Marketing Meeting Number One--On Shoulders of Giants

A wiser person than me once noted:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

I felt like a Lilliputian among giants last night, as the first official meeting of the Back to Normal Marketing Team met in Cape Girardeau, Missouri from 6:30-9:30pm.

In attendance were published authors, businessmen, web experts, educators, a filmmaker, and 47 bus loads of amazing ideas and insight. It wasn't dinner-and-a-movie, oh no, it was a dinner-and-a-MOVE-ME. I left last night's assemblage thoroughly encouraged, incredibly blessed, and humbled to be friends with people who are willing to actually invest in me and my dreams.

Janet Cannon led the charge, as she and Alison Niermann had just returned from the front lines of the Missouri Writer's Guild Conference a few days ago. One of the keynote's there had emphasized the need for "PLATFORM" in the modern world of book marketing.

Chuck Sambuchino, author of many famous tomes on the process of book authorship, was on the circuit promoting one of latest entries, Create Your Writer Platform. Janet led us into a free-for-all discussion about the necessity of starting your marketing for a book YESTERDAY, and even if you did start YESTERDAY, you're still probably 6-months late.

Just like a house needs a solid foundation to support vertical growth, a book release needs much pre-work to lay a foundation, a platform, involving social media, blogs, vlogs, websites (even multiple), and much more. You must create a BRAND to support vertical growth.

We discussed the various niche audiences/demographics that Back to Normal could appeal to (including conspiracy theorists, sci-fi fans, and (as Alison pointed out) ordinary lovers of human-to-human drama). 

Jeremy J. Ford presented a case for approaching the marketing efforts from a grassroots level, starting more locally, and working our way out and up. He emphasized that budget drives marketing models, and with my self-financed approach, it makes less-dollars-and-cents to build out from the bullseye of Cape Girardeau.  

We continually referenced the strategy of building "1000 True Fans". This model suggests that any artist, author, or entertainer can make a living by cultivating only 1,000 die-hard fans, ravers who will be willing to follow you in all your releases and endeavors.

Jon Fritzler, talked about the unique opportunity to create an EXPERIENCE with Back to Normal, a point echoed by Alison. He offered that this story line really pulls people in, and they are morbidly fascinated by imagining what it would be like to be instantly transported back over 60 years, with no guarantee of ever returning home.

Jon talked about creating ancillary, feeder websites that could attract niche audiences early, and foster strong anticipation for this series. We talked about the innovative approaches of the recent past, such as the fabulously successful Blair Witch project.

Businessman John LaRose literally rose and took the floor. It seemed reminiscent of an E.F. Hutton commercial from the late 70s. Drawing from a rich heritage of a 3-generation family business, and 2 decades of serial-business-addiction, John made a convincing case for the Top-Down approach. John advocated for going after people we know that know other people in positions of power in media (on the regional and national level) to arrange author interviews in major markets.

There were so many ideas discussed and author avenues traversed that it will take some time to process it all. We agreed that the earliest release date for the book should be Fall 2014, and that the team should be divided into 2 primary camps: one dedicated to building the platform, and one focusing on marketing once the book is released.

One of my scientific heroes is Sir Isaac Newton. The brilliant physicist observed:

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

I am already seeing further, and trust me, this Lilliputian knows why.

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A Milestone for the Blog

Someone once asked a multi-millionaire:

"Is it difficult to make a lot of money?"

The rich man answered:

"Only the first million, after that, it's real easy!"

We have reached a significant milestone today. Today is a "red letter" day for this blog.

Just moments ago we reached our:

2000th PAGE VIEW

It took us a couple of months to get here, but now, let's get the word out. The next "million" is a lot easier. Please share this page with your friends, with anyone who is interested in writing---whether writing for books, television, or movies.

Share it with anyone who is interested in the process of creating a TV show/movie, and then the steps involved in getting that creation promoted.

Maybe this blog will inspire someone to take an idea, and "do-sumthin-bout-it."

Maybe this blog will educate someone about the process of writing and show promotion.

