What is Unit 4 about?

Your main task for this unit will be to pitch and make some pre-production materials for a TV show based on the 1960 Hollywood film “The Apartment”.  The main character/s in your new show must be facing pressure from other people who want to use their apartment, the conflict should further complicate other aspects of the central character/s life.

You must decide if your idea works best as a pitch either a sitcom or long-form TV series and show how it is relevant for today's audience.  You will need to addresses some of the representational bias in the original film.  You can change whatever you like, except for using the use of an apartment as a point of tension!  You can set the story wherever you want, explore different themes, change the genre and develop a group of characters you think are more suitable to your audience.

STAGE ONE - RESEARCH:

Before you pitch your show you will need to complete the research tasks for the three areas - narrative, genre, and representations.  The tasks aim to help you to think about how the original film (stimulus text) works as well as to understand how to apply some media theory to some film and TV products you like.

STAGE TWO - THE PITCH:

You will develop your ideas for a new TV show and write a pitch for your concept.  It should include:

• A title
• A tagline (emotional hook in less than 10 words)
• The tone (a short paragraph describing influences and the look and feel)
• A synopsis (less than 500 words) 
• Character profiles (for 3-4 main character) 
• Future episodes (2-3 episode outlines, less than 100 words each)
• A worldbuilder  (a mood board of the world of the show) 

You will pitch/discuss these ideas to classmates and the teacher.  After you have heard others' ideas you may wish developed them and improve them.  This may include teaming up to work with others in order to create your pre-production materials. 

STAGE THREE - PRE-PRODUCTION:

Once you have developed your pitch you will need to prepare three pieces of pre-production material for the show.

1. TITLE SEQUENCE PITCH (A presentation pitch and mock-up storyboard)
2. POSTER (the artwork for a poster that includes photos of the key character). 
3. SCRIPT (One page of script from the pilot episode)