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
I love to hear a nibble of inspiration -- did you get into a fight with your girlfriend as you arrived at her parents' house for the first time? I want to know what the tone of the movie is going to be in how you deliver your pitch. Is it funny? I want to laugh! Is it suspenseful? I want to guess what's coming next. No matter what, I want to leave the pitch able to explain the big picture concept to a fellow executive or a director. The final cherry on top is getting a taste of the details that are going to make the story sing. If you can help a producer zero in on one small, delicious, detail-- a baby being nursed mid-interrogation, or a character's catchphrase--the more likely they are to keep thinking about your project.
I love grounded stories that get at something universal. Beyond characters that feel real, almost ripped from a documentary or your corner store, I love a story with true heart. I welcome the irreverent, and the earnest, and have no issue if things get heavy, as long as we're looking for the light in the dark. I am most interested in developing and producing stories that lend themselves to feature format. I like closure. That being said, I have a background in limited series development, and love to find whatever form best fits a story.
My favorite stories to develop are those making their own path to production. Be it a first feature that is shootable at a micro-budget, or an inspired premise that is well-executed. Anything that opens a viewer up to a new community -- skateboarding teens a la SKATE KITCHEN, marching band members via DRUMLINE, or the motel subculture in THE FLORIDA PROJECT. I especially love working with writer/directors and helping them see their creativity through to production.
Favorite movies include, but are not limited to: JUNO, THE BIG CHILL, THE DAYTRIPPERS, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, LITTLE WOMEN (2019), EMMA (2020), A SIMPLE FAVOR, ERIN BROKOVICH, HEARTBURN, THE LAST DUEL, DAZED AND CONFUSED, BARBARIAN, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD. What are yours?
Stories of women's heavy trauma: domestic abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping. Gratuitous violence, heavy drug use and addiction. And I am sorry to say, action movies are not my jam.
Annie Winerip spent five years as a development executive at Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, from the inception of their Amazon first-look deal. She helped shepherd and develop projects such as HBO Max’s LOVE AND DEATH/THE UNDOING, Apple’s ROAR, Hulu’s NINE PERFECT STRANGERS, and Lulu Wang’s EXPATS at Amazon. Annie has on set TV experience on BIG LITTLE LIES S2, LOVE AND DEATH and EXPATS.
Annie has experience in the full books to film process: scouting and optioning material, working with authors, and helping screenwriters through adaptation development. Annie loves breaking down structure, talking character, developing shootable projects, imbuing intention in every scene and helping collaborators find their own stories. If those stories include specificity, interesting relationships, tension, heart, and universal themes, she’s doubly happy.
In the past year, Annie has started to produce independently. She currently has a short she wrote/directed/produced in post-production and is developing a feature with a first-time filmmaker. Annie runs a small magazine called STREET PARKING and recently contract edited and wrote for FLAUNT Magazine.
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.