Maybe this blog will excite someone about the incredible journey from Idea to Show/Book.

Maybe this blog will expose someone to a whole new world of media and literature.

This blog will be many things to many people.

What is it to you? 

Whatever your answer, I'm thrilled to be a part of that journey.

(Now share this blog with a friend or two)

I will make it easy--copy and paste the link below:
http://screenwriters-journey.blogspot.com/

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 6-Three Act Structure-III

(If you have not read the Act One and Act Two discussion--CLICK HERE)

The ancient Greeks knew that good stories have three distinct phases, known as Acts. Our previous two blog entries examined ACT ONE and ACT TWO. 

Act One: The Setup, The Introduction.

Act Two: The Quest, The Conflict

Enter ACT III. Act Three is known as The Resolution or The Final Battle. 

At the end of Act Two, our Hero is practically demolished, and faces complete ruin. But now, something happens:

    New courage is found         New strength is discovered

                New help and aid arrives 

Like the mythical Phoenix of old, our Hero begins to rise out of the ashes of their own (supposed) defeat.  If you ever want to see a classic Act III, watch every single episode of the 80's hit TV series: MacGyver. "Mac" gets himself into ten kinds of trouble (Act Two) and then, amazingly, "surprisingly", and predictably, he discovers that one perfect concoction, or solution, or combination that enables a "not a second to spare" escape.

This new-found strength, skills, or support enables the Hero to face the Villain a final time, for a final battle that will determine if our Hero GETS or DOESN'T GET their goal.

This leads to the Resolution. Someone once said that good stories/movies follow this plan:

BALANCE  -----> IMBALANCE -----> RETURN TO BALANCE

This follows Three Act Structure perfectly. In the Third Act, our Hero rises from defeat, faces the enemy, and either returns to the balance before the inciting incident, or enters a new balance, a better balance (or, in the case of a European film--a worse balance).

Special Note: The Hero doesn't always WIN in The Final Battle.

Even though the majority of films have a "happy ending," (and by happy ending I mean that the Hero achieves the Goal: the boy gets the girl, the Jedi defeats the Sith, the archaeologist finds the treasure, the team wins the championship) not all Heroes need to "win" the final battle.

But they must still win.

???

Yep. You read that right.

Even when the Hero LOSES, he must still WIN.

Not all victories are the achievement of the "GOAL" laid out during Act One. Oftentimes there are "better" goals that are not always spoken or even known (at least, early on). 

In the football flick, Friday Night Lights, the "hero" team goes to the championship game, and then loses in the breathless final seconds. 

Even Rocky doesn't always win.

But even though the team lost the GAME in Friday Night Lights, they won something far more important. They won a love and respect for each other, and a closeness that could only be forged in the fires of difficulty.

Our Hero may not get "the girl," but finds true love in someone else that had been there the entire time (Snow Day).

The treasure-hunter may not get "the gold," but in the end discovers the priceless value of friendship (City Slickers).

The husband may not get his wife back, but he does forge a better bond with his children (Mrs. Doubtfire).

Act Three is all about Resolution.

Resolving the conflict

Resolving the mystery
Resolving the broken relationships

Act Three is the final hill and wild ride of the movie roller coaster. It gives us our greatest thrill, and then kindly and gently, returns us to the station for departure. In the end, if we as writers and filmmakers have "done our job," then the viewer will leave the station wide-eyed, and with pleasant memories of the ride. In fact, they won't just have good memories, they will actually tell others to go on the ride as well.

The ups and downs, the twists and turns, the final hill, and the slowdown into the station--writing structure is just like a roller coaster.

Now, keep your hands inside the coaster at all times, and hang on.

It's gonna be a WILD RIDE.

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO ACT ONE

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 5-Three Act Structure-II

In our previous encounter, we looked at a basic overview of the secret movie formula, talked about Three Act Structure, and then investigated Act One.

Act One was The Introduction, The Setup, the orientation of the viewer to the Hero, the Setting, and the Story.

But...it is time to move on, to Act Two.

