This is the second part in a four-article series about the entire TV development process. I have taught courses about the subject and have been through network development 74 times in my career. One of my consulting services mimics this process. I would love to help you get your pilot or screenplay in the best shape possible. Please contact me if you are interested.
Selling a Pitch Without A Spec Script
The Process Is Similar But Realistically You Need To Be More Established To Sell A Pitch.
If you are starting with a fully fleshed-out pitch instead of a spec pilot, the process is relatively the same.
Once a writer has gone through development multiple times or has reached a certain level on the staff of a show, it’s more common for a project to start as a pitch rather than a full script. As I mentioned in Pt.1, it is extremely difficult to sell a pitch as a new TV writer without credits or industry clout.
It makes sense why more projects sell as pitches and why writers prefer starting with a pitch. Crafting a pitch takes less time than writing a full script. Of course, a lot of work still goes into a pitch—you’re breaking the story in a similar way as you would for a script—but it’s far less time-consuming to prepare a 20–25 minute presentation than to write a 60-page pilot.
Executives and producers often prefer pitches as well. It takes less work for them—they don’t have to spend an hour or two reading a script and can instead listen to a 20-minute pitch. Pitches also allow them to shape the story in a way they believe will have the best chance of selling in the marketplace.
The process of going out with a pitch is pretty similar to a script. After a writer crafts a pitch and their reps feel it’s ready for the marketplace, they will start reaching out to production companies to set up pitch meetings. They might begin with a handful of companies to gauge responses before going wide. This approach helps the writer refine their pitch and make adjustments based on feedback from early meetings.
Again, you’ll likely start by pitching development executives in the first meeting, with the goal of eventually meeting the higher-ups if the execs respond positively. This initial phase allows the executives to provide feedback and notes while giving the writer more time to fine-tune the pitch before presenting it to the main producer. However, if the writer is very senior or already has a relationship with the key decision-makers, the top executives might sit in on the first pitch.
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to pitch formats. Studios like WBtv and 20th Century Fox used to have strict pitch structures for their producers and writers under a deal, though I’m not sure if that’s still the case.
Similar to the pitch for your script, a pitch should only run 20–25 minutes. If you can keep it shorter, even better. In recent years, there has been a preference for keeping pitches closer to 15 minutes over Zoom, as it’s harder to maintain focus in a virtual setting.
Key Elements Of A Strong Pitch
The most important thing to remember when pitching is to be as engaging as possible—don’t be boring! You might think this is obvious advice, but you’d be surprised. Performance is key, which can be challenging for some writers. However, high energy, strong pacing, simplicity, and clarity are crucial. Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary details—spoon feed the essential information.
Start with an introduction: Explain why you’re excited about this story and why you’re the best person to tell it, and perhaps share a personal anecdote. Sometimes, it helps to follow with a logline or a comparison, like “It’s Mr. Robot meets Battlestar Galactica.” Vince Gilligan set the gold standard for this when he pitched Breaking Bad, describing it as “Mr. Chips turns into Scarface.” It’s also a good idea to briefly discuss themes before diving into the story.
I am very against lengthy character sections. Whenever a writer starts listing all ten main characters at the top of a pitch, my eyes glaze over, and I almost never remember any of them. But if you have a clear lead or POV character, and the series follows their journey, you should definitely provide some background and insight into their journey before jumping into describing the pilot.
Every great television show starts with a great character. The series is usually about what the lead character wants, why they can’t achieve it yet, and how they work toward completing that goal. You should definitely cover this in detail when you describe your main character, before jumping into the pilot story.
So, after describing the main character, you can jump into the pilot story. The pilot section should make up the majority of the pitch because, at the end of the day, this is what a network will be buying from you and paying you to write.
When introducing supporting characters, I strongly believe in introducing characters through the story itself. A simple technique I recommend to writers: When you reach the point in the pilot where another main character first appears, simply say something like…
“Walt realizes that Jesse would be the perfect partner for him, so he reaches out and sets a meeting with his former student. Now let me pause for a second and tell you a little bit about Jesse… He is 20 years old, has a shaved head, and speaks with his own unique vernacular. On the outside he is what you might think of when you picture a 20 something drug dealing fuck up, but deep down Jesse is a sweet, vulnerable kid, who desperately wants to do something great with his life. He will be the beating heart of the series.
You should break up the pilot story into three or four acts and build real momentum throughout. Talk in broad strokes—don’t get lost in the details. Yes, you want to cover all the major beats in the pilot, but not every single scene. Don’t be afraid to oversimplify or repeat important information so that everything is clear and easy to understand. Remember, this is a performance, and you want to ensure that all the big twists and turns land—be dramatic! End on an exciting moment that will leave the executives eager to hear where the show goes in the series.
