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Pitch Tank Practice Sessions: Overcoming Pitching Fears Together

NETFLIX ANNOUNCEMENT
Posted by John Mezes

For many writers, the written word comes much easier than the spoken one. It could be nerves and that speaking about your work places you in a position of vulnerability... What will they think of my script? Will they understand what I'm trying to convey with it? Can they share my vision for my script? Or a writer may feel doubt about their ability to talk about their script. Is my voice clear and inviting enough? Can I show enough excitement and passion so that an executive will believe in my script through my pitch?

All valid thoughts and concerns. We writers have all been through these moments in our writing careers, including myself, a sold writer of the feature script "Garden of Eden," which entered production in December, returning to the craft from a twenty-seven-year hiatus. Learning how to pitch your script to an executive is essential to its possible future success. It's a must! Pitching your script gives you an opportunity to be discovered, requested, and perhaps optioned and sold! Written or Verbal, there's no getting around it.

Luckily, Stage 32 offers writers a golden opportunity to practice pitching your scripts to an ever-growing group of fellow writers who attend the Pitch Tank Practice Session every Thursday at 5:30 pm PST, 8:30pm EST in the Stage 32 Writers' Room. Inside the session, writers can listen to other members pitch their unique and original scripts to the hosts of the session, Brooklynn Fields and myself, John Mezes, and learn from these pitches by identifying the strengths of each pitch as well as areas of improvement needed, and eventually pitching their own script. Supportive, constructive, and honest notes on a pitch are given by the hosts in order to develop and grow the pitch until it is an industry-level, strong, confident pitch that's ready for any executive to hear.

As a member of the Writers' Room, you also have a monthly opportunity to pitch directly to an executive guest in the Pitch Tank, and there are also Pitch Sessions available on Stage 32 with a variety of executives.  The Pitch Tank Practice Session allows participants to pitch in a safe, supportive environment, in the same format as the Pitch Tank and Pitch Sessions, so that when you have those opportunities, you're prepared. 

Also, in the Pitch Tank Practice, you're working with members who are actively pulling for one another to succeed, a feeling shared by its hosts, Brooklynn and I. We're real writers, always trying to improve ourselves and passing our experiences and education to our attendees. We urge members of the Stage 32 Writers Room to attend our Pitch Tank Practice Sessions and see the value they bring to you as a writer getting ready to pitch your next script to an executive.

You can see this supportive community at work every day. Here is some of the feedback on these sessions from our regular attendees:

"I've done more lurking than pitching at our practice sessions, but I've learned so much. When I had the chance to pitch for another (different) group, the feedback I got back was, 'Smashed it!' It was all because of the excellent guidance of Brooklynn and John." - Lise

"Truthfully, since regularly attending pitch practice, I have found my tribe (which continues to widen). I am able to Live Pitch my game show, SENSE OR NONSENSE over Zoom. In addition, I’ve gained so much confidence in the pitch for my animated feature, MAX AND SAM SAVE THE GALAXY!! I was ready when I got a script request from not just any producer, but the CEO of NWAVE Animation at the American Film Market! How fun is that!" - Andrea

"First, [both John and Brooklynn] are absolutely dedicated to cultivating a warm, welcoming, and positive community for we fledgling screenwriters. As you both know all too well, pitching your work is a constant, continual work in progress. Your notes, feedback, and instruction reflect this philosophy, all the while encouraging folks to keep coming back to practice. You’re both keen listeners. Truth be told, at times, I’m not able to follow the pitch (I’m sure I’ve pitching confusingly too)! You’re astute, patient, positive, and kind. It’s obvious you’re both firmly dedicated to positive pitching instruction. Your actions and words speak to this. Speaking for myself, I’ve learned SO MUCH from Pitch Practice! Here are a few:
 
1) Structure and sequence (you teach this clearly and consistently)
 
2) Voice and tone
 
3) It’s all about the character(s) and their story!
 
4) Confidence
 
5) Welcoming community
 
6) Introducing new ideas to cultivate the Pitch Practice community.
 
This is a short list. All the above has helped me hugely when pitching to producers. I’ve only been at this a year and already have producer read requests! No doubt a big part of this is attributed to Pitch Practice." - Catherine
"The very first thing I learned was: try not to use a lot of names. Something so basic. I never thought of that, but it makes so much sense to label rather than name characters for a pitch. It really helps to avoid confusion for the listener.
 
Time limits don't mean that much to me, so I don't mind if my pitch goes over, but when I leave out beats or am guilty of overexplaining a scene, it helps when you guys remind me of that. When you get too close to a project, you assume the listener understands everything you're saying, even if you mention one fact in passing. You two have taught me it's sometimes necessary to illustrate what the heck I'm talking about in certain plot points.
 
