TVSquad

David E. Kelley? Paul Haggis? Aaron Sorkin? You? Me? Larry Meistrich is open to the possibility that the next great TV series might just come from anyone and anywhere.

Meistrich, who has produced over 100 feature films, including Sling Blade, You Can Count of Me, and Henry Fool, has set up a brand-new studio called NEHST (pronounced "Next") Creations in New Jersey. Nehst Creations is actively looking to greenlight projects and distribute ready-made films that originate outside of the Hollywood system. And they have begun holding a series of pitch events to find these projects.

On Saturday, April 7, Meistrich and his team entertained live pitches from over 50 participants at a all-day pitch event held at Fairleigh Dickinson University, in Teaneck NJ. The ideas were as varied as the participants who showed up to pitch them. And while Meistrich didn't like every pitch, he noted that over the course of the day, there wasn't one "shitty" idea.

Besides looking for new ideas, Meistrich and his team are clearly focused on going where no studio has gone before. They believe the future of episodic storytelling lies not in traditional television, but in the internet.

Nehst Creations is actively seeking original content that they can launch inexpensively online as professional web series. And they apparently have significant funding in place to do so. Meistrich believes that the internet has become a viable broadcasting option, especially for specialized, niche programming. And once they pave the way, Meistrich believes the money will follow.

As the price of doing business in Hollywood skyrockets, the business itself is changing. This is why Meistrich and his team are exploring new creative outlets, and looking outside the industry for new creative talent. Which could be good news for Hollywood outsiders, like myself, who are armed with lots of ideas and dreams, but don't have the type of connections one traditionally needs to become an insider.

Anyone who has ever tried to break into Hollywood knows it isn't easy. Generally, you need more than a great idea and talent. You need an agent, a manager, a lawyer, and a cousin or friend of a friend who works for Steven Spielberg. And you have to go to L.A. to "pitch" your ideas. Usually, they don't come to you.

The Nehst pitch events are unique in that they are coming to you. Meistrich and his team are planning a series of events that will take them across the country. The cost to attend the all-day pitch event is ridiculously low (ahem, $10). Other pitch events, such as Pitch Fest and Hollywood Pitch Festival, offer access to dozens of companies, but also charge hundreds of dollars to do so.

But be warned, the Nehst pitch event can be a bit intimidating. Instead of pitching to an assistant, you are pitching to Nehst's top executives -- the very people who can greenlight your project and cut you a check. And instead of pitching one-on-one or in private, participants are asked to pitch in front of everyone in attendance. Afterwards, Larry and his team give fairly extensive notes on both the pitch and the idea. And if it's something they're interested in pursuing, they let you know immediately. If they don't like the pitch, they won't mince words. But at least they'll hear you out politely until your pitch is finished.

If you think you have the next great idea, now is your chance to tell someone who could make it happen. The next pitch event is at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, on April 24. If you can't make it to the live event, you also have the option of going to the pitchnehst site and giving a virtual pitch instead.

And me? I've got at least five or six TV series ideas I can pitch to Larry and company. Who knows, maybe they'll even like one of them.