In addition to a tight, killer script, every TV project needs a strong series bible or deck to help convey sustainability and its role in the marketplace. And execs commonly ask for pitch decks for features as well! So submit your Series Bible, Pitch Deck (20 pages max each), or both, and the exec will conduct a 30-minute notes call (1-hour if submitting both documents) to help you clarify and sharpen the supplemental material to help your marketing efforts.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
- Tell the project's title, genre, format, comps, and have a killer logline.
- Google your title to see if it's been used before in the same format, is super iconic, or the same as something that flopped..
- Focus on your protagonist and emotional stakes over secondary characters and plot minutiae.
- Comedy pitches must be effing funny so get to a laugh as early as you can.
- Research the people you're pitching, and treat them with respect.
- Notes are fine to have, just don't read.
- If you're shy take an improv or acting class to help you stay present and calm during meetings.
- Never trash a film, show, person, celeb, company, etc. Everyone knows everyone.
- Make sure we know WHY this project, WHY you, and Why now.
- Be ready to pitch your personal story in 1-2 minutes in every meeting.
Half-hour pilots (both single and multicam), one-hour pilots, and features. Specific professional writing/development experience in comedy, animation, dramedy, horror, and superhero, but open to reading anything!
Aadip Desai is Roadmap Writers' Director of Brand Management & Marketing, working tv writer, comedian, speaker, musician, and Air Force Brat. Aadip was honored as a BAFTA Breakthrough for his work as a Staff Writer on THE GOLDBERGS (ABC), a show mostly about yelling. Aadip leveraged his Indianness to write for MIRA, ROYAL DETECTIVE (Disney Jr.), his shark obsession to write for SHARKDOG (Netflix/Nick), and his daughters' fairy knowledge to inform his work on DEW DROP DIARIES (Netflix/DreamWorks). He was in AFI’s MFA Screenwriting program but dropped out to join the ABC/Disney TV Writing Program, or whatever it’s called now, thanks to corporate restructuring. He’s currently developing a variety of tv series and features across several genres, but they all have comedic elements, and Ganesha. Bobby Flay considers Aadip to be the most memorable (WORST) castmember on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America.
Ever the advocate for writers, Aadip runs the 17.5k+ LA TV Writers Facebook Group, is an Advisor/Instructor at the Sundance Institute, and a speaker at BAFTA, WGA, CAPE, and leading film schools--AFI, NYU, UCLA, and USC. He’s a mentor and juror for BAFTA Breakthrough, Read Latin Writers Initiative, and judge for the 1497 South Asian Writers Fellowship. He’s a former producer/co-host at On The Page podcast with Pilar Alessandra, Development Intern at Trancas Films, and President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild. Aadip studied comedy at UCB, The Groundlings, Comedy Workshops, and iO, and has been heckled at the Improv, Comedy Store, and a regular gig at a vegan restaurant with one bathroom. Aadip has a vestigial BA in Economics and a Minor in Music from the University of Puget Sound (the one with the pretty brochures). He is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, and is a member of the WGAw and BAFTA. Aadip has murdered seven sideburn trimmers in three years.
You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram for his thoughts on diversity and inclusion in the writing business, and unflattering photos. He also has a wealth of screenwriting resources on his website.
After registering, you will receive instructions on how to submit your material in your order confirmation email. After submitting your material, please allow 3-4 weeks to receive proposed times for scheduling your consult with the exec.
PITCH DECKS: These are visually-driven documents (20 pages max) that use images and short paragraphs of text to demonstrate the tone, world, character insight, key plot points, stakes, and theme of the series or feature. If the Pitch Deck is for a show, it will use some of the same sections of text as your Series Bible, but will be less extensive. When creating a pitch deck, always make sure that you are using images of a consistent size and quality, and that you use the same font, color code, margins, and other design specifications throughout. Click here for a Pitch Deck example! Want more insight? Consider signing up for our Creating Professional Level Pitch Decks webinar!
SERIES BIBLES: These supplemental documents are text-only (20 pages max), and can get requested when marketing any sort of TV show. Among other things, they should demonstrate what makes your characters unique and captivating, the focus and evolution of their arcs, the rules of the world, the hook of the story engine, the intended tone and theme, as well as why YOU are the best person to write this show from this perspective. Here's example #1 and example #2. Note: The formatting and organization of Series Bibles has changed since these examples were created, but addressing these sections in your own Series Bible will be a great starting point to make sure you're answering questions before they're asked.
**Please note series bibles and pitch decks are each limited to 20 pages maximum. Please contact terra@roadmapwriters.com for pricing on a consultation for material exceeding 20 pages.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Roadmap's Code of Conduct.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration for a refund or Roadmap gift card if you have not yet submitted your material for review. However, once your material has been received by Roadmap, your registration cannot be canceled. Having revised material or a desire to retroactively apply a discount or gift card code are not grounds for cancellation, refunds, or gift card credit. Once your material has been submitted, the only acceptable grounds for cancellation and a refund or gift card credit is an unforeseen, ongoing emergency on the part of either the writer or the exec resulting in more than 6 weeks without any scheduling update from the exec via direct contact or Roadmap, or a sudden change in the exec's ongoing availability. In the instance of an irreconcilable scheduling issue, the writer may still receive a written feedback report from the exec. In this case, the writer is not entitled to a refund or gift card credit as the exec has read the submitted material and provided written feedback in lieu of the call.