[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Everyone,

I’ve enjoyed reading all the different ideas and wish you best luck with your writing and your campaigns. I think perseverance is the key because the stories are great.

If anyone would like to stay in touch my email is kaoneill1@gmail.com.

Just keep writing – words from a former teacher.

Thank you Hal and Cheryl

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Marketing Campaign

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” Marketing takes place at many levels. I like using the Actors, Expand Network and Producers. The strategies are good and hopefully effective.

Marketing Campaign #10: Attaching Actors

Strategy

1. Great Writing – Have received “Recommend” for my scripts.

2. Strategy 9 – Six Degrees of Separation – I have done readings of the scripts and actors get excited. Believe that make it easy for them to say yes may be the most valuable lesson so far.

a. I have the script out to an actor and will wait one more week before contacting again.

b. I research actors so that I stay current.

3. Strategy 8 – Meet on Linkedin, FB and Twitter. I find that IMDbPro is also very good and it gives more info that is important to the process. How do I evaluate the “chance that the movie can be made? I believe I have a great script and that doesn’t necessarily mean it will get made.

a. Again finding actors who work in the films budget range without negating the A list people.

4. Strategy 26 – Breakfast, Lunch Dinner with Assistants and Producers – I’m doing te research on IMDbPro to find which doors to knock on and so it continues. I believe working with the assistants is a terrific beginning for a cold call.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Query Letter Draft Two

Dear Person,

BIO: I’m Kathleen O’Neill, actor, director and writer in NYC. My family has been blessed with many adoptions and when I heard a story about a frightening experience I knew I wanted to explore that in a film. So began My Mother Es Mi Madre.

Judas Priest! I don’t exist!

JESSICA, JESS, MCHALE, the eldest of five in a wonderful family she adores, a successful architect and partnered with the love of her life, discovers she is adopted and that her entire life is a lie.

Incensed by this fact and armed with her absolute belief in truth, Jess finds her birth family in Medellin, Colombia and immediately goes to them. Expecting a poverty-stricken family Jess finds a mother who thought “the baby” died at birth, a grandmother who put her out for adoption and a wealthy family, with one exception, who doesn’t know that she exists. This combines with her adoptive family showing up to reclaim their much-loved daughter and sibling. Family secrets explode.

The initial obstacles to finding her birth mother pale in comparison to bringing the two families together. The consequences of the lies and betrayals result in revelations for everyone.

We love family stories because it is a quest we take no matter our culture. Who am I? Why do I exist? Our family forever informs and provides incentive for the pursuit. My Mother Es Mi Madre explores that dynamic journey.

If you are interested, I’d be happy to send you the script.

Regards,

Kathleen O’Neill

917-710-1782

http://www.kathleenaoneill.com

“What I learned doing this assignment is…? #2 – Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. #1 – Scary to send no matter what so just do it.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Tenill,

What a sweet story. I think stories that show a journey and a process for children are very important.

A couple thoughts. To make the opening stronger what about changing “sometimes in life, people mistake what’s true love. Would you agree?” to something like, “Often in life people mistake WHAT for true love?” The what is the contrast to true love. Second thought, maybe leave a bit more on the ending.

Good luck. I do think there is broad audience appeal with a strong lesson delivered in a fun story.

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

1/26/23 – ASSIGNMENT – QUERY LETTER CRITIQUE DRAFT 1

Kathleen O’Neill – Query Letter Draft ONE

Dear Person,

BIO: I’m Kathleen O’Neill. My family has been blessed with many adoptions and when I heard a story about a frightening experience I knew I wanted to explore that in a film. So began My Mother Es Mi Madre.

Judas Priest! I don’t exist!

The eldest of five in a wonderful family she adores, a successful architect and partnered with the love of her life discovers she is adopted and that her entire life is a lie.

When a journey that takes Jessica McHale from New York to Medellin, Colombia, a mother who thought that she died at birth, a grandmother who put her out for adoption and a family who doesn’t know that she exists combines with her adoptive family showing up to reclaim their much-loved daughter and sibling, family secrets explode.

The initial obstacles to finding her birth mother pale in comparison to bringing the two families together. The consequences of the betrayals result in revelations for everyone.

