Netflix + Stage 32 Present: Television Pitch Workshop

Hosted by Christopher Mack

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Christopher Mack

Webinar hosted by: Christopher Mack

Director, Creative Talent Investment & Development for Netflix International Originals. at Netflix

Christopher Mack is Director, Creative Talent Investment & Development for Netflix International Originals. He was previously Senior Vice President of Scripted Content for Stage 13, overseeing all of the brand’s original scripted series and development slates across multiple genres, including Emmy nominated Netflix series’ SPECIAL and IT'S BRUNO. Before Stage 13, Chris headed the Warner Bros. Workshop, the writing and directing program for professionals looking to start and/or further their careers in television. Over a period of 10 years in this role, Chris curated a roster of close to 100 writers and 50 directors representing the breakthrough emerging voices working on high-profile television shows today. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has covered hit shows such as TWO AND A HALF MEN and SMALLVILLE for the Current Programs department. Prior to joining Warner Bros., Chris spent seven years writing on various one-hour dramas including ER, THE PRACTICE and THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE. After graduating from Loyola Law School, Chris got his start in television at NBC Studios as an associate and he quickly rose to becoming an executive. During his time at the newly created NBC Studios, he oversaw a varied list of shows including: THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and IN THE HOUSE, among others. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Stage 32 + Netflix join forces to bring you an exclusive television pitch workshop

Learn best practices to make your pitch work and what your pitching document should look like

You do NOT want to miss this! 

 

 

For many, the holy grail of television has become Netflix. It’s a titan in the industry, and with over 200 million subscribers worldwide, no one can put out content quite like them. Just look at the recent hit show BRIDGERTON, which has already been seen by a massive 80 million households (!!) since its release. If you’re a writer or creator, getting your series onto Netflix’s platform can spell success in a big way. But first there’s the matter of getting your series in front of them and pitching it effectively.

It should be a comfort to know that you’re not the only one who wants your series on Netflix. Netflix wants that too! Netflix execs are constantly on the lookout for exciting new voices and new series to fill their slate. Yet it takes more than just a good series or a good pilot script to get on Netflix’s radar; you need to be able to communicate it well and pitch it in a way that will get their team excited. This certainly takes some work, but it’s absolutely achievable. If you’re interested in getting your show on Netflix, it’s time to learn directly from the source what it will take to make that happen.

In an effort to reach more writers and find more content, Netflix has joined forces with Stage 32 to present a FREE and invaluable workshop on what it is that they’re looking for in new shows and how you can best pitch your series to their executives. In Stage 32's continued effort to help level the playing field for content creators worldwide, we felt it's important that we help you get tools you need to be able to make sure that you can pitch effectively.

Kicking off the workshop will be Stage 32 CEO, Richard "RB" Botto (@rbwalksintoabar), and hosting this presentation will be Stage 32's Managing Director Amanda Toney with Netflix’s Director of Creative Talent Investment and Development for International Originals Christopher Mack. Christopher was previously Senior Vice President of Scripted Content for Stage 13, overseeing all of the brand’s original scripted series and development slates across multiple genres, including Emmy nominated Netflix series’ SPECIAL and IT'S BRUNO. Before Stage 13, Chris headed the Warner Bros. Workshop, the writing and directing program for professionals looking to start and/or further their careers in television. Over a period of 10 years in this role, Chris curated a roster of close to 100 writers and 50 directors representing the breakthrough emerging voices working on high-profile television shows today. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has covered hit shows such as TWO AND A HALF MEN and SMALLVILLE for the Current Programs department.

Prior to joining Warner Bros., Chris spent seven years writing on various one-hour dramas including ER, THE PRACTICE and THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE. After graduating from Loyola Law School, Chris got his start in television at NBC Studios as an associate and he quickly rose to becoming an executive. During his time at the newly created NBC Studios, he oversaw a varied list of shows including: THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and IN THE HOUSE, among others.

In this exclusive Stage 32 workshop, Christopher will delve into what exactly makes a television pitch work at Netflix. He’ll discuss the essentials you’ll need to catch Netflix’s eye and will zero in on how to write an effective pitch document. He’ll pose questions you be able to answer and communicate for your series and give you ideas on how best to communicate your show’s overview, world, tone, and characters. Christopher will then discuss how season summaries should be built and give you ideas on how to think about and present potential episodes. Finally, you will have the invaluable opportunity to ask Christopher your own questions. You will leave this presentation with the understanding of how to structure and present your series, not in theory, but directly from the source.