ACT II: also known as the The Quest or The Journey or The Conflict/The Confrontation. Act Two is the meat of the story, it's the exciting and action-filled portion of your tale. Act Two is consumed with a series of obstacles that your protagonist must overcome in order to reach his/her/their goal. The challenges start out easier, and get progressively harder and more difficult. 

The Hero may have occasional setbacks, small "reversals" that seem to erode some his/her gains, but steady progress is usually made. In some films, especially in the comedy genre, the Hero's fortunes can actually go steadily DOWNHILL, getting worse, and yet even worse. 

In the Christmas disaster movie Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a father who is desperately seeking to find the perfect toy for his son. It should be a simple quest to purchase a "Turbo-Man Action Figure", but hilarity feeds upon tragedy as his attempts are thwarted at every turn (with the help of Sinbad).

Act Two is all about CONFLICT. 

Darth Vader may have said to Luke:

"There is no conflict."
But George Lucas and every director and writer in history knows that there MUST BE conflict. 

Now, just as Act One has an important plot point (The Inciting Incident), Act Two (usually) has an important plot point called: 
All is Lost.

All throughout Act Two our protagonist(s) have been facing obstacles, and overcoming them...but then (music please--dum dum dummmmmmmm) ALL IS LOST.  

Our Hero faces an obstacle so great, so terrible, so tragic...that it appears that they will LOSE (more music---bom bom bommmmmmm).

All hope is lost.
   All strength is lost.
      Our Hero seems lost.
         By the end of Act Two, our Hero's plans are trampled in the dust. 

What is the secret to a great Act Two? No secret really, just a simple plan:

Ever-Increasing Obstacles. Ensure that the Hero faces a steady uphill battle. Easy at first, but, at the end...well, (almost) IMPOSSIBLE.

One final thing, Act Two is also about GROWTH. The Hero, or Team, needs to mature, to gain skills, to grow. By the end of Act Two there should be a change in our Hero(es). It could be humility (Thor), strength (Rocky), or the bonds of friendship (Lord of the Rings), but the Hero needs to grow.

Stale characters are rather...stale. Don't let them be.

In our next episode, we tackle ACT III-The Resolution.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE NEXT INSTALLMENT.

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 4-Three Act Structure-I

It has been a few episodes since we talked about the secret formula, so let's review the mandatory mysterious magical movie math.

(I got an awesome Alliteration Award at an assembly awhile ago---oops, there I go again).

H + E - V x (O1 + O2 + O3) - SB + RB x FB = M

For those of us who are "abbreviation challenged," let me expand a bit:

Hero + Event - Villain x (Obstacle1+Obstacle2+Obstacle3) - Setback + Rebirth x Final Battle = Movie

A MOVIE is about a Hero (H), who has an Event (E) happen that causes a whole new direction in their life. The Hero then has to face some type of Villain (V) to navigate a series of ever-increasing Obstacles (O) in order to reach a goal. But just as they are about to get to the goal, they experience a huge Setback (SB). Shortly after the Hero has the appearance of total defeat, something happens leading them to a Rebirth (R) of strength, or of will, or of purpose. They then go on to face their Final Battle (FB) in order to achieve the goal.

Actually, the real math you need to worry about is just the NUMBER III (that's 3 in Roman numerals). 

Since the rise of the Greek empire, story tellers have discovered that the best tales are divided into three distinct parts or phases or ACTS. They realized that 99% of stories follow a simple progression of similar events, and this basic flow was called:

THREE ACT STRUCTURE

Let's examine these three amazing, action-packed, awe-inspiring Acts (more alliteration, sorry):

ACT I

ACT II

ACT III

ACT I: also known as the Setup or The Introduction.
Act One orients the viewer or reader to the basics of the story, including:

- Who is the main character(s)?
- Where is this story going to occur?
- When is the story?
- (often) Who is the villain?
- What is the nature of "the quest"?
- (Ultimately) What is the goal that the protagonist hopes to achieve/win/reach/get?

