You can’t be surprized.

But if you thought it was all some sort of an idealist dream, you won’t have to pinch yourself.

Just pick up a freshly printed Time Magazine to see a true American hero on the front cover - Barack Obama. It’s been a long time coming.

From the first time I heard you speak in 2004, I knew you would be President. Thank you, from the depths of my heart. Thank you…

To read more about why History Can’t Wait, please click here .

With our deadline for submissions coming to a close for our 2009 season, I thought I’d post a ‘Pitch Method" for your next ‘pitch fest’.  Try it and contact me here with your feedback.

Need an Award winning Pitch Method for Your Next Screenplay…?

Here’s a great one by Jason Butler, Writer / Director, Dublin City, IE

Here’s the Breakdown:

1. Start by introducing yourself, your role on the project (writer/director/producer/…) and any notables about yourself, your previous work, awards etc…
2. State the name of the project, the type of project and genre (horror feature film, dramatic short, comedy tv series etc…), and any other notables about it, e.g. based on a novel by x, being written by y, actor z attached etc…
3. Now give a short summary of the story or concept. This is like the log line. One sentence or two at most. It doesn’t have to encompass the whole story but should hook the audience and help them follow along with your story as you pitch it. This should be the idea that inspired you to make this film.
4. Introduce your main character(s). What it is that they want. And what’s wrong with them.
5. Now give a very quick run through of the plot hitting all the major beats, focusing on how they relate to your main character or how you character reacts to them. You may also introduce the antagonist here.
6. Wrap it up by describing the final huge obstacle facing the main character and then the build to how they’re going to get around it. Don’t try and hide things - if your story has a crucial twist, you’ve got to tell what it is or they’ll think you don’t know what it is yet. End on a happy note or a tragic one.
7. Invite questions.
8. Remember to make good eye contact throughout the pitch. Don’t read from notes. You’ve got to sell your story not just tell it, so don’t get hung up on details.
9. Keep your hands moving, use your whole body to pitch.
10. Your job is to get the people you are pitching to interested enough in your project to read the script.
11. Keep your language clear and concise, it’s not prose or poetry, it’s communication.
12. Your whole pitch should fit on one page. If you can get it down to 3/4 or 1/2 a page even better.

Always leave them wanting to know more, don’t bore them.

By Shannonn Kelly

Five nominations lead the pack for  “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ” starring Brad Pit and Cate Blanchett and directed by one of my faves: David Fincher.

 “Frost/Nixon ”, also received five nominations, starring Frank Langella who’s had a terrifc 12 months at the box office with his 2007 film, "Starting Out In The Evening " as aging, sickly writer, Leonard Schiller, who comes across ambitious graduate student who tries to convince him her thesis can resurrect his career.

Can you guess who I want to see win the Golden Globe…? and then the Academy Award in the Best Actor category…?

Other best-drama nominees: “The Reader,” “Revolutionary Road” and “Slumdog Millionare.”

The year’s blockbuster, “The Dark Knight ,” had only one nomination, supporting actor for Heath Ledger as the Joker. I believe Aaron Eckhart, who played Harvey Dent, should have also been nominated for his complex role and energy that (I suspect) spurred Heath on to give the performance he did.

Two nominations for Meryl Streep for best dramatic actress for “Doubt” and musical or comedy actress for “Mamma Mia!”; and Kate Winslet for best actress for “Revolutionary Road” and supporting-actress for “The Reader.”

Other nominees for dramatic actress were: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married” (What???); Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; and Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”, whom I predict will win. If not, then Jolie-

Nominees for dramatic actor were Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Brad Pitt, “Benjamin Button”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; and Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”.

Everybody loves a comeback and as Jeremy Piven in his role as "Ari" on "Entourgage says:, "Since Britney blews hers, it’s all yours!".  I would love to see Mickey Rourke (who took 20 years to learn not to be a pain in Hollywood’s ass) to win this hands down.

Sorry Sean Penn, you are the ultimate contemporaty character actor and my ‘go-to’ guy, but the release of Milk is in the wrong year. Damn!

Sorry Frank Langella, you should have have been nominated and won last year for both the GG and the Oscar.

Mickey needs to win this. At least for his faithful dog-pal "Loki". If Rourke wins, I know you too will be secretly happy for him.

Below is the complete list of nominees:

2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION

1.    BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

A.    The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Warner Bros. Pictures And Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures And Paramount Pictures

B.    Frost/Nixon

Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures

C.    The Reader

Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company

D.    Revolutionary Road

An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; Dreamworks Pictures In Association With  BBC Films And Paramount Vantage

E.     Slumdog Millionaire    

Fox Searchlight Pictures And Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures And Warner Bros.

