Reay Jespersen

All cards on the table. I don’t like pitching. I get its use - encapsulating an idea in order to save the both writer and production companies/reps time in knowing whether or not it’s something that may be production-worthy - but I’m really not a fan of it.

Here’s my thing: I got into writing screenplays because my best friend suggested that since I’m a visual thinker (still true) and enjoyed writing (ditto), why not work toward a visual medium and write screenplays? Brilliant! So, many years later, here I sit, having written several screenplays, and over the last few years also getting into TV show concepts, development, and episode writing. All while working on short stories and haikus and book ideas and game concepts and whatever else srtikes me from one day to the next, of course. Take it from one who knows: inside my head is never a boring place to be.

But the point is that screenplays and teleplays allow me to take the story visions I have and present them in a form which will, ideally, become a visual medium. And to have to pitch that not only removes the material one more generation from its intended form - a vision forced into written words, and then those written words re-formed into vastly truncated verbal ones which strive to convey the whole original vision - but also puts me in the uncomfortable position of having to be the proactive one in talking to people I don’t know. And not only has that never been a happy place for me, but worse still, I’m sitting there squirming to lay out part of myself - my stories - for the close scrutiny of these people.

Meanwhile there’s part of me saying hey, I’m an award-winning writer (albeit of severely modest degree). I know for a fact that at its best, my writing can convey more power and emotion than I’ll ever be able to manage while sitting and trying to convince someone else of its merits. Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, as the saying goes. And verbally pitching about writing strikes me the same way: it’s one artform striving to relay another. Two very different disciplines that have been intertwined, and where failure at one could so easily result in the other never being seen at all, quality be damned.

Had I mentioned I’m not a fan?

In any case, I’m happy to say that despite the frayed nerves and buckets of sweat the day produced, Pitch Expo 2009 was generally a success for me. Not everyone I pitched to seemed huge on the various stuff I was offering up, but more did… and some just loved it. And it’s with thanks I offer a tip of my proverbial hat to the reps who went above and beyond the call to not only hear me out and seem encouraging, but also offer advice on how I could build on what I’ve got. In one particular case, this opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me to mull over and pair up with current (and future) TV series ideas, hopefully making future pitches (*sigh*) stronger.

Another cool aspect of events like this is bringing an ecclectic group of people together who form new relationships. And luckily, with most people in the world being more comfortable at breaking the ice than I am, several people took the first step and introduced themselves, or asked how my day had gone, or how such’n such a prodco rep seemed when I pitched, etc. To all of them I’d like to say a big thanks for being the ones to make the first move. I’m hoping you all got the (accurate) impression that I’m happy to talk once I get to know you a bit, but that making the first move to that end just isn’t my forte. Which of course may have something to do with my take on pitching…

In any case, a special thanks to Josh, Meryl, Kelly/Kaz, Jesse, and Yolanda. Glad to have met all of you (in Jesse’s case, again). What mutual writing benefits may come of the new relationships are one thing, but a good friend recently pointed out to me how important family and friends are in life. Here’s hoping we can all improve each other’s lives by staying in touch.