Guerilla News, Issue 719
It’s December and I’m sweating. Big time. I’m sitting in a posh, manicured office tucked deep within the confines of Propaganda Films in
Fifteen minutes. To sell a project I’ve been working on for almost two years. Granted, there were other projects, writing assignments, and pitifully squandered days throwing back Real Ale mixed into those years, but the weight of all my work came down to this: squirming for a junior exec. Sweating for a junior exec. No one should have to sweat for a junior exec. What was next was inevitable: The Pitch.
Exec: So what have you got?
Me: I’ve been developing a script that focuses on the relationships and sexual dysfunction of six couples in
Exec: Why
Me: Umm…sure…I grew up in the
Exec: David tends to like shooting in
Junior is referring to David Fincher, the director of Se7en, Fight Club, and Zodiac who happens to be the head of Propaganda. I, of course, knew this. Fincher is one of my favorite directors ever and was the driving force behind me getting these precious fifteen minutes in his studio.
Me: Sure,
Exec: What else have you got?
I blink at this for a moment.
Me: Else?
Exec: Yeah. What else have you got?
My brain works furiously, sifting through the hundreds of pages of short scripts, ideas, doodles, and napkin scribbles I’ve accumulated over the years. Surely there was another great idea…
Me: I do have a graphic novel I’m currently developing that focuses on a fantasy story involving American Indians prior to European invasion. It involves a quest by an Inuit warrior named Okoye who travels…
Exec: (starting to stare out his window and now picking his teeth) What kind of Indians?
Me: American Indians. Inuit and Lakota mostly.
Exec: Hmm…No Cherokee?
I stare in dismay; surely the young Anglophile I see before me is not 1/32nd Cherokee or something. Is he worried about not including a particular tribe, or is he thinking about potential product placement?
Me: Well…
The phone rings, and without a moment’s hesitation, Junior picks it up. I realize that the meeting’s as good as over. I sit and fidget while he discusses the finer points of his day’s schedule with his receptionist. He hangs up.
Exec: I think you may have something with that
I treated this trip as a learning experience; I managed to get my script read by one of L.A.’s most exciting production companies (never heard back from them of course), learned a lot about what not to do at a pitch session, and gained an appreciation for all the screenwriters and producers of the world who know how to maximize their fifteen minutes. Next time, I’ll hopefully know better how to maximize mine, too. How about you?
Links about Pitching:
http://www.talkingpix.co.uk/Column%20Lenore%209.html
http://ewritersplace.com/a195.php
http://www.scripthollywood.com/id29.html
Books about Pitching:
The Perfect Pitch by Ken Rotcop
Pitching
Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent’s Eye by Katherine Sands
Ten Minutes To the pitch: Your Last Minute Guide… by Chris Abbott
Pitchfests:
http://www.pitchfest.com/index.shtml
http://www.fadeinonline.com/events/hollywood_pitchfest/
http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/conference_festival
Posted by: Rich Newman
The Listings:
Crew Call: AC, PA’s, and Still Photographer needed for Friday/Saturday. DVX100 experience a plus for AC. Contact Glaze Studios online at www.glaze.net
July 25: Screen Door presents The Last Days of the San Jose at the Salvage Vanguard Theater. Q&A with director Liz Lambert after the screening. 7pm, $6.
