Day 12 Assignments

[Danielle Dillard]

The marketing campaign I’ll take is landing writing jobs. I’m going to research more producers that have produced stories in my genre and contact them. I’ll have my writing resume and writing samples ready to submit upon request. I’ll also attend pitch fests and network.

[Tracy Lawson]

The marketing campaign(s) I’d like to work with are Getting Recommendations and Marketing to Producers.

I’ll have time to continue to research leads while I revise my script in WIM.

[Marian]

Marian’s Marketing Campaign

What I learned doing this assignment is, that it’s essential to keep improving, think about possibilities to market my script, and find opportunities.

Marketing Campaign #6

Plan of actions & Actions taken:

– Do whatever it takes to elevate the writing … and your pitch
– Hook with High Concept and the most interesting parts of your screenplay
– Meeting on social networks/ LinkedIn
– Ask people for recommendations
– Strengthen relationships with personal meetings/ Zoom

Action to take next:

– getting feedback on the submissions and follow up

[Sky Canyon]

Sky Canyon’s Marketing Campaign

What I learned doing this assignment is that breaking it down into bite-sized pieces is what makes the process manageable and straight-forward.

1. Read through the 10 Marketing Campaigns and select ONE that you’ll take action on immediately.

Marketing Campaign #6: Marketing to Producers.

2. Taking that campaign, make a plan of action, listing the actions you’ll take.

Plan of action:

a) Finalize my query letter

b) Begin with the list of producers from Lesson 10, refine this list to the ones that make most sense relative to my script (dramatic comedy)

c) Get contact info for these producers (email)

d) Strong Subject Line for the email

e) Send emails

3. Tell us the first action you are going to take…and take it.

Two actions: Finalize my query letter and refine the producer list that I’m going to send to. On that now.

[Ron Horton]

Ron Horton’s Marketing Campaign for Charley’s River

Campaign #1 is started. I’m in the BAFF today and tomorrow, and have been making contacts, and promoting my project. I have also received coverage feedback on my script. It was very positive and I’ve been able to up the level by quite a bit.

I’ll be seeking a manager/mentor. They aren’t able to sell my script in California, but the sure can recommend it, while doing all they can to help me up my game.

My network is being built.

I’ll be sending my logline and short pitch to producers who are open to receiving them.

The various campaigns all point to Great Writing. I’m doing all I can to improve my scripts in all areas. I won’t be satisfied with pretty damned good. I want Wow. And I’m also looking for whatever writing gigs I can find.

[LEE SKORE]

Lee Skore’s Marketing Campaign

(4) What I learned doing this assignment is:

I have to take “baby steps” because when I think of the whole process I feel overwhelmed. One step at a time feels more doable and not so intimidating.

(1) Read through campaigns and select ONE:

Marketing Campaign #6: Marketing to Producers

(2) Plan of Action:

— From the various drafts I wrote of my query letter, choose and polish the one I think will garner the most responses

— Search IMDb for more producers in my genre

— Get contact information to send emails or make phone calls to these producers

— Send query letters

— Create a strong phone pitch

— Connect with producers on LinkedIn

— Enter contests

(3) First Actions:

Make sure my query letter and my phone pitch are as strong as possible

[Rodney Cavin]

Rod’s Marketing Campaign

This lesson has taught me how to plan a marketing campaign that fit’s my circumstances.

I’ve selected campaign #1, can’t travel but can market.
My plan of action is to search out warm market small producers working in my genre and budget range and email query letters to them. I’ll probably do small batches at a time and see what results, then adjust the query letter as needed to improve results. I will improve my social network presence building on my produced credit as the picture has won dozens of contests around the world as best picture, director, cast, editing and writing.

I am already redeveloping my warm market producer list — part of the delay in getting this lesson finished — and sorting through the list to find thrillers involving real people overcoming their threatening environments, made by producers who have had at least moderate successes in previous films. (I don’t see much buying potential in first time producers who have made very poor pictures and films which have returned less that one percent of production costs world-wide!)

Overall, this has been one of the most important classes I’ve taken from SU. I has impressed upon me the importance of building the pitches on the story’s hooks, so strongly that I believe in the importance of the pitch guiding the development of the script or even preceding it.

I apologize that outside elements have disrupted my timely completion of this class, but it couldn’t be helped.

Finally I thank Hal for the thoroughness of this and all the SU courses in covering the essentials of the subject matter as it applies in today’s world. Since I began with SU in 2013, I’ve notices a number of other screen writer’s group pushing lessons similar SU although I’ve never looked into their approach to the subject. Why bother when I’ve studied it from the best!

Thank you Hal.