Pitch structure

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  • Pitch structure

    My manager has been pushing me to keep my pitches shorter - 20 minutes. My challenge is that I'm a completist. I understand that each beat is not what matters, but I also want to convey I have it all figured out. (Which isn't necessary, but...here I am)

    Also, what is the structure of your pitch? ie: what percent is telling what the story is thematically, characters, and then straight story?

  • #2
    Re: Pitch structure

    Feature or series?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Pitch structure

      Yikes... how long is your current pitch? For me 10 minutes is plenty of time. But, I agree with docgonzo, it matters whether it’s TV or feature. If it’s TV I believe giving them EVERYTHING can hurt you. More ways to pass. Plus they like to get their hands dirty (development) and want their own mental equity to be represented in the material. If you go too deep they’re like “Okay, how do *I* get to play with these toys too?”

      Not saying I want the meeting to be 10 minutes, but I definitely (in TV) want them to interrupt before 10 minutes with questions and ideas. If they sat there for 25 minutes in silence I’d feel like “fukk... this ain’t going well.”

      Surely some will disagree... we all have our own pitching style.
      Last edited by GucciGhostXXX; 07-18-2019, 07:45 AM.
      Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

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      • #4
        Re: Pitch structure

        Oh and... my personal style is:

        Hit the theme and general shape of the idea quick as a preview (Advice from Scott Frank, “hang ONE WORD on the wall for them regarding theme... this is a story of “REDEMPTION” this way they never get lost as to what this story is truly about.”), then get straight into character. Then broad plot. Major beats, people get confused and bored with too much technical minutia.

        Curious to hear other’s takes.
        Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Pitch structure

          Originally posted by docgonzo View Post
          Feature or series?
          Feature.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Pitch structure

            Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
            Yikes... how long is your current pitch? For me 10 minutes is plenty of time. But, I agree with docgonzo, it matters whether it’s TV or feature. If it’s TV I believe giving them EVERYTHING can hurt you. More ways to pass. Plus they like to get their hands dirty (development) and want their own mental equity to be represented in the material. If you go too deep they’re like “Okay, how do *I* get to play with these toys too?”

            Not saying I want the meeting to be 10 minutes, but I definitely (in TV) want them to interrupt before 10 minutes with questions and ideas. If they sat there for 25 minutes in silence I’d feel like “fukk... this ain’t going well.”

            Surely some will disagree... we all have our own pitching style.
            All in I’m at 25 minutes depending on the project but a ton of it is straight story.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Pitch structure

              Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
              Yikes... how long is your current pitch? For me 10 minutes is plenty of time. But, I agree with docgonzo, it matters whether it’s TV or feature. If it’s TV I believe giving them EVERYTHING can hurt you. More ways to pass. Plus they like to get their hands dirty (development) and want their own mental equity to be represented in the material. If you go too deep they’re like “Okay, how do *I* get to play with these toys too?”

              Not saying I want the meeting to be 10 minutes, but I definitely (in TV) want them to interrupt before 10 minutes with questions and ideas. If they sat there for 25 minutes in silence I’d feel like “fukk... this ain’t going well.”

              Surely some will disagree... we all have our own pitching style.
              Yep. The more you pitch, the more they have to pass on. 10 minutes max. Then you LET THEM TALK. You get questions to answer which allows you to interact with them as you give them more information tailored to their questions and points of interest. I personally LOVE interactive pitches. The sooner I get them talking to me the more interest I'm going to get for what I'm pitching.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Pitch structure

                Originally posted by Satriales View Post
                All in I’m at 25 minutes depending on the project but a ton of it is straight story.
                I can only speak for myself:

                25 minutes in and I'm starting to fall asleep and get bored if I'm sitting across the table. IMO, it doesn't take 25 minutes to set-up what COULD BE a gripping story. I agree with your manager. Trim. Tighten. Lean and mean. And I agree with EdFury, I'd aim for 10 minutes max and hope they interrupt me "Oh, cool! WHAT IF ____."

                Those are the words you want to hear IMO "WHAT IF ____." If I hear that, RAD, they're engaged. Let's freestyle from her on out. Who cares if they turn it into something that is totally NOT what your movie IS if they love THEIR vision of what it SHOULD be? Personally, I don't care. You can always ignore dumb ideas later by saying "I tried it, didn't work."

                IMO... 25 minutes is an OVERSELL. And worse, now you've showed them "your hand" you've laid ALL of your cards on the table. Ya know? They don't need to know all of this intel in order to "fukking LOVE" the idea. I feel like you're trying to show them THE ENTIRE MOVIE instead of PITCHING what *COULD* BE A MOVIE. In other words, show them the glossy paint, not what's under the hood. IMO. (but whatever, everyone has their style)

                Put yourself in their shoes, 25 minutes is a loooooong time to listen to a pitch... do you really CARE what 'the movie' is RIGHT NOW at this exact moment of hearing the pitch? Or do you, instead, need JUST ENOUGH to get excited about it?

                I'm curious, are you the type who feels questions and interjections throw you off your pitch? Akin to hecklers at comedy shows throwing off their performance.
                Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Pitch structure

                  Are you pitching for an OWA or for your own project?

                  And are you pitching to a creative exec or the big boss?

                  It's too bad that the word "pitch" is such a broadly used term in the industry. It means different things in different situations.

