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
Focus on what will hook audiences from the start. Attention spans are shorter than ever, so you need to let folks know right away why they should engage with the story you are trying to tell. Characters and their arcs remain the most important aspect of your pitch. Tell us why we should care about them enough to follow their stories, and how they will grow and change by the end. Remember to always answer: Why now? And why are you the only person who can tell this story?
Comedies, stories with broad appeal, crime stories, contained stories that can be made for a reasonable budget, new POVs
I typically have a harder time responding to horror as that is not my favorite genre, but I do recognize the importance of this genre to the business. So I am still happy to hear about it, but I may have a harder time getting excited by the material.
Trent Anderson is a manager-producer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Southern California, he’s been in love with movies, television, and comedy from as far back as he can remember. Probably because his dad showed him Eddie Murphy’s RAW at an (arguably) inappropriately young age. Like many, he was uncertain about the viability of a career in entertainment, leading him to major in Economics at Cornell University. However, after one summer interning at a hedge fund trading commodities, he realized he had to pursue his true passion. That said, if you ever want to know about the supply chains of coffee, cattle, or copper (not sure why they were so alliterative), feel free to ask!
After graduation, Trent worked as an assistant at Joanne Horowitz Management. As one of three employees at the boutique talent firm, he was immediately integral to the running of the business. Following his work there, he moved over to Anonymous Content where he worked for Kami Putnam-Heist in the talent department before transferring to the literary department to work for Bard Dorros. While on Bard’s desk, Trent began signing clients and produced his first feature, WES IS DYING. The film was made during the height of the pandemic for a production budget of only $50k, all of which he raised himself. It premiered in the US Narrative Competition at Tribeca in 2022 and received distribution from Gravitas.
Trent became a literary manager at Anonymous Content in the spring of 2021 after which he went on to build a diverse roster of writers, directors, and actors. In addition to representation, he has continued to produce in the feature and television spaces. In his free time he likes to cook elaborate meals for friends and family, watch an obscene amount of movies and TV, and go on walks with his girlfriend and their dog.
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.