New website

I will no longer be posting here.  You can find my new website at www.PeterLHarmon.com

Thanks!

Biker Battleground: Phoenix

Once again I started a show as a Story Associate Producer and once again I was promoted to Story Producer.  I was given episode 107 of Biker Battleground: Phoenix, "The Build".

The Build

Premiere Date:August 12, 2014 - 11:03-12:01AM ET

It's an old school biker build off as our five guys all go head to head for the first time.

I worked really hard on this episode and I'm proud of the finished product.  Watch it tonight on the History Channel.

I ended on BBG:P on Friday and started on Season 3 of The Car Chasers yesterday as a Story Producer.  I'm excited to jump back into The Car Chasers, it's in a cool location near my house, and so far so good.  Look forward to more car chasing in the Fall.

Re-prioritizing

I blogged a couple months ago that I had posted my screenplay Raw Footage on The Blacklist website.  After a couple months my screenplay was only viewed a handful of times and never rated.  Now granted, it's mostly because I didn't pay for any of the site's recommended evaluations, but still having my screenplay sit stagnant on the site but being charged $25 per month wasn't super fruitful to me.  I could have spent $50 in addition to the $25 monthly charge but I did not, so I acknowledge that I didn't use the site to its fullest potential but I did want to give the site a test run before sinking hundreds of dollars into something that didn't necessarily advance my screenwriting career.

Who cares?  You might be asking.  I just wanted to say that I am currently writing a very promising screenplay with a gentleman that I met and see eye to eye with, I'm working a ton in the reality TV realm, and a movie I wrote When Sushi Met Saki is hopefully going to festivals/ being distributed at some point this year.

So instead of devoting $25 per month to something that may or may not pay off I have decided to donate monthly to Operation Smile, a charity that "provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities for children around the globe."  In this case, at the end of a year, I know that my money will have been used to give a child a better life, in the other case, I could have just thrown away $300 in a relatively selfish pursuit.

I'm sure people have/ will find massive success using The Blacklist, but right this moment I can't justify the expense.

I am optimistic that the hard work I'm putting into both my screenwriting career and my reality TV producing career will pay (and already has paid) off.

And hey, here's the logline for Raw Footage, if you happen to be or know a producer that wants to make a low budget thriller that has only a handful of locations and characters that blends traditional story telling and found footage elements, let me know, haha!

Raw Footage
Thriller
Zach thinks he's being hired to review footage for a new reality show but soon becomes an unwilling participant in a deadly, voyeuristic game that is being caught on camera by a maniac.
WGA # 1641246

Other than that, I'm going to continue producing and writing.

Thanks for reading this.

Spring Cleaning

A lot has been going on lately.

My stint on "Heroes Of Cosplay" ended on a Friday in the middle of March and my latest gig started the next Monday.  I couldn't say what the show was for a while because it hadn't been announced yet BUT History Channel has just announced our show, "Biker Battleground Phoenix" will premiere July 1st.  We've been working long hours, it's a ton of footage, but everything is looking very cool, very intense.

By the way, the episodes of "Heroes Of Cosplay" that I worked on start airing May 27th.  They're going to be good, it was a really fun show to work on.

In that same vein, I've been very appreciative lately.  Let me backtrack for a second and say that when "Intervention" ended I literally went through the stages of grief because I had worked on that show for years.  I didn't know what I was going to do for work and I was very scared during the couple of weeks that I was unemployed until I got my next gig.  And I have worked steadily ever since.  The job world I'm in is almost exclusively based on referrals and I've been able to expand my network by working on these shows this past year.  So, this week in particular, I got several referrals for jobs, none of which I could take because I'm working currently, but it was nice to hear from past coworkers that they wanted to refer me to this or that show that was staffing up.  When this show's post production ends I'm not nervous about finding future employment like I was when "Intervention" ended.

Other exciting things that have been going on:
The producer of When Sushi Met Saki is sending me the movie, I'm super excited to watch it!
I pitched to Funny Or Die this week and will be receiving my first check from them in the near future, hopefully they like what I sent them and it leads to future work.
And I'm working on a script with a fellow screenwriter.  The pages are coming easily, the other screenwriter and I are killing it and it's super fun.

