Mike Mercer
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Michael Mercer, Ph.D.’s Marketing Campaign
“What I learned doing this assignment is (a) USE http://www.IMDBPro.COM to contact Managers & Producers of successful movies of similar Genre & Budget + enter Contests …?” and post it at the top of your work.
1. Read through the 10 Marketing Campaigns and select ONE that you’ll take action on immediately.
• Marketing Campaign #3: Getting An Agent [or Manager]
• Marketing Campaign #4: Promoting A Contest Win
• Marketing Campaign #6: Marketing to Producers
2. Taking that campaign, make a plan of action, listing the actions/STEPS you’ll take.
1<sup>st</sup> STEP = Use my List of successful movies of similar Genre & Budget >>
List already in my Assignment for Lesson 10
2<sup>nd</sup> STEP = Go to http://www.imdbPro.com – & type List of those movies’
a. Managers / Literary Managers
b. Producers
3<sup>rd</sup> STEP = EM my Query Letter to them
– incl. referring to their successful Movies
a. Managers
b. Producers
4<sup>th</sup> STEP = Phone Call those
a. Managers
b. Producers
5<sup>th</sup> STEP = Enter CONTESTS
3. Tell us the first action you are going to take…and take it.
1<sup>st</sup> + 2<sup>nd</sup> + 3<sup>rd</sup> + 4<sup>th</sup> + 5<sup>th</sup> Steps
4. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is (a) USE http://www.IMDBPro.COM to contact Managers & Producers of successful movies of similar Genre & Budget + enter Contests …?” and post it at the top of your work.
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“What I learned doing this assignment is . . ”. write Query Letter that is K.I.S.S.: Keep It Short & Snappy & use intriguing Hooks.
Michael Mercer’s Query Letter – Draft ONE
TITLE: LOVE YOU FOREVER
GENRE: Coming-of-Age Drama Romance
LOGLINE: In this coming-of-age drama romance, Adam – a handsome, fun, affectionate guy – gets into simultaneous loving relationships with six girls who go through intense emotional rollercoasters.
SYNOPSIS: LOVE YOU FOREVER includes girls “sharing” Adam as their boyfriend, jealousy, competition for Adam’s attention, and Adam’s extreme clashes with upset parents. Adam even receives death threats from one girl’s father and threats of legal action by another girl’s parents. One of the girls dies on Prom night. Adam delivers an emotionally moving eulogy at her funeral. And Adam cunningly manipulates one girl’s father to stop sexually abusing her. In the outcome, Adam has six girls who declared they will love him forever – and Adam confidently vows he will love them forever.
If you like the concept, I’d be happy to send you the script.
BIO: Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist. He has personal experience getting himself into simultaneous loving, fun, dramatic, emotional relationships involving multiple females.
CONTACT INFO: Michael Mercer, Ph.D., 2591 The Peaks Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89138, Phone = 847-521-2554, EM = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com
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Michael Mercer’s Target Market =
Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance
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.Lady Bird 2017 Comedy Drama $10-Million
Easy A 2010 Comedy Drama Romance $8-Million
Fault in Our Stars 2014 Drama Romance $12-Million
Little Women 2019 Drama Romance $40-Million
Diary of a Teenage Girl 2015 Comedy Drama Romance $2-Million
Perks of Being Wallflower 2012 Drama Romance $13-Million
Using the Targeting process above, go to http://www.imdb.com and find 50 to
100 producers (or more) for your specific project.Lady Bird 2017 Comedy Drama $10-Million
Eli Bush, Producer
Evelyn O’Neill, Producer (also Little Women)
Scott Rudin, Producer
Jason Sack, Co-Producer
Alex G. Scott, Co-Producer
Lila Yacoub, Executive Producer
Easy A 2010 Comedy Drama Romance $8-Million
Zanne Devine, Producer
Will Gluck, Producer
Alicia Emmrich, Associate Producer
Mark B. Johnson, Co-Producer