What You'll Learn

We will be referencing BREAKING BAD and UNORTHODOX, please familiarize yourself with these pilots and shows.

  • Introduction
  • Some Thoughts Before We Start
    • You will learn about:
      • What to Pitch
      • Netflix Essentials
      • How to write a pitch document
  • Brainstorming - What To Pitch
  • Netflix Essentials
    • Character Driven
    • Teasers
    • Narrative Drive
    • Cliffhangers
  • How To Write A Pitch Document
    • Story Questions
    • Overview
    • World
    • Tone
    • Character
    • Season Summaries
    • Potential Episodes
  • Story Questions
    • Who is the hero?
    • What do they want?
    • Why do they want it?
    • How do they get it?
    • What are the Central Conflicts?
    • What are the stakes?
    • What are the themes?
  • Overview
    • Synopsis
    • Why this series?
  • World
    • Where
    • When
    • Hero’s profession
  • Tone
    • What the audience will feel
    • Theme may drive the tone
    • Director’s vision
    • Movie, television and pictorial references
  • Character
    • Root-worthy Characters
      • Etsy Case Study (unorthodox)
    • Backstory
    • Traits
    • Arc
  • Season Summaries
    • Godfather Reference
    • 3 Act Story application to season
    • Story Circle Analysis - You, Need, Go, Struggle, Find, Suffer, Return, Change
      • Season analysis
      • Pilot analysis
  • Potential Episodes
    • What are the mini goals?
    • What are the barriers?
  • Summary
    • Story is about emotion
    • Make you characters suffer
  • Q&A with Christopher

 

 

Want to see the other webcasts in this exclusive Stage 32 + Netflix Creating Television Content for a Global Marketplace series?

Stage 32 + Netflix Present: Television Pitch Workshop with Chris Mack

Netflix + Stage 32 Present: Television Pilot Story Structure with Anna M. Henry

Netflix + Stage 32 Present: How To Write a TV Series To Budget with Jeanette B. Milio

Netflix + Stage 32 Present: Writing Comedy Television for Streamers and Networks with Vijal Patel

About Your Instructor

Christopher Mack is Director, Creative Talent Investment & Development for Netflix International Originals.

He was previously Senior Vice President of Scripted Content for Stage 13, overseeing all of the brand’s original scripted series and development slates across multiple genres, including Emmy nominated Netflix series’ SPECIAL and IT'S BRUNO. Before Stage 13, Chris headed the Warner Bros. Workshop, the writing and directing program for professionals looking to start and/or further their careers in television. Over a period of 10 years in this role, Chris curated a roster of close to 100 writers and 50 directors representing the breakthrough emerging voices working on high-profile television shows today. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has covered hit shows such as TWO AND A HALF MEN and SMALLVILLE for the Current Programs department.

Prior to joining Warner Bros., Chris spent seven years writing on various one-hour dramas including ER, THE PRACTICE and THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE. After graduating from Loyola Law School, Chris got his start in television at NBC Studios as an associate and he quickly rose to becoming an executive. During his time at the newly created NBC Studios, he oversaw a varied list of shows including: THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and IN THE HOUSE, among others.

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Reviews Average Rating: 5 out of 5

