Perfecting the Pitch

w w w . f i l m s c r i b e . c o m

Perfecting the Pitch As published in MovieBytes, Sept. 2004

(revised Feb. 2006)

Written byDarren Foster

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What is Pitching “Pitching is the art of presenting the story in a truncated and intriguing manner that piques the listener’s curiosity, resulting in the solicitation of the screenplay.” Christopher Lockhart 10 Golden Rules for Pitching

1) Be Passionate ! A pitch is a performance. No, you don’t have to be an actor to pitch. But it doesn’t hurt. The main trick is to have

confidence, enthusiasm and passion for your script and to show that to your audience. Reading the entire pitch from a piece of paper in a monotone voice will put your producer to sleep in seconds.

2) Practice ! Would you submit a screenplay to a producer without a single re-write? Without a single edit? Of course not. Then

why do you think you can pitch your screenplay without practice. Practice by yourself, but even more importantly, practice with others. Anybody. Have them ask you questions. Unexpected questions. Be ready. Be flexible. And you’ll do great!

3) High Concept! High Concept! High Concept! ! Why High Concept? Because it sells. What else do I have to say? ! Relate your story to the producer before you lose their attention.

" Start with a sentence, or two, or three. Grab their attention. " A great way to start: “What if…”

4) Sell Yourself ! You’re not just selling your screenplay; you’re selling yourself. ! Most producers are not only looking for material, but also for a writer they would want to work with. ! Be fun, smart and likeable. ! There is also the possibility that the producer will not like the pitch, but they may like you. Maybe they have another

project in the works for which they feel you would be a good fit. It happens, so don’t sell yourself short. A pitch session is also a job interview.

5) Maintain Eye Contact ! If you need notes, fine, but it’s better to work off the top of your head. Have it ready. Have it well rehearsed, yet be

flexible. Draw your audience into your world; the world of your story. 6) Know Who Could Star

! Can you name two or three actors or actresses who could play the lead? Two or three directors who you think would respond to the material. Can you reference your idea with a few movies that have been successful, including the amount of monies those films have grossed? This can be very valuable information especially in longer pitch sessions or meetings. Don’t offer this information up front, but have it available if asked.

! “Who can be in this?” is one of the first questions asked by producers and studio executives to themselves when considering a script for production. What is more important than explosions, car chases, and alien invasions is whether the script is cast-able, i.e., has characters that are well-written and challenging enough for A-list actors to sign on for a role.

! Cast-ability requires writing characters that are memorable and give the reader an idea of the type of actor who can play it.

! It is also a mistake to write a script that has so many characters that their stories become diluted and none stand out. Producers, agents and studio executives have a hard enough time visualizing a script and appreciating its story points in such a short time. Too many characters caught in a jumble of situations will only compound the problem. Each character should be fleshed out and have a distinct voice or point of view, which can be impossible to accomplish if there are 40 speaking roles and you try and mention each in your pitch.

7) Keep It Brief ! Most pitch sessions at festivals are 5 to 10 minutes. But you really only have 2 minutes or less.

" It’s a well-known industry fact that film executives typically devote about two minutes of their attention to directors and screenwriters who bring them their ideas hoping for a deal.

! A good pitch should not take more than 2 minutes to get their attention. In fact, if you can’t grab their attention in one minute, you need to rework your pitch.



(revised Feb. 2006)


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8) Organize ! The key to effectively pitching a screenplay is organization.

" Before you even begin to present your idea, your story line needs to be structured into the key elements from beginning to end. It means knowing the personalities and intricacies of your characters. It means rehearsing your presentation so the person you're pitching is hanging on every word. It's your job to keep the listener, the buyer in this case, perched on the edge of his or her seat. (Syd Field)

! Your idea must be presented with passion, clarity and confidence. You need to know the beginning, middle and end of your story.

" Think of the entire story as a big box. Within that big box is a smaller box that represents a less complicated version of the story. And inside of that box is an even smaller box, representing an even more uncomplicated version of the story and so on. Common sense dictates that we open the biggest box first in order to get to the smaller boxes. So, a pitch often dives right in and struggles to present the story as a whole, much like one would tell a joke to a friend or read a book to a child. A once-upon-a-time pitch is unwise. A pitch hits upon the most crucial aspects of the story. Long and intricate details bring about a quick and painful death to a pitch. A pitch must avoid opening the biggest box and, instead, begin with the smallest. As the pitch progresses, bigger boxes are opened as it becomes necessary. It should slowly blossom from rudimentary to more complex. The listener must understand the arithmetic of the story before the calculus. (Christopher Lockhart)

9) Keep Pitching Unless They Pass ! If you get good feedback from the producer, Great! Feed off it. Keep going. ! But, if you get the infamous “stone-faced” producer in front of you, don’t let it bother you.

" Many producers have perfected this emotionless response and it often has no relation to whether they like you or your material. Keep going. If it really looks dead. Move on.

! Still, after you pitched your first story, be ready for your second. When you hear the words “What else do you have?”, don’t panic. Start with your next story. You do have a next story, right?

