...from various people whose opinions I respect and from some people who have never met me or read anything else that I've written. First for the people who know me (friends and family)...

The reaction from these people has been really good. They all say that it's a "page turner" and that it reads very quickly and smoothly. They also say they like the story and can picture it up on the screen. Very nice. However it's hard to read these people who are close to me and take their comments for face value so...

...I've had a couple of other people read it from the industry. One is a Unit Production Manager (UPM) that I hired to make up a budget for the project so I can then couple that with an investment perspectus and start raising captial. His comments were, "very well written and a commercial story". He also said that I seemed to write it in mind of keeping the costs down so I could make this independently... which I did so hearing him say that was a good thing. I have gotten the budget from him and am working on the business plan (takes just as much work to make that flow as the script) but more information about that part of the process will follow later.

The second person I had read the script is a casting director. Eve Battaglia has worked on numerous films, most recently casting "Transamerica" with Felicity Huffman and the upcoming "Sorry, Haters" with Robin Wright Penn. I wanted to get a casting director to read the script who might, if they took a liking to the project, be able to attach a "name" actor to the lead role that would help finance the project. Funny enough, when I called her, I got her on the phone... it's great when someone actually answers their own phone.

She agreed to read my script after she got back from the Oscars. Three days after the Oscars, we spoke and she told me that she "loved my script" and would want to "sign on to the project today if the financing was in place". She also went on to say that she felt given the strength of the material and what I am planning on offering the lead actor (top secrect information:) that I would be able to attract "name" talent. Awesome... this is coming from somone who has never met me before or read anything else that I've written. Needless to say, I was very pleased... however...

...there is always a "however" in there... she went on to say that she didn't want to try and get a lead actor attached because the role calls for someone in their early twenties and anyone who is a name and in their early twenties is extremely busy and they usually won't consider let alone attach their name to a project until is it financed. They (the "name" talent) also usually won't let their name be used to seek out financing. One of those "cart before the horse" situations.

Anyway, she said that with letters of intent from investors, she would be able to use those letters to entice actors to read the script and give it consideration.

So, where does that leave me? I've got the script and the budget and am working on smoothing out the investment perspectus so I can then try and get letters of intent from investors to use as stepping stone to get talent attached... a long road ahead but I feel like I've come so far that it's not as scary. Plus, being a new stage of the process is re-juvinating. I'll keep you posted... EB