FAQ

If I buy Greenlit do you guarantee I’ll get my idea commissioned?

There are no guarantees. Getting a commission is VERY hard, even for producers who’ve had many ideas commissioned previously. You need an original idea, the right contacts, good timing and a lot of luck in order to be in with a chance. However, nothing is impossible. In Greenlit I tell the stories of a number of people who managed to sell their ideas against the odds, including:

• A male nanny working in LA whose personal qualities and experience – resilience, tenacity, networking and sales skills – led to him raising sponsorship for his first TV series.
• An Australian jazz musician whose friendly approach to a Finnish TV commissioner led to a French documentary festival where she found funding to make her first documentary
• A TV researcher who sold her first idea within a week. And another within 12 hours. (That person was me: one of those commissions was my best ever, the other was the worst).

How can I research the market?

Subscribe to TVMole‘s free newsletter for a weekly update on what commissioners are looking for and have recently commissioned; who’s who in development at the production companies and TV channels in the UK and USA; upcoming TV conferences and markets and much more.

Chaper 3 in Greenlit describes exactly how you can research the market, make contact with buyers and understand on-going industry trends. See a suggested list of resources here.

Will Greenlit show me how to develop my game show?

No. Game show development is a highly specialized area with lots of logistical, legal and compliance issues to take into account. I recommend you read How to Devise a Game Show by David J. Bodycombe (e-book, 150 pages, £59) for an excellent introduction to the subject.

Do you have a proposal template you can send me?

There is no standard template – what matters is the content of the proposal rather than the format. Here are a couple of articles that explain what you should include in your proposal:

How to Write a Proposal a TV Commissioner Will Actually Read

15 Steps to Writing an Impressive Non-Fiction TV Proposal

Alternatively, there are five examples of different proposal formats in the book.

Can you help me pitch my idea to a TV broadcaster?

I’m not able to personally assist everyone who approaches me. If you are not already affiliated to an independent production company, your best bet is to find a respected company that makes the type of programming you’d like to pitch. You can approach them to see if they will help you pitch your idea to the TV channel executives.

The process for pitching your idea to a production company is the same as pitching to a channel. The following chapters in Greenlit will help you do that professionally:

Chapter 7: Writing a Proposal – including how to protect your ideas

Chapter 10: The Pitch – including how to find independent production companies

I want to be on TV – can you help me?

No, that’s not my area of expertise. However, if live in the UK and you have your own area of expertise, you could sign up to become a TV presenter. Visit findatvexpert to find out more.