Fox development execs share what they look for in new shows and movies at Produced By Conference

The Producers Guild of America once again held their annual Produced By Conference this past weekend on the Fox Studios lot. And since Disney now owns Fox, it allowed for us to stop by on Saturday to hear a panel of development execs at Fox (and other studios) of what they look for in buying and developing their TV shows and films.

DanTram Nguyen, who heads film and production development for Searchlight Pictures (Fox’s arthouse film brand), and Brooke Bowman, head of Drama for Fox Entertainment (it’s TV arm), both offered some notes about what they and their teams are looking for.

“I think you’ll know what we’re looking for by seeing what we’ve put out,” said Bowman to the gathered pool of producers during their ‘Meet the Buyers’ panel. “For Fox TV, you know we love our dramas and animation, so that’s a good starting point. Know the brand and audience you’re pitching to.”

Nguyen offered different advice as film is different from TV at Fox. “It’s all about how creative you can get. If you have a good script that can be made better with the right director, then you can bet that you’ll have us as an audience,” she said.

Both did agree that one common denominator for anyone looking to pitch any story for any medium is knowing very well what you’re looking to do with a project.

“There have been many times where we sit in on these meetings and hear a pitch, and can tell right away that the writer or producer doesn’t know what he or she is really sharing,” said Nguyen. “Know your story and show that you care deeply about it,” added Bowman. “Otherwise, your chances of doing another meeting like this with anyone is slim.”