Lesson 9

[Monica Arisman]

SUBJECT: Monica’s Phone Pitch

What I learned doing this assignment is to write out your pitch and to have it ready when you make the calls – and don’t lie.

Write out your phone pitch along with answers to the questions.

1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:

Lead with a High Concept.

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2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.

Hi, I’m Monica Arisman and I’m wondering if I could run a quick pitch by you?

I have a female Taken movie.

3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:

What is the budget range?

The budget range is between
$10-$15 Million USD.

What actors do you like for the lead roles?

For the female lead someone
like Cobie Smulders.

For the male lead someone like
Scott Adkins.

For the role of villain
someone like Lee Pace.

For the supporting female role
someone like Adrienne C. Moore.

For the supporting male role
someone like John Dudley.

How many pages is the script?

The script is 114 pages.

Who else has seen this?

I’ve sent this out to a few
producers but I’ve just started to market it.

Why do you think this fits our
company?

I think this might fit your
company because you do action films and my film has a strong female lead.

How does it end? (Set-up / pay-off).

The set-up is Victoria
discovering Lizzie has been part of the ring all along and Jack deciding
Victoria needs to be killed.
The pay-off is Victoria
survives Jack’s plan and kills him in the process. Lizzie is arrested by
Victoria even though it breaks Victoria’s heart.

What have you done?

I’ve placed fairly well in
several competitions.

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[Deb Johnson]

Deb’s Phone Pitch

What I learned: I know that if I ever decide to make cold calls, that I am literally only talking for 10 seconds and would only be on the phone for 60 seconds or less. I could probably handle myself pretty well. If I get a “no,” it’s nothing personal and I can simply move on to the next contact. Also, based on the audio lesson, if I do get a request, then I am to get off the phone quickly – simply confirm the email and ask when I can follow up. If they say no – ask if I can call again with my next project.

1. I will open my pitch with Credibility and High Concept.

2. My Script:

“Hi, I’m Deb Johnson, I have a film degree from Columbia College, Chicago, and I’m wondering if I could run a quick concept by you?”

(yes)

“I have a feature Drama about a plastic bag that passes from one owner to another and affects each life in a significant way.”

3. Answers to questions a producer may ask:

What’s the budget range? $3 – 5 million

Who do you see in the main roles? Rosanne Barr, Isla Johnston

How many pages is the script? 115 pages

Who else has seen this? I’ve just started marketing this script.

Why do you think this fits our company? I see you do Drama’s in the $1 – 5 million range

How does the movie end? The artist who created the artwork that follows the plastic bag reveals that they are true stories with tragic endings. The protagonist, Delia is moved and encouraged to embrace life amidst her own trials.

[Tricia Tribble]

What I’ve learned: The process is similar to opening the door as a job developer for people with disabilities, so that is the good news. Yet, marketing for myself has always been a weaker area for me and it will take all the preparation I can conduct to feel confident.

Hi. I’m Tricia Tribble and Addictive just won as a Finalist in the Cordillera International Film Fest. Can I run a sci-fi horror pitch by you?

I found you through some of my favorite movies that match my genre.

Before a brilliant scientist can prevent the further deterioration of earth’s resources in an immortal society, she must first survive the ancient evil Seth and his reality show reintroducing death.

What is the budget range? Middle $15-30 million

What actors do you like for the lead roles? Seth – Jeff Bridges, Tacy – Sierra Capri, Violet – Helen Mirren, Forest – Finn Wolfhard

Give me the acts of the story.

Act 1-The world is immortal, resources are dwindling and everyone looks 25 years old, with three exceptions. Tacy is fired from her job just as she is implementing worldwide pollution and resource solutions. In distress, she returns to an old vice of cutting on herself, which places her into the game. An antique ship is the location within a virtual cruise and is filled with addicts and temptations. The audience, via 3-D hover cameras, includes active gamblers as everyone can smell, feel and experience the drama as death is reintroduced.

Act 2 – An addict support team is built by Tacy, to help each other overcome the temptations despite the intrusions, losses, and constant hover cameras. A show addicted gambler is sent to the ship in disgrace to take his chances. Faced with no chance of winning, the Addict Outliers only option is to escape. They realize if they don’t fight back, they won’t survive.

