#theoutset, #scarlettjohansson, #katefoster, #amygiaquinto, #giaquintoproductionsllc, #dressforsuccess, #1percentfortheplanet, #onetreeplanted, #starbucks
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Three years ago (Feb. 6, 2021), my feature-length screenplay, THE ONLY WAY OUT (a Nicholl Semifinalist) landed a wonderful producer. A few months later, a second producer jumped on board, then about a year-and-a-half later, we attached a fabulous director. However, even with two producers and a director attached, it has been impossible to find the necessary financing and distribution that would enable us to greenlight the film.
The crazy thing is the script has been read and LOVED by so many big names in Hollywood, we're talking top of the food chain people, the biggest of big producers, A-list actors, studio heads, etc. It's mind boggling, to be honest, but with each read, it's always the same story.
Without financing and distribution, we can't attach A-list talent and without A-list talent, we can't find financing and distribution. It's Hollywood's biggest Catch-22.
The thing is, both of my producers firmly believe that if we can get my script to the right A-list actress, if we can get her to read it without the $5 million read fee, perhaps she'll decide to sign on and we'll be on our way to a greenlight. After all, this is, as my producer says, the "role of a lifetime."
But the question remains, how do you get a script to an A-list actor without going through their representative and having that $5 million read fee in the bank? We've tried the six degrees of separation strategy and that has worked in some cases, however, it hasn't worked in all cases.
In an attempt to attack all problems from all angles, we began working with a brand integration marketing firm, hoping to find some initial film funding through product placement opportunities. So far, that hasn't amounted to anything because the brands we've approached want a guarantee that the film will star an A-lister before they sign on which sends us back to square one, but at the same time, it gave me an idea.
So many A-list actresses have incredible businesses and sell products that would be very easy to integrate into the film. I thought what actress wouldn't love the opportunity to do what amounts to a sales pitch for their brand or products, while performing the role of a lifetime that many high-ups in Hollywood have agreed has serious awards potential?
A Match Made in Heaven...
The first actress I researched was Scarlett Johansson because she's an incredible actress and she recently launched The Outset, a skincare company, with her partner Kate Foster Lengyel. I love that The Outset's products are vegan and that their business philosophy so closely tied into my main character's core beliefs.
I also love that The Outset's motto is, "The start of you™," another theme which resonates incredibly well with my main character's journey. And even better, I love how the brand promotes women, is environmentally conscious and partners with organizations like Dress for Success, 1% for the Planet, One Tree Planted and more.
My dream has always been to write a script, get it made and then partner with an organization to do a community outreach project and donate some of the film's proceeds to a relevant cause. In this case, my script is all about female empowerment and, in a unique way, discovering what we're capable of as women.
The story also has a heavy environmental theme. The partnerships The Outset has with the above environmental organizations seemed like a dream come true. I was imagining our cast and crew partnering with The Outset and 1% for the Planet and One Tree Planted for an environmental outreach project. It's rare for me to find a business that so closely aligns with so many of my core values. A partnership with The Outset seemed like a match made in heaven.
And so, I decided to test the waters and see if Scarlett's partner, Kate Foster Lengyel would be interested in a product placement opportunity for The Outset's skincare products. If that was the case, since Scarlett's the face of the brand, perhaps we could all work together to form a mutually beneficial agreement. My producers, director and I knew it was a LONG shot, but after three years of travelling down the same dead-end road, it was time to try something new.
Researching The Outset's Products
I did a LOT of homework, researched social media and saw that the young brand wasn't very well known and that consumers were wondering how it was any different from any other celebrity brand of skincare product. Wondering the same thing myself, I did some homework on the products. As mentioned above, they're vegan. They're also designed for sensitive skin and when I saw the rave reviews on numerous websites and on social media, I absolutely had to try out their bestsellers. I promptly ordered the Daily Essentials Travel Set, which contains the Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser, Firming Vegan Collagen Prep Serum, and Nourishing Squalane Daily Moisturizer.
I tried the products and was extremely surprised by how much I loved them. Seriously, my skin hasn't looked this good in years. Colorado's winters are brutal on the skin and despite using gallons of the top "dermatologist recommended" moisturizer every day, I was suffering from red, dry, flaky, cracked and irritated skin. And let me just say that being a (ahem) middle-aged and perimenopausal mom, didn't help.
I had my doubts until I tried the micellar antioxidant cleanser. It was incredible! So lightweight, soft and smooth and slippery going on that it felt like an absolute treat, and it did a fabulous job of cleaning my skin. It took the mascara off of my eyelashes with no problem. We're talking no leftover under-eye streaks at all. And I was thrilled that the cleanser wasn't chalk full of perfumes or other scents. There was a mild, pleasant smell to it, nothing to upset allergies or trigger an asthma attack. Best of all, when I was done, my face felt deliciously clean and hydrated.
