Summary
Find out what buyers and executives need to see in your pitch bible from a producer who's set up projects at HBO, Amazon Prime, AMC, Starz, Sony, Fox, and more.
You’ve received plenty of tips on penning your pilot, but how do you actually put together the companion pitch bible that helps sell your show?
The opportunities to pitch your project are everywhere, from broadcast networks to streamers. Even here on Stage 32, you can find countless execs looking for new ideas to develop. And you need to be prepared with a pitch bible when those opportunities arise.
A pitch bible is a written document that briefly tells an executive everything they need to know about your series in an efficient and engaging way. In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, one of our most popular hosts, Anna Henry, will show you exactly what executives want to see in your pitch bible.
Anna will walk you through every aspect of what you need to include in your pitch bible, how much time to spend on each element, and how to organize it all in a way that’s easy to follow. Most importantly, she will show you how to include all of this information in a way that shows just how entertaining and exciting your show is and why an executive needs to buy your show today.
Anna is an accomplished producer, development executive, and television instructor who teaches writers like you exclusively through Stage 32, including the Netflix & Stage 32 Creating Content for a Global Marketplace Program.
Over her lengthy entertainment career, she has pitched and set up projects at AMC, Amazon Prime, Starz, HBO, Sony, Fox, EOne, ITV America, and OddLot Entertainment, among others. She’s worked at CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and multiple production companies, as well as in management at Andrea Simon Entertainment, where she worked with writers of all experience levels.
This webinar with Anna ensures that you know everything that’s needed in your pitch bible so that you’re prepared to sell your project the moment an opportunity arises. Join Anna - and the countless other writers who have benefited from her guidance - to take your project pitch to the next level today.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS STAGE 32 EDUCATION FROM ANNA:
"Anna's webinar was fantastic. I am writing my first one hour drama pilot so this webinar was packed with the exact information that I will be immediately putting to use in my rewrite. The slides were clear, concise and informative. The speaker was excellent at conveying the information I needed." -- Bobby C.
"It was really great information. Anna was a terrific host, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information and tips." -- Marla H.
What You'll Learn
What is a pitch bible and why do you need one?
Structure of a pitch bible:
- Using the template agents and studios use to organize your thoughts
- Writing style for a pitch
Your personal connection:
- Why are you the right person to tell this story?
- What audience is being targeted and why will they want to watch the show now?
Concept / Overview - Summarizing your show in one page:
- Format and genre
- Structure of the show
- Story engine (central conflict)
- Stakes
Logline:
- How to use your logline and the anatomy of the perfect logline for television
World:
- Describing the specifics of your setting
- Communicating complicated mythology
Themes:
- Big questions your show addresses
Tone - your show’s “special sauce”:
- Buzzwords for description
- Comps – pros and cons
Character Description Elements:
- What to include in a character description step-by-step
- Backstory, key elements, character traits, arcs, relationships
- Compelling, relatable characters
Pilot:
- Summarizing your pilot story for the pitch
Series – describing where your show is going:
- Differences between multi-season, limited or mini-series
- Season arcs – how many seasons and how to organize
- Episode descriptions – when they are needed and how much to write
Tips for writing a Stage 32 two-page pitch for an industry executive
Q&A with Anna
Who Should Attend
All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to put together the companion pitch bible.
All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to put together the companion pitch bible.
Producers looking to put together the companion pitch bible.
Actors looking to put together the companion pitch bible.
Executive
Anna Henry is a Producer, Television Development Executive and an educator for Netflix. Anna has set up projects at Sony, 20th Television, EOne, Starz, Amazon, Netflix, Corus, ITV America and more. Anna began her career as a development executive at Nickelodeon, then crossed over to prime-time television working at CBS and ABC in drama development and programming before working in management and establishing herself as an Independent Producer.
She was Head of Development at Andrea Simon Entertainment, a boutique literary management and production company representing writers and directors. She has more than 15 years experience working with writers on developing their passion projects and building their careers with client credits including Netflix's "Seven Seconds"; Starz'"Vida"; BET’s “In Contemt”; HBO's "The Deuce", "Big Love", and "Vinyl"; Showtime's "The Chi"; NBC's "This Is Us"; The CW's "Jane the Virgin"; Direct TV's "Kingdom"; AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead”; PBS' "Mercy Street"; and more.
Anna has projects currently in development around the world. She is currently developing procedurals, crime thrillers, dark comedies, YA and Millennial-focused projects, character-driven sci-fi, and recent period. She is a member of HRTS Associates and Greenlight Women.
Credits