Fault in Our Stars 2014 Drama Romance $12-Million
Marty Bower, Producer
Wyck Godfrey, Producer
Michele Imperato, Executive Producer
Isaac Klausner, Executive Producer
Ryan White, Executive Producer
Little Women 2019 Drama Romance $40-Million
Denise Di Novi, Producer
Amy Pascal, Producer
Robin Swicord, Producer
Adam Merims, Executive Producer
Arnon Milchan, Executive Producer
Rachel O’Connor, Executive Producer
Evelyn O’Neill, Executive Producer (also Lady Bird)
Diary of a Teenage Girl 2015 Comedy Drama Romance $2-Million
Miranda Bailey, Producer
Ann Carey, Producer
Bert Hamelinck, Producer
Madeline Samit, Producer
Debbie Brubaker, Co-Producer
Shari Geva, Associate Producer
Amanda Marshall, Executive Producer
Amy Nauiokas, Executive Producer
Michael Sagol, Esecutive Producer
Jorma Taccone, Executive Producer
Perks of Being Wallflower 2012 Drama Romance $13-Million
Lianne Halfon, Producer
John Malkovich, Producer
Russell Smith, Producer
Gillian Brown, Co-Producer
Stephen Chbosky, Executive Producer
Ava Dellaira, Associate Producer
Chris Gary, Associate Producer
James (Jim) Powers, Executive Producer
Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment
is…?” and put at the top of your work.What I learned doing this assignment is (1) use IMDB Pro.com, (2) find popular, successful movies in Similar Genre, (3) see their Budgets, & (4) Make lists of those movies’ Producers, Executive Producers, Co-Producers, Associate Producers
Post your title, logline, genre, and the answers to #1 and #2
above on the forums.Title = LOVE YOU FOREVER
Logline = In this coming-of-age drama-romance, Adam – a handsome, fun, affectionate guy – gets into simultaneous loving relationships with six girls who go through intense emotional rollercoasters.
Genre = Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance
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Title: Dr. Michael Mercer’s Phone Pitch (put in first line)
Write out your phone pitch along with answers to the questions.
1. Tell us which of the four strategies you are going to use to open your pitch:
Lead with credibility.
My script, LOVE YOU FOREVER, is a Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance about 6 girls who go through emotional rollercoasters because of the one handsome, adoring, fun guy they all are in love with simultaneously.
Lead with a great title.
2. Give us your script for phone call pitches, like I did above.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Michael Mercer. I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology. And I have been in intense relationships with multiple females simultaneously.
My script, LOVE YOU FOREVER, is a Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance about 6 girls who go through emotional rollercoasters because of the one handsome, adoring, fun guy they all are in love with simultaneously.
3. Give us a one or two sentence answer to the questions a producer may ask:
What’s the budget range?
Low Budget = $1-Million – $5-Million
Whom do you see in the main roles?
The main male role is perfect for a guy who is or can become a super-popular heartthrob – who females will want to see in many movies.
How many pages is the script?
98 pages
Why do you think this fits our company?
I looked in IMDBPro – and saw your company has done Coming-Of-Age movies [in my Budget Range] – for example, [title(s) of movies].
How does the movie end?
At the start of Adam’s sophomore year, he and Taylor, his coed dorm neighbor, decide to date. But Ariel, a pretty, perky girl sneaks into Adam’s life. Just when Adam was about to leave his dorm to meet Taylor and Ariel, Adam’s high school girlfriend calls him, and emotionally tells him – again – “I will love you forever.”
At a concert on the college campus that evening, it looks like sparks will fly between Taylor and Ariel. Fortunately, they decide to be like the sisters each girl always wanted. LOVE ME FOREVER concludes with Adam, Taylor and Ariel joyfully dancing together while the band plays a fun, upbeat song at the concert.
