Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Q. It's so hard to get production companies to read my [live action] pilot script, or even to talk to a producer or agent on the phone. What if I were to create an animated trailer on the Net? Wouldn't people be more likely to click on a link than call me back?

Not necessarily. People are busy. It's their job to read scripts. It's not their job to click links.

But you're right, people do love to fool around at the office clicking links. (The readership of this blog plummets on weekends, for example.) But now you not only have to pitch your script, you have to create a top-quality animated trailer. Because if your animated trailer lags in any way, people will close that browser window. If the animation isn't great, or the voices, or the editing -- if it isn't ready for prime time in any important way -- then most people will go back to 30 Second Bunny Theater. Most writers are not also superb animators; and if they are, they should probably quit writing for live action and go into animation full time.

Moreover, you've shifted to a new medium, with its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the "actors" in animation aren't as nuanced as in live action. Their actions and words have to be bigger-than-life to make an impression. If you have an animated trailer that works, your show is probably overwritten for live action; if your trailer is well written for live action then it's probably underwritten for animation.

There are oh so many ways to get your script read, but the best way is still to ask people to read your script. As Confucius says: "The way out is via the door. How is it that no one will use this method?"

On the other hand, if you are pitching an animated show, and you have a concept so easy to animate and so simple to voice that you can create a near-broadcast-quality short film (not a trailer but a complete story), then go for it. South Park originated as a student project at the University of Colorado, which convinced FOX exec Brian Graden to commission a video Christmas card from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which convinced Comedy Central to commission the series.

Labels: animation, spec pilots

9:42 AM

1 Comments:

(Unfortunately, I've fallen behind on the blog scene since I started my full time day job. =( Don't want to look like I'm slacking during the weekdays, and on the weekends, I'm either doing extra curricular stuff for the job -- hate it, it's necessary and soon will be over -- or trying to catch up with my creative stuff. I miss the blogging, though.)

By  The_Lex, at 12:30 AM  

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