Prepping to Pitch

So first the Siege news.

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Now on to the news on Charlie and my latest earth-in-the-balance/paper cut/sorority car wash period drama. I was going to write the end. All of Act III. Charlie had gotten us to the end of Act II in style, and I was ready to turn on the power and have my way with the keyboard.

I got maybe half way and gave it back to Charlie to finish.

Am I a wimp? Don't answer that. Truth is, it took a long time, and I started to feel bad about hoarding all the glory to myself. Charlie has some great ideas for Act III, and so he can bring us home. We know what we're doing in Act III, we outlined it together a while ago. It was Act II that needed some lovin'. Act III is pretty much written in our heads, we just need to pound the computer and make the magic.

So that's that. Now me.

I'm heading to LA next week. I have meetings with people. People who can give me money to write. This is very exciting, but it means I have to get ready to do something I've never really done before.

Pitch.

I have a number of projects and pitches that My Manager and My Agent like, both for TV and film (I'm meeting with both kinds). I just whipped up another batch of steaming hot ideas and sent them to the forces that be for their assessment. They may or may not get added to the list of things to pull out of my ass when I'm in those small offices trying to keep the attention of a very bored minor-level exec who's wondering how soon he can cut me off and go on a Starbucks run.

See, I've never pitched before. I don't know what to expect. Anyone out there done their share of pitching and have any advice? Because you know that advice from the Internet is gold.

My Agent told me "Dave, these people will have read your script a couple of months ago, so you may have to remind them who you are. And it'll be a pretty cold room, in general, so be ready for that."

So I said "What, like bring a jacket?"

And My Agent said "No, like they don't care who you are and will forget your name the moment you walk out the door, if not sooner. You're gonna do great!"

So I'm getting ready. Going over my ideas. Going over my 5-minute pitches. Going over my 30-second pitches. Going over my 5-second pitches. "It's Curious George meets Solaris, but with tennis players!"

Wish me luck.