Hi writers, I'm a uk writer in LA with a top uk lit agent who does not have a us office. I'm trying to get a manager but totally overwhelmed by the numbers at each company WHO to even approach and waiting for months to get a response when someone is reading. In the meantime, I feel like I could be trying to pitch some projects any way ; so, is it possible to get meetings to pitch at networks, studios, production companies generally, simply by gettumg on the phone and asking if you can? Would love to hear of experiences. I have the back up of being able to get my uk lit agent to email on my behalf so I'm not unsolicited as such but I'm curious as to whether you can get big meetings as a writer and also whether most studios and networKS ever operate this way or would you always have to be going in WITH a production company. Happy weekend. Grateful for any insights. Thanks pip h
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https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/pitch-sessions
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Yes. A production company reads your screenplay and loves it and brings you in for a general meeting and in that meeting asks "So, what are you working on?" and then you pitch them something.
Thanks people. I can't pay to pitch all my projects without having 1000s to blow and actually will be 90 or dead if I wait for everyone I want to get to to turn up on stg 32 one at a time! And bankrupt. I have a slate of about 10 projects - and there are probably 6 places minimum they need to get pitched to EACH - and that's studios or networks who are asking for this kind of material. Same question William - without a manager here setting that up - can I get my scripts to those companies myself? Seems I'd be lucky to get a logline read without the NDA etc and the whole thing having to go thru London. And can a writer get into networks and studios to pitch at all? - straight to the source? Not with a manager or a prod co? Impossible?
Listen to the last two Scriptnotes podcasts. They talk about this stuff.
Is it possible? Yes, anything is possible. People can certainly network themselves into a room. But the more important question is -- Would that be the most likely way to sell a project? No. Oftentimes, if you package the project and/or go through the proper channels, you'll have a greater chance at a sale.
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It is possible to pitch without an agent. You got two great sources to show you how. But yes it is possible.
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I have no agent, no manager and 19 produced screenplays and a bunch more that were sold or commissioned sitting on some producer's shelf collecting dust. It's not that I don'tr want a manager or agent, just that they are confused by me. I get reads by email query, and by having scripts get passed around town (someone reads the script and gives it to their best contact, and it just keeps moving around town until someone calls me in for a meeting). Some places are open to queries, many are not - but the ones that are end up first step in the pass around part of the method. But why not just go after managers?
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Why not have your UK agent introduce you to a US/UK producer like Scott Free, Caryn Mandabach, Christian Colson, Working Title, BBC, ITV, etc. who do regular business in both countries?
Regina: Yes, I am trying to do that. We know Scott free so they can get me in there if appropriate but the fact is they do not have contacts, even with the seemingly "Brit" offices here, as they are run quite separately from their uk counterparts, usually.I am having to find the info or contact person then feed to London agent and ask them to email them! They are simply not equipped to deal with the vast industry here with no office in the US. It's incredibly difficult to find out who is the 'go to' person for Co-pros - if there even is one - and whether to begin over there or over here. It sounds crazy but despite being a/the top UK agent they do not have contacts for say BBC America here. (Unless they have done a deal with a company at home they don't have contacts with everyone there either.) Hi William: I am trying to get to managers in LA as well and am being read by a couple, right now, but waiting months for those reading to get back, even to say 'no' - and again, very tricky to know who, within each company, to try without a direct suggestion. Some of them have 100+ managers so its a very slow process. Would love to know how you get the 'passed around town' thing going. Do you mean you got in to pitch at one place and they read it, said it's not for them but liked it and offered to pass it on to another company who might be interested? Or what, exactly? I appreciate Regina, William and all of you making suggestions here, thanks so much & will follow up on all ideas I haven't yet tried! Have a great holiday weekend. Best, pippa
Excuse errors, on mobile.
Thanks David. yes, of course I would do that if someone appears who is totally appropriate to a project and I have been unable to get to them - but I have maybe 10 projects needing at least 6 pitches each - it's into the $1000s even at $30 a pop, plus I'd have to wait for the folk I'm targeting to appear at stg 32 - which may not happen ever! So I'm trying to find out if I can set up a whole raft of meetings to pitch a project, specifically to the people and co's I know are looking fr this kind of thing and preferably before the end of the year, without a manager to help right now. Pip
Hi Craig - Scriptnotes podcasts? What is this? Where? thanks so much.pip
Pippa, trust me, Liza Chasin & Amelia Granger are very much in touch with each other across the pond.
Regina: Working Title? Yes. Sorry, I wasn't meaning those companies in all I said above - I was sort of answering 2 things in one sentence, so obviously not clear: Yes, I can get things to Scott free and those sorts of companies Mark Casarotto & similar agents can undoubtedly go to in London and would be transferred over here if appropriate (like WT and others) but when I said: "they do not have contacts, even with the seemingly "Brit" offices here, as they are run quite separately from their uk counterparts, often" - I was referring to places like Sony TV UK not connecting with Sony LA; Lionsgate UK not seeming to have a direct working relationship with Lionsgate here; Sky; WBTV UK and US; Comedy Central London not aligned with CC in NYC - all doing quite separate business and, no, have not been able to get an intro even for BBC America via Casarotto's. If a UK agent doesn't have a relationship with a particular company already then they tend not to approach them at all - unless/until forced to by someone like me who will supply them with all the contact details and ask them to email on my behalf. They can't really refuse that. (ITV isn't a single entity but a big conglomorate of companies so 'ITV', as such, doesn't have an office in the US either, even though they air shows made by US companies and UK/US co-pros.)
I think it's true that Sony TV in Culver City doesn't communicate seamlessly with its international offices. However, I know that ITV in Los Angeles does indeed collaborate with ITV London because of the nature of their business model.
Scriptnotes podcast. Just search for it in google it iTunes
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Hi Pippa, You're going to have to be VERY lucky to even get one meeting (sorry). I work for a UK author (50+ books in print, translation into 17 languages, millions of sales in the US), this means nothing to the media agents in LA. If you get a meeting, they'll happily cancel with no notice. They do no research, but then expect you to fill them in in 5 minutes (I've not seen arrogance like it anywhere else). My boss does have a major US lit agent, who has links to a top 5 media agency in LA. Makes no difference. As far as I can see the LA agents like to make easy money and aren't interested in doing anything other than what they've done before. The whole system need changing (but that clearly isn't going happen)...
yes, I hear you, Steve, I don't have illusions about this and have heard some horror stories along the lines of what you say. I will get a few meeting with managers that I already know but again, no guarantees. When I first came here I had no TV scripts and no US set stuff so some people I met I have just stayed in touch with for the time (now) when I have projects to pitch. Im trying the manager/producers first - just in case a miracle happened and they want to actually make something of your as well as rep you but I think it's going to take ages and so I was really seeing if anyone had got themselves into networks. Some you have to be all packaged up, others allegedly will see writers - or writer/content creators like me. I would have thought they were screaming for your guy's best selling books? i do quite a bit of script consultancy and coverage and mostly I read novels to asses whether they'd convert well. I'd say about 80% of the films we are watching and a good portion of TV is adaptation from books. (are you allowed to tell me who it is? maybe in a private message? intrigued to know now) Anyway - thanks for comment - it's ALL good and useful. Regina: I had no idea ITV had an office here? They aren't a 'thing' but a whole group of companies so really mystified by this. But thank you! Going to barge in immediately if they are in LA! Best to all - have a great labor day. pip
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Hi Steve Jon, are you able to say which author you work for? Thank you. No worries if not.