Similar to the spec pilot pitch, the next section is a season-one overview, then a tease of future seasons, followed by a conclusion, and questions from the executives.
In some cases, the development executives might like the pitch, but have some notes and suggestions for restructuring and may ask the writer to come back for another practice pitch before their boss hears it. Although the WGA strongly discourages writers from sharing pitch pages with production companies during this stage, it used to be fairly common and was a huge help in refining the pitch. However, it doesn’t happen as frequently anymore.
Once the head of the company hears the pitch and decides to move forward, it’s time to call your studio executives and set up a time for them to hear the pitch. Depending on how competitive the pitch is and when other production companies are taking the pitch to other studios, you might get on the studio’s schedule within two weeks. This timeframe allows writers more time to practice and fine-tune the pitch.
A Quick Note On IP
I plan on writing another article soon about the process of pitching IP, but it is actually quite similar to what’s described above. The biggest difference is that you’ll be adapting or reinterpreting a story from a book, comic, foreign format, podcast, etc. Usually, the production company or their partnered studio controls the material, but you should always double-check before spending a lot of time on it.
Essentially, once a production company or studio options a piece of IP, they will reach out to writers they like for a project and send them the material or try to set a meeting. Many times, producers have general meetings with writers and often mention all the IP they’re currently looking for writers for and ask if the writer would like to take a look at any of the material. These assignments are called OWAs. If the writer likes the material, they will develop a take and then pitch it to the producers and executives. The pitch structure is very similar to the one outlined above.
Once the producers have a take they like (sometimes several), they will bring those pitches into the studio, where a collective decision is made regarding which writer to work with.
Meeting With The Studio
The Producer’s Studio Likes Your Script Or Wants To Hear Your Pitch. Here Is What Happens Next.
After the production company submits the spec pilot to their studio executives, it could take a week or more for them to read it, depending on the timeline and whether other studios are reading the script at the same time. If the writer is expecting offers, then the studio will read quicker. Once the studio has reviewed the script, they will share their thoughts with the producers and decide whether they want to meet with the writer to hear the pitch out on where the show goes in series.
I would say that around 75% of the time, the studio will want to meet—they trust their producers’ taste and want to be supportive. However, if they have similar projects in development or simply don’t connect with the material, they might tell the producers that there’s no point in meeting. I’ve seen many instances where the studio passed on a script without hearing the pitch, only for it to later become a very successful series. It’s unfortunate, but there’s not much that can be done in that situation. If you work for a powerful producer, they can try to force the studio’s hand, but that never ends up being a great for the project.
The pitch meeting with the studio is similar to those at production companies. The producers usually have a good relationship with the studio executives and work with them closely, so the meeting atmosphere is friendly—especially if the executives have already read and liked the script. There are typically two to three studio executives in the room, depending on the studio’s size.
The producer and development executives will accompany the writer to this meeting and help set up the pitch. They will hype up the concept, explain why they love the project, and sing the praises of the writer. The writer will then deliver their 20–25 minute pitch, answer any questions the executives have, and the writer will usually receive an answer from the producer by the next day regarding whether the studio will make an offer.
It is usually pretty easy to tell if the studio is interested. If they’re already brainstorming ideas, strategizing on which networks would be best for the series, discussing potential director and talent attachments, or strongly advocating for why their studio is the best home for the project and why the writer should choose them, then they are likely going to make an offer.
If the meeting only consists of a few general questions about the project and pleasantries, it might not be going in your favor.
If you receive the good news that the studio would like to move forward, congrats, you’ll then enter the realm of business affairs, where your agent or lawyer will begin negotiating with the studio’s legal executives to finalize a deal.
If the pitch or script is incredibly strong, there’s a good chance you’ll receive multiple offers from different studios. At that point, you’ll have to weigh the various offers, consider which producers you have the best rapport with, and decide which studio to partner with.
It should be noted that many major TV studios are aligned with various platforms, which can help determine which studio the writer should go with. For instance, if you sell a pitch to 20th Century Television, they most likely want to take your project to Hulu, ABC, or even Disney+ first, depending on the type of show. Universal Studios is aligned with NBC and Peacock, WBTV is connected to HBO and Max, and so on. Although these studios have shows on nearly every platform, they are incentivized to sell to their home networks. It’s just something to keep in mind when weighing your options.
Even if you only have one offer, that’s still a huge deal and means the project is moving forward, which is all you want!
Exclusive And First-Look Deals
Knowing What Kind Of Deal Your Producer Has Is Essential
If you receive a pass from the studio where your producer has a deal, there may still be an opportunity to continue working with them.
