Stage 32 should seriously consider making the Pitch Sessions 15 minutes instead of ten. You would see a lot more success stories if pitchers had 5 more minutes to fully explain their stories. Personally, I have spent a lot of money pitching here over the past 5 months, and had a few scripts requested. But I feel my success rate would be much higher if I had just 5 more minutes. After introducing yourself, having a little banter, thanking the exec for their time, telling the inspiration for the story, and talking about random stuff like asking if they are safe from the California wild fires, or talking about some mutual connections, you are left with 5 or 6 minutes to do the actual pitch. It's not enough time. It just isn't. When my scripts don't get requested it's because I had to leave out a big chunk of information. One of my feedback was 'I should explain the love story aspect some more'. I deliberately had to leave that out because I was running out of time. I could have used 5 more minutes. Another comment was that I didn't explain the protagonists motivation or back story. Again, I left that out because of time. I needed 5 more minutes. One of the execs told me, 'I don't how you guys pitch in 5 or 6 minute, when I pitch to the studios I get a half hour, and even that is sometimes not enough.' So please Stage 32, seriously consider making the Pitch Sessions 5 minutes longer. I do think this is a terrific platform and a valuable site for screenwriters, but 5 more minutes would make it even better.
Anything Goes : 5 more minutes by Zee Risek
Animator, Art Director, Director, Screenwriter, Storyboard Artist
2 weeks ago
5 more minutes
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Here's.some advice I received early on as an actor; when it comes to auditioning; (or in your case pitching), cut the small talk. If a Casting director asks questions before you start your monologue or scene read, politely say, "I prefer to read first and answer questions after." They will agree. Why not change your approach? Pitch first then interview. It's your time. Own it.
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Thanks Suzanne. That is really good advice. Going forward, that is exactly what I will do. Cheers.
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Hi Zee, thank you for your feedback. I will discuss with the team. We're always looking for ways to improve everyone's experience. Perhaps we can ofter different pitching lengths for different purposes. With that said, pitching is a hard skill to master, whether it's 5 or 50 minutes. In my experience, short pitches can force the writer to focus on what's really important, making the exec wanting more. You potentially could have the same timing issue with a longer pitch session . As Suzanne pointed out, you could tie in your pitch to who you are and why you wrote this particular pitch right away so that if the execs ask you general questions, you can smoothly use your answer as a transition to tackle the pitch. As the new Director of Development Services, I will also be sharing tips and info to help during the matchmaking process to make sure what you pitch is a fit for the exec.