Jonathan Meltzer
Forum Replies Created
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Marketing Campaign
1. Marketing Campaign #1: Can’t Travel, but Can Market <div>
2. Contacted two production companies with my query letter/email.
3. Continue to look up small production companies that make similar films to mine and query them.
4. I emailed my query to two small production companies.
What I learned doing this assignment is at the end of the day you have to take a risk that someone can say no if you ever want to hear a yes.
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Query Letter Draft ONE
What happens when two people in AA date before they have a year of sobriety?
Off the Wagon: An Alcoholic, Bobby, rear ends a Police Car and is ordered to attend AA meetings for one year. At his first one he meets Kim, the pretty redhead who he falls for.
If you like the concept, I’d be happy to send you the script.
Bio: I am a graduate from NYU’s Tisch School in Dramatic Writing, BFA 2007, with an emphasis in Screenwriting. My script “Remakers of the Lost Ark” was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Contest. Though I do not have experience with substance abuse I did suffer from severe OCD and had to attend the Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas in 2007. In a way OCD was my addiction and I had to learn how to treat and manage it.
Contact info: Jonathan Meltzer
email: john.meltzer@gmail.com
5368 Sharon Ct.
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Cell: 707-843-1023
What I learned doing this assignment is how to trim and edit a query letter to make it legit.
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Target Market
1. Smashed, Big Daddy, Peanut Butter Falcon, 21 Jump Street, Superbad, Free Guy
2. Jonah Hill, Zach Efron, Dakota Johnson, Emma Stone, Dave Franco, Shia LaBeouf
3. Smashed
Alishe Beardeaux … associate producer
Jennifer Cochis … producer
Stephanie Meurer … co-producer
Stephen A. Ricci … co-producer (as Stephen Ricci)
Elise Salomon … co-producer
Jonathan Schwartz … producer
Andrea Sperling … producer
Audrey Wilf … executive producer
Zygi Wilf … executive producer
Big Daddy
Joseph M. Caracciolo … executive producer
Allen Covert … associate producer
Sidney Ganis … producer (as Sid Ganis) (produced by)
Jack Giarraputo … producer (produced by)
Michelle Holdsworth … associate producer
Adam Sandler … executive producer
Robert Simonds … executive producer
Alex Siskin … co-producer
How to be Single
Drew Barrymore … executive producer
Richard Brener … executive producer
Michael Disco … executive producer
Dana Fox … producer
Nancy Juvonen … executive producer
Stefan Mentz … associate producer
Steven Mnuchin … executive producer
Dave Neustadter … executive producer
John Rickard … producer
Katie Silberman … co-producer
Marcus Viscidi … executive producer
Michele Weiss … executive producer
Peanut Butter Falcon
Albert Berger … producer
Carmella Casinelli … executive producer
Manu Gargi … executive producer
Christopher Lemole … producer
Matthew J. Malek … co-executive producer (as Matthew Malek)
Lije Sarki … producer
Aaron Scotti … executive producer
Anthony Shriver … executive producer (as Anthony K. Shriver)
Tim Shriver … executive producer (as Timothy Shriver)
David Thies … producer
Michelle Sie Whitten … executive producer
Ron Yerxa … producer
Tim Zajaros … producer
Superbad
Judd Apatow … producer
Evan Goldberg … executive producer
Shauna Robertson … producer
Seth Rogen … executive producer
Dara Weintraub
17 Again
Jason Barrett … executive producer
Toby Emmerich … executive producer
Jennifer Gibgot … producer (produced by)
Keith Goldberg … executive producer
Mark Kaufman … executive producer
Adam Shankman … producer (produced by)
Dara Weintraub … co-producer
21 Jump Street
Stephen J. Cannell … producer
Jonah Hill … executive producer
Tania Landau … executive producer
Neal H. Moritz … producer
Ezra Swerdlow … executive producer
Channing Tatum … executive producer
Free Guy
Greg Berlanti … producer (produced by)
Dan Cohen … co-producer
George Dewey … executive producer
Scott Elias … associate producer
Rand Geiger … co-producer
Adam Kolbrenner … producer (produced by)
Dan Levine … executive producer
Shawn Levy … producer (produced by) (p.g.a.)