2.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

A.    Anne Hathaway        Rachel Getting Married

B.    Angelina Jolie            Changeling

C.    Meryl Streep             Doubt

D.    Kristin Scott Thomas     I’ve Loved You So Long

    (Il Y A Longtemps Que Je T’aime)

E.    Kate Winslet            Revolutionary Road

3.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

A.    Leonardo Dicaprio        Revolutionary Road

B.    Frank Langella        Frost/Nixon

C.    Sean Penn                Milk

D.    Brad Pitt    The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

E.    Mickey Rourke            The Wrestler

4.     BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    Burn After Reading

Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features In Association With Studio Canal

B.    Happy-Go-Lucky

            Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films

C.    In Bruges

Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features

D.    Mamma Mia!

Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures

E.    Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Mediapro; The Weinstein Company

5.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    Rebecca Hall            Vicky Cristina Barcelona

B.    Sally Hawkins            Happy-Go-Lucky

C.    Frances Mcdormand    Burn After Reading

D.    Meryl Streep    Mamma Mia!

E.    Emma Thompson        Last Chance Harvey

6.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    Javier Bardem            Vicky Cristina Barcelona

B.    Colin Farrell            In Bruges

C.    James Franco            Pineapple Express

D.    Brendan Gleeson    In Bruges

E.    Dustin Hoffman        Last Chance Harvey

7.    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

A.    Bolt

Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

B.    Kung Fu Panda

Dreamworks Animation Skg; Paramount Pictures

C.    Wall-E

Walt Disney Pictures And Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

8.    BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A.    The Baader Meinhof Complex        (Germany)

(Der Badder Meinhof Komplex)

Constantin Film Produktion Gmbh; Summit Entertainment, Llc

B.    Everlasting Moments             (Sweden/Denmark)

(Maria Larssons Eviga Ögonblick)

Final Cut Productions Aps; Ifc Films

C.    Gomorrah                     (Italy)

(Gomorra)

Fandango; Ifc Films

D.    I’ve Loved You So Long             (France)

(Il Y A Longtemps Que Je T’aime)

Ugc Ym/Ugc Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics

E.    Waltz With Bashir                 (Israel)

Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D’ici/Razor Films/Arte France/Itvs International; Sony Pictures Classics

9.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

A.    Amy Adams            Doubt

B.    Penelope Cruz             Vicky Cristina Barcelona

C.    Viola Davis    Doubt

D.    Marisa Tomei            The Wrestler

E.    Kate Winslet            The Reader

10.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

A.    Tom Cruise    Tropic Thunder

B.    Robert Downey Jr.    Tropic Thunder

C.    Ralph Fiennes    The Duchess

D.    Philip Seymour Hoffman    Doubt

E.    Heath Ledger    The Dark Knight

11.    BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

A.    Danny Boyle            Slumdog Millionaire

B.    Stephen Daldry        The Reader

C.    David Fincher            The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

D.    Ron Howard            Frost/Nixon

E.    Sam Mendes            Revolutionary Road

12.    BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

A.    Simon Beaufoy    Slumdog Millionaire

B.    David Hare            The Reader

C.    Peter Morgan            Frost/Nixon

D.    Eric Roth                The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

E.    John Patrick Shanley    Doubt

13.    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

A.    Alexandre Desplat         The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

B.    Clint Eastwood        Changeling

C.    James Newton Howard    Defiance

D.    A. R. Rahman            Slumdog Millionaire

E.    Hans Zimmer    Frost/Nixon

14.    BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

A.    “Down To Earth” — Wall-E

Music By:  Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman

Lyrics By:  Peter Gabriel

B.    “Gran Torino” — Gran Torino

Music By:  Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens

Lyrics By:  Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens

C.    “I Thought I Lost You” — Bolt

Music & Lyrics By:  Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele

D.    “Once In A Lifetime” — Cadillac Records

Music & Lyrics By:  Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street

E.    “The Wrestler” — The Wrestler

Music & Lyrics By:  Bruce Springsteen

15.    BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

A.    Dexter (Showtime)

Showtime/John Goldwyn Productions/The Colleton Company/Clyde Phillips Productions

B.    House (Fox)

Universal Media Studios In Association With Heel And Toe Films, Shore Z Productions And Bad Hat Harry Productions

C.    In Treatment (HBO)

Sheleg, Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment

D.    Mad Men (AMC)

Lionsgate Television

E.    True Blood (HBO)

Your Face Goes Here Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment

16.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

A.    Sally Field            Brothers And Sisters

B.    Mariska Hargitay        Law And Order: Special Victims Unit

C.    January Jones            Mad Men

D.    Anna Paquin             True Blood

E.    Kyra Sedgwick            The Closer

17.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

A.    Gabriel Byrne            In Treatment

B.    Michael C. Hall         Dexter

C.    Jon Hamm                Mad Men

D.    Hugh Laurie             House

E.    Jonathan Rhys Meyers     The Tudors

18.    BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    30 Rock (NBC)

Universal Media Studios In Association With Broadway Video And Little

Stranger Inc.