I think at times you guys overemphasize, 'What's the character's goal?' - when I feel their goal is pretty evident, but it does get me thinking: Have I explained the character enough, or perhaps have I assumed everyone knows what they need to know about that character?
 
Pitch practice helps me boil down a plot and characters and get the nitty gritty. In other words, it forces me to edit - either by addition or subtraction. And it's always good just to hear someone else's take on my story.
 
Listening to some of the pitches - obviously, not everything is everybody's cup of tea, but I admire you for trying to improve their work, rather than saying, 'Well... that's not a very good story, you should move on to something else.'" - Alec

"Sometimes it is easy to assess a value regarding professional help by simply using the price tag of that service. Often that can result in a rather empty feeling afterward. Not so in the case of the inimitable Brooklynn Fields and John Mezes, who host Stage 32’s Thursday night Pitch Practice.

Their knowledge, dedication, inspiration, and warmth should be worth a fortune, yet they provide this service for free despite their busy schedules out of the goodness of their souls. I have paid high fees to other professionals that have left me anywhere from disappointed to feeling completely cheated. That has never happened with Brooklynn and John, nor could it, in my estimation. They have kept me grounded and on track, which is an invaluable service.

There really is nobody else in the business to compare to what Brooklynn and John do every week. They keep it real, with sincerity and all the appropriate amount of other elements – without ever the slightest air of looking down their nose at anyone. Now I freely admit that I am proudly biased toward them and do not hesitate to tell anyone that they are the best…the cream of the crop!" - Maeve

"The Practice Pitch Tank with Brooklynn and John got me through quarantine alive and somewhat sane. Meeting with this wonderful group of creatives and learning about the elements of a good pitch was so helpful, and being able to practice it made it even more valuable. Brooklynn and John are kind, supportive, smart, and give great feedback. I'm so grateful for them and the Practice Pitch Tank!" - Kelly 
"Brooklyn and John together are the perfect combination of fire and ice. Before pitch practice, I had no idea what was important, now, I’m pitching every chance I get, and I’m pretty good too. The fire and ice these two have created doesn’t make puddles, but creates diamonds ready to go forth and shine!" - Kawan
"I joined the Writers Room in May 2020. [Through Brooklynn's] feedback, I found the courage to continue to practice my pitch for 'The Bottom Line,' even though I froze sometimes. I signed up for Stage 32's Pitch Tank and the Executive, Mike Diaz, requested to read my script. Pitching is such an important part of selling your script, so I appreciate Brooklynn and John giving of their time to help us hone this skill." - Jill
"Pitch Practice has elevated my craft. It's a safe space to work out the nerves and to give my pitch a final polish before I take it out to executives. Pitching at AFF, it was obvious who had been to Thursday nights with Brooklynn and John - the pitches were more clear, concise, and in the writer's voice. With every new project, I find myself coming back to Pitch Practice." - Noel
"Pitch Practice with Brooklynn & John is the absolute best! I truly believe anyone even thinking of pitching should take the time, turn off all other devices, and focus on the sage advice they give each and every individual. They have so much compassion and heart that you can be brand new without a clue, and they have so much expert experience that you can be a sage guru and learn a few tricks for sure. I highly recommend them!" - Marcia

"Brooklynn and John are a highly skilled team who helps writers fine-tune their 5-minute film pitches and, while doing so, helps writers find their story. If you want expert advice, I highly recommend John and Brooklynn as your go-to team for everything about the story and how to present it! After one session with them, I pitched to television executive Anna Henry who LOVED my pitch and said, 'This pitch is incredibly polished.' Thanks to Brooklynn and John!" - Monica

From Brooklynn Fields:

We all have our talents in this industry, and it's understanding what those talents are and offering them to others while building in the things you lack. Being a healer and motivational speaker with a love for storytelling, four years ago, I began Pitch Practice sessions. As writers, we tend to be more introverted and are comfortable behind the computer, but in this industry, "selling" yourself is a must. Forming a safe space to be able to work on that craft was something I knew I could offer. John and I have formed a community inside this amazing community that continues to give back. From practicing pitches in our sessions, over 30 people over the years have gotten their script requested after unpacking their stories with us, and 3 have made it to the Austin Film Festival pitch finals. Being a great writer is only half the battle in becoming a great storyteller. The other half is learning how to navigate the industry by gaining confidence in yourself to be able to offer your gifts WHILE telling those stories.
 
From John Mezes:

Keep writing, keep creating, and know there is a venue in the Pitch Practice Tank Session and a community around you that can help you on your creative journey.

We'll see you at the next Pitch Practice Tank Session!

This piece was co-written by and features John Mezes and Brooklynn Fields.
 
Brooklyn Fields is a screenwriter, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, CA.
John Mezes is a screenwriter and script consultant based in Milford, CT.

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