Hi All,
I'm an exec and independent producer. I've met lots of you through the Script Services offered on Stage 32. I have previously worked for Concordia Studio (Swan Song, Still: A Michael J Fox Story, Boys State, Time) and Amazon Studio (Transparent, Upload, The Tick, Mozart in the Jungle, Red Oaks).
My next pitch session is coming up on 9/20 and there are a few more slots available so I thought I would take some time and give some general pitching tips and suggestions.
-Be on camera! It can be absolutely nerve wracking and vulnerable to talk about your ideas, but the crucial bits to selling is belief in the writer - YOU!
-Use visual aids. Pitch decks, images, drawings (especially if pitching animation), or anything else can be helpful to sell your vision. They can communicate tone and nuance faster and more effectively.
-Take your time, but be concise. These pitches are tight on time, but if you rush through your story, it is harder to understand.
-Use the 3 act structure to help how you talk about your script. This is pretty specific to a feature pitch, but can also be generally helpful when pitching TV.
-Practice, practice, practice. Pitching, like anything, gets easier the more you do it! So sit down in front of your computer and record yourself before you ever pitch someone else.
If you were interested in pitching to me on the 20th, I'll also give you a small insight in to things I'm looking for:
-Any genre of TV. Big broad comedy to smaller character based dramas.
-Features - small to medium budget. Drama, comedy or grounded sci-fi.
-Big worlds, with grounded and relatable characters.
-Things we've never seen before! The development sweet spot is finding familiar stories packaged in brand new, surprising ways.
-Special emphasis on diversity - LGBT, non-white leads, disability.
See ya out there!
Patrick
2 people like this
Thanks for the tips, Patrick Callan! I mainly write Horror, but I've been thinking about writing a Grounded Sci-Fi feature script. If I write the script, I'll keep your Pitch Sessions in mind.
3 people like this
I like this. Stage32 should do more of this with their executives and producers on here. This is of great help to us screenwriters. Thank you Patrick.