I made a TV show Sample and I need real feedback

Bat-Tzion · Coal Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 7

Patti
I found Mr Blister rather insensitve too. We ladies who aint got calluses on our hearts get affected by that kind of arrogance.

I thought about your target audiences and the ultimate goals of such a show. Although most of your other comments pertain to the rough promo itself I am thinking ahead to the show content and trying to offer suggestions fast, before the anti-semites/anti-Zionists who inhabit virtually all peak oil public discussions chase me out of here.

Anyway, please forgive me if this is naive. I haven't watched American TV in any substantial amounts for 30 years.

First, what is the ultimate goal of this show? I suggest it is to save lives and I hope you are aware of that. Nobody is going to be able to survive a fast crash by making an urban backyard garden. But urban gardening can be used as training for what they may need to do as refugees (in a fast crash) or as migrants to the country, or genuine urban farmers (in a slower crash). They need transportable SKILLS with hand tools, soil, sun, water, compost, seeds, plants, trees, and animals. So even though the show sponsors may want you to focus on expensive construction projects that use their products, somehow you've got to get people to learn those essential skills instead. They need to learn how to use a hammer, saw, screwdriver, and so forth. Really, if you can, forget about the power tools. In the upcoming world a woodworking shop with power tools will probably be a community resource. Eventually, individuals will have only hand tools and will all need to know how to use them.

As to your intended audiences, I say you should consider specific target audiences/markets, not make such a broad sweep to a generalized audience, and yes, you have to decide if you really want to target women or men.

First, maybe you could really just target women, perhaps those with children. If you focus more on hand tools you will have a much broader base. Blister is right about the issue of women picking up power tools. Most won't. So don't be the one to try to sell them on that idea. Get them to do things naturally their way. Maybe there is a good market among stay-at-home women with children, a superset of the home schooling market. We women could really respect you for your actual work, not just your great looks. Furthermore, women who may have to care for children on their own during the years of struggle are going to really need to be competent and confident to do things without men. I hope that countless children's lives could be saved that way.

Another potential market is educational TV. Maybe you'll never make any money that way, but there is a huge audience of junior high school and high school youth with physical energy--perhaps just waiting and ready to do somethign more practical and productive than study trigonometry and ancient history and play sports? Getting to such a group would require some marketing to their teachers. Maybe there is a group of aware and serious students (and teachers) who are ready to act on their knowledge of PO, GW, etc. I suggest this because here in Israel environmental education is quite focused on youth--the adults are always way too busy to do anything about it and less inclined to change mindset and behavior.

You really have to find people who have time to do something in their back yard and also enough money to buy the sponsor's products. On the other hand, if you went via PBS, could you get sponsors who deal in information instead of products? Just a thought. Maybe some book publishers?

Is there any money to be made in just making "how-to" videos and distributing them via Internet and various kinds of libraries? I doubt that is what you had in mind as mainstream, but I consider public libraries of key importance as we get into a transition period. They are going to be repositories and distributors of a lot of vital information, especially as the internet gradually fades.

That's it for now.
Shalom and blessings on your work
Bat-Tzion

CityBoyGoneCountry · Coal Joined: Dec 28, 2006 Posts: 10

kabu · Heavy Crude Joined: May 29, 2005 Posts: 384

Hey, I loved it! And your work’s made me feel all creative, now.

Too bad people are hurting for feelings, over this. Blistered is just trying real hard to convince you of that which he has yet to prove, statistically. He may have turned from blunt to harsh, in his posts, because he assumes you haven’t really considered what he’s saying. But I think he’s just trying to secure more of your attention by being so harsh. Insensitivity, such as this, is often accompanied by transparency; and if you can see it, you can smile at it, while being tough and sensitive at the same time.

You’re working on a wonderful project, and I look forward to watching it as it moves along. Also, you attitude is very unselfish, which counts for so much! I recommend that you just use PBS, or another platform that isn’t hosted by those likely to be interested only in controlling and commercializing what you’re trying to do, for their own gain.

I hope your vision reaches many people!

AnniCat

Patti, just wanted to give you a heads up that I've posted the video at both of my blogs:

http://annicatsscafe.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/annicatscafe

I hope it helps.
_________________
~Anni
“Optimism is the foundation of courage.”- Nicholas Murray Butler

Stratovarius

I haven't posted in this thread yet and I just wanted to say:

Good idea for a show and don't listen to anything Blistered says.
_________________
If everyone paid off their debts, society would be left with no money.

