In case some of you don’t know, PIA i s currently in the process of have two of her scripts produced.

FINDERS KEEPERS & BLACKOUT are both spoken for and are in the process of becoming made.

With so much going on for her, it's nice to see a fellow SS'er make some traction in the film industry.

GREAT JOB PIA!

You give the rest of us hope that maybe, just maybe we can get our words to film as well.

Were both of these scripts posted here?

I know that Don’s website has been gaining a lot of attention of people out there looking for work by quality writers. As the months go on, it seems as though more and more writers are becoming recognized.

Again, CONGRATS Pia!

Remember us on the red carpet...

Shawn.....><

Congrats Pia! You'll have to keep us updated with the progress of these!

Awesome job Pia... Well done.

Mark

Yes! =D

Congrats PIA! I can't wait to go buy these when they come out. You're awesome...don't forget it!

D

Shawn, I wasn't really going to make a big deal out of this, but as it turns out, it's so bizarre I'm scratching my head about all this and I have had a hard time believing it all.

I'll start from the beginning…in case anyone cares….

A year or so ago, we did a 7WC. Write a feature in 7 weeks or less. There had been some production companies at InkTip asking for features  thrillers/amnesia so that's what we decided to do. I wrote mine, got great feedback, made some minor changes to the script then I forgot all about it.

Last November I was contacted by two different companies asking if Blackout was available. I told both of them, yes. I didn't hear anything more and I forgot about it. Then in December, one of them sent me a contract and asked me to sign it because they were starting to shoot it in a couple of weeks!! Surprised, I signed the contract. It is now in post. Some people here have seen the early rough cuts of it. It looks amazing….

Then one day when I was talking to them they told me their goal was to make 4-5 features this year. I imedeatily told them that I had another thriller that was low budget. I sent the script to them. They liked it, we made a deal, and it was scheduled right after Blackout. Shooting starts February 8th. Then another day I was talking to them, they mentioned a meeting with someone at the SyFy channel and that they were looking for a particular script. I asked who was going to write it. They said no one yet. I asked if they wanted me to give it a shot and they said yes. Then things get even weirder…..Last week, I was contacted by a production company, can't name them here, but some people here know who they are, and they wanted me to write for them. They found me here from reading one of my shorts!!!!!!!  So, now I'm writing for companies that have real budgets with a capital M behind the numbers!! This so so weird, I'm not sure what to think. To be honest, I thought someone was just fucking with me.

I can tell you all this though. Big people are definitely looking at SS for writers and scripts!!

I'm in over my head, Pia….

PS. there are of course no guarantees the anything big will happen...and Shawn, you don't know me. If I go see something of mine in a theater, I will go alone and covert.  ;)

Very exciting!

Holy Cr@p!  When it rains it pours!  That is all so amazing and exciting and scary and well deserved.

You aren't in over your head.  No way. No how.  Shawn is right...you give us hope that maybe someday it'll rain on our heads too!!  Until then we'll join you on your ride.  :D

I'm slowly loading everything I have that is remotely filmable onto SS.  In only about a month I went from NEVER having anyone show interest in my scripts to getting not only several requests from people interested but supposedly two in line to be filmed.  

Fantastic news, Pia.

Best wishes.

P.S. So when is your biopic coming out chronicling everything said your above post? A true movie industry rags to riches/zero to hero story (of course, I’m not saying you were dressed in rags or amounted to zero before all this ;)). Anyway, it would probably be more interesting than what they done with J.Edgar's recently.

Congratulations, Pia!  I'm dying to see Blackout and Finders Keepers...!!!  (As well as everything else that's in the works...)  :)

Congratulations Pia!

You should be proud of what you have going on no doubt about it.

HGW

Well Done, its exciting just to hear about it. I can only imagine what it must be like to see your work produced like that.

If i'm not mistaken i think you are beginning to answer your own question. What is the difference between pro writers and yourself? Not that much it would appear.

One last point, does anybody else find Pia's avatar even worse that Bert's  spiders?

all the best

You'll have to post a pic of you at WalMart with your DVD! ;D

Best wishes for all the success you can grab!

Regards,
Brett

Congrats on your success. That's amazing!

Also, thanks for posting all those leads for InkTip - much appreciated.

I’ve told you this privately. May as well say it publicly too. I think you’ve found your niche with these low budget thrillers. There’s a market for the content you provide, it’s as simple as that.

