When Grads Go For The Big Time -or- How To PItch a Series, First Try

Chris Kohatus took our video training course two years ago.

Her partner, Lashan Browning took the course about 10 years ago when she was at Oxygen. Now she owns her own production company (and she's an instructor here on nyvs.com!)

Together they make a killer team.

Chris and Lashan are pitching a series on food and travel.

It's a good topic. Food and travel are all over cable.

A cable series is the Holy Grail for the business. It pays a lot and it's the gift that keeps on giving.

But how do you pitch and sell one?

A few years ago, we might have said, write up a proposal and send it around. No more.

Video is the medium you are trying to sell and you've got to convince the execs at the network that your idea works.

Once video was really expensive and complicated to produce, but not any more - as you know!

So the best way to pitch a series is to make a video.

This one works.. and it doesn't work.

The subject, food and travel, are great and staples of cable. You see them everywhere.

And Chris knows both topics well.

This is the first cut of a demo reel they sent me.

I think it's good, but it needs work.

It's too long.

While it makes Chris into a compelling host, it doesnt' do much for the story.
All of the other characters are stick figures. They have no personality.

The grapics and insructional stuff should go. Sometimes it feels more like a PSA than a compelling TV show.

It needs more conflict between the characters, but the idea - that she fixes restaurants that need help by taking them into the web and social media is a good one.

They're gonna recut base on the notes, but we'd also like your feedback.