ScreenWriter's World Conference, Day One - Pitch Slam

by Dave

Last Spring Dustin and I set a plan for the summer that we wanted to culminate at the Screenwriter's World Conference here in Hollywood. More specifically, we wanted it to culminate at the Pitch Slam event on the first Friday of the conference. I am happy to say that we accomplished everything on that list, but it all became very real this morning when we woke up at 6am (I know, right?) and got ready to check in first thing at 7am. None of what we accomplished this summer would mean anything if we screwed it up today. No pressure, right? Actually, that is a bit too much hyperbole. We were pretty calm and downright laid back, especially compared to many of the other attendees. Today was quite the experience and I kept a running diary to document it. So please enjoy sharing in our day. (Caveat, we know the names of the people we mention, but are intentionally leaving them out for privacy)

• 8:00 - Sitting in waiting room, talking to other attendees. Lots of nervous people. We keep telling them to calm down and be themselves. Met a kid from Germany here to pitch a sitcom. Seems like a good guy, wish him well.
• 9:00 - Tables are opened for pitch slam. People begin to line up to collect tickets to their targeted companies.
  
• 9:02 - Passes going quick with no rhyme or reason and the volunteers are having a hard time keeping up. Attendees are already starting to freak out. Calm down people, we're here for eight hours.
• 9:50 - Our first time slot opens, deep breath, here we go. Walk in the door, look at our table... there's no one there.
• 9:51 - Accident on the 405, some Execs late (including ours), that's life, moving on. People outside still freaking out.
• 10:10 - Ticket table has descended into a game of Go-Fish "Do you have a 45? No. Do you have a 22? Yes" We got a ticket to our top target. We're happy.
• 10:20 - Thinking I should start a game where I guess how many hyphens someone is going to squeeze into their title when talking to me. So far the leader in the clubhouse is "writer-producer-director-sound-and sometimes camera operator. Surprised he didn't throw craft services in there because he bought his actors some donuts.
• 10:45 - Met a guy here to pitch his historical story with real life people that he does not own the rights to but he is pretty sure they are public domain. He admits he may have some hurdles to overcome. He also paid to come here with the intent of seeing the one company he thinks can make his movie. That company is only here for the morning and going fast, he's a little nervous.
• 11:10 - First pitch down, exec enthused. He asked for our one sheet and more info and gave us his card to talk more. Win.
• 11:15 - We lucked into a card for a top target of ours. I'll just say that Dustin in very charming.
• 11:30 - Saw our friend from Germany. He has had three pitches and two asked for more info. He's feeling good.
• 11:45 - See our true life story guy again. He has not been able to get a ticket to his one target. He's starting to get a little hot under the collar.
• 12:00 - We didn't get our next pitch in, will queue after lunch. Talked to event bigwig and politely mentioned we were a little distressed that we have only gotten two cards in three hours and one guy wasn't even there. He gives us a makeup card for the late exec so we can talk to him in the afternoon. Charm works again.
• 12:30 - We go to lunch with our historical story friend and a very nice man from England. Our friend was able to convince his target company to meet him at one so he can pitch. He's much more calm now. Enjoyable lunch.
• 1:00 - We're back after lunch. We see our friend from Germany, his hot streak is continuing.
• 1:15 - We see our second company. Movie wasn't for them but they ask for our one sheet and info to talk about Management. Win.
• 1:35 - Head in for our make-up session with the late exec. Ten feet from the table and someone else sits down and takes our spot. Curb greater impulse to pick him up out of the chair and sit down ourselves.
• 1:36 - talk to conference organizer, they give us another make-up ticket for that exec. We also finagle a ticket for our number one, hot ticket exec for our trouble You really do get more flies with honey than with vinegar. Thank you random dude who took our spot.
• 1:45 - Saw our friend with the historical story. Sounds like the pitch went well and the execs want to hear more. He is in a much better mood and actually leaves happy.
• 2:15 - Talk to our friend from Germany.  Four out of five execs showed interest. He's in great mood and heading for the beach. Well done my friend, well done.
• 2:16 - That is a sharp contrast to another kid at our table who has gone 0 fer every exec he has talked to. We try to cheer him up. Not sure it worked.
• 2:44 - Queue up for a string of three pitches in the next three sessions. If you are keeping score at home that means we will talk to more people in the next 15 minutes than we have in the last five hours.
• 2:45 - Talked to Management company. He is all over our work and truly excited. We seal the deal with Bloodlines and he requests the script. Win. As a bonus, he loves our business cards and asks for the link to where we got them.
• 2:50 - In to see one of our bigger targets. Feel like linking a picture of a mushroom cloud to describe how well that one went. Oh well... win some, lose some.
• 2:55 - In to talk to another production management company. Three straight pitches gets to Dustin and he vapor locks. I'm like "Everyone chill... I got this". Exec likes Bloodlines and asks for more info and wants to talk more. Win.
• 3:10 - Dustin sees kid from earlier who has not gotten any interest. He is crying in the bathroom. Brutal reminder of Hollywood.
• 3:20 - In to see production company we have whiffed on twice. Wasn't worth the wait. Guy is dressed in shiny black shoes, black pants, black belt, black t-shirt, black sport coat and slicked back black hair. He cues in right away on my Italian last name and builds rapport off that. Being Italian, I know we are somewhere we do not want to be. Guy asks every trap question you can ask in pitch. Asks us to send him synopsis, cast breakdown with actors for each role, budget estimates and release forms for all our ideas. We thank him, pretend like we're going to and GTFO. Dustin wants to refer to him as "Lucifer" while I lobby for "The Devil's Advocate".
• 3:55 - Sit down for our last meeting, exec not there. Looks like we are going to end the day the way we started it. We start to walk out and Dustin strikes up a conversation with an exec who has no one there to talk to. He says he is a horror guy so we pitch him our zombie movie. He loves it, asks what else we have. We pitch him Bloodlines, he goes crazy for it. Sees our third logline for our revenge thriller, he loves that too. We have spent ten minutes with him now and he wants all three scripts. Best conversation of the day. Vapor lock redeemed.
• 4:00 - We're done. Saw eight people, 7 want more info, two outright script requests (for a total of four scripts). It's boozin time.
• 4:05 - We're heading down escalator, Lucifer is on the mezzanine watching us. We nod, he nods, we pick up our pace.