[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s Marketing Campaign

What I learned doing this assignment is: as there is a formula to Hollywood studio scripts, there is a formula to this. No need to reinvent the wheel, just move forward in the accepted fashions with fresh new material. Possibilities will reveal themselves as you go.

The first marketing campaign I’m using will be attaching actors.

Plan of action:

1. Make sure the script is truly in top form; get notes from development execs and established writers I know

2. Write a brief introductory letter to the first actor (Actor A), with whom I share the same attorney and mutual friends

3. Have my attorney send Actor A the script. As soon as his production company has the script, reach out to other actors on the list, introducing myself appropriately and letting them know that it’s already out to Actor A.

4. Once Actor B requests the script, snowball that into every other actor the list, indicating Actors A and B are reading it right now

5. Go back to my attorney, advise him on everyone who has received the script, and see if there’s a pairing or package he thinks would work. Ask him to help me find a rep for the script based on the potential and possibilities.

6. Keep working it.

[Cody Jarrett]

What I learned in this assignment is: it’s go time.

Caveat: I write introduction letters all of the time but since there is not a clear example of the order of the elements requested by the assignment, this may have parts transposed. Also, is the second draft post-critique? Apologies, classmates, if I’m missing something. Grazie.

Cody Jarrett’s Query Letter Draft One

Question: How can three female friends get revenge on their lying, cheating husbands?

Answer: Hit ’em where it really hurts — not the D, or the wallet… but on the softball field!

Hi, Steve!

It’s Cody Jarrett.

We’ve never met, so some quick background: I’m a writer/director who just finished post on “TURA!”, a documentary with John Waters and Margaret Cho. My previous film was Sugar Boxx, which first aired on Showtime and is now having a pandemic-era resurgence, logging over 32 million views on it’s most popular streaming channel. Myman Greenspan have been my attorneys for years.

In any event, WEST HOLLYWOOD COUGARS is an over-the-top fun, sexy comedy.

Three housewives (40’s) are divorced by their cheating husbands whose favorite pastime (besides screwing their secretaries) is playing on their softball team. So the wives form their own team, the WEST HOLLYWOOD COUGARS, to get their husbands’ attention.

The rag-tag Cougars are terrible until they discover an all-star pitcher in one of their players; then they start winning and become instant media darlings. The husbands try every low-life trick imaginable to stop them, but come championship day it’s the wives vs. the husbands.

Taking a cue from the husbands’ dirty playbook, the Cougars publicly expose the husbands’ antics during the playoff game and cinch a last-inning victory, while simultaneously ruining their husbands’ lives. Sort of First Wives’ Club on the softball field, but with the female camaraderie and heartfelt transformation of League of Their Own.

If you like the concept I’ll be happy to send over the script. My contact information is below.

Thank you, Steve! Have a great day!

Yours truly,

Cody Jarrett

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s target market

West Hollywood Cougars, comedy, First Wives’ Club on the softball field

What I learned doing this assignment is there are a lot more possibilities than you can picture offhand.

1. similar movies

first wives’ club

league of their own

the other woman

bad news bears

wildcats

actors

kate hudson

reese witherspoon

jennifer aniston

cameron diaz

kristin wiig

billy bob thornton

cameron diaz

2. producers

first wives’ club

Scott Rudin
producer (produced by)

Adam Schroeder
executive producer

Ezra Swerdlow
executive producer

wildcats

Goldie Hawn
executive producer

Anthea Sylbert
producer

league of their own

Elliot Abbott
producer

Ronnie D. Clemmer
co-producer (as Ronnie Clemmer)

Robert Greenhut
producer

Joseph Hartwick
co-producer

Bill Pace
co-producer

other woman

Donald J. Lee Jr.
executive producer

Chuck Pacheco
executive producer

Patrick Walmsley
co-producer

bad news bears (remake)

Geyer Kosinski
producer (as J. Geyer Kosinski)

Marcus Viscidi
executive producer

Bruce Heller
co-producer

producers worked with potential leads on comedies

kristin wiig

bridesmaids

Judd Apatow
producer

Paul Feig
executive producer

Barry Mendel
producer

Annie Mumolo
co-producer

Clayton Townsend
producer

Kristen Wiig
co-producer

kate hudson

bride wars

Jonathan Filley
executive producer

Kate Hudson
producer

Matt Luber
executive producer

Tony Ludwig
executive producer

Arnon Milchan
executive producer

Alan Riche
producer

Devon Wilson
co-producer

Julie Yorn
producer

jennifer aniston

we’re the millers

Chris Bender
producer

Richard Brener
executive producer

Toby Emmerich

executive producer

David Heyman
executive producer

Patrick McIntire
consulting producer

Dave Neustadter
executive producer

Vincent Garcia Newman
producer (as Vincent Newman)

