Success Stories: MAR'28 Pitch Sessions

Hello Sheila. Like you, I haven't tried the Pitch Sessions yet. Good question! I'm keen to see what response you get and to hear people's experiences.

Hi Sheila. Like you I have not tried any pitch sessions but I feel like I want to have my feet more stabilized before I step onto that platform. My writing partner and I just entered 2 of our short screenplays into a contest to see what kind of feedback we receive. We continue to write on several projects we have going on (aaahhh, the price of adult ADD). I would also love to hear from those who have done pitch sessions and learn from their experiences.

Hi Sheila, I may have some perspective, having attended pitchfests in LA and having done these online pitches (& gotten requests to read). Gaining access to gatekeepers (i.e., creative execs) is always going to cost something if you don't already have an agent or manager. Pitching only really pays off for those who have honed their skills to professional level. IMO, the only reason these scouts are even willing to meet with unknowns is because they need more fresh ideas. Truly original, commercially-viable concepts are not that easy to find, even in LA.

I just did my first Skype pitch a few Saturdays ago and felt like it was worth it even though I felt it went south after mentioning I wanted to direct the script. Also, the exec didn't really get the scope of the supernatural concept I pitched from what his notes revealed. Oh well. I'm glad I tried though.

It's a lot like dating -- or in these paid situations, speed dating (8 minutes). People size each other up at once, whether it's fair or not. The person checks you out, hopes for the best, but assumes the worst till you prove otherwise. I cannot emphasize this enough: you have to be better than the pros they already know, both in the quality of your ideas and your ability to sell them effectively.

Just a few thoughts. 1)Everyone says "the script is the thing" and "nothing happens without a great script". So, I have the script. That makes me the seller. They're looking for a script. That makes them the buyer. Why do I have to pay them to look at something they need?

2) The dating analogy is an interesting one. Sheila, keep in mind that in western culture the woman almost never pays. At least not on the first date.

3) Brian, in your own words the exec didn't get your concept and it went south. So what was worth it about that? Couldn't you have accomplished as much pitching to a complete stranger at a bus stop?

4) Paying someone to listen to my pitch doesn't give me a lot of confidence that that person is even really looking for a script.

5) A true "exec" has more legitimate contacts than he can handle. Every single day he receives submissions from agents at major players like WME, CAA, Gersch, etc. So many submissions that he can't possibly read them all. And these are from repped screenwriters, many of whom already have major credits to their name. So why would they waste their time looking for material from unproven rookies?

6) Maybe I'm too damn cynical but I don't believe that anyone is looking for "fresh ideas". They might claim to be. But most of them wouldn't know what to do with a fresh idea if they had one. There's an old truism that no one in Hollywood wants to be first. They want to be first to be second. Once someone else has had success with something new then everyone wants to jump on that wagon before it's run its course. Over the past few years think of all the times there have been multiple movies of the same thing. White House Down - Olympus Has Fallen, 2 movies about Hercules, 2 movies about Frankenstein, etc. There's a rumor floating around that there are currently NINE (9) Robin Hood movies in various stages of development.

No, I don't think anybody is looking for anything fresh.

You're on a roll tonight, Patrick! I should mention that one of the execs I recently pitched to works for an A-list company, and he himself was written up in Variety as one of the "up & coming" sort. So I can't imagine he'd spend precious time listening to newbie pitches w/o good reason. Ditto for another exec I met, who could've easily gotten a hungry intern to take pitches for him. Having been on the receiving end of student pitches (& having written coverage for dreadful scripts), I can't imagine these fellows even hearing loglines unless the need was real. What I said about "fresh ideas" might need clarification. We all know the adage that they're looking for "the same, only different". One exec referred to "Heartbreak Ridge": the all-too-familiar WW2 battle epic, but for one twist: the hero was a pacifist, refused to carry weapons, & served as a medic. I hope that helps.

I agree with the speed dating analogy Wayne, and the reason a pass was worth it Patrick is that it caused me to get on Skype and talk with my Dad on it for the first time as practice for the pitch. I also agree that no one in Hollywood wants to be first and that they'd rather be second. That's the reason I told the exec I want to direct my concept that he didn't get. As for pitching strangers, I've done it with that concept tons of times... some get it and some don't. One time I talked my way into billionaire Paul Allen's private box by pitching the concept to his assistants with the Chief of Seattle Police listening in. He told me, "Wow, I really hope you get that movie made son. It sounds great." So go figure. I do believe that pitching an exec the day after St. Patrick's Day was a bad idea though as he hadn't shaved and had a background that looked hastily assembled so the curtains were in back of him with light coming through and every time he moved, he kept repositioning himself in front of the curtains clipped together to block the light. Oh well (and no intended pun on your name Patrick). :-)

I just signed up for my third or fourth written pitch. I kinda forget which. The last one landed a read by a well respected film pro who gave me a full rundown on what he liked and didn't like about about the feature script. Please note that ability to write a good query is essential to reach the he next stage.

Has anyone signed up for a second pitch with the same film exec who passed the first time? My drum teacher's daughter debated me today and said I should pitch the guy again who didn't get my concept the first time around, but I'm reminded of the line from The Godfather when Duvall says, "The Don doesn't ask a second favor when he's been refused the first."

You are not the only one who finds paying to pitch odd. It's really just practice for when you may eventually be in a position to pitch projects either in a professional capacity, such as when you're working with a company or as a freelancer if you eventually get established.

In most cases, what you pitch has to be repitched to a higher up and so even if the person your pitching is interested, they have to evaluate whether the project fits their current companies mission statement and their slate and whether it will pass an internal and external greenlighting process. In short, don't expect much. Just get better at the presentation process and try to learn from the experience. Good luck.

Hey, I am the coordinator of Happy Writers who puts together these exact pitch sessions. We know there are a lot of shady services on the internet, which is why we only partner with execs active in the industry and currently seeking material. If you’ve seen our recent blog, our writers' results stand on their own. We’ve had over 100 requests for script reads and 24 meetings landed since February, with 22 of those meetings coming directly from these pitch sessions.

We have to charge for these pitch sessions so we can reinvest in (1) building relationships with industry players, (2) maintaining and growing the Stage 32 website and Happy writers and (3) full-time employs who coordinate these service and handle all customer inquiries.

Remember that these pitches are heard and read by execs, not interns. No legitimate exec wants to pass by a great project, but there is a large investment of time to get through the good and bad scripts before getting to the great ones our community has to offer!