Chad Sanders Vertical Show Episode 1: Sofia & Kevin
Starring: @eriingermaine & @chinstrumentals (special thanks to them for jumpstarting this adventure with me.)
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max
How I made it:
1. I wrote the pilot (3 pages total)
2. Linked to the pilot in my bio
3. Made individual videos calling for actors to self tape for the two roles and post to instagram
4. Chose my cast and agreed on compensation
5. Picked location (outside of Dick and Jane’s on Malcolm X in Bed Stuy
6. Shot with cast for three hours
7. Edited episode entirely on iPhone using the phone’s video editing features and the instagram Edits app
8. Created the @chadsandersverticalshow account
9. Wrote this caption and collab’d with the show page and cast
What comes next:
1. Promoting the episode on socials
2. Call to action for my audience to share with others
3. Call to action for creatives and backers to reach out to me to help me build out the world
If you want to make your own Vertical Series or Microdrama click the link in my bio. Weeeeeeee 🪼🎪
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #writers #newyork
This is the part I leave out in interviews.
After I finished writing my pilot, here’s what I did. (This is what selling in Hollywood ACTUALLY looks like.)
1. I sent it to everyone I knew who i thought could POSSIBLY have Hollywood connections. What did I have to lose? Foreal. If someone stole my idea… okay Ill make another one.
2. I did table reads with my friends so that I could really SEE how my show landed on other people. I watched them laugh at the serious parts, and not laugh at the parts I thought would be funny. I learned my characters through watching them and their voices. That helped me later in the pitch rooms at all the networks
3. This was my baby and it was (and still is) precious. This pilot script started my whole journey. But i didnt TREAT it like it was precious. I pushed it out to everyone I thought could help me and I took in their feedback and it helped me learn how to talk about the project.
That’s product development. That’s sales.
This is what selling ACTUALLY looks like in Hollywood. Not that bull**** on Entourage.
If you’re not willing to do that you wont sell anything in Hollywood. Sorry. You’re up against too many great salespeople.
All your favorite artists and creatives… are salespeople. You wouldnt even know their names if they werent. SORRY NOT SORRY. I wanted it to be different too, but it aint.
YES that pilot was my baby, but it was also my product. My mealticket. And i had to treat it that way.
If you just wanna cut to the chase and learn how to sell a show hit me up or go watch How to Sell a TV Show at the link in my bio. 🪼⚡️
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #tvwriters #newyork
Now I urgently needed to sell this TV show. It wasnt about a pipe dream anymore, I needed the money to support myself.
That urgency led me down a path that pushed me to do 3 things that really helped me:
1. I found the New Girl pilot to use as a pattern example of what an industry quality pilot looked like (btw ive never actually watched that pilot episode, only read it.)
2. I googled “how do you write a tv pilot.” I didnt have time to run around for 6 months pretending like I was gonna do it. I needed answers immediately
3. I DIDNT go get coffee for producers or “apprentice” under people. I just jumped in the deep end because i had to (and cuz i was in my 20s and hubris)
But all that created a momentum for me to get my pilot done. I didnt chase perfection, once it was finished and felt like ME i had something i believed in.
Again, i didnt PLAN it out this way. But the urgency made me get busy. Once that thing was done now it was time to sell. That’s the fun part if youre into it. 🪼⚡️
Oh btw if you just wanna skip to the answers on how to sell your tv show you can watch my session HOW TO SELL A TV SHOW at the link in my bio or dm me if you wanna learn from me directly.
It is - of course - not free.
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #tvwriters #newyork
I got fired right on time. At first it was like a “paid leave” where I got $125k salary to do basically nothing but I shoulda known the writing on the wall was that I was about to get the boot.
But that gave me the time I needed to really dig into my show concept.
I promise Im getting to all the sexy Hollywood stuff just gimmie a second. Some people need every detail.
Btw if you just wanna know exactly how to sell a TV show, you can sign up at the link in my bio to come learn from me live tonight. 🪼⚡️
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #writers #newyork
How I Sold My First TV Show: Episode 3
In 2015 every young Black creative wanted to be like Issa Rae and Donald Glover. At least that’s what I wanted, I think others can relate. Insecure, Atlanta and Girls were BUZZING around that time.
I know im taking the long road on this story but I have to because the details are where the most important stuff lives.
If you just wanna know how to sell a tv show, sign up at the link in my bio to skip ahead. 🪼⚡️
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #writers #newyork
How I Sold My First Tv Show: Episode 2
TL/DR: if you just want the steps to sell a TV show today, sign up for How to Sell a TV show at the link in my bio.
I went to work at Google in London and a part of my job was finding early stage creators to ramp up on YouTube which was already a $3 Billion company but not even close to what it is today.
I spent alot of my time in Europe traveling and going out, but not without learning something important about media and business: whoever owns the connection between audience and creator wins. 🪼⚡️
#hollywood #creators #entrepreneurs #writers #newyork
How I Sold my First TV Show: Episode 1 - Prologue
I’m gonna tell this story in full because the details matter BUT… if you just want to know exactly how to sell a tv show directly from me so you can start now…
Sign up for How to Sell a TV Show at the link in my bio right now. Limited seats remain. 🪼⚡️
I promise to get to all the Spike Lee, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye, Will Packer, Morgan Freeman, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Grownish, Rap Sh!t stories etc but I gotta take my time here.
#hollywood #creatives #entrepreneurs #writers #newyork
