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7 Tips for Film Pitching

 

 

film pitching

 

 

Film Pitching is an art form in itself. How do you sell your idea well enough that people want to invest their money or time into producing it?  Film Pitching can seem nerve racking at first but once you’ve got your research together and have grown the confidence in rehearsals, it should become natural and you can sell anything.

 

What is a Pitch?

 

 

A pitch is a concise presentation and selling opportunity of a Film or Tv idea. The one page pitch is a common way to sell your idea before or after you’ve written the actual screenplay, film pitching is usually to an executive, producer, company or studio.

The ‘one pager’ pitch is usually a summary of:

  • The idea, its plot and themes
  • The main characters
  • The intention for the project
  • The creative and market vision for the project, including its genre and potential audience.

Film Pitching can take a number of different forms. It might be short and sweet, or it could go on for quite some time in order to get your point across effectively.  There’s also the ‘elevator’ pitch which you’re probably more familiar; these are just enough details needed so someone else knows what exactly the Film is.

 

film pitching

 

Film Pitching is a way for  an aspiring screenwriter or TV producer to introduce the work in the best possible light.The pitch gives us an opportunity for our ideas or products get across so we can grab their attention right off the bat with something unique about ourselves.

It is essential to read this article with an engaging mind, don’t just read this and write all your ideas down in one document. Film Pitching must be an articulate, deliberate, effective and carefully constructed piece of writing! Producers, executive and screenplay readers read hundreds of pitches, so it is essential to make everything count because it doesn’t matter how good your idea is, if you pitch it weak, then it won’t leap out and grab peoples attention.

 

Here are our tips on Film Pitching.

 

 

Have a captivating Logline.

 

The logline is the most important part of your movie. This is at the core of Film Pitching, the logline needs to be pithy, capture what’s going on in a quick way and demonstrate who our protagonist/antagonist are so we can get readers engaged right away!

 

film pitching

 

The most important thing to note about this intro is that it’s not just another sales pitch. It may be brief but don’t let the simplicity of its content fool you, because what lies within could make or break your movie idea!

Click here to learn how to elevate your Film Pitching.

 

Keep Your Synopsis Short

 

 

When you’re crafting your Film Pitching, remember to keep it as brief and engaging of an overview while still conveying all important information. You’ll want this for people who may only have time before they start working or going on their commute home so that way there’s no confusion about what happened in any particular scene!

It’s important to make sure that your pitch is clear and concise. Film Pitching can be quite long, so it’s best if you keep them short without ruining any key story details or bogging down the reader with unnecessary information
The idea here being: A good way of figuring out how much detail should go into one scene while still telling an engaging tale? Write yourself some notes before getting started on paper!

 

film pitching

 

 

Think Cinematic Moments! Mimick the style and tone of voice from trailers, you’ll need to give a sense for what cinematic moments will be throughout. Think about this like an extended trailer that compiles all story lines into one convenient spot so people can see everything at once!

Focus on:

  • Main characters
  • Setting and context
  • The protagonist’s journey and the changes they undergo
  • Where the story starts and where it might go to and end up
  • The film’s key conflictsWant to find out more about Film Pitching?

 

Make Your Characters Stand Out and Create a Familiarity

 

 

Characters, Characters, Characters! They are what your story is all about and this is what will make your Film Pitching stand out. So make sure to sell them your characters. What makes your character so different from the rest? What makes them cleverer? funnier? What’s gonna make viewers connect and be familiar your characters more then somebody else’s?

 

 

Make it so that your characters already feel familiar to the reader midway through the synopsis so that through the rest of the pitch, the listener will feel like they already know them so well.

Film Pitching is all about character pitching.

  • If each character has a sentence or adjective that you can ascribe to, what would it be?
  • Remember that the reader is going to be taking in a lot of information in a short amount of time.
  • And so shortcuts are a great way to make sure they maintain engagement across the pitch.

 

Explain Your Personal Connection

 

Where did the original film idea come from? What inspired you? How does this story make you feel and how do you want to make others feel! This is a key personal touch to Film Pitching.

 

film pitching

Want to find out more about Film Pitching?

 

Maybe your story has themes or characters that are echoed in the movie you have been thinking about making. Do any specific elements stand out to you as being integral? What is it about this idea, or these stories in particular (e yen general) inspire an interest for writing them down on paper ?

Make the Themes, Genre and Tone Clear

There should be a tangible sense of what the script is actually about at its core and this is what your Film Pitching should work around.The discipline of constructing an elevator pitch is a handy tool for anyone who needs to sell themselves or their work. You need only summarise the most important points about your script, away from any plot details and characterisations – in order make it easy-to understand by potential collaborators!

Once you have established what your movie is about, the next step is to figure out how it feels and who will be interested in watching.

The genres in which your film fits can be essential to understanding how it will fit within the industry landscape and in the Film Pitching itself. For example, if you’re pitching an action- packed movie then knowing whether or not there’s already one with this sort of tone might help investors get more insight on what they should do next!

 

 

Make Comparable References But Mean Them

References to other movies/TV shows will be helpful in picturing your movie!

 

film pitching

 

 

But they have to be more than just hollow or stylistic references. They have to actually reveal something about your story and how you want it to be seen.To demonstrate the uniqueness of your idea and Film Pitching, it’s important to combine references. The best time for this is when you are trying show how what you have in mind fills a gap between other films that there just isn’t anything exactly like it yet–and then express some idiosyncratic traits about yourself as director through these examples.

Want to find out more about Film Pitching?

 

 

Leave The Reader Wanting More

Movies are made for audiences and the purpose of Film Pitching is to leave readers wanting more. You should always strive in your efforts not only by appealing on an emotional level but also with logic, which will lead them down this path where they’re compelled enough that you’ll have successfully caught their attention at least long enough for it all get resolved -Whether through reading/writing something else entirely different altogether.

A good way I’ve found myself successful when Film Pitching scripts and stories without actually having written anything yet? Make up some great and creative stuff; offer bonuses if someone wants input right away.

To make the experience last longer, you must ask questions in a way that does not give off an impression of knowing all there is to know. Try confidently posing these queries and don’t forget about your audience’s needs by coming across as though they’re alone at home on their computer screen while looking up Internet material for this very same discussion we have going right now!

 

Movie Pitch Example

Title:

Author:

Synopsis:

Then if you have the space…

Themes/Writer’s Statement:

The themes/writer’s statement section will be where you might include how this idea came to fruition, why I want tell it and what my aspirations for the project entail. If there is enough space left over after writing down these things – which hopefully won’t happen too often!- then maybe some brief information about its intended tone or style can also make an appearance here too.. And this is how to successfully do a great Film Pitching.

The output should sound casual yet informative.

film pitching

 

Want to find out more about Film Pitching? Click here. 

 

Have a screenplay you want some to read? Maybe even win an award?

If you found this post helpful, why don’t you read some of our other blogs? Find out about the best filming microphones about. Or why don’t you give our, 10 top tips for a good voice over?