B.    Californication (Showtime)

Showtime Presents In Association With Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then…

C.    Entourage (HBO)

Leverage And Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment

D.    The Office (NBC)

Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios

E.    Weeds (Showtime)

Lionsgate Television

19.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    Christina Applegate        Samantha Who?

B.    America Ferrera        Ugly Betty

C.    Tina Fey                30 Rock

D.    Debra Messing             The Starter Wife

E.    Mary-Louise Parker        Weeds

20.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

A.    Alec Baldwin            30 Rock   

B.    Steve Carell            The Office

C.    Kevin Connolly        Entourage

D.     David Duchovny        Californication

E.    Tony Shalhoub            Monk

21.    BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

A.    A Raisin In The Sun (ABC)

Sony Pictures Television

B.    Bernard And Doris (HBO)

Trigger Street Independent Productions In Association With Little Bird And Chicago Films And HBO Films

C.    Cranford (PBS)

A Co-Production Of BBC And WGBH Boston.

D.    John Adams (HBO)

Playtone In Association With HBO Films

E.    Recount (HBO)

Spring Creek/Mirage Productions In Association With Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures And HBO Films

22.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

A.    Judi Dench            Cranford

B.    Catherine Keener        An American Crime

C.    Laura Linney             John Adams

D.    Shirley Maclaine        Coco Chanel

E.    Susan Sarandon         Bernard And Doris

23.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

A.    Ralph Fiennes            Bernard And Doris

B.    Paul Giamatti            John Adams

C.    Kevin Spacey            Recount

D.    Kiefer Sutherland        24: Redemption

E.    Tom Wilkinson            Recount

24.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

A.    Eileen Atkins            Cranford

B.    Laura Dern            Recount

C.    Melissa George        In Treatment

D.    Rachel Griffiths        Brothers And Sisters

E.    Dianne Wiest            In Treatment

25.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

A.    Neil Patrick Harris        How I Met Your Mother

B.    Denis Leary            Recount

C.    Jeremy Piven            Entourage

D.    Blair Underwood        In Treatment

E.    Tom Wilkinson            John Adams

by Shannonn Kelly

I’m sorry to report that one of my favorite character actors, Robert Prosky died December 8 at Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC. Prosky died from complications from a heart procedure. He was three days shy of his 78th birthday.

Born December 13, 1930, Robert Joseph Porzuczek in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia is probably best known for his role as soft hearted desk sergeant Stanislaus "Stan" Jablonski on "Hill Street Blues" from 1984 to 1987.

A 50 year resident of Washington, DC, Prosky worked the boards on Washington’s Arena Stage for 23 seasons in over 130 roles starting out as a struggling actor to become one of the most versatile performers in top tier theater productions.

Prosky toured as the populist orator Matthew Harrison Brady in "Inherit the Wind" and as the stage manager in Thornton Wilder’s "Our Town" and periodically returned to the New York stage. He earned Tony Award nominations in two Broadway shows, "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1984) and Lee Blessing’s "A Walk in the Woods" (1988).

Prosky jokingly said his success was due to his paunch and premature gray hair, telling The Washington Post, "This hair and this gut are the two reasons I got started as an actor. I could play men 50 when I was 30, maybe 25.  I could always play the funny fat man."

Prosky used his father for inspiration, a Philadelphia butcher with a seventh-grade education, for his interpretation of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman.

In his movie debut, Michael Mann’s "Thief " (1981) with James Caan, Prosky played the vicious father of a ring of Chicago diamond thieves. "Thief" also marked the film debuts of James Belushi , Dennis Farina , and William Petersen .

Focusing on Prosky, New York Times film critic Vincent Canby found him "exceptionally effective" as "a Middle Western version of the sort of villains that Sydney Greenstreet once played."

Prosky’s career as a film heavy continued in roles such as the evil garage owner in "Christine " (1983), a corrupt judge and baseball team co-owner in "The Natural " (1984) and as a mafia don in David Mamet’s "Things Change " (1988) also starring Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna.

Also for Mamet, Prosky played the aging and increasingly desparate salesman, Shelly "The Machine" Levene in the sstage production of  "Glengarry Glen Ross", a role originally envisioned for legendary TV comedian Sid Caesar and was later played by Jack Lemmon in the movie, opposite Kevin Spacey.

It was a nice change of pace, Mr. Prosky said,  when he played the self-deprecating priest in "Rudy " (1993). starring Sean Astin in the title role.