  • Absolutely relevant today as on the day it went live. Thank You.
  • This was so informative. Thanks for the experience!
  • The webinar starts at minute 37. Keen. This webinar is where you want to start if you're new to professional writing. It covers the terminology, techniques, considerations to find your voice, and structure for stories. A definitive "must watch".
  • It was amazing thank you Christopher Mack, Stage32
  • A bunch of great content and motivation/tools to write a pitch document. Loved it, and also Christopher Macks attitude towards storytelling is amazing. Thanks a lot!
  • como acessar o curso?
  • I can't access it
  • Thank you so much for all the incredibly helpful insider tips from Chris! I'm also glad to hear from Jason Mirch that you periodically offer pitch sessions with Netflix executives. Angels are indeed running the place! You restored my faith in LA.
  • Watching this was exciting for me for I transformed my freature 'Joliet' into a 5 Episode Limited Series breaking down the three act structured feature similar to what he explained. So this was pretty cool as I was telling myself, "That's jsut what I did!"
  • I'm not sure I can make it on Thurdsday, will it be prominently available to watch at any time?
  • Just so flippen amazing! WOW!
  • I am new to television and found this extremely interesting and inspiring.
  • Gotta go with five stars. There is a mountain of information here. I've watched the seminar, and now I'm going to watch it again and document the information. I will also annotate the narrative with my own analysis and comments. That will allow me to return to the information again and again, using it as a jumping-off point to further expand my education in this very complex field of endeavor.
  • You will certainly learn a great deal from this webinar. Christopher Mack knows his stuff.
  • A good presentation.-
  • it is a very interesting webinar and I would say essential for those who want to present, like me, projects to netflix.
  • Blake Ridder, E'mya Greene, Sonia Sawkar, Anthony Jones, Christian Verschaeren, Capriolo Maria Teresa, Archie Goldsmith, Linda Elsdon, Anne Alexander Sieder, Andres Granadino, Victoria U Bell, NaTasha Williams, , On the right side bar, under the green square written Already Purchased is a text, under this text is a 3 line option written in light grey. Click on Watch the webinar, it will take you there.
  • Does anyone have the link to the webinar ? I'm really interested in finding out what i may be missing before i present a pitch very soon.
  • This is could not be better! Thank you
  • Just incredible. I've searched for a long time to get this information and I have never found anything so concise, detailed and trustworthy. Absolutely Brilliant
  • This webinar was EXCELLENT. I didn't know what to expect at first, but as we dug in I just found that all of the information (and the way it was presented) to be profound. I also enjoyed the fact that we received some "insider tips" relevant to the Netflix platform, as well as any other platform or outlet. I also appreciated how long the exec stayed with us. I had to leave about 1.5 hours in, but I think it turned out to be a 3 hour long presentation. Wow! So happy I attended, even happier that I have it accessible for 1 year to reference at a later time. Invite him back!
  • Like many others, the session appears to be missing in action.
  • 5am Sunday morning
  • Christopher Mack changed my life with his section on themes. I admit to raising my hand when asked, "How many of you just sit down and write a story? My pitch and synopsis went from trash to treasure. Thank you.
  • One thing I have to say- an amazing webinar! Being an Industry veteran myself and educator here I would like to personally compliment @Stage32 and Christopher for giving it his all. One of the first things I learned when starting out was NEVER STOP LEARNING. It never ends, people. Even when you become successful at your craft that will be always someone who knows more, better, or has another angle. There are a purpose and reason for this awesome community of experts on this platform. I heard some new perspectives myself and got some valuable new hacks because my mind is always open to more knowledge. Make the most of it!
  • I signed up to watch the recording but dont know where to find it
  • Excellent!
  • So where is the webinar?
  • Wow, as I watch it over and break down everything as I'm redoing my show bible through this lesson. it was an amazing webinar. The question I have is IP stands for intellectual property?
  • IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!! Christopher Mack was excellent, and really answered every question I would have wanted to ask before I even knew I wanted to ask them. I learned loads! Thank you Stage32.
  • With numerous show ideas to be explored and developed, and new ones forming all the time, I've constantly felt lost on how to proceed at a certain point. Endless internet searches never lead me to the guidance I needed to take action on my ideas. That changed when I attended the Television Pitch Workshop by Christopher Mack. I learned how to properly do what I knew was needed and discovered numerous other processes and information necessary to effectively pitch a show. I have wanted to return to the entertainment industry for a while; now, I feel prepared to make that move thanks to this webinar.
  • Brilliant! Answered so many questions I had.
  • This was a fantastic Zoom webinar—extremely well organized and highly informative. Very impressed with how Stage32 handled this.
  • This was such a fantastic, clear description of how to devise, structure and pitch a show. Practical, insightful, invaulable - loved it. Thank you Chris and Stage 32!
  • This was a brilliant and inspiring webinar. Chris was engaging and insightful. Doesn't pull any punches.
  • Thank you for this very useful and amazing webinar.
  • Amazing tips!
  • Chris Mack is simply wonderful. The most powerful takeaway: "Tell me -- what's your story about without telling about plot." Some would call this theme.
  • I am anxious to learn more about how to pitch for Netflix. But I have not received the zoom invite.
  • Where do we receive the zoom link? I REALLY want to be apart of this! Thank you!
  • Hi, no Link yet. Hope all is well.
  • Hi I will have to catch-up on the replay as I never received the zoom link thank you Linda
  • No zoom link received... would love to see this seminar! @rbwalksintoabar
  • Este seminario es real? me inscribí con tiempo y hasta ahora no recibo ningún acceso a zoom, y la supuesta hora de inicio se nos muestra con un counter que tiene otra medida de tiempo distinta a la que conocemos.
  • Patiently waiting for the link :)) So excited for this webinar!! <3
  • I am so excited about this webinar. i have registered but haven't received the zoom invite. How do I get in to take advantage of this great information?
  • All set and ready to see where NetFlix is now with new content considerations. Thanks Richard for the invite.
  • Awesome... Already done it. Thanks to @Richard Botto who invited me...

