Looking Back In Retrospect. . .

Sorry, that's not much help.

-Derek

Just so you know, if they call you by surprise you're probably going to botch it.

The first time I got called by a producer I wasn't expecting the call, I had just submitted my query to them and out of the blue a phone call.

"Hi, is Sara Price there?"

"This is she."

"This is so-and-so from such-and-such production company, and we really liked your query letter."

At this time I'm trying to figure out which query I sent to them and why the heck they're calling me and what the heck I'm going to say. "Okay."

"Uh, well we'd like you to send the full script, we have a reader review it and submit coverage to us, then we'll contact you, this will take a little over a month."

"Okay."

"...Send it to this address and we'll get back with you."

"Uhuh...I submitted X didn't I?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Okay."

"...Have a nice day."

*click*

I had the whole deer in the headlights thing going on and felt like a total idiot during and after. I did submit it to them but I never did hear back, they probably thought I was a total idiot. Sheesh. So if you can do better than my first phone call, you'll start off a whole lot better than I did.

I don't know how many query letters you've got circulating at the same time, but I am sure that now you've got the system down pat. Perhaps something like an excel sheet, indicating what has been sent to whom, and when? Perhaps a copy in your computer for when it is turned on, and another printed out and taped to the wall in office and/or near phone?
We've all been caught off guard at least once.

icerose said:

Just so you know, if they call you by surprise you're probably going to botch it.

The first time I got called by a producer I wasn't expecting the call, I had just submitted my query to them and out of the blue a phone call.

"Hi, is Sara Price there?"

"This is she."

"This is so-and-so from such-and-such production company, and we really liked your query letter."

At this time I'm trying to figure out which query I sent to them and why the heck they're calling me and what the heck I'm going to say. "Okay."

"Uh, well we'd like you to send the full script, we have a reader review it and submit coverage to us, then we'll contact you, this will take a little over a month."

"Okay."

"...Send it to this address and we'll get back with you."

"Uhuh...I submitted X didn't I?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Okay."

"...Have a nice day."

*click*

I had the whole deer in the headlights thing going on and felt like a total idiot during and after. I did submit it to them but I never did hear back, they probably thought I was a total idiot. Sheesh. So if you can do better than my first phone call, you'll start off a whole lot better than I did.

Click to expand...

Let me give you a little advise if you're caught in this situation again.

I'm going to presume -- or at least hope, that you'd kept a copy of the letter you sent, or wrote down *somewhere* which script you'd sent these guys, so you didn't actually need them to tell you which script you had to send them.

If not -- holy cow.

What you probably should have done is ask her to whose attention you should have directed the script. If she gave you a man's name (presumably her boss) then you would ask her name -- because you want to be polite. If she gives you a woman's name -- then ask if that's her.

Same deal. You want to know who you're talking to.

And then, once you know who you're talking to and if, by that time, neither the company name, nor the contact name, nor anything else has jogged your memory (and if you actually didn't have the name written down anywhere) -- then you have to say, "Right, 'So-and-so' - now, I'm sure I've got this in my files but just to be sure, because I've querying on several different projects, we're talking about "XYZ" am I right?"

"Right."

"Okay, I'll get it right out to you."

That way, you don't sound like an idiot, you sound like somebody whose got a lot of stuff going on -- you're sending out a lot of queries on a lot of projects, just the way they're looking at a lot of of scripts, and having her tell you is just making things a little more efficient.

NMS

ATP said:

I don't know how many query letters you've got circulating at the same time, but I am sure that now you've got the system down pat. Perhaps something like an excel sheet, indicating what has been sent to whom, and when? Perhaps a copy in your computer for when it is turned on, and another printed out and taped to the wall in office and/or near phone?
We've all been caught off guard at least once.

Click to expand...

