After Butch Hartman’s keynote speech, Animation Magazine’s Perfect Pitch seminar took a look at the other side of the table with a panelist of animation executives.
Joining the event were Marci Proietto, senior VP of animation production and development at Twentieth Century Fox Television; Curtis Lelash, director of comedy animation at Cartoon Network; Leah Hoyer, director of development at Disney Television Animation; and Troy Underwood, a manager at The Gotham Group.
Animag’s editor in chief, Ramin Zahed, kicked off the discussion by asking the executives what they were looking for in pitches.
Proietto says Fox is looking for shows to sell primarily to the Fox network, and prefers low-concept and family driven ideas. While most of Fox’s biggest hits are traditional families (The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy), the definition of family is a bit flexible. Proietto cited the office setting of Sit Down, Shut Up! as an alternate type of family. Otherwise, she says they don’t want superheroes or talking inanimate objects.
From left, Leah Hoyer, Marci Proietto, Curtis Lelash and Troy Underwood.
Lelash says he’s mostly looking for material that’s funny. Cartoon Network is looking to differentiate its shows from those of competitors Nick and Disney Channel, and is looking for shows that fit somewhere between children’s programs and Adult Swim. ‘There’s no real rules, just ‘funny wins,” he says.
Hoyer says Disney’s multiple blocs also are seeking comedy over action. She says Disney is looking for more material to bring in boys without sacrificing any of their strengths with girls. ‘We would love to be a 50-50 network,’ she says. Phineas and Ferb was an example of the sort of thing she would like to see more of. She also said animated pitches should not be ideas that could be done in live-action.
Underwood comes at the business from a different angle as a manager, saying it’s his job to talk to execs and find out what they want. In terms of clients, he’s looking for storytellers and creators with a strong point of view.
Moving on to what makes for a good pitch, Lelash says he wants the pitch to be funny and he wants to see something in the pitcher’s background that shows they can produce the program.
‘You really have to sell yourself,’ says Hoyer. ‘We really look for characters, not plot. We are buying talent and a whole world.’ She also says shows shouldn’t use their main character as a straight man who mostly reacts to wacky antics around him. ‘We want the main character to hold their own comedically,’ she said.
In terms of the actual pitch, Hoyer says it’s important to bring your absolute best work and to edit down your idea to the essentials. ‘A three- to six-page pitch document is more likely to get read,’ she says. Artwork or other visual aids can help your pitch, but it has to be good. ‘Good art will sell your pitch ‘ bad art will kill it,’ Hoyer says.
Characters you like enough to want to spend time with are key for Fox, Proietto says. ‘Know what your story is about,’ she says. A good pitch should be about a five- to 10-minute presentation, after which you should take questions. Also, try not to be nervous, and if you’re pitching a comedy series, show you can be funny.
Underwood said it’s good to have some flexibility about your idea. ‘You can’t be precious about your idea because it will change,’ he says. He also warned against doing too much. Preparing and showing a very short animation test is better than a completed 22-minute pilot. Also, focus on the show ‘ leave discussions about merchandising and licensing until after you’ve sold your idea.
Hoyer seconded the idea of allowing for a pause every so often to give the people you’re pitching to a chance to ask questions. It’s also likely that you’ll get lots of practice at pitching before you successfully sell something, so learn from each pitch you do and accept feedback on what you do and don’t do well.
When it comes to adding some flash to your pitch, consider the people you are pitching to and how well you know them. It’s one thing to arrange a parade of bagpipers to serenade your pitch to execs you already have worked with and know well, Hoyer says. But if you don’t know the execs at all, such stunts can appear too gimmicky and may convey the impression that you’re trying to cover up weaknesses in your pitch.
Even with a solid pitch, the panelists acknowledged that the number of pitches that sell is very low. ‘We option maybe three percent of all pitches,’ says Hoyer. Still, each pitch is a chance to build your relationship and reputation with execs. You may not sell a pitch, but if you stick with it and present a better pitch each time you get a chance to, your star can rise enough to eventually put you over the top.
Most of the execs said they got their jobs because they loved animation and took every opportunity to get closer to being a part of the medium they love. That’s good advice for those wanting to sell shows. ‘Be as close to the work you love as possible,’ Lelash says.
Underwood suggested attending Comic-Con as a good way to meet people who can buy your show. ‘Every exec in L.A. goes for at least one day,’ he says.
Answers to the final few questions yielded even more tips, such as:
‘ Don’t try to ride trends, because animation takes too long for that to work out.
‘ Avoid clich’s and look for what’s missing on the air when formulating your pitch.
‘ Animated dramas are an especially tough sell.
Look for more seminars and events from Animation Magazine in the future, and keep up to date on our events as they are announced at www.animagevents.com.
