Well, I just had my nice little TV pilot by Amazon. And in less than 12 hours.
Ouch.
I wasn't really sure about Amazon and how they judge anything. Especially when pros and amateurs are shoved in together. But that's what the future is.
I didn't really understand how their system works but it's obviously in favor of the pro's, of which I am. They just didn't really like my idea.
Not the first time. And it won't be the last.
I'm going to give you a link so you can read it too. And tell me what you think.
Or not.
But I'm not finished yet, I do have some more contacts that can show the piece around and hopefully find someone who likes it.
Because that's what it's all about. Here's a great sample;
I wrote my Christmas story 6 years ago. It ended up on a pile of scripts at Hallmark. Several good directors offered to make it. But Hallmark said "No." Nothing happened until, 3 years passed and I got a call from someone.
She was a development exec/producer and said she really liked the script and wanted to make it. I said okay. She said "Who do I speak to?" I gave her my agent's name. She said okay. Just like that.
But before she hung up I asked her why did my script sit on the shelf for 3 years. She said she found it and liked it a lot and thus Hallmark surrendered and decided to make it.
I asked why she liked it.
Get ready.
Because the teenage girl in my script was just like her daughter.
That's why The Town Christmas Forgot was made.
Her daughter.
That's why I know I will sell the pilot. Sooner or later.
But back to the snub.
I don't really know how Amazon decides on a project. When I arrived here in 1990, my new agent set up meetings with literally every studio and network. I would show up, they'd offer coffee or water and we would talk.
I forgot to mention it, but I had a really good script, Emperor of Mars, that everyone loved. You've probably heard this before, but EOM was optioned 6 times. Twice with me as the director.
It was because they wanted to see me. They didn't decide on a project where they never saw the writer.
But that's what the algorithm or:
Extrapolation is an estimation of a value based on extending a known sequence of values or facts beyond the area that is certainly known.
That's what killed my pilot.
You figure it out.
Sadly, those of you who read this blog are going to face whatever that sentence means and not get introduced to agents unless you're already famous. Or at least have a friend who's famous. Or almost famous.
So for the rest of this year, I'm finishing up my travel book, which I probably mention too much.
But have a read of my pilot, it's called S.O.B. aka "South of the Boulevard". The meaning of this is meant to establish the setting of what is a private eye business that's failing.
