[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols – Synopsis Hooks

Isn’t that ironic! It’s raining on your moving day!

After Sami and Jamie loose big in a house flipping fiasco, they are forced to sell their own home to pay off the debt.
They move into a high end apartment building while waiting out their next move. AND days earlier they learned that Sami’s division is being shut down so now they don’t know if they can even pay the rent! AND the movers have started a traffic jam that has all their new neighbors up in arms. Where do they go from here?

In comes Brooks, Sami’s ex boss – who also lives in the building, to help the couple out. While he gives his personal guarantee to the building management that the rent will be paid, he also gives Sami a signing bonus for a new position with a different division that covers the first year of rent. Meaning Jamie doesn’t have to sell her prized possession, her baby grand piano.

Feeling like they started on the wrong foot with all the neighbors they suddenly hear a knock on the door and open it to their new saviors and building mates. Their new best friends are there with charcuterie boards and bottles of wine to help them settle in AND give them the scope on the drama in the building. Sami and Erin seem to become close friends but are constantly battling with their different opinions on life. Sami is a glass always full person while Erin knows the world is out to get her.

The compromises for friendship they make along the way keep the story line interesting. From tears at the Sushi Bar happy hour to big drama at a holiday cookie decorating party!! And so much more in between.

This is a timeless tale relatable to all ages and by our gay, straight and somewhere in between friends!

What I learned here, relearned I should say, is I’m not a writer! I just had an idea around our experience of living in an apartment building for two years after selling our home. After my second social event in the building I can home and told my partner, this building is a sitcom. So I started jotting down ideas of things that actually happened and a story came to life. Then on a cold April night in MN I walked into a nail salon and sat by a women who just happened to be a producer! So the journey began. I took this class to learn about pitching our sitcom idea to producers. Not really to write, because I’m not a writer!!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols – 10 Most Interesting things
1)Opening Hook – Deaf drivers / traffic jam
2) Animal give back
3) Diverse cast from various racial & ethic backgrounds
4) Current event topics
5) Relatable
6) Interesting for ages 18-80
7) characters are gay, straight and somewhere in between
8) Characters are "colorful" and sassy
9) Based on real life
10) Beautiful high end building

What I learned – some of my interesting points run together. Might need to spice up some of the points or add additional ones!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols – Producer/Manager

1) Presenting myself and my project to a Producer would be around the two main marketability components of appeals to a wide audience and great roles for bankable actors.
“Doors” has the ability to hit the ground running appealing to ages from 18-80!
People can see themselves, or people they know, as the characters. It’s a sitcom comedy around people 50+ living in a upscale apartment building, with disposal income as most are empty nesters, and the drama and fun they “get in to”! Appeals to gay, straight and people somewhere in between.
Who knew aging could be like being teenagers again! Teenagers with money that is!

There is also a give back portion to this project. One character is a “dog sitter” and will have a different dog on each episode. At the end of the episode we’ll feature this dog as up for adoption(as it’s from a shelter) OR have a QR code to local shelters across the country where people can adopt the breed of their choice!

I also have many ideas for other projects/shows with the people in the building.
This is all based on a building I lived in in Minneapolis for two years. As people moved out, they moved onto other adventures that could be “spin offs” of “Doors”.
I have LOTS of ideas!!

There is also a “brand” piece to this project. I’m connected to many brands and can place them around the scenes of the show. If people see something they’d like to have they can purchase it through a website / company store we set up OR through a QR code. This is all something I can do. Anything purchased from this site would give us a % that comes back to us and could help with funding of the show OR we could donate to the animal shelters.

“Doors” also has many opportunities for great roles for bankable actors. Many people in this age group are looking for new projects and perhaps haven’t worked in awhile. They also might like the give back to animals piece. Both could help with lower contract $ on agreements.

2) The manager piece really doesn’t work for me. I’m a visionary – not a writer! I moved into this building and thought this place is crazy enough to be a good sitcom! That’s when I started writing down ideas. I worked with another writer/producer to get a pilot scrip written and now I’m taking this class to see how best to pitch it!

3) What I learned here is my best avenue is really through a producer since I’m not a writer as explained in #2.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols – Wide audience appeal and great role for bankable actors

1) Doors – A comedy of life after 50, around people in a luxury apartment building as they move to what’s next! Shenanigans and drama form great, unlikely, friendships around the lobby, apartments and community areas, with a lot of charcuterie boards, wine and bathrobes! OH, and dogs! A dog will be in every episode with a give back to our shelter pets after every show!

2)While our title, Doors, is a great title our wide audience appeal and great role for bankable actors are the main business hooks.

3)
Wide audience appeal – This story line will be attractive to age groups from 18-80! Gay, straight and a little in-between! They can see themselves or family members as the characters in the show!

Great roles for bankable actors – There are many actors in this age group that would love a new project! With the story lines we are hoping to get many popular names from the 1980s and 1990's at attractive/lower contract rates. AND as they are today! We aren't looking for the slim and trim! We are looking people age 50+ as they are today which will be more relative to the target audience!

4)What I learned is while I think Doors could fit almost every Component of Marketability I need to focus on the business side and what will make the producer say YES! Please send me your script!!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols/Sitcom/TV-Streaming

1). Genre – Sitcom/Comedy
Title – Doors
Concept -Golden Girls meets Friends

A comedy of life after 50, around people in a luxury apartment building as they move to what’s next! Shenanigans and drama form great, unlikely, friendships around the lobby, apartments and community areas, with a lot of charcuterie boards, wine and bathrobes!

2). Doors is a fun lighthearted comedy that all (ages 18-80) will look forward to watching because it reminds them of people in their lives. It's funny and relatable with mentions of current life issues and a give back to homeless animals.

3) Producer – because I know one!

4). Make the pitch around the business of the project – not why you love the project! AND stop talking!! When they ask for the script just ask for their email and say nothing more!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by  Sandy Nichols.

[Sandy Nichols]

Hello!

My name is Sandy Nichols. I’m actually working on a sitcom idea. I have the pilot script roughly done and am working on the pitch deck to send to potential investors and/or producers. I’m hoping to learn how best to polish this script and how to build an attractive and attention grabbing pitch deck!

[Sandy Nichols]

Sandy Nichols
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