10) Know Who They Are & What They Want ! If you are pitching a romantic comedy to a producer who only wants action films, you’re wasting your time, and

you’re wasting the producer’s time. Not a good idea. ! Research. If you’re at a festival and they post what material the producer is looking for, FOLLOW IT! Don’t think,

“Oh, but they’ll love mine even if it isn’t quite what they’re looking for.” They won’t. Trust me. ! If the information is not readily available, find it. Look online. Call the production company and ask them. ! Remember; know who they are and what they want before you go in. ! If they work for a studio or are connected to some talent, who? Find the edge that will make them interested in your

script. The Pitch Process – Steps (for festival pitch sessions: 5 – 15 minutes)

1) Enter the room / Step up to the table ! This is key. ! If you’re not in the room with the producer they most likely can’t hear you. Yes, this is a bit of humor, but it also

brings up a common problem. Don’t chicken out at the last moment. You paid the money. You prepared the pitch. Go do it. You’ll be fine. Remember, they want a hit screenplay as much as you want your screenplay to be the one.

2) Introduce Yourself Briefly ! And we mean brief. “Hi, I’m Jane Doe.” ! If you have some experience directly related to the subject of the screenplay, you may want to include it. For

example, you’re pitching a story set at a beach and you had five years as a beach lifeguard. You might want to include that, briefly.

! If you’ve had produced work, won or been a finalist in a prestigious screenplay competition, or even won the Best Screenwriting Oscar you can mention it. If you do, do so briefly. They are not here to listen to you recite your resume.

! Don’t forget, the clock is ticking. The longer you talk about yourself, the less time you have to sell your story and the sooner they are thinking about their dry cleaning.



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3) Tell Them How Many Stories ! What, you only have one! Oops. ! You should always have more than one idea to pitch. You have their time. If they don’t like the first one in the

first two minutes, move on. They may just like the second. They may like the third. ! I recommend three stories for any pitch session. Yes, you can pitch three stories in five minutes. Especially if they

pass on the first two. 4) And Begin…Name, Genre and GO!

! Don’t forget to start with the name of your screenplay. ! Next up, is the genre.

" This is often forgotten. The genre is crucial if the listener is to correctly interpret the story. Many ideas can be developed in different directions. For instance, the notion of planet earth meeting its demise by a comet/meteor was explored as melodrama in Deep Impact and sci-fi action-adventure in Armageddon. If genre is not specified, a World War II POW drama like The Great escape could be misconstrued as a comedy like Hogan’s Heroes. This type of error could bring about an early death for the pitch. (Christopher Lockhart)

! With those out of your way, it’s time to tell them a story. 5) The Hook

! A good beginning for any story is the hook. How are you going to grab their attention in the first 8 seconds so their mind doesn’t wander the rest of the time?

! Pitches often begin with a question to create an initial desire in the listener. “What if…” ! The Hook can be similar to your logline. You are trying to grab their attention right away, before they start to

wonder if there’s any good sushi in this town. " As an example, a question for a romantic comedy about unrequited love might go, “Have you ever yearned

for someone who clearly wasn’t interested?” This is a way to personalize the pitch and engage the listener. Of course, like an attorney, a question should never be asked without knowing the answer in advance. Since the producer could answer with a response other than anticipated, the pitch must be prepared with a retort for the unexpected. (Christopher Lockhart)

6) Keep It Short ! Think of the “big box / small box” metaphor by Christopher Lockhart earlier. Start small box. The high level

overview. You don’t have time to start with “Once upon a time…” As their interest grows, reveal more and more. 7) Have a Twist

! Have something that grabs them. “…when Joseph announces he’s actually Cindy’s twin sister who killed her parents, she jumps off the bridge…”, or something of the sort.

! If the pitch goes well, they will ask questions about your story. Maybe even about you. Be ready with the answers. Also, remember, if they have questions, they are probably interested. Otherwise they wouldn’t waste their time.

8) Next Story Please ! Once you finish, if they aren’t asking a lot of questions about your first one, move on. Grab them with the next one.

If not, how about the next one? 9) Be Gracious and Listen

! There are two basic responses from a pitch session… " Request for Script – Awesome!!! This is exactly what you were looking for. Make sure you get the

address for which to send the script and when they would expect it. # Does this mean you sold? Of course not. But it is the first step. Send them your script. The

producer may read it, or more likely, a reader in their company may read it. Either way, you’re getting read. Now, go and pitch to someone else. Oh, and by the way, Congratulations!

" Not Interested – Sorry, but that’s okay. Thank them for their time and move on to the next pitch. Remember, be graceful and grateful. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gets turned down. It’s part of the business. Accept it. Learn from it. And try again.

10) Be Thankful ! Don’t ever forget to thank them for their time, regardless of the outcome. You may just work with them on a

different project some day. Remember, Hollywood is a small town and you never want to burn bridges.



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What to Include In Your Overall Pitch 1) Who is the movie about?

! Give the impression the movie centers on one character, the most interesting character – the star. Movies are star driven. Even low-budget independent producers hope the unknown actor they cast in the lead will become a star or at least look like a star in this movie.

