Wow...

I don't know why I expect this to go smoothly, given the tumultuous relationship I've had with FadeIn Magazine specifically, and indeed with their Hollywood Pitchfest.

Just look back at my older blogs to see how they dropped the ball late last year.

First, I appreciate that FadeIn gives Pitchfest alumni discounted prices on Pitchfest, but would it be too much to ask for us to have advanced access to schedule our meetings?  

Why am I mentioning / campaigning for this?

Well... back in early July we got an update on Pitchfest, here it is:

In update #2 (sent July 6th) it read:

"ONLINE SIGN UP FOR MEETINGS will be Wednesday evening 6:30pm Pacific time, July 31st. It's imperative that you log in at 6:00pm Pacific time, as meetings are first-come, first-served. More info about signing up for your meetings online will be sent to you soon, including the ability to practice sign up the weekend of July 27th."

Then, today, the day of sign-ups, we received this email at 5:35pm (Central Time, which I am on... they are on Pacific time) that I received at 5:52pm (Central time) when I was just logging into the online sign-up system:

"SIGN UP TONIGHT 5:30PM Pacific Time

Hello Pitchers!
 
Today is the day you sign up for meetings online via Supersaas!  
 
If you haven’t had the chance to practice using the Supersaas platform you can still do so until 4PM PT today; simply follow the instructions below and PRACTICE!
 
SIGN UP FOR MEETINGS
When: TODAY, WEDNESDAY, 5:30PM-7:30PM Pacific"

This is the email I just sent them:

"Dear FadeIn,

Back on July 6^th (for HPF) we were told that online sign-ups for meetings would take place today (Weds., the 31st) at 6:30pm Pacific Time.

However, today, when I went to log in at 5:52pm Pacific time, and wait for sign-ups to begin, I was horrified to see an email (sent at 5:35pm Pacific time) that informed me that meeting sign-ups went live at 5:30pm Pacific time... a whole hour earlier than we'd been told previously.

To my knowledge, this new sign-up time was not communicated to Pitchfest attendees in any of the emails sent in the interim (if they were, I will gladly recant) and was seemingly sprung on us five minutes after the fact.

So, I guess my questions are:

1. Why was the time changed so suddenly (and inconveniently) for Pitchfest attendees?

I have 15 pitches to use and can only attend Pitchfest virtually. I was only able to book 6 meetings (as the other times with companies I wanted to pitch to were booked up). With this in mind:

2. Will I be able to use my leftover pitches at next year's Pitchfest (I was already assured that I could, by someone from FadeIn named Heather, but I just want confirmation that you'll stand by this)?
3. Will there be a virtual option for Pitchfest 2025?
4. I know that Pitchfest alums are given discounted prices for HPF. Is there a way we can also get early access to meeting sign-ups? It would really help with issues such as this."
    
    
   So... I was only able to use 6 of my 15 pitches.
   I was not able to book any meetings with Columbia (who I was looking forward to pitching Muscles & Wine to... given that they have been responsible for some of my favorite comedies, not the least of which Ghostbusters I & II, Stripes, Tootsie, Spring Break, My Stepmother is an Alien, Troop Beverly Hills, She's Out of Control, City Slickers, Groundhog Day... and horror films like the remake of Night of the Living Dead, Misery, Single White Female, Bram Stoker's Dracula, etc.).
   At any rate, I was also really looking forward to finally getting an audience with the Gersh Agency.
   Would they have snatched me up?
   Probably not.
   They're too big and prestigious for the likes of me (without a credit to my name).
   More than likely it would have been a situation like Pitchfest 2015 with CAA where however they sent (probably an entry-level flunky) would flip over my pitch, take my script, then go back to the office and either forget about it, or get shot down by their superiors for even entertaining the idea of signing (even considering) an unknown writer with something as outrageous as a horror film or a bromantic comedy. 
   
   
   C'est la vie. 
   
   
   I just want to say these two things, though:
    
   1.) I really hate the virtual cattle-call system they have of writers getting online at a designated time and basically fighting tooth-and-nail against one another for meeting times. It really pits us against one another. Again, if they wanted to build a community of writers, they would create a Discord, use the video call function on their for pitch meetings and let the writers network with each and lean on each other in an effort to support and propel each other forward (professionally and creatively speaking).
   
   
   2.) They really need to stop scheduling meetings in 5 minute increments. I ran into this problem in 2022: a meeting with one agent/producer would go really well and go over the 5 minute mark... or an agent/producer would be late (for whatever reason)... and your whole schedule is then thrown out of wack. Worst is that then agents and producers (who are waiting for their schedule meeting with you to start) then get testy... because clearly their time is precious, yours is not. They need to start giving us at least 10-15 minutes for each meeting. If the writers and VIPs need it, they have it. If they don't need it, oh well. They can then sue that time to reflect on what went well, what didn't, and then make adjustments so that their next pitch is perfect. 
   
   
   Just my input.
   
   
   But what do I know?
   I'm just writer who's been writing for 31 years and has produced  6 novels, 18 screenplays, over 100 short stories and poems and has received multiple accolades and requests for their work.