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CLOSED CAPTIONED: Stage 32 + Netflix Present: Television Pitch Workshop

**This video presentation contains English closed captions. To view the webinar without captions, click here.   Stage 32 + Netflix join forces to bring you an exclusive television pitch workshop Learn best practices to make your pitch work and what your pitching document should look like You do NOT want to miss this!     For many, the holy grail of television has become Netflix. It’s a titan in the industry, and with over 200 million subscribers worldwide, no one can put out content quite like them. Just look at the recent hit show BRIDGERTON, which has already been seen by a massive 80 million households (!!) since its release. If you’re a writer or creator, getting your series onto Netflix’s platform can spell success in a big way. But first there’s the matter of getting your series in front of them and pitching it effectively. It should be a comfort to know that you’re not the only one who wants your series on Netflix. Netflix wants that too! Netflix execs are constantly on the lookout for exciting new voices and new series to fill their slate. Yet it takes more than just a good series or a good pilot script to get on Netflix’s radar; you need to be able to communicate it well and pitch it in a way that will get their team excited. This certainly takes some work, but it’s absolutely achievable. If you’re interested in getting your show on Netflix, it’s time to learn directly from the source what it will take to make that happen. In an effort to reach more writers and find more content, Netflix has joined forces with Stage 32 to present a FREE and invaluable workshop on what it is that they’re looking for in new shows and how you can best pitch your series to their executives. In Stage 32's continued effort to help level the playing field for content creators worldwide, we felt it's important that we help you get tools you need to be able to make sure that you can pitch effectively. Kicking off the workshop will be Stage 32 CEO, Richard "RB" Botto (@rbwalksintoabar), and hosting this presentation will be Stage 32's Managing Director Amanda Toney with Netflix’s Director of Creative Talent Investment and Development for International Originals Christopher Mack. Christopher was previously Senior Vice President of Scripted Content for Stage 13, overseeing all of the brand’s original scripted series and development slates across multiple genres, including Emmy nominated Netflix series’ SPECIAL and IT'S BRUNO. Before Stage 13, Chris headed the Warner Bros. Workshop, the writing and directing program for professionals looking to start and/or further their careers in television. Over a period of 10 years in this role, Chris curated a roster of close to 100 writers and 50 directors representing the breakthrough emerging voices working on high-profile television shows today. In addition to these responsibilities, Chris has covered hit shows such as TWO AND A HALF MEN and SMALLVILLE for the Current Programs department. Prior to joining Warner Bros., Chris spent seven years writing on various one-hour dramas including ER, THE PRACTICE and THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE. After graduating from Loyola Law School, Chris got his start in television at NBC Studios as an associate and he quickly rose to becoming an executive. During his time at the newly created NBC Studios, he oversaw a varied list of shows including: THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR and IN THE HOUSE, among others. In this exclusive Stage 32 workshop, Christopher will delve into what exactly makes a television pitch work at Netflix. He’ll discuss the essentials you’ll need to catch Netflix’s eye and will zero in on how to write an effective pitch document. He’ll pose questions you be able to answer and communicate for your series and give you ideas on how best to communicate your show’s overview, world, tone, and characters. Christopher will then discuss how season summaries should be built and give you ideas on how to think about and present potential episodes. Finally, you will have the invaluable opportunity to ask Christopher your own questions. You will leave this presentation with the understanding of how to structure and present your series, not in theory, but directly from the source.

