TV Series Commissioning

quiz

I have a screenplay for a six part 30 minute Irish related comedy show.

I want to pitch the screenplay to RTE, TG4 and TV3.

Contact details for anyone in the same situation can be found here.

I would like to sell the screenplay and have no responsibility towards the production of the show.

Has anybody any experience with pitching ideas to these stations and have any advice or knowledge of prices for similar screenplays.

Thanks.

The Sparrow

Have a look at the RTE commissioning website

Specifically the commissioning briefs for entertainment to see where your proposal might fit. It might also be worth while thinking about submitting your idea to a production company. BUT this will require some research and focus. You will need to find production companies that have pedigree in this area as there is no point sending it to a production company that specialises in something else.

Check out Screen Producers Ireland for a list of their members and what they do.

Best of luck with it.

Miguel_Sanchez

Your best bet is to contact established production companies. If they're interested they'll buy an option on your script and then try and sell it on to broadcasters.

Take a look at what companies are out there doing stuff along the same lines as your script and drop them an email.

Drop me a PM if you want a bit more in depth advice.

Colmo52

Whats your show about?

quiz

Is an offer including option of €5,000 about right in this situation from a production company?

AnonoBoy

quiz wrote: »

Is an offer including option of €5,000 about right in this situation from a production company?

In Ireland that's more than the average option would be. You might be lucky to even see half that.

Have you been made an offer?

quiz

That includes the option. In other words that is the total amount on offer should the show be picked up. How does this figure compare to the average?

Richard Dower

5 grand, for a pilot script?

quiz

Richard Dower wrote: »

5 grand, for a pilot script?

read the first post one more time and then google pilot script. Then read the other posts and google option. Now take a step back and put the pieces together. In your opinion what is fair value for a full series script which the majority will only be paid if the show goes into production? To other posters any qualified help would be much appreciated.

Mr E

It was an innocent question, quiz. Most people here are TV watchers, not writers or producers. No need to be a d**k about it.

iguana

You might get more information in the creative writing forum. One of the semi-regular posters there is a pretty successful tv writer.

AnonoBoy

quiz wrote: »

That includes the option. In other words that is the total amount on offer should the show be picked up. How does this figure compare to the average?

5,000 for writing the full six episodes? Including the option?

That's far too low.

You'd want to getting around 5,000 per episode I would say.

iguana

AnonoBoy wrote: »

5,000 for writing the full six episodes? Including the option?

That's far too low.

You'd want to getting around 5,000 per episode I would say.

I'd say roughly €5k per episode too. If I had written a series and wanted to sell it I'd be very wary of doing so for less than the equivalent of the minimum rates agreed by the British Writer's Guild. This would be for a number of reasons but mainly because I might want to join their Writer's Guild if I was selling a later series to a British station and in order to join as a full member you must be selling your work for at least their minimum rates. There is lots of info on rates if you look around their website but this agreement they have with the BBC is a good starting point to get a rough idea. The Irish Screenwriter's Guild isn't quite as strict but there is no point in underselling yourself either.

Also, I highly doubt too many writers get to write something, sell it and walk away, job done. Unless you have an uncanny knack of writing just exactly in a way that matches the director's vision (and the producer's wallet;)), the odds are that there will be re-writes, and then maybe more re-writes, and unless you're very lucky, more again.

quiz

Thats a fantastic lead. Thanks. Would the rewrites be included in the initial offer or would they be subject to additional pay. If things are successful i will post about the experience for anybody who is interested in selling a script.

AnonoBoy

quiz wrote: »

Thats a fantastic lead. Thanks. Would the rewrites be included in the initial offer or would they be subject to additional pay. If things are successful i will post about the experience for anybody who is interested in selling a script.

Nobody gets paid for rewrites. Your pay for an episode will include X number of rewrites in your contract more than likely (and be prepared to do one or two more rewrites because that's the way the business works a lot of the time).

Good luck!