Digital Story Progress

Week 5 Blog Post (EDUC 5333)

It is a challenge to reach my objective of a TV series pitch based on a book that I am not quite done reading. But I do have the essential elements that I want to include. At this point, my biggest challenge is to just finish reading and analyzing the text so that I can lock in my final concept. My presentation is not intended to be complex, but I don’t want it to be boring. Even with COVID forcing masses of people to use Zoom and having it used in many online classes, I still haven’t attempted a presentation over Zoom. I anticipate presenting to the actual client via Zoom, so I’d like to get some practice.

In this case, I’m more focused on the storytelling aspect of the presentation than the digital medium. I expect to rely primarily on basic tools like PowerPoint. But there is a wealth of resources that may help me put together the content that goes into the slides. I’m impressed with Audacity for audio production and editing. I really like Canva for assembling graphic elements.

Leigh Steinberg, himself, is my first primary target audience. It is his life story I’m pitching. He is the owner of the intellectual property rights as well as the gatekeeper who must approve everything to move to the next step. This story will evolve. It will be pitched to investors and other people, who can then bring their expertise as the story moves through the process from idea to TV series to be viewed by the masses. But, right now, I am laser-focused on my initial audience of ONE.

I have never written content for a TV series. My undergrad degree is in screenwriting, but my earlier efforts have been focused on feature films. Character arcs are different in TV series because growth is slower and more subtle. Often the character must stay stubbornly the same to sustain the conflict over many episodes. Also, this will be my first TV series to pitch as well as my first large-scale project. One other challenge is that my knowledge of sports is mediocre, and sports (particularly professional football) are central to what I’m writing about. Reading, researching, learning, and trying to convert what I learn into an entertaining and educational story is a big challenge… especially with short deadlines. But that’s excellent experience for the job.

My hope is that my efforts can set the pace for using storytelling to sell a creative vision that is strong enough to shape a very large TV series that is both entertaining and educational. If I can do this, I think it will be very fulfilling. Movies and TV series are types of stories that are told through a highly collaborative effort.  The long list of job titles at the end of every movie or show attests to this reality. There is something almost magical about the idea of coming together to create a story that is enjoyed by a mass audience.