Selling animation series to TV stations

[Ghe Adacor]

Hi, guys! I'm animating a short series at this moment. First, my idea was to post it on the internet, but now I wonder if I can sell it to a small TV station, maybe it can bring me some money. Is here anyone who managed to do this? Do I need to set a company first or I can sell it directly? What about selling it in another country? Do I need special "papers"? Should I first get a copyright? I know the chances are slim even I do not ask for a large sum and I will not be bothered if I will end posting it on the internet, but I'm curious about how can it be done.

[dkwroot]

You might find this video useful:

[dueyftw]

One of the few places that will take a pitch:
http://signup.viacom.com/AnimatedPitche ... ssion.aspx

I submitted last year. Will do so next year.

Dale

[ernpchan]

Doing what you want to do is incredibly difficult. To create an animated series ready for broadcast requires a lot of resources. You would need to pitch your idea to a studio and then there's a small chance that if they like it they develop it with you. Keep in mind it becomes a collaborative process between you and the network. I've never seen a project that development execs didn't have notes on or a project had to be tweaked to make it fit the studio's brand identity.

You wouldn't be able to just go directly to a TV station as they wouldn't have the resources nor interest to develop your show. And it wouldn't make sense to just broadcast your show as they already have commitments to the programming they have on schedule. Also you would need a lot of episodes upfront for them to commit to you. Some networks will pick up programming to fill time slots but it's content that's already completed so the show is already canned and ready for broadcast. And from a marketing standpoint, they would want something with brand recognition. Putting something out there for the masses to consume ultimately has to be something that's marketable and profitable for the station and network. So taking a risk on an independent artist or project without a lot of weight behind it is a huge risk.

Maybe if there's a local TV station in your area you can see if there's air time you can buy but that would be expensive.

With options like YouTube and vimeo, there's nothing preventing you from making your own channel with your own content. Make your series and maybe it'll become popular enough to get the attention of a network who wants to work with you. That scenario does happen.

Good luck.

[neeters_guy]

To create an animated series ready for broadcast requires a lot of resources... you would need a lot of episodes upfronut for them to commit to you.

So true. A typical media buy might involve 26 eleven-min episodes or 13 twenty-two-min episodes, quite beyond the output capabilities of a single or even a few animators. If you go the pitching route, remember you're not selling the actual animation for the series. That's what a studio is for. You're selling an idea for a series. (And btw, studios themselves are developing and pitching ideas as well.) You'll spend a lot of time working on a pitch bible.

I concur with ernpchan last point:

With options like YouTube and vimeo, there's nothing preventing you from making your own channel with your own content. Make your series and maybe it'll become popular enough to get the attention of a network who wants to work with you. That scenario does happen.

I would only add that the festival circuit is another possibility.

Good luck.

[dkwroot]

I would be cautious about working on Youtube. There are a LOT of companies that are abusing the contentID system to steal ad-revenue from legitimate users. Even the big companies like Sony have created subsidiaries like "The Orchard" which goes around Youtube and claims videos (even if they don't own the rights). They then hold onto their claim for a few weeks to get the bulk of the ad-revenue before 'releasing' the content hold back to the actual creator. It's basically a legal way for big companies to steal from independent developers. It's an epidemic and Youtube is doing NOTHING to stop it.

If you're going to make low quality animation then youtube or another streaming service might work, but if you want to make something professional then avoid that route because some company will just show up, claim your work (they don't even need PROOF) and steal your revenue.

[Telemacus]

Dkwroot: are you speaking from experience? was it something that happened to you?
I guess their claims would be music related, right?

[dkwroot]

Dkwroot: are you speaking from experience? was it something that happened to you?
I guess their claims would be music related, right?

I don't release content on Youtube, but I have friends that did (as in used to). You don't have to take my word for it, just search google and reddit for contentID horror stories. Companies do more than just claim music, sometimes they claim complete animations simply because:
A) They don't care and just want to take ad-revenue.
B) Are using extremely low paid employees from India or the Philippines who make lots of guesses regarding whether content belongs to them or not.

Sony created "The Orchard" to be a protection racket. It's just like the mafia from the 50s. If users go through them, the orchard won't pick on them and will just take some of their revenue (Protection Money). If you don't go through them, then you risk them or another company like them claiming your work. It's extremely messed up and Youtube always sides with the big companies because they're afraid of their army of lawyers.

