TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OPPORTUNITY
SUMMARY
TEAM
APPEAL
BUSINESS MODEL
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION
LOGILINE
OUTLINE
EPISODE STRUCTURE
PILOT EPISODE/ SIZZLE REEL
POSSIBLE EPISODES
FEEL OF THE SHOW
FINANCIAL
INITIAL BUDGET
GREEK PRODUCTION ADVANTAGES
MARKETING STRATEGY
CORPORATE SPONSHORSHIPS / INVESTMENT
COMPARABLES
SCHEDULE
PRE-PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION
POST-PRODUCTION
TEAM
PRODUCERS
FILM CREW
COMPANIES INVOLVED
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Distilled is a TV series which will follow Rick Edwards, spirit
connoisseur and quirky traveler,, across the globe learning more
about spirits, people and local customs. And leaning more about
Rick and his back story.
OPPORTUNITY
Invest and or participate in the production of Distilled, a TV series
aimed at audiences across the globe, a collaborative effort
between a Greek and US team, allowing for the experience and
insight of Hollywood insiders and the investment and rebate
opportunities afforded in Greece, using a top notch production and
filming crew, which has already created the sizzle reel for the
series.
SUMMARY
Rick Edwards is an alcohol aficionado. An industry veteran with
more than 20 years under his belt, and a colorful background, from
US paratrooper to Chippendales model, to actor to distiller to
brand ambassador, he has done and seen a lot. Now, he gets to
channel his passion and adoration of all things distilled on the road,
learning more about people, places and spirits.
TEAM
An international producing and creating team, featuring Greek and
American professionals.
APPEAL
International travel shows are now a mainstream of almost all
programming, focusing in various types of tourism and/or specific
themes, such as gastronomy, celebrity or other types of tourism.
The show will draw on experiences from similar shows or other
travel shows, but will develop its own character. Parts Unknown,
Booze Traveler and other similar shows provide dos and don'ts and
Rick’s familiarity with spirits and his passion and winning character
will provide an added edge.
BUSINESS MODEL:
The expected cost per episode ranges at 100,000 Euros, all costs
included, due to the relatively cheap wages of the Greek film crew
and services provided, with an equivalent budget for a similar US
production running closer to 250,000 Euros. An added incentive is
that there is a Greek cash rebate program on all Greek related
productions of 80% of costs, as well as numerous opportunities for
EU subsidies in regards to such productions.
The aim is to also create revenues from possible corporate
sponsorships from companies related to relevant industries
(alcohol distribution companies, airlines, hotels etc)
Monetization of the series will include three possible models:
-direct agreement with international network (ie Hulu, Netflix)
-creation of the IP of the show building an online following via a
website and youtube, picking up corporate sponsors and then
marketing to an international network
-creation of the IP of the show building an online following via a
website and youtube, picking up corporate sponsors and then
marketing to national networks
CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION
LOGILINE
Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown meets alcohol and freedom.
OUTLINE
Food and travel create fond memories and bind you to a place.
Alcohol and travel create life experiences. Talking about the food of
a place is fascinating and gives you a glimpse into the nature of a
society and a culture, but discussing alcohol in the same context
gives you an added twist to that picture.
Also, there is growing trend for people to want to know more
about the way things are manufactured and produced, from
industry insiders and industry experts. From Master Chef to shows
showing how things are forged, created or restored, there is a
growing interest of audiences on seeing behind the scenes and to
see the passion of those involved.
Our shows will explore alcohol in various countries in the world,
meeting locals, the brewers and the people involved in making it as
well as imbibing it, while also discussing the culture, society and
freedoms the enjoy.
At the same time, Rick Edwards our host, will explain some of the
terms that people often hear in regards to spirits in terms that are
easily understandable, as well as anecdotal stories about spirits.
He will also show us how bartenders and distillers are now slowly
claiming their rightful place as culinary artists, in par with chefs.
All this, over drinks.