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He’ll go over what appropriate runtimes for both shorts and features are how programmers may react to specific themes and topics. He’ll also talk about festivals’ identities and audiences, premiere status requirements, and other content issues they consider. He’ll bring up copyright issues that sometimes come up as well as how to navigate submitting your film as a work-in-progress. Then Harrison will teach you tips for submitting your film, including how to navigate deadlines, how to work with FilmFreeway and other services, and what you need to have ready beyond just the film when submitting. He’ll also touch on press kits and cover letters. Harrison will delve into how to best communicate with festival programmers. He’ll talk about best practices, appropriate circumstances to reach out and situations when you should refrain from contacting them. He’ll also discuss what to do when you need to change your submission's Vimeo password and how to navigate updating your submitted cut. 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Learn the fundamentals of television series showrunning from a showrunner/writer/director who has worked on projects for ABC, NBC, FOX and The CW!  PLUS! Todd will give you a call sheet template and the script from the hit show SHADOWHUNTERS!    You’ve heard the term “showrunner.” You know the showrunner is the most essential and complex role when making a television show. But what does a showrunner actually do? A television showrunner is like a writer/director/producer all rolled into one. All creative decisions for the show go through them. It’s exciting, exhilarating and creatively fulfilling in a deep, meaningful way - a job every television writer dreams of. It’s also frustrating, exhausting and totally overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it before. Working as a first time showrunner is often a trial by fire - you’re thrown into the mix and have to figure out the job as you go. That’s why Stage 32 created this comprehensive exclusive webinar to teach you all you need to know about the process and responsibilities of showrunning - what it entails from the creative, business, and logistical perspectives! This webinar will take you behind the scenes with veteran showrunner/writer/director Todd Slavkin, who will guide you through the step-by-step creative and practical process of being a showrunner, from getting your greenlight to production through the final delivery of your show, and all the essential steps in between. Todd will also share many of his personal anecdotes along the way. With over 35 years of experience in both television and film, Todd has been the showrunner on SMALLVILLE, SHADOWHUNTERS, and most recently THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY. Todd has written pilots for ABC, NBC, FOX and The CW and has a wealth of knowledge to share with you on everything a showrunner does to make a TV series.  This webinar is a must for any person who dreams of running their own TV show, who wants to work for a showrunner on a series or simply wants to know what the job of a showrunner really entails.  PLUS! Todd will provide you with exclude downloads to help on your showrunning journey! Downloads include: Call Sheet Template Script from SHADOWHUNTERS  This webinar will prepare you to work in television in ways only an experienced showrunner can and illuminate what you should and shouldn’t do in your career to become a showrunner yourself!   Praise For Todd  "Todd Slavkin was excellent to cover so much information in so little time. In fact, the Q&A was very informative too." --Sydney S "Todd's experience and expertise shine through. If you've ever wanted to be a showrunner on a TV series then learn all you can from him." -- Rahime B.  

Stage 32 Horror Writing Lab: Write A Killer Outline For Your Horror Feature

Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details Only 1 Spots Left Complete your outline and work one-on-one on Zoom with the former in-house story consultant for IM Global The global appetite for horror movies is growing so fast it's almost scary. The streamers are gobbling them up and niche streamers are launching across the globe to take advantage of this trend. There is a huge need for fresh titles and ideas in this highly profitable genre. Recent horror movies like THE FOREVER PURGE was produced for $18M and grossed over $70M worldwide. THE UNHOLY was made for $1.2M and grossed $30M internationally. And then there's GET OUT which was made for $4.2M and grossed a mind blowing $240M. What do all these films have in common? A well-thought-out story, complex characters that take you on a ride, and mind-bending scares that all land at the perfect time.  And each of these scenarios began with a great outline. Your outline is imperative because it helps you structure your story and character arcs before you type Fade In. Do you know your hook? Do you know your beats? Are your acts properly synchronized for maximum effect? Having a top-flight outline is often what separates a professional writer from an amateur. Now, Stage 32 is helping you craft the perfect outline in this exclusive, eight part lab. Over eight weeks in an exclusive, interactive Stage 32 writing lab, you’ll work in a virtual class setting and get one-on-one time with Karina Wilson, one of the most sought-after horror story consultants in the industry. Karina has worked for over a decade with IM Global and on titles like SKYLINE, 13 SINS, VIRAL, VAMPIRE ACADEMY, HORNS, and LORDS OF SALEM. You won't just be hearing lectures from Karina. You'll be actively moving your script forward each session, and you'll meet with Karina one-on-one three times for individual mentoring. All this ensures that you walk away from this class with an outline that has been vetted by an industry professional.  You don't want to miss out on riding this global horror wave. There are only a limited number of spots available for Karina's lab, and once they're gone, they're gone for good. Join Karina and take the first step in penning a horror feature that thrills producers and audiences alike.  Testimonials from Karina's previous Stage 32 Education: "She delivered on the topic and gave an informative lecture. I took many notes on how to immediately improve the horror script I'm writing now. That was my goal!" - Martha C. "I thought it was very informative and the speaker was well versed!" - Loretta C.

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