Day 2 Assignments

[Robert Smith]

BOB SMITH’S TARGET MARKET

WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS …?

Look for a target market among agents, managers, producers, etc. who do movies like the one you are writing.

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.

1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors that you might want to play your lead characters.

MANK

Producers

Cean Chaffin

Eric Roth

Douglas Ubanski

RKO 281

Producers

Ridley Scott

Su Armstrong

THE CAT’S MEOW

Producers

Julia Barnes

Kim Bieber

Carol Lewis

Dieter Mayer

(Couldn’t think of any more films that are close to what I am writing.)

2. Using the Targeting process above, go to http://www.imdb.com and find 20 to 100 producers for your specific project.

I had problems with the IMDB site, however the producers of the three films mentioned in #1 (above) may be potential open doors for me as those films are about either the making of a classic motion picture or the people in the film industry who make the films, although they come to only 9 rather 20-100 they still are candidates. Among them is Ridley Scott. (The producers’ names are listed under the above films.)

[Julia Keefer]

What I learned is that my project is based in NYC and once my trilogy is published, I will hustle NYC producers and stars at the health clubs. Mass mailings never worked.

1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors that you might want to play your lead characters. I don’t know contemporary actors and no movies are similar to mine.

2. Using the Targeting process above, go to http://www.imdb.com and find 20 to 100 producers for your specific project. I can’t make this decision now. I knew producers and stars in the eighties but my agent and Penguin will have to do this. If I must self publish, I might look for producers then, but I can’t afford to do that.

[Michelle Damis]

Michelle Damis Target 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.

1.) Movies- Elf, Little Miss Sunshine, Dark Shadows, Beetlejuice, Matilda

2.) Actors – Steve Carell, Hugh Grant, Phil Dunphy, Julianne Moore, Rene Russo, Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi McDowell Katey Sagal, Rob Sheehan, Lily Rose Depp, Kristie Dawn Dinsmore, Zoey Duetch

3.) Producers-Matilda-

MATILDA-Jersey Films- Danny Devitos Company, Martin Bregman, Liccy Dahl, Nicholas Kazan. Joshua Levinson, Micheal Peyser, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Robin Swicord.

ELF- Jon Favreau, Kent Alterman, Jon Berg, Cale Boyter, Julie Darmody, Toby Emmerich, David Householter, Todd Komarnicki, Jimmy Miller, Shauna Robertson

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE-Albert Berger, Michael Beugg, Jeb Brody, David Friendly, Bart Lipton, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Ron Yerxa

DARK SHADOWS- Bruce Berman, Brenda Berrisford, Christi Dembrowski Johnny Depp, Katterli Frauenfelder, Derek Frey, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, David Kennedy, Graham King, Chris Lebenzon, Richard Zanuck.

BEETLEJUICE- Eric Angelson, Micheal Bender, Richard Hashimoto June Peterson, Larry Wilson.

What I learned doing this assignment is that there are many avenues I can take, I also need to write a list of everyone I’ve worked with and all the emails I have collected over the years.

[Pablo Soriano]

Pablo’s Target Market

Title: La Ventura

Genre: Thriller/Drama

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.

