[Vicki]

Vicki VanArsdale’s High Concept/Elevator Pitch

What I learned is it’s important to be able to tell someone about our story in one sentence.

High-concept pitch – A quirky wedding florist falls for a high-powered divorce attorney while trying to keep her business afloat after the pandemic.

Elevator pitch – I’m finishing a screenplay about a quirky wedding florist who falls for a high-powered divorce attorney while trying to keep her business afloat after the pandemic.

[Vicki]

<div>Subject Line: Vicki VanArsdale’s 10 Most Interesting Things</div><div>

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s important to think about the 10 most interesting things that will interest a producer while working on your script.

10 interesting things

1. Characters – a quirky wedding florist and a high-powered divorce attorney (opposites attract trope) and interesting supporting characters

2. Meet cute/catalyst – they meet at a casino night fundraiser for the local animal shelter and bond over their love of animals until they learn that they are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to love and relationships… sparks fly, but the night doesn’t end well

3. Set in historic Old Town Alexandria, a popular and romantic/charming town minutes from the nation’s capital

4. They end up working together on a big town event even though they both object at first

5. Her external goal is to keep her business afloat, so she experiences a lot of conflict and plot twists related to the business side of things

6. Her cat has quite a following on social media, which plays into the external journey (saving the business)

7. The two main characters grow closer and start to let their guard down until something happens, and she retreats

8. Supporting characters will help bring wider appeal

– Laurel has loveable parents who live in NJ, a gay guy best friend in town who’s happily married, and a social-media-savvy flower shop manager

– Avery, the lifelong bachelor who refuses to get close to women, loves and dotes on his Aunt Helen, and he has some buddies in town

9. It’s a good combo of touching yet funny, with enough conflict to keep it flowing until the end

10. Promise of the premise – big payoff/happy ending which rom-com lovers expect

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[Vicki]

Subject Line: Vicki VanArsdale Producer/Manager

1. I would conduct research and approach a producer in my genre. Then, I would reach out with my prepared pitch and answer any questions they may have. I would also provide the script if they request it.

2. I would approach a manager in the same way, except I would add that I want to build a long-term career as a writer and share some of my other ideas so they can get a feel for me and my commitment.

3. What I learned today is not to waste anyone’s time. Do the research and approach the right people to have a better chance of success. Give them something they can sell!

[Vicki]

Vicki VanArsdale’s Marketable Components

1. Logline: A wedding florist falls for a divorce attorney while trying to keep her business afloat after the pandemic

2. Great title and unique concept

3. The concept is unique but built on classic rom-com tropes, so I have to be sure it is unique enough to capture their interest.

4. What I learned doing this assignment is I’m not ready to pitch yet.

[Vicki]

Vicki VanArsdale Project and Market

1. Genre: Rom-com, Title: Bliss & Bloom, Concept: A
wedding florist falls for a divorce attorney while trying to keep her business
afloat after the pandemic

2. This story is attractive because it has interesting characters and a strong female protagonist, conflict, and is based on a common romance trope (opposites attract), which rom-com lovers are familiar with.

3. I want to target major producers first because this story is entertaining and may be attractive to A-list celebrities.

4. I learned that there’s a lot to marketing, but with the right tools, we have a shot at breaking in. I didn’t feel this way ten years ago when I got defeated and gave up because I have no connections and live on the east coast. But everything is different now, thanks to technology.

[Vicki]

Hi everyone, I’m Vicki VanArsdale.

This is my first script. This class sounds amazing! I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible about the marketing side of things as I continue working on my script.

I have three spoiled rotten cats and a cattoo.

[Vicki]

I, Vicki VanArsdale, agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

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 class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class 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 or very similar to 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. 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.