I've had this idea for a show just EATING away at my brain for the past 6 years. At first I thought it was just an idea I had, I would do nothing about it, and it would go away. But for some reason this idea has stuck in my head for whatever cosmic reason, and I finally decided to do something about it. I created a pitch bible and sent it off to Atlanta in hopes of it being green lighted, so prayers and wish me luck!

good luck!!

good luck

Thanks! I think it's a radically different idea. It's about 4 half human/half robot police officers who in the midst of overcoming their own struggles and personal battles have to stop an industrial scientist from "re-inventing" humanity....
...or something like that...

Good luck!

Good luck!!!

Best of luck. It's a tough market. A friend of mine, and I, wrote a script for Star Trek: DS9, and Voyager. Both were rejected (although I think the DS9 was better than the Voyager one. She had more input on the Voyager one, and I had more on the DS9. I had Bashir and Lt. Troi find out they were brother and sister. It was really good actually!

I've had an idea to write a movie treatment (I've written plays in the past, and a book) based on a video game. I'm NOT a gamer. The newest game system I own is an Atari 2600. (Seriously.) I've played a Wii, PS2, and xBox....I can count on two hands the times I've done that. However, this one little computer game that a friend got me hooked on serves as the muse. A newer version was released a couple of years ago, and the story line, segues, graphics, etc were greatly upgraded. Over the past few years that I've played the game, I always think to myself, "This would make a GREAT movie!" It'd have to be animated like a Pixar film (like Wall-E), or have a mix of live action and animation (like Scooby Doo), or do a stop action thing (like Chicken Run, Wallace & Grommit). I'd actually like to see it as the latter, but the Pixar approach could be something worth exploring.

I've been feeling the juices flowing lately, so I might dig into it and see what comes about.

Keep us posted on what you hear from Cartoon Network and the Adult Swim folks.

ernestsewell said:

Thanks for the support. Yeah, I've been doing my research as well as reading their submission guidelines in terms of what they are versus what they are not looking for. I'm just SICK to death of anime with simple characters and complex plots that don't add up for me. Is a little character development too much to ask for? My story is different though, the story is already set, it's the characters who have to progress and develop to match up with the story, if that makes sense.

Good luck!

ScarletScandal said:

Just as a follow up for you, you might think about laying out a 2 year or 3 year plan of the story line. Have specific plot points, character developments and growths, and major story line changes, and even cliff hangers, lined out over a 2 or 3 year period. It shows you just haven't set up the idea for a good show, but that you have a larger idea of how the story would progress.

Babylon 5 creator, J. Michael Straczynski, had a five year plan for the show. Everything was outlined for a five-year story. The story arc(s) was(were) there, and he planned about 22 episodes for each season. It was meant to be a "novel for television", as quoted in the press. Meaning, it had a definite start, middle, and finish. They went for each episode being a virtual chapter in the novel. I found it amusing the it was Babylon FIVE, although the Five referred to the space station being five miles long and 2.5 miles wide.

All that said, I used B5 as an example of you doing a bit more work should these guys call you back and want to talk further. And if Adult Swim doesn't take it, try another network. Keep trying and peddling it. Don't rely on just the one network.

ernestsewell said:

Thanks a LOT for the advice! They don't want an actual script sample yet, although, I have been working on one. I'll admit that I haven't planned the story for THAT long, but the way I'm doing it is so that it can be shortened or lengthened if need be, leaving more questions answered than asked.

ScarletScandal said:

Writers on a show need to know the feel of a show, the characters, and the story premise. Do a quick outline of where you'd like these 4 characters to go, how they'd influence society, and the challenges they'd face in their goals. Just quick things, then build between those points. It's like laying a scale


1-----5-----10

Then add more

1-----3-----5-----7-----10

Then enhance those parts more

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

It'd be helpful if they want a sample script, or a story pitch. A lot of networks won't take a basic idea and spend the time/energy to develop an idea. But if you have some very specific ideas for story arcs, etc, they're more likely to be interested (if the story itself is good). You created these characters....where would YOU like to see them in 3 years? It's like turning your kids over and saying "You raise them". Well, as a parent, what do YOU want for your kids? Approach it like that.

I guess the same goes for people writing music. There are songs, an album, a tour, promotion, videos, etc. Long term thinking, et al.

Just let them know you're living and breathing this project. It's not just off the top of your head, but rather in the fibre of your being.

Besides, it might be a while before you hear from them, so you have some time to work on the story, and develop it. The more development YOU have, the quicker it can move along at a network.
[Edited 10/23/09 13:11pm]

ernestsewell said:

That's the exact style I'm writing in! So I guess I'm doing right, so far...