So, if you haven't already, read my "Up All Night" spec script here.
If you're an industry professional go to The Blacklist and read my script Raw Footage.
And everyone should follow me @PeterLHarmon on twitter and instagram, I follow back ya'lllllllll.

Raw Footage on The Black List

I recently posted my script Raw Footage on The Black List.

The Black List is where filmmakers find great material to make films and great material finds filmmakers to make them.

It began as a survey. In 2005, Franklin Leonard surveyed almost 100 film industry development executives about their favorite scripts from that year that had not been made as feature films. That first list - many of which have been made since - can be viewed here. Since then the voter pool has grown to about 500 film executives, 60% of whom typically respond.

Over 225 Black List screenplays have been made as feature films. Those films have earned over $19BN in worldwide box office, have been nominated for 171 Academy Awards, and have won 35, including Best Pictures SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING'S SPEECH, and ARGO, and seven of the last twelve screenwriting Oscars. A complete list of Black List films is here.

In September 2012, we launched a membership site for industry professionals that functions as a real time Black List and screenplay recommendation engine. You can learn more here and sign up for membership here.

In October 2012, we extended our mission further by allowing screenwriters from the world to, for a small fee, upload their scripts to our database, have them evaluated by professional script readers, and subject to that evaluation and our recommendation algorithm, sent to our - at present - over 1000 film industry professionals. You can begin the process of being discovered here.

If you're on The Black List please give my script a look, if you're on twitter tweet about it to @TheBlcklst.

My "Up All Night" Spec Script

In 2013 I submitted to the television writing fellowships (CBS, Disney/ ABC, NBC, Nickelodeon, and Warner Brothers) and wasn't accepted in to any of them AND "Up All Night" was cancelled so this spec no longer has much value, BUT I still love this script so in hopes that I can share it with fellow "Up All Night" fans, get critiques from fellow writers, and hey, maybe someone will like my writing and want to see more, I'm making it available to read.

I'm starting a new tab called Writing Samples and right now this is the only sample I'm putting up, but maybe I'll put some more up in the future.

  Up All Night spec script - "To Do List" by @PeterLHarmon by Peter Harmon

"The Car Chasers" Season 2 wrapped on the 3rd of December for me.  The future was unsure job-wise, but I had saved some money in case I would not be able to find a job until after the holidays.  That night, it was a Tuesday, I received an email from a fellow former Car Chaser with a job lead.  She  had sent my resume to an executive producer, she might be contacting me.  I made the mistake of checking my phone in the middle of the night that night and I had an email from the EP telling me to contact her about the job, so I was nervous and excited and didn't sleep great.

The next day I phone interviewed and the EP asked me to come in for an in-person interview as she was going out of town the next day for a shoot.  I shaved my "relaxing into unemployment beard" and went to the interview.  I got the job offer in the room and accepted.

It was a perfect situation: same rate as my last show, shorter commute, two weeks of work before the two week holiday break then at least a couple of months of work in the New Year.

So I'm now the Story Associate Producer on 51 Mind's Heroes of Cosplay for SyFy.

Heroes of Cosplay is a tantalizing docu-series that lifts the veil on the imaginative world of cosplay and the passionate fans - from legends to newbies - who put their imagination and skills to the test to make a name for themselves in this colorful and competitive world.

Cosplayers and cosplay contests are a fixture and highlight at the many comic book and genre fan conventions around the world. These conventions provide an international stage for fans to showcase often spectacular handcrafted costumes and portray their favorite characters from sci-fi movies, video games, anime and more.

And now I have that money that I saved for unemployment just burning a hole in my account, maybe I'll use it to buy some L200 foam to make a Gijinka version of a legendary Pokemon...

And tonight is the wrap party of "The Car Chasers" Season 2.  You can watch episodes of "The Car Chasers" here.

The Car Chasers, tonight on CNBC at 10pm

My show The Car Chasers premieres tonight.  Two episodes, 10pm and 10:30pm on CNBC.  Look for my name in the credits (and send me a picture of it please, ha!  I don't have CNBC...)

