A taster tape is an advertisement for your idea
it’s the visualisation, a snippet of what’s to come, an appetite whetter that is presented alongside your proposal. They showcase your idea and prove to the commissioner that you have found something TV worthy such as story, talent, character, location and access.
It is also the key to owning your idea. You cannot lay claim to an idea unless it has been materialised.[i] This is particularly pertinent if you are proposing a new format that could be lucratively sold worldwide. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll have a say in anything, but it demonstrates the origin of the idea.
Think of the title carefully. It’s ok to go with a working title, but even this should be original, witty or thought provoking.
It will make your taster stand out and become memorable.
Research the channel and the commissioning editor you’re pitching to, to find out what kind of titles and ideas they go with. Channel 4’s Bodyshock series for instance have had some pretty striking titles!
Taster tapes are a strange combination between: not being given much of a budget and expected to be all singing, all dancing and covered in glitter.
Don’t fall for the ‘don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be polished’ line. It does.
No matter how experienced you are, it’s not nice to watch a rough cut and it won’t sell your idea.
However, it’s not always necessary to lavish huge amounts of money. I was involved in editing a taster tape that cost £10, 000 to film alone. It looked amazing and the production values were very high. However the commissioner rejected it as an example of the programme because actors had been used rather than real people.
So how do you make a decent taster tape in a thrifty manner?
Keep it short a commissioning editor will rarely have more than 5 minutes to spare to watch a taster tape.
Focus on the main selling point of your programme. If this happens to be your characters or their stories, then their backstories along with the remainder of the concept in the proposal could be enough. Focus on their strengths in front of the camera, their humour, their warmth, their quirkiness or their emotion. If the characters are the draw, then you could probably cut back on shooting costs and film it yourself. Bear in mind, that you will need a degree of competency.
If one of your selling points is style. You will need to shell out on good crew and kit. There is no point in trying to sell an idea with high production value without showcasing it it. In this case, just shoot a section of your taster in this way, perhaps an intro.
You need to have a production company to pitch at the main broadcasters, so research and approach them first. They may even help towards the budget of your taster if they like your idea.
You don’t need to limit yourself to the big broadcasters. Video on the internet is taking over, get on board.
Try Multi Channel Networks such as Rightster and Diagonal View.
Finally good luck and don’t give up. If you think you have a great idea, see it through.
Written by Caroline Law: Director of Cloud Edits
Cloud Edits is an online video editing service. If you have a taster tape to edit, our editors have plenty of experience with them. We could save you money and give your idea the professional touch needed.
Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/
http://www.itv.com/commissioning
http://www.channel4.com/info/commissioning
http://home.rightster.com/creators
http://www.diagonal-view.com/
[i] http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/services/knowledge-base/kb_idea.