2) What happens to the star? ! Include the arena of the story and the basic situation of the star. ! Tell where the star is at the beginning, where he/she is going, and where he/she ends up. ! Explain the star emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. ! Emphasize the conflicts (internal and external) the star faces. ! Describe how the star’s crisis changes him or her in some fundamental way.

3) What gets in the way? ! Highlight major obstacles (inanimate or physical situations). ! Describe important adversaries (characters) that try to prevent the star from getting what they want. These blockers

should be worthy opponents, otherwise overcoming them won’t be satisfying. 4) What’s at stake?

! Describe a one or two dramatic moments in detail. Choose moments involving the star where the conflicts escalate or the crisis becomes more complicated. Make it clear the star resolves the climactic crisis or is actively involved in resolving it.

The Pitching Do’s and Don’ts DO

" TELL THEM A STORY. " Introduce yourself (BRIEFLY)! – Just your name is fine. " Tell them something about yourself ONLY IF RELEVANT. Such as, if the story is about a coal mining disaster and

you spent twenty years working in the coal mines, then it would be appropriate. This is especially important in short time frame pitches. If more time is allowed, and they ask, feel free to expand.

" Tell them the Title " Tell them the Genre " Tell a story about a character they will care about. " If and only if it won a top contest or maybe was a finalist, you might mention it briefly. That is up to you. " Be specific as possible in the time allotted. " Allow time for questions. " Have other material prepared to pitch. If their eyes glaze over two minutes into your pitch. Switch gears. You have

their ear; make use of it until your time is up. Don’t give up just because they didn’t like your first story. " SELL YOUR STORY. Be excited about it. " Be prepared. Know your story inside and out. " Rehearse your pitch. To friends. To writers. To yourself in the mirror. To your pet iguana. To anybody. " Have confidence

DON’T

" Be late! " Say “I’m a first time writer” or “I’m a novice”. " Be nervous. I know that’s not easy, but try to have confidence. " Tell them your life story. Especially if it isn’t relevant. " Bring your story conflicts in too late. " Bring a cell phone or pager with you. LEAVE THEM AT HOME! " Pitch just the logline. You can start with a logline to grab their attention, but when they want more, tell them more. " Tell them that your mom or sister or husband loved it. They don’t care! " Tell them that a top consultant loved it. They don’t care!



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Pitching Q&As

" Should I give away my ending in a pitch? o It depends on several factors. Ideally, you would build up to a climax and stop. Leave them hanging. When they ask

“then what happens?”, you know you have them. Now you can tell them the ending. Let’s face it, if you don’t get their interest here, that’s it, they won’t request it and won’t read it. So what are you saving it for? Then again there’s the old axiom, “Leave them wanting more”. It’s your decision.

" What should I wear to a pitch session? o Dress appropriately. Does that mean formal attire, No, but be respectful of the producers. Remember, you may not

offend them with your dress or appearance, but don’t you want every factor in your favor? " What are producers looking for?

o (Syd Field): That's a question I posed to several top film executives and they all agreed; they want to hear something interesting, something they can turn around and sell. So your manner of presentation, your attitude, even the clothes you're wearing, goes into the whole package of what makes a good pitch. One executive shared that "when a writer pitches me, I'm always thinking - would I want to see this movie? Is it different than anything I've seen before, or is it the same old thing only with a slight twist? I want to see something original, not a variation on a film that's already out there. I want to see how well the story is worked out. Does the writer know their material cold and, most importantly, is he or she really committed to it? Don't think you're going to sell something to me that you're not committed to, no matter what, because I can smell it. Then I say to myself, if they're not committed to it, how can I be? I look for someone who believes in what they're saying."

" What’s a “leave behind” and should I have one? o A “leave behind” is a one or two page summary of your story plus your contact information. Whether to have one is

up to you. It can be helpful, but honestly, most wind up in the trash can. Still, it can’t hurt to be prepared if you’re asked for one.

" How many ideas should I have ready to pitch? o Depends on the amount of time. Still, even for a 5 minute pitch session, I’d have at least two if not three.

REFERENCES – Please check them out for further information. - Article “Anatomy of a Logline” by Rob Gregory-Browne - 2002 - Article ”The Art of Pitching” from ScreenwritersUtopia.com by Christopher Lockhart – June 2003 - Article “The Art of Pitching” by Syd Field - Article “Concept is Everything When You Pitch!” from ScriptforSale.com by Hal Croasmun - Article “How to Pitch Your Movie Successfully” from Talking Pictures by Lenore Wright - Article “Really Bad Loglines” by Wendy Moon - Article “What’s Your Line?” in Scr(i)pt Magazine (Vol. 6, No. 5) by William C. Martell - Workshop “How to Pitch” at SCSFe, by Phillippa Burgess, Ginny Cerrella, Kate McCallum – May 30th, 2003 - Workshop “The Lowdown on High Concept” at SCSFe, by Scott Myers – May 30th, 2003

Documents

Perfecting the Pitch