We love family stories because it is a quest we take no matter our culture. Who am I? Why do I exist? Our family forever informs and provides incentive for the pursuit. My Mother Es Mi Madre explores that dynamic journey.

If you are interested, I’d be happy to send you the script.

Regards,

Kathleen O’Neill

917-710-1782

http://www.kathleenaoneill.com

“What I learned doing this assignment is…? Scary to send no matter what so just do it.<font color=”#000000″ face=”Times New Roman, serif”>1/26/23 – ASSIGNMENT – QUERY LETTER CRITIQUE DRAFT 1</font>

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Target Market

What I learned doing this assignment is that focused research takes time and is the success secret.

My Mother Es Mi Madre is a feature length Family Drama. Stunned by the discovery of her adoption, the confrontation with her birth family pales in comparison to the revealed truths when her adoptive family arrives to reclaim her.

1. Make a list of five or more movies that are similar to yours and five actors that you might want to play your lead characters.

The Parent Trap

Nancy Meyers (just signed w/Netflix for new romcom w/Charles Shyer her husband and writer, etc

Producers (3) Known for

Bruce A. Block

Co-Producer The Holiday (2006)

Julie B. Crane

Associate Producer The Game (1997)

Charles Shyer

Producer Private Benjamin (1980)

Second Unit or Assistant Directors (9) Known for

Bruce A. Block

Second Unit Director (UK) The Holiday (2006)

Production Companies (3) Contact

Cinema Vehicles [US] – Production company

Branch: North Hollywood, CA cinemavehicles.com

+1 818 780 6272 phone

+1 818 780 1340 fax

The Meyers/Shyer Company – Production company

Walt Disney Pictures [US] – Production company

Branch: Burbank, CA disney.com

+1 818 560 1000 phone

Little Women

Denise Di Novi

… producer (produced by)

Adam Merims

… executive producer

Arnon Milchan

… executive producer

Rachel O’Connor

… executive producer

Evelyn O’Neill

… executive producer

Amy Pascal

… producer (produced by) (p.g.a.)

Robin Swicord

… producer (produced by)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Jess Gonchor

… second unit director

Cameron K. Morton

… additional second assistant director (as Cameron Morton)

Tony Scelsi

… second assistant director: second unit/additional assistant director: main unit

Jonas Spaccarotelli

… first assistant director

Katie Valovcin

… second assistant director

Marvin Williams

… first assistant director: second unit

Sean Yopchick

… second second assistant director

Worked on 25 titles with Sebastián Almeida – Sound from SVU

The Equalizer

Allegiant

Worked SVU amd w/Dick Wolf, Producer

Lion

Director – Garth Davis

Produced by

Iain Canning

… producer (produced by)

Angie Fielder

… producer (produced by)

Andrew Fraser

… executive producer

David Glasser

… executive producer (as David C. Glasser)

Daniel Levin

… executive producer

Shahen Mekertichian

… executive producer

Simone Nicholson

… associate producer

Tabrez Noorani

… consulting producer: India

Pravesh Sahni

… line producer

Libby Sharpe

… line producer

Emile Sherman

… producer (produced by)