If you make low quality animation, you might be okay as you're not looking very professional and the big companies won't consider your view numbers significant enough to get their attention. You might be able to build up a little patreon following and do something like that...

If you plan to make something professional looking and you're hell-bent on going through Youtube, then you might want to consider publishing your work on youtube through "The Orchard" or another protection racket like them. It would just really suck to get 100k or more view and not see a penny for it because some company 'thinks' your work belongs to them and claims it.

[sbtamu]

I would be cautious about working on Youtube. There are a LOT of companies that are abusing the contentID system to steal ad-revenue from legitimate users. Even the big companies like Sony have created subsidiaries like "The Orchard" which goes around Youtube and claims videos (even if they don't own the rights). They then hold onto their claim for a few weeks to get the bulk of the ad-revenue before 'releasing' the content hold back to the actual creator. It's basically a legal way for big companies to steal from independent developers. It's an epidemic and Youtube is doing NOTHING to stop it.

If you're going to make low quality animation then youtube or another streaming service might work, but if you want to make something professional then avoid that route because some company will just show up, claim your work (they don't even need PROOF) and steal your revenue.

Interesting...I have a video that was completely made by me and has over 100k views and one day I got a strike against me saying I have content not belonging to me. I disputed it and even sent YT images and a video of me making the animation. YT always declines to remove the strike and always sides with that company. I have never applied for ad revenue so I never really cared much more than just being pissed off some one is taking credit for my work. I always have ad blockers on so I do not know if there are ads being shown on the video. The odd thing is the company that is claiming my work is a news company and they have nothing to do with animations or comedy.

[Ghe Adacor]

You might find this video useful:

Thanks, dkwroot!

[Ghe Adacor]

One of the few places that will take a pitch:
http://signup.viacom.com/AnimatedPitche ... ssion.aspx

I submitted last year. Will do so next year.

Dale

Thanks, dueyftw!

[DK]

Hi Ghe,
I have made a short animated series for TV here in Australia for Fox8's The Comedy Channel. Here's how it happened...
First step I contacted a station personally via telephone and organized a trip to see them. I took some material/concepts etc that I thought they might like then met with them. This is most important as they are more likely to buy into your personality and not fob you off via emails, phone calls at a later date. None of the ideas I took to that first meeting flew but it opened a line of discussion. I asked them what they were looking for, met a whole bunch of people and I gathered email addresses as I went then flew back home and went to work on more ideas. It didn't happen as I planned but eventually one day they contacted me as they had developed an idea internally and needed an animator to make the series. So I eventually got the job but it wasn't my ideas they wanted, rather their own. Be aware of this next bit, the following 12 months everyone at Fox Studios Melbourne Australia were sacked and production was transferred to their Sydney studios. At this point you have to start all over again. Relationships/contacts change like the weather in this industry. I have used this technique before and it has worked every time but its not easy and also costly. I have learned the hard way like you that you NEVER create a series first but animation comes in handy as a proof of production and samples for your portfolio.

There is another completely different approach I am right in the middle of now but hopefully more about that on the forum at a later date.

Cheers
D.K

[Ghe Adacor]

Thanks, DK!

Hi Ghe,
I have made a short animated series for TV here in Australia for Fox8's The Comedy Channel. Here's how it happened...
First step I contacted a station personally via telephone and organized a trip to see them. I took some material/concepts etc that I thought they might like then met with them. This is most important as they are more likely to buy into your personality and not fob you off via emails, phone calls at a later date. None of the ideas I took to that first meeting flew but it opened a line of discussion. I asked them what they were looking for, met a whole bunch of people and I gathered email addresses as I went then flew back home and went to work on more ideas. It didn't happen as I planned but eventually one day they contacted me as they had developed an idea internally and needed an animator to make the series. So I eventually got the job but it wasn't my ideas they wanted, rather their own. Be aware of this next bit, the following 12 months everyone at Fox Studios Melbourne Australia were sacked and production was transferred to their Sydney studios. At this point you have to start all over again. Relationships/contacts change like the weather in this industry. I have used this technique before and it has worked every time but its not easy and also costly. I have learned the hard way like you that you NEVER create a series first but animation comes in handy as a proof of production and samples for your portfolio.

There is another completely different approach I am right in the middle of now but hopefully more about that on the forum at a later date.

Cheers
D.K