I recommend everyone who watches the video to leave a short note, making sure to click on the rating stars (otherwise you give a default rating of zero stars, like I did at first).

Hehe.. Well, that little trailer carries more weight than the entire po.com, with forums and all. My own posts included. Of course!

Merry X-mas

Introducing the Garden Girl Avatar!

http://www.peakoil.com/images/gg.jpg

It is very well done and interesting.

Who might we all email to encourage them to air it?

Also, I am in Branson, MO where the RFD-TV network has moved from Nashville. Maybe they might be interested? What can I do to help you get this on the air? What can any of us do?????

By the way, in the video you mention your website, but Googling for it I found nothing. Can you clue us in?

thanks

donsgal

First of all I would like to thank you all. On monday of this week the google site was getting eight hits a day. Now on Sunday we're getting 500 hits a day! That is great! However there is a problem, see to be considered cool(Without having Jessica Simpson/Brittany or Paris in your video) you need to have thousands of hits and lots of comments on your site. So I ask you all to post the link:
(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... =filmshack)

on other message boards, chat rooms, emails as much as you possibly can. It is the best way to prove the audience potential to the show and me and my little lap top can't possibly get it out as wide as it needs to go if it is going to be taken seriously. There are over ten thousand members to this site alone, I need everyones help.

Annicat: Thanks for the kind words. Rachel Ray clearly has connected with the mainstream and I would be blessed if our message could be so widely accepted.

RD: Sweet. I hope you and your wife have a great harvest. Don't get discouraged, my first planting was dissapointing. I thought I was a plant killer for a while(until I realized that ;the Chlorine in my city water was killing my the microbiology in my soil)!

Markam: So, my Mom was very concerned about people stealing the idea as well. Frankly what I decided was that they can't steal me and this is my actual life. Because I actually do and live this, my show is very unique. Frankly I want to see lots of shows on this subject, mine is unique because of me and my personal expertise that networks would make bad copies of with a pretty host who has no idea what they are actually doing. The other thing that they can't steal is my method, which is designed for being in a urban environment.

Aaron: Who is that girl with the goat? Oh my god it's me! Thank you very much, forever in your debt. I hope folks like it too. It is my first avatar!

Donsgal: Thank you very much! As I mentioned earlier, really just help post the link anywhere and everywhere and help us build the traffic to the google site. Thanks for the great comments there as well! We are developing a website. Some folks I met here may be pitching in and helping with that as well, I welcome all the help I can get on this project. It is a big project that we need to take step by step. The first step is getting into a postion to be taken seriously by the networks, so we need traffic!

Cynthia: Good looking out girlfriend! These guys need to get some fresh air and produce something(other then testosterone)! Can I run my car on testosterone?

Again, thank you all, I look forward to talking with you all again. It's a lot of fun.

Thanks again,

Patti

So, I just got banned from HGTV's message board! We had really good response, one of them even started a new thread about helping get the message out. The HGTV viewers were complaining about how little gardening there was on home and garden. This just illustrates how hard it is to get the attention of the corporates and how important it is for them to crush the message, even when it is completely sugar coated for mainstream america. Oh well, you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make'em drink.

All bummed out--Patti

Patti, I've got a friend in the TV biz in Los Angeles who's willing to give pointers about how to shop your property to the producers, but she's busy with another project for a week or so, but then will be able to give me the info to pass onto you (or I'll see if she can talk to you directly). So hold on, we'll get you seen by the right people!

