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Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Mr. Taylor's Penguins - Evaluation
The following is the evaluation of Paul Abramson's Toastmasters speech "Mr. Taylor's Penguins":
After speakers present their speeches, another club member presents an evaluation of his or her assigned speaker’s speech. This gives the speakers insight into ways to improve their speaking skills. It also helps the evaluators improve their listening skills.
After speakers present their speeches, another club member presents an evaluation of his or her assigned speaker’s speech. This gives the speakers insight into ways to improve their speaking skills. It also helps the evaluators improve their listening skills.
Mr. Taylor's Penguins - Speech
The following is the speech presented by Paul Abramson on Tuesday, February 3, 2009:
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Mr. Taylor's Penguins
The following is a draft of the speech I've been working on for the past two weeks. It will be presented at the upcoming meeting of Toastmasters Rising Star Club #1653, Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at Paty's Restaurant 6:00 p.m.
MR. TAYLOR’S PENGUINS
by Paul T. Abramson
I learned the hard way. Know when to take the money and run.
I was once an award winning animation writer.
I canvassed the job board at the office of IFP/West (Independent Feature Project) looking for something that might jump start a stillborn career when an intriguing flyer caught my eye. A producer was looking for writers to collaborate on a screenplay for an animated feature film. He assured those who read the advertisement that this would lead to something huge. There was one minor inconvenience. The producer was in Palm Springs and I was in Los Angeles… without a car. Regardless, it sounded like a worthwhile deal, so my writing partner, Dave, and I decided to look into it. We hoped on a Greyhound bus headed to Palm Springs and met Larry Taylor at his preferred location – Carl’s Jr.
When we got there, I suggested we relocate to a place slightly more professional. Larry did not want to hold meetings at his residence due to a high number of feline roommates. One could only imagine a truckload of Renuzits not being able to resolve an uncomfortable situation. We meandered to our preferred location - Denny’s.
Larry was a seasoned man whom I had reason to suspect might somehow be related to Popeye. He claimed he could sell an igloo to an Eskimo and told us of his plan to produce an animated feature film he conceived titled “Penguinmania”. He was going to pitch the project to toy manufacturers and finance the film by selling merchandise licensing rights. It was a good idea… on paper, that is. Dave and I signed contracts for six figures payable upon sale.
Penguinmania was indeed toyific.
A group of performing penguins – Sloppy, Oppie, Doubter, Gabby, Pee-Wee and Show Biz – escape from mean Herman Drachmeyer’s zoo. They are befriended by gypsies who help them return to their families at the South Pole. South, Larry! Penguins have no interest in going to the North Pole.
Larry showed us rough, repeat rough, model sheets and artwork. He played a tape of songs that had been written for the film. The songs were impressive. He then presented us with a rough draft of the screenplay by another writer. GASP! Larry needed our help STAT!
To call this a rough draft was putting it mildly. The script had more holes than a derelict’s underwear. The word logic was obviously not in Larry’s vocabulary. “Where does this story take place, Larry?” “Holland.” “When does it take place?” “Present day.” “But you want gypsies similar to those of olden days?” “Yes.” Would they travel around in horse-drawn carriages in present day Holland? I suggest we keep this time and date neutral. “No. No. No.” Larry insisted it take place in present day, and he wanted this to be a Disney-style film.
After several bottles of Boone’s Farm, Dave and I managed to plug some of the holes. As a token of his gratitude, Larry gave us both Certificates of Achievement in animation writing and named us heads of the writing department for his studio-to-be.
I have to give Larry credit. He truly was on the up-and-up. His idea to pitch to toy companies, however, had a few holes of its own.
He managed to set up a meeting in New York with Alan Hassenfeld, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hasbro, the world’s largest toy manufacturer. Hasbro had just bought out rival Kenner, giving them the Star Wars line. Back on the West Coast, Larry and company met with execs at Bandai. Bandai was starting to launch something called Pokemon. If you were a corporation with properties like Star Wars and Pokemon on the table, would you care about unknown dancing penguins? Our Happy Feet were standing still.
Kevin, a producer Larry had brought onto the project, set up a meeting with the crew and an independent financier who was genuinely interested in Penguinmania. The financier made a very generous offer to buy the concept so that he can develop it himself. He wanted the story, not the studio and the ice, not the igloo. He had the money. Our eyes lit up. Our dreams were about to come true.
“No,” said Larry. “These talented artists put their hearts and souls into Penguinmania. I refuse to take that away from them.” Take it, Larry. Don’t go for what’s behind curtain number one. He then proceeded to pitch his back-pocket project, Harmony Ranch.
