PR meeting and a special surprise

Yesterday I met with Julie Fogel.  I've known Julie for a few years and she has always been one of those people on top of things.  She is organized, thorough, professional and thank goodness, funny too!  I've always known this about her but as we've been playing phone tag and rescheduling meetings for quite a while I wasn't sure if I'd get to actually have a face to face.  Well, I did and how!  lolol... the read on the and how was like Spanky would say it. We met at the Bier Market and ordered veggie burgers which were absolute yum but I digress.  After catching up on Julie's wedding, her band, the Q scene which she will be in with me, my daughter, AFTRA, and just how delicious the food was, we got to talking about A to Z.  Julie asked me some very important questions.  They were Jimmyesque one might say with a professional bent to them.

Question 1. What do you want?  She meant professionally, the outcome, my hopes.  Many have asked this and Jimmy continually asks this but I'm not sure if I've ever been able to come up with a simple answer.  I said ultimately I want this project to get me working nationally in film (with the inside voice saying and making enough money to support myself and my daughter if need be).  Yes, I want to meet Ellen.  Yes, I want to do appetizers with Meryl Streep.  Yes, I want a million hits on my videos.  The real reason I want those things (except meeting Meryl) is because I feel that the vast attention will capture the eyes and ears of those who could actually hire me.  So, bottom line, I want to act on camera.  How cool is it, by the way, that the overall goal is to do what I ultimately want to get to do while pursuing it?  I'm not even sure I knew I was that clever ... don't think that I am.  Did you get that?  I am acting on camera with the goal of acting on camera.  Wow, that's much better put, isn't it?  That's OK, I'm not editing that away because it is just now occurring to me as I type and I want this to come at you organically. 

Question 2. How many people who are in the position to hire you are seeing your stuff?  WOW, is that a great question or what?  I've been so focused on getting my numbers up with the hopes that within that pile of people odds would have it the industry would get wind of it.  To be more focused on those people though makes a heckuva lot of sense ... duh!  So she gave me the assignment which I would like YOU ALL to help me with, Julie asked me to create a list.  The list should have all the people who would be my top choices to work with and for in the industry.  This list could include casting directions, agents, directors, writers, those sorts of peeps.  Right away Nancy Myers and Nora Ephron come to mind for me because they write and direct a lot of chick flicks which are right up my alley.  So what do you think?  Is there a writer or producer that springs to mind when you think of great material?  If so, please comment and tell me who they are and what they've done.  I know it sounds like I'm getting help on my homework but I just don't want to forget anyone important.  She also wants me to find the contact information for those people on the list.  I don't worry as much about that.  That's what IMDBpro is all set up to do.

As I look through my notes she said something about PR and reporters.  That might have been the part where she was telling me all of the local reporters she knows and I was all, oh please tell them!  Then she told me to go to Animoto which is a site that creates cool videos for you.  Haven't checked it out but sounds great!

While she and I were sitting there, I got a call from Liz, she's a woman who does PR for a firm.  It went to voicemail and her message said she also wants to meet with me.  When it rains it pours right?  I will take all the help I can get.  I really love the idea of someone else making a call on my behalf here or there so it lends credibility to my project.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you about my special surprise.  THAT WAS ON PURPOSE!  I can't tell you that!  It would ruin it.  Stay tuned though ;-)