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
TV is storytelling meant to be consumed in your home, and as such, I'm always going to lead character first. Make me understand them, and I'll go on as high concept a journey as you want to take me on.
I’m driven by compelling characters regardless of the genre in which they inhabit. I'm currently drawn to television that feels molded from the classic storytelling models as well as shows that aren't afraid to inhabit multiple tonal spaces. Widow's Bay comes to mind as a form of the latter, while Adults serves as a model for the former. History told through a contemporary lens (such as NatGeo's A SMALL LIGHT) and genre that refracts back on what it means to live today will always draw an interest.
Speculative literary fiction angled towards crafting a world that is not our own to attempt to make sense of our own. To that end, thrillers with a nod towards today's reality will always have space, as will dramas, comedies, and dramedies that find the beauty in the mundane, giving us fully-realized character we think we can know to watch how they choose to do things.
Matt Derr currently serves as a development consultant across film and television, working closely with writers on projects in development and not yet announced. He was most recently an executive in the Scripted Television department for Keshet Studios, utilizing Keshet's international footprint to service a Universal Television first look and independent studio mandates. Credits across broadcast television and streaming/premium platforms include ECHO 3 (Apple), SMALL LIGHT (Nat Geo), THE MISSING (Peacock), and LA BREA (NBC).
Prior to joining Keshet, Matt worked in comedy at HBO on such shows as LOOKING, PROJECT GREENLIGHT, CRASHING, and THE COMEBACK, while collaborating alongside colleagues on a slate of comedic projects.
Matt's career began in talent management at MGMT. Entertainment, working alongside the likes of Keira Knightley, Helena Bonham Carter, and Haley Bennett, coordinating professional efforts and covering incoming submissions, playing an instrumental part in Keira Knightley's work in IMITATION GAME.
After registering, you will receive instructions on how to submit your material in your order confirmation email. After submitting your material, please allow about 3-4 weeks to receive proposed times for scheduling your call with the exec. If you haven't heard from your exec by the 3-4 week mark about scheduling, please email terra@roadmapwriters.com so we know to check in with them on your behalf about their proposed dates/ETA for you.
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.