New Video Pitches

We recently optioned three new scripts. In preparation for the voting web page, we shot video pitches last weekend. Similar to the last voting event, we will create a notebook for each script, which includes a video pitch, summary, selected scene and writer’s bio.

The shoot went very well. We had a fantastic actress and an amazing crew. We shot it at Pacific Office Automation, which has a very nice building near the stadiums. Our contact there was extremely helpful and made us feel at home.

The new scripts include a drama, a comedy and a supernatural mystery.

Stay tuned for the next round of scripts to vote on!

Academy Awards Party

I love throwing parties. Birthdays, showers, poker—there’s always an occasion to celebrate. But my absolute favorite one to host is the Academy Awards.

It all begins with the red carpet and taking photos of guests as they arrive. The menu includes heavy appetizers, cocktails and fun desserts. Decorations include balloons, fresh flowers, black tablecloths, gold confetti, and a variety of Hollywood paraphernalia I’ve collected over the years.

And you can’t forget the ballots. I send them beforehand, so people don’t spend time filling them out during the party. I also prepare trivia questions in the event of a tie. Prizes are given to the top three winners and I usually award the last place person with some sort of trophy.

The Oscars Website has an entire page dedicated to throwing your own party. It’s a good place to download recipes, games, trivia and the ballot.

You still have time to throw your own bash. The show starts at 5:00 pm on February 22.

A Quiet Little Marriage

We had a great time at this year’s Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. We watched several great movies, including “Tyson”, “Rudo y Cursi” and Pierce Brosnan’s “The Greatest”.

The film we liked the best, though, was “A Quiet Little Marriage”, a wacky dramedy, about a couple who is very much in love, but at odds on whether or not to have children. That issue combined with problems dealing with their emotionally draining families, makes Olive want a child even more, while setting Dax on a mission to avoid paternity. Their opposing opinions lead to some drastic actions and counteractions, which are both horrifying and entertaining.

We weren’t surprised when “A Quiet Little Marriage” won Slamdance’s Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature. The feature competition is limited to first-time filmmakers working with production budgets under $1 million.

Congratulations to writer-director Mo Perkins for the well deserved award!