4. Answer the question “What I learned from this lesson is…?” and place that at the top of your work.
Benefit from using my Credibility + Logline + Pitch Wording from Lesson 8
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Subject line: Michael Mercer’s Pitch Fest Pitch
5. Answer the question What I learned is? and post it at the top of your work.
In my Pitch, I easily can use ingredients of my (a) Logline & (b) Hooks.
1. Tell us your credibility.
Hi, I’m Dr. Michael Mercer. I earned my Ph.D. in psychology. And I have personal experience getting myself into simultaneous loving, fun, dramatic, emotional relationships with multiple females at the same time.
2. Tell us your genre and title AND 3. One or two sentence hook
Today, I have a coming-of-age Drama-Romance called LOVE YOU FOREVER. (light pause) Adam – a handsome, fun, affectionate guy – gets into simultaneous loving relationships with six girls, and the girls go through intense emotional rollercoasters.
This includes girls “sharing” Adam as their boyfriend, jealousy, competition for Adam’s attention, and extreme run-ins with upset parents. Adam even receives threats of death and also legal action by a couple of girls’ parents. One of the girls dies on Prom night. Adam delivers an emotionally moving eulogy at her funeral. And Adam gets another girl’s father to stop sexually abusing her.
If you like the concept, I’d be happy to send you the script.
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?
Male lead should be a heartthrob – who females will run to see in many movies – along the lines of Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt.
Give me the acts of the story.
Act I, the Setup, starts with Adam’s father catching him in the basement on the floor passionately making out with his high school girlfriend. His furious father forces Adam to breakup with his girlfriend and miss going to Prom. Fortunately, on Adam’s first day away at college, he meets three girls – Heather, Claudia, and Emily – who attend a local girls’ high school. The three girls have been best friends since kindergarten, but never had a boyfriend. Adam becomes their boyfriend, and they cherish his attention.
Act 2, the Confrontation, includes Adam having intense run-ins with Heather’s drunk parents, and also discovering Claudia’s big-shot father sexually abuses her. Adam gets into a surprising ruckus with Claudia’s father when Adam discovers her father has a second family in, of all places, Adam’s hometown. Adam confronts Claudia’s father, and Claudia’s father threatens to have Adam murdered. Also, the girls fume every time they see Adam with Taylor, his pretty next door neighbor in the college dorm.
Adam takes the three girls to their HS Prom. That night, Adam sleeps with Emily, and Emily dies in her sleep from her surprising heart ailment. At Emily’s funeral, Adam delivers a moving eulogy. After that, Adam takes Heather home. They make-out, and Heather’s mother unexpectedly arrives home early, and she is enraged. Heather’s father calls Adam’s father, and threatens to charge Adam with statutory rape.
Act 3, the Resolution, Adam suavely maneuvers Claudia’s father in a surprising twist to stop Heather’s father from charging Adam with statutory rape. Adam also gets Claudia’s father to apologize to Claudia for his years of sexually abusing Claudia. Heather and Claudia go away to college. At the start of Adam’s sophomore year, he and Taylor decide to date. But Ariel, a pretty, perky girl sneaks into Adam’s life. At a concert on the college campus that evening, it looks like sparks will fly between Taylor and Ariel. Instead, they decide to be like the sisters each girl always wanted. LOVE ME FOREVER concludes with Adam, Taylor and Ariel joyfully dancing together while the band plays a fun, upbeat song at the concert.
5. Answer the question What I learned is? and post it at the top of your work.
In my Pitch, I can use ingredients of my (a) Logline & (b) Hooks.
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Michael Mercer’s Query Letter
This includes the girls “sharing” Adam as their boyfriend, jealousy, competition for Adam’s attention, and extreme run-ins with upset parents. Adam even threats of violence and legal action by a couple of girls’ parents. One of the girls dies on Prom night, and Adam delivers an emotionally moving eulogy at her funeral. And Adam gets another girl’s father to stop sexually abusing her.
If you like the concept, I’d be happy to send you the script.
BIO: Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist. He has personally experience getting himself into simultaneous loving, fun, dramatic, emotional relationships involving multiple females.
Let’s Collaborate!
