I headed south to Universal City two weeks ago and met other authors
who harbor that dream of seeing their novel on the big screen, or at the very
least on T.V. or Netflix.
Sisters in Crime-National
put on an exciting conference that drew people from around the country to pitch
to Hollywood. Across from Universal Studios we honed and practiced our pitches ad nauseam in the hotel where the event
was housed. The intense conference started on Friday, so we drove up on
Thursday, settled in and had a few cocktails to psyche ourselves up.
And then Friday came and things got serious real quick. After the nice
breakfast compliments of Sisters we
listened to an hour of pitching advice before we were grouped into about 7 or 8
people. We began honing our pitches with
an industry veteran who mentored us.
In the pitch-practice group, our mentor asked questions about our
stories, pulling out pertinent information to target more succinctly what the
film producer, agent, etc. needs, which (Takeaway
#1) is not the same as what a book publisher is looking for.
We worked to condense our story into two sentences; boiling it down to
its essence; a visual snap shot—the log line. Yeah, right? Your whole
story that has taken you a year to write smashed into two sentences? But we did
it—because that will hook your listener (insert agent, producer) to want to
know more (Takeaway #2).
After lunch we met the buyers for film and television through a panel
of those movers and shakers giving us their backgrounds, what they do and what
they are looking for. Their backgrounds were amazing, intimidating and awesome.
I listened intently to the president and producer of the film company I would
be pitching to.
In the afternoon we re-grouped and were taken to wait outside the room
in which we would individually pitch for five minutes. Everyone’s nerves were
on edge—there was nail biting, pacing, nervous chatter until our time came. Even
the pros who’d had multiple books and series were nervous—no one escaped the
anxiety.
And then it was my turn. And the producer /president of the film
company I pitched
Dance
the Dream Awake to was wonderfully calming and engaging. I was
instantly at ease, chatting a bit before I gave my pitch. And she wanted to
read my book! WOOT! Of course that’s only the first step in a series of many steps
that are yet ahead, if I am so fortunate to go all the way. The reward for
braving the pitch was a cookie and a free drink at the bar.
The next day we could all relax and listen to information from more
industry experts and gatekeepers; the film and television writers who talked
about the developmental process, and the story analysts, producers and
developmental executives explain their role in the process and what they look
for when they evaluate books—the process of getting a film made from our
stories, entails sooo many people.
(Takeaway #3) It became clear why it
takes so long and why it’s often derailed.
If someone wants to put your book to film, you will have to let go of
any expectations as to what the final product will look like. You will no
longer have any say unless your name is Diana Gabaldon. This panel’s unanimous
advice: LET GO of your own expectations,
take the check and cash it because
from that point on it’s out of your hands—if you are so fortunate to sell to
Hollywood.
Author Bio:
Cora J. Ramos writes short stories and novels
of mystery and suspense.
Her first
novel,
DANCE
THE DREAM AWAKE is a paranormal romantic suspense, set in present day,
but with a past life set in the ancient Mayan history of the Yucatan, Mexico.
Her second
novel, HAIKU DANCE, is a historical romantic thriller set in 980 A.D. in one of
Japan’s unique times—the Heian era. To be published April 16, 2016, by
Black
Opal Books and available at all ebook outlets.
