Didn't they just have one of these? Time flies so maybe it's already been a year. I know a couple of people that are going, but I don't think you know them. Good luck though and say hi to Babz!!

Btw, Nickelodeon should be perfect for ZP. That's the exact feel I got when I read it.

I'm shooting Old Wounds this Saturday. My first solo production and directing. I'm scared to death. Wish me some luck!  

Quoted from Grandma Bear Didn't they just have one of these? Time flies so maybe it's already been a year. I know a couple of people that are going, but I don't think you know them. Good luck though and say hi to Babz!!

Hey Pia!

The first InkTip con was last September.
They changed the date, now it's the same weekend as San Diego ComicCon.
At least it wasn't during Carmageddon this past weekend.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Btw, Nickelodeon should be perfect for ZP. That's the exact feel I got when I read it.

For sure, number one company I'll be pitching this weekend.
I may follow up with a couple that requested the script that I haven't head from.

Quoted from Grandma Bear I'm shooting Old Wounds this Saturday. My first solo production and directing. I'm scared to death. Wish me some luck!

Good luck, Pia!
Try to have a good time.
Are there others on set that have more experience than you?
I bet you'll make a great captain to steer the ship!

Best Wishes,
Brett

Quoted from Grandma Bear Btw, Nickelodeon should be perfect for ZP. That's the exact feel I got when I read it.

And I just got an e-mail update from the convention.
Nickelodeon has dropped out of the event as of this morning.
A handful of the other studio majors bowed out as well.

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to set this up at the same time as ComicCon.
I know all the majors have a presence there in one form or another.
That wipes out my number one company to pitch. Ouch.

I'll print out the PDF booklet and form a new strategy.

E.D.

I"m off to the pitch convention.
Have a great weekend, guys!

E.D.

Best of luck, Brett. Everyone's pulling for you.

Best of luck - seriously...I can see ZP getting made.  

Cheers,

-J

Hey Guys.

O dark hundred here.
Just wanted to check in for a bit.

Day One went very well.
Took some great classes.
Hung out with Babz and assisted the fabulous class she taught.
When we met it was like old school chum reunion.
We hugged, screeched like little girls. She's a hoot!

Some locals sought me out after hearing my pitch in a class.
A script supervisor and a DP want to meet and talk ideas, etc.
The general sentiment is that ZP is too fresh an idea to not sell.

So, I'm going for 30+ production companies looking for comedies today.
I refined my pitch a bit and just enjoyed myself.

Big plus was solidifying a "hip pocket" deal with a WGA literary agent yesterday.
Which basically means they will open a door for me, if I need it.
If through self promotion, I hit a wall that requires an agent, they'll open it for me.
But that does not mean they actively promote me to their contacts.
They will act like a "crowbar" for me, if I run into an agent "requirement".
Which is the next best thing to signing a contract, IMO.

Looks like the new draft of Lie Detector is up.
I'll post on that after the convention, and update the production.

I talk you guys up every chance I get, encouraging writers I meet to join.
Have a great weekend, thanks Kev and Janet for the kind thoughts.

Keep the faith!

E.D.

Whew. Back from InkTip.
Solid event all the way around.
Met some working locals, a script supervisor for an indie feature.
Never know who's taking classes.
The videographer of a pitch class I attended approached me, gave me his card.
He's very local and also a DP and a script writer, I'm sure we'll meet.
Then hung out with Ryan1 after the con and threw back some beers.

The pitches went very well, it was quality over quantity this time.
Lots of follow up to do. Tomorrow. Not today.

Today, my voice is shot and I want to become one with the couch.
I'll get into details later, via this thread or perhaps another podcast, if desired.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, I'm going to collapse now.

Regards,
E.D.

Just got my follow up letters and script requests finished.
I made some nips and tucks and tweaks to ZP before I sent this round out.
Those changes will be in a new upload posting here soonish!

Tonight I'm attending a mixer I was invited to by a literary agency.
There's a sushi bar around the corner from it, this could be trouble!
InkTip pitch con has been a great boon for my work already, gotta keep the faith!
Back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

Regards,
E.D.

Seemed to have missed this, till now.

Well done Brett! And good luck. Sounds like you're doing very well, mate.

I detest the word 'proactive', but you're well and truly putting yourself out there and taking matters into your own hands & it seems to be paying dividends. Great example to all of us, even those of us miles away in the Great Southern Land.

Looking forward to the next installment.

Libby

Quoted from LC Seemed to have missed this, till now. Well done Brett! And good luck. Sounds like you're doing very well, mate. I detest the word 'proactive', but you're well and truly putting yourself out there and taking matters into your own hands & it seems to be paying dividends. Great example to all of us, even those of us miles away in the Great Southern Land. Looking forward to the next installment. Libby

Hey Libby!

