12.06.2012

Movie Pitching Tips

Reposted in full from my other blog:



lol...But seriously... 

What filmmaker doesn't want to see themselves before a room of studio executives or company producers pitching a hot new movie idea?  The unprepared, boring, nervous one doesn't.   

But you won't be that filmmaker, right?!  Say what you will about the mailroom kid in the skit above but, at least, he was prepared, passionate and enthusiastic.


Pitching is part of the job for beginners and veterans alike so it's important to hone and maintain  your skills.  There are some producers and screenwriters out there whose main (and only) skill is in pitching ideas and they get paid whether or not the movie gets made.  Of course, you want to do more than just collect a check for an idea or a spec script, you want to make the movie.  But it still starts with the pitch and you have to sell it.  


Start practicing now:

  • Concise and informative information on the TEASER PITCH and the STORY PITCH 
  • What sets a film or TV pilot PITCH apart from a SYNOPSIS (according to Ken Levine)? [Aside: Although I understand, pitching as a form of job interview where execs and producers will decide if they want to work with you on a project as much as it is about selling the project, I do love Troy's point in the comments section; "Why do writers have to pitch (orally) at all?  ...Writers write.  Most aren't concurrently great at pitching - though yes, you can get better at it with practice and Ken's tips. So what's wrong with that? What's wrong is that we (Hollywood, the audience) reap what we sow: Movies and TV shows originated by great pitchers... but not necessarily great writers. Which explains alot about movies and TV. -- there's food for thought]
  • 5 Tips on pitching a movie
  • 5 MORE Tips on pitching a movie (especially a comedy movie)  [I know one of the tips here contradicts one of Ken's points about not laughing at your jokes during your pitch but I think it's a matter of how you laugh and appearing genuine as opposed to coming off like a silly and obnoxious monkey trying too hard to make 'em laugh.]
  • Transcripts of story pitches developed by Christopher and Kathleen Riley [please note, I am only posting their transcripts as reference not as an endorsement of their consultation.  Like any good producer would, please do your due diligence when seeking script consultation]: 
Plus for all you visual and auditory learners out there, here's a cross-section of some additional advice videos on how to pitch a movie and who to pitch it to.






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