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This episode covers my experiences pitching Amateur eighty (!) times and eventually getting it to Netflix, including the following points: 

  • Making a pitch into a back-and-forth conversation as early as possible
  • What goes into a pitch packet other than the script, including a rip-o-matic/multimedia lookbook
  • Using CRM software to track producers and financiers (I used Streak)
  • How rejection can be a development process unto itself
  • Why "producer" is an amorphous term and how to identify producers with complementary skill sets
  • Who my producers were (Jason Michael Berman, Chip Hourihan, and Mark Moran) and what their roles were
  • How I got the film to Netflix

….and more.

The articles and podcasts we mention are:

If you have questions about the making of the Netflix Original Film Amateur — or about your own feature project — you can ask me at firstfeature@nofilmschool.com or find me on twitter @ryanbkoo.

Here's the trailer for the feature Amateur. Watch it now on Netflix!

This episode of The First Feature is sponsored by Music Bed. Get 20% off your next on-site license with coupon code "FirstFeature20."

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