Hi Everyone,
I had a pitch session with a producer this morning. I have been looking forward to this more than anything! I practised my pitch so much I thought I would nail it.
However, The meeting was 11.50am 3rd Nov LA time... I'm in Brisbane, Australia. So on what I thought was the 3rd Nov (Brisbane time), I set my alarm for 3am, caffeinated up only for no call to come through.
Turns out I was up at the right time - but the 3rd Nov is the 2nd Nov for LA.
Well. I did get the call but it was 4th Nov for me (LA was still the 3rd Nov) - I didn't realise there was a day difference and so I took the call fresh out of bed and gave it my best but now I feel I left a bad impression. Like I wasn't prepared because I got the time wrong.
My script reached quarter finals in a screenwriting comp so I feel it's got legs but because my pitch didn't go quite the way I hoped is it all over for me?
Any advice is greatly appreciated and any feedback I am grateful for.
Cheers, Lauren
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Not a bad pitch, just a time difference and little mistake. So, I wouldn't stress about it. Just email them and ask to do it again, but at a time that's more convenient for both of you.
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That's a good idea - I wasn't sure if I was allowed to ask that. Thank you and wish me luck!
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I'm sorry to hear about your mix up with the time difference. I agree with Stephen that you might want to send an email explaining what happened.
Either way I've learned from experience you can never tell what the result is going to be. Like you I've had pitch sessions that I was kicking myself over that ended up getting a request. At the same time I've finished a session patting myself on the back thinking they loved it only to get a pass.
Don't beat yourself up over it. Take a deep breath and get yourself ready for the next time.
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no i think your ok !! at the end of the day you got it mixed up ... just go from here and make sure the good work is there (:
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My advice in general is to do more than one pitch session for any project. Never leave your heart hanging in the hands of one person in this game. Even if a producer loves your idea, there may be other reasons they can't take it on, something too similar on their slate already, for example. A slightly less than perfect delivery may have an impact, but then again it may not. Impossible to know. So spread your bets a little.
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I’ve never had a pitch before. hope to have one day. congratulations
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just take their feedback and use it as a learning experience to get better
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Lauren Hackney just remember, most of these producers are not out to help you succeed anyway. So, don't ever feel like it's game over.
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What he said.
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What did they say to you afterward?
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Nah you're over thinking darl, ask for a retake if possible, and a more okay time, btw ☺️
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Thank you everyone for making me feel like it's not all over! It's like any game right? Once you know the rules you can play it better and I feel I'm learning them bit by bit. Thanks everyone!!
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Lauren Hackney OMG, time zones are hell. It's the bane of my existence. I'm on MST and nearly everything is on EST here but if I'm Zooming or hosting a show with someone in UK, Germany, Middle East... it almost feels like a crapshoot that one of us will get it right. If I get it right, then the other person gets it wrong and never the twain shall meet. So, I feel you. Don't ever let one experience ruin your psyche. Stuff happens, and like Stephen Folker says, it's never game over. Be you and carry on. You got this. But know that time zones are hell. (smiley face)
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I feel for you.
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Hi Lauren Hackney - if it makes you feel any better, years ago I boarded a plane from Melbourne to L.A. for a writer's conference - with a sniffly nose. Having gone out to dinner the night before with our table right next the big air conditioner. Ughh. I sat through several conferences with a tissue clamped to my dripping nose, but when it came to the pitch meetings, I sounded like a fog horn. I apologised to the poor guy listening to my pitch. He waved it off with good humour. I hope he didn't catch my cold a day later. There'll always be more pitches and new faces to meet. I laugh about it now :)
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You would be surprised at what some producers consider a successful pitch, even under unusual circumstances. I have known writers who have received requests from a pitch while a dog was barking, working on a car covered in grease, in a supermarket parking lot, and even in their bathroom! It's about the content, the connection and the curve (twist)! The three C's! If you are a member of the writer's room, feel free to join us in the pitch practice tank every Thursday @5:30 pm PT/8:30 pm ET (adjusting time zones accordingly) which I co-host. It's a safe, supportive and honest space to practice your pitch.
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We went off PDT and went back to PST on Sunday, November 3. I think you can be forgiven for your confusion.
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What makes you think it went poorly? Just curious.
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I think it went poorly because I got the time wrong and felt I wasn't giving the best impression. For me it was 4am and I wasn't expecting the call... I appreciate your thoughts on first impressions:)
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Lauren Hackney Don't judge yourself; you did the best! Accept that experience with love, embrace it, and soon it will be a funny memory. Believe me, I know how emotions works :) I am ahead 8hours from LA and sometimes I make confusion. You did well; trust in yourself.