CONTACT INFO: Michael Mercer, Ph.D., 2591 The Peaks Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89138, Phone = 847-521-2554, EM = DrMercer@MercerSystems.com
5. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?
KISS = Keep It Short & Simple
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Subject line: Michael Mercer’s Synopsis Hooks
In this coming-of-age drama-romance, Adam – a handsome, fun, affectionate guy – gets into simultaneous loving relationships with six girls.
When he is high school senior, his father goes ballistic when he catches Adam passionately making out with his girlfriend. Unfortunately, Adam’s father makes him break-up with his HS girlfriend, and miss Prom.
Fortunately, Adam goes off to college, and vastly more than makes up for what he missed.
His first day at college, he goes to on-campus concert, and meets three girls who are BFFs and attend local all-girls high school The four of them immediately fall in love, and get into a variety of adventures. The girls decide to “share” Adam as their boyfriend.
Simultaneously, Adam’s pretty next door dorm neighbor, Taylor, keeps flirting her way into his life. Adam’s three BFF girlfriends notice. They keep confronting Taylor, plus taking actions to try to keep Taylor away from Adam.
Adam has shocking run-ins with parents of both Claudia and Heather. Claudia’s father is a super-successful, but horrendous human. He sexually abuses Claudia. And Adam catches him with his secret life – with his second wife and children in, lo-&-behold, Adam’s hometown. Adam finds out, confronts Claudia’s father. Result: Claudia’s father threatens to arrange to kill Adam.
Heather invites Adam to her home for dinner with her parents. Her parents get very drunk. Her drunk father makes homosexual advances toward Adam. And Heather’s drunk mother makes super-inappropriate sexual compliment to Heather about Adam’s body.
Adam and his three BFF girlfriends go to Prom together.
After Prom, Adam and Emily wind up in Emily’s house, and her parents are out-of-town. The next morning, Adam cannot awaken Emily, because she died during their night together of a natural, but uncommon, heart ailment.
At Emily’s funeral, Adam delivers an astoundingly upbeat, positive eulogy about Emily’s charming, delightful, and joyful spirit.
After the funeral, Adam ends up in Heather’s house, where they strip down to underwear, and passionately make-out. Surprisingly, Heather’s mother returns home early from work, and catches them.
That evening, Heather’s father calls Adam’s father, and says he will get Adam thrown into jail on statutory rape charges.
Adam is horrified. He confides in Taylor, his attractive dorm next door neighbor, and conjures up a plan of action.
Adam calls Claudia’s father – the sexual abuser with a secret second family. He tells Claudia’s father that unless he gets Heather’s father to drop the charges – and also stop sexually abusing Claudia – Adam will publicize Claudia’s father’s secret second family and sexual abuse of Claudia.
Claudia’s father complies. No charges are filed against Adam. Plus, Claudia’s father apologizes to Claudia and promises never to touch her again.
At start of Adam’s next school year – as college sophomore – he and Taylor decide to start dating and, maybe, be girlfriend-boyfriend. Taylor feels thrilled.
But, Ariel – a perky, cute high school senior – meets Adam, and falls head over heel for him.
Inappropriately, Adam agrees to see both Taylor and Ariel at a concert on the college campus The two girls growl at each other, and compete for Adam’s attention.
But suddenly they realize they both have a strong emotional reason to bond. They quickly make peace, and decide to be “like sisters” and “share” Adam as their mutual boyfriend.
“LOVE YOU FOREVER” ends with Adam, Taylor and Ariel joyfully dancing with each other at the on-campus concert.
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Michael Mercer’s High Concept/Elevator Pitch
What I learned doing this assignment is…I must (1) create short, snappy, intriguing Logline + (2) see ways producer can (A) profit from my script & (B) profit in future.
Tell us your High Concept and Elevator Pitch.
1. To find your main hook, tell us what the big picture explanation of your lead character’s journey is.
In this coming-of age drama-romance, six teenage girls go through the most intense emotional roller-coasters of their lives – because of the one handsome, fun, very affectionate guy they all adore.
