Conferences + Festivals
Get $50 off WESTDOC, Santa Monica, 14 -16th September 09
Photo by TV Mole
You need three things to get your ideas on TV besides a good idea. A good knowledge of the channels’ briefs, a fat contacts book full of commissioning executives, and the proven ability to make the kind of programme you are pitching.
If you have a great idea but are weak in one of the other areas, attending a conference is a great way to bolster your credentials. You can hear commissioning executives talk about what’s worked and what’s bombed and hear what they’re looking for next. You can pitch your ideas to the channel buyers, and you get to network with more experienced producers. Building those relationships could lead to a future commission or to a partnership with someone who can help pitch and produce your show.
Special Offer for TV Mole Readers – Get $50 off
There are lots of conferences to choose from but there is a new conference kid on the block – and for the first time it’s bringing together documentary and reality TV experts on the west coast of the USA. What’s even better, is that you get a $50 discount if you mention tvmole when you register.
So why another conference? According to conference co-founder Chuck Braverman, “There is no conference on the west coast that deals with documentary and reality. The west coast and particularly LA is a large source of creative people there are a lot of very good small and large documentary and reality production companies here, so LA is probably the largest center of reality and documentary production and there is a need for a good conference here.”
Chuck, (High School Boot Camp, Curtaincall) and Richard Propper (Overhaulin’, Operation Homecoming) have assembled a cast of US documentary and reality TV superstar producers to talk about their programmes and the tricks of their trade, including Thom Beers (Deadliest Catch, Monster Garage), JD Roth (Biggest Loser, Beauty and the Geek) and RJ Cutler (30 Days, The War Room).
“We’re trying to pick people who will be interesting and informative and will do good panels,” Chuck says. And they won’t just be the same old face you’ve seen before. “Some will have spoken at conferences before and some haven’t.”
Watch, listen and learn
As well as the valuable opportunity to network with respected producers, there’s also a chance to pitch works in progress to a panel of US industry buyers during the Pitchfest session. If your application is successful you will have 15 minutes to present a reel and verbal pitch for the chance to secure an acquisition or co-pro deal. See the WESTDOC website for more information.
There are lots of great sessions lined up that will help you refine, develop and pitch your ideas, such as:
- Getting the Networks’ Attention
- Programmers Panel – HBO, Discovery, TLC and more
- Secrets of the Superstar Producers
- Reality Casting
- From One-Off Doc to a Reality Series
- How to Construct Your Own Format
- Hey! I Have a Great Idea for New Reality Series – Now What?
- Crafting Your Treatment
- Pitching Your Show
- Worst Reality Pitches
Latest speakers to be confirmed:
- Steve Cheskin – Head of Programming, TLC
- Gena McCarthy – VP of Programming, Discovery
- John Saade – Sr VP of Alt. Programming, ABC
- Charles Foley – VP of Programming, Animal Planet,
- Steve Burns – VP of Programming, National Geographic Network
- Beth Greenwald – VP of Programming, E! Entertainment
- Charles Norlander – VP of Programming, History Channel,
- Cynthia Kane – Program Manager, ITVS
- Tony Disanto – EVP of Programming, MTV
- Sharon Levy – VP of Programming, Spike TV
- Robyn Hutt – Head of Programming, Tru TV
Check out the WESTDOC website for more information and to register. Don’t forget to mention tvmole to get your $50 discount.
Can’t make this? There are lots of other conferences throught the year – International Factual TV Conferences 2009
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Seven Pitching Lessons from the Dragons’ Den
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