Tuesday, June 13, 2006

What's a Sella Phone? Banff Day 2...

Pooped again...Banff is like packing 6 days into 3 because things tend to always go late into the evening.

Stood beside a very dignified older gentleman who was with the festival as he spoke loudly into his cell..."You have a sella phone? I have a sella phone. You need a sella phone? Oh you have a sella phone? Your sella phone is good? Then I'll call you later on your sella phone." I hope they connected, and someone bought or sold something.

So...discussed, observed, and overheard...

GalaKids - a long discussion on the future of kids tv...a very interesting conversation....
And so far, several companies from Montreal have liked my pitches...maybe I should think about moving to Quebec.

CHUM - trying to skew a lot younger then they might have said a year ago - 'Entourage' inspired and such...and much praise and excitement for their new series 'Blood Ties' and 'Across The River in Motor City', so congrats to Denis McGrath / Bob Wertheimer and the others working on Motor City...

No new Haggis stories...just lots of sightings in the smoking areas...

CBC Comedy - ended up searching around and around at meeting time and ended up missing each other (lot of navel gazing here ...not like you think - more like looking down to try to read people's name tags) ....disappointed because wanted to hear what they had to say... he wasn't able to reschedule.

ION/NBC Uninversal - new digital kids network in US that's taking over the PAX stations...enlightening discussion about future of kids tv as they saw it - with the tv series almost as the final piece of the puzzle as opposed to the first - lots of multi platforming, internet, direct downloads, phone downloads, product placement, corporate sponsers for entire episodes/seasons speak...total info overload - my head hurt afterwards...

Spoke with a couple of 'consulting' firms offering to take on the accounting, financing, banking, contracting, deal closing, etc. etc. for the small independent companies or creative producer/writers....be aware these consultants are out there - you can almost build your company at the time you need it as opposed to paying for overhead and infrastructure while waiting for your show/movie to come together and happen...

GLOBAL - got a better sense of where they were taking network...very mainstream - no surprise there, but having a US broadcaster also on board seems almost an expectation ('Falcon Beach', 'Class')

The usual run into's with a lot of independent producers I know, several with greenlit projects and now looking for some help....never a bad thing....

Had a interesting conclusion to the day when a network rep that heard a pitch I had yesterday (that I didn't really think was right for them) came and found me with her higher up in tow saying they were very interested in project. It turned into a two hour spin session looking for ways to shape project a little more in line with what they'd want - seemed to go well...nothing promised but I left with a good vibe...

Said what the hell and introduced myself to Alex Epstein at the Rose & Crown pub...seems like a very pleasant man...and sounded like his Banff has gone well so far - congrats

And night ended exiting a restaurant and seeing a gaggle of young women from the town whooping their way down Banff Ave., all wearing tight jeans and black t-shirts that read something like: "Doubles, triples, shooters...and then we show skin!" As they passed by, saw the back of the t-shirt which read: "Banff Girls Gone Wild"

'Nuff said again.

5 comments:

Dizzie said...

The shitty thing about tagging someone is you gotta be it at some point... ergo - anxciously awaiting your 20 Qs list! :D

The Film Diva said...

Thanks for the info! I work in Los Angeles, but Canada sounds better and better (especially if those Dems can't get it together in 2008).

Systemaddict said...

Solid input the last couple day...keep it up.

I wanna know some more...you turn this bleak view of Canadiana-industrio into something worthwhile into taking a good look at...

Alex Epstein said...

"Said what the hell and introduced myself" ... Geez am I unapproachable or somethin'?

wcdixon said...

Sorry way it came out, Alex - I guess the other half of the story would be...

...I'm having dinner with several people at the Maple Leaf restaurant...I look out the window and see what looks like might be you across the street outside the Rose and Crown...I turn to party I'm with and say: "I think that's Alex Epstein across the street, should I go say hello? Someone else says: "But your food, it's going to get cold." And I think a moment and then say: "Ah, what the hell..." and off I go. Make sense now?