Tucker Tooley
producer

Marcus Viscidi
executive producer

Happy Walters
producer

Matt Weaver
co-producer

cameron diaz

bad teacher

Lee Eisenberg
executive producer

David B. Householter
producer (as David Householter) (produced by)

Georgia Kacandes
executive producer

Jake Kasdan
executive producer

Jimmy Miller
producer (produced by)

Gene Stupnitsky
executive producer

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[Cody Jarrett]

LESSON 9

Cody Jarrett’s Phone Pitch

What I learned from this lesson is the phone pitch is really similar to the fast in-person pitch.

1. Lead with credibility… Hey, Mark! It’s Cody Jarrett, I just finished writing and directing the ____________ with __________ and ____________. Oh, and we have a common friend, ____________.

2. In any event, I just finished a new comedy, West Hollywood Cougars. It’s essentially First Wives Club on the softball field — three housewives get revenge on their cheating husbands where it will hurt ’em the most — the softball field. The husbands are all on the same team, so the wives form their own team to get in their face.

3.

The budget is mid-budget.

The three leads are women in their 40’s-50’s, so women like Kristin Wiig, Kiersten Dunst, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson would be ideal. Husbands: Seth Rogen, William Fichtner.

It’s 107 pages

Other views: my attorney, one actor _________, and a friend in development who also teaches screenwriting classes.

This is exactly what you guys (gals) do so well, many times in the past.

The ending is:

The film opens with one husband, Peter, shooting cellphone video of himself getting blown by his mistress, who is not only his boss’ daughter, but also his pitcher’s wife. Later in the story, Peter’s ex-wife Barbara quits the Cougars & goes back to him. But on game day she finds the cellphone video.

The ending is game day, wives vs the husbands. the husbands are winning and it’s the bottom of the ninth. The Cougars are at bat, full count, one pitch left, bases loaded and all four players need to score to win.

Barbara rushes the cellphone footage to the field and just before that final pitch is thrown, she has it put up on the jumbotrons for everyone to see. Seeing video of his wife blowing his teammate Peter, the pitcher immediately nails Peter in the head with the ball and a brawl ensues. The women easily run the bases and win the game.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s Pitch Fest Pitch

What I learned is: This film is a good in-person pitch.

1. Hi, Peter! I’m Cody Jarrett; I just finished __________ with__________, which I wrote and directed.

2. I’ve just finished a new comedy, West Hollywood Cougars.

3. It’s First Wives’ Club on the softball field. Three husbands ditch their wives so they can screw around & screw their secretaries. All three men play on the same softball team, so their wives form their own team to get their husbands’ attention, and eventually get revenge.

4.

This is a mid-budget film.

The three leads are women in their 40’s-50’s, so women like Kristin Wiig, Kiersten Dunst, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson would be ideal. Husbands: Seth Rogen, William Fichtner.

Acts:

1. The three husbands divorce their wives. The wives hire a a super hard-ass drill-instructor coach and form their own team to get back in their husband’s faces.

2. The wives’ rag-tag team is terrible until they discover one player who is an amazing fast-pitch pitcher. To the husbands’ chagrin, the wives start winning games, and as an underdog female softball team, become national media darlings.

3. Through a stroke of luck, the wives end up in the playoff game with their ex husbands. They’re on the verge of losing, but copying a page from their husband’s dirty playbook, manage to pull out the win in the final play of the game.

Ending:

Championship game day, Cougars vs the Cocksmen, everything’s on the line.

Now, the film opens with one husband, Peter, shooting cellphone video of himself getting blown by his mistress, who is not only his boss’ daughter, but also his pitcher’s wife. Later in the story, Peter’s wife Barbara quits the Cougars & goes back to him. But on game day she finds the cellphone video.

So, to the game: the husbands are winning and it’s the bottom of the ninth. The Cougars are at bat, full count, one pitch left, bases loaded and all four players need to score to win.

Barbara rushes the cellphone footage to the field and just before that final pitch is thrown, she has it put up on the jumbotrons for everyone to see. Seeing his wife blowing his teammate, the pitcher immediately nails Peter in the head with the ball and a brawl ensues. The women easily run the bases and win the game.