The Hunger Games

Diana Alvarez – Co-Producer

Robin Bissell – Executive Producer

Martin Cohen – Co-Producer

Suzanne Colins – Executive Producer

Chantal Fefhali – Co-Producer

Nina Jacobson – Producer

Jon Kilik – Producer

Louis Phillips – Co-Producer

Aldric La’auli – Co-Producer

Louise Rosner – Executive Producer

Bryan Unkeless – Co-Producer

Desierto

Lucas Akoskin – Associate Producer

Patrick Andre – Associate Producer

Nicolas Celis – Executive Producer

Alfonso Cuaron – Producer

Carlos Cuaron – Producer

Santiago Garcia Galvan – Executive Producer

Alex Garcia – Producer

Gael Garcia Bernal – Executive Producer

Charles Gillibert – Producer

Eireann Harper – Associate Producer

David Line – Executive Producer

The Truman Show

Edward S. Feldman – Producer

Andrew Niccol – Producer

Lynne Pleshette – Executive Producer

Richard Luke Rothschild – Co-Producer

Scott Rudin – Producer

Adam Schroeder – Producer

The Running Man

Keith Barish – Executive Producer

Rob Cohen – Executive Producer

George Linder – Producer

Tim Zinneman – Producer

The Cabin in the Woods

Jason Clark – Executive Producer

John Swallow – Co-Producer

Joss Whedon – Producer

I learned that my story does kind of touch on other films I didn’t think about before. I also learned that there can be a lot of producers on one film.

[Jodi Harrison]

Jodi’s Target Market – Day 2

This is a great way to target Producers that deal specifically with your subject matter, and that is the best place to start reaching out.

Title either: Heartbeat OR Undue Burden

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.

1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors that you might want to play your lead characters.

Movies:

If these walls could talk, The Contender, Head of State, The Surrogate, Vera Drake, Grandma

Lead Actor:

Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Renee Zellweger, Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana, Reese Witherspoon

2. Using the Targeting process above, go to imdb and find 20 to 100 producers for your specific project.

1. Cher, 2. Demi Moore, 3. Suzanne Todd, 4. Martin Ganz, 5. Doris Kirch, 6. Laura Greenlee, 7. Michael Rotenberg
8. Chris Rock, 9. Ali LeRoi, 10. Marc Frydman, 11. Douglas Urbanski, 12. Willi Baer, 13. James Spies, 14. Jonathan Blitstein

15. Julie Christeas, 16. Taylor Hess, 17. Terry Dougas, 18. Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis, 19. Andrew Miano, 20. Paul Weitz

[Amy Falkofske]

Amy’s Target Market

What I learned doing this assignment is you have to compare your script to movies that have been recently made for this exercise to be worthwhile. Some of the producers I came across haven’t produced anything in over a decade.

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

1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors that you might want to play your lead characters.

· Family Man

· It Could Happen to You

· The Weather Man

· About Time

· Last Night in Soho

2. Using the Targeting process above, go to http://www.imdb.com and find 20 to 100 producers for your specific project.

· Marc Abraham … producer

· Armyan Bernstein … executive producer

· Thomas A. Bliss … executive producer

· Andrew Z. Davis … executive producer

· James M. Freitag … associate producer

· Jeff Levine … co-producer

· Tony Ludwig … producer

· Alan Riche … producer

· Howard Rosenman … producer (as Zvi Howard Rosenman)

· David Alper … executive producer

· William S. Beasley … executive producer

· Todd Black … producer

· Jason Blumenthal … producer

· Steve Conrad … co-producer (as Steven Conrad)

· Norman Golightly … executive producer (as Norm Golightly)

· Steve Tisch … producer

· Gary Adelson … executive producer

· Craig Baumgarten … executive producer

· Joseph Hartwick … executive producer

· Mike Lobell … producer

· Nicky Kentish Barnes … producer

· Tim Bevan … producer

· Liza Chasin … executive producer

· Richard Curtis … executive producer

· Eric Fellner … producer

· Emma Freud … associate producer

· Amelia Granger … executive producer

· Tori Parry … line producer

· Daniel Battsek … executive producer

· Tim Bevan … producer (produced by)

· James Biddle … executive producer

· Eric Fellner … producer (produced by)

· Ollie Madden … executive producer

· Nira Park … producer (produced by)

· Rachael Prior … executive producer

· Laura Richardson … associate producer

· Leo Thompson … associate producer

· Edgar Wright … producer (produced by)

[John Budinscak]

Budinscak Target Market

Day 2

What I learned doing this assignment:

o Lots of ways to find contacts to target market – agents/managers/producers/actors – for your story.

o Great research tool.

o Nobody can sell you better than yourself.

o Nothing to be afraid of here – just do it and don’t worry about failing.