PILOT EPISODE/ SIZZLE OUTLINE
The pilot episode was shot in Greece in July 2019, with shoots
lasting for approximately 10 days and focused primarily in Athens
and a day's shoot in Patra. The shoots included more than 16
locations, focused on distilleries, bars, clubs and b-roll locations.
Initial funding was obtained from the Unscripted Film Lab and the
Atlas Network, plus sponsorship from Coco-Mat Hotel.
The sizzle reel can be seen here:
sizzle reel
(all the included images are from the shoots for the sizzle/ pilot)
INDICATIVE EPISODES FOR FIRST SEASON
INDONESIA:
This was the alternate initial location considered for the pilot
episode. Home of the Arak Bali, Brem Bali, Tuak, Ballo, Ciu, Sopi
and Saguer and other drinks. A beautiful country with amazing
culture (we visit during the truly macabre season of the dead),
alcohol is now under threat: the hardcore Muslims are trying to
make It illegal, making the mass production of inferior alcohol
prevalent and people are dying because of it.
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA, USA
Birthplace of the Rye whiskey, and also home to a little known
story: in 1791, Americans revolted. It was called the Whiskey
Rebellion. We visit the State and learn more, as well as sample the
local spirits, visit old and new distilleries, learn about the craft and
IPA beer scene which is burgeoning and let Rick tell us all there is
to know abour Rye whiskey and how to imbibe it.
IRELAND
We find out more about Irish Whiskey and pubs, and how love of
spirits has shaped this society from poets to bands. On the menu is
whiskey and beer. Also, we find out how the Irish are now starting
to create a new global brand: Irish Gin.
Rick also explains to us the basics of Whiskey and what their
differences and similarities are.
MIAMI AND CUBA:
How does one make the perfect Cuba Libre? How does one make
the perfect Daquiri? Where did Hemingway drink? What is the
difference in what you would expect to drink and see in Miami and
in Cuba, and how different are the two communities in regards to
their spirits? Can Rick dance Salsa? We visit beautiful Miami and
then Cuba to learn more about rum, cigars, salsa, where
Hemingway drank, cocktails and the Latin Spirit.
(possibly explore the angle of Rick’s military past by visiting
Guantanamo)
FRANCE:
Home to French wine, champagne and cognac, an episode where
we actually learn in plain English what terroir is, how to enjoy wine
cognac and champagne , and see the best and most beautiful
spirits France has to offer.
In this episode, Rick actually explains in laynans terms a lot of the
terms related to wine, which most people hear but don’t actually
know.
AUSTRALIA
Australia is home to wonderful people, wonderful spirits and
wonderful places, but also home to a little known story: When the
Sisters of Temperance decided to bring prohibition from the US to
Australia, the last thing they expected was the people to make an
alliance with police to stop this. Now Australia is a haven for spirits:
from beers to wines to whiskeys to gin, it is all happening here.
SCOTLAND
In the season finale, we go to the homeland of whiskey with
ancient traditions related to alcohol, where Rick puts on his kilt
and tells us of his past here and talks to the locals, about his true
passion: whiskey.
ALTERNATE EPISODE IDEAS
- Airplane bars and airport lounge bars
-Oktoberfest, Germany
- World Class Competition (Sponsored by Diageo)
FEEL OF THE SHOW
The theme of the travel show will be quirky. Rick is a larger than life
character, with a true love of life and a very positive attitude, who
connects with people over his passion: spirits. The tone and style
of the documentary will be quirky. We want the audience to do
two things: identify and learn more about Rick and his colorful
background and passion about spirits and to learn more about the
spirits themselves and the places they come from. It will be a show
about places, people and 'alcohol porn'.
Main themes of the show will include:
-Getting to know Rick better (his story, his days as an actor, in the
army, as a distiller and as a brand ambassador, his passion about
alcohol)
-Alcohol porn
-The concept that bartenders and distillers deserve a place next to
chefs in regards to their gastronomical talents
- Scenery from across the world which are breathtaking, combined
with places that normal tourists would not visit.
