Overview
Pitching has become an essential part of selling a script. For that reason, the NWSG provides numerous one-on-one pitching opportunities with industry professionals for it’s full members.
To ensure your pitch is all that it can be, we highly recommend that you:
- Go through some of the pitching resources
- Participate in NWSG workshops to help you develop pitching skills, and
- Practic, practice practice
What is a Pitch?
A pitch is a brief (3 to 5 minute) verbal description of your movie.
"No matter how complex or detailed a story is, the more easily the writer can explain it, the better the chances he or she has of getting it sold. Because the “pitch” doesn’t end with the writer (the buying producers will then have to pitch the story all over town), it is vital that the pitch is simple, direct and has a hook.
The title of your story can also go a long, long way toward attracting interest. For instance, Intergalactic Struggles might not generate as much interest as Star Wars. The thing to bear in mind is that you want to avoid the “been there, done that” roadblock. You want to make it possible for the people you’re pitching to easily grasp the story’s concept, see that it’s uniquely fascinating, and believe a broad audience demographic will want to see it.
The story has to convey this to the people you’re pitching, without you directly selling them its potential. Know also that these people are pitched a multitude of stories on a weekly basis and after a while all pitches begin to sound alike. Make yours compelling and accessible."
Pitching isn’t easy. I have been told many a time that getting a pitch just right is almost as tough as writing a script! There is so much to learn about pitching that this subject alone could fill an entire book.
Jerrol LeBaron, president and founder of InkTip.com
Pitch Perfect: Pitching your movie idea to the entertainment industry