Screenwriting : Unconventional ideas to get a TV Pilot script read by Jonah Tobias

Jonah Tobias

Unconventional ideas to get a TV Pilot script read

Hey all- I just signed up to this website so I'm pretty ignorant.

I've got a kind of strange back story and a unique kind of TV series pilot (animated) and bible- and I'm wondering if I might be able to use that to explore some unconventional avenues for getting it seen?

1- I'm a professional musician who plays my own version of the west african harp (kora) here in New Orleans. As such I don't really have many ins with the industry so I was thinking about getting creative to find my script ("How to Start a Revolution in 30 Days") some attention- real creative...

Like what if I were to just drive outside the the gate of say, Spike Jonze, and set up my music and just play there (not too loud) with a sign that says his name on it. lol. Its not like a guitar or something- its big and strange looking and the instrument has a beautiful sound and most people are pretty intrigued by it. Would I just be being an asshole or do you think that sort of unconventional idea might work. Or are there other opportunities that a musician might be able to leverage?

www.bukubroux.com (my band)

2. This second one also makes me sound a little crazy. My series is philosophical- like Hegel and Nietzsche type of philosophical- and there's new ideas in there that form a different system of thought and I partly wrote this series because I don't believe there's really any good avenues for a straight up "Philosopher"- (rather than academic)- to ply his trade.... yadayadayada. But my question is- are there different opportunities that might be open due to its aspect as philosophical? Are there any contests or groups or meet-ups where the tv/movie world and philosophical world may meet? Thank you ya'll! Much appreciated!

Brian Shell

I dunno Bill... like Rock Star 1 told Rock Star 2 while in jail together, "Well, that was fun"

Jonah Tobias

Hey Bill- Well I guess I would say I appreciate you taking the time to think about this- but I'm not really enjoying you imagining my instrument getting destroyed and me imprisoned over and over again in your post. Its unnecessary. Just saying. I busk for a living and I've done it in L.A. as well so I'm well aware of what's legal and what's not.

I submitted my pilot to Stage32- 2 producers. I think its a great service here. I'm absolutely grateful it exists.

All the show's you mention, with maybe the exception of the good place are philosophical- but not in the sense I mean. What I'm doing is different and everyone who's looked at it sees that right away. That doesn't mean its got a good chance of getting made of course- just that it's an obviously different beast. Socrates and Nietzsche and Hegel and Foucault are characters in my series so if there's a bunch of tv series like that on the air than your comments are spot on- otherwise they're just unnecessarily condescending.

Well either way- if I want to meet Spike or Charlie Kauffman or someone specific-- like you said yourself- just submitting to their agent probably won't get my work read. So we're back where I started.

I dunno. I asked for feedback. I guess I'm getting it.

Dan MaxXx

Desperation is unattractive. You're a pro musician. How would you like it if you're performing and a stranger from the audience jumps on stage and sings with you.

Wanna meet Spike Jonze? Hire him. He directs music videos. Impress him with your music.

Jonah Tobias

The right analogy is- "what if a girl who had never performed before stood outside the club on the sidewalk singing, hoping to get noticed?" If I liked her singing- I would be impressed. Or even more accurate- "what if she showed up dressed in clothes she had designed herself and they were beautiful and fascinating- and then she asked if she could get up on stage and sing with the band?" I might be impressed enough by her substance in one category to give her the benefit of the doubt I wouldn't normally give others. Also- your profile picture is an actual example of trolling- so just saying lol.

Jonah Tobias

lol too funny

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