Act One gets us ready, it's like the athlete stretching, it's like the singer warming up their vocal chords, it's like the oven being pre-heated for the entree---Act One gets us ready for the big event, the big show. If you make Act One too short, or if we skip it altogether, then the audience will be confused, disoriented, and can quickly lose interest.

If we think of a story as being 100%, then Act One usually ranges from about 10% to 25% of the total screen time/pages.

There are TWO BASIC things that Act One MUST convey:
1. Background information (we have already covered that)
2. The Inciting Incident

The Inciting Incident is an event that occurs that either:
FORCES our Hero(es) to go in a whole new direction in life
or an event which gives them the CHOICE to go in a whole new direction.

Think of Star Wars:
Luke's family is killed by the Empire and they are hunting him and the droids. He has a choice to stay on Tatooine, or to join Kenobi to eventually become a Jedi Knight--this was a choice. 

Luke had a choice...albeit, not between two equal ones, but a choice, nonetheless.

But, there are Inciting Incidents that FORCE the protagonist into a completely new quest or direction. Consider the Tom Hanks movie, CastAway.  The FedEx airplane carrying the protagonist crashes into the ocean, and he alone survives and has to eek out a sane existence on this deserted island. He had no choice, survive or die.

In Spider Man, Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, and gains strange new powers. He has a choice: remain a normal, awkward teen, or go out and clean up the world. He (usually) chooses the latter.

Tell me who, what, when, where, and what---and then get the Hero going in a whole new direction---this is the sacred mission of Act One.

On our next installment we will look at ACT II--The Quest.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR NEXT INSTALLMENT

Phone Call With A Hollywood Actor

Moments ago I just hung up from my much anticipated phone call from a Hollywood actor. He has been in such productions as Mission Impossible (with Tom Cruise), LOST, Mad Men, and more.

I was headed into the backyard for a little game of trackball with my son when my phone rang. I looked down at my Note 3 and the screen said "PRIVATE NUMBER."

Thoughts fly through your mind:
Telemarketer?
Pyramid-scheme?
(oh no) IRS???

With trembling hands I answered. There was a positive, pleasant, and Hollywood-polished voice on the other end, from across the continent (I will not reveal his name yet...oh, shucks, I just gave away his gender).

He only had several minutes to talk, he was actually driving to an audition. He talked about my TV show concept. He had carefully read my material, and offered thoughtful questions and challenges to the idea.

It is so refreshing to talk to someone who can cut through details to the heart of the issue. He had concerns about the "day to day" show conflict. A show must have on-going conflict, and conflict at multiple levels. Each character must have a goal, a motivation, some obvious and some hidden objectives. I explained that the over-arching conflict and ultimate motivation of the show is that the group of time jumpers are desperately trying to get home. They also each have various inner motivations for different goals outside of the group's goal.

He was satisfied with my plans, and said that, in his opinion, I had "thought through" the important questions that I would have to withstand in a Hollywood pitch grill session.

He asked me what I wanted him to do, and that he was worried that he would not be able to help much (as he is an actor not a producer). I told him that I would be thankful for 2 things:

(1) Any critique or advice he could give about the show concept or my promotion of it.
(2) Any connections and networking he could provide, especially to Showrunners (TV show producers)

He said that he was friends with several showrunners (a BIG PLUS!) and that over the next few weeks he was meeting with some producers to pitch some show ideas, and that he would consider promoting Back to Normal during those meetings.

I am thrilled! Not only for his connections and willingness, but for his candid advice and his preparation for the call (he did his homework and had questions ready).

It all started with a simple question some months ago. I asked a good friend: "Who do you know in the Hollywood TV / Film business?" She paused, and then said--"I have a high school friend who is an actor, I will ask him if he will talk to you."

She did, and he did, and we did.

And now, you did, too.

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 3- Everybody Loves a Good Bad Guy

Just the sound of their names fill us with awe and fear.

Darth Vader
Voldemort
Freddy Krueger
Cyberdyne Systems T-1000

...uh, Jaws.

