The windup, and the pitch...
Pitching ideas. I've been doing quite a bit of that lately, some concepts being well-received, some... not so much (and deservedly so). But what's weird is how vastly different the requirements are for sending someone an idea that you want to publish, have filmed, etc.
The classic tale usually involves a writer who spent hard hours toiling away on an idea, writing up a script and maybe even having taken a stab at producing it on his/her own. It's sent to Hollywood, the underdog writer is hailed as a genius, followed soon by fame and glory. Or, if it's a comedy, the writer has to "sell out," having the original concept of the work distorted into something unrecognizable. The film usually then takes an unrealistic (at least fiscally) turn where said writer turns down the studio's money and impresses some hottie working there that s/he is an uncompromising artist, and the couple skip off into the sunset, most likely to make a low-budget version of the writer's "original vision." This is, most of the time, baloney, as most writers don't have the financial luxury to walk away from things like that. This isn't to say it doesn't happen, but let's get the Disney version out of the way.
From what I've experienced, your idea needs three things:
1. The "high concept." This is usually a three to five sentence paragraph that describes the story you want to sell, in a nutshell. Sometimes, this is the hardest thing to do, since if you're a lover of detail (like me), you've got a bunch of things about the setting from why the hero's name shapes his fate to the history of the metal that became his Blade of Destiny(tm). When I have a tough time with this, I think of glib summaries of popular films. For example, "Star Wars" can be "Hero discovers he has a mystic power and saves the galaxy." For now, you leave out details of "The Force" and the fact that the hero kisses his sister.
2. The outline version. So you've got their interest. Now they want to see a 3-act breakdown or maybe a 3 to 6 issue comic book arc. They could also ask for some quick character descriptions. Again, less detail is often better, as you don't want them to get bogged down, bored, or confused. Plus, a lot of producers/editors don't have a ton of time to read through everything they get. So, again, using "Star Wars" as a go-by, this is where Act I would just have a few sentences about Leia, the plans, the droids, Obi-Wan, Han Solo, and their escape from the Stormtroopers, and who shoots who first.
3. The dumptruck of developed material. This is the script, pretty much (in my own case, my finished issues of ps238 or Nodwick), or whatever else you've done to flesh out your concept. You've either interested them enough to actually read something that doesn't fit well in a mere e-mail, or they've let their magazine subscriptions lapse. Either way, it's usually a good sign (though not a definite one) that you've got someone's attention. :)
But the odd thing is that some of the approaches have requested #3 right off the bat (with comics, I guess that's not so strange), and yet with others, I start with #1 and #2 without really having a #3 yet (which is hard for me, in that I do so like to change things as I go. Grin). But in any case, I can toss out a few things that might make your stuff stand out:
- Make it easy to read. Simple sentences are good.
- If you're doing something in the #2 range, being able to put text into an attractive layout is a plus. Also, PDF files can be your friend, as just about anyone can open them and you can add graphical touches that almost make it look like some studio/publisher has already gotten a hold of the idea. I use Adobe Acrobat Pro, but I think there are open-source or free alternatives out there (basically, it adds the PDF maker as a printer. You just "print" the PDF to a file you can e-mail).
- Use a spellchecker. I was sent some sample submissions from several sources, and it was amazing how many little red squiggles my word processor generated when I opened them up.
The other thing that springs to mind is not being afraid of having to change stuff. Nowadays, if I'm cobbling together a concept that is strictly for "the pitch," I've often got a number of angles on it, depending on what my target might say they want. Being able to re-tool a tale as an action adventure, a love story, or even a comedy can be the difference between a sale and a rejection. Even though we've seen a lot of interpretations that haven't thrilled us, being prepared for when the producer wants (language and adult concept warning: It's Kevin Smith, after all) a giant spider in the third act could make even the most off-the-wall request workable.
Reading Brian Michael Bendis' Fortune & Glory is also helpful, if you hope to someday take your comic/idea to Hollywood. The bit that advises us to keep working is quite wise, even if we get "the call." Chances are, even if it DOES lead to a movie being made, it's a LOOOOOONG way off. I'm heeding that advice, needless to say. :)
Which means there's no ps238 movie yet, but we've got people pestering other people about it. And other stuff, too. It's all part of my master plan to daydream for a living and wear out keyboards. And lest anyone out there think I'm presenting myself as an expert armed with stone tablets, I'd like to paraphrase David Letterman who once said something along the lines of "God forbid anyone should ever listen to me and learn something."
Enough edutainment. Let's look at fun stuff:
- Being related to two math profs, I just have to post this very elegant solution.
- Stephen Fry recently held a Twitter contest involving the letter "L" and has chosen the winners.
- Similarly, this site is soliciting humorous video game plots that have been reversed. No prizes beyond showing off your funny bone's gaming abilities, but reading the samples and contributions should make up for it.
- Alert reader Jan sends this optical illusion primer, making me think a motorized display for a convention or other signage might be kind of neat to try...
- This game is a little on the twisted and gory side, but Bunny Invasion 2 is an upgradable shoot-'em-up that's pretty fun. If you watch the intro, you'll hear the news theme sounds remarkably similar to the "City of Heroes" theme, and the bunnies kind of remind me of the (might be disturbing for younger psyches) suicide bunnies comics.
- The maker of the popular "Fancy Pants Adventure" flash games lent his skills to this 2D version of the Mirror's Edge video game. Running, jumping, flipping, and lots of really white buildings.
- A small and cool superhero movie note: Sam Jackson will be appearing as Nick Fury in nine, count 'em nine Marvel films.
- "Back to the Future" had an alternate ending that didn't go quite so well as the original.
- A shameless plug for the great Cheyenne Wright who is up for two "Horrible" awards from the Dr. Horrible fan art community. Does this make me a minion?
- Another cosplay or general costume idea: put a gaping hole in yourself. Some assembly required.
- There are crossovers that I'd only thought would exist in fanfic, but they're making vinyl statues out of them.
- Finally, for the fans of classic and slow-build comedy, is this clip from when The Smothers Brothers performed with the Boston Pops. Tom's duel with the pianist is one of my favorite bits ever.