Lesson 10

[William Whelan]

William Whelan – Target Market
What I learned doing this assignment is target producers in my market.
Title: Lady Wiseguy
Logline: Mafia princess breaks with the family to follow her dream of being an actor and sophisticated lady.
Genre: RomCom/Thriller
1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours
• “Miss Congeniality” (2000)
• Plot: Gracie Hart, an unpolished FBI agent, goes undercover as a beauty pageant contestant to prevent a terrorist attack, undergoing a significant makeover in the process.
• Similarity: The protagonist’s transformation into a more refined version of herself, combined with comedic elements and an underlying romantic subplot, resonates with the themes in “Lady Wiseguy.”
• “The Princess Diaries” (2001)
• Plot: Mia Thermopolis, a socially awkward teenager, discovers she is the heir to the throne of Genovia and undergoes a dramatic transformation to prepare for royal duties.
• Similarity: The journey from an ordinary life to a world of sophistication and high society parallels Liza’s transformation from a mafia princess to a refined lady.
• “She’s All That” (1999)
• Plot: High school jock Zack Siler bets he can turn any girl into the prom queen, choosing the awkward Laney Boggs as his subject, only to fall for her during the process.
• Similarity: The makeover plot and the romantic development between two seemingly mismatched individuals align closely with the transformation and romantic elements in “Lady Wiseguy.”
• “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018)
• Plot: Rachel Chu, an American-born Chinese economics professor, travels to Singapore with her boyfriend and discovers he belongs to one of the country’s wealthiest families, navigating high society and familial expectations.
• Similarity: The clash between different cultural and social worlds, along with navigating complex family dynamics and romantic challenges, echoes the themes in “Lady Wiseguy.”
The Intern” (2015)
• Plot: Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old widower, becomes a senior intern at an online fashion retailer, where he forms an unlikely friendship with the company’s young CEO, Jules Ostin, helping her navigate personal and professional challenges.
• Similarity: The film explores mentorship, transformation, and the blend of different worlds (age and experience vs. youth and modern business), resonating with the mentorship and refinement themes in “Lady Wiseguy

• Liza 5 Actors:
• Florence Pugh – Known for her versatility and strong presence, she can portray a range of emotions and depth, making her a great fit for Liza’s journey.
• Saoirse Ronan – With her exceptional acting skills and ability to convey both vulnerability and strength, she would excel in the role of a determined mafia princess.
• Zendaya – Bringing charisma and a modern edge, Zendaya can seamlessly transition between the tough and refined aspects of Liza’s character.
• Anya Taylor-Joy – Her unique screen presence and expressive acting would add layers to Liza’s transformation from mafia roots to a sophisticated lady.
• Hailee Steinfeld – With her talent for balancing drama and comedy, she could capture Liza’s spirit and the nuances of her challenging yet comedic journey.
Professor Shaw 5 Actors:
• Colin Firth – With his refined demeanor and extensive experience in playing sophisticated, intellectual characters, Firth would be perfect as the cultured professor guiding Liza.
• Stanley Tucci – Known for his charisma and versatility, Tucci can infuse the character with both gravitas and a touch of humor, making the professor a compelling figure.
• Ralph Fiennes – His commanding presence and ability to convey both warmth and sternness would make him an excellent choice for the role of Professor Shaw.
• Mark Rylance – With his nuanced performances and gentle, authoritative presence, Rylance would bring a unique depth to the character of the mentor.
• Ben Kingsley – Kingsley’s distinguished career and ability to portray complex characters would add a layer of sophistication and wisdom to Professor Shaw.
Big Dom 5 Actors:
• Robert De Niro – A legendary actor with extensive experience in mafia roles, De Niro can portray both the hard exterior and the tender fatherly side of Big Dom.
• Frank Grillo – Known for his rugged roles and intense performances, Grillo can bring a gritty and authentic presence to the character.
• Mark Ruffalo – Ruffalo’s ability to convey deep emotional complexity and his versatile acting range make him a compelling choice for Big Dom.
• Jon Bernthal – With his tough-guy persona and strong screen presence, Bernthal can effectively portray the protective and formidable father figure.
• Liev Schreiber – Schreiber’s commanding presence and ability to convey both menace and warmth would make him an excellent Big Dom.
Vito Rucci 5 Actors:
• Oscar Isaac – With his versatile acting skills and ability to portray complex characters, Isaac would bring a captivating presence to Vito.
• Pedro Pascal – Known for his charismatic and powerful performances, Pascal could embody Vito with a blend of charm and menace.
• Michael Fassbender – Fassbender’s intense screen presence and range make him an excellent choice for a multifaceted character like Vito.
• Tom Hardy – With his rugged looks and ability to convey both physicality and emotional depth, Hardy would be a compelling Vito.
• Mahershala Ali – Ali’s commanding presence and nuanced performances would add significant depth and gravitas to the character of Vito.

