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Day 1 Assignments
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11 Replies
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BOB SMITH’S PROJECT AND MARKET
“What I learned today is…?
I learned how to better wear the “business hat” of a writer.
PROJECT TITLE: “Moths Around a Flame: The Making of ‘The Blue Angel.’”
GENRE: Historical Drama.
LOGLINE: “Moths Around a Flame” is an historical drama in which Josef von Sternberg’s new protégé and mistress Marlene Dietrich and Oscar-winner Emil Jannings are the conflicted lead-actors in Sternberg’s erotic thriller “The Blue Angel” and their careers follow trajectories that parallel the fate of the characters they portray in the film, i.e., with the success of Dietrich and the ruin of Jannings.
Most attractive about this film is that it is a movie about the making of a classic movie, the persons who made it (Dietrich, Jannings, and director, Josef von Sternberg) and their tangled relationships. I especially think that Paramount might be interested in this film as Paramount is the studio at which Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg did their best work, and Paramount had a direct hand in this German-made film. The film will attract the interest of the same ‘movie buff’ audience that are fans of TCM and such films of the making of films as “Mank,” and “RKO 281.”
Initially, my target will be actors. To demonstrate both bankability and abilities as an actor, I can imagine many interested A-listers wanting to play such parts as Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings, or Sternberg. I see Jessica Chastain as Dietrich and Gary Oldman as Jannings. For the part of controversial director Josef von Sternberg, either Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, or Jon Bernthal.
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Michelle Damis Project and Market
TITLE: EMPTY NEST
FORMAT/GENRE: Feature – Dark Comedy/Satire
LOGLINE: A bored, existential vampire forced to find a new place to live, finds a home with empty-nester parents, who unknowingly trade their soul-sucking daughter for a blood-sucking tenant.
COMPS: “ELF” (for Halloween)
WHAT IS ATTRACTIVE ABOUT MY STORY: It is something that families can relate to and sit down and watch together, the story is warm and funny while at the same time tackling several real world issues.
I set out to flip the narrative on the vampire genre and use a somewhat absurd premise to make people think about their purpose and perspective in life, a vampire story with a heart, that is funny and relatable while being thought provoking and existential. Who knew?
TARGETS: I think targeting producers and actors first is smart for me as I know far more of them than agents and managers. I think this project is different because it is family friendly in a world where so many shows are using shock value and not for families. Ted Lasso did so well because of this. I believe I’ve created something that will resonate with the Ted Lasso audience. It also has “holiday” marketability surrounding Halloween.
What I learned is that while getting representation is important to me, my connections elsewhere are going to serve me better and quicker.
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Julia’s Project and Market
1. Give us the logline for your story and the genre. It is a tandem competitive dramedy with fantasy and horror elements, i.e. two stories that compete with each other.
Jake logline: When a fitness pro is challenged by the deaths of friends and family from COVID and neurodegenerative diseases, he must make friends with a serial killer who has the secret brain buffet to curb the dementia growing in his own brain from Parkinson’s, and help his parents battle Alzheimer’s and ALS, until he discovers that the real enemy is the professor who threw him out of college for plagiarism and is now the CEO of a dangerous global network.
BB/Betty Logline: A funeral director turned hospitality chef hides his secret life as a serial killer/rapist/arsonist by changing into a hit man and finally a female chef who sacrifices her life to save others.
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most
attractive about your story. Rich and poor homeless New Yorkers are similar in too many ways. Fate versus will in climate catastrophes and aging.
3. Tell us which you will target first — agent, manager, producer,
or actor and how your script fits what they need and want. Agent for my trilogy. But if she/he/they doesn’t want to read 300,000 words, or can’t understand these short loglines, I will offer my screenplay for the last novel.4. Answer the question “What I learned today is that I must sell the trilogy first and this time I need a NYC literary agent although I was previously published by contacting editors or when editors asked me to write.
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Pablo’s Project and Market
Title: La Ventura
1. Give us the logline for your story and the genre.
Logline: To escape the Mexican drug lord responsible for her husband’s murder, a mother must take her son’s across the border only to become unknowing contestants in a twisted, online game show where American viewers place bet’s on their success… or their downfall.
Genre: Thriller/Drama
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
Not only is it timely with the state of the border crisis and the current culture wars, but it is also a commentary on social media, online gaming, and dehumanization through sports/entertainment. It’s an homage to other sci-fi classics but it is much more realistic in the sense that this story could happen today.
3. Tell us which you will target first — agent, manager, producer, or actor and how your script fits what they need and want.
Producer. I feel that this is a story that many progressive millennials might be interested in. It was very much inspired by shows such as Black Mirror or films like Hunger Games and Get Out. All were highly successful.
4. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”
I learned that this is might be the most important part of making it in the business. No one will want to read your screenplay unless it’s marketable. An “interesting concept” is one thing. A “marketable concept” is another.
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Jodi’s Project and Market – Day 1
1. Give us the logline for your story and the genre.
Drama
One Governor illegally violates the constitutional rights of the women of his state by pitting neighbors as spies and bounty hunters against any woman who wants an abortion. One woman challenges his seat to overturn this savage attack on women’s reproductive rights and the financial devastation of the state and the poor, that this man has caused.
