Open Call: Pitch Reels

The Pitch:

Almost each and every day now we see a new aftershock of America’s housing meltdown: the empty houses, the record setting bank losses, the increasing desperation among Realtors and loan officers for business. Seemingly overnight, an entire segment of the American economy vanished, replaced instead with vacant homes and owners nowhere to be found. But who are they, these missing persons, the families and faces behind the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression?

“When the Curtain Falls” is a look into a world shameful and secret to many, the world of foreclosure. It is a vein that runs through the entirety of our nation, be us black, white, rich, poor, young, or old. This year alone nationwide foreclosure rates have jumped by over 50%, the result being that most American families either are, or know someone, in some stage of foreclosure.

None of these families started out on this road, however. At one time these individuals were chasing an American Dream of their own, a dream that now lies destroyed. “When the Curtain Falls” will avoid speculation or finger pointing, but instead profile the dreams these families had and the struggles they now face to keep their homes.

Our stories will unfold from the point of view of individual families as they discuss their predicament, and what circumstances left them facing foreclosure in the first place. We’ll attempt to capture the anger, frustration, sadness, and hopelessness of these men and woman as they attempt to stop, or stall, their home’s day on the auction block.

Our families will come from a variety of backgrounds to illustrate the indiscriminate manner in which foreclosure strikes. Most importantly we will attempt to capture families in various stages of the foreclosure process, including:

• A family just starting to get behind on their bills, and what steps they’re taking to try and rectify the situation
• A family already in foreclosure, and desperately seeking a solution from the bank or an outside buyer
• A family that has decided to abandon their home, and why they chose that particular route
• A family that has been through foreclosure and is trying to put their lives back together.

The bulk of our time will be spent on those near the middle and end of foreclosure to capture their perspective from “inside” the process.

Ultimately, we hope the viewer walks away with a reminder that this “credit crunch,” this great economic crisis, all began with the dreams and ambitions of ordinary, hardworking Americans.

Carter Cantrell- has worked in real estate for seven years including as an AE for a major residential lender. He has previously owned his own residential flipping company and is currently a managing partner in a commercial real estate company. He has watched the current crisis unfold from within the industry and seen firsthand the effect on lenders, homeowners, and real estate professionals. This project is his attempt to give voice to those hit hardest by America’s soaring foreclosure rates- the borrower.