paramount

I left the Script Shark meeting and set off to my first one-to-one at Robert Evans on the Paramount Lot. A fabulous place, it feels like walking into a 50's movie set with sets being shifted and circus props hanging about, folk carrying piles of scripts, actresses huddled in groups, comparing tan lines...under the glitz though I'm sure it's just a sunnier version of Elstree!
Sitting outside on a bench I tried to gather my thoughts and not be too phased, but I shouldn't have worried as once in there, it was like every other meeting you might have in London. And these guys are so good at it. A few jokes, pleasentries and it's 'so what are you working on at the minute..' and you're away... I was asked if they could read the script of my Rom Com and the treatment of another which I happily left. Mind you; don't do what I did and have a script that's been copied on recycled paper... I was straight down to the printers after that and had a box of five pristine, three brad, scripts printed for only $20. Bargain if you ask me. My mission is now to get rid of them all...
So on to Odd Lot over at Culver City. More difficult to find I arrived stressed and hot only to find that with Yom Kippur the office was almost empty. Eventually the exec arrived and I was taken into the conference room. He was delightful but pretty realistic about the state of the business. Low low budgets - under $5 million are still being made and the top budget biggies - the Transformers etc are getting the financing but there is definately a desert inbetween. Even though cinema going is on the rise, it's for a particular type of film and ones with huge stars are going straight to video which has never happened before. That said he liked one of my ideas, saying he'd ike to see the script when I've written it, so it wasn't a wasted meeting.