Act 3 – The team, plus a few guards, puts together a plan to escape and kill Seth who goes into the water broiling with hungry mutated dolphins. But the plan changes when Seth’s sidekick wants to stay in charge. So the plan changes on-the-fly as the Outliers decide to take over the ship and maintain the verisimilitude and status quo with their tech expert. In this way they can hide and save civilization in plain sight.

How does it end? (setup / payoff). Meeting her old team again months later, Tacy is happy and pregnant. The first in over 75 years.

Roger worked in a science think-tank and Tricia comes from a career helping people with disabilities. Addictive also just won as a Semi-Finalist at the Geneva Science Fiction International Film Festival where the winner got to tour the Hadron Collider which would have been cool.

Hi. I’m Tricia Tribble and Baking Bad 1968 won Honorable Mention of the Los Angeles International Film Festival last year. Can I run a TV dramedy pitch by you?

I found you through some of my favorite TV shows that match our genre.

Two sisters, one a high school Home EC teacher and the other a college student, burn their bras as their men-friends burn their draft cards during the violent, creative and transformational 60’s. They sing and prance about while baking and selling gourmet Mary Jane brownies out of an old pink food truck.

What is the budget range? Low budget: $500k to $5 million

What actors do you like for the lead roles? Reba – Dakota Fanning and Margie – Elle Fanning

Give me the acts of the story.

Act 1 – Reba, a Home EC teacher in an unhappy marriage, is asked to help her sister’s college friends raise money by teaching them how to make gourmet brownies.

Act 2 – Reba, Margie and the college student’s wanting to replace their roof, become very successful. They paint an old food truck pink, bake in Berkeley Hills and sell downtown and at the university.

Act 3 – In the midst of some male student’s being called to service in Vietnam, Reba and Margie are found out and chased. The police offer them a deal; provide brownies for a wife with cancer and they will receive protection.

How does it end? (setup / payoff). The sister’s don’t know what protection might mean, and how to keep the secret from Reba’s masochist husband.

Roger worked in a science think-tank and Tricia comes from a career helping people with disabilities.

Hi. I’m Tricia Tribble and The Dark One was an Official Selection of the Santa Barbara International Film Fest last year. Can I run a horror pitch by you?

I found you through some of my favorite horror movies.

The child, of a violent mentally ill mother, transforms with her shadow into a force helping children and critters.

What is the budget range? Low budget: $500k to $5 million (depending on how to portray The Dark One and it has the potential to be a micro-budget)

What actors do you like for the lead roles? Luci – Jamie Lee Curtis and Joy – a young Isabelle Fuhrman

Give me the acts of the story.

Act 1 – The child is badly hurt and the mother arrested. The child, in a coma, merges with her shadow to help other abused children with Luci’s very smart crow friend Rascal.

Act 2 – The child wakes and doesn’t remember anything. She is not allowed to live with Luci, her elderly neighbor, the only kind person she has ever known. So she is placed into a foster home, but The Dark One wants to be remembered and sends her dreams which turn into nightmares.

Act 3 – Joy spends so much time at Luci’s home, she is finally allowed to stay legally. Joy creates comic books of her childhood adventures thinking they are fiction, but she kind of starts to recognizes people and critters she helped. The animals remember her as she recognizes them and finally she is able to merge with The Dark One. They visit predators and take them to their greatest fears with a choice to stay or return as a light giver. Joy becomes a local celebrity with her comic books.

How does it end? (setup / payoff). With The Dark One as a superhero, Joy becomes a local celebrity as a comic book writer.

Roger worked in a science think-tank and Tricia comes from a career helping people with disabilities.

[Ken Turocy]

Ken’s Phone Pitch

I learned that you have to be quick and to the point on a phone pitch, that you need to target the best producers, and also present them a strong and clear story so that they can say yes…or no. And then begin to consider marketing strategies, campaigns going forward.

I’m leading with a High Concept, and I know Hal recommended not to cluster genres, but I believe mine is unique and strong enough that I can say.

