I was corresponding with an old filmmaker friend I met back in 2006. He’s been working diligently to get some names attached to his project, one in particular. During a recent exchange when we discussed some small successes he said something like, “You and I know that we cannot get too excited about everything.” His words stuck with me for days after. Finally it hit me. I don’t agree with what he said. In the independent filmmaking world that we have chosen to live in it’s important to be pragmatic and practical. Nothing is ever done until it’s…well, done. We must keep this in mind to maintain our sanity. However, I think it’s important to celebrate the small victories as well as the big ones. The momentum of small success is also important to our sanity. It feeds our dedication, our commitment and perseverance.
There’s still a lot happening in Bellsville. There’s still a bunch of pieces to the puzzles that require assembly. For those who actually give a darn, the paragraphs below outline what’s still happening. Remember that news release I mentioned last week? Well, as it turns out I cannot submit it yet. Actually, let me rephrase that. I won’t submit it yet because previously I was going to make a big announcement. However, now I have TWO big announcements to make. Thus Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are going to have to wait.
Todd, a friend of mine, suggested that I reword my queries to screenwriting agents and include the most recent accomplishment (or lack thereof depending on how you view it). My script, “Legend of Black Lotus” made the top 15% of 6700 screenplays submitted to the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship. That basically means the script came in somewhere around #1010. I included this little boilerplate message in a recent query and got a manager nibble. While the script wasn’t what the gent was looking for, he did ask a me to submit my current loglines. I did. He nibbled again and asked for “Deterrence Theory” my erotic psychological thriller.
Next week is potentially a big week. Thanks to an exclusive invitation through the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), I will be attending the NBC/Universal Development Needs Meeting. In a nutshell, I’ll get a chance to network with and hear the exact television programming needs of the suits from the following networks: NBC, Bravo, Oxygen, Sprout, Style, Mun2,USA, SyFy, G4, E!, Chiller, and Sleuth/Cloo. There’ll be no guesswork involved. Moving forward I’ll know what direction to take with my projects in development. Moreover, in the months following the meeting NBC Universal executives will schedule pitch meetings with qualified producers.
I plan to be busy as hell in these upcoming months. Count on it.
