Our solution
Services
Partners
How-to Filmmakers Guild HOOQ Genero
← News

How to land your spot in the HOOQ Filmmakers Guild

Briefs 15 August, 2019

The HOOQ Filmmakers Guild is back for 2019: Filmmakers, directors, scriptwriters and producers in Southeast Asia are invited to pitch ideas to make the next big TV show in Asia. To take your idea to the next level and stand out to the judges, we’ve got some important tips to help you get started.

1. Get creative and collaborative

Your idea must be creative and original! Think carefully about your genre, character development, series potential and most importantly: A concept that will engage your audience. How is your theme/narrative locally and culturally relevant?

Video production is all about teamwork. If you’re not already part of a production company, get a team together from the get-go. If you’re a scriptwriter with a big idea, you’ll need a director and producer to make it happen. Bounce ideas off each other, and when it comes to the script and pitch deck, make sure you share drafts with your team for as much feedback as possible.

Judges will be choosing ideas based on creativity, originality, character development, series potential and market relevance, so keep these things in mind.

Want some inspiration? Check out the result from last year’s HOOQ Filmmakers Guild below, and watch all the trailers for the previous pilots here!

2. Show off your best examples of work

The pitch phase isn’t just about a great idea – the judges are looking for experienced teams that can bring their vision to life. As well as highlighting your key crew in your pitch document, make sure you include a showreel and standout examples of previous work that are relevant to your idea. If your show is a comedy, the judges want to see your previous comedy work! If you’re a scriptwriter, make sure you include a showreel for your director, and any other important crew.

3. Present the perfect pitch

Nothing ruins a great idea like a half-completed pitch! Double check the submissions guidelines and brief before you get started so you know what you need. Some of the key submission requirements include:

  • At least 10 pages of your pilot script
  • A logline that sums up the series
  • A concise but detailed pitch of the show
  • A synopsis of the main characters
  • A synopsis of each episode in the series
  • A biography of your team

This is the minimum requirement, so as much detail and creativity as possible will help get your idea across the line. Think about how your treatment can show judges the full look and feel of your idea by incorporating mood boards, casting, concept visuals, creative references and more.

Don’t forget that scripts can be in your local language, but everything else should be in English.

4. Submit early!

Submissions for the HOOQ Filmmakers Guild 2019 are due on September 30th. Pop it in the calendar, but get started on your submission ASAP and save it as a draft while you work on your pitch documents. Don’t leave things to the last minute – try to submit your idea at least a few days before the deadline so that we can let you know if there are any problems or we have any questions.

Ready to go? Submit your idea for the HOOQ Filmmakers Guild here.

How-to Filmmakers Guild HOOQ Genero