It's an interesting aspect of the industry: so many writers paying to pitch producers and production companies... I do understand why that is, but I look forward to the Twilightish Zone Day when producers pay writers to pitch them.
Actually - hey, manifesting one's own reality, and all: I will now pitch to any production company here for a $5 fee!
Producers with $100K or more of ready-to-go financing and an interest in "Elevated Sci-Fi" I will give a $1 discount - because I am generous like that.
Thank you.
Producers/Corporations pay successful writers before they do any work. Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Greg Berlanti all have 9-figure deals just to come up ideas. Probably hundreds of writers every year sell a pitch/concept before they start writing.
The reality Is legit Producers and Corporations pay talent with track records.
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Hi Dan! I do know there are some big people with development deals.... but I'm not aware they ever paid on an individual pitch-meeting basis. I've actually had quite a few pitches optioned, but no one paid me just to pitch them though (that's the idea that was tickling my funny bone when I posted).
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Ralph Soll from my LA experiences, producers pay for dinners to meet potential collaborators like writers or actors. Dinner & booze can cost in the thousands
Damn... Nick Assunto - Stage32 Script Services you are putting me to shame! I'm just an expensive date because I won't have any cut of beef that isn't filet mignon LOL! Maybe I'm just a moderate date to a producer gasp!
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I'm with you, Ralph Soll !!!
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Thanks, John Ellis! We can start a package deal... what should we charge companies to have both of us pitch? I think somewhere between $1 and $1M sounds good....
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I think we should take a page from Miles Finch's book - money upfront in a plain white envelope.
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In unmarked small denomination bills.
Attend a student film festival, say at USC, NYU, AFI campuses. There are agents & producers scouting for the next Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Coogler, Ari Aster.
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Dan - back in the day, I was one of those "scouted" people. Won a bunch of NYU awards, and Warner Bros flew me out to Hollywood - but there was a big strike just before... and I was shoved onto a TV movie to observe. The attitude of the very busy crew was largely between "What are we supposed to do with this guy?" and "Sure we could use more PAs!" That's just the way that cookie crumbled.. but I think my days of attending a student film festival as a student are far behind me. Now I just have to hope they scout festivals for talented teachers? :)