--Intriguing people all over the world, related to alcohol and the
places being visited.
-- Explanations from Rick in regards to terms we hear related to
alcohol and are not sure what the mean, anecdotal stories and
history related to spirits, insider information etc.
FINANCIAL
INITIAL BUDGET
In order to estimate the budget, the following elements have been
incorporated in the production:
-1 week of preparation in regards to scouting, investigating the
locations, outlining/ scripting the episode and the shooting
locations
-4 days of onsite visits, talking to interviewees and scouting
locations
-1 week of finalizing the episode after the onsite visit
-8 days of shoots on location, 2 different cities/regions per country
with a camera/light/ sound crew of 6 (Greek crew plus locals), plus
2 producers, director, local fixer and Rick
The estimated cost of each episode is at 101,000 Euros
Budget Breakdown: (Season 1)
Rick Edwards Salary: 10,000 Euros
Airfare/ Transpiration Costs: 8,000 Euros
Equipment Costs: 5,000 Euros
Food/ Misc Expenses: 5,000 Euros
Accommodation Costs 6,000 Euros
Fixer Salary: 2,000 Euros
Crew Salaries: 30,000 Euros
Production and Research Costs 15,000 Euros
Edit/Graphics/ Post Production 20,000 Euros
Total Cost: 101,000 Euros
GREEK PRODUCTION ADVANTAGES
The project is aimed at being a co-production between the US and
Greece. Having a Greek production has a number of advantages:
-There is a cash rebate program for Greek productions which
allows for an 80% of expenses, including travel expenses (provided
they are undertaken via a Greek Travel agency), including for shows
outside of Greece and co-productions (only however for the
expenses undertaken from the Greek side of things)
-There are a number of EU and international related grants which
the project might be eligible for, depending on the final production
team assembled (indicative EU Creative Europe Grants, which has a
number off grants related to EU based co productions)
-As can be seen by the imdb and bios of the Greek filming crew,
these are industry veterans, who have the requisite experience to
realize the project
-All Greek related personnel are fully fluent in English
-The suggested team has already cooperated in making the sizzle
reel for the project
-There is growing pressure to non- EU based VOD and other
networks from the EU to create EU related productions, which is
now a serious consideration
MARKETING STRATEGY
The aim of the project is to be marketed for mainstream TV
viewership, either through national networks, or through VoD.
The three suggested strategies for initial funding of the Distilled TV
Series are as follows:
-Pitching the project to one of the VoD networks (Netflix, Hulu) and
fully funding the project
-Creating an initial IP by marketing to sponsors for product
placement and marketing (See corporate sponsors)
-Starting the project on an episode by episode basis, finding
country specific sponsors and building the IP
The first strategy is pretty clear cut and will target networks such as
HBO Europe, Travel Channel, Netflix, Hulu etc.
On the second and third strategy, we would build an IP for the
franchise (social media related) and work towards either marketing
towards national networks for the project, and/or then pitch
towards the first option. These strategies would require more
effort and a wider array of funding methods, but would allow for a
number of more targeted sponsors for each episode (for instance
the Food Board of Ireland is interested in promoting Irish Gin as a
national product, as well as their Tourism Board)
The aim is to achieve a revenue of 250,000-300,000 Euros per
episode
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP/ INVESTMENT
Distilled offers the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of
corporate (or other type) of sponsorship, as well as possible
investment.