                  This is my own personal experience (other's experiences may differ):

                  If I'm presenting my own idea to a creative exec, then the "pitch" usually takes the form that Ed and Gucci mentioned. I'll present "the big idea" as well as the main character and a set-piece or two. From there, it becomes very conversational where I'm riding the wave of the exec's enthusiasm. It feels like structured spitballing -two people who love movies/tv telling each other what they think would be cool to see.

                  BUT if it's an assignment pitch, and I'm presenting it to a conference table of people, then it's different. From my experience, those people want to know that you can deliver on the story. They want a fleshed out protagonist who arcs. They want to see three full acts. Yes, be prepared to be nimble if they feel like engaging. Also be prepared for them to be completely poker-faced.

                  You're going up against 9 other writers. In such situations, you need to come in from a place of confidence. I think there's validity to the advice that "the more you talk, the more opportunity they have to pass," but I also think you can't be fearful when pitching. Have a take. Have a vision. And then own the F out of it.

                  So, in the case of assignments, my pitches tend to be in that 20-30 minute range. But with that, a large portion is spent discussing myself and what attracts me to the project. Then I'll talk broadly about the comps that inspired my take and the direction I want to go. I'll often bring up research I've done or little facts I know, real-world stuff -anything that says to the exec "This guy's an expert on this!"

                  When I start the actual pitch, I'll spend a few minutes building the main character. Who they are, what they want, what their journey is, etc.

                  In terms of the story, I usually approach it by describing a major set-piece in each act. I give plenty of mile-markers. "The last scene of Act I is..."

                  The biggest risk in a verbal pitch is getting bogged down in all the "connective tissue" of a story. And you definitely don't want to find yourself just listing off a string of events. "And then... And then... But then... And then..."

                  You need an editorial ear when pitching, much like you need an editorial eye when writing. You don't want to meander and you NEVER want to lose the audience's interest. But at a certain point, you are your own boss and you have to pitch in a way that makes you the most comfortable.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Pitch structure

                    1000% agree with Bunker. Excellent advice! And great question re: OWA.
                    Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Pitch structure

                      All good advice. Thanks all.

                      This is for an OWA. Which obviously makes a difference, so I should have mentioned up front.

                      Bunker, your general outline is how I have structured in the past with some success. I have just been reading a lot on here lately about holding **** back and making them want more and got the same vibe from my manger. I think the biggest takeaway other than not getting bogged down in "and then- and just generally owning the fvck out of it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Pitch structure

                        Originally posted by Satriales View Post
                        I have just been reading a lot on here lately about holding **** back and making them want more and got the same vibe from my manger.
                        Depends on what stage of your career you're at.

                        If you're still a relatively unknown quantity, then I disagree with your manager.

                        OWA pitches are won and lost on two criteria:

                        1. Vision
                        2. Ability to execute

                        Your vision/take on the project will be conveyed in the first 5 minutes of the pitch. In some cases, your vision will not line up with the exec's vision, at which point, you've already lost and the rest of the pitch is just going through the motions.

                        But if the exec likes your vision, then you move on to Criteria 2: Ability to Execute.

                        An A-list writer with a string of credits and work history has shown that they can execute on their pitches. They're a known and safe quantity. They can get away with holding back.

                        The lesser known you are, the more you need to prove yourself in the room. Sure, your sample will carry some weight, but it probably won't be enough to overcome their confidence in the A-lister. At some point, you need to prove to the exec that you have the most-trusted hands to guide this story. And, in my opinion, the best way to do that is to tell them exactly how you plan to tell it.

                        I think there's a time and place for "If you want to see my cards, you gotta pay me first."

                        There's also a time and place for "Check out my cards. Pretty awesome, right? No one can beat this hand. I bet you want to be on MY team now."

                        Again, the fun/frustrating thing about Hollywood is that there is no one way to do any of this. Everything I said above is just my opinion.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Pitch structure

                          Oh... OWA. In that case I agree with Bunker yet again. Everyone's gonna be coming in HARD. Fukk it. Go all in "Check out my hand... cards laid faced up, here's what I got" it's either the BEST hand or it's not." I wouldn't play games with an OWA. I agree with OWNING it: "this is my take and I stand by it. It's the best take and I already know that." Worst that happens is they think "Goddamn, this chick is hella confident, I respect that, but not what we're looking for."

                          Or... "you're hired."

                          One guy's opinion...
                          Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Pitch structure

                            Originally posted by GucciGhostXXX View Post
                            Oh... OWA. In that case I agree with Bunker yet again. Everyone's gonna be coming in HARD. Fukk it. Go all in "Check out my hand... cards laid faced up, here's what I got" it's either the BEST hand or it's not." I wouldn't play games with an OWA. I agree with OWNING it: "this is my take and I stand by it. It's the best take and I already know that." Worst that happens is they think "Goddamn, this chick is hella confident, I respect that, but not what we're looking for."

                            Or... "you're hired."

                            One guy's opinion...
                            Yep, those are really the only answers you'll get. Lay it all on the line and f*ck the rest.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Pitch structure

                              Originally posted by docgonzo View Post
                              Yep, those are really the only answers you'll get. Lay it all on the line and f*ck the rest.
                              TRUTH!
                              Bruh, fukkin *smooches*! Feel me? Ha!

                              Comment

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