TV Comedy Pitching
Online Feb 8, Feb 22, Mar 22 (3 Saturday Mornings)10:30am - 1:30pm Pacific$325Limited Spots
10 Spots Left
You’ve worked hard to hone that super-fly pilot premise with hysterical characters, a compelling world, and an amazing pilot episode. So what’s next?
A pitch meeting with a network exec, perhaps? Enter Natalie Gergely, Director of Development for Abominable Pictures and Former Manager of Development at Comedy Central and Nathan Varni, Director of Current Programming at Disney-ABC Television Group. In this three week Online comedy pitching class, Natalie will take you through the pitch process, one step at a time. In the first session, you’ll cover pitch etiquette, laying the hook, performance, fielding questions and taking notes. In the second session, she will help you hone the pitch and give you detailed feedback in a private 1-on-1 meeting. The third session includes a visit from Nathan simulating a real pitch session with notes. The rest is history. Overall deal not included.
402 padders have been staffed & 173 won fellowships at ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC after taking our TV classes.
Prerequisites: You should have a pilot idea to pitch.
Natalie Gergely
VP of Scripted, Gunpowder and Sky & Former Manager, Development at Comedy Central
Natalie Gergely is currently the VP of Scripted, Gunpowder and Sky. Before that, she was the Director of Development for Abominable Pictures which currently produces comedy shows such as Netflix's Brews Brothers, Wet Hot American Summer, Children's Hospital & Burning Love. Before that, she was a Digital Producer at Hulu for Sarah Silverman's I Love You America. Up until mid-August 2016, she was a Manager, Original Programming and Development at Comedy Central. She got her start in 2011 working for the President of Original Programming and Development at Comedy Central. Natalie watched hits like Broad City and Workaholics come to the network as a pitch and grow to the phenomenons they are today. Since then she has sat in hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches and worked on the hit show Key & Peele as well as @Midnight and Big Time in Hollywood, FL in their infancy. As she has risen up the ranks, she’s developed various pilots, web series, and digital content for the network. She also was a writers assistant for Corporate, Coming to Comedy Central in 2018. She has a strong understanding of what makes a pitch stand out among the saturated market and how to sell an executive in the room. MORE
Nathan Varni
Executive Director of Current Programming, Disney-ABC
Nathan Varni is Executive Director of Current Programming, Disney-ABC Television Group, reporting to Vicki Dummer, Head of ABC Network Current Programming, Walt Disney Television. Mr. Varni oversees all creative and day-to-day management on ABC’s The Conners, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19 as well as new projects including Rebel and Harlem’s Kitchen. In past seasons, Mr. Varni was the covering executive on Grand Hotel, How to Get Away with Murder, Once Upon A Time, Dr. Ken, Scandal, The Middle, Kevin Probably Saves the World, Roseanne and also oversaw over 2500 episodes of ABC’s long running daytime drama, General Hospital. Mr. Varni joined ABC in November, 2006 as an assistant in programming and development working on comedy and drama series including According to Jim, Samantha Who?, Better off Ted, Cougar Town, Castle, V, 666 Park Avenue and three seasons covering Happy Endings. Prior to joining ABC, Mr. Varni worked in series development at Regency Television (Malcolm in the Middle, The Bernie Mac Show). Prior to his time at Regency TV, Mr. Varni worked in reality series as a story assistant for series such as America’s Next Top Model, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, High School Reunion, For Love or Money and The Next Great Champ. Game show experience includes working on 65 episodes of GSN’s Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck. Mr. Varni served as a production assistant and then Exec Producers assistant on the CBS sitcoms Listen Up and How I Met Your Mother. Mr. Varni earned a bachelor of arts in television production/media management from California State University Northridge. MORE