So I was at a pitching workshop today, which was pretty cool – I learned a rather chunky amount about how to best pitch your film/tv projects. All forty-one of us then got up and ‘pitched’ our projects to the panel with a strict two-minute deadline.
Mine went okay – the first sixty seconds went great guns but then I got a little preoccupied with squeezing a ridiculous amount of info about the concept into the final minute, the irony being that in the process I completely forgot to include two crucial points I’d been beating myself over the head with beforehand (I believe my exact coaching prompt to myself was “Now say whatever you want, but for heaven’s sakes, just make sure you mention XXXX!!!!”)
Oh dear.
So I had absolutely no delusions that my pitch would be chosen to go onto the next ’round’ (it was a kinda workshop/competition, you see) – but perked up right before they announced the winners, when an older guy and fellow pitcher nudged me on the shoulder:
Old dude: “I just wanted to tell you, you did very well.”
Me: “Oh, thank you.”
Old dude: “If I was a producer with lots of money, I’d fund yours.”
Me: “Oh thanks, that’s very nice of you.”
Old dude: “Yours is the Christmas show, isn’t it?”
Awkward pause.
Me: “No.”
Old dude: “It’s not?”
Me: “No, no.”
Me pointing to the twenty-something girl in front of me (who, might I point out, looked NOTHING like me at all).
Me: “I think you mean her.”
Him: “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Me wondering if I’d feel the same way if he’d come up, patted my belly and said “Wow, congrats on the baby!”
Him nudging the girl on the shoulder.
Him: “I just wanted to tell you, you did very well. If I was a producer…” etc
Him strolling off, catching my eye again.
Him: “I’m sorry about that.”
Me: “No, no, it’s cool. At least I got an anecdote out of it.”
Thank God for blogging, huh?