Karen Sproul

… associate producer

Bob Weinstein

… executive producer

Harvey Weinstein

… executive producer

Cinematography by

Greig Fraser

… director of photography

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Anurag Biwal

… assistant director

Tom Campbell

… directors assistant

Mark J. Ingram

… second assistant director

Shaunak Kapur

… second assistant director: India

Razik Khan

… trainee assistant director

Charmaine Kuhn

… assistant director

Prashant Gairola

… assistant director

Ambica Rana

… assistant director

Thanks

Michael Benton Adler

… special thanks

Angelici Androutsopoulos

… the director would like to thank

Abhishek Bagchi

… grateful acknowledgment

John Brierley

… deepest thanks

Mantosh Brierley

… deepest thanks

Saroo Brierley

… deepest thanks

Sue Brierley

… deepest thanks

John Canning

… the producers would like to thank

Beatrix Christian

… the producers would like to thank

Garth Davis

… the director would like to thank: his family

Gay Fielder

… the producers would like to thank

Graham Fielder

… the producers would like to thank

David Fincher

… the director would like to thank

Jake Fraser

… the producers would like to thank

Jodie Fried

… the director would like to thank

Barbara Gibbs

… the producers would like to thank

Hamish Ginn

… the producers would like to thank

Klio Ginn

… the producers would like to thank

Guddu

… in memory of

Angela Ireland

… the director would like to thank

Sonia Jacob

… the producers would like to thank

Robyn Kershaw

… the producers would like to thank

Alexis King

… the producers would like to thank

Jaye Kranz

… the director would like to thank

Eva Lontscharitsch

… the producers would like to thank

Andrew Mackie

… the producers would like to thank

Veronica Morgan

… the producers would like to thank

Dave Morrison

… the director would like to thank (as David Morrison)

Martha T. Newman

… the producers would like to thank (as Martha Newman)

Nathan Nugent

… the producers would like to thank

Richard Payten

… the producers would like to thank

Cecilia Ritchie

… the producers would like to thank

Brian Sherman

… the producers would like to thank

Caroline Sherman

… the producers would like to thank

Gene Sherman

… the producers would like to thank

Bec Smith

… the producers wish to thank

Polly Staniford

… the producers would like to thank

Ben Townley-Canning

… the producers would like to thank

Robert Walak

… the producers would like to thank

PRODUCTION COMPANIES

The Weinstein Co

Screen Australia

See Saw Productions

Aquarius Films

Sunstar Entertainment

One Film at a Time – did Me Before You

Screen Tasmania – also did the Light Between the Oceans

Raising Helen

Directed by

Garry Marshall

Produced by

Ashok Amritraj

… producer

David Hoberman

… producer

Mario Iscovich

… executive producer

Todd Lieberman

… co-producer

David Scharf

… associate producer

Ellen H. Schwartz

… executive producer

Karen Stirgwolt

… co-producer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Paul F. Bernard

… first assistant director: second unit

Anne Carroll

… second assistant director: New York

Murphy Occhino

… second second assistant director: New York

Ellen H. Schwartz

… first assistant director

Jeffrey Schwartz

… second second assistant director

David H. Venghaus Jr.

… second assistant director / second unit director

Eric Yellin

… second assistant director: New York

Production Companies

• Touchstone Pictures

o (present)

• Beacon Pictures

o (present)

• Mandeville Films

o

• High Arc Productions

o

**Mother and Child

Directed by

Rodrigo García

Writing Credits (WGA)

Rodrigo García

Annette Benning

Naomi Watts

Kerry Washington

Jimmy Smits

Produced by

Lisa Maria Falcone

… producer

Karen Graci

… associate producer

Tom Heller

… associate producer

Alejandro G. Iñárritu

… executive producer (as Alejandro González Iñárritu)

Julie Lynn

… producer

Jonathan McCoy

… co-producer

**Like Dandelion Dust 2009

Director – John Gunn

Produced by

Shelene Bryan

… executive producer

Rick Christian

… associate producer

Tracey Cuesta

… supervising producer: Dominican Republic

Kerry David

… producer

Al Dickens

… co-executive producer

Katherine Dickens

… co-executive producer

Bobby Downes

… producer

Kevin Downes

… producer

Chad Gundersen

… co-producer

Bill Herren

… co-executive producer

Kathleen Herren

… co-executive producer

Karen Kingsbury

… co-producer

Geoff Ludlow

… executive producer

Colleen McCall

… co-executive producer

Wayne McCall

… co-executive producer

Christopher Morrow

… executive producer

Melanie Morrow

… executive producer

Michael Webber

… co-producer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Kato Jones

… first assistant director

Sloane Lewis

… second second assistant director

J.B. Tyson

… second assistant director (as JB Tyson)

MANY PRODUCER THANKS

PRODUCTION COMPANIES**

Downes Brothers Entertainment

Lucky Crow Films

AND FIVE ACTORS

Mira Katherine Sorvino – Katie

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles

Director – Richard Correll

Produced by

Richard Correll

… producer (as Rich Correll)

