Rejection Takes Gammy on Path to Success
Gammy, an architect turned reality TV producer from Indonesia, who finds inspiration from the likes of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, successful men behind famous and long running game show franchises such as Family Feud and Price is Right, bagged the top spot at the ATF Formats Pitch 2019. With the S$3,500 cash prize in hand, Gammy won praises from the panel of judges – esteemed names from the industry – with his title, “Don’t Block The Numbers”.
Industry pillars judged at the ATF Formats Pitch 2019
(L—R) Ilan Astrug, VP, Format Acquisition & Format Sales, Italy, Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP); Vivian Yin, Senior Industry Consultant; Gammy the Winner; Mike Beale, MD, ITV Studios; Sonia Fleck, CEO, Bomanbridge; Nomin Chinbat, CEO, MongolTV; and host, Michel Rodrigue, CEO & Partner, The Format People
Gammy, however, is no stranger to the pitch, as 2019 marked his second non-consecutive year at the competition, as well as his second time winning. The opportunity to network with many international industry professionals was the main reason that drew Gammy to hit the submit button, along with the chance to test if his projects would be more receptive outside of his country.
Locally, broadcasters in his native Indonesia have constantly turned away his projects, noting that they are “not suitable for the Indonesia market”.
Yet, this fueled his fervor.
Reconnecting with Gammy as the applause fade, the limelight dim, and life return to some sort of normalcy, iNSiGHTS magazine takes a closer look at what it takes to find conviction to participate and passion to persevere.
Gammy’s 2019 inspiration behind his winning project was, “Who Wants to be A Millionaire”. In “Block the Numbers”, Gammy highlighted that the prize money itself would be big; while attracting people to play, the game would also be extremely difficult, making it tough to get the dough.
“There is an element of luck to every choice of answer,” Gammy conveyed. “While contestants need to be smart and knowledgeable to keep winning money and proceeding to the next level, the game becomes more relatable to life itself, as the perception of ‘pure luck’ is a real component needed to reach the top prize.”
Gammy also noted that innovation and the ability for a format to travel internationally are the key ingredients to successful formats. His advice to future entrants would be to create formats with a fresh and new premise.
“Even if there’s no idea for a new premise, innovate on the rules of the show,” Gammy remarked. “It is also important to research on who the judges are and their preferences on shows.”
Gammy’s 2019 win
More than the Pitch
Gammy shared that during ATF itself, he met many distributors and media companies from different countries, which were beneficial to his plans. Some companies have even approached him for collaborations after his live pitch, but for now, he intends to retain the ownership of his IP to develop it further; hoping that in the future, it can be commissioned internationally because his targeted market is overseas, with an audience who enjoy quiz and game shows.