Michael Riley McGrath … executive producer (as Michael McGrath)
Josh McLaglen … executive producer
Mary McLaglen … executive producer
Ryan Reynolds … producer (produced by) (p.g.a.)
Sarah Schechter … producer (produced by)
Mid 90’s
Amanda Adelson … co-producer
Mikey Alfred … co-producer
Eli Bush … producer (produced by)
Catherine Farrell … co-producer
Alison Goodwin … co-producer
Jonah Hill … producer (produced by)
Ken Kao … producer (produced by)
Aaron Meza … co-producer
Scott Robertson … executive producer
Josh Rosenbaum … co-producer
Scott Rudin … producer (produced by)
Alex G. Scott … executive producer
Jennifer Semler … executive producer
Lila Yacoub … producer (produced by)
8. What I learned doing this is that A24 is a really cool production company I would love to work with.
Off the Wagon, Comedy/Drama, Logline: An Alcoholic, Bobby, rear ends a Police Car and is ordered to attend AA meetings for one year. At his first one he meets Kim, the pretty redhead who he falls for.
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<div>Jonathan Meltzer’s Phone Pitch</div>
1. Hi, my name is Jonathan Meltzer and I am a graduate of NYU’S Tisch School in Dramatic Writing and a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Contest.
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2. My script Off the Wagon is about an Alcoholic who meets the girl of his dreams in AA and can’t date her for a year. They date anyway and after a month Kim falls off the wagon and cheats on Bobby. Bobby wants to drink again to ease his pain but with his friends encouragement he decides to stay sober. The script ends with Bobby and Kim deciding to remain friends and 6 months later they are both sober, happy and possibly getting back together.
3. The Budget range is Mid-level.
4. The two leads were written for Adam Sandler in his late 30’s and Amy Adams in her early 30’s.
5. It is 103 pages.
6. What I learned from this lesson is I need to practice my phone pitch a few times first to get comfortable doing it for real. But it is a skill I should have in my tool bag.
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Pitch Fest Pitch
1. Hi, I’m Jonathan Meltzer and I was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Contest.
2. My script Off the Wagon is a Comedy/Drama.
3. My script is about what happens when you meet the girl of your dreams and she’s in AA?
4. My budget range is Mid-sized.
5. The actors it was written for were Adam Sandler, in his late 30’s and Amy Adams in her early 30’s.
6. Act one ends with Bobby admitting he is an Alcoholic for the first time in his life. Act two ends with Kim cheating on Bobby and Act Three ends with Bobby and Kim getting back as friends.
7. Bobby suspects Kim of cheating and wants to drink. With his friends support he decides to stay sober. Kim confesses in AA and she and Bobby decide to be friends and the script ends with the possibility of them getting back together.
8. This is the first screenplay I would like to have produced.
9. What I learned is different ways to pitch my screenplay to producers.
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Query Letter
Can two people in AA date before they have a year of sobriety?
Off the Wagon: An Alcoholic, Bobby, rear ends a Police Car and is ordered to attend AA meetings for one year. At his first one he meets Kim, the pretty redhead who he falls for.
If you like the concept, I’d be happy to send you the script.
Bio: I am a graduate from NYU’s Tisch School in Dramatic Writing, BFA 2007, with an emphasis in Screenwriting. My script “Remakers of the Lost Ark” was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Comedy Contest. Though I do not have experience in substance abuse treatment or recovery I did suffer from severe OCD and had to attend the Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas in 2007. In a way OCD was my addiction and I had to learn how to successfully treat and manage it.
Contact info: Jonathan Meltzer
email: john.meltzer@gmail.com
5368 Sharon Ct.
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Cell: 707-843-1023
What I learned doing this assignment is how to craft a great query letter. I thought all I needed was a synopsis and little else.
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<div>Jonathan Meltzer’s Synopsis Hooks</div>
1. A Romantic Comedy set in the world of AA.
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2. What would you do if you met the girl of your dreams? What if she was in AA and you couldn’t date her for a year?
