3–2–1: Design It for a Hungover Executive
October 29, 2026· Kate Gaulke
Happy Thursday!
First of all, have you had a glass of water? Have you eaten something recently? Go take care of yourself!
I needed this reminder over the past week. It's amazing how we need, I don't know, basic sustenance? I found myself sinking into a crappy headspace this last week after hitting the gym and neglecting to eat or drink anything for several hours.
Had a really wonderful week full of coverage! And excited to see some of my clients leveling up of late :) You have no idea how happy your success makes me 🖤
If you’ve been wanting to connect but have been feeling shy, please! Let’s talk! You don’t need to have a finished script or know exactly what you need help with. That’s something we can figure out together :)
We’ll have 45 minutes on Zoom to talk about where you’re at with your writing and work through what’s on your mind. There’s zero purchasing pressure - I only talk about my services if you ask. I’d love to meet you and help you move in a good direction. No tricks, just treats 🎃
Also GO BREWERS!!! So happy for their World Series win 💙💛🍻
Anyways, on with the show -
3 IDEAS FROM ME
I. Design it for a hungover executive
Yes, I actually said this in multiple sessions over the last week and it is a hill I'm willing to die on. "What should I design for a hungover executive?" You may be asking.
Your emails, your screenplay, your pitch, everything.
Talking with creatives, I frequently hear the complaint that someone didn't pay close enough attention to their script. If they had, they wouldn't be confused. That may be true! It may also be an indicator that something needs a closer look. Whatever the case may be, we can't expect our work to always reach someone when they're at their best. Are you at your best every single day? No! Execs are people too and we need to account for human error.
I hear creatives throw a lot of flak at execs, and before I worked on the other side of the desk I would have joyfully hopped on the complaint bandwagon (...sometimes I still do). But now I know how unreasonable the demands on these people can be. Good managers, development execs and producers are doing a LOT on your behalf that you never see. And YES, some of that work is going to parties and networking into the night.
Most of these people are smart and capable and excellent readers, but they’re stretched thin. Your work still needs to land when they’re tired, distracted or, yes, hungover. Help them help you.
Make your request easy to reply to. Keep your pitch readable at a glance. Make necessary information easy to find.
I’ve broken down how to submit your screenplay professionally, including the email that goes with it.
II. Give emotion a moment to land
I see this all the time - we have a really impressive plot and a ton of great context, but when we reach a pivotal moment we zoom by too fast to process emotionally.
Let us watch the character absorb what just happened before the next plot turn. Linger, just a touch, so we can process. You don’t even need a big reaction. Sometimes a relatively neutral beat gives the audience room to feel it for themselves.
I’m looking for like an eighth of a page. Possibly less.
If you’re checking what actually changes emotionally in a scene, try this scene-by-scene exercise.
III. Put on your producer hat
When you move from writing to pitching, you need to switch hats. Like it or not, at the end of the day we live in a capitalist world and arguably the #1 driving factor for a producer is, "will this make money?"
People like to hear numbers. When you're talking about the audience for your movie, get specific. Who's going to want this experience? Which comparable films help someone picture it? What can you actually find out about how those films performed and what they cost? A useful comp gives someone a mental picture as well as insight into cost and ROI. Real audience information helps them think about the business.
A great story doesn’t necessarily = a great ROI. If you’re asking a studio or production company to invest potentially millions in your project, your work needs to justify that budget. Who’s going to show up for this movie? Why this story, at this scale? You want the appeal to be so clear that investing feels like a no-brainer. I’d say those stakes are pretty high.
2 QUOTES FROM OTHERS
“First off, it’s important to practice.”
On preparing to pitch on Zoom. Say it out loud before the meeting.
“But what I try and do really is actually think about it in terms of a last emotion.”
On the feeling an ending leaves behind. Useful to keep in mind when you pitch, too.
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
What are you hoping the audience takes away from your story?
Until next week, Kate Gaulke
p.s. If you’re reading this thinking, “Okay, but how does this apply to MY project?”—let’s talk! That’s exactly the kind of thing we can dig into in a free consult :)
p.p.s. This is too real