Title – “ROUTE 30A TO BURBANK”

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.

Similar movies – “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Are We There Yet?”, “Paul”, “Road Trip” and “Stand By Me”.

Actors – Tyler Posey, Will Poulter, Logan Lerman, Jesse Plemons, Nick Robinson, Bill Skarsgard.

Producers –

“Little Miss Sunshine” – Albert Berger, David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Ron Yerxa, Michael Beugg, Jeb Brody, Bart Lipton.

“Are We There Yet” – Matt Alvarez, Ice Cube, Dan Kolsrud, Derek Dauchy, Todd Garner, Tom McNulty

“Paul” – Tim Bevan, Eric Feliner, Nira Park, Liza Chasin, Robert Graf, Debra Hayward, Adam Schardein, Natascha Wharton

“Road Trip” – Daniel Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, Sheldon Kahn, Tom Pollock, Ivan Reitman

These Producer contacts come from just the 4 movies listed and absolutely no effort whatsoever. If I applied a hint of effort and researched the Directors and their past collaborators, my list would be at least 4X this size. There’s a treasure trove of information on IMDb, and it’s easy to get to.

[Janeen Johnson]

Janeen’s Target Market

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s not always easy to find movies “like mine”. I had to broaden the definition to get more producers.

The Empowerment Guild

DRAMA

LOFLINE: A wealthy fashionista uses mind control techniques 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.

I found 13 producers so far and have a list of their names, projects, and contact info.

[Emmanuel Sullivan]

Emmanuel’s Target Market

What I learned doing this assignment is finding your target market is not that hard and finding the producers is easy using the IMDb method of leveraging connections that producers have to other projects.

[Rob Bertrand]

Rob’s Target Market

What I learned: I learned the differences between Mass Marketing and Targeting your screenplay.

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.

Genre: Thriller

Similar Movies
The Sixth Sense
– Kathleen Kennedy
– Frank Marshall
– Barry Mendel barrycmendel@gmail.com

The Intruder
– Roxanne Avent
– Mark Burg
– Brad Kaplan bradk@link-ent.com
– Jonathan Schwartz
– Deon Taylor

Hush
– Jason Blum
– Trevor Macy

Housebound
– Luke Sharpe luke@semi-professional.com

The Boy
– Matt Berenson
– Roy Lee
– Gary Lucchesse
– Tom Rosenberg

Fear
– Brian Grazer
– Ric Kidney
– Karen Snow

Actors to Play Lead Roles

Female Lead
Sophia Lillis
– Fred Burger – Gretel & Hansel
– Brian Kavanaugh-Jones – Gretel & Hansel
– Dan Lin – IT
– Barbara Muschietti – IT

Sadie Sink
– Peter Chernin – Fear Street Volume 2
– David Ready – Fear Street Volume 2
– Jenno Topping – Fear Street Volume 2
– Trevor Macy – Eli
– John Zaozirny – Eli

McKenna Grace
– Michael Clear – Malignant
– James Wan – Malignant
– Peter Safran – Annabelle Comes Home
– Tom Ackerley – I, Tonya
– Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
– Steven Rogers – I, Tonya
– Brian Unkeless – I, Tonya

Male Lead
Owen Teague
– Stephen Christie – The Empty Man
– Ross Richie – The Empty Man
– Michel Merkt – Inherit the Viper
– Benito Mueller – Inherit the Viper

Jaeden Martell
– Aliza James – The Lodge
– Simon Oakes – The Lodge
– Aaron Rider – The Lodge

Dylan Minnette
– Paul Neinstein – Scream
– William Sherak – Scream
– James Vanderbilt – Scream
– Fede Alvarez – Don’t Breathe
– Sam Raimi – Don’t Breathe
– Rob Tapert – Don’t Breathe

[Elizabeth Koenig]

Elizabeth’s Target Market:

