Adult Swim video editor pitches TV pilot, ask for public’s help

Getting a television series passed by executives and picked up by a network is a struggle to say the least. While there are the lucky ones selected for a pilot episode or season, there are just as many shows and their unsung heroes—the writers—that don’t make it to the small screen. That’s why Nick Gibbons has realized, you must have an attack plan to get your series off the ground.

A video editor for Adult Swim, Gibbons’ live action project entitled Dark Alley, about a family-owned bowling alley in a small town, is his attempt at creating a fast and funny series with quality production. Deciding you have a script on your hands worthy of television, however, is the easy part. Gibbons’ next hurdle is a budget that can be kept low and manageable without losing quality.

With a set goal of $30,000, Gibbons has taken to the Interwebs in his campaign to raise the necessary funds for his pilot. The Dark Alley Kickstarter has seen more than $8,000 pledged with over 130 backers and still has a week to go before the campaign ends. While Gibbons says that the average production budget is five times more than his actual goal, but he’s asking for any donations — big or small — so that he may “unleash this beast onto the world.”

Having written and performed comedy for more than 20 years, Gibbons has made a name for himself in the film and television industry after working on several popular productions including Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, the Ice Age franchise, Archer, and Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force and You’re Pretty Face is Going to Hell. Gibbons wrote the initial Dark Valley story a year ago and after revisiting the script, he decided to pitch it as a TV pilot.

Gibbons is not alone in his efforts to see the script brought to the screen. His time spent in New York on the comedy circuit with Upright Citizens Brigade allowed him to form connections with other performers, many of whom Gibbons got to act in the pilot. Gibbons says the funds would be used to help pay for the crew, equipment, actors, travel, hotels, food, location rental, wardrobe, and “any other incidentals that might pop up.”

For more information and contributions to the campaign can be made here.