[Rebecca Sukle]

Rebecca’s Target Market

What I learned from this project was that I was able to copy the table of producers and paste them under the Films or TV series I selected. It was then easy to click on the producers link to IMBDpro to find their contact information and copy only those that weren’t represented by a talent agency or manager. Many did not have a listing, but I found this a quick and easy way to sort things out and create a database at the same time. Much better than the marketing learned in Binge Worthy or WIM which I found tedious. I used AI to help find comps. Thank you, Hal

Title: Many Wives
Genre: Historic Drama inspired by the wives of American Writer Sherwood Anderson.
Series Concept: Amidst the societal upheavals of the early 20th century, Cornelia Lane Anderson navigates a male-dominated world to secure her family’s future as her husband Sherwood pursues his literary dreams, leading to a journey filled with subsequent women, ambition, betrayal, and ultimate reconciliation.
Pilot Concept: A business tycoon risks everything for literary fame, but spirals into a mental breakdown. To secure their children’s future in a patriarchal society, his wife secretly partners with a courtesan brothel owner to create a thriving venture.

1. These five series highlight the contributions of women in patriarchal societies, showcasing their resilience and often unrecognized achievements.
1. Genius: Einstein
2. Genius: Picasso
3. Mr. Selfridge
4. The Wife
5. Big Eyes
2. Found over 50 producers suited for my project, with 16 direct contacts.
These series highlight the contributions of women in patriarchal societies, showcasing their resilience and often unrecognized achievements.

[William Whelan]

William Whelan Target Market
What I learned doing this assignment is to use IMDBpro to target 50 -100 producers.

[Rebecca Sukle]

Title: Rebecca’s Target Market
What I learned doing this assignment is that most of the producers of bio dramas about the ingenuity and resilience of women living in a suppressive society hail from the UK. I also learned that I could copy the whole list of producers as a data base that I can list under the movie and paste the contact information into the producer column. That way I have a data base with links and one click away from creating my email already addressed. I delete the the rows that lack contact information. This is a much easier method than the previous more tedious one I learned in binge worthy. I also use AI to help me find movies made within the last ten years comparable to my concept.

[Paul McGregor]

Paul’s Target Market
3. What I learned from this assignment is that IMDB is an excellent tool for identifying similar movies and their producers. I also have to learn the difference between different types of producer. But I recall Hal saying not to go to Line Producers, so I eliminated them from my list.
4. Title: FRANK
Genre: Drama
Logline: Frank is looking forward to retirement after decades in the logging business, but when he discovers his junkie son-in-law could destroy his family, he has to learn new skills to fight off the bankers and lawyers, before resorting to his old logging skills to deal with the son-on-law.
Top 5 actors: Liam Neeson; Rick Hoffman; Nicholas Cage; Kurt Russell; Mel Gibson.(In my dreams!)
2. Producers: (Just 33)
Memento (2000)
Christopher Ball
Elaine Dysinger
Aaron Ryder
Emma Thomas
Jennifer Todd
Suzanne Todd
William Tyrer

Taken (2007)
Luc Besson
Didier Hoarau
Michael Mandaville

Man on Fire (2004)
Don Ferrarone
Lucas Foster
Conrad Hool
Lance Hool
Kimberly Jacobs-Toeg
Arnon Milchan
Tony Scott
James W. Skotchdopole
Peter Toumasis

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Steve Beckett
Peter Carlton
Will Clarke
Mark Herbert
Louise Meadows
Tessa Ross

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Gerard Butler Lucas Foster
Dave Gare Mark Gill
Gregory Veeser Robert Katz
Neil Sacker Alan Seigel
END

• This reply was modified 10 months, 4 weeks ago by  Paul McGregor.

