OK, let's put the "seven degrees of separation" theory to work.
Mr Ackles has said that (one of) his dream(s) is to produce a Supernatural spin-off (https://www.looper.com/284926/the-ending-of-supernatural-explained/): "During his panel, Ackles revealed that a Supernatural spinoff would be his dream project to produce during his WB deal."
So, I've got a spin-off spec pilot for Supernatural that I wrote in 2018, and I'm trying to pitch it to Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) and his manager at Management 360, Lainie Sorkin Becky.
I snail-mailed Mr Ackles a pitch document at his restaurant, Family Business Brewing Co, and I've emailed the pitch document to Ms Becky. I've followed up by email twice and left three vmails, and have yet to receive a reply from Mr Ackles or Ms Becky.
All that to ask this:
Is there somebody in my group of Stage 32 friends who knows Lainie Sorkin Becky at Management 360?
-or-
Is there somebody in my group of Stage 32 friends who knows somebody who knows Lainie Sorkin Becky at Management 360?
-or-
I'm sure that y'all knows what comes next given I started this with "OK, let's put the 'seven degrees of separation' theory to work." :-)
If such a person exists, and would be willing to contact Ms Becky and ask her to reply to my numerous attempts to contact her, I'd really appreciate it! I might even give such a person a dollar. :-)
Have a care,
P James Norris
Is there really no one out here in Stage 32 who knows someone who knows someone who ... knows Lainie Sorkin Becky at Management 360?
Has it ever occurred to you that Ms. Becky may not want to speak with you?
Is your question an example of your "My personal goal is to promote and offer guidance to folk interested in the the [sic] filmmaking industry however I can."?
Absolutely, though I don't think she doesn't want to talk with me personally. I think she's probably very busy and doesn't have time to deal with someone with no recommendations. I posted here hoping to find someone who might know her who would be willing to recommend me after this someone and I got know each other.
Yes it is. I know/knew many folks in the industry and it's taken several decades to establish that knowledge base. I don't know you from a fence post so on what basis could I recommend you to anyone that I have a working relationship with? The best way I can help you is to encourage you to spent the time establishing your own database. It will mean far more to you.
Establishing a database is what I'm trying to do.
As for not knowing me from a fence post--https://www.stage32.com/jnorris
Impressive, but it tells me nothing about you as a person. Things like are you a passionate, dedicated kind of guy. Are you a PITA, an ego maniac - I don't know so how can I comment? You want your own database - get out there and rub shoulders with people in the industry. No matter what you hear, this is a small/tight knit industry - you won't break in over the internet no matter what you hear. Start small, start local, attend every festival, workshop, writer' retreat and seminar you can. Get your butt on a set - any set, big or small. Know that it takes time, lots of time. Go for it (or don't).
I had to google the acronym "PITA"--since no one's ever referred to me that way before, I'm gonna go with, "No, I guess I'm not a PITA.", even though I know there are several people who think I'm a pain in the ass. :-). Though I am a cocky bastard, I most certainly am not an egomaniac--I know how to act on and look for notes everywhere I can find them.
That leaves "passionate" and "dedicated". I'm not sure how I could convince you I'm passionate if the fact that I've written three teleplays in the last couple of years and that they've done well in competitions doesn't do so. As for dedication, I've worked VERY hard to master the craft, having taught myself initially by reading ST:TNG scripts that I bought at conventions--all of my ST:TNG spec scripts were written in production format because that was the format of the scripts I bought at conventions and I didn't know any better. :-) And I wrote and submitted four of the damn things in something like 4 years while a full-time EE student at CU Boulder.
I'm not sure what you mean by "start small", but that means that starting local--I live in Chubbuck Idaho--ain't gonna work. I've taken dozens (no exaggeration) of Stage 32 courses (that's your workshop and seminar), and I'm attending a writers retreat with Max Timm (Stage 32's Director of Education) in Sep 2021. I got my butt on the set of ST:TNG four four days after my agent fumbled my first ST:TNG spec, the story of which might or might not impress you. If you want, I'll tell you the story.
I don't have "lots of time"--I'm already in my mid-50's and I don't, and will not, live in LA, so maybe, by your reckoning, I'm neither passionate nor dedicated enough.
What I do know is that I know how to tell a story, how to create engaging characters, and how to write a decent, if not pretty darn good, teleplay. You can read my first ST:TNG spec at my homepage, https://www.ocetacea.net/pjamesnorris/, middle column, last entry, or at https://www.stage32.com/profile/398317/Screenplay/Star-Trek-The-Next-Gen... about which I was VERY passionate at the time. Hence the story of how got on the ST:TNG set for four days.
James - it's a long, slow eyeball to eyeball process, you got to belly up to the bar and get out on the dance floor. I just don't know any other way. I remain skeptical of all the social media stuff. (CU at Boulder was my school.)
What did you study at CU Boulder?
Business/marketing at CU, earlier AME at U of AZ.