No, Larry! Not Harmony Ranch! Know when to say “sold”. Take the offer and finance the company. Dave and I had dozens of back-pocket projects waiting to be made. What about Shepherdstone, Anwn, Miss Lady Liberty? Those are toyific.
We never saw the six-figure pay checks that were in our contracts.
Nobody saw Mr. Taylor’s penguins.
MR. TAYLOR’S PENGUINS
by Paul T. Abramson
I learned the hard way. Know when to take the money and run.
I was once an award winning animation writer.
I canvassed the job board at the office of IFP/West (Independent Feature Project) looking for something that might jump start a stillborn career when an intriguing flyer caught my eye. A producer was looking for writers to collaborate on a screenplay for an animated feature film. He assured those who read the advertisement that this would lead to something huge. There was one minor inconvenience. The producer was in Palm Springs and I was in Los Angeles… without a car. Regardless, it sounded like a worthwhile deal, so my writing partner, Dave, and I decided to look into it. We hoped on a Greyhound bus headed to Palm Springs and met Larry Taylor at his preferred location – Carl’s Jr.
When we got there, I suggested we relocate to a place slightly more professional. Larry did not want to hold meetings at his residence due to a high number of feline roommates. One could only imagine a truckload of Renuzits not being able to resolve an uncomfortable situation. We meandered to our preferred location - Denny’s.
Larry was a seasoned man whom I had reason to suspect might somehow be related to Popeye. He claimed he could sell an igloo to an Eskimo and told us of his plan to produce an animated feature film he conceived titled “Penguinmania”. He was going to pitch the project to toy manufacturers and finance the film by selling merchandise licensing rights. It was a good idea… on paper, that is. Dave and I signed contracts for six figures payable upon sale.
Penguinmania was indeed toyific.
A group of performing penguins – Sloppy, Oppie, Doubter, Gabby, Pee-Wee and Show Biz – escape from mean Herman Drachmeyer’s zoo. They are befriended by gypsies who help them return to their families at the South Pole. South, Larry! Penguins have no interest in going to the North Pole.
Larry showed us rough, repeat rough, model sheets and artwork. He played a tape of songs that had been written for the film. The songs were impressive. He then presented us with a rough draft of the screenplay by another writer. GASP! Larry needed our help STAT!
To call this a rough draft was putting it mildly. The script had more holes than a derelict’s underwear. The word logic was obviously not in Larry’s vocabulary. “Where does this story take place, Larry?” “Holland.” “When does it take place?” “Present day.” “But you want gypsies similar to those of olden days?” “Yes.” Would they travel around in horse-drawn carriages in present day Holland? I suggest we keep this time and date neutral. “No. No. No.” Larry insisted it take place in present day, and he wanted this to be a Disney-style film.
After several bottles of Boone’s Farm, Dave and I managed to plug some of the holes. As a token of his gratitude, Larry gave us both Certificates of Achievement in animation writing and named us heads of the writing department for his studio-to-be.
I have to give Larry credit. He truly was on the up-and-up. His idea to pitch to toy companies, however, had a few holes of its own.
He managed to set up a meeting in New York with Alan Hassenfeld, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hasbro, the world’s largest toy manufacturer. Hasbro had just bought out rival Kenner, giving them the Star Wars line. Back on the West Coast, Larry and company met with execs at Bandai. Bandai was starting to launch something called Pokemon. If you were a corporation with properties like Star Wars and Pokemon on the table, would you care about unknown dancing penguins? Our Happy Feet were standing still.
Kevin, a producer Larry had brought onto the project, set up a meeting with the crew and an independent financier who was genuinely interested in Penguinmania. The financier made a very generous offer to buy the concept so that he can develop it himself. He wanted the story, not the studio and the ice, not the igloo. He had the money. Our eyes lit up. Our dreams were about to come true.
“No,” said Larry. “These talented artists put their hearts and souls into Penguinmania. I refuse to take that away from them.” Take it, Larry. Don’t go for what’s behind curtain number one. He then proceeded to pitch his back-pocket project, Harmony Ranch.
No, Larry! Not Harmony Ranch! Know when to say “sold”. Take the offer and finance the company. Dave and I had dozens of back-pocket projects waiting to be made. What about Shepherdstone, Anwn, Miss Lady Liberty? Those are toyific.
We never saw the six-figure pay checks that were in our contracts.
Nobody saw Mr. Taylor’s penguins.
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