Need some extra guidance on your pitch? Wanting some one-on-one with an exec to get your pitch really polished? You know the importance of a strong pitch, but so many factors go into making it resonate, and it always requires more practice than you think. In your private 30-minute call with the exec, you'll get tailored guidance to prepare you for your best delivery yet. Submit your 1-2 page written pitch for the exec's prior review, and you'll begin the call by giving your 5-7 minute verbal pitch. You’ll then discuss delivery, clarity, structure, characterization, pacing, the opening of your pitch, and how best to end.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
Strong hook. Comps that did well in the market.
YA, mystery, suspense, thrillers, IP
Horror (will consider low-budget only), sci-fi, period pieces
Marilyn R. Atlas is a talent and literary manager, author, and award-winning producer. Among her credits as a film producer are REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently being developed as a Broadway musical for 2022. A CERTAIN DESIRE, starring Sam Waterston; and ECHOES, which won the Gold Award at the Texas International Film Festival. In addition to producing a variety of programming for the cable/pay TV market, Marilyn has produced live theater. She co-produced the West Coast premiere of the musical “God Bless You Mr. Rosewater” by Ashman and Menken (the writers of ENCHANTED and TANGLED). She also co-produced the award-winning play “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday,” which was made into a film starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Peter Gallagher. In 2014, she co-produced the play “Detained in the Desert” at the Guadalupe Theater in San Antonio, TX. Her additional credits as a producer in live theater include “Today’s Special” and “As I Sing.”
Previously, Marilyn developed the BRIDES’ MARCH for Lifetime Television as well as a limited television series. Additional credit was the Lifetime movie THE CHOKING GAME based on the YA book by Diana Lopez aired in Summer 2014. She produced the musical version of REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES in Los Angeles in 2009. REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES is currently in development as a musical for Broadway for 2024.
Marilyn has long been committed to issues surrounding diversity in Hollywood. As a member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, she spoke at many of their writers’ and producers’ retreats. Atlas is a mentor in DIVERSE WOMEN IN MEDIA INITIATIVE. She has lectured at the DGA sponsored LA Asian Film Festival, as well as various other symposia for the Sherman Oaks Experimental College. She is a founding member of Women in Film’s Luminas Committee, which supports the portrayal of women in non-stereotypical roles in film and television. She has spoken at events such as The San Francisco Writers Conference, the Santa Fe Screenwriters Conference and Richard Krevolin’s USC Screenwriting Retreat.
Marilyn has been a guest speaker at various colleges and writers’ conferences all over the country, including at Harvard, UCLA, USC, Emerson, Providence College, University of Incarnate Word, University of Redlands, and the University of Wisconsin. She has spoken at the Texas Bar Association and was a guest lecturer at Whittier Law School. She has served as the professional-in residence (in theater and film) at Ball State University and was the speaker at the International Writer’s Conference at Hollins University. Additionally, she was a guest lecturer in the Writing Program at USC, where she previously taught a class every year on creating three-dimensional, non-stereotypical characters. In Italy, she spoke at the International Women’s Writer Conference in 2014 and Publishing Day in 2016.
In addition to Marilyn’s film/TV credits, she has sold (first time) novels “Chasing the Jaguar” to Harper Collins, “Hungry Woman in Paris” to Grand Central Publishing, “Ave Maria Bed & Breakfast” to Hachette Publishing, and the “Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole” to Source Books.
Marilyn is currently developing a TV pilot based on the Gary Phillips series of novels “High Hand” and “Shooter’s Point” featuring strong-willed African-American protagonist Martha Chainey. She is additionally developing a Chinese historical epic with the Metan Development Group and the Wolper Organization, as well as THE TROUBLE WITH DREAMERS in association with NEO Studios and the pilot UNDER THE DEVIL'S SKY. Marilyn is featured in the book “Write Now!” from Penguin/Tarcher. She is also the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called “Dating Your Character,” about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press’s 2016 catalog.
Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to submit your material in your order confirmation email. After submitting your material, please allow 3-4 weeks to receive proposed times for scheduling your call with the exec. Your private pitch practice session will take place over video conferencing software ZOOM so you will receive a link to review the recording of your session at your leisure!
**Please note written pitches are limited to 2 pages maximum. Please contact terra@roadmapwriters.com for pricing on a consultation for a written pitch exceeding 2 pages.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Roadmap's Code of Conduct.
Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your registration for a refund or Roadmap gift card if you have not yet submitted your material for review. However, once your material has been received by Roadmap, your registration cannot be canceled. Having revised material or a desire to retroactively apply a discount or gift card code are not grounds for cancellation, refunds, or gift card credit. Once your material has been submitted, the only acceptable grounds for cancellation and a refund or gift card credit is an unforeseen, ongoing emergency on the part of either the writer or the exec resulting in more than 6 weeks without any scheduling update from the exec via direct contact or Roadmap, or a sudden change in the exec's ongoing availability. In the instance of an irreconcilable scheduling issue, the writer may still receive a written feedback report from the exec. In this case, the writer is not entitled to a refund or gift card credit as the exec has read the submitted material and provided written feedback in lieu of the call.