Portraying TV newsmen also became a specialty for him. In "Mrs. Doubtfire " (1993), he played a station owner who exchanged quips with Robin Williams. Prosky clashed with journalist Dustin Hoffman in director Costa-Gavras’s "Mad City " (1997). And he was a longtime executive who gets pink-slipped in director James L. Brooks’s "Broadcast News " (1987) starring William Hurt, Albert Boorks and Holly Hunter.

Mr. Prosky’s other film roles include the pro bono lawyer for death-row inmate Sean Penn in "Dead Man Walking " (1995) also starring Susan Sarandon and a judge in the 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street ", starring Richard Attenborough.

One of my favorite roles that Robert Prosky played recently was Wayne Rutley in 2007 on "ER" as a father who had to come to terms with his son dying before him.

I always looked to Prosky to pull out emotions that put us all ‘in the moment’ of what he feeling in his role. I remember I watched this episode twice, soley because of his performance. I was right there with him, feeling what he wanted me to feel.

Thank you Robert, for all your work…

Best known as The Number Painter on the PBS children’s show Sesame Street , and as the quirky English neighbor "Harry Bentley " on the sitcom The Jeffersons that ran from 1975 to 1985 on CBS .

Benedict was found dead Monday, December 1, 2008 on Martha’s Vineyard. His brother, Charles, said authorities were still investigating the cause of death.

The accented speech that he used even offstage led many to assume that Benedict was British.

Paul Benedict was actually born Sept. 17, 1938, in Silver City, New Mexico a town currently of about 12,000 people and home to Harrison Schmitt , the astronaut and Henry McCarty, otherwise known as  "Billy the Kid ".

Benedict was the youngest of six children. His father Mitchell M. Benedict was a doctor and his mother, Alma Marie Loring was a journalist.  "When I was 5 years old, from the first time I went to the movies, I knew I wanted to be an actor," said Benedict during an interview in 1992.

Growing up in Boston, Benedict attended Suffolk University and began his acting career in the 1960s in the Theatre Company of Boston, performing alongside such future stars as Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.

On Broadway, he appeared opposite Pacino in Eugene O’Neill’s two-character play "Hughie" in 1996 and played the mayor in a 2000 revival of "The Music Man."

Benedict played the director of the Richard III production in the 1977 movie The Goodbye Girl starring Richard Dreyfuss , in which Richard was to be portrayed in the play as a stereotypical gay man.

He was in a short scene in the 1984 mockumentary film This is Spinal Tap , playing the awkward desk clerk who checks in the band. In the 1990 film The Freshman , he played the condescending NYU film school professor of Matthew Broderick ’s main character. He also made a memorable appearance as the incorrectly assumed title character in the 1996 film Waiting for Guffman , another mockumentary involving many of the same writers and actors.

Benedict also played the role of a slave trader in Dino De Laurentiis ‘ Mandingo opposite James Mason and Perry King in 1975. Perhaps his best known movie role was of the reverend Lundquist in the 1972 Sydney Pollack film Jeremiah Johnson .

As a stage director, he was known for taking a work in progress or a new play and laboring with a playwright to infuse it with "intelligence, sympathy and warmth — and of course, humor," The Times reported in 1992.

His breakthrough show as a Stage director was "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune " in 1987, closely followed by "The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives" in 1989, both two-person sleepers that became off-Broadway hits in New York.

Hawaii Five-O, Emmy-nominated producer, William Finnegan died of Parkinson’s Disease at his home in Sag Harbor, NY on November 28, 2008.

Finnegan was nominated for an Emmy five times.

In 1988, for Outstanding Miniseries for "Lincoln " . Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special for "Amos ", starring Kirk Douglas in 1985, Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special for "The Dollmaker"  in 1984 with jane Fonda, Outstanding Limited Series for "King " in 1978, and Outstanding Drama Series  "Hawaii Five-O " in 1968, a pop culture favorite which coined the phrase "Book ‘em Danno".

William Finnegan’s credits also  include  the TV show "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd " starring Blair Brown, and films such as the infamous "White Palace " (1990) starring James Spader and Susan Sarandon and "Reality Bites ", Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn.

Reality bites also starred Ben Stiller and was his first real box office feature hit.

Finnegan also  co-produced movies such as; "Support Your Local Gunfighter " in 1971 starring James Garner, "The Fabulous Baker Boys " in 1989, starring Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer and  Beau Bridges, "The Babe " in 1992 starring John Goodman and the family friendly film "Ed " in 1996 staring Matthew LeBlanc.

Finnegan was born Born June 29, 1928, in Kansas City, MO. He was married to his wife, Patricia for 57 years, who, along with Sheldon Pinchuk, formed the Finnegan-Pinchuk production company, which specialized in supplying movies for network and cable stations in the 1980s.

Finnegan is also survived by his four children, William, Kevin, Colleen and Michael; and three grandchildren.

Condolences may be sent to the family at 21 East 90th Street, No. 10-A, New York, NY, 10128.