What I learned: Wow. I had no idea…

Possible Movie Comps/mashups: Little Miss Sunshine, Love Actually, Last Vegas, Love the Coopers, Grandma, Juno, Hangover

Ed: Morgan Freeman (84); Robert De Niro (78), Bill Murray (71), Tom Hanks (65) , Stellan Skarsgard (70),

Christopher: Tom Holland (25); Jace Norman (21); Joshua Bassett (21)

Grace: Zendaya (add to this)

Mike: Harry Stiles (28); Zac Efron (35) Alden Ehrenreich (32), Michael B. Jordan (35) Andrew Garfield (38) George MacKay (30)

Mark: Steve Carell (59)

Walt: Alan Arkin 87

Producer list:

Michael Amodio (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Chelsea Barnard (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Hank Bedford (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Albert Berger (Little Miss Sunshine – LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton) (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Michael Beugg (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton)

Tim Bevan (with Alan Arkin in Definitely Maybe)

Jeffrey Blitz (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Danny Boyle (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton)

Anthony Bregman (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton) (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Jeb Brody (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton)

Eryn Brown (Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Lilly Burns (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Tim Burton (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

Steve Carell ((40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS) Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Liza Chasin (with Alan Arkin in Definitely Maybe)

Andrew Jay Cohen (40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Bobby Cohen (with Alan Arkin in Definitely Maybe)

Michael Coleman (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Christian Colson (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton)

Anna Culp (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Paul Dano (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Jonathan Dayton (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Vance DeGeneres Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Denice Di Novi Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Megan Ellison (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Falerie Faris (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Eric Fellner (with Alan Arkin in Definitely Maybe)

Karl Frankenfield (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Katterli Frauenfelder (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

Derek Frey (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

David T. Friendly (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton)

Robin Mulcahy Frischella (as Robin Fisichella) ((with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Ted Gidlow (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

John P. Giura (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Nigel Gostelow (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

Robert Graf (Ruby Sparks with Dayton) (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton)

Karen Ruth Getchell (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton)

Kristin Gore (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Timothy Greenberg (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Jeffery Harlacker (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton) Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Charlie Hartsock Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

Tom Heller (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Lisa Henson (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Tony Hernandez (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Diane Keaton (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Kathleen Kennedy (with Alan Arkin in Signs)

Jon Kilik (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

T. K. Knowles (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Ehren Kruger (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

Dan Levine (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Shawn Levy (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Bart Lipton (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton) (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Blanca Lista (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Michael London (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Jason Lust (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Frank Marshall (with Alan Arkin in Signs)

Sam Mercer (with Alan Arkin in Signs)

Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Jessie Nelson with (Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

John O’Grady (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Kerry Orent (with Alan Arkin in Definitely Maybe)

John Poll ((40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Isabel Richardson (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Steven Rogers (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Kim Roth (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Will Rack (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Scott Robertson (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Shauna Robertson (40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Seth Rogen(40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Paul Rudd (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Chuck Ryant (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)

Peter Saraf (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton)

Ron Schmidt (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Mark Schultz (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

David A. Siegel Crazy Stupid Love with Steve Carell)

John Skidmore (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Thomas Patrick Smith (Battle of the Sexes with director Jonathan Dayton)

Justin Springer (Dumbo with Alan Arkin)

Jeff Stern (Living With Yourself, TV with director Jonathan Dayton)

Philip Steuer (Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day with Steve Carell

Marsha L. Swinton (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Ron Schmidt (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

Mark Schultz (Foxcatcher with Steve Carell)

M. Night Shyamalan (with Alan Arkin in Signs)

Clayton Townsend (40 Year Old Virgin 2005 with actor Steve Carell from LMS)

Marc Tuttletaub (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton)

Janice Williams (with Alan Arkin in Love the Coopers 2016)

Ron Yerza (LMS – Directed by Jonathan Dayton) (Ruby Sparks with Dayton)