Nathan Gardocki

… line producer

Peter Graham

… executive producer

Jonathan Jaffe

… executive producer

Laurence Jaffe

… producer

G.M. Mercier

… co-executive producer

Terry Rindal

… producer

Peter Szondy

… co-producer

Kevin Waller

… producer

Bridget Moynahan – Katie

Ramona and Beezus (13M budget)- also John Corbett for MMEMM

Director – Elizabeth Alle (Rosenbaum)

Producers – Denise Di Novi/Alison Greenspan

Cinematographer – John Bailey

Editor – Jane Moran

SAOIRSE RONAN (Little Women) – Jess

Camila Carraro Mendes – Jess

Dangerous Lies

Director Michael Scott

Producer –

Produced by

David Golden

… co-producer

Margret H. Huddleston

… producer (produced by)

Rukmani Jones

… Executive In Charge Of Production

Harvey Kahn

… executive producer

Michael M. Scott

… executive producer

Stephanie Slack

… producer (produced by)

Bianca Versteeg

… line producer

Paula Garces** – Alejandra

Short Version of Alma

Director – Susanna Lo

Produced by

Cara McCastlain Fisher

… producer (as Cara McCastlain)

Paula Garcés

… producer

Susanna Lo

… producer

Pedro Pano

… associate producer

Selma Hayek – Alejandra

Carmen – Maria Cecilia Botero (wise older woman guides younger woman)

Elena

Director – Luis Enrique Venegas

Produced by ** – Medellin

Jeff Consiglio

… associate producer

Mihai Crasneanu

… associate producer

Mentalist Cuatroveinte

… associate producer

Jesse Cummins

… associate producer

Rene Cummins

… associate producer

Zoe Davis

… associate producer

Steve Deery

… associate producer

Miguel Faus

… associate producer

María Martinez Hernandez

… associate producer

Arami Malaisé

… associate producer

Chloé Malaisé

… associate producer

Sherry McCracken

… associate producer

Bernhard Mueller

… associate producer

Alexandre Naufel

… associate producer

Yuri Rodríguez

… associate producer

Luis Enrique Vanegas

… executive producer

Luis Alejandro Villalobos

… producer

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Pitch Fest Pitch

Answer the question What I learned is? All my materials feed and nurture one another when well-conceived and well-written. It reveals the strength/s of my script and what it means to me. It reveals my passion.

1. Tell us your credibility. Hi, I’m Kathleen O’Neill. Adoption has been a welcomed factor in my family so when I heard about a person distraught upon learning of being adopted I knew I wanted to write a story exploring both elements.

2. Tell us your genre and title. My Mother Es Mi Madre is a feature length drama.

3. What is your one or two sentence hook? A self-righteous search for her birth family could destroy two families unless she removes her blinders to the real truth.

4. Please give your one or two sentence answer to each of these questions:

• What is the budget range? Low budget – $500k to $5 million

• What actors do you like for the lead roles? There are four female roles, each requiring conviction and compassion. that require family similarities OR There are great roles for people like …

o JESSICA, JESS, MCHALE – Camila Camarrao Mendes-20s, Naomi Scott 28 British*, Daisy Ridley – 30 – British, Vera Farmiga 49 & Taissa Farmiga – potential mother daughter, Selena Marie Gomez , Evan Rachel Wood, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner (got),

o KATIE MCHALE -, Bridget Moynahan, Minnie Driver, Diane Lane, Jennifer Garner, Tea Leoni, Paget Brewster, Molly Ringwald

o ALEJANDRA HERNANDEZ COLON – PAULA GARCES – 48 – Colombian, Selma Hayek, Penélope Cruz

o CARMEN HERNANDEZ – MARIA CECELIA BOTERO – Colombian, Annette Bening

• Give me the acts of the story.

o Act One – Jessica discovers she is adopted, goes to and finds her birth family in Medellin, Colombia and then her adoptive family arrive, en masse.

o Act Two – Lies and betrayals are exposed and thrashed out.

o Act Three – A story of truth is told by Carmen and families takes steps to be a family.

• How does it end? (setup / payoff).

