Lesson 3

[Nat Melvin]

Natalie’s Producer/Manager

WIL: I am interested in writing/producing my own concepts and prefer to work directly with producers and production companies.

How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?

I am an optioned screenwriter of feature and TV projects in fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller genres with a worldwide audience appeal currently having several projects in the development stage.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Producer/Manager
What I learned today: How the pitch for producers and managers is different, based on their goals.
How I will present myself and my project to a producer: My name is Margaret Silebi and I have a Sci-Fi Drama called Echoes of Masada. Current events have us asking if Jewish history is repeating itself. Echoes of Masada takes an historical event and repeats it in a parallel universe. The Concept for this project is: A man becomes a reluctant prophet on an alien planet, reliving the historic siege of Masada through mysterious echoes, tasked with altering its outcome to save a warring nation.

How I will present myself and my project to a manager: My name is Margaret Silebi, and I am a optioned faith-based screenwriter of feature and TV projects. I have four market ready screenplays and am available for writing assignments. My current project is:
Genre: Sci-Fi Drama
Title: Echoes of Masada
Concept: A man becomes a reluctant prophet on an alien planet, reliving the historic siege of Masada through mysterious echoes, tasked with altering its outcome to save a warring nation.

[Sunil Pappu]

Sunil Pappu Producer/Manager

“What I learned today is… to what producers need and managers want. I also learnt to pitch my project and myself to both based on their needs and wants.”

1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?
PITCH 1: HI I’m Sunil, a writer-producer who specializes in female-led thrillers. My latest TV project is a heist thriller that answers the question: what would happen if a math prodigy joins a heist to penetrate an underground banking system to steal an ancient ledger protected by a secret society that controls the financial world.

2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?

PITCH 2: Hi I’m Sunil, a writer-producer who specializes in female-led thrillers. I’ve written five screenplays and three TV pilots on spec. I’ve also done eight writing assignments in the last four years and a series I co-wrote is in development in the UK for a TV network. My latest TV project is a heist thriller that answers the question: what would happen if a math prodigy joins a heist to penetrate an underground banking system to steal an ancient ledger protected by a secret society that controls the financial world.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Sunil Pappu.

[Denice Lewis]

Denice Producer/Manager
What I learned doing this assignment is that I’ve never thought of pitching in this specific way. It’s much more efficient.
!. How will I present myself and my project to producers?
I have a high concept for a TV series with a teen heroine. It is well-written in the fantasy, acIon genres you produce. Strong teen girls in jeopardy are popular on television. There are also great parts for other teens and adults.
I’m an editor familiar with working with others and taking good notes.
I understand constraints of budgets and am willing and eager to make whatever changes might be necessary.
2. How will I present myself and my project to managers?
I’m a published writer.
I wrote two, produced shorts locally. With wriItng partners, we won the Catalina Film FestIval with a fantasy.
As an editor, I’m comfortable with collaboratIng and know the importance of listening and taking notes.
I’m a highly motIvated full-tIme writer specializing in fantasy acIon. I have marketable projects.

[Jeff Chase]

Jeffrey Alan Chase Producer/Manager

What I learned doing this assignment is to dig deep and come up with the answers necessary to create great pitches for producers and managers.

1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?
As a screenwriter who is professional, easy to work with, who has a compelling high concept idea that is unique, timely, and has the potential audience similar to Heaven is for Real and The Chosen.

2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?
As a screenwriter who is professional, easy to work with, who has multiple high concept ideas and numerous Recommended scripts, and who has a serious work ethic, is career oriented, and who is driven to partner with someone in order to make some serious elephant bucks.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Producer/Manager
What I learned doing this assignment is how I can pitch to both Producers and managers and the difference between the two and what they are looking for.

1. Producer—I’ve been going through this with a producer who recently optioned my script. Investors were giving pushback on the main creature in the story, so I worked with the producer to come up with a creature that they could get behind. I did the rewrites the producer requested with no questions asked and no pushback. Was I disappointed in having to change my script? Sure. Did I make the changes anyway? You bet. Thanks to the many classes I’ve taken with ScreenwritingU, I always approach producers with the sole goal of making my movie, even if it means letting go of some of my favorite parts of the story.

2. Manager – I will only give them scripts that have high concepts. I will work with them and do what they suggest if it makes the story better. I will never give them stories that aren’t highly marketable, and I will be open to doing rewrites and pitching, and anything else they ask because they want to see me succeed because it means they will succeed.

[Art Blum]

Art Producer v Manager
Through this exercise, I learned the importance of tailoring my pitch to different audiences, emphasizing different aspects of my work to resonate with managers and producers. I also honed my ability to succinctly communicate my strengths and the essence of my project, essential skills for navigating the entertainment industry.
To the manager:
I’m Art Blum, a proud member of the Writers Guild of America. With a track record of successful sales, I bring to the table three highly marketable screenplays and two compelling pilots. What sets my work apart is not just its marketability but also my ability to collaborate seamlessly with producers, ensuring that the vision translates smoothly to the screen.
For the producer pitch:
Imagine a world where the line between humanity and otherworldly forces blurs, where the very essence of power is at play. Go Your Way In Safety' is not just another sci-fi psychological drama; it’s a gripping narrative of suspense and intrigue. Ryan, isn’t just a teenage outcast with psychic abilities; he’s a symbol of resilience and the power of self-acceptance in the face of overwhelming odds. With themes of power exploitation and the triumph of the human spirit.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Art Blum.

