Anyone have or know of success stories from the Expo Pitch Sessions? Five minutes to pitch...that sounds sweet!
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(sigh)
I'm artificially bumping this back up the thread list because dang if it isn't the most disheartening lack of responses I've ever seen.
No one has had any good news from Expo? No one's best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with a girl who saw Ferris sell a script at 31 flavors that weekend?
If that's actually the case, I say, for the sake of moral, we all take a moment to captain the S.S. Make Stuff Up.
Willoughby
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Re: Only one I can think of
As far as Expos go, no discussion of great pitches would be complete without including at least a mention of Bill Lee. In particular, I remember his adaption of "Eephus", which he called "Space Ball".
He made a lot of money off pitches like that. So much money, in fact, that he was able to retire early.
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Re: Only one I can think of
Five minutes at $25.00 a pitch is "sweeter" for
the Expo than it is the writer.
Regardless, it is a way (albeit an expensive
way) to practice part of the craft with real
players.
Personally, I refuse to get involved with any
sort of "pay to pitch" event because it feels
"unethical" to me. I did it one time (at the
Vegas event) and felt dirty that writers were
paying to pitch to me.
It just isn't something writers should have to
pay to do.
Firstly, the event is sucking 25 bucks a pop
off of writers - some of whom are struggling
to make ends meet.
Secondly, the events rarely pay the execs
for their time. Their remuneration comes in
the form of possibly "finding the diamond" in
the rough. (Fat chance.)
One exec I know was paid $20 to listen to
terrible pitches ALL day - and it cost her $15
to park!
It seems odd that the event uses the execs'
names to draw in the crowd, has the execs
do all the work - while the event collects all
the cash.
Because the pitch mart experience for most
execs is grueling, they are starting to draw
lower level execs - many of whom are hoping
to find projects to jump start their own
careers as producers - outside of the company
they are there representing. (This means
they don't have any money to buy/option the
script - even if they wanted to.)
I have never met anyone who purchased
a script from any of these events - nor have
I seen any of these events advertise that a
pitch resulted in a sale.
There are easier and more efficient ways for
execs to find material.
However, alliances have been formed and
scripts have been solicited - but careers
have not been forged because of a pitch
mart.
Don't pay to pitch because you believe it
will lead to a sale.
Writers need to be very realistic about
these events.
Pay with the intent to learn a lesson on
how to pitch - like you would pay to take
a class or buy a book. Be sure to ask for
HONEST feedback - that's how you'll get
your money's worth!
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Expo
My partner and I pitched at the Expo, and we got some reads. But we didn't pay to pitch. We pitched to some industry people after they spoke on panels. If they like your logline enough, many are willing to read your script. They're looking for good scripts.
Even if your script is very good, though, the odds of the handful of people you'd get to pitch to being willing to buy your script are very small. They're not necessarily the right people at the right time.
The script we were pitching at last year's Expo has an interested potential buyer now, but it's not anybody we pitched to there. I have my best luck responding to people who announce the're looking for a specific type of script.
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How do you know what a prodco is looking for?
Joan,
I'm a newbie and have a script currently with several prodcos who requested it after a query. But I have another nearing completion that's a totally different kind of story. How do you know what producers are looking for? Do you call and ask? Or do they post it in trades, boards, etc?
Thanks, Jim
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Re: Companies look for scripts
To piggyback off of CE, I too felt an air of bamboozlement attending last year's Expo. Many people who pitched weren't there for the seminars. It was just about the pitch. So emotional were they about their stories that the smoke and mirrors were completely ignored.
One such individual went ballistic only because "some suit with dentures" bought him lunch.
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