Not only that, but the micellar cleaner has been a godsend for both of my kids. It destroys acne and the kids love how good it feels on their faces and I love that I don't have to worry about toxic crap getting absorbed into their skin or having to purchase harsh and stinky chemical acne treatments for my teenage son. Thanks to The Outset, I went from having kids who refused to wash their faces to kids who actually enjoy it and find it soothing.
My experience made me even more excited to try the serum and lotion. And let me tell you, they didn't disappoint. Both the serum and the lotion were absolute miracle workers. The serum is so incredibly light and smooth and soothing and the lotion... OMG, it's heavenly. It's so smooth and light and hydrating! It literally made my skin glow. If I could immerse my entire winter-ravaged body into The Outset's serum and lotion, I totally would.
Best of all, after the first use, I noticed a significant brightening of my face, more hydration and less skin irritability. After a week, my skin was radiant again, and I can honestly say it hasn't looked this good in years. Because of the quality of these products, the encouraging messaging on the packaging and "The start of you" mantra, I felt like every time I used the products, I was really doing something special for myself by taking five minutes out of my insanely busy day, morning and night, to enjoy a little self-care.
Full disclosure, I'm not a huge skincare product person. In fact, I rarely wear makeup and before The Outset, I washed my face with (gasp) soap and water then slathered it with CereVe, but after trying The Outset's products, I'm a convert. I've diligently used all three products every day for the past month, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon.
In fact, I love the products so much, I just sent the Daily Essentials Travel Set to my mom and I've also convinced my manager and several friends to give it a shot. I love feeling good and having skin that looks and feels great and I know my friends and family do, too.
I am not getting paid to say any of this and this page contains no affiliate links to The Outset. I am simply providing an honest opinion of each of the products for which we were hoping to integrate into my film.
Okay, now that I'm finally done raving about The Outset's skincare products, let's get back to the story!
Finding Contact Info and Tracking the Company
I searched high and low trying to find contact info for anyone at The Outset with no luck, so I hired someone on Upwork to do the heavy lifting. Within ten minutes, she provided me with Kate's phone number and a valid email address for both her and her marketing coordinator. Not only that, but I found Kate's info on Linked-In and subscribed to a free trial of Linked-In Pro so I could contact her and her marketing coordinator through there as well. I also followed the brand on social media and kept up with the latest product news.
Over the course of a couple of weeks, I put together a query and workshopped it with my producers and director. We talked a lot about whether or not to attach the lookbook, script and a script release, and ultimately decided to go for broke. "It can't hurt, right?"
We also knew that this may be our only shot with The Outset to make an impression and to find product integration funds and possibly get Kate to read the script, fall in love with it, then pass the entire package and product integration proposal along to Scarlett who, my producers believed, would then be more inclined to read the script without the $5 million read fee.
Overcoming Fear and Anxiety to Make Contact
And so, I sent the email and obsessively checked my email, waiting for a response. Nothing. I justified the nothing by telling myself Kate and Scarlett had just successfully premiered The Outset's products on QVC and I imagined Kate was extremely busy as a result.
A few more days went by, so I sent a follow-up email through Linked-In and through normal email. In the follow-up, my husband had convinced me to set up a specific day and time to call and speak with Kate and so, fighting massive anxiety, that's exactly what I did.
Days went by and then suddenly, it was Monday, the day I said I'd call Kate. I still hadn't had a reply to my email, so I spent the day believing that was it. I'd done all of this work for nothing. It was time to let it go. My husband told me not to let it go and to just call her. I was still hesitant. I didn't want to bother her if she wasn't interested.
No Excuses: Finding the Courage to Follow Up
At the same time, I couldn't let it go. I was on the road, driving home from a last-minute doctor's appointment while obsessing about getting to the store because of course, this was the one day my son had forgotten his lunch and of course he was staying after school and of course he has a special diet with certain nutritional needs that can't be met by the school district's lunches and of course, he BONKS big-time when he doesn't eat, so that means, of course, I needed to stop at a specialty store to buy him food and of course that meant having to haul butt two cities away to get there in time for his lunch break.
I was stressed out and super crunched for time. My mind was racing as the clock ticked closer to 11. I was seriously debating not making the call. I had a million reasons for bailing. I mean, I was in a hurry, and wouldn't it be rude to call someone when you hadn't actually heard back from them? And besides, what if this woman leapt through the phone and swallowed me up like one of Stephen King's beasts? Like I said, my mind was racing out of control.
