Brad Kessell - First 30 Consultation

First 30 Consultation

Brad Kessell

Producer

Gold Circle

What to Expect

There's so much to accomplish in the first act of a feature. Worse, if the reader isn't hooked by page 15, they'll likely stop reading. For the First 30 Consultation, you'll submit the first 30 pages of your feature or one-hour pilot script, and then have a 30-minute story notes call with the executive. They will help you boost your hook and refine your set up to make sure it is as strong as possible so readers HAVE to know what happens next.

Questions? Email terra@roadmapwriters.com

Pitch Tips

The concept should be clear and near-universally relatable, and grounded in a recognizable world. The characters should be well-drawn with clear wants and both internal and external conflicts, as well as an identifiable character arc for the protagonist(s).

Formats Interested In

Features

Particularly Interested In

I'm particularly interested in stories (no matter the genre) which invests us in the emotional journey of the protagonist(s). Feel-good comedies, romantic comedies, dramadies and dramas that make us laugh AND cry. Stories that inspire. Horror that scares us in an elemental, existential way, not just as 'jump scares' or gore. Characters we CARE about. Characters succeeding against impossible odds.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, PAPER MOON, GET OUT, CODA, BILLY ELLIOT, LOCAL HERO, SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE VERDICT

Feature Genres

Drama

Comedy

RomCom

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

Thriller

Horror

Budget Range

All Budget Ranges

Sub-Genres

Animation (family-friendly)

Biopic

Book Adaptation

Buddy

Coming-of-Age

Crime/True Crime

Dark Comedy

Documentary Adaptation

Dystopian

Faith-Based/Faith-Friendly

Family-Friendly

Female-Driven

Futuristic

Ghosts

Graphic Novel Adaptation

High-Concept

Historical

Holiday

Inspirational

Kids/Children

Latinx

LGBTQIA+

Musical

Mystery

Period Piece

Political

Post-Apocalyptic

Psychological

Revenge

Road Trip

Romance

Socially Relevant

Space

Spiritual

Sports

Supernatural

Suspense

True Story

Western

Workplace

Young Adult (YA)

Specifically Not Interested In

Fantasy

More about Brad Kessell

Brad Kessell graduated from UCLA, and worked for several years as a reader for several studios and producers. At the same time, he spent time working in TV production, stage plays (with John Cassavetes) then as a film executive first for producer Sherry Lansing (on FATAL ATTRACTION, SCHOOL TIES, THE ACCUSED) and finally as a VP under Ms. Lansing at Paramount for many years, where he also ran the Story Department. At Paramount, Brad worked on scores of pictures including INDECENT PROPOSAL, FIRST WIVES CLUB, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, TIMELINE and many others. He was fortunate enough to work with directors as diverse and talented as Francis Coppola, Billy Friedkin, Adrian Lyne, Dick Donner, and Phillip Kaufman and such legendary producers as Sherry Lansing, Scott Rudin, Alan Ladd Jr., Mace Neufeld, David Picker, Gale Ann Hurd, Lauren Shuler Donner and Robert Evans.

After nearly 20 years at Paramount, Brad segued to work at Gold Circle, one of the most long-lived and successful independent film financiers in the business. There, he contributed his development skills to Gold Circle's slate which emphasized mainly comedies and supernatural horror films. Brad produced or had a significant hand in developing such pictures as the WHITE NOISE franchise, THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, WEDDING DATE, BECAUSE I SAID SO, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, THE FOURTH KIND, PITCH PERFECT 1 and 2, GREEK WEDDING 2, THE NEW DAUGHTER, I STILL SEE YOU, and the forthcoming Lionsgate Halloween 2022 release PREY FOR THE DEVIL. Focus/Universal will release CHAMPIONS, an inspirational, feel-good comedy starring Woody Harrelson and directed by Bobby Farrelly, in March 2023.

Through the years, Brad has purchased and developed scripts by many unproduced writers and/or first time directors, often giving them their 'first break'. He has developed a reputation for working with and mentoring talented but inexperienced writers to bring out the best in their work.

Testimonials

It's really valuable to have access to his level of expertise and experience. Brad's recommendations targeted precisely the areas I can work on before marketing this script.

~ Greg Price, Screenwriter

How it Works

After 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.

**Please note only features and one-hour pilots are eligible for First 30 Consultations. Half-Hour pilots are ineligible for First 30 Consultations.

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.

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