pitch bible что это
Learn About an Animation Pitch Bible
Present your ideas in style to persuade producers to run with your show
A pitch bible shows the look and feel of an animated show, as well as to get the producers familiar with the characters and story arcs when they decide whether to green-light your show.
Since animated shows vary widely in style, a pitch bible is a tool to get everyone on the same ground when you’re presenting your idea. With a live-action show, everyone can imagine what it’s going to look like, but with animation, it could be anything from the pseudo-live-action feel of King of the Hill to the super-stylized world of Samurai Jack. The pitch bible shows people exactly what your show is going to look and feel like.
What to Include in Pitch Bible
A pitch bible can come in all varieties so there’s no hard and fast rule about how you should set yours up — but some elements are expected, however. Include designs for all your characters as well as write-ups about their key features to give a little introduction to them. Is your character a rowdy professional wrestler? Or maybe a shy introverted toaster. Introducing your characters both visually and through text helps the people you’re pitching to get a good sense of the show.
Along with main characters usually, you’ll want to include some secondary or recurring background characters, to give them a sense of the extended world your show takes place in. Provide illustrations as well as some short write-ups about any key individuals.
A Summary of the Show
Another common piece of a pitch bible is an overall summary of your show. In the text writeup, answer questions about the overarching plot of the series. If it’s Powerpuff Girls maybe you’d write that a scientist makes three super-powered young girls who then fight crime in their small town. It helps to point out any key conflicts that you’re expecting to be an overarching theme throughout your series.
Episode starting points are another nice thing to include, and maybe even a few full summaries of an episode. If your characters find themselves at a skeleton wedding, do a little write up about what happens and the arc of that storyline. This detail gives the people reading the pitch a sense of how different episodes will feel and that you already developed some starting points to work on if they want to pursue production of the show.
All pitch bibles do things differently — take Adventure Time’s pitch bible for example. It starts broad and then becomes more and more specific. It outlines the overall show before diving deeper into who Jake and Finn are.
Adventure Time already enjoyed a built-in audience, so the fan art section is a pretty neat touch that you may not include in your pitch bible.
Get Inventive With the Design
Get inventive with the design of your pitch bible. A nicely designed pitch bible will make your show more appealing. Another Pendleton Ward pitch bible is Bravest Warriors, which starts off as a comic book before transitioning into the pitch. That’s a pretty neat way to get your reader invested in your characters and your show idea.
Supplementary material can also be helpful to get your show noticed and off the ground. Here’s a little pitch animation that King of the Hill sent into the studio when its creators proposed it.
Pitch bibles are starting points to get a stranger up to speed with what your show is and how it looks and feels. You may not be in the same room as everyone reading it so you want it to be straightforward and get the point across while flexing the shows muscles and showing it off.
Фанатская Вики вместо Питч Библии
У меня есть интересная история. Последнее время меня трижды просили поработать над IP с богатым лором и предысторией которые мне нужно было освежить
Когда я спросила, есть ли у них Библия или документы разработки… мне три раза отвечали одно и тоже.
В каждом случае мне говорили, что никакой официальной документации нету и они просто используют фан-Вики в интернете.
Не потому что они ленивые или для сокращения расходов, а просто потому что фанаты лучше следят за материалом, во всяком случае.
Сейчас я говорю не о каких-то нишевых комиксах, а о успешных франшизах, филмы, игры ТВ шоу.
Некоторые крупнейшие шоу и франшизы имеют нулевую документацию.
Они делают все при помощи Фан-Вики
Я не преувеличиваю, когда говорю «нулевую». Я работала над крупной игровой франшизой и все обращение к материалу были сосредоточены на фан-сайте.
Я на 100% не знаю, как ко всему этому относиться. Звучит странно, но что в этом неправильного?
Когда я писала Экшен Комикс, мне дали огромную папку, полную информации и кадров с ключевыми моментами. Она была огромной и очень полезной. Я незнаю, делают ли они так сейчас.
Но для ТВ и игры или действительно почти полностью отдаются хардкорным фанатским исследованиям
С одной стороны это своего вида симбиоз, где обе стороны получают некоторую выгоду. С другой стороны, кажется они должны признавать работу фанатов.
