Bavarian Hotrods TV Pilot! (Lots of 24v E30 content!)

[delatlanta1281]

In that case they should just follow me around on the weekends.....
I only need one take.

[LEANE30]

will never happen because it was weak. Mediocre "pine tree" rustbuckets are not interesting/impressive enough to make a full show around. Gonna spend an episode changing e36 window regulators with junkyard parts to find out they don't work?
ainadude is spot on, you need solid characters - who can make a take without 100 tries.

[Farbin Kaiber]

I'm surely interested to see a 24min regular broadcast episode, and some character building. If they can get a show for selling stock parts in Brooklyn, I'm sure someone will pick this up.

[blocke]

What is with all the cut scenes? Makes me feel like I'm watching a scratched to shit DVD.

[DEV0 E30]

This, more cars less pawn stars

Haha words out of my mouth Chris.

It's not the worst thing, but yeah.

Could grow to something not too shabby.

Needs less edits, I get that it's not supposed to seem scripted, but the edits when Rob is just sitting there are distracting.

[trackjunkie21]

Reminds me too much of the show Unique whips with that fat bigshot guy.

[ainadude]

Having produced and pitched a number of my own concepts (including reality shows), please accept the following sincere, well-intentioned advice: Stress characters rather than action footage in your pitch. Any TV show -- be it drama, comedy, reality, even a game show -- succeeds on the basis of compelling characters. You main guy seems pretty cool ... I'd introduce him almost immediately and show him interacting with BMW enthusiasts with whom he does business. You can still intersperse action footage over the dialog. Have him explain who he is, what his motivation is, and why his business is so unique and interesting.

A couple of posters have compared your concept to "Pawn Stars." It's an appropriate comparison. You need to recognize that viewers tune into "Pawn Stars" because the people involved with that business are interesting -- the store is just a place where they interact. So I'd suggest you follow their example and put your own characters front and center -- both your host and his clientele.

Meanwhile, I wouldn't go more than about five minutes for your entire sizzle (my strongest one runs about 2:30 and is entirely character-driven). The world of TV pitching lies at an intersection of tons of potential producers like you ... and the short attention spans of potential buyers and producing partners who have people coming at them from all directions, at all hours of the day and night. Make your point early and quickly and you'll have a better shot.

All that said, a quick disclosure: I'm still a nobody -- I have not yet sold any of my projects. However, I have spent the past couple of years -- and thousands of dollars -- learning the ropes with industry pros and attending reality-genre TV events. I've met and spoken with some highly successful (and uber-wealthy) showrunners, most of whom take no prisoners. I actually got verbally bitch-slapped by Howie Mandel about a year ago at Realscreen in D.C. when one of my pitches failed to impress him (he's kind of a jerk in person).

Anyway, best of luck on your project -- I hope to see it on air someday. :-)

[markseven]

Would not watch

[Roysneon]

Eh....

[ltz Viper]

awesome cant wait for the next one

[rhE-30]

This, more cars less pawn stars

[Crippled Crip]

Needs less cut scenes in your interviews, if your trying to say something get it all out in 1 take, just don't chop it all up like that. And agreed with the less pawn stars notion, you talked about how these e30s can be picked up on the cheap and you can get them running really well. Why not get a cheap e30 and in the show do a complete restoration?

[Gary Horneck]

Very true, I like that I am one of the very few that have an e30 in my area and would like to keep it that way as well. It really depends on what direction the show is guided and how they represent the bmw crowd.

Just have some segments with us over 50 (or 60 in my case), tearing it up in our E30's. Guaranteed to turn off the ricer crowd...

[gtdragon980]

Pretty cool... the guy that rolled up in the E36 is OBVIOUSLY an undercover hipster btw...

..there's some fear of a show like this making the E30 into the next Civic tho'.. even more than what it already is >.<

Very true, I like that I am one of the very few that have an e30 in my area and would like to keep it that way as well. It really depends on what direction the show is guided and how they represent the bmw crowd.

[AntiScope]

They should just feature cars or events. I'm not sure I like the whole "pawn stars" aspect. But it would be interesting.