Quick Update

On Monday I started a new gig as the Story Associate Producer on CNBC's "The Car Chasers."

A new season of The Car Chasers is coming this fall! Jeff Allen and Perry Barndt are gamblers… their game, classic and exotic cars. They travel the country looking to buy and sell cars. Whether it's a rare Shelby Mustang or a vintage hot rod, the key is buy low and sell high, something that doesn't always happen. Selling cars is a dangerous business… but perhaps there's no greater danger than negotiating with your own dad.

Right now you can watch 3 television shows that I've worked on.

The first of the Final Five episodes of A&E's Intervention starts tonight.  I had the privilege of working on over 100 episodes as a transcriber, logger, production assistant, and eventually story assistant.  One of my last tasks on the show was writing a webbie, that was posted on the official website last week (and I have posted in the "Reality" tab on my site).  I am proud to have worked on the show.

When my time at "Intervention" ended I logged for We's Pregnant & Dating.  This was the best job.  I logged from home and basically got paid pretty well to watch great footage.  I'm excited to see the episodes!

Currently I am the story assistant on Oxygen's I'm Having Their Baby and I have assisted the story producers and editors on every episode.  I am also in charge of all of the digital content for the season so I have compiled extra interview bits and preview scenes from the episodes, as well as writing and editing new Bonus Videos for each birth mother.  I have learned so much in the handful of months that I've been on this show.

So watch Intervention, Pregnant & Dating, and I'm Having Their Baby!

Another kind of screenwriting

I wrote a webbie for A&E's Intervention!



And this will be the first video in a new page I'm adding to my site: Reality.  I'm currently in charge of all of the web content for Oxygen's "I'm Having Their Baby" so I've been writing a lot more webbies and putting together interview pieces and things like that.

When Sushi Met Saki

Right now, in Tokyo, the cast and crew are finishing shooting a movie I wrote called When Sushi Met Saki.

I got the gig through Craigslist!  I sent in an email and the Producer called me for an over the phone job interview of sorts.  He sent me a movie that he had previously produced, I watched it, and we met.  I got the job and we spent 6 or so months writing the script.  I outlined, he gave notes, I did several drafts, he gave notes and sent ideas and I incorporated them (or occasionally argued as to why I didn't want to).

When I started writing it I worked at night at "Intervention" so I would work at night and write during the day when I wasn't with Christian or catching up on sleep.  Then, I got a promotion and started working during the day so I had to adjust.  You would find me on my laptop during my lunch break, writing a couple pages a day.

So I finished the script and sent it in, the Producer had already done a lot of the Pre-Production, including visiting Japan a couple times to get a crew and scout locations.  He would send me casting videos and I got to weigh in.

One actor who auditioned was one of the leads on one of the most popular after school TV shows in the 90s, he did a good job but didn't get the part.

The cast was set: Jonathan Scherr, an American actor who was in the popular Japanese movie My Darling Is A Foreigner, Itsuka, a Japanese music artist, and Jason London from Dazed and Confused.

And they started filming mid-March.  They've been updating me and I've gathered together the pictures they've posted in one album here.

I'm excited to see the finished movie and then go from there.

New Job

"Intervention" went on hiatus in February and I was out of steady job for the first time.  I freelanced for another show that was being produced by the company that produces "Intervention" and began looking for a new gig.  I got to spend time with my family and write, and in that time I wrote a new feature and chipped away at a larger project that I hope to focus on at some point.

Very soon after I finished writing that feature I was hired at another show, it was perfect timing.  I'm now the Story Assistant on I'm Having Their Baby on Oxygen and I'm really happy with the position.

Here's a promo that I worked on for the upcoming season:

         

A bit about my latest screenwriting gig

I haven't yet said much about the screenwriting gig that I've been working on for the past few months, but I finished the script recently and today a Producer sent me the flyer below:

The flyer is for a real event where some scenes of the movie will be filmed.  The text is probably too small to read but under the blue hand with 'Advance Tickets' on the sleeve it reads:

This event will be filmed and take part in a movie entitled (SEARCHING FOR SUSHI AND SAKI) by "MCLIPS" and Japan Video.  MCLIPS is an Independent Hollywood Film Company that makes movies that are not only innovative and meaningful but are meant to "MAKE A DIFFERENCE" in the lives of those that have seen them by inspiring others to do good as well.  Japan Video Support is a Tokyo based video production company that specializes in providing English speaking video production crews for international video productions taking place in Japan.

