NashFilmFest or Bust!
From left to right: Jaime Chapin, River Bell Chapin-Patrick, Ashley Gwen Patrick on Sept 28th
Whathadhappenedwas…
On June 14th, I entered the Nashville Film Festival Pitch Competition on a whim. I was AD’ing on set and had limited time to write. To keep my projects moving forward I entered two of them in this contest. The logline could be no more than thirty words. Here’s what I submitted for my feature Roadside Attraction:
A tabloid debunker and monster hunter clash in a small town besieged by a legendary monster’s return and set aside their differences to capture it and rescue the latest victim.
And they liked it! Next round was a virtual pitch on Zoom. I went to #screenwritingtwitter for advice. Keep scrolling to see how it went…
First Virtual Pitch (gulp)…
On August 20th, I pitched 👆👆👆! Advice I received included recording practice runs, good lighting and keeping notes nearby. Thank you #screenwritingtwitter - it all worked!
(Stay tuned for our Virtual Pitching Tips post which will have more in depth advice on virtual pitching.)
Next Round - LIVE in Nashville
On September 28th, we hit the road! The final round was scheduled for October 1st and we had a few days to enjoy NFF and network our butts off. We made a plan to sit in on as many panels as possible, including virtual ones.
The Pitch Finale
October 1st - I was so nervous. It was incredible arriving at UTA and meeting the other pitch finalists. The round was set up at random. Your name would appear on the screen and it would be your turn. The moderator tapped you on the shoulder when you had 10 seconds left.
It was my turn; I had practiced rote memorization (which is a mistake btw). The moderator tapped me and I LOST MY PLACE IN MY PITCH…I recovered and finished, but literally an “oh shit” moment. The judges were tough but encouraging and gave invaluable feedback. NashFilmFest did an incredible job with the whole competition and I would recommend it. Shout out to Cat and Paula!
What we learned…
Network, network, network. Know your brand. Stay in touch post-fest.
It’s been five months since the Nashville Film Festival Pitch Competition and we are still in touch with several folks we met at parties, panels and of course the pitch event. We’ve learned so much from the connections we made and the overall experience. Here’s the new and improved logline for Roadside Attraction:
In a Southern town besieged by a legendary bigfoot’s return, a queer tabloid debunker teams up with a Black cryptid hunter to deliver the locals - the real monsters - from evil…even if they don’t deserve it.
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