А вы как думаете?
Кстати вы удивитесь, на сколько это распространено.
По какой-то странной причине, люди продолжают понимать это неправильно и думают что я говорю о комиксах.
Это не так, исходный материал комиксов гораздо легче получить в комиксах из шестисот комиксов, над которыми я работала меня никогда не отправляли на фан-страницу для поиска информации.
Кроме того, люди, похоже думают, что это фанфик. Но это не так
How to Write a TV Series Pitch Bible
We all know what a script should look like but what about your tv series pitch bible? There is a lot of confusion around the myriad of supporting materials you might also be expected to write. Treatments, pitches, outlines and show bibles are terms bandied around which can be used to mean different things.
If you’re ever commissioned by a producer to write a supporting document, eg treatment, series pitch, always ask them what they expect.
If you’re writing on spec, here’s our guide to writing the television series pitch bible.
What is a tv series pitch bible?
A series bible for an existing show is a comprehensive, detailed guide to the show which evolves and grows with it. Your tv series pitch bible is not that.
Whether it’s called a series bible, series pitch or series treatment, if you’re writing it on spec in order to get interest in your show, your document is designed above all else to sell your vision of the show.
The job of your series treatment is to excite the reader about your idea by pitching the essence of what it is. It must demonstrate that you know what you’re doing, not just in the pilot episode but across the whole first season and beyond.
It needs to answer the producer’s fears about whether the project is worth the investment. Does the idea have ‘legs’? Is there a clear story engine that will generate twenty, forty or sixty-plus hours of drama?
What should you include?
Series title: give it a working title (w.t) even if you think you may want to change it later.
Written by: your name – obvious, I know, but you’d be amazed how many supporting documents omit this!
Contact details: yours or your agent’s.
Format: eg 6 x 60’ serialised drama or 8 x 60’ episodic police procedural or 6 x 30’ sit-com.
Genre: eg supernatural horror
Series logline: a very short paragraph summary of the series concept which conveys the essence of your show.
One-page pitch: your first page should be able to stand alone to pitch your show. Think of it as an extended logline. It summarises, in four or five paragraphs, all the key elements that will make your show compelling.
Character biographies: a short paragraph biography for each of the main characters. Try to hone in on the essence of their personality and how they are in conflict with themselves (flaws), the world they find themselves in and the people around them (other characters).
Episode synopses: a one-paragraph synopsis for each episode of the first series.
If your show is a serialised story (one story arching over the whole series or more, eg Breaking Bad) these episode synopses must show how the story progresses through the series, with clear turning points and episode hooks.
If your show is episodic (each episode has a self-contained story, eg NCIS), these synopses should give a flavour of the kind of stories that would work for your series as well as indicate any major turning points for your regular characters if you envisage series arcs for them.
Season two and beyond: what is your vision for the longer-term direction of the show? This isn’t a detailed breakdown of future episodes but rather a one or two paragraph summary of the main thrust of the show beyond series one.
Theme: what is the show really about and why do you want to write it?
Story world: what is the precinct of your show? Is it a busy city centre hospital, a deprived rural village, the wealthy elite of the French Riviera?
Tone and style: Gritty or quirky? Dark and naturalistic or bright, vibrant and heart-warming?
How long should it be?
Like most pitching documents the rule of thumb is, the shorter the better. Keep it succinct.
For the C21/Script Angel Drama Series Script Competition we ask for a series pitch document of 1-3 pages.
You might be commissioned to write a more extensive series treatment later on but for now, if you’re writing on spec and it can be any length, we’d recommend no more than five pages total.
How do you make it compelling?
Writing a compelling prose description of your series might not come easily to you. If that’s you, the good news is that you’re not alone. The bad news is that this is a skill you’re going to have to get good at if you want to get your original series commissioned.
Just like your screenwriting skills, pitch-writing skills can be learnt and you’ll get better at it you more you practice. Treat writing the series pitch with the same care and attention you did your pilot script. You’re a wordsmith after all, and just as with your script, every word on the page should be carefully chosen to carry as much weight as possible.