You worked for it, you earned it.

Congratulations! :)


Breanne

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I’ve told you this privately. May as well say it publicly too. I think you’ve found your niche with these low budget thrillers. There’s a market for the content you provide, it’s as simple as that. You worked for it, you earned it. Congratulations! :)

I agree with what Breanne says..

Congratulations, you put the time in and definitely earned it.


Kevan

Quoted from Colkurtz8 P.S. So when is your biopic coming out chronicling everything said your above post? A true movie industry rags to riches/zero to hero

Hmmmm. No big money yet. Depends on how things go. I don't have big hopes for big money. In fact, I think people that write with the hopes of big money write for the wrong reason. I have a need to write and that's why I do it.

I appreciate everyone's support. I'm humbled a bunch of people thought my scripts were interesting enough that they wanted to invest a lot of their time and money on them. The previews I've seen look pretty good. If this is all that happens in my writing "career" that's fine with me. More than I ever thought would happen.

:)

Pia

Your humility is sexy...

Don't underestimate the power of the natural ability to entertain.

There is a growing market for voices that have a new pitch, a new tone and a fresh set of rules.

You're tapping that Pia.

By the way, according to your Avatar, it looks like your new lifestyle lift went a bit tighter than you hoped. LOL

Shawn.....><

Quoted from Ledbetter By the way, according to your Avatar, it looks like your new lifestyle lift went a bit tighter than you hoped. LOL

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   ;D

Did your GPS put you in area "15" Or "151"? Always thought 151 was the alien site. You know I'm cheering for ya...

James

15 meant I ended up in the totally wrong place. Like Pia's office.  ;D

Quoted from Ledbetter Pia, By the way, according to your Avatar, it looks like your new lifestyle lift went a bit tighter than you hoped.

Pia understands the benefits of keeping it lean and tight.
That's why producers adore her.  :K)

Wow, Pia, that's amazing!! I won't even pretend I'm not jealous...

Man, the next 7WC is gonna be a hit all because of you;)

Congrats, girl!

You guys are funny!!  :D

What do you mean about the hit all? I'm not taking part. I'm too busy.

...and then one of my pet peeves!!  Envy is when you want something someone else has. Jealousy is when you're afraid someone might take away something from you.  ;)

No other news yet, but FK is supposed to start shooting tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers X'd!!  ;D

Quoted from Grandma Bear Envy is when you want something someone else has. Jealousy is when you're afraid someone might take away something you have.

Yeah, otherwise Freud would have called it penis jealousy.

Hehe, always the critic:p

Re the 7WC, I more mean that I wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of people signing up to take part in the hope of recreating your success;)

I'm planning on kicking off a 7wc after the next OWC - so stay tuned.

Quoted from mcornetto I'm planning on kicking off a 7wc after the next OWC - so stay tuned.

Awesome!! I'm so there:)

I hear you Rebeah.  :)

That's cool!!!

Remember that we picked the theme and genre after something Babz was looking for and was posted in the inktip newsletter.

Congrats Pia, that is wonderful news.  I've not been on the boards here for a few years and this is one of the first things I've seen. Simply great.

I've been working with a producer for a few years and wrote two scripts that haven't taken off, and my only actual sale, Cold Chill, was never filmed, so it is nice to see someone here makes some breakthroughs.

Best wishes once more!

Thanks Mike! and I do remember you and your avatar!  :)

The second company that asked me to write for them haven't got back with me since I sent them some sample writings. It was just yesterday, but still.  :-/

Have faith pia.  There's always another opportunity.

Pia, I dare say I've neglected to congratulate you on your most recent and well-deserved successes. I enjoyed Blackout. For as simplistic a story it is, it's managed to stick in my memory for a good while. I haven't read Finders Keepers but I understand there's a pit of spikes in it. That's a winner in my book.

Big congrats!

I would also like to share my congrats, Pia. After reading your work, I'm not surprised.

All the best with it.

Gratz Pia! I've read some of your work and you definitely deserved this.

Hope it all works out :)

Quoted from Grandma Bear Hmmmm. No big money yet. Depends on how things go. I don't have big hopes for big money. In fact, I think people that write with the hopes of big money write for the wrong reason. I have a need to write and that's why I do it.

