Movie kick-off meeting w/ producers and studio. After 2 yrs of pitching, 6 months of paperwork, and dozens of 'almost there' calls. Formal greetings. Invoice. Check. Write. Now!
Pitch trajectory in Zoom Age
-April 2019: indie movie producer is in NYC and we meet at Sugarburg Bar in Williamsburg. He tells me a story. It sounds great. He sends me the article and related material and asks if I can come up with a story. Yes. Can I fly out to LA to pitch? No.
- May 2019: producer sets me up with a higher level producer/exec who is in town for a NYC movie shoot. We meet at Williamsburg coffee shop. I pitch my story concept. He likes it. I tell him I do some boxing. He does MMA and says I should attend an intense class with him that takes place in Brooklyn.
- a few days later, I injury myself while boxing and can't go to MMA class (thank GOD!!) But I do send exec more pitch material. He likes it and says when I get better we should go to MMA class. I hope he forgets I ever brought it up. He does and flies back to LA.
- June 2019: phone pitch to one production company...and they like it. I get the call that we're going forward with a contract. Agent calls, lawyer calls, yay!! Success!! Wow, that was quick!! AND THEN...
- while waiting for contract, production exec resigns (or is fired). Whatever happens, he exits. Suddenly. New exec comes and says that my pitch isn't a movie. Deal dead.
- July 2019: new approach. Indie movie producer suggest I pitch it to a big-name star the next time I'm in LA. That will surely attract interests. So I pitch it to a pretty big name star's production head...over the phone. He likes the idea but would prefer for me to be in LA. I'm in the middle of working on TV show in NYC and other stuff.
- August 2019...pitch it to a big name star. He too asks 'so when are you going to be in LA?' What is it with this requirement that I need to be in LA?!? We have phones and facetime and video conferencing. What is so magical about me purchasing a ticket and flying out to LA to say the same thing? Anyway, star eventually turns it down b/c he just finished a movie with my same theme. And then...
- nothing. September-October-November-etc. Silence. Indie movie producer moves on with his life. I move on with my life. Every few months he says 'I'm still thinking about how to get this done...can't wait until you're out in LA.' But you hear that a lot in the business. You smile, offer encouraging words, keep it moving. Fast forward to...
- March 2020. Pandemic. Everything is shut down. Everything is also on Zoom. I don't have to fly to LA! Apparently we have these devices and apps that let us communicate from our homes. Who knew?!? Indie movie producer emails me about attaching a director. That will give the pitch more attention.
- April 2020: talk to directors on zoom. Click and connect with one. They ask a lot of questions and we dive deeper into the story.
- May 2020: present more elaborate pitch. It's great, it's wonderful, it's too fucking long! This is the Zoom age. Nobody wants to hear you speak for 40 min straight, Aurin. What are you, Charles Dickens?!? Note: cut it in half, but be specific, but also quickly tell me the story, but also define the characters. And make it snappy but also detailed. And don't forget to add a personal story at the start. But shorter. Oh...ok.
- June 2020: indie producer, higher level producer approaches different companies about our movie pitch. They set up 14 different pitch meetings...all on zoom. All after work on EVIL. I can do this from the comforts of my own bedroom and I don't have to take time off from work.
- practice pitch is 20 minutes. Still too long. Director will add visual and their talking points so I need to be shorter on my end...but don't lose any specificity. And add more personal stuff. Shorter, better, more specific.
-July 2020: pitch meeting. After daily tv writers' zoom room, I jog around, do jumping jacks, slap myself a few times, and sit back down at my computer for zoom pitches. One pitch...then a 30 minute break followed by another one. Scarf down food in between.
- late July 2020: one studio is so excited that they make an immediate offer after our zoom pitch. The offer is so good that the producers cancel the last few meetings. Yay! Greenlit. Contract! Negotiations. We're on our way baby and then...
- August 2020: everyone leaves town.
-September 2020: everyone is just getting back into the groove. Warming back up.
- October 2020: I verbally agree to my contract. Great and it will be activated once the studio completes everybody else's contract. D'oh!
-November 2020: contract stuff. We're at the one-yard line.
- December 2020: contract stuff...almost finished. But now it's time for the holidays. BRB....
- January 2021: whew, holiday hangover. Getting back up to speed and apparently our gov was almost overthrown. Anyway, we are so so close..we promise. We are inches away from the endzone, field goal, basketball hoop, soccer net, cricket wicket.
- February 2021: It looks like...yeah...okay...for real now... done. Thanks to the perseverance and brilliance of the indie producer and his co-partner who kept this thing going for months and a sharp director who carried this vision forward, we arrive at the actual point where work can begin. And thank you, Zoom!
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