Hi, I’m Ken Turocy, an optioned screenwriter, can I run a quick concept by you?

Thank you, Serial Killer Sports Comedy, and not in that order.

(I’ll try this quick-hook-strategy for a quick yes, but if there are enough No’s then I would adjust and start with, “if I told you my sports story included gambling, drugs, and murder, would you guess the sport is golf? Serial Killer Sports Comedy, and not in that order.”)

What’s the budget? Depending on the Actors and the Director, this can be made on a low budget under 5 million, but even a mid-range one of 15 million plus.

For the female lead I’m thinking Jenna Ortega, and for her foil, her brother possibly Daniel DiMaggio, and there are fantastic opportunities for supporting roles which could bend the budget.

My script is 120 pages.

I’ve just started marketing this.

This could be a fit for your company because of your recent work and what actors you work with.

How does it end, the Third Act starts with my lead actor Enola, who doesn’t get caught, she pulls up on a kill, then she goes on to win without killing.

[David Wickenden]

Assignment #9

David Wickenden Phone Pitch

1. I would lead with a high concept.

2. Hi, my name is David Wickenden and I am an award-winning author. I have a TV Pilot which features a female Dexter taking out child abusers internationally. Would you be interested in hearing my pitch for the project?

3. Budget— 3 million/season

Main roles—Laura (vigilante) Elizabeth Mitchell & Janice Williams (RCMP)—Ksenia Solo.

Pages—60

Who else has seen this?—You’re the first.

Why do you think this fits our company—I noticed that you have down dark thrillers in the past.

How does it end—Season one sees the vigilante escaping the country to carry on her crusade in Europe in season 2.

4. What I learned? Preparation is key. Lead strong and keep it short.

[Terrell Harris]

Terrell’s Phone Pitch

What I learned from this lesson is brevity leads more than anything else.

Hi, I’m Terrell Harris and I’m wondering if I could run a short horror pitch by you?

I’ve spent time in the Philippines interviewing locals about the folklore and I have a culturally diverse screenplay called The Darkness where several foreigners travel to the Philippines and discover that every monster, every spell, every curse, every backwater belief is 100% real.

It’s a low budget movie in the $1 to 4 million range.

Actors I like in the lead roles

In the role of the Korean businessman I like Kim Seon-ho or Hwang Min-hyun

In the role of the resort owner I like Kylie Verzosa

In the role of the witch I like Agot Isidro or Gloria Diaz

In the role of the African American vlogger I like Regé-Jean Page or O’Shea Jackson Jr.

The script is 100 pages.

How does it end?

Setup

The resort owner struggles with her business because of a land dispute and curse from a powerful witch. A Babaylon suggests appeasing the witch through a blood contract. She refuses saying that land has been in her family for hundreds of years. Doing research the resort owner discovers the Spanish and American wars caused the death of hundreds of thousands of indigenous inhabitants on the land.

Payoff

The foreign men form an attack plan that fails terribly. She finally agrees to the (Sandugo) or blood pact to appease the witch and her ancestors, breaking the curse and saving the lives of the foreigners.

I came to your company because I loved the movie ‘Nocebo” so I did some research on it.

[LIN FUENTES]

What I learned from this lesson was to make it short, interesting and to the point.

Lin’s Phone Pitch

1. In my phone pitch I am going to lead with a strong business hook.

2. Hi, I’m Lin and I have the rights to the first woman who got into and graduated from the union’s electrical apprenticeship program in California. I was wondering if I could run a quick pitch by you?

3. Questions a producer might ask:

– Budget range: Somewhere between $15 million to $30 million.

– Female lead: Two come to mind – McKenna Grace or Ella Anderson

– Pages in script: 110 pages

– Who else has seen it: I just started looking for a producer so you would be the first.

– How it fits company: You’ve produced projects in the past similar to this and thought this might be of interest to you.

– End:

The anticipated Journeyman’s Exam is underway. After turning in her exam Linda’s most staunch foe tries to change answers on her exam and is caught by the instructor who tells him that “she will pass or fail on her own merits.” She passes and becomes the first woman in the state of California to get accepted into and graduate the union’s 4 year electrical apprenticeship program.