-- I meant it in a metaphorical sense than monetary since it’s all happening so fast. Of course you're dead right, good to see you've got a level head about things, your humility will serve you well.

Best of luck with everything.

I finally have something to share. This is the teaser for Blackout.

I did email them and tell them I had a problem with the guy saying "are you trying to set me up" as I think it gives too much away...

Anyway, hope you like it. I think it looks great, but my worry is the story as it was a first'ish draft and it had issues...  It was a 7WC script, btw.

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I’ve told you this privately. May as well say it publicly too. I think you’ve found your niche with these low budget thrillers. There’s a market for the content you provide, it’s as simple as that. You worked for it, you earned it. Congratulations! :) Breanne

I second the emotion!!! It's full moon! Let's have it for new projects, Pia!  ;D

Sandra

Looks great.  Very sleek and pro.

Wow... Terrific visuals, high quality.  Congrats, Pia!!  :)

Seems to be a market, and should lead to bigger things. Quick.

Pia...

Looks real good so far, I'm happy for you.   I wonder how many changes they made to the original script.

Ghostie

Quoted from ghost and_ghostie gal I wonder how many changes they made to the original script.

Hopefully a lot!!   ;D

Pia this is wonderful.  I see on IMDB Blackout is in post production, and the trailer looks really sweet!

Congratulations!

Huge congrats, Pia! Awesome news, I'm very happy to see things are starting to roll for you.  ;D

Hey Pia

Nice trailer. I think that line "you tried to set me up" should be removed. too much info.

Gabe

Looks good.  Looking forward to seeing it.  Is it pretty much what we read here during the 7WC?

Hey Pia!

And just like that... it happens. :)
I guess it's probably one of the best fears to have...

"OK, I've done that... now what?" ;D

Because now you have a career path in the film industry to manage.
And you'll get all the worry, stress, and nonsense politics you can take...

Because you're getting paid to do something you love!
Feels good. don't it? :D

Regards,
E.D.

Quoted from mcornetto Looks good.  Looking forward to seeing it.  Is it pretty much what we read here during the 7WC?

I have no idea to be honest. I know they credited the director as writer as well, so I imagine he probably changed quite a few things to fit the cast they had on hand and the locations they had available.

Brett, it's true I love to write, but I'm not really looking for a career here. And with the two assignments I have with the Vampire script and the sic-fi, I'm actually coming pretty close to saying, I'm out. Reason is, I love to write...what I like. Not what other people want. I don't want to be a machine.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Brett, it's true I love to write, but I'm not really looking for a career here. And with the two assignments I have with the Vampire script and the sic-fi, I'm actually coming pretty close to saying, I'm out. Reason is, I love to write...what I like. Not what other people want. I don't want to be a machine.

Then that's even better for you.
Once the "in roads" are there, you only do what you want.

But I think one day you'll stumble onto that passion project you can't shake.
And then you're screwed until you can get it made! ;D

Regards,
E.D.

Quoted from Electric Dreamer But I think one day you'll stumble onto that passion project you can't shake. And then you're screwed until you can get it made! ;D

That would be my lesbian western Savage Frontier that started out as a OWC short.  ;D

Hey Pia!

Congratulations on everything!  The trailer's looking good.

I have to get to work right now, but I'll look up some more information later about the film (imdb and all that), but how wide of a release is this set to be, do you know?

I can't wait for the day when I can go to a local theater to see an SSer's movie!  I got a feeling it's going to be coming up.

Thanks Mark! Congratulations on your short too. They did a fantastic job on it. I did like your original title better however. Really pro-looking.

Please don't look up blackout on IMDb. There was a mixup when somebody try to add their info and the feature, blackout, got mixed up with a short. Hopefully that will be fixed in the near future.

As far as the release of blackout goes, I've been told that it is guaranteed to go on Netflix, Hulu and VOD as these people have contracts with those outlets. They also have contracts with the Walmart, but for it to end up on Walmart they need to have a boxed set of 2. I'm hoping that finders keepers will make up that 2nd film, but who knows.

They told me that they are trying to get a test screening on the big screen in some theater. To see how the film is received by a real audience. According to them, the film turned out better than they thought, so they are trying to push it further than online streaming sites. Since they are all professionals in this industry they do have agents and such, so the film is also being sent out to those people. We'll see what happens.  :)