5. Questions

I just finished __________ with __________ and _____________. My previous film, ____________ was initially a Showtime & E1 film, but has had a major resurgence in the past two years with at least 32 million views on streaming AVOD plus Plex, tubi, Amazon Prime, the Roku Channel, and more. My first feature was a horror/comedy. Besides writing/directing, I’m a member of the Hollywood editors’ guild; I’m also in SAG and have acted and done stunts in major studio films. I’ve been repped by ____________ for my entire filmmaking career.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s Query Letter

Question: How can three female friends get revenge on their lying, cheating, morally bankrupt husbands?

Answer: Hit ’em where it really hurts! No, not the “D”, or the wallet… but the SOFTBALL FIELD!

Hi, Steve

It’s Cody Jarrett. We’ve never met, so here’s some quick background.

BIO: I just finished post on ___________ with ___________, which I wrote and directed. My previous film as writer/director was _________, which first aired on Showtime several years ago and is now having a massive pandemic-era resurgence, notching over 32 million views on it’s most popular streaming channel, plus wide VOD rerelease on Tubi, Plex, the Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, and more. I’m also a member of the Local 700 Hollywood Editors Guild, SAG, and _________ has been my attorney for many years.

In any event, WEST HOLLYWOOD COUGARS is a fun, sexy comedy.

Three housewives (40’s) are divorced by their cheating husbands, whose favorite pastime besides screwing their secretaries is playing on their softball team, the Cocksmen. The wives form their own team, the WEST HOLLYWOOD COUGARS, to get their husbands’ attention.

The rag-tag Cougars are terrible until they discover an all-star pitcher in one of their players; now they are the talk of the league and instant media darlings. The husbands try every low-life trick in the book to stop them, but come championship day it’s the wives vs. the husbands.

Taking a cue from the husbands’ dirty playbook, the Cougars cinch a last-inning victory and ruin their husbands’ lives at the same time. Sort of First Wives’ Club on the softball field, but with the female camaraderie and heartfelt transformation of League of Their Own.

If you like the concept I’ll be happy to send over the script. My contact information is below.

Thank you, Steve! Have a great day!

Yours truly,

Cody Jarrett

What I learned today: Seems very on-the-nose, but I learned how to write a basic query letter.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s synopsis hooks

What I learned during this assignment is: it’s not always easy taking things that will read well on screen and making them read well in abbreviated verbiage.

hooks

1. Three housewives are divorced by their cheating husbands, who play softball together

2. Wives form their own team (the Cougars) to get husbands’ attention

3. The Cougars are terrible until they discover an all-star pitcher in one of their players; now they are the talk of the league

4. Seeing “it” slip away, one of the husbands convinces his wife to return, crippling the Cougars. But she is unhappy with her decision.

5. On championship game day, it’s the husbands vs. the wives. The wives are losing until the defector discovers sexually incriminating evidence against her husband and rushes it to the field just in time, giving the Cougars the victory and ruining the husbands at the same time.

Synopsis first draft

Three affluent housewives are suddenly divorced by their husbands, who abandon them to screw their secretaries and play softball on their championship team, the Cocksmen.

About to lose everything, the wives form their own softball team, the West Hollywood Cougars – to show their husbands they share their interests and are worthy of respect, all the while hoping to win them back.

The women’s ragtag band of players are a league laughingstock until they discover one player is an ace pitcher — turning the tables, winning games, getting a groundswell of media support, and stealing the husbands’ thunder. They sense empowerment for the first time.

Just as the Cougars are primed for victory, one of the men convinces his ex-wife Barbara to quit the team and return; he’s changed and things will be better. The Cougars are crippled by this loss and falter. Meanwhile, Barbara settles back into her routine, where nothing has changed.

By a wildcard disqualification, the Cougars are now in the championship. Playing against their husbands, they are losing in the ninth. But during the game, Barbara discovers shocking evidence of the husbands’ affairs and rushes it to the field just in time to help the Cougars win and hilariously destroy the husbands in the process.

[Cody Jarrett]

LESSON 5

Cody Jarrett’s high concept/elevator pitch

1. Big picture explanation of the character’s journey

Dawn, along with two friends in similar situations, are getting screwed over by their cheating husbands and must get the upper hand before they lose everything.

2. High concept: Three housewives take revenge on their cheating husbands where it hurts the most: the softball field.

3. Elevator pitch: I’m rewriting a script about three housewives on the brink of losing everything; their three cheating husbands all play on the same softball team, so the wives form their own team to get revenge.

