Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

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  • Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

    I don’t know if anyone is interested, but someone suggested I keep a play-by-play account as this thing rolls along. It sounded like a good idea, though I can't promise it'll be very entertaining. If you can't make it to the end I wouldn't blame you.

    I submitted my script on March 21 and I don't know about you but I can't sit on any draft for that long without revising, polishing, sweating over, or screaming at the pages in front of me. And so in that time I would come back to the darn thing every once in awhile until the draft was rather different than the one I submitted. And like all revised drafts, the new one is always so much better than that old clunker. At least hope you feel the same way, otherwise I may need to see someone.

    The first thing I needed to do after learning that I'd won was get everyone else, Carson, Mike and Omar on the same page... I had this awesome new draft sitting on my desk and before it went out to Geoff for notes, or Mike and Omar sent it to their contacts I needed them to realize that the old version was history.

    Except... what if it wasn't as good?! What if they hated it? What if they realized they'd made a terrible mistake and, and, and... oh god, I'm a failure! (Welcome to my mind, kids.)

    Anyway, Carson sent a congrats email and I asked if I could send him the new draft to pass along to Geoff. He said sure so I sent it off.

    A couple days later, on Monday, Aug. 3, I got an email from Mike asking if Thursday, Aug. 6th at 3pm was a good time to set up a call between Mike, Omar and myself.

    I said sure, but then I remembered something only those of us East of the Rockies really fear.... Having to admit to someone with connections that we don't live in L.A.

    Me: You mean 3pm... PST, right?
    In my head: he's gonna regret even agreeing to help judge the contest. he's going to be so annoyed that I don't live in L.A. that he'll tell his computer I'm a SpamBot
    Mike: That's 3pm PST. I'll call you. Just send me your number.

    In my head: oh...okay... well... that was easy.

    Except, wait... I had to tell him that the draft he had just read, and probably had notes for, was worthless... and that I'd wasted his time. He's going to hate me!

    Me: Do you want it now, or should we just talk about it on the call?
    Mike: We'll discuss it on the call.

    Bullet. Dodged.
    Last edited by aaron_c; 08-11-2009, 12:58 PM.

  • #2
    Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

    So, Thursday rolled around. The big day. The day Mike would call. So basically I spent the day nervous, convinced at some point he'd realize what a waste of time all of this was... I had been checking my email every five minutes -- Oh, look, an email from Connie... I don't know a Connie... Oh, look, she's Mike's assistant...

    Connie: Hi Aaron, Can we reschedule today's call for tomorrow, Friday at 1pm? Sorry this is last minute.
    ...they hate the script... I know it... they've discovered I'm a fraud....
    Me: That’s cool.

    A couple deeps breaths later and I'm okay. I'm sure it was because Tyrese had to talk to Mike about their comic and in this world, when you’re left with the choice between taking a call from the dude who's in a movie that has grossed over $800 million worldwide or some dude who asked you if you meant PST... well, I know how this works. (sidenote: if you go to Mike's website there is a picture of Todd McFarland and Tyrese... Tyrese has a St. Louis Cardinals cap on. Tyrese + Cards hat=Tyrese is cool. Math is simple in my world).

    Where was I... oh yeah... I may have gotten rescheduled because of Tyrese. I can't prove this. But I'm just saying. Could be true. Either that or Mike was too busy calling in an airstike on CoD4.

    Anyway, Friday rolls around. Hey look, an email from Mike. Maybe this is --

    Mike: Hey Aaron -- sorry to keep doing this to you, but we need to move the call to next Monday at noon. Omar is traveling today and can't be on the call this afternoon. Let me know if this works for you. Thanks.

    Me: Yeah, totally, that's cool.
    In my Head: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! (there are those in my office who will swear before a judge that the screaming wasn't just in my head)

    Luckily I had some other stuff to do and it wasn't a long weekend at all. At least the Cardinals went up over the Cubs by two games!

    So today rolled around. 9:59am CENTRAL STANDARD TIME -- I fire off an email... just to double check this call is really gonna happen.

    Mike assured me it is.

    I walked home for lunch, ready for the call. A nervous pinch in my stomach. I imagined the call playing out like this.

    Me: Hello?
    Mike: Is this Aaron?
    Me: Yep.
    Mike: Hi, I'm Mike, this is Omar --
    Omar: Hey.
    Me: Hi.

    Mike: Look... ummm... we've realized we made a huge mistake --

    So, yeah, that's the thought I'm fighting as I answer the ringing phone at 2pm CST.

    And on the other end is applause. Applause? That’s right. Mike had gotten Connie and his hq team to applaud as I answered the phone. And the phone call was nice and easy and not at all terrible. Once Geoff passes along his notes we'll go over them, then Mike's gonna send the script off to a couple places and we'll see how that goes.

    Unless they all realize they hate it.

    Stay tuned.

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    • #3
      Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

      They applauded? That's pretty freaking awesome. I've said it before that Mike is a pretty cool guy. This just proves it.

      I can't wait to hear/read more about what happens for you here. We're all pullin' for you.

      Make a sale and make us proud.

      INT. PINEAPPLE - DAY


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      • #4
        Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

        Very cool. Musta been nice to hear them all applauding. Thanks for posting Aaron. Keep us up to date on the goings on. Congrats man.

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        • #5
          Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

          congrats, awesome story aaron.

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          • #6
            Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

            Great story, good luck aaron and keep us posted!

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            • #7
              Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

              Thanks for sharing Aaron. Good luck. Keep us posted.
              Never let the competition know what you're thinking... and never tell the unseen masses your story idea.

              -- Rule 85, Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (updated by cmmora)

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              • #8
                Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                Applauding a Cardinals fan?

                I never thought I'd see the day.

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                • #9
                  Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                  Originally posted by Sinnycal View Post
                  Applauding a Cardinals fan?

                  I never thought I'd see the day.
                  AH ha ha ha h........ wait I'm British. I don't get it

                  Congrats, Aaron. Last time I had a round of applause it was in the bedroom! And they were BOTH suitably impressed.

                  I'd managed to get dressed all by myself and everything. Nurses gave me my own special badge.


                  ahem.........like your self-deprecating style, Aaron. Look forward to the update!

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                  • #10
                    Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                    Originally posted by Harbinger View Post
                    AH ha ha ha h........ wait I'm British. I don't get it
                    Oy wot?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                      That wasn't applause...that was Mike b*tch-slapping his crew for making the huge mistake of choosing "The Translation".

                      @Binger: The St. Louis Cardinals are the greatest baseball team in the history of baseball teams.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                        I can't wait until we inevitably find out that Pujols is on the juice.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                          Originally posted by PaleWriter View Post

                          @Binger: The St. Louis Cardinals are the greatest baseball team in the history of baseball teams.
                          Which is like saying 'I'm the tallest dwarf'!... right?

                          Sorry, Baseball leaves me cold. Watched Yankees play a warm-up match. It was hours of yawn..... and I paid for that!

                          We have a version of this. IT's called Rounders... and no-one ever wanted to play it.

                          I like (American) football though.

                          PS. Why was I thinking the Arizona Cardinals?.... Is that even close?

                          EDIT: Don't answer that! This is turning into an OT derailing. My bad. Again congrats, Aaron!
                          Last edited by Harbinger; 08-11-2009, 09:23 AM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                            very cool. Keep it rolling, man!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Scriptshadow Contest - A play by play account

                              Aaron, thanks for sharing your experience.

                              Congrats on the win and good luck with everything that comes after!

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