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How would you pitch a faux-"reality" comedy show to Netflix? literally


kaylee
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Me: How would you pitch a faux-"reality" comedy show to Netflix? literally

 

there it is guys

 

talk to me like im 4 years old

 

im making a mockumentary about my friend the "comedian"

 

imagine i make a killer 22min +/- short thats very candid, veers into the cinematic on occasion, and its a lil andy kaufman ish. but sadder lol

 

anyway: then what?

 

im 100 serious, like literally what email address do i reach out to, etc etc

 

https://variety.com/2019/film/features/cannes-filim-festival-netflix-amazon-disney-plus-1203207181/

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Question I guess a lot of us ask.

There are legal reasons why unsolicited scripts are not accepted it is generally to prevent future claims of plagiarism. (everyone thinks their concept is pure gold and the big bad studio ripped them off) (that bloke down the pub "yeah Alien was basically my idea")

One piece of advice i found that really stood out ( for me personally) was to hire an entertainment lawyer to submit the pitch.  

pricey costs around 500-1000 USD.  (probably not what you wanted to hear)

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I think rather than pitching the idea to Netflix, you may be better off making some sort of pilot episode that you can shop around, enter in festivals, etc.

Another possibility would be to find a list of the production companies that have deals with Netflix and contact them directly, or see if they’re signed up with Virtual Pitch Fest.

As far as emailing Mr. Netflix and pitching him your idea, you may have as good of a chance selling it by going to the Hollywood Sign to ask Hollywood to greenlight your project. 

Dont get me wrong, I appreciate your enthusiasm and confidence but I think your approach may be a little naive. But if you figure it out, pass it along because I’d love to find another way to break through the door.

Btw, don’t you live outside of LA? Do you know anybody who knows anybody that has an agent or knows an agent? Try networking?

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1 hour ago, mercer said:

I think rather than pitching the idea to Netflix, you may be better off making some sort of pilot episode that you can shop around, enter in festivals, etc.

I think this is good advice.

I'm not one to ask personally, but in every case I can think of where someone I know "made it," they made something and through a combination of people they know irl and/or online platforms (major festivals, YouTube, even small local or online festivals but run by people with industry clout) or even just saying to their boss "hey I wrote this will you read it" they got what they needed to get a meeting or representation and took it from there. But the content always came first and it seems there was always an intermediate step. I think...

Anyway, getting into a major festival can get you representation pretty easily.

You can try hiring a press agent, too, or getting someone you know to pull strings. Or hiring someone to handle festival entries.

Just my opinion of course. 

17 hours ago, kaylee said:

 

there it is guys

 

talk to me like im 4 years old

 

im making a mockumentary about my friend the "comedian"

 

imagine i make a killer 22min +/- short thats very candid, veers into the cinematic on occasion, and its a lil andy kaufman ish. but sadder lol

 

anyway: then what?

 

im 100 serious, like literally what email address do i reach out to, etc etc

 

https://variety.com/2019/film/features/cannes-filim-festival-netflix-amazon-disney-plus-1203207181/

This sounds great. I thought your last short was more interesting than a lot of Netflix content and I love King of Comedy so I would watch it. But I would worry about the short/pilot before worrying about the series. (Also, record good sound.)

It sounds like it might be a good fit at one of the production companies Adult Swim hires out, and I think those companies work with Netflix and others, too. I submitted a short to one of them about a decade ago, worked with people at another, and flunked a job interview at a third lol. But they all seem fun.

Generally, I think Netflix is going to production companies rather than to individuals so I'd focus on the journey rather than the destination. Of course, if I actually knew how to succeed at this I probably wouldn't be posting here. Or maybe not.

If you're in LA that does make it easier. I met a showrunner in Trader Joe's and now he has an HBO show in development but I didn't have anything to show him. ? I also bought a suitcase at Hollywood goodwill and it had the home address of an A-list showrunner and instructions to return it to him, I think. Maybe I should have... with a pilot script. (This actually happened.)