[Michael Wallace]

Michael Wallace’s Target Market
What I learned doing this lesson is to use IMDb Pro to target producing partners by researching similar films in terms of genre and budget.
Title: The Kid from Lynbrook
Logline: A Wall Street executive returns to his hometown to win back his childhood sweetheart by mentoring a kid in a school stock trading club, until it is discovered that the kid is trading real stocks using his inside knowledge. And making a fortune.
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Targeted successful Wall Street themed movies to start-
Wall Street – Oliver Stone, Michael Flynn, A Kitman Ho, Edward Pressman
Boiler Room – Richard Brenner, Claire Rudnick-Polstein, Pamela Post, Jennifer Todd, Susan Todd
The Wolf of Wall Street –
Riza Aziz | Leonardo DiCaprio | Joey McFarland (p.g.a.) | Martin Scorsese | Emma Tillinger Koskoff
The Big Short
Dede Gardner (produced by) | Jeremy Kleiner (produced by) | Arnon Milchan (produced by) | Brad Pitt (produced by)
Margin Call – Writer Director J.C. Chandor, Producers Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zackery Quinto, Cassian Elwes, Laura Rister, Mishka Brown
Lead roles – I like Miles Teller, Ryan Gosling, and Chris Evans for the male lead, I like Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt for the female lead, Noah Jupe or Ian Armitage for the Child lead and Paul Giamotti for the Attorney General role.
I have created list in my IMDb Pro account for my films projects and have listed potential producers and collaborators. My initial focus will be on Margin Call and Boiler Room as they are closer to my budget range.

[Janis Pryor]

Movies Similar in Genre/Budget

• Ghost (Demi Moore & Patrick Swayze)
• The Lake House (Sandra Bullock & Keanu Reeves)
• If Only It Were True (Mark Ruffalo & Reese Witherspoon)
• What Dreams May Come: A Man Searches for His Wife In the Afterlife
• Tuck Everlasting – a romance about a mortal and an immortal
• Hereafter – Matt Damon

Five actors for the two lead roles:
• Kerry Washington & Tony Goldwyn*
• Zoe Saldana & Jesse Williams
• Thandie Newton & Keanu Reeves
• Zoe Kravitz & Wentworth Miller
• Jessica Sula. & Bradley Cooper
(British)

Possible Producers

1. Shondra Rhimes
2. Allan Heinberg
3. Mark Wilding
4. Rob Corm
5. Krista Vernoff
6. Mark Gordom
7. Betsy Beers
8. Aaron & Brenda Gilbert
9. La Roda Films
10. Shadow Cast Studios
11. Kathleen Kennedy
12. Green Light My Movie
13. Jim Wilson
14. Laurie MacDonald
15. Denise DiNovi
16. Danny Cohen
17. Megan Ellison
18. Kathleen Kennedy
19. Frank Marshall
20. Pilar Savone (Simpson Street)

*There’s a nationwide on line network of primarily women who are in contact with their partners/husbands who have crossed over.

*The fan base for Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington is still very alive and well, dying to see them in a movie.

[Michael Wallace]

Michael Wallace’s Target Market Part 2
What I learned from this assignment is how to use IMDb Pro to put together a targeted list that includes the Producer’s name and contact information, including IMDb profile, email, phone number and physical address. I also learned not to waste any time with Producers that don’t have contact info, and focus on the one’s that do. My search through the movie meter included drama’ and comedies released in the last ten years with budgets between $1 million and $5 million. I copied and pasted the results in a word file.

