how to pitch a film

•To Pitch (verb) pr: pich•1) to fall or plunge forward.•2) to throw or toss with a light

motion.•3) to sell or offer from place to

place.•4) be at an angle.•5) Lead (a card) and establish a

trump suit.•All of these will work for us…

•We plunge forward, bravely expecting people will want to hear what we have to say;

•We gently “toss”our ideas in front of potential buyers wherever we need to;

•We offer the “angle”to promote a sale.

•We initially “lead”and translate our idea to establish how best to “do”it in order to persuade the buyer to produce it our way.

It’s the business of selling your project.

•You are trying to interest a producer, broadcaster, distributor or funding agency in your project

•The eventual goal is OPM -Other Peoples’Money

•You want them to take an Option, provide development funding or otherwise assist on the path to production

The Public Pitch

•Face to Face (by appointment)

•The Golden Opportunity

•by mail, fax, email telephone

Usually at a conference, festival or competition: SPAA conference, Banff Television Festival ,AFM, the MIPs.

•There is usually something at stake -a prize or development deal.

•There is usually a selection process, often by written submission

•format and time limit

•needs to be planned and rehearsed.

An appointment to see a producer, broadcaster or distributor (5mins to ?)

•You need to have a very clear idea of your project and express it well.

•Roll with suggestions and comments.

•If it’s “not for them”get them to suggest where to go next.

•leave them with a ‘1pager’and follow up within a reasonable amount of time.

You meet a key person in the bar, at a reception, in the spa…

•Ask for 5 minutes of their time, buy them a drink, find a quiet place where they won’t be distracted.

•You need a short pithy version of your pitch.

•Leave them with ‘1 pager’if possible, promise to follow up soon…& ring ‘em!

You can send your pitch to producers, broadcasters and distributors.

•best to call first to see if it is appropriate.

•most appreciate this rather than a full submission.

•send it and then follow up without being a pest.

•The ‘nugget’version.

•The ‘1 pager’

•The script or project bible

•The business card…

•A confident you.

Research!!!

•Rehearse!!!

•Relax!!!

The Public Pitch (Pitch your idea to the class)

Provide a ‘1 pager’ for the class/your teachers

Outline your idea. Pitching is like performing a one man/woman one act play. You must be a great story teller, totally compelling and never let the listener be ahead of where your story is going. So this is why it is imperative to outline your story.

A normal pitch is 20 minutes however your pitch should be no more than 10 minutes long (we will stop you just like in debating)

So, outline the beats of your story. These are the progressions your character makes throughout the film. An example would be "We meet John and Cindy, they're a cheeky couple who..." That would be your first beat. "Then one day John comes home, it's eerie, mysterious, the house is empty, and she's DEAD!" This would be another beat. Your story should have about twenty of these, give or take.

Break the acts. When you pitch a movie, it's a great idea to let the listener know where the end of Act 1 and Act 2 are. This will clue them into the pace of the story. A general rule of thumb is Act 1 ends when the major problem of the film presents itself. Act 2 ends when the hero has set out to fix the problem, struggled, then figured it out until...an even bigger bomb drops, taking your hero lower or as low as he was at the end of Act 1. Then of course the end of the film is when the character uses his knowledge that he's gained throughout the film to ultimately solve the problem and put his life back in order. Again this is just general structure. But looking at your outline, break the film into the three appropriate acts.

Be engaging. There's nothing worse than someone who is pitching with a lack of energy. That's not to say you should be hyper, but intently focused on telling your story with passion. If it's funny, let that come across (comedy pitches are a bit like doing stand-up.) If it's a drama, intensity is key.

Practice, practice, practice. This cannot be stressed enough. Once you have the story, this is where the real work comes in. While the pitch should not be memorized, to avoid sounding like a robot you should be able to pitch the entire story without looking at any notes. This will take, literally, several days of up at dawn, burning the midnight oil hard work on your part, where you say the pitch over and over and over until the point that it is second nature, which of course is the whole point! Be sure to practice in front of people. This will get you used to listeners and also you are then able to ask them what they got, didn't get, understood, or didn't understand.

Relax and have fun! You've done the hard work, you know you're story, now just sit back and tell your tale. The executive you're pitching to has heard many pitches. They know how to make the room comfortable. And if you mess up, just take a second to backtrack. Congrats, you are well on your way to pitching a movie!

Create a Logline for your film – This is essentially the idea in 2 lines or less.

It's like Known Successful Movie with New Element.

Example: "It's like The Great Escape with chickens.”

Nick Park, about why Chicken Run got funding.

It's like Known Successful Movie meets Other Known Successful Movie.

Example: ‘Tremors meets Arachnophobia’

movie critic Matthew Turner, describing Eight Legged Freaks

It's like Known Successful Movie for the Significantly Lucrative Audience Untargeted by the Known Successful Movie.

Example: "Dangerous Liaisons for the teen set," to describe Cruel Intentions.