Remember also that the tone and style of your prose in the series bible should match that of your show. If your show is light, warm and funny, make sure the series bible reads that way too.
The series pitch bible is your chance to hook us and make us want to read your pilot script and ultimately commission your show.
Write it, then rewrite it, and keep rewriting it until you’ve made it as good as it can be.
Read examples
Unlike scripts, very few show bibles are available online, and those that are very often resemble the more substantial detailed treatment than the pitch document you need to write. Here are some examples we’ve found:
They might all be a bit more wordy than the short version you need to craft, but they all give a strong sense of the tone, style, story structure and flawed characters that will make their show unique.
Let us know in the comments below if you’ve found some great series bible examples.
Голливуд обобщил рецепты успешного питчинга
По странному совпадению именно в тот момент, когда слово «питчинг» стало в российской киносреде чуть ли не самым модным (чему немало помогли проведенные Минкультуры в конце июля мероприятия такого рода), в Америке выходит книга «Голливудская библия питчинга». Ее написали, обобщив собственный богатый опыт, Дуглас Ибок (сценарист «Стильной штучки», в свое время удачно «пропитчинговавший» этот сценарий) и Кен Агуадо — продюсер популярного кулинарного шоу.
В российском кинематографе понятие «питчинг» (дословно — выставление на продажу) стало известно благодаря «Кинотавру». Когда фестиваль в Сочи возглавил Александр Роднянский, у мероприятия появилась деловая составляющая, в том числе питчинги, то есть краткие представления проектов, на которые продюсеры надеются найти партнеров.
Но в этом году благодаря инициативе Министерства культуры понятие «питчинг» у нас вышло на новый уровень. Именно посредством «питчингования» продюсеры и режиссеры пытались получить для своих проектов госфинансирование.
Сезон питчингов в Москве, впрочем, пока не окончен. Вслед за Минкультуры к открытой форме защиты перешел и Фонд кино. Там, правда, всех членов экспертного совета обязуют читать вышедшие в финал сценарии, чтобы не приходилось полагаться лишь на красноречие выступающих.
Первыми в фонде на очной защите «отстрелялись» студии-лидеры. Вскоре дело дойдет и до остальных, не входящих в мейджорский список кинематографистов, подававших проекты в фонд. И им, возможно, пригодятся советы из «Голливудской библии питчинга», которыми авторы книги поделились с порталом Indiewire.
Первое, на чем акцентируют внимание авторы, — то, что трудно было не заметить и присутствовавшим на питчингах в Минкультуры: талантливые профессионалы — далеко не всегда хорошие ораторы (и наоборот). Поэтому свой питч необходимо заранее структурно простроить до мельчайших деталей.
В Голливуде питч может длиться от 30 секунд до 15 минут (иногда бывает и 20 минут, но это очень большая редкость). Авторы книги полагают, что в любом случае, готовясь к выступлению, стоит свести его к одной фразе, а потом в зависимости от отведенного времени наращивать.
Российское Минкультуры давало выступающим на питчинге по пять минут, и еще пять полагалось на ответы на вопросы. Фонд обещал быть щедрее.
Авторы «Библии питчинга» предлагают не забывать, что человек совершенно по-разному воспринимает информацию через зрение и через слух. То, что на бумаге кажется понятным и логичным, в устном изложении может оказаться переусложненным, особенно если выступающий волнуется и сбивается.
А потому на питчинге свой замысел лучше несколько «спрямить». Зато, отвечая на вопросы, можно прояснить и детализировать некоторые выпавшие из устного изложения детали.
Авторы дают «питчингующим» весьма любопытный совет: подумайте, на какой из уже существующих похож ваш будущий фильм. Затем найдите в Сети его трейлер и посмотрите, как он построен. Ведь трейлер — это, по сути, аудиовизуальный питч, призванный «продать» проект как можно большему количеству зрителей. Есть, конечно, и существенные отличия: трейлер никогда не раскрывает сюжет целиком, а выдавать финал — вообще верх непрофессионализма. На питчинге же выступающий обязан обрисовать фабулу от и до.