The main suggested corporate sponsorships suggested are as
follow:
-Alcohol related sponsorships: A sponsorship deal would include
product placement of the company (this would mean that
whenever cocktails or other spirits were introduced, they would be
from those produced or marketed by the company, unless a local/
small distillery was being introduced), as well as featured brand
ambassadors, events or initiatives (an example of this is Momix,
the molecular mixology company in Greece which is heavily
sponsored and promoted by Pernod Ricard). This could also work
at a national or specific product level (as was the case in the Greek
shoots)
Suggested Companies: Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi
-Airline related sponsorships: Distilled is a travel show, which can
offer an additional advantage to sponsors: it can talk about
airplane bars in first class, something which is a highlight for quite a
few of the major international airlines (indicatively Etihad/
Emirates and Qatar Airways have invested in this as a signature
feature). Alternatively, an episode by episode sponsorship with
specific companies could allow for targeted sponsorships in
exchange with the travel expenses.
Suggested Companies: Etihad/ Emirates/ Qatar
-Phone related sponsorships: A sponsorship deal would include
product placement of the company (Rick using phones, tablets and
other products of the company in question during the episodes).
Suggested Companies: Apple,, Samsung, Huaweii, Xiaomi
-Hotel related sponsorship: Distilled is a travel show, which can
offer an additional advantage to sponsors: it can talk about
airplane bars in first class, something which is a highlight for quite a
few of the major international airlines (indicatively Etihad/
Emirates and Qatar Airways have invested in this as a signature
feature). Alternatively, an episode by episode sponsorship with
specific companies could allow for targeted sponsorships in
exchange with the travel expenses.
Suggested Companies: Etihad/ Emirates/ Qatar
Ride hailing/ ride sharing company sponsorships: This
sponsorship would offer an amazing opportunity for a CSR related
sponsorship in regards to the don’t drink and drive theme, which
could be highlighted by Rick. It would include shoots showing Rick
ordering the service and boarding it.
Suggested Companies: Uber, lyft
Booze Traveler (2014-2018)
Jack travels the world seeking out
the most adventurous and cultural
drinking traditions.
1,8 million weekly viewership
Anthony Bourdain: Parts
Unknown (2013-2018)
Anthony Bourdain visits countries,
delving into their political issues as
well as indigenous food and
culture.
700,000-1,200,000 initial
viewership per episode
Ugly Delicious (2018-)
Chef David Chang travels around
the world tasting food from
different cultures.
SCHEDULE
PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-production for each episode will include:
- One month of prepping and scripting the episode, including
selecting a fixer, shooting locations and interviews, local crew
members, preliminary contacts, and setting up the trip for scouting
locations
- 4 days of an onsite visit to the suggested locations, iron out
travel times and transition times for shoots, take photos and videos
of locations, find alternate locations and prep the interviews and
background materials for the episode
- Two weeks of incorporating the input from the onsite visits
and creating a finalized shooting schedule, script and locking down
shooting dates, travel arrangements etc
PRODUCTION
7 days of shoots per episode (possible additional day for
locations which require substantial travel such as the Miami
Cuba episode
POST-PRODUCTION
One month of post production including sending finalized materials
to editor, creating post-production notes, animations, creating
initial cut and final cut.
The aim is to create episodes concurrently so that pre-production
is running for other episodes while other episodes are in
production or post-production mode.
TEAM
PRODUCERS/ DIRECTORS/ DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The series will be co-produced by Michael Iakovidis, Roxani
Kargakou, Joe Gressis (https://imdb.to/2Qtc2U2 ) and Patrick
Reasonover (https://imdb.to/2Fqfit6 ).
The series director will be Haris Donias
(https://imdb.to/39JWumD )
The Director of Photography will be Nikos Voulgaris
(https://imdb.to/2tC9r0V )
FILM CREW
The film crew on location will include the Director, at least one of
the producers, the Director of Photography, one Greek camera
operator for the second camera, sound engineer, lighting assistant
and one camera assistant, plus the fixer and a local production
assistant (where not otherwise specified the personnel will be
either Greek or local)
COMPANIES INVOLVED
The two companies involved in the production will be Greek
Liberties Monitor, a company which focuses on
entrepreneurship and has a series of short films and online videos
and is now in treatment for a Greek version of Shark Tank with the
Greek National TV channel.
Just Add Firewater Productions XXX