The truth behind all the accusations and revelations is finally revealed by Carmen in a family gathering. Jessica and Carmen, her grandmother, take their first steps to one another. The film closes with the mothers descending the stairs as the families meet as a family.

• Credibility questions What have you done? I have worked as an actor and director in theater for most of my life and in film only as an actor, until a playwright gave me the film rights to her play.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Query Letter

Dear Person,

BIO: I currently focus on writing rather than directing and acting. My family has been blessed with many adoptions and when I heard a story about a frightening experience I knew I wanted to explore that in a film. So I finished another project and started work on My Mother Es Mi Madre.

Judas Priest! I don’t exist!

The eldest of five in a wonderful family she adores, a successful architect and partnered with the love of her life discovers she is adopted and that her entire life is a lie.

When a journey that takes Jessica McHale from New York to Medellin, Colombia, a mother who thought that she had died at birth, a grandmother who put her out for adoption and a family who doesn’t know that she exists combines with her adoptive family showing up to reclaim their much-loved daughter and sibling, family secrets explode.

The initial obstacles to finding her birth mother pale in comparison to bringing the two families together. The consequences of the betrayals result in revelations for everyone.

We love family stories because it is a quest we take no matter our culture. Who am I? Why do I exist? Our family forever informs and provides incentive for the pursuit. My Mother Es Mi Madre explores that dynamic journey.

If you are interested, I’d be happy to send you the script.

Regards,

Kathleen O’Neill

917-710-1782

http://www.kathleenaoneill.com

“What I learned doing this assignment is…? I now have a basic query letter and will adapt it to the specific person I am contacting. Also, the prep work is powerful.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Synopsis Hooks

What I learned doing this assignment is that prep work is critical to telling a compelling story.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Synopsis Hooks

COMPONENTS OF MARKETABILITY MOST INTERESTING TOPICS/TRENDS

Great Title – MY MOTHER ES MI MADRE

o WOMEN ARE POULAR

o MULTI CULTURAL INDICATION IN TITLE = BROAD APPEAL

o MOTHERS ARE HOOKS What is most unique about my villain, and my hero? I’m looking at the villain as grandma? Jess is my hero. It’s that they’re the same. They’re carbon copies. They’re mirror images. The personification of the quest for truth and the need for lies. The want of truth. The need of lies.

Timely — connected to some major trend or event. – YES

o Adoption is a dirty secret – always timely

o We are filled with judgments about it and always look at the negative – except for Lion

The MAJOR HOOK of my opening scene. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY – WE WANT JESS AND MARK TO BE TOGETHER – What is the mystery? What is the problem? And we want to find out. We want to know what’s going on with this beautiful young couple. Something’s going on.

Wide audience appeal. – YES

o Women

o Families

o Covers ages 20s to 70s

o Redemption

o there are good men – not cliché of evil

o starts in greenwich and goes to medellin

o about what works and not destructive or hateful

TURNING POINTS?

• Wanting Mark and Jess together turns to wanting the two families together.

• Does she leave the mother who rejects or and return to the mother who lied? Can she forgive?

• Adoptive family goes down.

• Will the birth family take her in?

• Will the grandmother confess?

• How will all the parents ever explain all of the lies to the rest of the children.

A great role for a bankable actor. – YES –

o FOUR STRONG LEAD WOMEN,

o 3 TERRIFIC SUPPORTING WOMEN,

o DIVERSE CASTING CHARACTER BEYRAYAL

THIS IS THE BASIS TO THE STORY – betrayals are shocking and emotional. There is the betrayal of Kate and Liam regarding Jess and her siblings. There is the betrayal of Grandmother Carmen. There is the betrayal of not telling the Colon boys.

There’s this deep 30 year history of betrayal.

• Bilingual.

• It takes place in Colombia = financially beneficial for producers.

• Diverse – casting and storyline.

• Tackles a difficult subject that we all wonder about in an unusual way.

• It isn’t so much about adoption as it is about truth and family.

• Organized exploration of the meaning of family

The eldest of five in a wonderful family she adores, a successful architect and partnered with the love of her life discovers she is adopted and that her entire life is a lie. What does she do? She’s Jessica McHale, she immediately determines to set things straight and bulldozes ahead to find her birth family.