В трейлерах зачастую встречаются кадры, которых мы потом не увидим в фильме (ведь ролики монтируются, когда картина еще находится в производстве). Авторы «Библии» предлагают воспользоваться этим опытом для питчингов и раскрывать занимательные подробности, даже если нет уверенности, что они войдут в финальную версию. Главное, чтобы было интересно.
В идеале, считают авторы, если вы «питчингуете» комедию, слушатели должны покатываться от хохота, если мелодраму — утирать слезы, а если фильм ужасов — дрожать от страха. Но на деле это происходит очень редко.
Действительно, если вспомнить недавний опыт минкультовских питчингов, там было всего несколько выступлений, вызвавших у аудитории эмоциональный отклик.
Но главный совет: не сводить свой питч к краткому пересказу сюжета. Гораздо важнее, чтобы слушатели сумели воспринять сверхидею, послание проекта.
И это утверждение американских авторов вновь подтверждается опытом питчингов, прошедших в российском Министерстве культуры. Самыми убедительными оказались Александр Роднянский и Андрей Звягинцев с проектом «Левиафан» (по инсайдерской информации, за него отдано наибольшее количество голосов экспертов).
Их слова о том, что это история современного Иова — человека, потерявшего все, — звучали куда убедительнее, чем если бы они попытались пересказать сюжет.
Кстати, съемки «Левиафана» уже начались под Мурманском. Главных героев сыграют Елена Лядова, за свою роль в «Елене» Звягинцева удостоенная всех мыслимых отечественных кинопремий, а также актеры, с которыми режиссер ранее не работал: Алексей Серебряков и Владимир Вдовиченков.
The Pitch Bible: Just The Essentials
One needs to know the essentials of the show bible before the big pitch meeting. All images courtesy of iStockPhoto.com.
In pitching animation, not only do you need the passion, have a thorough understanding about your property and know the broadcaster and their needs, you need to demonstrate what your story it about. Your pitch materials are your sales tools.
The Pitch Bible is a tool that helps convey your concept. It is a tool to help you present and is a leave-behind to trigger the decision makers memory.
There are no hard and fast rules about what form a pitch bible should take. At its very best, it should reflect the concept of the project, whether it is a television, feature or home entertainment project, to help the buyer visualize the story as you pitched it. The size, color, number of pages, how it is put together is up to you, the creator, to determine what best conveys your creation.
What are the basic elements and what should not be left out? This is the question that most creators ask. Sometimes we can get hung up in terminology and get lost in what is important. Lets review a glossary of common pitching terms.
Glossary For The Pitch Bible
Character Descriptions:
Written descriptions of each character, what are their characteristics and how they interact with the other characters in the story.
Concept Art:
Drawings, illustrations or images of the characters and the environments of the story.
Episode Synopsis:
See story springboards; One-paragraph description of episodic plots that spring from the original concept; each episodes synopsis should contain a beginning, middle and end.
Images:
See concept art; Drawing, illustrations of the characters and the environments of the story.
Key Art:
A drawing, illustration or image of the cast of characters in significant action poses in their environment that best visualizes the characterizations and story.
Log Line:
A one-sentence description of the story often similar to the one-line description in a television scheduling guide.
Pilot:
A fully produced episode to show as a sample of the animation and story.
Before you get the deal and the big bucks, you have to sell your stuff and yourself.
Pitch Bible or Pitch Book:
A compilation of premise, story, characters, images in a form that can be presented during a pitch, as well as left behind with the prospect.
Premise:
A written foundation that explores the establishment, conflict and resolution of the story. The premise helps to support the story and the characters for the writer.
Script Treatment:
A treatment covers the full story, its basic ideas, and production issues in a condensed form, containing key scenes, locations, main characters and plot.
Story Springboards:
See episode synopsis; One-paragraph descriptions of episodes plots that spring from the original concept. Each episodes synopsis should contain a beginning, middle and end.
Story Treatment:
A compelling narrative about the story in a page or two for television, longer for features; is used to sell the story.