Hi Patti, nice job on the promo. Given the focus of your show, you should find a captive audience here. That said, I'll give you some feedback relating to your objective, taking it to the networks. This objective involves as much about marketing as it does about content. The network(s) will help you refine that process should it go production but not before you've sold the idea to them. That said, I'd suggest drawing up a business plan (BP). I can forward you an example I did for my MBA but if you have a local university nearby, you can probably strike a deal with one of the business professors there to give some second year MBA students the experience. The purpose for this is that you are marketing a show similar to marketing a product and the approach is therefore similar to approaching investors with a business idea. The networks make their money through advertising dollars and as such, want the largest target market possible. The show obviously seems suited for HGTV or a similar network. Orient your pitch to the specific network, emphasizing the synergy between your show and their current lineup (cite specific examples). This shows you've done your homework and are enthusiastic about being in their lineup, as opposed to just trying to get your show on anywhere. Contracting a marketing professional for this would probably be a good idea. You've put in a lot of time and effort to get to this point so don't be cheap with the pitch, you're at the point of getting some hired guns for the actual sell.
As far as the promo, I don't work in marketing but I have a thought or two. First, you need to introduce yourself (by name) and maybe a little more background from the onset. Part of the promo's conclusion should be incorporated in to the intro as you need to make clear who you are and what you're doing in the first 30 seconds. If you haven't sold them by then, you probably won't. I say this because as a viewer, I was a little unclear as to the shows' purpose until somewhere in the middle to end.
Also, "The Garden Girl" should probably be a tag line to your actual name, (think of the many cooking or home repair show hosts such as Rachael Ray or Bob Villa). You have the qualities to be a host so the audience needs to identify with you, the person and the name.
OK, I'm ranting now so I'll offer more feedback if requested. The promo has serious promise so I hope it reaches fruition. Again, a little professional consultation would go a long way in helping to achieve that goal. Best of luck!

How do I upload a a pfd file for you all to check out?

Thanks Patti

I'm not sure that you can here, it would create a tremendous burden on the server if that was available. I could be wrong, hopefully one of the moderators will chime in as they have more experience with this site. Probably best to send the link to where it can be found.
A couple side notes:
Don't worry about dumbing it down too much, we (the viewers) want the methods/procedures spelled out in detail before we attempt them.

I don't know about posting on places like HGTV. Until you're signed, you're potential competition to the big boys. No worries about us "average Joe's" stealing your idea though, neither it nor you is imitable. As you know, candid feedback is a high priority.

30 episodes is a very long term goal (like 2+ seasons worth). Pick one or two that would have the greatest mass market appeal and work on fine-tuning them for content and length (22 minutes).

Just email it to me & I'll post

Patti,

1) extremely well presented; also an effective trailer in which you packed a lot of information into five minutes. Like others, I was impressed you could get 300lbs of fish out of a 7,000 gallon pond. Think of what all those swimming pools could produce!

2) Would you PLEEZE take some kind of health and safety course in power tool handling? I shut my eyes in horror when you nearly drilled your hand through with the power drill. I grew up bashing my fingers in my father's workshop, so I learned the hard way. The difference is that I never used power tools - they do not give you a second chance, believe me.

3) On that point, power tools will become scarcer or disappear once we drop into a serious energy crunch depression. They are a luxury item - fine when people have loads of cash and feel rich and don't have to worry about spare parts, but once we go into a crisis, forget it. The private lot will be using hand tools. You might be surprised with how fast you can work with them. I once built a 15' plywood kayak using just an 8" hand saw.

4) You used something called (I think) "BT" in the pool to deal with mosquitoes. What is it? Is it a poison?

I hope the above points don't seem too critical. I am impressed with what you have done and with the quality of your trailer. Really very professional. It is just that I am an incorrigible pedant.

That was SO compelling...I MUST see more about rabbits, chickens, garden compost, etc....

I think that is the biggest thing I wanted to see from this. I got all the topic teasers, I wanted to be told that in upcoming episodes I will explore: raising rabbits, raised beds, urban aquaculture, etc....

And another thing that I thought I would like to see is visits to other people's solutions (other people have different spaces, different constraints, different interests and specialties, etc). Ok, and the fact that I live nearby and want to be featured has NOTHING to do with this....probably....Or maybe I'm asking for novices to come in to your setting to learn things, more like a training video....not sure what would work, mostly thinking out loud here.

Just a thought, really. I'm quite sure I'm not interviewable....yet....gotta get those mushroom cultures going....



Nice job, really. I think urban gardens are very under served.

Perhaps I just didn't notice...

I'd LOVE to know what you're up to!


Tony B.