4. What I learned doing this assignment is: it’s tricky finding the balance between brevity and succinctly making a compelling pitch for your story.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett 10 Most Interesting Things

In no particular order

1. The film opens with a bang! Barbara, one of the Cougars, has the plumber over when her tree guys accidentally topple a massive trunk onto the plumber’s van, destroying it. Panicked, Barbara calls her husband just as he’s in his car, cellphone-filming himself getting blown by his mistress, who also happens to be his work assistant and his boss’ daughter. All three women have a similar opening setup to their story.

2. Really compelling characters! The three leads have to fight like hell to overcome their husbands bastard-like behavior on and off the softball field — and they succeed, gloriously! Also great supporting cast members: the Cougars’ hard-ass drill instructor coach, and a softball team of women who run the spectrum in every way, most of which have never played sports before.

3. Betrayals, twists, turning points galore. Our lead women’s husbands are all cheating, then divorce them to “play the field” with their secretaries or whoever, after their wives helped create the foundation and wealth that allow them to do that. One of the Cougars also has a change of heart, defecting from the team at a crucial moment.

4. Emotional dilemma. The Cougars’ lives are yanked out from under them after decades of marriage; now they must find themselves, deal with their conflicted feelings toward their husbands, and survive all at the same time.

5. Surprises at every base! From the husbands’ sexual encounters at the most inappropriate times, to the Cougars discovering their “forced community service” recruit is an ace fast-pitch softball pitcher, to Barbara eventually finding that cellphone video of her husband getting blown, then playing it on the Jumbotron during the last bases-loaded play of the playoffs, causing the husbands to implode and the Cougars to win the championship

6. Female revenge! It’s incredibly entertaining, gratifying to watch, and has proven a boxoffice success for over fifty years

7. Women in sports! Another audience favorite, whether it’s female players (League of Their Own), coaches (Wildcats), or supporters (Bull Durham), funny women in sports movies = hit

8. Authentic, relatable characters. Many people have been through divorces or other traumatic loss. The script addresses those such moments with honesty, openness, and often hilarity – just like in life.

9. Roles for movie stars/established faces. These characters were written right in that pocket of movie-star flow, designed to be sexy, yet laugh-out-loud audience favorites.

10. FEMALE EMPOWERMENT is certainly more relevant now than ever, and this film defines that, along with empowerment of the disenfranchised of all types. The Cougars start as a rag-tag band of misfits (on one level or another) and transform into ass-kicking national heroes. Amen!

What I learned doing this assignment:

These points are kind of difficult to qualify specifically, as opposed to a “Double Indemnity” where the twists & betrayals are much more literal. Good.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett Producer/Manager

1. example pitch to producers

Hey, David! It’s Cody Jarrett. We worked together on Mystery Men, second unit, which you were directing (*or whatever personal connection I can make here). Something you taught me has stuck with me to this day: “What’s the most important shot of a film? The one you’re working on right now!” Always true.

Clearly, you’ve been killing it since then; I’m a big fan of the films you’ve produced. Bad Teacher? Seriously, amazing.

Since Mystery Men, I’ve written and directed three features, including the _______ with

______, which is just finishing post. So I’m reaching out to you because I have a new comedy script, West Hollywood Cougars, which feels like it’s right in the pocket of what you do so well. The log line is “First Wives Club on the softball field”, but it’s actually edgier and raunchier, a more contemporary take on the idea. It’s got movie-star roles and wide audience appeal, and I’d love for you to see it. It’s a fun read and think you’ll really enjoy it.

Anyway, if this piques your interest, please let me know and I’ll have it sent to you via whatever channel and format you prefer.

Thanks, David! Great reconnecting with you. Congratulations on everything and hope to speak with you soon.

Cheers,

Cody

(email and phone, website if applicable)

2. example pitch to managers

Hey, Marshall! It’s Cody Jarrett. I’m an admirer (*friend) of many of your clients (*name some, make a personal connection if possible), and the career/creative choices they make seem right on the money, hence the reason for this letter. I’m seeking quality representation, and that would be you.

My third feature as writer/director is just finishing post, the __________ with ___________. Beyond that, I have a new comedy I feel really hits on all cylinders, West Hollywood Cougars. The log line is “First Wives Club on the softball field”, but it’s actually edgier and raunchier, a more contemporary take on the idea. Plus, the story has a heart, also tapping into the same emotional ground as “League of Their Own.” It’s got movie-star roles and wide audience appeal. It’s a fun read and I would love to get your input.

