Writers Lab West's The Art of Pitching is a moderated panel discussion in which established players from the studio, agency, management, and independent producing arenas will break down this crucial skill into the basic practical elements that make a great pitch work. Through a guided discussion with the panelists followed by an audience Q & A period, attendees will be able to hear directly from industry professionals what works and what doesn't.
The first event in the Writers Lab West's series of programming on pitching. Future programs include a Pitch Workshop where attendees develop their own pitches in an intimate setting with development executives guiding the process, as well as a Pitch Showcase where accepted individuals get a chance to pitch their projects to industry pros. Attendees of the panel get priority consideration for future programming.
PANELISTS
Sean C. Covel, Independent Producer: Sean C. Covel grew up in the small ranching town of Edgemont, South Dakota. He received an undergraduate degree in business and theater from University of Nebraska and a Masters in Motion Picture Producing from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. In 2003 Covel teamed with fellow Peter Stark Alum, Chris “Doc” Wyatt, to produce NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. Made for only $400,000, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and quickly sold to Fox Searchlight and MTV Films. The picture went on to make $46M in the box office and over $120 million on DVD, making it one of the most profitable independent films in history. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE has won several awards including Best Feature at the MTV Movie Awards, Teen Choice Awards, Aspen Comedy Arts Festival and the Blockbuster Movie Awards. The duo have since produced three films; BENEATH (for Paramount Vantage / MTV Films), THINK TANK (for Maitland Primrose Ent) and 12 DOGS (for Universal Studios) – the last of which having been directed by Academy Award winner, Keith Merrill. They are currently in production in Melbourne, AU, on their next picture, BROKEN HILL, and will be in production on DODGE in and around Austin, TX, in the fall of ’08.
Maradith Frankel, Creative Executive, Universal Pictures: Maradith Frenkel is a Creative Executive at Universal Pictures. She has been at the company for five years, during which time she's overseen development and production of movies such as "Mamma Mia" and the upcoming "State of Play" and "Frost/Nixon". After studying film at NYU, she worked at the William Morris Agency in New York before moving to Los Angeles to work for Universal. She's originally from Miami, FL.
Eddie Gamarra, Literary Manager, The Gotham Group: Eddie received his BA in Psychology from Vassar College, his Masters in Cinema Studies from NYU in 1996, and went on to get his PhD in Psychoanalysis & Film from Emory University, and most recently has been a literary manager/producer at The Gotham Group for the past 4 years. While at Gotham he has represented screenwriters, directors, animators, authors, illustrators, publishers, and animation studios around the world that specialize in children/family entertainment, especially animation and literature (novels, anthologies, picture books, comics, and graphic novels). With a client list that includes Oscar, Emmy, Caldecott and Newbery award winners, Eddie has helped his clients develop and shape pitches for all platforms. In addition to his work at The Gotham Group, Eddie has served as a consultant for Teen Magazine and National Geographic's TV series HOLLYWOOD SCIENCE, and has lectured at Vassar, North Carolina School of the Arts, and University of Arkansas, Little Rock.
Chris Lawson, Executive, Creative Artists Agency: Chris Lawson is an executive at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, where he has served as a creative resource for CAA’s clients in motion picture and television for nine years. Chris has developed CAA’s creative group program which helps writers, producers and directors identify source material that can be utilized to inspire new film and television projects, or aid in the research and development of existing projects. The creative group program also serves to train aspiring executives and agents by providing opportunities for new employees to meet and share ideas with established individuals in the industry.
Ellen Sandler, Writer/Producer: Ellen Sandler received an Emmy nomination as a Co-Executive Producer of the CBS hit, Everybody Loves Raymond. Most recently she executive-produced and directed a new webisode series for college age girls. She has worked as a writer/producer for many TV comedies including ABC’s long running series, Coach and has created original pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and Disney Channel as well for the ABC, Australia and the CBC, Canada. Ellen is also a playwright. Her short play Jewish Roots was performed as a fundraiser for the WGA Strike Fund and starred Fran Dresher. She is the Co-Founder of the newly established Jewish Women's Theatre and is also the author of The TV Writers Workbook (Bantam/Dell). www.SandlerInk.com
