A Producer’s experience of a writer’s journey

A Producer’s experience of a writer’s journey: My debut at the 2012 Screenwriters World Conference and Pitch Slam in NYC

I shall start by saying, “Well worth the investment!” Truly, I walked away with my expectations met and my heart alight with an education and incredible experience.

My day started with a slow drag out of bed, having just returned from 11 days on the west coast and well adjusted to PST. None the less, I was up and out in a matter of a half-hour, turning down the snow-blown sidewalk toward the conference center. Although it was a mere short block from my hotel, the morning snow gave me reason to shake like a Husky in order to remove the powder from my sweater and scarf. And once inside, the warmth took care of the rest.By 8:30 I was picking up my badge and getting directions to “pitch center” – ground zero for my nerves. I made my way down the escalator and settled among the others as they feverishly reviewed one-pagers, notes, and scripts – or just searched for mints. This reminded me, so I popped a mini-Altoid in my dry mouth.

“What am I doing here?” I reckoned, “I’m no writer, and these folks are serious.”

It was my self-doubt talking and it longed to turn me on my heels; however, I slapped it silly and immediately engaged in conversation with a fellow writer. Names aside, “Bob” was just as nervous. He admitted it freely, almost as a confession that would cleanse his soul, and then launched into his ambitions and dreams to leave his “day job”. I fed him, mind you, kept him talking as if to distract my nagging doubts. And when he stopped, I bored him with my stakes and goals. We thought we were the only two nerve-shaken peas in this “pitch slam” pod, but soon discovered that our state of being was more the norm than the exception. All around, as I began to connect and chat with writers, I discovered that few had experienced this type of event – the 5-minute op at fame – but rather, like me, most were there to face their fears and pray for the big break. About that time, I was called to the carpet.

I decided, pre-conference, that doubting myself would give others reason to doubt me. I also decided that I really did believe in my project, and that I knew it from Fade In to Fade Out, as well as understanding the marketing potential behind it. Therefore, my greatest fear was the unknown – what did the exec/manager/agent/company rep I was pitching to expect of me? What tick would turn them on – turn them off? How should I lead – with logline, what I had for breakfast, or a compliment about their hair? These were all things that weighed heavily on my shoulders as I entered the room.

To give a picture of the event – writers waited in one room, lined in columns to pitch to the company of their choice, and were led, one group at a time, into another room after the previous group of writers had completed their pitch. All writers who left the pitch room would recycle into the columns and await their next opportunity. It gave us all lots of quality time to swap stories – pitching experiences and all.

So my time had come as I was corralled into the pitch room with a dozen other writers. We nervously scanned the room to find our rep – each sitting on the opposite side of tables lining the room. The only marking was a small print out of the company and rep, taped to the edge of the table. On several occasions I would circle the room twice before spotting mine. Once I found him/her I dropped my bag and slide into the chair. “Breathe,” was my first thought. It was the best self-advice at the time.

I could trip through one pitching experience after the other, but I believe an assessment of the good, the bad, and the ugly might be a better read. So here goes, the list of what I learned:

• Not everyone will love your story/script. Pitching slams are like sending out query letters – it’s a numbers game. The more folks you can pitch to the better the chances you will find a rep who connects with your script. Don’t sweat it if some don’t ask for a one-pager or offer an email. And don’t be pushy. Over the four hours, I saw mounting piles of scripts on rep’s tables. I found out later that writers were “leaving” their script, just in case. The honest truth is that the rep won’t read it if they don’t ask for it.
• The rep is sometimes new at hearing pitches at this type of event, and is therefore just as nervous as the writer. So how do you tell if they’re new at this? Just ask. I found that asking broke the ice for reps that felt the same level of anxiety as the writer, and gave the rep that has experience with this type of event the chance to brag a little. Either way, the rep had a moment to air out their level of comfort and gave me the opportunity to know better how to approach my pitch. This was a fact I learned fast, and it helped me to talk about my project.
• Chances are, the writer before me was way too intense and desperate to sell/option a script. He probably talked fast and tried to squeeze 20 minutes into 5, leaving little time for the rep to respond. In this event, starting with a smile, then slowly leading in with a little question or comment unrelated to the pitch seemed to bring an aura of ease over the table. This served me well in that I was able to break away from the “business” of pitching a script, and lead in to a casual conversation about my passion (in script form).
• Most writers complain that 5 minutes is hardly enough time to pitch a script. I argue that 5 minutes is more time than anyone needs. As one pitch coach mentioned, the rep is often more taken by the writer’s passion and ability to give the story in a couple minutes, than the shaken and hurried writer trying to fit everything into a small window of time. The rep will usually decide within the first minute if the project, or writer, is a good fit – the rest of the 5 minutes is fill. Taking the first minute to create an atmosphere of ease, followed by an assessment of the rep’s experience, gave me time to pitch and get an email if the rep wanted to follow-through. Rarely did I leave with an unfinished pitch-op after my time was up.
• Having fun is the goal. Sure, who doesn’t want to walk away with a deal. The truth, however, is that reps aren’t looking to make deals, only to meet some potential, up-and-coming talent. By having fun, a rep might see someone they can work with for years to come. By being high-strung and nerve-stricken, all the rep sees is an intense relationship.

At the close of our 4-hour pitch slam I was exhausted and exhilarated. The experience was educational beyond what I expected. It was a great opportunity to network with writers and talk about my project. It was great opportunity to generate some project buzz. Maybe my script isn’t the best fit for every rep, but who knows whether or not one rep might say to another over drinks, “Did I ever tell you about the script this guy pitched at the last pitch slam?” And so, my road to fame begins.