WIM+AI – WIM Module 10 – Lesson 1: How To Get 50 Script Requests

[Edward Lusk]

ED’s PROJECT AND MARKET

What I learned today is how to think about and identify what is marketable about my story not to think about what my story is about. That is a big swing in my creative process and approach to story telling.

GENRE: Christmas Rom-Com

TITLE: ELFSTRUCK

CONCEPT: A Christmas visit to his grandparents' manor unravels for a heartbroken gay man when he finds an unexpected romance with a stranded magical elf whose mysterious mishap threatens Christmas.

What is attractive about this story is it offers the gay audiences a lighthearted, Christmas romance with a touch a magic not commonly found in most gay centric stories. On one level there’s complicated family dynamics, Christmas joy expectations, while dealing with the pain of a breakup. On a deeper level there are elements of characters dealing with self-acceptance, resiliency, what defines identity, and hope that will resonate with gay and straight audiences.

Who I would target first are producers. There are specific LGBT producers, and or, production companies who deal specifically in this niche market. Although the LGBT audience base is smaller, there is demand for stories dealing with LGBT characters in non-stereotypical, unique, positive, and authentic stories. Ideally their LGBT identity should be perceived as part of the story, not the main story to encourage broader audiences.

[Pat Fitzgerald]

Pat’s Project and Market

What I learned is that I’m getting burgeoning confidence that I can and will be successful at marketing my screenplay. However, I can already see where tweaks will be necessary to make the script more marketable.

Genre: Dark Comedy

Title: Retirement Pillage

Concept: A retirement village becomes a playground for a serial killer, unaware revenge for her past deeds is poised to strike.

What’s most attractive: Retirement Pillage is a diabolical dark comedy that gives actors a chance to play outrageous characters who have next to no moral compass and are funny at the same time.

I plan to first target small, hungry production companies because I’m a small, hungry screenwriter.

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Pat Fitzgerald.

[David Zelitzky]

David Zelitzky’s Project and Market
Genre – Horror
Title – Hell’s Diner
Concept: Youth addicted to a new drug disappear into the underworld and must be rescued.
Most Attractive: This is a much needed young feminist movie with a strong and visual anti-drug message.
I will target FIRST — managers because I want someone who knows the business, can help me grow and possibly get me writing assignments to get something to the market
What I learned – getting serious about what makes a project attractive –

[Terrie Shaft]

Terrie’s Project and Market
1. Genre, Title, and Concept. Sci-Fi Comedy. Freaky Fusion. An Alien crashes into an off-the-grid hippies house and they swap bodies. Can they fix the spaceship and unswap bodies before Deputy Rhoades discovers their secret?
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
The concept – Body Swapping with an Alien seems like something that’s already been done but I can’t find it.
3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.
I’ll target producers first. I think a manager would want to see an inventory of marketable screenplays that I don’t have yet. The leads are actor bait but I can’t think of particular actors that stand out as the ‘one right’ actor for either lead. I’m one away from the best director in my state, in fact I made decisions on setting to make this shootable in my home state.
4. What I learned today is well I reminded myself I’ve been making decisions all along to make this shootable in my home state and the budget is flexible – meaning local actors, campy sets = cheap; name actors, better sets and costumes = bigger budget.

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Terrie Shaft.

[Kathryn Gould]

Kathryn’s Project and Market

1. Give us your Genre, Title, and Concept.

Sci-fi/Thriller

“Enhancement Protocol”

A young biohacker and his friends fight to stay alive after they discover a dangerous secret about the most powerful corporation in the world.

2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.

There’s a huge twist at the end of the story when our heroes discover that their mentor has released a deadly virus that will kill the most wealthy citizens of their city, and possibly the world, and they must team up with the leader of the corporation who has been trying to kill them in order to stop the virus and save millions of lives.

3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.

I will first show it to my manager, and if he likes it then we will show it to my agent, and then presumably they will take it out. If they decide not to or nothing is happening there, then I will try targeting producers myself.

4. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”

Today I learned that less is more, and that I need to boil the essence of my story down to the most exciting and marketable elements in order to sell it. Sell, don’t tell.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Project and Market

What I learned today is:

Genre: Drama

Title: Beyond the Shadow

Concept:True story of a college senior who faces a terminal illness and finds the courage through faith in God to live fully despite his illness.

What is most attractive about my story besides it is the true account of a miracle, is that it focuses on trusting God and living life fully, despite the circumstances.

I want to target Managers first, since I am ready for a manager with six scripts now ready for market.

[Michael Collado]

Mike’s Project and Market

My story is attractive because it offers a new twist on an old concept, similar to Bad News Bears, Little Giants, Mighty Ducks, and the most recent Champions. Not only is the twist in teaching the game to brainiacs unique, but the sinister plot of using the kids as guinea pigs in a Nanotechnology experiment is also attractive.

I am not sure what an actor's production company is, but if it is a production company with actors attached, I think I would first go this route first to try and attach the actors. I think this would work well in the movie.

If that is not the case, I would choose producers, considering what type of movies they have done, such as sports and children's ensembles. This would go a long way toward being on the pitch list.

• This reply was modified 6 months ago by  Michael Collado.

[Kristin Donnan]

Kristin’s Project and Market

What I learned doing this assignment is that my underlying “draw” for this story has not been expressed anywhere else in this project. My “why” will either work or not work, and I’m curious as to how it will land. Also, I hadn’t really considered #3—where to target the pitch. Considering who might be the best recipient of this information will obviously make a huge difference. Let’s see if my logic is sound!

1. Genre, Title, and Concept.

Black comedy
Shoot, Shovel & Shut Up
When a dead woman is discovered on his property, a reclusive rancher is forced into a highly publicized murder investigation, and he must untangle a labyrinth of crimes before his family’s secrets are exposed.

2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.

For many audience members, “the country” means either Taylor Sheridan’s universe, Fargo, or toothless hillbillies. In contrast, Shoot, Shovel & Shut Up is a rich story about real people—and what it means to live by a life-and-death code in today’s West.

3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.

I think actors’ production companies might be the most effective, because this is a character-driven story about some dynamic people. If actors’ representatives fall in love, and then actors fall in love, then perhaps these parts can be played.

[Sylvia Krawczyk]

Yay! You fixed this so I can now reply. As work permits, I'll reply my catch-ups…

WIM+AI – WIM Module 10 – Lesson 1: How To Get 50 Script Requests Sylvia’s Project and Market
What I learned today is…
Genre = Romantic Thriller Title = Identity Crisis
Concept = An artist’s unexpected reunion with her first love reveals mutual passion that turns to sinister betrayal leading to a crises that unravels her life.
Most attractive about this story:
My story shows the depth and fragile state of being human.
I am targeting Managers as I would like to be assisted in making myself marketable on all fronts.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sylvia Krawczyk.
• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sylvia Krawczyk.

[Joan Butler]

Joan Butler Project: Asylum Secrets Market: people who enjoy supernatural thrillers.
I LEARNED: My subplot is more interesting than my plot.
GENRE: Supernatural Thriller TITLE: Asylum Secrets CONCEPT: A wheelchair-bound woman discovers that clergy are trapping souls in mirrors—and her soul is next.
MOST INTERESTING: Innocent souls absorb the sins of the ultrarich in an ancient ritual. The innocent souls have to bear the guilt and shame of the ultra-rich.
TARGET: Production companies run by actors. The characters are all very interesting.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Joan Butler.
• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Joan Butler.

[Mary Spiers]

Mary’s Project and Market
Give us your Genre, Title, and Concept.
Genre: Family Drama with magical elements
Title: Dig Deep

Concept: When two girls accidentally summon a 19th-century Black Cowboy, they see him as their ticket to victory in a science competition, until they realize their actions could erase his historic archeological discovery.

2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
Although time travel and history has been used to make history personal for kids, this is about bringing a hidden story and hidden scientist into the future and relates to issues kids face today about the relevance of their culture’s history in a playful way.

3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.
Will target Producers first since this the main protagonists are 11 year old girls.
4. Answer the question “What I learned today is to be succinct, give the concept and remember, this is about business decisions…look for open doors. ”

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 3 days ago by  Mary Spiers.