[Tasha Espinoza]

Tasha’s Phone Pitch

What I learned from this lesson is that my phone pitch needs to be short and sweet and needs to deliver the correct tactic in a powerful way. Less is more and it’s how you show people you know what you’re doing.

1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:

Lead with a great title.

Lead with a High Concept.

2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.

Hi, I’m Tasha Espinoza and I have a dating after exorcism horror movie.

Hi, I’m Tasha Espinoza and I have a horror movie titled Dating with Demons.

3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:

What’s the budget range? 2-4 million

Who do you see in the main roles?

Bethany – Lili Reinhart or Kathryn Newton

Deacon Anders – James Ransone

Demon 23 – Joseph Quinn

Koju – Manny Jacinto

How many pages is the script? 110

Who else has seen this? Just started pitching.

Why do you think this fits our company? I really like the horror films you produce and I write films in your genre and budget range.

How does the movie end?

The girl defeats the evil priest and a demon so that she can fall in love with her hunky spiritual mentor.

OR

Lonely heart Bethany thinks her messy love life is the result of her past possession but finds out that her priest, Deacon Anders, is behind her heartache in a plot to win the papacy. With Deacon Anders thwarted and the Vatican safe, Behtany finally goes on a hot date with spiritual hunk, Koju.

[Sheila Rinear]

ASSIGNMENT #9

Sheila Rinear Phone Pitch

What I learned from this lesson is that if I want to pitch my scripts, I’ve got to stop trying to make everything in these assignments absolutely perfect or else I’ll never get them done in the current millennium and I’ll never get to pitch them.

1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:

I’m going to open with High Concept.

2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.

Hi, I’m Sheila Rinear. I have written a feature screenplay that’s the new Braveheart. I’m wondering if I could run the concept by you?

The title is SONS OF TREASON. It’s a period action drama.

Against the political turmoil that builds to The Hundred Years War, a gifted Mystic interprets the dreams of the English King in search of his own true identity and of his place in this King’s world.

I’m a published and produced Playwright and a two-time Finalist in the ScreenCraft competition.

What’s the budget range? It’s high budget. $50 Million.

Who do you see in the main roles?

Robert, the Dream Interpreter: Regé-Jean Page

Queen Isabella: Maggie Gyllenhaal

King Edward: Chris Hemsworth

Queen Philippa: Gal Gadot

How many pages is the script? 120 pages

Who else has seen this? Just the competitions it’s done well in.

Why do you think this fits our company? You’ve produced successful epic scripts.

How does the movie end?

Set-up: After a ferocious battle against the French, Edward sends for the Mystic/Dream Interpreter. In revealing his nightmare to the Mystic (Robert), King Edward realizes Robert is his illegitimate brother that he’s been hunting down. Why is Edward hunting Robert down? Because he believes Robert is part of a rebel group run by his mother whose purpose is to murder Edward and take his crown. So, Edward takes his entire family and escapes the camp to get away from Robert.

Pay-off: Robert having had the same nightmare and realization as Edward (that their mother the queen is their enemy), rides from the camp to warn Edward that the queen and her army are waiting in ambush for Edward. Together the brothers face-off in a battle with their warrior mother. Robert throws himself in front of the sword meant to kill Edward and before he dies, implores his brother to be the kind of king and parent to his people that they both wish they had had. Edward is motivated…

[Robert Kerr]

Bob Kerr: Phone Pitches

What I learned in this lesson is that my experience in cold calling fundraising will be a great asset in making these calls. It’s always business, never personal.

1. Which of the 4 Strategies I am going to use 2 open my pitch?

c) Lead with a strong business hook.

2. Give us your phone script for phone call pitches.

Hi. I’m Bob Kerr and I have the exclusive Rights to the story of the first ever women’s crew at Wichita State.

3. Give us a one or two sentence anwer to the questions a producer might ask.

a) What’s the budget range? Low budget 1-5 million.

b) Who do you see in the main roles? Male lead – Adiran Peck and female role any up and coming actress.

c) How many pages is the script? 114.

d) Who else has seen this? one production company out of Nashville

e) Why do you think this fits our company? Your track record of true sports stories.

f) How does the movie end? The female lead must face her greatest fear to fulfill her destiny.

