Expert: Russell Calabrese - 3/22/2008

Question
QUESTION: I was wondering if you had any suggestions on some of the best agencies(representation wise)for people wanting to break into the animation field. A firm or agent that has proven results when it comes to it's clients. I'm an artist and writer with a series I'd like to pitch. Been searching the Google sites but haven't really found any helpful info. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: Hello J.L.

You can just make an appointment, go yourself and pitch your idea. You'll probably need an entertainment lawyer to work out a deal if they want to option it. I don't have an agent. It's not worth giving someone 10-20% for something you can do yourself. Animation is a bit less snooty when it comes to pitching ideas. Just make sure you have copyrighted your script or bible so "they" can't steal it. Remember... You can't copyright an idea. Check out the copyright and trademark sites below for more info:

http://www.copyright.gov/
http://www.uspto.gov/

Hope this helps.

®©
Russell

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Mr. Calabrese for the incredibly speedy response. My question is one that has been asked numerous times throughout the course of allexerpts, and personally I feel you gave the best answer I've seen on the site so far. It really broke things down for me and gave me what I feel was some real solid advice to move forward with. I had a quick couple of follow up questions I wanted to hit you with real quick. I know I may sound like a newbie, but I'm sure you can relate, when you've nurtured and developed an idea from concept, to drawings, to full story like I have for the past 6 years its easy to think of your work almost like your child. With that in mind I'm pretty protective over it. Plus not to mention my bestfriend is in art school, and says kids their are so competitive that they've been know to steal work from each other. Being that you can't copyright ideas and only specific items, have you found or heard many tales of a studio or network possibly ripping off the idea for a new show from a script that they have passed on?

My second question is that my series is darker then what you see on Saturday mornings. If I had to say the tone of it is more towards a samurai champloo or cowboy bebop so I would be shooting for a 15-25 year old demographic. Are there any major challenges that present themselves when trying to create a show like this as opposed to a more kid friendly show? And also what networks do you feel might be interested in this type of show? I figure cartoon network's adult swim is a given, maybe even Spike TV or Sci-fi channel.

Answer
Hi Mike,

Things change daily from day to day at the studios for what they are looking for.  Regime changes at the studios are also notorious for changing what they're looking for. Sometime you'll pitch a show and it's ready to sign on the dotted line then WHOOOSSHHH... someone from Nick moves to Disney and your project dies on the vine. Then you try and pitch it to where the guy you pitched it to moved to and they want something else now.

Go everywhere and pitch. You may be at the right place at the right time and BINGO... your show's in production and on the fall line up.

This happens so often my head spins and I should be used to it by now.

Make sure you have a reversion clause if anyone wants to pick it up. Sometimes they'll 'warehouse' a project so no one else can make it. If the rights don't revert back to you over a reasonable amount of time you can't pitch it any where else. If they don't revert to you at all you're sunk on that project...forever.

I hope this helps.
®©
Russell

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