It all depends on whether they have an exclusive or first-look deal with the studio. If the producers have a first-look deal, they can remain attached to the project and are free to take it to other studios, networks, or streamers. However, the producers may need to move quickly if you already have an offer from another studio with different producers—but I’ve seen it happen, and producers are able to secure a new studio offer quickly.
If the producers have an exclusive deal with the studio, they can no longer be part of the project if the studio passes. In that case, you’re free to take it to any other producers or studios. If you don’t have other offers, and those producers were the only ones engaging on the project, you’ll essentially be starting the process over or your project might be dead if your agent has already sent it out wide.
I’ve had instances in my career where I worked on a pitch with a writer for months and contributed significant creative ideas to shape the project, only for the studio where I had an exclusive deal pass on the project. In those situations, all I could do was tell the writer they were free to take the project elsewhere and that they could use any creative input I had provided, but unfortunately, I could no longer be involved. In many cases, those shows went on to be successful, and I saw my ideas executed on screen—but I wasn’t part of the project and didn’t receive any credit. That’s just the reality of the business.
Sometimes, exclusive deals include “outs,” meaning that if the studio passes, the producer may have a limited number of opportunities (usually two or three) during the deal term to take a project elsewhere.
Navigating Business Affairs and the Deal-Making Process
Most writers have heard horror stories about the deal-making process and working with business affairs. I’m by no means an expert in this area, so I won’t go into too much detail. Typically, development executives are kept informed about the deal-making process and receive key updates, but they don’t get involved in negotiations unless issues arise.
Once the studio confirms that it wants to move forward with a project, their business affairs department contacts the writer’s representatives to negotiate a deal for the project. Some deals close in as little as a week or two, while others can take many months. The longest I’ve seen was a year, but that deal involved complicated rights issues, five different producers, and an A+ filmmaker—and in the end, it didn’t even sell to a network.
During the dealmaking process, the studio determines how much the writer will be paid to write the script if it sells to a network, their producing fee per episode if the show goes to series, how much they’ll earn for backup scripts or a bible during development if one is ordered, and their compensation for future seasons if they’re fortunate enough to get that far. However, because most projects don’t move past the development stage, the most important figure is the amount paid for writing the pilot.
Compensation varies depending on where the project sells. There are various tiers worked in, so a deal with a broadcast network, for example, will have different financial terms than deals with basic cable, premium cable, or streaming platforms. What position a project is in for the writer also can make a difference in regard to compensation. If the writer has two other pieces development set up at a network or studio, then the new project will be in third position, and it could affect how much you get paid. Position also determines what project has priority of your services if more than one thing goes into production. If you are staffed on a show, that series usually takes up your first position.
One of the things I get asked most often from writers is whether they get paid simply for selling a project to a studio before it finds a network home. This is a hot topic among writers and the WGA. Unfortunately, the most common deal writers receive from a studio is called an IF/COME deal—meaning the writer only gets paid if the project sells to a network or streamer.
This can be incredibly frustrating for writers who spend a year developing a pitch or writing a script, setting it up with a producer and studio – only for it to fail to sell to a network—leaving them with nothing to show for their work financially.
A tremendous amount of time and effort goes into creating these projects, and not getting compensated for that labor is a tough reality. However, the potential payday for selling a project to a network is significant, with most writers earning anywhere from $150K to $500K or more depending on your experience, to write a pilot. The reward is worth the risk for many, but if a writer isn’t earning an income elsewhere—such as working on staff for a TV show—waiting to see whether they’ll get paid for their work can be incredibly stressful. That is one of the reasons I work extremely hard for any projects I officially put in development, I often tell writers part of my job is to make sure they eventually get paid.
I’ve seen many articles and hear complaints from agents suggesting that IF/Come deals are a new practice and that writers used to receive more compensation for development at studios. However, in my fifteen years as a TV executive, I’d estimate that 80% of the projects I took out with major studios were structured as IF/Come deals.
Even projects I had with A-list showrunners and writers with high quotes were still required to accept these terms. So, this type of dealmaking has been common for a long time. But if you want to push for compensation, there is never harm is asking! I personally think getting 10-20% of the script fee for development up front, which will come out of future compensation if it sells, would be fair. But its a complicated subject and sadly I think that would result in fewer new writers getting the opportunity to develop or be considered for OWAs.
Also, I have seen writers get paid upfront when their spec scripts were optioned by the studio, and sometimes a studio will pay a writer to write a script after hearing the pitch—usually because the concept is complex and better conveyed through a full script, or because packaging the project with a completed script is easier. This is because a studio may be hoping for a straight-to-series offer, which really only comes with a competed script, making an upfront investment more appealing.
In Part 3 I will go into details about working with a studio and preparing your project to go out to networks and streamers.