But then I took a deep breath and thought, wouldn't it suck to wonder for the rest of my life, if one phone call could have changed everything? How would I explain that to myself, my husband and kids who have sacrificed so much for me to be a screenwriter? What kind of example would I be setting for my kids if I ran away from an emotionally scary situation, the same kind of situation I'm always encouraging them to approach head-on?
And so, at the last minute, I flipped on my turn signal and pulled into a King Sooper's parking lot, skidded into a parking spot (well not really, but I did stop fast), killed the truck and completely frazzled, dialed the number as the clock flipped to 11:00.
I was super nervous. Kate answered on the first ring, and I nervously and awkwardly stumbled over my words, explaining who I was and what I was calling about. Turns out Kate had read my emails. She was wonderful to talk to and incredibly kind and considerate. She was flattered by the offer for product integration, but politely explained that The Outset is still a small company, and they don't have a product placement budget at this time.
I told her I appreciated her time and then complimented The Outset's products and honestly gushed over how great I thought they were. I felt like I was babbling. I was definitely not on my A-game during the call. I'm a lot better as a writer than a talker and at one point, our conversation paused, and I knew she was expecting me to ask her about Scarlett. That was the elephant in the room. I knew I should have asked her to pass the script along to Scarlett, but I didn't because anxiety and my conscience got the best of me, and I felt like that question would have been a betrayal or a bait and switch of sorts.
The Fail and Breaking Rules
I immediately called my producer and said The Outset was a no-go and my producer asked if I had asked Kate to ask Scarlett to read my script. I said no and he said call her back and ask if she'll read the script and pass it along to Scarlett if she likes it. "What do we have to lose?"
He was right. I was flustered and needed to get to the store, then my son's school and I was afraid to call her back and bug her again so quickly to ask the question she'd probably been expecting me to ask all along.
Dammit! I really screwed this up, but I'd have to dwell on that later because I had a meal to get to my kiddo. As soon as I got home, I did what I do for people who are gracious enough to give me their time and I sent Kate a Starbucks gift card thanking her for her time. But then I broke my cardinal thank you rule of never asking for anything in a thank you and made a joke about asking Kate to pass the script along to Scarlett.
I then followed-up with Kate a few days later to ensure she had received the gift card, but in an attempt to fix my flub, I again did what I promised I would never do. In the follow-up I pitched how amazing it would be for Scarlett, the face of The Outset, to promote her products while starring in a film that has the potential to win her major awards. I went on and explained how the product integration would be woven into the film and talked about the specific scene in which it would be used.
Kate kindly replied to my follow-up email. She was thrilled and surprised by the gift card and said it was absolutely unnecessary. She also politely informed me that due to the nature of her relationship with Scarlett and the number of inquiries she gets for the star, she can't pass along the script or make introductions. Honestly, this was exactly what we were expecting to hear, even if we were dreaming of a different outcome.
Anyway, Kate said I should reach out to Scarlett's representative and wished us all the best of luck. I figured I was in up to my knees at this point, so I replied back thanking her and telling her I understood and then I proceeded to ask for Scarlett's rep's info.
The End of the Road (for the Moment)
Of course, I never heard back, and I have no idea if Kate read the script either, but I have absolutely zero hard feelings about it. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I felt guilty about breaking my thank you rule, not once, but twice. And of course, I felt guilty about asking for Scarlett's rep's info even after Kate had said she can't make introductions. I felt a little, no, a lot sleazy and knew that I had taken up enough of this amazing woman's time and now it was time for me to move on.
In all honesty, this was a great exercise for me, a mother and solitary writer who doesn't have a lot of professional interactions these days. I'm actually really proud of myself for taking the risk even though it didn't work out. I'm also proud of myself for learning that with business, it's always best to address the elephant in the room up front and then lay everything on the table all at once to avoid feeling like a sleazebag who has just betrayed someone's trust. Still, despite it all, I managed to gain some self-confidence from the interaction.
And finally, even though things didn't work out like they do in dreams, I'm thrilled to have had the opportunity to speak with Kate and learn from her confidence and graciousness in those brief moments on the phone and through our email interactions. I do hope that if she chooses to read the script, she enjoys it as a pleasure read and considers it a thrilling, self-care gift.
And last, but not least, I'm also incredibly happy that this little journey outside my comfort zone led me to finding wonderful self-care products I never would have found otherwise, products that have given me the gift of happier, healthier, softer skin in under 5 minutes a day.
The moral of the story is to take the risk and ask for exactly what you want because even if you fail, you often learn more from failure than success. Not only that, but failure is often accompanied by some pleasantly unexpected rewards.
And with that, here's to Kate, Scarlett, The Outset's mantra and the start of a more confident me!
Moving on to Plan B.