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Hi Everyone.
I was in the middle of reading the
winning script, there in the
readers room, at the Austin Film Festival at probably the precise time
it was being judged for first place. I had wandered around with my
volunteer on-call gopher duties and
then posted myself in the reader's room.
But, I actually only learned of the award later, when I was
hanging out in
the main office. One of the other volunteers came in, announcing he had just
come from
playing a part in the staged reading of the script, and all the
people in the office perked up; they'd wanted to be at the staged reading
too, because they
all LOVED that story!
So I guess this proves that
more than one or two people read scripts that are entered into contests.
At least: there at the Austin Film Festival.
I like these people. To
all of you out there: save up your money for next year, and go! And if you
like to drink and stay up very late, you'll have a really really good
time.
However, for a festival that gathers industry professionals who
actually like to meet new talent, I ended up being quite stumped by the very
apparent
inability to think outside the box (to use a very over-used
phrase).
Maybe there's some unspoken
agreement that I haven't stumbled across
yet. But, everyone I approached couldn't help me advance my script. Simply
because it was outside their area of expertise and influence.
I
thought I had the very reasonable expectation to meet at least one person who
had the willingness and ability to advance the script. Result:
still
undetermined.
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There were people who I specifically wanted to
meet, and others that I met more by chance. The first one of these was an
agent. I was assigned to her first
presentation...so this was a matter of
divine intervention or serendipity. Except for the fact that she is on
sabbatical and isn't accepting any new clients and is also not reading any
scripts whatsoever.
But I liked her. She sympathised with my
plight, but
couldn't help move my script via her own network. She opened up the
guidebook, pointed out two men, wished me luck, and offered that I come tell
her
if these leads didn't materialise.
One of the men didn't
materialise all weekend, in fact. According to the guidebook, the other man
wasn't
due to spend more than a day. So I waited. After his presentation,
I joined the throng at the podium and waited my turn. Until he suddenly
announced he was due at another presentation! And he took off...
"Walk
with me!", he says, "Walk with me!"
Three of us tag along. We dash down
elevators and city blocks to another hotel. By arrival the other two
have
been noticed or spurned and have peeled off in the wake. It's obvious
he wants to get rid of me in the lobby. I tell him he can't, two minutes,
give me two
minutes, this is not a pitch, I need his help with a problem.
He tells me to wait by the elevator, he's got to get something in his room,
he'll be right back. He
indicates a chair.
"I will sit right here.", I
say. "I will wait. You'll be back, because I'm waiting right here, and
because you promised."
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The minutes tick by. He flies off the
elevator eventually and it's another sprint back up the hill to the
conference rooms. I somehow manage to pass the minute markers of whether I
have an interesting story or not. He hands down the verdict as we reach
the other presentation currently in progress; his company
doesn't do
stories like mine, but good luck.
I retorted, "That's not what is being
asked of you. I want to know how you can help me get this to
Universal
Pictures."
He says something about how there isn't anyone
he works with who would read a story that their company doesn't make
anyway.
Again, "That's not what I'm asking. I want to know: who do you
know that has an executive-level working relationship with Universal? This is
a valid request. This is the task THEY have assigned me. I was told
by your colleague to find you specifically. You must know
someone. Who do
you know?"
"Sorry. Good luck."
"Who. do. you.
know."
"Sorry. Really. Tell you what, try getting a copy of
the
Hollywood Creative Directory, and just go through it, and find every
producer, who has ever done
anything for Universal, and approach every one
of them, okay, how's that?"
How is that. Sure. Approach every single
producer. Cold calls. I don't think so.
But: you never now, I just may
be going through that book and making those calls, so maybe it'll prove
good advice in yet another twist of this long drama,
who
knows?
Next: Lawrence Kasdan. Who also says no. But it's a good
story! (Hopefully my life won't entirely be a continuous series of these
inconclusive vignettes..."but it's material, baby!" and "but it's a
good
story!" and " but it's experience to draw from!" and a whole host of other
reasonings from people trying to help you feel better about your mission
in
life...)
cheers--Hilary
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