Another tip someone told me: people like to be appreciated (but it's nice when it's in good faith and not just fawning). You can generally hunt down anyone's email address, and if you can't you aren't trying hard enough. Look for someone you genuinely would like to work for, and try to work for them. Then show them your stuff. This is harder if you want to do everything entirely on your own, which is sort of my deal and it sounds like you might be that way, too, in which case festivals seem like a better bet.

Channel 101 used to be a really good scene, but it seems like the well has run dry even though their current content is still fun. It feels a little like an imitation of itself to me, but I really like some of the current shows anyway.

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7 hours ago, mercer said:

you may be better off making some sort of pilot episode that you can shop around, enter in festivals, etc.

yes!!!! thats what im doing, thats what my iphone thread is abt lol. srry, im an idiot

7 hours ago, mercer said:

Another possibility would be to find a list of the production companies that have deals with Netflix and contact them directly, or see if they’re signed up with Virtual Pitch Fest.

absolutely

7 hours ago, mercer said:

As far as emailing Mr. Netflix and pitching him your idea, you may have as good of a chance selling it by going to the Hollywood Sign to ask Hollywood to greenlight your project. 

if i took off my clothes tho i guarantee i would get plenty of attention

7 hours ago, mercer said:

Dont get me wrong, I appreciate your enthusiasm and confidence but I think your approach may be a little naive. But if you figure it out, pass it along because I’d love to find another way to break through the door.

uhm, yeah, i hear ya~! but...

7 hours ago, mercer said:

Btw, don’t you live outside of LA? Do you know anybody who knows anybody that has an agent or knows an agent? Try networking?

lol yeah i kno some ppl. thats Plan A. ~this~ thread is Plan B, if u kno wut i mean...

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

but in every case I can think of where someone I know "made it," they made something and through a combination of people they know irl and/or online platforms (major festivals, YouTube, even small local or online festivals but run by people with industry clout) or even just saying to their boss "hey I wrote this will you read it" they got what they needed to get a meeting or representation and took it from there. But the content always came first and it seems there was always an intermediate step. I think...

Anyway, getting into a major festival can get you representation pretty easily.

 

?

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

I thought your last short was more interesting than a lot of Netflix content

wow, i take that as a big compliment. thank you so much

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

It sounds like it might be a good fit at one of the production companies Adult Swim hires out,

^^^ this is the exact stuff i would NEVER think of. adult swim, their friends. thank you

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

Generally, I think Netflix is going to production companies rather than to individuals

lolol yeah, i am a production company ? i just need money for some actual full time employees *winky face*. /i hear ya! thats part of my widdle plan *evil laughter* *mr burns voice* excelleeentt

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

 I also bought a suitcase at Hollywood goodwill and it had the home address of an A-list showrunner and instructions to return it to him, I think. Maybe I should have... with a pilot script.

no

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

(This actually happened.)

NO FKN WAY

6 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

Another tip someone told me: people like to be appreciated (but it's nice when it's in good faith and not just fawning). You can generally hunt down anyone's email address, and if you can't you aren't trying hard enough. Look for someone you genuinely would like to work for, and try to work for them. Then show them your stuff. This is harder if you want to do everything entirely on your own, which is sort of my deal and it sounds like you might be that way, too, in which case festivals seem like a better bet.

wise, and a good analysis of ~me~. tbh my bf is perf bc we're 99% alike, so hes the same way abt HIS work, but LIKE ME, hes a gnarly producer for his friends~! i mean... just great. positive, upbeat, optimistic, totally good energy~! and its not an act: its hard for artists, especially good ones who are obvs super self critical, to sell their own work like a car. i mean... we all have that problem. [thats the thing abt jeff koons: hes TOO good at sales (and he fkn sucks lol)] like, its WAYyyy easier for me to get on the phone abt YOUR project than MINE, u kno...? figuratively and literally. so, we're like a team now, and he'll legit make calls i dont wanna make for my work, and vice versa. its kinda amazing ? i mean, its not a joke. i shouldnt emoji like that. im rlly lucky and i kno it

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