In this post I will be transcribing questions that I received during my P3 Practice pitch along with my answers. These will imitate what a potential client could ask.
Question: "Do you believe there is opportunity for further seasons of this concept?"
Answer: Yes I believe that there is the potential for future seasons because the program finishes on a sort of cliff hangar with the main protagonist being imprisoned thus creating the opportunity for season two to take a prison break approach. In addition the characters and ideas in this program would be very relatable and aim to hook the audience on a euphoric/entertained feeling. All the best programmes you are left quite down when they finish.
Question: "How would you distribute and promote this TV drama?"
Answer: This TV drama would be primarily distributed through below the line mediums through social media as this is proved to be most effective to the younger target audience that this program is aimed at. In addition the effectiveness of this method alongside the cheaper price best fits into the lower budget. Some above the line routes would be taken such as TV/iplayer promotion after related programmes. This would be useful as I could use the BBC's cross platform synergy and direct a much wider audience. It would be promoted using rave era branding and with a more vintage ident despite the younger audience and 2020 setting. I believe this would be effective because many Gen Z people seek to educate themselves on and consume 'retro' products and it's very much in trend.
Question: "How are you going to present drugs in your drama in a way that won't disturb viewers"
Answer: I think that the presentation of drugs will disturb some more narrow minded viewers as it takes a very objective approach; the drug isn't negative and therefore it would not be portrayed negatively. This is purposeful as it means the program acts as a microcosm, reflecting the conflict in views that different generations have about drug use and it would attempt to tackle the closed views of older generations as well as educating younger viewers to the downsides. Other (non fictional) drugs would be portrayed negatively so the fictional 'Perfect drug' would serve to contrast them and show how bad those real drugs can be.
Question: "Have you considered a title, I suggest 'The perfect drug'?"
Answer: Originally I thought of naming the programme after the chemical symbols of a drug companies are making without side effects however when I researched into this I found out that the names and chemical names of these drugs aren't at all catchy and don't really fit well with a TV drama. I do like the name 'The Perfect Drug' as it has a sense of power to it so I may use this if I don't come up with another.
Question: "You should reduce the content on your presentation to make it more digestible as well as branding it to fit the idea"
Answer: I will make this amendment in time with my final pitch, using retro rave era branding through printing on ecstasy tablets etc. With fitting fonts, colours, images etc.
Question: "Would it make more sense for the students in this program to be chemical/pharmacology students as opposed to medical students?"
Answer: Yes it would, this is an amendment I'll make.
Question: "Is this drug addictive?"
Answer: No this drug is not addictive at its pure form and the whole purpose of the first episodes is to develop a beneficial drug without any side effects; a concept pharmaceutical companies have been working on. As the program progresses and the drug becomes wider spread and mass produced we see it become more addictive and consequential because speed is prioritised over quality and the group become more involved in 'street life'. Reflecting what has happened in history with drugs like marijuana. Addiction is covered by this program and is one of the motivational factors of the group to produce this helpful drug however as the creator becomes more powerful he gets addicted to this power, leading to this downfall. Allowing for the idea of greed to be covered and showing that it could be our fatal flaw.
Question: "Is there an internal conflict in this group?"
Answer: Yes there is an internal conflict within the friend group who initially work on developing and testing the drug. Some of them think it's a good idea to sell and distribute the drug and are very pushy to do so whilst others have the opposite view which leads to some betrayals and arguments within the group and as the group deteriorates so does the sanity and operation of the protagonist. It would outline the fragility that greed and money can bring to a friendship/relationship. There is also an internal conflict within the governmental group to show that greed and power affects all types of people and their relationships.
Question: "Are you worried that this concept has been made already?"
Answer: I'm aware that films and programmes with similar ideas do exist such as 'Limitless' or 'Lucy' however I believe that there are many factors which set my drama apart from these concepts. For example the younger and diverse cast along with the many UK locations not often represented would attract a completely different TA. The split narrative and crime/corruption aspect to this program has also not been done before with similar concepts and they often don't approach current societal/systemic issues.
Question: "Do you think that the positive portrayal of drugs will fit with BBC3's ethos?"
Answer: As mentioned earlier drugs on the whole would not be endorsed, only the fictional one so I do believe it is acceptable for BBC3's younger TA brief. In addition, I don't believe that the concepts or imagery will stray from their ethos as they often cover experimental/controversial ideas especially focussing on younger people in the UK (as my drama does.)
Question: "Do you think that the BBC would invest in this as it could portray the government negatively?"
Answer: I acknowledge that the BBC is funded by the government through tax payer money however I'm confident they will invest because this programme covers many other pressing issues and educates the viewer on them. Something the government would be neglecting if they refused funding, and they do have the obligation to fund good entertainment. So even if the government was partially portrayed negatively it wouldn't be too much of a problem because the advantages of government would also be shown along with many other important ideas and controversies.
