IS THAT A SHOWREEL IN YOUR POCKET?

“Oh boy”, drools my agent, eyeing the DVD in my hand, “Is that Tape for me?”

My agent loves ‘tape’ – those five minute, well crafted ‘mini-shows’, (actually on DVD – but are still referred to as the old VHS version of them), which introduce your new pitch to the world in the most TV friendly way; on TV.

Wow, does he love tape. He loves it more than writing the words ‘packaging fee’ in a contract. Tape is perhaps his favoritist thing in the whole wide world.

The reason he really likes tape is that on tape your idea is already plain to see - it’s developed, clear and above all - especially for my agent - it doesn’t need any explanation. Most production companies now shoot tape for their pitches. It saves time, confusion and can really leapfrog a whole bunch of that killer time they call ‘development’, (which I’ve recently heard defined by one disgruntled producer as ‘the period of time it takes for your network executive to actually understand the idea’).

So, when do you shoot tape and how do you do it?

If it was possible I’d say shoot tape for every idea, and shoot it as soon as soon and in as short a period of time as you can. Now, unless you’ve been prescribed the Fountain of Cash drug - or if you’re ON some form of drug - this is almost impossible.

So how to decide WHICH ideas to shoot tape for?

This week I have to make that decision myself. I have two ideas; one is a big, blow-em-up science show, the other a tough talking ‘Intervention’ type format. In the case of the ‘Intervention’ show I have ‘talent’ (IE a person who I think will make a great host). I don’t yet have faces for the science show, but the idea is more complicated to ’sell’, and could benefit from a good tape to make it clear.

So, which one will I choose? Vote now!

Well, I’ve decided to make tape for the ‘Intervention’ type show. Why? Well, the primary reason is that it’s much closer to being a tv show. It’s a clear, simple new twist on a familiar format, (and that’s a total bonus!), and it has great talent attached, so will be that much clearer for the execs to ‘get’.

More importantly, as a production company I’ll see return on this idea much faster than the science show which we still have to cast - even if it is the most Mythbustingtastic idea ever.

The final, vital reason I’ve gone this way is that I know for almost no money we can produce a great looking reel that looks at least as good as comparable shows on tv. And THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Because, there is one DOWNSIDE to shooting tape.

No matter how many caveats you give, no matter how much benefit-of-the-doubt the execs give you, whatever you show them, it WILL look like the show you’re trying to sell. So, if you’ve got your mate to shoot it for you, it’s badly lit, you stole some shots from a VHS tape you found dangling from a tree - THIS IS what the execs watching your tape will believe is not only your very best idea of the show, but also will take it as a demonstration of your very best work.

I cannot tell you the number of times people show me horrible pieces of tape with bad/no sound, crappy edits and terrible music choices - and the young producer looks up at me when it’s finished and says something like, “oh, of course, the show will be BETTER than this”… Er… No, it won’t, because as far as I can tell this IS your show. You haven’t had networks mess with the idea, or deadly time constraints. This is the show you’re tying to sell me.

So, only ever shoot tape if it HELPS your show. And if the finished tape doesn’t live up to the show in your head - dump it. Quickly. It’s actually better to go to a pitch with no tape at all if it’s anything less than good.

But, finally, another great reason for shooting good tape is because, as my agent found out this week, if execs don’t want the show you’re pitching, they might still love what you do. And this week alone, we’ve already had two calls from networks who know us only through our tapes… and they’re calling US wanting us to pitch for shows they’re developing in house.

And my agent REALLY loves that.