[Phyllis Strong]

Phyllis Producer/Manager
What I learned from this assignment is the difference between marketing myself to producers and managers.
1. To Producer…
I am a produced WGA television writer who has showrunners that will recommend working with me. My new project is a grounded sci-fi series that answers the question, what would happen if rich, elderly individuals could pay millions to transfer their minds to young, brain-dead host bodies? It’s a timely exploration of the marginalized elderly, and of the 1% who spend ridiculous amounts on one-of-a-kind experiences, like rocket trips to the edge of space.
2. To Manager…
I am a WGA produced sci-fi tv writer who has showrunners that will recommend working with me. I have several unproduced science fiction pilots; my newest project is a grounded sci-fi series that answers the question, what would happen if rich, elderly individuals could pay millions to transfer their minds to young, brain-dead host bodies? It’s a timely exploration of the marginalized elderly, and of the 1% who spend ridiculous amounts on one-of-a-kind experiences, like rocket trips to the edge of space.

[Jerry Robbins]

Jerry Robbins Producers and Managers
What I learned today is that producers and managers have different goals and needs and need to be pitched to differently based on these.
1. to a producer – as a writer with a unique and timely concept based on the type of genre the producer wants.
2. to a manager – as a salable author who can give producers what they need; plan to write others scripts of saleable quality.

[Patricia Semler]

Pat’s Producer/Manager
What I learned today is – this is no time to be modest. Humble, yes, but presenting my experience in a confident manner.
Presenting myself to a producer, I would complement him/her on a project they worked on that would relate to what I have to offer. I would supply my logline, maybe a very short synopsis highlighting elements that fit the company mandates.
I have bona fides to prove my professionalism. A Semi-final finish in the Nicholas Fellowship, a Moondance Win. Two professionally produced short films, one made under strict Canadian Covid restrictions, the second being the winning prize for the Palm Springs Women in Film and Television short script contest.
Both scripts underwent multiple drafts following notes. I’m a team player and I welcome suggestions to enhance the script. Whatever it takes to get the project underway. Tell me your parameters and I’ll fit the story inside them.

Presenting myself to a manager, I would probably lead with my preferred genre specialties, A/A and horror in features and hour long a TV action drama. I would follow that with my produced short films and openness to working in a team.
Should they ask, I have more than one script to market. I’d love to collaborate with a show runner to put my original series on air. I’m also open to writing assignments and submitting scripts for established series. I immodestly brag that I do have an ear for finding the voice and mimicking that style.

[Eclipse Neilson]

Eclipse Neilson Producer/Manager
How will you present yourself and your project to the producer? –
My name is Eclipse Neilson and I am an award winning author, optioned screen writer with one of my scripts now in preproduction. All my scrips are dedicated to current issues in our times.
My newest script is TIS TIME is a SCI/FI Drama about a World War II orphan with mystical abilities and a complex genius perspective, who is sent by the Universe to find the lost Heart of Humanity before its too late

How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?
My name is Eclipse Neilson and All my scrips are dedicated to current issues in our times so as to reach a wide spread audience. I am an award wining author , optioned screenwriter with one script in preproduction. I have five full features and one pilot available in the making.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 4 weeks ago by  Eclipse Neilson.
• This reply was modified 11 months, 4 weeks ago by  Eclipse Neilson.

[Lenore]

Lenore Bechtel’s Producer/Manager

What I learned today was the different things that should be stressed in pitches for producers and managers.

My pitch to a producer:

I am Lenore Bechtel, a multi-produced playwright and published novelist, with a contained one-hour TV comedy series set In the unique world of hypnosis—particularly fascinating to young adults.

Lilly Brandon hitches her wagon to the star she hopes her book will make of Joshua Hope, hypnotist extraordinaire, whose zany treatments she must conceal from a scandal reporter whose expose could doom both their book and their futures.

Joshua’s keeps his past imprisonment for impersonating a doctor secret until his life gets complicated by ex-cons he helped or didn’t help in prison. Lilly has secrets or her own—the son she gave away for adoption who spies on her and her transgender ex-husband who wants to live with her as a woman.

My pitch to a manager:

I am Lenore Bechtel, a multi-produced playwright, prize-winning journalist, and published novelist, with two projects ready for market and four more very close to ready.

“Hypnotized by Hope,” is a contained one-hour TV comedy series set in the uniques world of hypnosis. It features Lilly Brandon who’s hitched her wagon to the star she hopes to make of Joshua Hope, hypnotist extraordinaire.

“Berlin Rendezvous?” Is a drama starring Libby who’s keeping her promise to Zhores, the Russian soldier she loved until the Berlin Wall went up in 1961. Now, as she flies to meet him when the Wall is coming down in 1989, she’s stunned to learn how her seat-mates lives intertwined with theirs!

“Geriatric Go-Go Girls at Sea” is a comedy starring septegenarian females impersonating men for a free cruise whose joy gets threatened when one is identified as an on-the-run con man.

“Thank You, Elvis” is a rom com about Vegas and Presley, who took blood vows as adolescents to resist their Elvis-maniacal parents’ efforts to mate them. The movie takes place in one zany day of bedlam and bribes aimed at tricking them into recognizing they were detined for each other.

“Sweetie Heaven” is a Christian, musical rom com about a frustrated 20ish gal who wants two things: to remain a virgin and not lose her boyfriend Quincy and to sing her own way and not alienate her Sweet Adeline family. What’s a girl to do when Quincy won’t wait and Gran needs her to win the 1984 Gulf-Atlantic Regional competition?

“Dire Expectations” is a thriller about 18-year-old Elijah whose mountain community expects him to continue his murdered father’s remote-viewing which has kept their town crime-free. But Elijah stupidly lost his inherited seeing skill and now must find his dad’s killer betore the killer gets rid of him too.