3. What if you just got your 3rd DUI and still weren’t sure you were an Alcoholic?
What if everyone around you, your friends, your AA group, even the girl you like were sure you were an Alcoholic? Would you admit you’re wrong and agree you need help? Which is more important, proving everyone else wrong or admitting you may be wrong yourself?4. Bobby rear ends a Police Car and is sentenced to attend AA meetings for one year. At his first one he meets Kim, the pretty redhead he falls for.
5. What I learned doing this assignment is getting clear just what you need and don’t need in a synopsis.
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<div>Jonathan Meltzer’s High Concept/Elevator Pitch</div>
1. Main Hook: Can two people in AA date before they have a year of sobriety?
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2. Bobby crashes his car for his 3rd DUI and is court ordered to attend AA. At his first meeting he meets Kim and falls for her. He talks with his friends and decides he is an Alcoholic. He and Kim like each other and start dating. Their relationship is good at first but Kim can’t handle the pressure and starts drinking again after 3 years. Bobby suspects Kim of cheating and even though he wants a beer to help with the pain he decides to stay sober.
3. Elevator Pitch: I’m finishing up a story that answers the question: Can two people in AA date before they have a year of sobriety?
4. What I learned doing this assignment is you have to be creative to sell your screenplay, the same way you were creative writing it you also have to be creative selling it.
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<div>Jonathan Meltzer’s 10 Most Interesting Things</div>
A. My story is a Self vs. Self. The protagonist and the antagonist are the same person, as is probably the case with most Alcoholics.
B. My opening scene takes place at a Bar on a busy Thursday night. The guys are celebrating Larry’s 39th Birthday and are drinking. Bobby has 4 drinks and at the urging of his friend, Kevin, orders an Uber to take him home. He goes outside so he won’t miss his Uber and overhears two neighbors arguing over some “asshole” whose car is blocking their driveway. Bobby laughs at first but as he overhears the man’s call to have it tow’d discovers the car belongs to him. Already drunk Bobby argues for the man to “just pull it in” as he is “only” blocking his driveway by a foot. This situation ends with Bobby driving home to avoid having his car impounded and leads to him smashing into the back of a Police Car.
C. This leads into turning point #1 with Bobby being court ordered to attend AA meetings for one year and turning point #2 where he meets Kim, the pretty redhead he falls for.
D. Bobby’s emotional dilemma is whether to admit he is an Alcoholic or not. He is an Alcoholic and needs help but the main reason he admits this at first is because Kim believes he is one, he is just in “denial” like so many others, and admitting this allows him to stay in AA and get a chance to date her.
E. My major twist is at the end of Act 2 where Kim falls off the wagon and has sex with the Bartender at the bar she drinks at.
F. My biggest reversal is Bobby deciding to stay sober as his friends tell him not to blow his one month of sobriety over some girl.
G. Kim betrays Bobby because she drinks again and has sex with the bartender. it is not an ultimate betrayal as they manage to remain friends. They both still like each other and are in the same AA group.
H. Big Surprises: Bobby admitting he is an Alcoholic at the end of Act 1, Kim and Bobby getting together in the middle of Act 2, Kim cheating on Bobby at the end of Act 2 and at the climax, after Bobby suspects her of cheating he refuses to drink at the game and decides to stay sober.
2. I feel like that list should definitely get the interest of a Producer.
3. The main interesting thing is we get to see two people in AA, one for the first time, the other 3 years sober, decide to date when AA tells its member NOT to do so UNTIL you have ONE year of sobriety. We get to see this relationship play out and then fizzle after Kim sleeps with Tony. We also get to see Bobby, our hero, do the best thing, not just admit he is an Alcoholic but as his relationship with Kim is breaking down, he decides to stay sober and refuses to drink, much to his friends delight.
4. What I learned doing this assignment is how much I am discovering about my screenplay as I do these assignments. Selling it is just as much a process as writing it is.
