. Add more if you want, but don’t go crazy. Maybe illustrate a few of them with a simple drawing.

Lastly put your contact info in there. And again, have art all throughout!

Now when you have the meeting and you talk about the idea, hopefully you will have practiced a little. Just enough so that you can explain it clearly without rambling and getting into too much minutiae. One important thing the development person will want to know is why this project has meaning to you. Is there a personal connection you have to this character and this world? Don’t be afraid to tell the story of how this idea came about. They want to know there’s a point of view behind it.

Just remember, the networks want your pitch to be good! They need good ideas. But they’re looking for very specific things. So don’t get discouraged if they pass. Think about alternate paths for your work. Produce it yourself! Even if you make a comic of it, you’ll have full control and the time to really figure it all out.

me: 

Find someone who looks at you like Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal look at each other