Testimony Series: Second Chances and God’s Timing - with Julie Korogodon

Episode 193 - Testimony Series: Second Chances and God’s Timing - with Julie Korogodon

This episode is part of our December testimony series. Julie Korogodon shares about a disappointing experience pitching to Hollywood agents. After God provided an opportunity to pitch to one of the same agents, she was surprised at an enthusiastic response. Julie emphasizes her faith and how God worked through her disappointment to bring about this new opportunity. She reflects on the importance of trusting in God's timing, even in the face of potential rejections.

Bio:

Julie Korogodon started her artistic journey acting in theatre, eventually founding Way Theatre Artists, a dramaturg-driven company producing critically acclaimed shows with a focus on increasing community engagement. She completed a Graduate Certificate in Writing for TV at UCLA's School for Theatre, Film & Television - Professional Programs Division. Prior to UCLA, she earned a Graduate Certificate from Dallas Theological Seminary and has been active in various ministries including teaching children and volunteering in urban outreach. As a member of Story Summit Julie develops her feature screenwriting projects. Her writing aims to magnify the complexities of humanity, drawing people closer to one other, leading to positive change, both personal and societal. It has placed as semifinalist and finalist in Slamdance, World Film Festival in Cannes and other competitions. Julie lives with her husband and son in northern NJ and works in healthcare analytics and strategy.

www.juliekorogodon.com

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The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers,  talent agents, and distributors. 

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Episode Transcript

Julie (00:00):
Hi, this is Julie Korogodon.
I wanna share a little bit of what happened this year and how God worked really mightily.
I, um, I had written a Christmas screenplay about a year ago.
I started it in an organization for writers.
Uh, had a class for writing a holiday feature and I worked on it, revised it, et cetera.

(00:22):
And then in May of this year, they were sponsoring a, uh,Hollywood trip to, uh, go pitch, which I signed up for.
Um, I had, uh, 10 minutes with each agent, two agents.
Uh, and I pitched the script with a pitch deck and I thought it went okay.
Um.
Hmm.

(00:43):
One of them seemed interested.
The other one wasn't that interested, but at the end of the pitch, I, I hada minute left and I mentioned a pilot to him that I was working on, that I had done actually, but I was revising and, and, uh, making it better, but I.
Mentioned it, that it was another possibility that might be a fit.
Um, you know, we had a minute, so I couldn't really getinto it much, and I, I left feeling like I just missed it.

(01:10):
Like I had, like I, 'cause he seemed much more interested in the pilot that I was.
Mentioning them in the last minute.
So I ended up feeling pretty down because nothing came out of those two pitches.
Uh, and that trip, at least nothing according to what I could see at the time.
Um.

(01:31):
And then we fast forward to this month and I have done a lot of, uh, revisions to that pilot.
Uh, it's gotten, uh, very good placement in co competitionsand festivals, so it's getting a little more attention.
Um, and I'm really happy with how it evolves since May.
Um, and I. Uh, signed up for a pitch fest online withthe same organization they were bringing in some agents.

(01:59):
Uh, and it turns out, uh, I was, uh.
Uh, pitching to the same agent that I saw in May.
Mind you, I thought, um, is this good or bad?
'cause he didn't like my work, then is he gonna like it?
Now?
Should I ask for a different agent?
Uh, can if you know, if possible can I be besides to somebody different?
I was like really spinning my wheels in my head and, um.

(02:22):
And I'm just like, you know what?
Lemme just go with it.
I'm not gonna ask anything or special treatment, nothing.
Just go, go for it.
So I, I did the pitch last week, um, and it was threeminutes and I was extremely passionate about it.
It is a passion project.
I weave some scripture into it.
Uh, definitely not an a Christian.

(02:45):
Pilot per se, but definitely presents church, uh, uh,juxtaposed with the concert hall and this musical family.
It's very, uh, it's very brooding and, and, you know, prestige television type of thing.
Anyway, he could not have been more complimentary, more favorable.
Uh, the just, I was just overwhelmed with joy.

(03:09):
He.
Ooh.
Just loved it.
He said, I love it.
And I was just like, wow.
Wow.
It's, I, I couldn't, I, I was just overwhelmed.
And, uh, and then the next, uh, day I got an emailfrom him asking if he can take a look at the script.
And I just.
Freaked out.

(03:29):
So excited.
I, I couldn't believe it.
Like the fourth largest agency in the world, and they wanna see my script.
Um, I can't put into words just the, the exhilaration that I was feeling.
Um, and I think it's really a story of like redemption.
Like I, I, I had that experience in May.

(03:51):
I trusted.
That it was for something.
I didn't know what, but I just was really down after the trip.
Uh, and then God comes along and brings the same agent back into my life and get, letsme have a second chance to pitch what I regretted and kick myself or not pitching in May.
And then, you know, I don't know what's gonna happen at, but, but here's the thing.

(04:14):
He actually, when, when I sent him, I'm like, oh, now I'm gonna be checking email every day.
Right?
He, he responded right away and said, thanks Julie.
I'm probably not gonna get till this took Christmas break.
I'm pretty busy wrapping up year end stuff for myclients, and I'm like, God, you think of everything.
Like he, God knew I was gonna be like obsessing over this.
And he is like, Julie, I know you don't obsess.

(04:36):
It's gonna get read, just not right away.
And I feel like that's a lot of the walk, uh, as an, as an artist, a Christianartist, it's like, you know that God's got you, god's got you in the palm of his hand.
But it, it doesn't always feel like the timing is whatyou'd like it to be, but you could trust it, you know?
And, and, and if, if another 10 rejections come, I can still trust his timing.

(05:00):
And that's the beauty of it.
Thank you.