Crew Call: Crowned Angel Productions is looking for a Line Producer/Production Manager for low budget production. Send resume to production@crownedangel.com
Crew Call:
Crew Call: Austin-based film company needs tech-savvy individual to strengthen our online presence. Feature film currently in post-production. Project featured at IFP Market in NYC. We need someone to take over our myspace page and get clips onto YouTube. Web design skills preferred, but not required. Reply to: dybikes@yahoo.com
Cast Call: A Very Bad Day is a low-budget feature length comedy, shooting from July 27 through August 20th in and around
Cast Call: The UT Austin Engineering Department is seeking one male and one female for an industrial-style video that will be distributed as a podcast series. Jobs are PAID. Two day shoot in late August (Dates TBD). Please send Headshots, Resume, web links, or demo reels to ecacpodcast@gmail.com
Cast Call: 4020 Productions is seeking a MALE (28-35) lead for indie feature (dark comedy) this fall. Must be able to work weekends, & for deferred payment. Food, feature credit, and reel provided. Please email your resume/head shot/availability to: jentri76@yahoo.com for consideration
Crew Call: Associate Producers for comedy film needed. Duties include assisting with finding actors, setting up and running auditions, finding and securing use of locations, finding crew members to fill needed positions, compiling necessary equipment, etc. This is mostly for experience, but some financial compensation is available, depending on your dedication and skill. If you have a demo DVD, mail to: Jared Whitener,
July 23: 48 Hour Film Project Screening. 7:30pm, Regal Arbor Cinema at Great Hills. Come see the weekend projects’ screening
Crew Call: Need hair/makeup artist for webisode shooting Sun and Mon (July 22 &23). Will be shooting 4 episodes in two days. If interested please call Vanessa @ 512-698-8318 or Reply to: gaitan_vanessa@yahoo.com
July 25: Network Austin Mixer, Mother Egan’s Irish Pub. Barbara Brinkley, casting director, will be speaking. 7pm and free for all.
Crew Call: Production Assistant needed at The Crossings, a progressive learning center and meeting place located in NW Austin. Brief Description: Set-up and operate audio / visual equipment and set-up chairs & tables for a variety of events. Position is part time, but may become full time depending on changing needs. Qualified candidates send your resume and cover letter to: jobs@thecrossingsaustin.com. In your cover letter please address the following: • Why you want to work at The Crossings? • How many hours can you work weekly? • State your minimum hourly pay requirements.
Crew Call: Documentary script writer needed. Project is about songwriter Blaze Foley. Contact Kevin Triplett at Mopac Media: Kevin@mopacmedia.com
Crew Call: Director needed for Christian sitcom in
Call for Submissions: Nueva Onda Movie Nights (www.nuevaaustin.com) is looking for local films to show at the restaurant located at
Crew Call: I’m looking for that one Editor who treats their craft as a true Art , not some one who thinks throwing a few action shots together or some funky band with out of...well you know what I mean. I already have Editors in
Cast Call: We are looking specifically for multi-talented actors. Actors that have other abilities, such as writing, improv, film production, etc. Film actors, theatre actors, everyone's welcome. The idea is that we will all help each other refine our talent. We get together at 7 pm every Tuesday night. We work on audition monologues and on scenes with each other. We're looking for experienced and working actors only. If you'd like to stop by our meeting on Tuesday nights, we meet at the South Austin Pictures office located in
Workshop: HP Lovecraft Short Story Filmmaking Class. This is my horror movie class. Click on the class name and the ad and registration information will come up.
http://www.austinfilmschool.org/asf-youth-course12.htm. Students will work in pre-production, production, and post-production with horror film director Cathy Welch during production of the HP Lovecraft short story, The Music of Eric Zann. Open to teens. $375.
Crew Call: DP, Editor, and Camera Operator needed for indie feature. Filmed Nov-Jan on weekends. Deferred payment, food and feature credit received. Searching for dependable, fun and creative assets to our team. For consideration, please submit your resume with availability to: jentri76@yahoo.com
Cast Call: Untitled Public Service Announcements to be shot in and around Austin
and Kyle. Tentative shoot schedule to be August 1-5. Unpaid, but food will be provided during shoot. Looking for men in their 20s and 50s, women in their 20s, as well as a woman in her 60s. Casting at Ranch Studios,
ranchstudios78640@ yahoo.com prior to coming out this weekend
Crew Call: DP needed with JVC HGY100 or 200 needed for music video. My Evil Twin, a
Workshops: Script to Screen Workshop (Starts Sep 11) and Teen Filmmaking Workshop (Starts Sep 8) now accepting registration. Workshop will be at the
July 26: Come out and support the release of Joe O’Connell’s book (film writer for Austin Chronicle). 7pm at Bookpeople. Band performances and fun for all. Get more info regarding the book at www.joemoconnell.com
July 28: Femme Film
July 23: Writer’s League of Texas: Script Writing Workshop with Bonnie Orr. $199 for WLT members, $249 for non-members. www.writersleague.org
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