Hello to everyone, am happy and delightful to meet you guys on here.
Hi there, folks! Christopher Neal Fisher here. Some of you might recognize the name, but that's because I've been here for three years now, as of this April. I'm 61, live in Madison, WI, and have been married to the same woman for almost 35 years now. No kids of our own, but I have 2 stepdaughters,...
Expand postHi there, folks! Christopher Neal Fisher here. Some of you might recognize the name, but that's because I've been here for three years now, as of this April. I'm 61, live in Madison, WI, and have been married to the same woman for almost 35 years now. No kids of our own, but I have 2 stepdaughters, six step-grandkids, and two step-great-grandkids. Retired (not by choice) from a 32 year career with the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation in 2016. However, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I had tried many times over the years to set out on a screenwriting career while working full time, and discovered I just couldn't do it; the job, plus family/home responsibilities, just took too much time and energy away from any attempt to come up with coherent storylines and good dialogue. So now my time has been made free to work on my first love, which is writing screenplays and teleplays.
My current main project (in fact the only one, as I've chosen to focus all my energies on it) is a nighttime/prime time soap in the Southern Gothic genre entitled Bayou Noir. The nutshell I use for it is "Dark Shadows meets The Sopranos in the middle of Louisiana's famed 'Cajun Country'". Set in a fictional Louisiana town of the same name, it centers on the Delacroix family, descendants of the French "Seigneur" (like a semi-feudal landlord) who founded the town 300 years earlier. They're wealthy, influential,, and of course, dysfunctional; a real Williamsian/Faulknerian bunch. I've experimented with several loglines, trying to find one that best describes my show idea in a reasonable number of words, and this is currently what I'm considering using:
"An 'old line' Louisiana French family with legitimate businesses and illegal dealings must contend with both enemies human and supernatural and internal conflicts in order to ensure its future and that of its 'empire'".
So, 34 words. To be honest, though, I just don't seem to be able to accurately and meaningfully describe it in 12 words or less.
The pilot episode script, entitled "Made in Louisiana", was written in August of 2020, and was a semi-finalist in the Page Turner Screenplays Feature and TV Pilot 100 Contest in December 2020, and a finalist in the 6th Annual Stage 32 TV Writers' Contest in March 2021. Unfortunately, this hasn't translated into further success as of yet; I've tried to pitch it unsuccessfully to about a dozen people, about a third of whom really liked my pitch, but still passed on it in the end. (My pitch is a written one, but it's very hard to do a good one in two pages, let alone five minutes, though this might be because I'm so intimately familiar with my work that I find it hard to "boil it down" to the essentials, I guess because I see everything in it as an "essential"! lol). I've cut back on both entering contests and trying to pitch, as I regroup and assess my "game plan".
While I still intend on trying to get it before various production-type folks, one option I'm considering looking into, and that I think might work best for promoting my idea in the long run, is trying to see about doing a Proof-of-Concept or Sizzle reel for it, perhaps 12-15 min. in length. I actually have a draft of one, consisting of some scenes from early on in the pilot, but am thinking of reworking that so that it becomes a mini-set up for the intended A story arc. Of course, as a writer, and one with only a very basic knowledge of the other things that go into putting anything from a movie or show to a Proof-of-Concept reel together, I would probably need to find people who have "behind the camera" experience, and think my concept is worthwhile, and would like to see it become a reality as much as I do. And then there's the cost, as I have no idea about what something like that would cost.
So anyway, that's who I am, and where I am with any of the projects I'm currently working on. I have a lot of thinking and rethinking about future strategies with regard to getting my series idea turned from idea to reality. All I know is that I'll never give up -- not until they put me in that box and lower it six feet under.
Ilan: Just want to say "thanks" for the kind comments and offer. Anything else I want to say is in the e-mail I just sent you. Look forward to hearing from you soon!
David: Thanks!
Great post
Thanks, Sandra!
Hi Sandra. I'm RB, Founder and CEO of Stage 32. As a screenwriter, producer, actor and filmmaker, I know first-hand the challenges all creatives face finding work, landing representation, launching projects, securing funding and simply making the connections that will make a difference in their careers. That's why I created Stage 32. Since our launch in September of 2011, the community has grown to 1,000,000+ members representing every country on the planet making Stage 32 the social network uniquely populated with the most creative people on Earth.
This is a network for you, built by you. Like...
Expand postHi Sandra. I'm RB, Founder and CEO of Stage 32. As a screenwriter, producer, actor and filmmaker, I know first-hand the challenges all creatives face finding work, landing representation, launching projects, securing funding and simply making the connections that will make a difference in their careers. That's why I created Stage 32. Since our launch in September of 2011, the community has grown to 1,000,000+ members representing every country on the planet making Stage 32 the social network uniquely populated with the most creative people on Earth.
This is a network for you, built by you. Like most things in life, the more you participate, the greater the rewards. We ask all new members to pay it forward by inviting 5 fellow creatives to the network and by spreading the word of Stage 32 through other social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The more creatives, the stronger the network. The stronger the network, the more opportunities.
Thanks for joining the movement and for being a part of this most talented and inspiring community. I very much look forward to your contributions.
Thanks, and have a creative day!
RB
Helpful information:
Please take a moment to follow and like our other social media accounts.
Hello Sandra -
Welcome to the community! I'm Amanda Toney, the Managing Director at Stage 32. Since 2013 I've been proud to oversee Stage 32's Next Level Education, which provides you the most up-to-date tools necessary to become a better creative.
Over the years Stage 32 has worked with over 500 industry executives and professionals to teach online webinars, classes and intensive labs exclusively for you - our Stage 32 community. We bring you instructors who have worked directly on some of your favorite films, TV shows or theater productions to teach you in-the-trenches information that you w...
Expand postHello Sandra -
Welcome to the community! I'm Amanda Toney, the Managing Director at Stage 32. Since 2013 I've been proud to oversee Stage 32's Next Level Education, which provides you the most up-to-date tools necessary to become a better creative.
Over the years Stage 32 has worked with over 500 industry executives and professionals to teach online webinars, classes and intensive labs exclusively for you - our Stage 32 community. We bring you instructors who have worked directly on some of your favorite films, TV shows or theater productions to teach you in-the-trenches information that you won't find anywhere else on producing, directing, financing, writing, packaging, acting and more.
Our Next Level Education has a 97% satisfaction rate and averages 4.5 out of 5 stars. Plus, we've had the honor to be called "LinkedIn meets Lynda.com for film, television and theater creatives" by Forbes Magazine.
I encourage you to take the next step to continue learning and expanding your career by clicking here, or clicking "education" on your top menu bar.
I'm grateful you've joined the Stage 32 community. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Amanda
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. By using this site, you are accepting our cookie policy
Welcome.