The Thomas Lennon mantra of “always be writing” is something I follow diligently. As such, I have a wheelhouse of other marketable scripts and outlines in different genres, and am open and collaborative on new concepts and ideas. I’m in for the long game, and am looking for quality representation. __________ and _________ have been my attorneys for many years.

In any event, thanks for your time. It would be great to get your take on West Hollywood Cougars. Let me know and I’ll get it to you via whatever channel and format you prefer.

Great making your acquaintance, Marshall! Have a wonderful day.

Yours truly,

Cody

(email and phone, website if applicable)

3. what I earned today is… exactly what the lesson intends… I hope! Thank you.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett’s Marketable Components

1. LOGLINE:

First Wives Club on the softball field

2.

Two marketable components: wide audience appeal, similarity to past successes

3.

Wide audience appeal: West Hollywood Cougars is a big, sexy, kinda raunchy, and even heartwarming female revenge comedy — and that’s atb appeal. Female revenge films have been huge boxoffice starting with Pam Grier in the mid-70’s (Coffy, Foxy Brown), through now (First Wives Club, The Other Woman, Ruthless People). Combine that with America’s nostalgia for sports or women in sports (League of Their Own), and this film hits a sweet spot that hasn’t been captured in quite some time.

Similarity to past successes: While West Hollywood Cougars is First Wives Club on the softball field, it also mines a lot of the same territory as League of Their Own. It’s female camaraderie and women overcoming impossible situations together, which is immensely fertile ground: First Wives Club: 28m budget, 181m gross for the feature alone, not counting the numerous TV series & spinoffs. League of Their Own: 40m budget, 132m gross, and is also still generating spinoffs. Both films are an evergreen success, and West Hollywood Cougars nails the magic of them both.

4. What I learned in this assignment:

Pick your strong suit and run with it, forget what doesn’t matter.

[Cody Jarrett]

Cody Jarrett, West Hollywood Cougars, Limited theatrical/streaming

1. Genre: Comedy

Title: West Hollywood Cougars

Concept: Three West Hollywood housewives get revenge on their philandering husbands by forming their own all-female softball team and joining the league of their husbands’ team. Or, “First Wives Club” on the softball field.

2. Attractiveness factor:

West Hollywood Cougars is a big, raunchy, star-driven comedy in the Todd Phillips/Paul Feig realm, but with women protagonists calling the shots. Plus, in a world with so much fragmented news, media & entertainment, this film has broad appeal as classic, laugh-out-loud Hollywood escapism.

3. First target:

Actors & their production companies. These are movie star roles; the three leads are interesting women, 40-50, who get to take hilarious revenge on their (morally challenged) husbands, plus undergo an empowering personal transformation at the same time. These roles would be “audience favorites”, familiar emotional ground for the right actors.

Additionally, this script falls in the mid-range budget category that is suffering pretty deeply at the moment, so an attachment from a name actor/movie star is a good way to counter that.

4. What I’ve learned today is:

How to identify the target market

[Cody Jarrett]

Bonjour! Je suis Cody Jarrett

10+ scripts

I’ve been working on a project for several years, in which time the industry has continued to change rapidly, so looking for the best ways to position my new writing and get the next film set up.

Recently bought a 1950’s sports car with a blown engine; going to rebuild it as an electric car. Also, mon francais sucks, but I keep at it…

[Cody Jarrett]

I, Cody Jarrett, agree to the terms of this release form.

[Cody Jarrett]

Hi, Joy

Thank you. I appreciate it. These are all good notes, worth addressing.

Break a leg as well,

Cody

[Cody Jarrett]

Walter, using the nuanced personal approach is a great plan, and very effective. And the synopsis is compelling. Great work.

Cody

[Cody Jarrett]

Cassie, this is a great story. The single question I have from reading this is why Brianna has to go back/why Black Santa has chosen her. Perhaps more of a motivation reveal early on would help. Otherwise, there are a lot of good cinematic moments here.

Tres bien!

Cody

[Cody Jarrett]

Thanks, Walter. Based on your and Cassie’s notes, I definitely know what to remove from this! Most appreciated and best of luck to you.

Cody

[Cody Jarrett]

Cassie,

Thank you! These are excellent observations, and I already know I’ll be using them… Sincerely appreciated. Break a leg with everything!

Cody