ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Pitch the right script to the right producer. I've a friend who produces live DVD's of stadium rock bands - don't pitch her a period drama. Another producer makes £1-3M studio-based thrillers, so your £50M sci-fi is the wrong script to pitch. Know what the producer has made and sold before, and if your project his any of the same beats as one of their successes, mention it.

It takes time to read a script, and its not fun. The producer will be costing it up the whole way, so not as deeply in the story as you are. This is where treatments help - they can decide whether or not a project is viable and suitable in three pages instead of 110. The treatment is the whole story by the way, hitting the plot points and yes it is a 'spoiler' for the ending. No producer is going to be so enthralled by a page or two that ends '... Then things get mysterious...' or whatever. Don't be enigmatic, be businesslike!

If you do supply a script, make some effort with formatting. Even using a serif, proportional typeface is very offputting.

Be really open to change - to you it may feel as if they suggest your newborn baby has cosmetic surgery, but to them it's just another film pitch at this stage. They will be factoring cost, likeability, saleability, etc. If they suggest changes, consider them. You can kick the furniture later, but someone offering ideas which they think might make your script realistically produceable is investing emotionally in your project, which is an essential part of the sales process (it's the real reason behind car test drives). And of course they may just be right and can make an average project shine with a few tweaks.

Buy them a coffee - they may be richer than you, but at this stage you are selling to them, and £2 is a low entry bar. It also establishes some reciprocity, again common in sales!

9 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich

I'm going to assume this is a verbal pitch.

Keep it short. 5 minutes is plenty. Don't delve into secondary characters or minor story. As much as I hate screenplay lingo, I'll have to use it here. Your pitch is your main character arc. His or her inciting incident and first plot point for sure. Find a way to tell the story in those 3 to 5 minutes that leaves them wanting more. You might even take them up to the 3rd act, and stop. If they are really interested, they'll ask "well, what happens?" If they are incredibly interested, they'll ask to read the script, which is what you want out of a pitch.

Don't walk in with only one idea. If they don't like the first pitch, but like you or the way you told the story, they'll say "what else do you have?" Be prepared. If you've got one script, but 3 really well fleshed out ideas for scripts, work on pitches for those as well. Of course, it's best to have completed scripts, but if you don't, at least have the ideas down.

Rehearse your pitch a lot. You can't seem nervous. Make sure you've pitched your script to friends for practice, and see what suggestions they have (make sure they have NOT read the script). Know your script well. You need an immediate answer to any question a producer asks. And certainly, don't be defensive. Any idea they have at this point is a good one.

And let me say this: I have never read a treatment that was well written. Seriously. Even for great scripts. So if it's a "pitch" on paper, make it interesting. Write it like a short story, not a list of plot points.

In the end, whatever your pitch is, it must be a good story that is told well. I'd watch some stories from "The Moth". Taylor Negron tells a great one. Keep in mind, these are long, and all true, but most are structured well and you want to hear more. You want to hear what happens next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z12ISVpdh60

9 years, 7 months ago - ALEXANDRA BOYD

Loved the Taylor Negron story on The Moth. Thank you for posting Dan. Having lived in LA for ten years, the theme resonated.

Good luck with pitching Ricardo. I've found one of my most powerful pitching tools is a lookbook I've created using visuals and themes (usually from Pinterest) contained in the film. 4-5 images to suggest the main characters on a page and a bio (single paragraph) on each. I also include location, sound, camera suggestions and my cinematic influences.
The producer/actor/investor has an immediate idea of the story & tone before they meet for the pitch. It serves as a visual short form treatment. I don't give away the end of course.
I can send you an example of my latest project if you're interested. In fact (& this is not a pitch!!) but I'm beginning to create similar documents (PDF and book form) for other writers projects.
Best of luck Alexandra X

9 years, 7 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

Cool tag lines?
Cujo - 'Jaws, with paws'. Brilliant!

I also have respect for titles that sell the film. 'Snakes on a Plane', that was sold in the first 4 words of the pitch, I'm sure.

9 years, 7 months ago - Luke Walton

This is a great discussion with really good advice for you Rickardo. I run a series of talks called Film Matters (usually in London, usually the first Tuesday evening of the month and always on Eventbrite) Jackie Sheppard from Footprint Films (AFRICA UNITED) gives a great talk called "pitching producable films" and draws on her experience in the business. Look out for the 2016 programme, it would be good to meet you at one of the talks.

I also run a pitching competition for short film ideas called The Pitch (www.enterthepitch.com - you will find details for Film Matters talks under "film maker support" on the site). I guess that makes this a shameless pitch but then at £25,000 cash budget for the winner + production support on top, it is more generous than all that I know of in the short film arena. My point though, is that we offer a great deal of support to our film makers and it is an excellent chance to practice pitching - Paddy's suggestion there is a vital one. When you pitch and practice pitching you will begin to see patterns of response emerging - moments that lose your audience, things that work well. If you are always needing to clarify an issue or respond to a particular issue then try to dig out the root cause.

Mining for the really precious gems is in the hardest of rock. best, Luke

9 years, 7 months ago - Charles Harris

Rickardo, Thank you for starting an excellent discussion. I agree with just about everything here EXCEPT for the length of the pitch. IMHO pitching is not performing, it's having a conversation - it's saying that your movie will sell well through the one and only medium that actually works - word of mouth!

So, don't try to pitch for anything like three to five minutes... unless that's how you have your conversations. Say a couple of sentences, and pause so that they can say how much they like it and ask to be told more.

Then respond as appropriate, with just two or three more sentences. And pause again. I've seen writers talk themselves out of a yes, simply by not stopping to allow the producer to say it.

Your first sentence is normally going to be your log-line - the core idea put simply and conversationally.

After that, don't please don't try to tell the whole story - even in miniature. More often than not, if your log line is good, the producer will start asking questions - just respond to these - you're going with his or her interest which must be your best strategy.

If you're asked to tell more of the story, I suggest imagining you're creating a trailer - give them a few juicy moments - a glimpse of character, a hint of emotion, a moment that shows a great scene. Then shut up again and listen.

It's a two-way thing.

If you're interested, I've got articles on how to make pitches work on my blog - http://www.charles-harris.co.uk/category/the-industry/selling-the-industry/

Good luck.