Everyone has a fad-buy for the bad guy. Everyone is a-chillin for the villain. (OK, those last 2 lines were a bit forced, I guess I'm a poet--and I don't even.....realize it). It's hard to believe, we are already on our third installment of the basic screenwriting series. I'm sure you have spotted the subject already, yep--it's the stranger in the black hat, the thorn in our hero's side, the evil that lurks in the shadows.

Can I get a good-ole, Screenwriting 101 Blog round of applause for our latest guest:
The Antagonist.

(crickets)

Oh, come on...admit it. We all love a good bad guy. Without this opposing force, without this evil-reality check on the pathway to a happy ending, our stories would be flat, hollow, and predictable. It takes iron to sharpen iron, it takes friction to make heat, and it takes the worst of a powerful foe to bring out the best in our hero.

Try to imagine a football game with only one team. Every play would end up in a score, and every game would finish with a predictable (and unavoidable) conclusion. Such would be the horrible fate of a story without a formidable opponent. The hero must face resistance, and that resistance must be nearly equal to the strength of our protagonist, or better yet, even stronger.

When it comes to opponents, to antagonists, there are basically SIX CATEGORIES:

1. Man vs. Man:
This is, by far, the most common type of bad guy. It can be a serial killer (The Silence of the Lambs), a crazed criminal (Batman: The Dark Knight), an athlete (Rocky), a dark lord of the Sith (don't even say you don't know), a competing love interest for the heart of the damsel (ANY love story).
2. Man vs. Technology (or Machine):
What if our own creations turned against us? Self-aware robots (Terminator), enslaving computers (the Matrix), a rogue top-secret aircraft (Stealth) or a rogue battle computer (Wargames). They are heartless, and that is why they are so good (uh, er...bad).
3. Man vs. Nature:
The world around us, and it's freakishly powerful forces, can make thrilling villains. From rotational wind monsters (Twister), to beautiful but savage islands (CastAway), to planet-destroying rocks (Armageddon/Deep Impact), and wild and savage beasts (Jaws)---Earth can be a dangerous place. (And danger is best served, um, dangerously)

4. Man vs. Himself:
We all have hidden and frightening demons lurking in the shadows of our soul. Weaknesses, vices, and temptations that can ruin us in seconds. These internal monsters make external box-office hits. It could be a green rage machine (Hulk), or a mentally-induced conspiracy (A Beautiful Mind), or hope at the bottom of another bottle (When a Man Loves a Woman). When a hero has to face the dark side of themselves, it is protagonist against protagonist, now that's worth watching (or reading).
5. Man vs. Society:
Peer pressure is strong, but imagine what it would be like to go against all of culture, or the government. Our hero could go against racial stereotypes (Hairspray), or lead the fight against a world-devouring dictator and his fascist regime (Valkyrie), or fight against a culture that denies freedom of expression (Fahrenheit 451).
6. Man vs. Supernatural:
The cinematic world is populated by strange, bizarre, and horrific creatures. From blood-sucking immortals (Twilight), to fallen angels indwelling people (Amityville Horror), and giant monsters (Godzilla), or even Aliens (Alien)--Heroes down through the centuries have battled entities that seem way, way, way, out of their league.

Our Heroes need an opposing force to bring out their best. And sometimes, more than one force. The best scripts and the best movies have multiple antagonists, bad guys both EXTERNAL and INTERNAL. Heroes may be fighting villains with guns on the streets, but they are also resisting dark desires with faltering willpower on the inside.

As we close out our third chat session about screenwriting, I urge you to create good bad guys. Make them real, make them conflicted (just like your Hero), and make them capable, up-to-the-task, and ready to fight...again and again.

Harvey Dent once said:

"You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

(that last quote didn't really sum up the article, but, face it--it is way cool).


Now I propose you write about those who oppose the right.

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK AND START AT PART ONE 

Hoping for a GOOD Friday

Two days from now is "Good Friday." A day set aside to remember the incredible price that Jesus paid on the cross for each of us. To many people, it is just a day off work or a day to be out of school.

