Screenwriting : Is Your Pitch Clear? by Tammy Hunt

Tammy Hunt

Is Your Pitch Clear?

When pitching, it’s very important you hold your listener’s attention and keep them understanding what you are explaining throughout the entire pitch. Ask yourself, will they be able to go tell this to someone else? If the answer is no, you need to practice your pitch more.

Here are the basic elements you want to make sure to cover:

What – What is this project – a feature film, a television series, and in what genre – and to get more specific - is it a limited series, a 30-minute single-cam sitcom, an hour-long drama?

Who – Who is your main character and what do they want? What or who is keeping them from getting it and what are the stakes?

Where – What is the setting of your project? What does the world look like?

When – When does this take place? Present-day, or is it in the future, or historical?

Why – Why does this story matter now? Why does this need to be made and put out into the world? What makes it important?

The initial setup should grab your listener right from the start and keep them engaged as your pitch goes on.

#script #series #film #tv #writer #director #producer #actor #pitch

Maurice Vaughan

Great questions to ask when getting ready for a pitch, Tammy Hunt! "Ask yourself, will they be able to go tell this to someone else?" I keep that in mind when I put my pitch material together. And that's why I like the really short pitches, like "my script is Ace Ventura: Pet Detective meets Fast & Furious."

Amanda Toney

This is an excellent post Tammy. I want to add that it's helpful to incorporate some levity into a pitch - if you write comedy, be funny! If you had a dark, serious story, add some moments of levity to help the person you are pitching to go on an emotional ride. And, practice, practice, practice!

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