Who's pitching towhom and why?(And also how)

--the future for pitching comedyin the UK: brighter; faster;

more confusing

“How the fuck do weclear this for broadcast?”

thetrailermash.com

“How the fuck do weclear this for broadcast?”

we’ll come back to this

Pitching as it was(as we imagine it)

Hullo.What’s it about?Will it be funny?Which Oxbridge college did you go to?I can only let you have one series for now.

Lots of lovely

channels

not commissioned

not yet commissioned

not yet commissioned

we’ll come back to this

Armando Iannucci, “The Comedy Controller”, BBC7

Narrative comedy

residuals

dignity

credit

see somenew faces

prettier people sayingyour words

creative reward

Many channelsWho to take your sitcom pitch to?

Many channelsWho to take your sitcom pitch to?

Many channelsWho to take your sitcom pitch to?

Second guessing

Second guessing

writers

Second guessing

writers

audiences

Second guessing

writers

audiences

fashion

Second guessing

writers

audiences

fashionproducers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

channelcontrollers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

channelcontrollers

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

channelcontrollers

critics

Second guessing

writersaudiences

fashionproducers

commissioning editors

schedulers

channelcontrollers

critics

Who loses out?

audiences

Who loses out?

audiences

How to pitch:The Bible

How to pitch:The Bible

How to pitch:The Bible

Citizen Kaneshooting script

Citizen Kaneshooting script

“A brothel [was] nominatedas a locale for Set C. But theProduction Code demanded

that it be dropped.”

Citizen Kaneshooting script

“What is important to know,as an aspect of Welles’s

intention, is that the scenehad only been written in fortrading purposes in the sureknowledge that it would have

to be cut…”

Citizen Kaneshooting script

“…but in the hopethat other, less

obtrusive, itemswould then slip

through,as they did.”

Brothels nowless problematic

Brothels nowless problematic

Second guessing“Will the next person think this is too…?”

SAFE EDGY

TRADLIKE OTHER

STUFFUNLIKE

OTHER STUFF

NATURA-LISTIC

Who’s in it?

…various unacceptable answers

I don’t know

I don’t care

A bunch of people none of us have ever heard of

Whoever auditions best for the rôles

Who’s in it?

the right answer.

Who’s in it?

or is it?

Who’s in it?

What if they become unavailable for the part they were unsuitable for?

Born With ItThe “real world” material

Born With ItThe pitch

Born With ItThe taster tape

Assessing the outcomes

commissioned not commissioned

hit

miss

Assessing the outcomes:the writer’s P.O.V.

impossibleimpossible

commissioned not commissioned

hit

miss

Assessing the outcomes:the writer’s P.O.V.

impossibleimpossible

AVOIDCHOOSE

commissioned not commissioned

hit

miss

Assessing the outcomes:the commissioner’s P.O.V.

AVOID

AVOID

commissioned not commissioned

hit

miss

Limbo

Limbo

“Were they getting back to me, or…?”

?

Limbo

“Which pitch was that character from again?”

?

Limbo

“I’m a writer, not a stalker. Aren’t I?”

?SHAME

Limbo

SHAME

Limbo

SHAME

Limbo

SHAME

Yes Maybe No

First-timepitcher’sallocationof values:

Limbo

SHAMEGrizzledveteran’sallocationof values:

Yes Maybe No

Limbo

SHAME

Limbo

SHAME

Who else is pitching?

Who else is pitching?

Everyone.

Who else is pitching?

thetrailermash.com

A short word about viralsSHORT-FORMWEB VIDEO

TELEVISIONSITCOM

passably diverting

maximum c6mins

wholly engrossing

30mins (or 24’15”)

remix of others’ expensive material

entirely new material (ready for remixing)

A short word about viralsSHORT-FORMWEB VIDEO

TELEVISIONSITCOM

passably diverting

maximum c6mins

wholly engrossing

30mins (or 24’15”)

remix of others’ expensive material

entirely new material (ready for remixing)

we’ll come back to this

A short word about viralsSHORT-FORMWEB VIDEO

TELEVISIONSITCOM

passably diverting

maximum c6mins

wholly engrossing

30mins (or 24’15”)

remix of others’ expensive material

entirely new material (ready for remixing)

320x240 degraded video

telly

A short word about viralsSHORT-FORMWEB VIDEO

TELEVISIONSITCOM

passably diverting

maximum c6mins

wholly engrossing

30mins (or 24’15”)

remix of others’ expensive material

entirely new material (ready for remixing)

320x240 degraded video

telly

betterquality

thanYouTube

A short word about viralsSHORT-FORMWEB VIDEO

TELEVISIONSITCOM

passably diverting

maximum c6mins

wholly engrossing

30mins (or 24’15”)

remix of others’ expensive material

entirely new material (ready for remixing)

320x240 degraded video

telly

free worth buying on DVD

A question for…

A question for a sitcom writertry asking:

Is the sitcom going the same way as the one-act play?

A question for a sitcom writerpractice asking:

Would you like fries with that?

A question for a commissionertry asking:

Which is better at being the web:

TV or the web?

Ensnaring the young people

Screenwipe, BBC4

What’s competing with the show you just commissioned?

What’s competing with the show you just commissioned?

Everything.

The world in your living room

What do you add to the archive that has everything?

Let us pledge together…

Let us pledge together…

A twelve month moratorium on intertextuality.

It’s like Benny Hillcrossed with

Schindler’s List

Let us pledge together…

Let the web be the web.

Let us pledge together…

We can expand our narrative canvasses…

Let us pledge together…

…but we can’t plan communities.

…for the Facebook generation

Let us pledge together…

There are no new stories…

Let us pledge together…

…so let’s tell some.

…so let’s tell some.

DankeSchön!

Merci!Graziemille!

Graziafitge!