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<div>Jonathan Meltzer’s Producer/Manager</div>
1. To producers: I have an exciting new script on a subject that has been approached rather seriously before. My script “Off the Wagon” is a comedy, drama and romance that explores an Alcoholic, Bobby, coming to terms with the fact that he actually is an Alcoholic and needs to change. The change agent for him is Kim, a pretty redhead in AA he wants to date. Kim is 3 years sober. Both of them know that AA tells its members not to date in their first year of recovery and though they proceed slowly at first their relationship quickly takes on a life of its own. They both want to make their relationship work but Kim is not used to being treated well by a guy and finds a way to sabotage things. She falls off the wagon, starts drinking again and sleeps with a random bartender just to escape the pressure that a healthy relationship brings with it. Her cheating pushes Bobby to doubt his commitment to stay sober but his friends do not let him relapse. In the end they manage to stay friends and embark on a new journey; sober, healthy and more productive with the prospect of getting back together left open at the end. We’ve never seen this story before, a comedy drama and romance set in the world of Alcoholism and Recovery. The appeal of this movie would be broad as we have all dealt with some form of substance abuse or know someone who has.
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2. To managers: I graduated from NYU’s Tisch School in Dramatic Writing with a focus in Screenwriting (2007). I lived in West LA from 2007 to 2011 when I was forced to move back to Northern California due to the onset of Dystonia, a movement disorder caused by a medication side effect. I have spent the last year writing a play, “Irrational Men,” about two black men living in New York City who are pitching a show about a black playwright, Sam Albright, and his life working and living in New York’s Upper West Side. A screenplay “Off the Wagon” and another screenplay “Bachelor Pad” about a young man Max Wilson who returns to West LA after living at home with his mom only to find his bed has magical powers, any girl that sits on it falls in love with him. I feel I have two very commercial ideas that appeal to a wide audience. Having Dystonia has not been easy but it has given me more empathy for all people as I have had to overcome obstacles that were far bigger than any writing project could ever be. Coming through this has definitely made me a better writer and has given me a much deeper appreciation for the craft of storytelling and an increased desire to see my scripts made into movies. I feel I have the talent, the work ethic and the discipline to be a great screenwriter and have two very marketable scripts already written. My desire is to tell great stories that have great hooks that appeal to wide audiences and the experience to know what kind of movies appeal to large audiences. I would be an asset as a client and look forward to working with you in the future.
3. What I learned today is that I should not limit my search only to managers. I should be contacting producers and trying to get them to read “Off the Wagon” as it is a very marketable script that would attract top talent.
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Jonathan Meltzer’s Marketable Components
1. An Alcoholic, Bobby, has one too many drinks and rear ends a Police Car. He is ordered to attend AA meetings by the Court and at his first meets Kim, who he falls for.
2. Unique: A comedy romance set inside the world of AA with its own rules on dating and sobriety.
3. Great title: Off the Wagon.
4. What I learned doin this assignment is you need to sell your screenplay if you ever want it to get made.
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4. What I learned doing this assignment is you need to sell your screenplay if you ever want it to get made.
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My screenplay “Off the Wagon” is a comedy/drama. It’s about an Alcoholic, Bobby, who on his way home from the bar, rear ends a Police Car and is sentenced to attend AA meetings by the Court. At his first he meets Kim, who he falls for.
I think this is a fun premise that covers a variety of topics: AA, Alcoholism, Dating and AA, Bobby’s friends, Bobby’s friends from AA. The tone is a mix of comedy, mostly with Bobby’s friends and drama, mostly with AA. And then dating where the two collide.
I am targeting Managers first as I have heard getting one is a great first step for new screenwriters and they can offer guidance on agents and the Industry in general.
What I learned today is that one step is writing a great screenplay but the next step is marketing it and getting it out to Power Players in the Industry.
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I, Jonathan Meltzer, agree to the terms of this release form.
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Just clicking the Notify me of replies tab.
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My name is Jonathan Meltzer. I went to NYU’s Tisch School for Dramatic Writing (Screen and Playwriting) and have written probably a dozen or so scripts. I would like to actually sell my first script, in addition to getting a manager and/or agent. Something unusual about me is that I have the movement disorder Dystonia, which makes my neck go back, it is much better when I’m relaxed, around friends or playing sports. It comes and goes but it’s something I have to manage every single day. Thanks!