Synopsis:
A one-paragraph overview of the story, plot and motivation of the characters.
Teaser:
Produced animation, either a sequence or animatic, which best illustrates the main characters, their actions and the premise.
Trailer:
A produced synopsis of the animated story, which helps to sell the concept.
Building A Pitch Bible
You as the creator will determine the look, feel and weight of your pitch, but there are a few essentials that you want to be sure to include in your pitch materials.
First and foremost, when developing your pitch package, make sure that it functions well in a presentation. Know where in the book you want key images of characters, environments and key art that you can use in presenting. Make sure that it is easy to follow in a book form, as well as usable in the sales pitch. Some creators like to bring in separate presentation boards of the art for the pitch only, with the pitch book as the leave-behind.
The pitch book is the document that is left with the interested party for their referral. It is your sales tool when you are not there. Keep it brief and to the point.
Be sure to have a log line, premise or synopsis included in the front of your pitch for easy reference. Include a story treatment, which gives a more in depth perspective of the concept.
Unlike any other pitch in entertainment, images in animation are the heart and soul of the story. The pitch book should reflect the artistic design of the project. Some creators use a visual theme throughout their pitch bibles to reinforce the concept. Visual consistency is a way to insure the property is remembered. Developing a logo for your project is an effective way of tying all the pieces together.
Main characters should be displayed in action poses and with attitudes. These are the actors you hired for the story. Images of the environment help to establish the storys world. Great key art, in which the characters are in action, per their description, within the key environment, further support the concept.
Episodic synopses are essential for every television pitch. Episodes will show that the story and characters sustains in other situations and circumstances. Be sure that the episode synopses are short with a beginning, middle and end of the story.
Your bible needs to display where the artist wants to take the viewer.
But Theres More
The above are the essentials that every pitch needs, but there are other things that can be added.
Some times a concept comes from an existing source, such as a book, toy or legend. Include a history of the story to give the decider a further understanding of the concepts potential. Perhaps show the extended licensing and merchandising opportunities that this new version can bring. If you wish to add samples of these products to the pitch package, make sure they have your contact information added.
For some pitches (see AWN article: Pitching Animation: Rules of the Game from the Pros That Play It) it might be important to include an outline of the educational benefits of the concept and the resources that support the educational mission of the show.
Dont forget to include the biographies of the creators. The decision makers like to know whom they are working with. In the case of some networks, they are interviewing the creator, as much as evaluating the concept, during a pitch.
Must Haves
Have your pitch book bound. Spiral, comb binding or three-ring, there are so many ways to have your pitch book assembled with covers. Doing this insures that your concept will be secure. No one likes loose pages, nor does it reflect well on you.
Select a method of duplication that allows for change without too much expense. Color copying or printing from a computer will give you the flexibility to adjust your presentation for the individual broadcaster or decision maker.
You need to protect you and your property. Your copyright is essential and should be printed on every page of a pitch book. If you have a trademark or a WGA (Writers Guild of America, go to www.wga.org to register your property) number, add these, too. Add a page number just to be safe, as well. Pitch books do get copied.
When adding your pilot, teaser or trailer DVD or videotape to the package, make sure that it has the same appearance as the pitch book and has your contact information. Some presentation folders have a holder for these media being included. You dont want these to stray too far from the pitch book. On the opening and closing slates of the DVD or VHS, be sure to have your name, contact information and copyright, as well.
Contact information is essential. Have your name, phone number, email address, along with that of your representation, in the pitch book as well as on all other ancillary materials, such as your trailer, or any samples you will be leaving behind.
Payoff
The pitch and the pitch bible are limited only by your own imagination. The look and the feel are up to you. Just be sure to keep the essentials in the package and you will have a pitch bible that stands on its own.
Jan Nagel, the entertainment marketing diva, is a consultant involved in the business of animation and visual effects since 1991. She represents creative producers and productions companies worldwide, including j9 Productions and AGOGO Corp. Hong Kong, as well as being a frequent guest lecturer on the subject of the business of animation. She is also a founding member and current president of Women in Animation International.