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
My story is Timely.
It is something that needs the country’s attention and activism. There are more pro-choice citizens in this nation and yet, since there are more pro-life legislatures (mostly white males that still we females have to acquiesce to, they still have our fate in their misogynistic hands btw), they are overturning and ignoring what their constituents put them in office for. It wasn’t to make women second class citizens, hell we haven’t even had the ERA entered into the Constitution yet. The clocks of time are turning back for women. It is going back to the dark ages. 1922 or 2022?….It all depends on who you ask!?
3. Tell us which you will target first — agent, manager, producer, or actor and how your script fits what they need and want.
The only thing I know is it wouldn’t be smart to target an Agent. After reading the article “the mind of the Studio Exec” the reality is my script is very risky in the fact that it is controversial subject matter. And even though more than half of the country is pro-choice, many people don’t like these kinds of films. Also, with the risky aspect; It is a timely script, it’s window of time being within six months (the supreme court decision coming up) to possibly two years out (appeal process), it is not one that would get a pitch request in less than a minute without a name actor attached. So, I would think the smartest thing to do would be to find a bankable actor to pique interest of the exec. I don’t know what the return of investment would be if it were to be marketed. So, an Actor, Manager or Producer. I clearly don’t know which would be best to do first for my project.
4. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?” I remember this lesson in the beginning and
I’m glad we revisited it. I learned not
to go to an Agent. You have to be
already be established and working in the industry for them to be
interested. With a Manager you need to
be able to be flexible and be open to assignments, etc. Studios are for the big tent pole pics that
Agents work on. -
Amy’s Project and Market
What I learned today is to focus on what makes your script marketable.
Logline: A local TV anchor who has been neglecting her family travels through time and arrives one year into the future. When she gets back, she must compete with the woman who took over her family while she was gone.
Genre: Family
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most
attractive about your story- I think my story is attractive because it involves time travel and appeals to all age groups. Also, I think the protagonist’s struggle to determine whether her career or her family is more important is very relatable.
3. Tell us which you will target first — agent, manager, producer,
or actor and how your script fits what they need and want.-Producer- I think it’s marketable due to it appealing to all age groups and being family friendly. I also like to think it’s somewhat original.
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Budinscak Project and Market
Day 1
What I learned doing this assignment:
o You gotta water your own horse. You and you alone are responsible for … you. Story, brand, image, marketing, sales, social media, et al.
o Helpful grid to identify what direction a writer should go – manager, agent, producer, actor.
Logline – A sly gangster teaches his two stowaway nephews about life and family on a cross-country trip he’s agreed to make in order to save his family’s restaurant.
Genre – adventure, coming of age, road trip
What’s most attractive about the story – a coming of age story for the nephews, but also about their Uncle Jack’s growth from heel to hero while learning there are some things more important than himself.
Targeting first – A-list actor. Why – it’s a fun ride, a feel-good story with a ‘family is good’ theme that calls for the actor to run the gamut of emotions while displaying their acting chops. Many situations in a constantly changing environment with a solid character arc in both the internal and external journeys.
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Janeen’s Project and Market
What I learned today is that I had been considering who to send this to already and now had to put it in words.
LOGLINE: A wealthy fashionista learns mind control techniques and uses them to empower women at a shelter to take action against their abusers. As her ability to empower the abused grows stronger, the actions taken against the abusers turn deadly.
GENRE: Drama
2. Most Attractive about the story: The Empowerment Guild offers strong roles for actors who want to be more than pretty faces. It also explores the power of the mind in helping people who would be impossible to reach any other way.
3. I will probably target the production companies of certain actresses and producers first.
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Elizabeth’s running behind!
What I learned: I’m glad we have access to these forums to keep rehashing. But for a start…
Working Logline:
When a retired psychiatrist meets the family of the son his recently deceased “one and only love” gave up for adoption as a teen, he recruits his retirement home friends to help with their plethora of psychological needs—and while everyone comes to “love and work” (a la Freud) better, finally faces his own demons.
Genre: Comedy-drama
Most attractive:
· The hook-question of what Freud forget. And why it might be helpful for everyone to know.
· A simple, humorous portrayal of some ideas that Freud got right—so anyone can understand.
A story for people of all ages, about people of all ages loving, working (a la Freud)—and (what Freud forgot)—to enrich the lives of all.
…In a culture that has long warehoused the elderly and their riches, and at a time when so many of us have suffered the solitary deaths of our aged loved ones.
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Emmanuel’s Project and Market
What I learned today is to attract the right script buyer, you must target the market, present a script they want and make it irresistible.
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Rob’s Project and Market
What I learned: I learned out to put myself in the mind of a studio exec and how to pitch to their specific needs and wants.
Logline: Two grieving sisters become convinced their house is haunted, only to discover an obsessed teenage boy living in their walls, pretending to be the ghost of their dead mother. (Thriller-Horror)
What I like most: I love the exploration of deeper themes surrounding love, loss and being true to oneself.
Who Will I Target: I am currently sitting on four marketable screenplays, so I would like to target a manager that’s niche is in the horror/thriller market.
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