Then, under that film strip it reads: 

The film "Searching for Sushi and Saki" is about Tom, an American thirty-something who has recently moved to Tokyo from LA for what he thinks is just a temporary gig, struggles with feelings of isolation in a land where he doesn’t speak the language and all of his relationships are online.  He’s self-absorbed and pretends to be a cooler version of himself on the ‘net.

Then he meets Saki, a free-spirited Japanese woman who teaches him about Tokyo and relating to others in a more personal way.  She tries to help him live in the present and communicate with words, not with texts and email.  She gets him to attend a fundraiser concert that she is performing at, which leads him to a whole new outlook on life.

So yeah, I wrote a movie that's going to be shot in Tokyo soon.  I'll keep you posted.

2012 in Review

In 2012, I...

Got a raise, switched from the night shift to the day shift, and got two promotions at my job on A&E's TV show "Intervention."

Freelance logged footage for a show that hasn't premiered yet.

Took a sketch writing class at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Had a couple meetings with a Producer at Funny Or Die and interviewed for a position at Break.com.

Participated in 4 sketches and wrote 3 articles that were featured on the front page of Funny or Die.

Started and ran The Best Sketch Comedy On The 'Net Tumblr blog which led to free comedy shows, new connections, and a position contributing to Comedy Nerds United, a popular blog that has over 125,000 followers.

Shot a video for fun of my son and my dog dancing to an Adele song that so far has over a quarter of a million views on Youtube.

Wrote a sit-com spec script for my writing packet.

Began writing a novella.

Signed a contract and began writing a paid feature length movie for an Independent Producer.

I'm looking forward to 2013 even though the future is never certain.

New Sketches on Funny Or Die!

I wrote, co-produced, and acted in a couple of sketches.  Criminal Mimes was featured on the front page of Funny or Die and we just released Thanksgiving? today!

Criminal Mimes - watch more funny videos

Thanksgiving? - watch more funny videos

Thanksgiving? is a sequel to my sketch Valentine's Day?  You can watch all of my sketches here or on my Funny Or Die page.

Since I last blogged I changed positions at my job on the show Intervention.  I was a Night Logger, I logged the show's raw footage from 7pm to 3am 3 nights a week and worked an 8 hour shift each weekend day as well.  I am now a Production Assistant during the regular work week day shift (I have also been covering for the Story Assistant while he is on vacation).  It's been pretty great, I now have nights and weekends like a regular human!  And my day is broken up a bit more, I have a variety of tasks to take care of instead of exclusively watching and logging 40ish hours a week of footage of people using drugs and their lives spiraling out of control...

I recently shot another sketch with some friends culled from the crews of Beats by Dr. Dre and Valentine's Day? and "The End."  I'll post it once it's posted.

I'm still working on my latest top secret feature writing gig.  The outline was approved and I'm writing pages while the Producer scouts locations, casts actors, and all that good stuff.

And of course you can follow The Best Sketch Comedy On The 'Net, which I run, and Comedy Nerds United, which I contribute to.

I applied for and was chosen to be a CNtributor to the popular blog Comedy Nerds United!

Look for my posts on there, some probably in conjunction with my blog The Best Sketch Comedy On The 'Net, including my recent submission What You Were Doing If You Didn't See 'The Master'

And follow me, Comedy Nerds United, and The Best Sketch Comedy On The 'Net on Twitter.

I acted in a video that was featured on the front page of Funny Or Die on Sunday.  Here it is:

Beats By Dr. Dre - watch more funny videos

I added it to my Sketch tab.  Check out the rest of my sketches, articles, and things on my Funny Or Die page.

I just signed a contract to write an independent feature film.

I'll keep ya posted.