OR THE FOLLOWING HOOK:
A handsome, adoring guy runs into many emotional and legal problems growing out of his loving, caring, fun relationships with the six girls – all at the same time – who are going on extreme emotional roller coasters rides.
2. How can you tell it in the most interesting way possible?
Dilemma
Main
Conflict
What’s
at stake?
Goal/Unique
Opposition3. Using the 10 Components of Marketability, what is your Elevator Pitch?
This script has
A. Great, Evocative Title = “LOVE YOU FOREVER”
B. Wonderful script to discover or promote the next Leonardo Di Capria – a handsome, charming hero who women immediately fall in love with and crave to see in many movies
C.
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<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Michael Mercer’s 10 Most Interesting Things
What is most unique about your villain and hero?
Hero is appealing, handsome, fun, caring, kind, adoring HS senior & early-college student.
Organize both and select the 10 most interesting things. Post those to the forums.
A. 1 handsome, adoring, fun guy who simultaneously has 6 girls in love with him.
B. Girls “share” boyfriend = 3 BFF girlfriends share one boyfriend.
C. Parents catch their daughter and hero in ‘romantic encounters.’
D. “4 Horsewomen of the Apocalypse” – 3 HS girls and 1 elderly woman – beat up robber.
E. Angry parents
F. Loving, encouraging parents
G. Drunk father makes homosexual advances toward daughter’s boyfriend
H. Sexually abusive father
I. Father of one girl has secret second family in another city, including wife and 2 children.
J. Death threats by father against daughter’s boyfriend.
K. Statutory rape allegations – unfounded but terrifying
L. Unexpected death of a girlfriend on Prom night
M. 6 girls who will love the same guy forever.
4. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and post it at the top of your work.
Subject Line: Michael Mercer’s 10 Most Interesting Things (in the first line of your post)
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Michael Mercer, Ph.D. “LOVE YOU FOREVER” – Feature Film – Market
ASSIGNMENT
1. Genre = Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance
Title = “LOVE YOU FOREVER”
Concept =
In this coming-of-age drama-romance, six teenage girls go through the most intense emotional roller-coasters of their lives – because of the one handsome, fun, very affectionate guy they all adore.
2. In one or two sentences, tell us what you think is most attractive about your story.
The main characters are in late-high school and early-college.
They get into a non-stop, startling array of emotional roller coaster coming-of-age problems with parents, romance, jealousy, legalities, threats, death, jealousy, and friendships.
3. Tell us which you will target FIRST — managers, producers, or actor’s production company — and why you picked that target.
FIRST = Managers
Specifically, Managers of produced screenwriters who wrote Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance movies.
Why? Because those Managers will know the Producers of Coming-of-Age Drama-Romance movies.
4. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”
> I need to improve in very briefly writing a brief & exciting “what you think is most attractive about your story.”
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Michael Mercer’s Marketable Components: (1) Wide Audience Appeal + (2) Great Role for Bankable Actor
1. Tell us your current logline.
In this coming-of-age drama-romance, six teenage girls go through the most intense emotional roller coasters of their lives – because of the one handsome, fun, very affectionate guy they all adore.
2. Look through the 10 Components of Marketability and pick one or two that have the most potential for selling this script.
(1) Wide audience appeal.
(2) A great role for a bankable actor.
3. Do a quick brainstorm session about ways to elevate those two components for this script and tell us how you might pitch the script through the two components.
(1) <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Wide audience appeal.
This movie will attract huge audience of teenage and adult females
(2) A great role for a bankable actor.
This movie is perfect for the next Leonardo DiCapria – a young, handsome, romantic male actor – whom females immediately develop a crush for and crave to see.
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1. Michael Mercer
2. I agree to the terms of this release form
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Hi, Cara – You wrote list of super-intriguing ingredients in your script. Many people will want to see movie based on script with these exciting ingredients!!