[Dan LoBrace]

What I learned is… you can do a quick pitch before they even know you’re pitching!

1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:

Lead with credibility.

2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.

Hi, I’m Dan LoBrace. I’m an optioned screenwriter and I’m wondering if I could run a quick horror feature pitch by you?

It’s about a haunted kaleidoscope – which has never been done before in the genre.

3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:

What’s the budget range? Low: under 5m

Who do you see in the main roles? Lily Rabe

How many pages is the script? 101

Who else has seen this? You’re the first!

Why do you think this fits our company? Because you’ve made these similar horror movies in the same budget range

How does the movie end? Kendall ventures back into the kaleidoscope realm and tries to save her parents, but she’s unable to break them from the demon’s grip. Her mother dies brutally right in front of her. Kendall then finds her younger sister and is miraculously able to snap the sister out of it. The two run from the demon, and eventually escape back into the real world.

[Archer Smith]

Archer Phone Pitch

Lead with a great title

Script Pitch:

Hello, I’m [name] and I have an exciting Florida-based dramedy titled Orange Juiced. It’s about a smug armchair detective who becomes the next gullible victim in the very scams she built a career ridiculing.

Producer Questions:

Budget range: $1million per episode

Main roles: Jennifer Carpenter, Chloe Fineman

Page count: Pilot script is 62 pages

Others who’ve seen it: N/A

Fits company: Florida setting and upside-down take on true crime trends

Ending (setup/payoff):

Setup: Remy’s ego ensnares her in a con man’s scam.

Payoff: She gains empathy and collaborates to expose his shocking web of deceit.

[John Woodward]

John Woodward’s Phone Pitch

I learned how to prepare powerful strategies for phone pitches.

1. Which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch?

I will lead with a great title and a strong business hook.

2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.

Hi, I’m John Woodward. I have a neo-noir thriller called The Takedown Artist. It’s about a washed-up cage fighter who risks his life to steal a $20-million masterpiece with a mysterious and seductive woman who might not be worthy of his trust.

A mysterious murder, a cursed masterpiece, and a gauntlet of violence in a decadent LA underworld forge a noir canvas where love, greed, trust and betrayal slug it out toe-to-toe. To envision The Takedown Artist imagine a cross between Pulp Fiction & Basic Instinct.

3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:

• What’s the budget range?

Budget range is $1 million to $5 million. However, casting with A-List talent would justify a budget in the $15 to $30 million range.

• Who do you see in the main roles?

For the protagonist CHANCE, we see a Jason Statham type.

For the female lead ALLISON, we see a Sharon Stone type.

• How many pages is the script? The script is 103 pages.

• Who else has seen this? At this time, we have not shopped the screenplay.

• Why do you think this fits our company?

I think The Takedown Artist fits your company because you’ve produced engaging and financially successful movies in the same genre.

• How does the movie end?

Setup:

With their enemies vanquished, and with the fortune generated by the sale of the stolen masterpiece, Allison and Chance live a beautiful life in a secluded ocean-side villa in Mexico.

Payoff:

When Chance learns that Allison used poison to kill her husband, he suspects she has poisoned him with the margaritas she just served to celebrate their luxurious new life. To prove she did not, Allison holds his margarita — the one with salt — takes a huge gulp of the drink. She wraps her arms around Chance. Her cold, wet lips glisten as she whispers in his ear, “I can’t make you trust me, Chance.” Chance searches her eyes for a clue. Her incredible beauty and availability make him ache to believe her. Seemingly hurt by his lack of trust, Allison backpedals. With puzzling urgency, she suddenly sprints toward the beach. Chance follows as Allison races into the surf, angles her body away from him to conceal her action, but she can’t hide her attempts to induce vomiting. Chance collapses on the wet sand, realizes that Allison did poison his drink. Allison, now purged of the poison, wipes her mouth, strides through the waves, emerges triumphantly from the moonlit sea as The Takedown Artist having taken down six super macho men.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  John Woodward.