Sarasota County's 'TV ME!' concept pitch contest opens for entries

The Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office (SCFEO) is inviting entries for the 2013 TV ME! Contest.

It's the third annual innovative writers’ competition seeking fresh, creative content ideas for television programming. Entries may be submitted now 1 through Nov. 30. Submission instructions and prize information are available online at www.TVMEcontest.com.

As in previous competitions, one grand prize winning entry (GPW) will be chosen as the best across all categories, garnering all of the prizes won by category first place winners, plus the grand prize of an escorted trip to “pitch” in person to a select group of industry professionals. This trip has been to Los Angeles/Hollywood each year, with numerous private meetings taking place to create opportunity and professional relationships for the GPW. The 2012 contest added the new additional element of the InkTip Pitch & Networking Conference attendance for the GPW.

'TV ME!' winners include Anna Maria resident 

The 2013 contest will add more exciting new elements to the awards and prizes. New York City will be an alternate trip location for meetings and pitching opportunities, based upon the genre of the winning grand prize entry as determined by the SCFEO. Additionally, the SCFEO will introduce the GPW to one or more agents for potential representation.

Contest Seeks Concept Pitches; Not Scripts

Unlike ordinary competitions that require submission of full-length screenplays for movies, scripts for television, or manuscripts for novels -- which can range from 90 pages to 350 pages -- the TV ME! Contest requires only five-to-15-page pitches of a concept for television programming. It’s a variation on the idea of a fast and forceful ‘elevator pitch’ where you give the strongest and most concise summary possible,” says Corcoran. “This contest seeks condensed knock-their-socks-off impact. Powerful brevity is key.”

The 2013 TV ME! contest includes a dozen winning slots: One Grand Prize Winner; three first place, three second place and three third place winners (one in each of three specific categories); and two honorable mention recipients. Depending upon a winner’s placement, he or she may receive trophies, cash awards and gifts from sponsors, and all winners are invited to bring one guest to a press conference announcing their achievements, followed by an awards luncheon in their honor.

Individuals and writing teams may compete for awards and prizes in three different categories:

• scripted series (from comedy to drama, animated to children’s programs, science fiction to hybrids and other genres of recurring and/or series television);

• unscripted/partially scripted (reality programs, game shows, demonstration/training programs such as cooking, crafts, skills, documentary, interview and expose programs, etc.); and

• one-offs (single stand-alone programs such as a mini-series, movie-of-the-week, award or sporting event, or special)

Winners Gain Access to Industry Insiders

The 2012 grand prize winning entry was “Best Seller: America’s Next Great Novelist,” a smart, sharp reality show written by a team of three writers, Lynn Holley, Greg Helton and Jennifer Marquis-Muradaz. The “Best Seller” team was taken to Los Angeles in Spring 2012 and met privately with leading reality production companies including SHED USA, Bunim-Murray, Pilgrim Studios, USA Networks, and Fox Television Studios among others. The GPW team also attended the InkTip Pitch & Networking Conference, providing access and the opportunity to hone their pitching skills to dozens of production companies and producers over a two-day period in an intense “speed dating” format.

The SCFEO arranges pitch training and preparation for the GPW in advance of the trip. For example, sponsors such as “Sell Your TV Concept Now!” teach techniques used by the pros to pitch concepts and programs. The SCFEO arranges and attends all pitch meetings with the GPW, assisting throughout the trip.

To enter or obtain more details, visit http://www.TVMEcontest.com.

'TV ME!' winners include Anna Maria resident

A local, unpublished author might have just landed the break of a lifetime.

At the very least, she’s enjoying recognition for her work, a cash reward and professional tips regarding the commerce aspect of the art process.

“A Love Worth Waiting For” by Myra Holmes of Anna Maria won first place in the one-off category in the inaugural Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office (SCFEO) “TV ME!” pitch contest.
The winners were announced Monday.

“Well, I was really thrilled, I love to write and had that story with me since 1990,” Holmes said.

She won for a 15-page treatment of her unpublished novel of the same name.

Holmes describes it as: “A sensuous and provocative love story between a journalist and a nun beginning in Florida, then moving to Albany, N.Y., Nicaragua and Washington D.C.”

Born and raised in Tampa, Holmes retired as a librarian/media specialist in 1990 and relocated to Anna Maria with her husband. When he died in 2005, she started writing “A Love Worth Waiting For.”

“I finished it last year,” Holmes said, “just in time to enter this contest.”

Sarasota resident Austin McKinley’s television series treatment “Quixotic” earned the grand prize. In addition, McKinley also earned first place in the scripted category for his sitcom pitch “Local Access” and third place in the one-off category with a sci-fi, made-for-TV movie pitch “Quintessence.”

“Each of the 250 entries was judged ‘blind’ to ensure that the judges didn’t know whether the creator was local or out-of-state, man or woman or a writing team, young or old, or any other identifying characteristics that could unfairly influence a judge’s opinion,” said Jeanne Corcoran, director of the SCFEO, a division of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County (EDC), in a statement.

As the grand prize winner, McKinley will travel to Los Angeles with complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and meals as well as a $350 cash stipend.

The SCFEO will host McKinley at meetings with Hollywood decision-makers where he will make an in-person pitch and promote his winning original TV concept.

McKinley will also receive a $7,500 production grant from Sanborn Studios, which has facility in Lakewood Ranch, to create a two-minute demo video of the winning concept

Sanborn’s Los Angeles office representative will host the behind-the-scenes tour in Hollywood, as well.

“It was unexpected that one writer would be outstanding across multiple categories and take several awards,” Charles Meyer, contest director, said in a statement. “It’s a testament to the winner’s talent. We also far exceeded our expectations on the number of entries in our first year of the contest, and we attracted talent from across the nation.”

South Orleans, Mass., resident Caroline Gallagher’s “Yes Kids Can,” an inspirational reality TV pitch, won first place winner in the unscripted category.

Entrants from California, Arizona and Nevada as well as Floridians from Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Homosassa Springs and Boca Raton won second and third place awards in the three categories. A complete list of winners is available at: http://filmsarasota.com/.

Each first place category winner for scripted, unscripted and one-offs (“A Love Worth Waiting For” by Holmes) received a $250 cash prize, a custom-designed award and other gifts at the event.
Winners will also receive a practice pitch session with the professional pitch coaches. Additionally, the concepts of the first place category winners will be sent to executives and decision-makers in the television industry for consideration.