Thanks, mate. I hate that word too.
If I'm not serious about my career, who else will take me seriously?
The pitch cons are great for me, I'm a sociable, articulate person.
I've learned that if you're "good in the room" industry types will listen to you.
As crazy as it sounds, it's a better asset than a good script in this town!
If you have a good, marketable idea and can express yourself well, it's huge here.
Something I hadn't really thought about until industry types mentioned it.
It's not enough to have a good idea and/or a good script.
You have to be able to promote yourself, then the agents will come! LOL!

Apparently, I've reached the "level" of "worth a couple free drinks".
The mixer was fun, watching the actors work the room, etc.
You can see the writers are usually the quiet ones in the corners.
Unless they're trying to impress a hottie, "Nolan stole Inception from me!" LOL!
I did reconnect with a director I met at PitchFest last month.
To his credit, he remembered me and ZP, so that's another script request to send out.
I'm a hands on person, query letters and cold solicitation aren't for me.
I can't display my best assets that way.
That's why these pitch cons are great, if you're a "social creature".

So, what new writing adventures have you been up to?

Regards,
E.D.

One thing I forgot to mention about the con that might be of interest.

I got to spend some time with this veteran actor, Larry Hankin.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0359969/

Was he there listening to pitches for his start up production company? No.
Larry was at InkTip looking for a new agent! Why?

After decades in front of the cameras, he wrote a star vehicle for himself.
And his long time agent wanted nothing to do with developing that for him.
All the agency wanted was their cut of his steady work as an actor.

So, this character actor legend of forty plus years, was there among us new folk.
Larry was very personable and earnest about his dream.
Almost a half century in the business and this guy can't get his script read.
I wish him every success with his script.

Buckle up, my friends, it's a bumpy ride in this town.

E.D.

That was the guy that played Kramer on Seinfeld when they made the sitcom "about nothing". He stole George's nuts, or something like that.

That guy's awesome.  I remember him as Mr. Heckles on Friends.

Quoted from Electric Dreamer Almost a half century in the business and this guy can't get his script read.

W o w.

That's pretty cr@ppy of his agent to not even pretend to peddle it or point him in the direction of someone that can tweak it until it's marketable, as if the guy doesn't already have a pretty good idea already.

My knee-jerk suspicion is along age discrimination lines, and maybe the "Teardrop" role of John Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE was rather the exception to the rule but it does indicate that it's possible, if even relevant.
http://notesofafilmfanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wb-teardrop2_t6001.jpg

I think John Hawkes was the only cast member that had any marketable star power in the film.

What a tough row to hoe for the rest of us with more hopes than street cred under our belt.

Just curious: is the problem he can't get read? Or is it his pitch? Or is it the script? Any way of knowing?

Whenever I look at directors or writers on IMDB, I often notice that even though they might have broken through with a film we all recognize, it seems usually they go many, many years between produced projects. It seems extremely tough to come up with a script/story idea that will get financed even if you're already through the door. Just wondering.

Quoted from RayW W o w. That's pretty cr@ppy of his agent to not even pretend to peddle it or point him in the direction fo someone that can tweak it until it's marketable, as if the guy doesn't already have a pretty good idea already. My knee-jerk suspicion is along age discrimination lines, and maybe the "Teardrop" role of John Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE was rather the exception to the rule but it does indicate that it's possible, if even relevant. http://notesofafilmfanatic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wb-teardrop2_t6001.jpg I think John Hawkes was the only cast member that had any marketable star power in the film. What a tough row to hoe for the rest of us with more hopes than street cred under our belt.

Larry indicated to me that agents are more secular than I thought.
His agent deals strictly with actors.
Hence, zero interest in helping a client develop their own script.
Agents specialize to seemingly ridiculous degrees in many cases.
Switching agents is like starting all over, and not in the good way.
I've heard that's happened to successful writing teams that broke up too.
As individuals, executives treated them as noobs. Why?
Because no one knew which was the "talented" one.

E.D.

Quoted from leitskev Just curious: is the problem he can't get read? Or is it his pitch? Or is it the script? Any way of knowing?

I didn't ask Larry for his pitch. I'm sure he welcomed a casual break from it. As did I.
Larry told me he fired his agent due to zero interest in promoting his script around town.
I'm sure the 70 year old actor doesn't want to pound the pavement, like a rookie.
So, his plan was to recruit a new agent and/or manager for his project.
I'm not in any position to further his goal.
So, I didn't waste his time by asking him details.
Honestly, as a rank amateur, I was dying to know though!

E.D.

So Mr. Hankin does not have representation at the moment? Because AEF is still listed as his representative...

Quoted from ajr So Mr. Hankin does not have representation at the moment? Because AEF is still listed as his representative...

I didn't press Larry for details as to how long it's been.
But, he did make it pretty clear to me he was there looking for a new agent.
Given the context, his "departure"from the agency sounded pretty recent.

E.D.