
Jeff Hall
Forum Replies Created
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Jeff Hall Producer/Manager
Understand who you are selling to when you pitch a project.
Producer:
I would stress the fact that the screenplay will be easy and relatively inexpensive to produce. There are no special effects or outlandish stunts. The locations are limited and not regionally specific so the production could be shot anywhere that’s economically advantageous. The cast is small and several key parts are older, which might interest senior A level talent looking for roles.
Manager:
I have a series of screenplays that are topical, easy to produce and well suited for the streaming market.
I have worked in television, so I understand production. I am open to revisions, rewrites, staff positions or writing assignments.
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Jeff’s Marketable Components
Outlining marketable components will help in creating a successful sales campaign.
Serpent’s Tooth: dark comedy
An eccentric businessman’s dementia means financial opportunity but which of his devious children is competent enough to cash in first?
Great Title: Serpent’s Tooth may make some think of a sword and sorcery theme, but it refers to Shakespear’s King Lear, “an ungrateful child is sharper than a serpent’s tooth”.
Timely: The current interest in dementia makes the story about an executive experiencing cognitive decline timely.
Similarity to a box-office success. Professional coverage has compared the screenplay favorably with Succession, a recent successful production.
A great role for a bankable actor. The main role of the businessman as well as two of his daughters are interesting characters that prominent actors might be interested in playing.
An unscrupulous, driven businessman, finds himself losing control as he succumbs to dementia. His daughters vye to take over his empire in a love/hate relationship with each other and the man who taught them everything they know.
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1. Give us your Genre, Title, and Concept.
Dark comedy, Serpent’s Tooth: An eccentric businessman’s dementia means financial opportunity but which of his devious children is competent enough to cash in first?
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
It is a topical subject that is low budget and easily produced. There are several strong female parts as well as the eccentric businessman’s role.
3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.
I think that approaching managers first would be the best approach because of my current status as an unproduced screenwriter.
4. I learned today that initial planning on how to target my screenplay is important prior to marketing.
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1. Jeff Hall
2. I agree to the terms of this release form.<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>GROUP RELEASE FORM FOR “POWER PLAYERS” CLASS
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the Power Players class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, teaching a class, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the Power Players available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. The easiest solution if you have similar ideas is to either not look at each other’s work or to agree to take your shows in different directions.
If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the Power Players class.
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First name: Jeff
Last Name: Hall
I prefer to be addressed by traditional male pronouns
I have written over six screenplays
I want to learn successful marketing techniques