HoustonTX · Coal Joined: Dec 30, 2006 Posts: 1

Hi Patti,
Your idea for a show on permaculture is excellent. My husband and I are in Houston and just finished part one of a three part series on permaculture offered by UrbanHarvest.org. Just your short video gave us some very good ideas. Looking forward to your show.
All the best from Houston

mphilips · Coal Joined: Dec 31, 2006 Posts: 1

Hi,

You are definitely on the right track! I would watch this show!!

Michelle Smile

johnmarkos

Patti, the show is awesome! I hope to see future ones.

Have you considered doing it as a vlog (rather than attempting to get it on regular ol' TV)?

Not that I know anything about how that sort of thing works but I suspect you'd have no trouble getting an audience -- you have actual content! Really good content, too.

Anyway, good luck and let us know where your show ends up.

FilmShack · Tar Sands Joined: Dec 22, 2006 Posts: 79

JohnMarkos: Thank you for the suport. I haven't yet thought about vlogs. I'm shooting for networks and strong web first. But we'll see where it takes me. Thanks again.
Michelle: Thank you so much for watching.
Houston: Thanks, I will check out UrbanHaverst! I hope you keep going!
Strato: Thanks. Welcome to the thread. I hope you have lots of things to say!
Annicat: What would life be without good coffee? I loved your pages and thank you for the post. I think you may be in line for one of my "Rabbit Head" hats! Seven times warmer the wool and handmade by me!
Kabu: Really insightfull and helpfull. I will use that approach in the future, makes a lot of sence. Thank you, it helps me keep focused on my mission.
CityBoy: Thank you. You may get a hat as well. Sadly I have managed to only keep one out four alive. Very sad. But, the mother is nurturing six more, a couple are black!
Bat-Zion: My zionist soul sister! Thank you again for the commentws. I truly dig your perspective, it helps me see the whole better and I thank you.
DaveP: You are great. Makes me feel good. Thank you.

Are you folks interested in helping on the series bible? Basically I have written it, but before I show it, I think it would be cool to hear from you all in more specific detail what would be in the first season.

So the format is no more than a five sentance description of what happens in each episodes. We are looking for thirty episodes. Post them here, lets see what sticks.

Thank you all. We slid back in traffic yesterday, no big deal, holiday weekend(shameless self promotion). Thanks again and Happy New Year!

I'm doing a little party here at the Farm, had one yesterday too. Might as well party into the new year!

Patti

CindyDale · Coal Joined: Dec 31, 2006 Posts: 3

I didn't even notice your shirt. Men are so strange. When they walk around with no shirts, we don't say a word.

I don't know much about constructing things, but if you took the approach that many city-dwelling women are novices, it would probably be very appealing to us. We aren't ignorant by choice, only because no one has taught us.

I don't know anything about promos, but IMO, it might be nice to see a how-to with you showing kids or a family how to put together something.

I thought the quality of the production was great. It definitely appeared professionally done.

I would get a site going. You could even start by publishing the shows yourself if need be, and a network could pick it up later. Maybe you could syndicate it and sell the shows for on-air showings.

Cindy

CindyDale · Coal Joined: Dec 31, 2006 Posts: 3

Oh, and one more thing. I think you should put up a form where we can sign up for news. Start a mailing list. There will eventually be a show, a book, a magazine, speaking engagements, who knows what, and you can use the list to circulate information.

For example, I'm a moderator of the Yahoo Urban-Permaculture list, and we would post any news you sent out to the list (I found out about the promo when my co-moderator posted a link to it). Most of us seem to be fairly new at urban permaculture, and we'd be interested in anything you put out. There are only 76 of us so far, but that's how information gets passed around nowadays - through all these small groups on the Internet.

Cindy

AnniCat

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 7742

THill · Coal Joined: Dec 31, 2006 Posts: 1

Sounds like a very interesting show and you do a great job presenting it. I love your articulate, strong voice and if you haven't considered giving voice lessons before, it is definitely a strength to consider. Good luck with the show!
Tessa in TX

AGreyMan · Coal Joined: Dec 31, 2006 Posts: 1

Patti:

I registered here just so I could say "thanks" and give you a bit of encouragement.

If your show is anything like the promo, I'll be an avid watcher if I can. I'm especially interested in your pond and fish.

You are pretty, but I'd watch your show even if you weren't, because you know what you are doing. I find competence attractive.

Heaven forbid you don't find a smart TV executive to buy your show, have you considered selling subscriptions? I'd pay $90 for 30 episodes, provided they were a good as your promo.

Good luck, and please do think about the mailing list. I'd like to know when your show gets picked up.

Stay Safe,
AGreyMan