No, actually I'm pretty sloppy with my query letters. I don't log who I send what to. I just keep the e-mails. I know this is the wrong way to do it and I should have a system. I tried it once, the problem was I was focused more on how much time they were taking and agonizing over it, that I had to give it up because I wasn't writing. So I wing it. At that particular moment, I'd sent out 5 queries for 5 different scripts and I couldn't remember which one I had sent to this company because I wasn't near my computer to open up the e-mail.

My "Off Guard" call.

I'm taking a nap. The phone rings. Its an actor friend of mine in L.A.

"Hey Richard, is XXX script still available?"

"uH....... wait, is this Bob?"

"Yeah, - I'm here with SoAndSo... he's a producer. Tell him about it..."

I am bolt upright on my feet - trying to sort through whether or not I should 'get back to him later', and simultaneously trying to remember my one minute pitch I hadn't practiced in a couple of years.

"Richard, this is SoAndSo from UpAndComing productions - Bob told us a little about the script - what's the pitch?"

"Uh, well - it's set in the near future, when trial by combat is a legal form of arbitration..."

I don't remember what else fumbled out of my mouth. I was really on auto-pilot.

"Okay, sounds good - email a copy to Bob here, and we'll print it out. Can you get it to me now?"

Now I'm wondering if I should stall, and pull it out for a polish. Hadn't been touched in a couple of years, might could be improved - But I've had leads go cold in the past, so I opt for a "Absolutely"

Ten minutes later, its in etherspace and on its way to a producer.

Long story short, I got a meeting down in LA out of it, but they were looking for a different type of martial arts script. No sale, but good contact.

Better to mess up a phone call sooner than later... at a minimum, it may be practice.

nmstevens said:

That way, you don't sound like an idiot, you sound like somebody whose got a lot of stuff going on -- you're sending out a lot of queries on a lot of projects, just the way they're looking at a lot of of scripts, and having her tell you is just making things a little more efficient.

NMS

Click to expand...

Great advice, my problem was I was caught so off guard by the phone call (I mean really, who would call on an e-mail query?) anyway that my brain just would not get to work until after I hung up. I recognized the company's name and I knew I had sent them a query, I just couldn't remember which query until the very end. And thus enters the idiot. Not to mention I don't do well in first time situations, this was the first direct contact I'd ever had with a producer so I was excited and scared to death all at the same time. Now that I've had a lot more contact with producers and some actual stuff bought and paid for I don't get as nervous which makes a huge difference because then my brain doesn't freeze!

Though I've never been in this situation, I would imagine the same hold true for similar situations where you are caught off guard.

When in doubt, fess up.

"I'm terribly sorry - I was in the middle of a tennis game and I don't have my computer open and in front of me, would you mind refreshing my memory as to which script I sent in the query about?"

You can always fess up that you are not on top of your game/caught off guard at that moment, though I wouldn't suggest that you tell them it is because they called & you weren't expecting a production company to actually CALL you (though, that is most likely what I would blurt out without thinking - okay, well, probably not, but it would be the first thing that came to mind).

I once supremely botched an audition because the director asked me how a playwrite friend of mine was whom I had worked with on a show.

I was, #1) taken off guard, and #2) being the blunt person I am, I couldn't think of any answer besides "so drunk I had to pick him up off the floor at 10 am", so I just stammered & no doubt looked like an idiot.

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to just admit that I was caught off guard - that might have saved the day, who knows?

Argh, I hate cold calls. I'm glad I'm not the only one. But this is all good advice, everyone.
I'm looking for a new job as well as to sell my script so I'm trying to get the phone to ring...and I'm never ready when they call. Either I'm driving, or I'm in my room and the phone is downstairs, or I'm in public and I feel people trying not to listen to my conversation...How do they know? It must be a gift.
I should figure a way to keep a pen and stickies on my beltclip so I'm never at a loss to record who I just talked to. I do try to log them into my Address Book on my cell so at least I know it's them when they call back. At least I only have 2 sale-quality (kinda) scripts to keep track of.