photo by The U.S. Army
Los Angeles. Two writers make their way to a meeting with high powered TV executives. Another writer sits by the phone, waiting to conference in from Milan.
London. Commissioning editors read pitch documents. Emails are exchanged, rapidly. Doors are opened, eagerly. Conversations are had, professionally.
This week, is that week. This is what all the frenetic work of the last year has been leading up to. I am up to my armpits in documents that need writing/rewriting or reading, photographs that need editing... and, the clock is ticking.
But... the hard part of telling this story is deciding where to begin.
One way to start, would be talk about the phone call I received last year, asking me whether I had any ideas for a TV series. It was more than just a question, it was also the offer of a job from an old and dear friend. A friend with big plans. As it happened, I did have an idea. A good one.
Another place to start this story would be eight years back. An email conversation between two screenwriters, one American and one British, about the film industry and about screen-writing. A conversation that seemed to revolve around our disappointment in independent film and some ideas we had about writers working together, not as co-writers, but as partners. The very simple idea we kicked around was that a team of writers could be stronger than one writer working alone.
Or, perhaps this starts with the death of my best friend, and how an online conversation about grief with another American screenwriter, turned into a friendship and then into a collaboration.
Fundamentally, the reason we’re pitching to the majors this week, is because a lot of talented people worked together to make it happen. More than that, those people were able to make it happen, because each and every one of them has dedicated years of effort into being ready for this moment.
And, this is really is the point of this week’s post. To get to this moment, the moment we’ve all worked towards, has taken a lot more effort than people may imagine. And yet, at the same time, it is amazing how the right idea, connected to the right script, presented at the right time, will seem to open doors, effortlessly. We are all at this point because everyone connected to the project believes passionately in it. We have faith in it and each other. And, all of us have earned our right to sit at the table. When people ask us whether we have paid our dues, we look them right in the eyes and say "The cheque is in the mail." (Yes, that is a quote and, no, you shouldn't need to ask me where from)
At the same time we are also completely aware, that regardless of how well prepared we are, how good the project is, how passionate everyone has been so far and how much name talent we have attached, we are still a long way from popping the fizzy French wine (or fizzy water for me).
Or perhaps not... because although the purpose of these meetings is to sell the most developed project we have, what we are really selling is us. This project is our calling card to the industry. And what we really want is for them to want to work with us.
So, really, it’s not only about this one idea, it’s about how this idea demonstrates what we are about as a team. And, we are a great team.
Maybe it is time to crack open the fizzy wine... because, already, as a result of this one project we have open doors all over the industry on both sides of the Atlantic. In real terms, regardless of how this pitch comes out, we have all already won. And, I am genuinely excited about what's happening. Not so much about selling this project, but that as writers we are now in the right place, at the right time, to show the industry what we're made of.
And, it only took ten years of hard work to get here! Huzzah.
keep writing and viva la revolution!
Posted via email from Filmutopia's Sunday Morning Movie Blog