But two days from now could also be a good Friday for another reason for my potential TV-series Back to Normal.

I just received an email today from a fairly busy actor in Hollywood, he has been in a few little projects you may have heard of, little productions like Mission Impossible II with Tom Cruise, a little-known ABC series about a group of people whose plane crashes on an island (LOST), Mad Men, Burn Notice, and so forth.

He is a high school friend of one of my friends, and my friend contacted him about my show Back to Normal. The actor told her that it was OK to give me his email. I messaged him yesterday, and today the actor said that he wants to talk on the phone about the show on FRIDAY!

It is amazing how many of my friends that are connected with people in "the business." I've had friends who knew writers, agents, producers, and actors. The beauty of this awesome and frustrating process is that you never know who THAT person knows...and that contact could be "the one."

So, two days from now, if you see me walking around with a Galaxy Note 3 on my ear, and a smile on my face, well...maybe now you know.

(here is the follow-up to this entry: http://screenwriters-journey.blogspot.com/2014/04/phone-call-with-hollywood-actor.html)

A Marketing Committee is Born

I am extremely excited. On Monday, April 21st at 6:30pm I am convening the first official meeting of the Back to Normal book series Marketing Committee. Seven people, from across a wide and varied spectrum of experience have graciously agreed to meet with me at a top secret, undisclosed, hardened-bunker deep beneath the hustle and bustle of Cape Girardeau.

(OK, all of that was accurate with the minor exception of the underground bunker...but, that may come later)

Within this veritable "who's who", we have a successful businessman, a published author, an educator, a Hollywood producer, and so on. I'm sure my shoulders will be glowing after rubbing around with the likes of these.

On the agenda: Beginning to layout a marketing campaign to promote the upcoming book: Back to Normal-Paradigm Rift, the first of a trilogy of books based on my rag-tag group of time travelers mysteriously thrown together in Normal, Illinois. I am planning to self-publish through Amazon Create Space (an amazing business) and in this age of social networking, one-click ordering, eReaders, eBooks, and eCommerce, it is crucial to begin planning well in advance of the book release.

As an example of a glitch that has already surfaced, I was planning to release Paradigm Rift in late August of this year (2014). But one of the most important marketing pieces that must be in place for a stellar rollout of a new novel is the BOOK REVIEW. An author must find several respected book reviewers to read the book and then be willing to do a favorable write up.

What's the problem...what's the glitch? Well, the reviews needs to be in place BEFORE the general public can order the book...both to create anticipatory excitement and to get on the lucrative newsletters and readers-lists that these reviewers put out. But this process can take up to a month.

So, the book must be done (at least in an eReader format) by late July to get it to the reviewers in time. This pushes up my writing schedule by several weeks...ouch.

Oh well, it's not the only obstacle that we will uncover as a marketing team. I'm sure that before all the frenetic activities and frenzied pace of those final weeks roll around, that I myself will be wanting to get BACK TO NORMAL.

A Little Bird Told Me...

I ignored it.
I didn't understand it.
I pretended I didn't like it.
I refused (at every chance) to discuss it.

And then...

...I joined it.

With a great flurry of wing flaps I have officially joined TWITTER.

I have even tweeted (what a verb...kinda like "googled")

Follow me here:
https://twitter.com/randymcwilson

I was going to engage in a bunch of bird puns in celebration of twitter, but I didn't think it would fly.

Please visit twitter and follow me...it will not only boost my ego, it will get you the latest updates on the Back to Normal book and TV series.

Publishing Company Website ONLINE

Looking into the future, one can only hope that there will be interest in further books in the Back to Normal series. With that in mind, I have established a publishing company:

MOVING IMAGES PUBLICATIONS

This will be the publishing banner, under which all books will be released and sold.

I have established a website for MIP, please click HERE to visit.

Also, I have established FACEBOOK pages for the trilogy and for the publishing company:

https://www.facebook.com/backtonormaltrilogy

https://www.facebook.com/movingimagespublications

Please VISIT and LIKE these pages. It will be a great way to stay up-to-the-minute on details regarding Back to Normal.