[Ian Patrick Williams]

Ian’s Target Market
What I learned doing this assignment is to find producers or actors who have done similar films in the genre I’ve written in.
Films: The Equalizer 1, 2 & 3
BlacKKKlansman
American History X
Actors: John David Washington; Michael B. Jordan

The Equalizer:

Producers (13) Known for
Todd Black
Producer Antwone Fisher (2002)

David J. Bloomfield
Executive Producer (as David Bloomfield) Being the Ricardos (2021)

Jason Blumenthal
Producer Seven Pounds (2008)

Tony Eldridge
Producer The Equalizer 3 (2023)

Lance Johnson
Co-Producer Knowing (2009)

Mace Neufeld
Producer Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)

Kat Samick
Associate Producer Infinite (2021)

Alex Siskin
Producer Old Henry (2021)

Michael Sloan
Producer Quincy M.E. (1976)

Ezra Swerdlow
Executive Producer Spaceballs (1987)

Steve Tisch
Producer Forrest Gump (1994)

Ben Waisbren
Executive Producer 300 (2006)

Denzel Washington
Producer Fences (2016)

American History X

Bill Carraro
… executive producer
Michael De Luca
… co-executive producer
Jon Hess
… co-producer
David McKenna
… co-producer
John Morrissey
… producer (produced by)
Kearie Peak
… executive producer
Steve Tisch
… executive producer
Lawrence Turman
… executive producer
Brian Witten
… co-executive producer
Blackkklansman
Jason Blum
Producer Get Out (I) (2017)

Marcei A. Brown
Executive Producer Get Out (I) (2017)

Matthew A. Cherry
Executive Producer Hair Love (2019)

Edward H. Hamm Jr.
Executive Producer Get Out (I) (2017)

Spike Lee
Producer Do the Right Thing (1989)

Raymond Mansfield
Producer Get Out (I) (2017)

Sean McKittrick
Producer Get Out (I) (2017)

Jordan Peele
Producer Nope (2022)

David Rabinowitz
Co-Producer The Shadow Guide: Prologue (2016)

Shaun Redick
Producer Day Shift (2022)

Win Rosenfeld
Executive Producer Candyman (2021)

Jeanette Volturno
Executive Producer The Hunger Games (2012)

Charlie Wachtel
Co-Producer The Oscars (2019)

Michael B. Jordan
Fruitvale Station

Nina Yang Bongiovi

[Michael HARRIS]

Michael Harris’s Target Market
I learned that finding prospective Producers is doable and a fairly simple task when you employee the right techniques.

Movies, Similar in Genre and Budget
“Those Who Wish Me Dead” $3M
“The Witch” $4M
“Talk to Me” (2022) $4.5M
“The Taking of Deborah Logan” $1.5M
“The Belko Experiment” $5M

Actors for Major Roles:
Elise:
Emma Watson
Emily Osmet
Emma Rose Russell
Meghan Markle
Kelly Clarkson
Drew Barrymore

Kevin:
LaKeith Stanfield
Timothee Chalamet
Kid Cudi
Michael B Jordan

Dr. Whitcombe
Johnny Depp
Billy Mumy
Johnny Whitaker

Simon
Ibrahim Uae
Ivanhoe

List of Executive Producers
Kid Cudi; Dennis Cummings; Karina Manashit; Amanda Mescudi; Ashley Levinson; Daria Cercek; Adam Davids; Kathryn Dean; Brenda Gilbert; Andria Spring; Steven Thibault; Sam Levinson; Kevin Turen; Peter Phok; Jay Van Hoy; Philip Westgren; Thomas Benski; John Dummett; Noah Dummett; Kristina Ceyton; Jean- Luc De Fabti

• This reply was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by  Michael HARRIS.

[Pamela Milton]

Pamela’s Target Market
What I learned in this lesson is that the IMDb is an incredible tool for quickly locating potential producers to present your film concept.
Title: The Great Bank Robbery of 1934
Genre: Comedy/ Romance
Logline: Two strong willed women collide in a hail of bullets, embezzlement and ballet shoes when an aspiring dancer takes leadership of the inept Chutney Gang in 1934 only to run afoul an ambitious IRS agent investigating bank fraud in 1980.
Budget: 2-5 million
Comparables: 1-Oh, Brother, 2-Where Art Thou, 3-Raising Arizona, 4-Hitch Hikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, 5- Magpie Murders, 6-Our Town
Producers: Jeremy Kipp Walker, Connor Flanigan, Kamail Nanjiani, Barry Mendel, Shivani Rawat, Glen Powell, Miquel Palos, Richard Linklater, Stuart Ford, Scott Brown, Mike Blizzard, Zach Garrett