It is a journey that takes her from New York to Medellin, Colombia and a mother who thought she had died at birth, a grandmother who put her out for adoption and a family who doesn’t know that she exists.

Her adoptive mother. Katie McHale, will not give up her child so easily and the entire family shows up to claim their daughter, sister and partner. Her adoptive parents, believe that Jess was the gift that made their thriving family possible. Jess is the “leader of the pack” and the family is very tight.

Alejandra Colon, her birth mother was told the baby died at birth because she was a stupid fourteen-year-old girl. Alejandra’s mother, Carmen, put the baby out for adoption. It was never discussed. It is a deep scar running through the family that is ripped open with the ring of a doorbell.

The initial obstacles to finding her identity and her birth mother pale in comparison to bringing the two families together. The consequences of all the betrayals result in revelations for everyone. If Jess exposes a lie will she reveal the truth or destroy a family? By the time she realizes what she’s done is it too late? What is the domino effect of grappling with with so much betrayal? Or was it all love and family?

We love family stories because it is a quest we take no matter our culture. Who am I? Why do I exist? Our family forever informs and provides incentive for the quest. My Mother Es Mi Madre is one story of the journey.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

1/13/23 – ASSIGNMENT #5 – Tell us your High Concept and Elevator Pitch.

4. What I learned doing this assignment is I don’t have to have the right answer/s and the fun of exploring different ideas. Different situations will call for different responses = flexibility. I want to continue work on this assignment.

1. To find your main hook, tell us what the big picture explanation of your lead character’s journey is. My main character is on a quest for the truth of who she is and if that negates who she thought she was/is.

2. How can you tell it in the most interesting way possible?

• Dilemma – Will a woman’s quest for the truth of her identity destroy herself and families?

• Main Conflict – A self-righteous woman has to deal with two opposing realities.

• What’s at stake? – Will the main character loose what she values most?

• Goal/Unique Opposition – Can a series of lies reveal the only truth that matters?

3. Using the 10 Components of Marketability, what is your Elevator Pitch?

I’m working on the Lookbook for my screenplay about a self-righteous woman’s quest for a truth that might destroy what she values most.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – 10 Most Interesting Things

1. 1. Go through your project and see which of these specific hooks you have: I have variations of all eight specific hooks. I have completed #s 1 & 2 and will only put #3 for clarity.

3. Organize both and select the 10 most interesting things. Post those to the forums.

A. What is MOST UNIQUE about my villain, and my hero? Ultimately they’re the same, mirror images. One is on a quest for truth and one has the truth. Is it the same? The want of truth and the need of lies is explored and revealed.

B The MAJOR HOOK of my opening scene. Something is very wrong in “paradise” and we want to know what it is and how it will resolve.

C. Any TURNING POINTS?

• She negates her birth mother’s rejection of her and returns.

• Adoptive family and partner show up.

• She follows her heart.

• Families fight.

D. EMOTIONAL DILEMA?

• If she/Lead exposes a lie will she reveal the truth or destroy a family?

• By the time she realizes what she has done, is it too late?

• What is the domino effect of grappling with truth?

E. MAJOR TWISTS?

• The Colombians are an upstanding family in the community of Medellin. Clearly a surprise that this was/is not some poor family in the back woods that had to adopt their child for survival.

• The lies have brought all these people together at the right time for understanding.

F. REVEARSALS?

• The emotional bonds that form with and between the siblings.

• The changes in initial reactions to one another. The possibility that this person could really be her daughter, her dead daughter.

G. CHARACTER BETRAYAL? – THIS IS THE FOUNDATION TO THE STORY. Thirty years before a lie was told and a path chosen. The path built on lies is about to be destroyed. It is about generational betrayal and a deeper exploration of family bonds and the meaning of caring and love.

H. BIG SURPRISES?

• Lead’s partner/Mark is, in addition to being a headhunter, also a romance novelist.?

• The siblings get along, finally.