Assembling a Winning Team

The President of the United States does not have to be the smartest guy/gal in the room. But, he does need to surround himself/herself with the smartest people around.

A winning team is not a single hotshot surrounded by a mediocre morass...no, no. A winning team is a group of highly committed individuals who are each masters of their respective roles.

As I begin planning for the promotion, publication, and marketing of Back to Normal (the book series), I am assembling a team of excellence. One of the most important components of that winning team fell into place today. I contacted the fine web design and web marketing team of element74, launched by Chris Edmonds, a forward-thinking businessman in Cape Girardeau.

Edmonds and his team have agreed to help implement many aspects of the web marketing and social networking strategies for the book series. This is HUGE. Anyone can sit around a round table and brainstorm great ideas all day long...but it takes experience and vision to launch those ideas and then to utilize the tools to harvest and leverage the key data out of those promotional efforts.

That rich ore of mined data then leads to the refinement of current and future marketing efforts. The cycle or process continues until you have tweaked the system to the nth degree, maximizing effort while minimizing investment.

Soon I will be assembling my marketing team (my next step), and then this group will provide a framework of a campaign that element74 will facilitate building, the measuring, then refining.

There certainly is no "I" in TEAM, but there is strength, wisdom, and experience. I'd say that more than makes up for it.

A Significant Nibble on the Show Bait

I am not a fisherman, in spite of the fact that I spent many years on rivers and lakes as a young man. But, one does not need to be an agile angler to know that there are three fundamental rules to successful fishing:

1. Proper LOCATION (go where the fish are)
2. Proper TECHNIQUE (casting, teasing)
3. Proper BAIT (the lure that allures)

When it comes to promoting a new TV show concept (Back to Normal), one must adopt many of the same tricks utilized by the modern (or ancient) outdoorsman. You have to get your info where the fish are (Hollywood), you have to land it in their faces (networking), and finally, you have to lure them with the right bait (trailer, scripts, etc).

The fisherman must be patient (it is probably the fourth fundamental rule). He/she must be able to wait, and watch, and wait, and wait. Almost in a trance, transfixed on the bobber, nearly becoming one with the rod and reel---every nerve fiber attentive to the slightest vibration or irregularity.

This is the dance of the modern TV show writer-producer-wannabee. Send out the queries, the feelers, again and again, and then wait...and wait...and watch the email box, and wait some more.

But today...the bobber flinched, and then it went completely under. I had a bite, and maybe a pretty good one. I received an email from a production company called Little Studio Films. They had responded to one of my query letters about a month ago, and I sent them a link to my trailer back then. I had about given up hope that they would be interested, but patience may be paying off. Here is part of that "bite" on the bait they just sent me:

"Hello Randy
Sorry we have been busy with MIP TV preparation and now Cannes Film Festival coming up.
We shared with our Television Development and Production consultant Lance Robbins and he was intrigued. Please go ahead and send us the the Pilot Script and Bible with the attached Release Form."

This may not seem like a big bite, but considering the fact that they have:

1. Read my Query Letter
2. Asked for and viewed my trailer
3. Read my One-Sheet
4. Requested to read my scripts and to see my Show Bible (industry term)

This could be a huge step forward. They have recently recruited Lance Robbins from SABAN Entertainment, and he is now heading up their NEW television division. His list of television credentials is quite substantial----and I love the fact that they used the phrase "...and he was intrigued." Here is a LINK to his IMDB page.

A fisherman will have to cast dozens, maybe even hundreds of times, just to get one solid bite. It is perseverance and patience that will win at the end of the day. Each of those bites, even if it is the big one that got away, is confirmation that somewhere out there is the one that WON'T get away...the cash carp, the prime-time perch, the winning Walleye.

One thing about fishing...you don't brag until you got 'em into the boat. I'm not there yet, but the bobber's under, the line is whizzing, and the excitement is high. 

Let's hope they're hooked.