Nov 16, 2020

Open pitch sessions where anyone can pitch Adult Swim

If you want to be a show creator with money-making ideas and nerves of steel, Adult Swim wants to know. This broadcaster is doing what networks rarely do.

Adult Swim live streams pitching sessions that anyone can apply to join and anyone can watch. These "development meetings" are held almost every Thursday at 6pm PT/9pm ET. Anyone can attend; just submit a one-page pitch outline and any other materials you want to show (animation, art portfolio, whatever), log into the session, and be ready to speak.

Selected contestants will receive feedback from the Adult Swim team, which includes current and former executives such as Mike Razzo, Walter Newman, and Cameron Tan. Sometimes creators such as Gendy Tartakovsky and Eric Andre also participate. Each week, the strongest pitch is awarded $500; in the case of the CG/live-action hybrid Skeleton Land Road, the pilot episode shown at the pitch was uploaded to Adult Swim's Youtube channel.

Needless to say, meetings like this are great opportunities for people with ideas that can be pitched for shows. It is also a chance for aspiring creatives to learn from the strengths and mistakes of the contestants and hear hours of feedback from established professionals. The Adult Swim team's banter between pitches includes pearls of advice. Many contestants would benefit from listening to Development Assistant Jordan Askins, who says, "You can get so caught up in the rules and backstory that you might miss the heart of the program."

Development meetings will be archived afterward (check the Adult Swim website or Youtube channel). Tartakovsky's session is below. To learn more, click here.

Correction: this article originally stated that the live streaming development meetings began during the pandemic. In fact, they have been taking place since before then, and the article has been updated to reflect this.