• The idea of forgiveness becomes real. One of the interesting comments I got in the first reading was, “She would never forgive her.”, I thought to myself, wow. I think we want to forgive. Forgiveness is at the top of the list, especially after grandma tells her story. That’s going to be an interesting thing to play through, to talk through for the actors/Director. Everything gets called into question. The ending is the beginning.

I. Bilingual/Diverse – casting and storyline.

J. It takes place in Colombia = financially beneficial for producers.

4. WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS LESSON IS to have my thoughts together loosely and creatively so that I remain open to ideas as they come from many sources. An issue could be more dramatic by being quiet or that it’s important not to reveal too much too soon. Boundaries make for good writing. I learned there is always another question, there is always something more. There is always more collaboration and the realization that at some point I have got to let it go.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Producer/Manager

1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?

Have Greta Gerwig and Reese Witherspoon in mind.

I want to present myself and my project with clear focus, strong grasp of my pitch, respect and awareness of the person/people in the room and that I have a potential solution to their problem/to their quest. I want to present myself as someone they want to work with now – it’s like auditioning. I want to present both as an artist with a solid project and as a professional with a sense of the practical in business.

2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?

Do not have specific mangers in mind.

I want a long-term relationship with my manager, one that will progress over time as I progress and learn and become more profitable for both of us. It’s more personal initially. I come from the theater and collaboration is foundational to my training. I bring a successful track record and long-term passion for the industry, as well as, several other projects- two completed feature length scripts and a TV pilot. I would love to work with a professional manager in the film industry.

What I learned today is I get excited when we get into the nitty-gritty. I like having to put on paper what I think and then really think about it.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill – Marketable Components

CURRENT LOGLINE: Stunned by the discovery of her adoption, a woman boldly searches for her birth family while her adoptive family decides she needs their unsolicited help.

MARKETABILITY COMPONENTS:

1. WIDE AUDIENCE APPEAL – Strong characters, easily relatable to the audience and in a conflict of values personally and with their families give this story its power. It also becomes intriguing to the production team because of its cultural diversity.

2. GREAT ROLE/S FOR BANKABLE ACTORS: The story is driven by four strong females, two American and two Colombian who believe in their choices and now have to deal with the consequences. The men in the story are genuine and committed.

3. ALSO TIIMELY AND GREAT TITLE

What I learned doing this assignment is that I want to get more specific in my responses. I tend to ramble. I want to thank you for the Marketable Components. Will use them in every writing process going forward.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Kathleen O’Neill, Feature film, Streaming

1. GENRE: Family drama

TITLE: My Mother Es Mi Madre

CONCEPT: This is the story of a woman’s journey through her loss of identity, the uniting with her birth family, its impact on her adoptive family and the effect of the two families colliding.

2. Most attractive about my story: The uncovering of family secrets is fascinating as we all seek to find the truth/s of our existence. Doing so with caring, understanding and a sprinkling of fun makes for good storytelling.

3. Target first: Actor’s production company because of the strong actor response from the readings.

4. What I learned today is to slow down and carefully read the instructions I am given. I become impatient.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

I, Kathleen O’Neill agree to the Confidentiality Agreement.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Thanks Walter.

Good luck w/yours.

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Constance,

I really like the story and your beginning – acknowledging the Producer’s work.

Maybe one more hook about Buck – does he find her, remember her. Gives me a lead into the ending.

Good luck!

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Mark,

I hesitate to comment because I’m a beginner at this and yet I really love the story so here goes.

I think you have the beginning of a synopsis and that the query letter needs to be condensed so that I want/ask for all the details. You know your subject. I get lost in the details at this point.

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi,

Just reposted and would love your thoughts.

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Thanks Constance. Will do.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Joy,

I love a good mystery and you have all the elements. Please clarify if the genre is mystery or horror.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Heather,

I also think you have a strong hook having the rights to this powerful story.

Also, contact the actor. I just did that w/a Colombian actor and she immediately responded requesting the script.

Good luck.

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Heather,

The second version is clear and to the point. You get right to the terrific hooks.

Congrats.

Kathleen

[KATHLEEN ONEILL]

Hi Michael,

In the second draft the hooks seem clearer. Love that the human is seriously challenged by the robot. That is fun. It’s been commented that producers would love this and I agree.

Kathleen