Planning - Pitch

Film title: Salesman Blues

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Form: Opening to a feature length film

Location: Outside people’s houses, in a converted garage (known to the boys in the film as the ‘Man Cave’), at a bar.

Time: Present day.

Plot outline: I have only planned the beginning to the film, but a feature length film can easily be created from this beginning. But Mark works as a door-to-door salesman and is not very good when talking to the opposite sex (he has been single for a number of months), therefore, he is constantly faced with rejection from people at work and girls outside of work. The film could then go on to him meeting a certain girl that will give him a chance and they will undoubtedly fall in love, while he makes all the correct decisions in moving his life forward (maybe going to university to help him get the job he wants).

Very basically, this is a typical romantic comedy about a hopeless guy meeting an amazing girl. However, it will also get the audience to see things from a salesman’s perspective (always getting told to go away by homeowners).

Characters:               Mark Jefferson – Main character.

Adam

  Cameron                 (Mark’s best friends)

Dan

Mark's previous girlfriend, Carol is mentioned in the opening of the film and is seen in a scene with him.

Aim: is to evoke a feeling of sympathy from the audience. I want some of them to identify with Mark and his problems in the film, while others pity him. However, all of this should happen in a slightly comical way. I would also hope that it makes the audience feel a little bit more sympathy when they open the door/answer the phone to a salesman next time, because they are only doing their job and they receive a lot of hate for it.

Target Audience: 12+

Audience Appeal: The main character is a nice person, so (stereotypically) women will feel sympathy for him, while some men will identify with him.

Unique Selling Point (USP): It involves a new view on door to door salesmen and will hopefully let the audience think about how they treat people that try to sell them things for their job.

Why the title?

I have chosen the title 'Salesman Blues' because Mark works as a salesman and has quite a depressing lifestyle due to the amount of hate he gets from people in his job. Depression (in terms of it being a 'mood') is described on Wikipedia as a "state of low mood" and is sometimes called 'the blues'.

Hence the title: 'Salesman Blues'.