More and more, storytellers are being asked to present more than just a script when going out to investors or production companies. Whether you’re pitching a limited series, a feature, or even a doc, executives and investors want to have a sense of what your project will be, beyond just words on a page.

What will it look like?

What will it feel like?

Execs want a visual representation of what the project is—even if you aren’t the director. For this reason, understanding how to put together an attractive pitch deck will give you a distinct advantage as a director, as a writer, as a producer, or as any creative in TV and film.

There are people out there who are incredibly skilled with programs like Photoshop or Lightroom and, for those people, creating a pitch deck that will help sell their show can be a snap. But for the average person, these apps are daunting at best and, at worst, completely confusing and overwhelming. However you don’t need to spend hours learning how to use high-end software, and you certainly don’t have to put down a bunch of money for a designer.

You can create an amazing pitch deck with basic software and one or two simple apps on your phone and we're going to show you how.

ABOUT YOUR STAGE 32 EDUCATOR

Shaun O'Banion is the founder of production company Ravenwood and works as a post production project coordinator on some of the industry's leading films in recent years including JOJO RABBIT, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, THE AFTERMATH and OPHELIA. O’Banion produced DAKOTA SKYE which became a cult hit and remained in the Top 100 Most Viewed on Netflix. He produced GIRLFRIEND, the first film in North America to star an actor with Down Syndrome in the lead role. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, sold to Strand Releasing and won O’Banion an IFP Gotham Award. He joined the Producers Guild of America and co-produced THE AUTOMATIC HATE which made its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film was released theatrically by Film Movement. Through his career, Shaun has become well versed in positioning his projects for success and understanding the best ways to pitch and sell them, including creating knock-out pitch decks. He’s ready to share what he’s learned and empower even the most tech-illiterate members of the Stage 32 community.

Shaun will teach you how to use basic software and apps to craft an attractive pitch deck on your own without having to hire a graphic designer. 

After teaching you what you need to know about designing a great pitch deck, Shaun will demonstrate it all by working with the registrants in creating a brand new pitch deck in real time, live and on-screen. He will specifically focus on creating with you a general image for the overall background, graphics for the title page, setting page, main character page, supporting character page, and episode page. Shaun will also provide registrants with a resource sheet outlining the tools and software he uses for his own pitch decks. After going through this exercise with Shaun, you’ll never need to hire a graphic designer again.

• What Is A Pitch Deck?
  • The basics of a pitch deck
  • The importance of pitch decks for films and series
  • Examples of pitch decks that got made and some that just might get made.
• Designing Your Own Pitch Deck With Simple Tools
  • Getting Set Up
    • The software and non-traditional tools you should use
  • Forming your plan
    • Going on instinct vs. planning your layout in advance
  • Doing the prep work ahead of time to save time and energy later on
  • Using visuals to elevate your pitch deck
    • Conveying tone
    • Creating flow
  • Images
    • Where to find images
    • What is fair game?
    • How to choose one image over another
  • Fonts
  • Using visuals to break up your document for maximum impact
• LIVE AND COLLABORATIVE DEMO: Building pages of a pitch deck from scratch
  • Graphics for the title page
  • Character page
  • Picking a general image for the full background (the theme that runs through)
• Q&A with Shaun

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to use basic software and apps to craft an attractive pitch deck on your own without having to hire a graphic designer.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how to use basic software and apps to craft an attractive pitch deck on your own without having to hire a graphic designer.

Producers looking to learn how to use basic software and apps to craft an attractive pitch deck on your own without having to hire a graphic designer.

Actors looking to learn how to use basic software and apps to craft an attractive pitch deck on your own without having to hire a graphic designer.