Screenwriting : Pitching your Script by Kendall Loyd

Well I've piched here twice, one Skype and one written. No offense to Stage 32 but I felt like the feedback I recieved was vague and unhelpful. One executive didn't understand my reference to "brat pack" films, confusing them with the "rat pack". Which is funny, but not. I've also been to pitchfests, which did at least get me some requests. And I've used virtual pitchfest a few times, which again garnered a few script requests. Oh and I've done some cold calling, which got me a couple requests too. Seems like it still comes down to who you know at the end of the day. I landed an agent because a friend/mentor, who is a working screenwriter, agreed to read my script, loved it and talked an agent friend of his into reading it, who then called me and became my agent. And my friend is going to read my latest script, said if it's good he will give it to another friend who might be able to do something with it. It's just a tough biz to break into, period.

Thanks Joey, I'd be glad to. I will have to see if I can dig up the reports, I deleted them already I think.

Everyone who has ever pitched anything ever has heard "pass". It's just a matter of keep working hard to make the best material they've read. I've pitched a million times. Mostly written but I've moved into recording my pitches. Find what you're comfortable with, then break out of that and test yourself.

Yeah I think it's better to perfect your verbal pitch than write it because it shows you're more personal and hands on.

Jody. Unfortunately you are right it does come down to who you know. I don't really follow what other people are doing because I have my own projects I have do deal with. I might be wrong here but it seems to me that a lot of people pitch their screenplays to a producer and if the producer passes on it they just go on and try to find someone else to read it. That is not how it usually works. If that is what people are doing then I can see why the odds of someone breaking in isn't that good.

My writing partner and I have done two pitches so far, and now are prepping for our third. We go the written pitch route, because she lives in WA and I live in GA, which makes it difficult to do a verbal pitch. :-) It's not guaranteed that any kind of pitch will result in a deal to move forward. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess well over 9 out of 10 pitches result in a "no." You just have to keep trying!

I sung one once as if I were going to pitch to Ronnie Howard. I let the words fall where they may, in the end blamed him not would I if he just shook his head in dismay. So I thought, does that mean you want to start this project come this May. LOL! , try anything. On a serious note I do keep what is called a "pitch" packet in my wallet at all times times. It consists of a penny for thought, a nickel worth it's weight and of course and a dime to drop that line upon which and where needed. Opening it may give a little curiosity as to what this fool thinks but perhaps it is where a fool and their money does depart upon option, try anything. If you want to write that crap out fine, but where is the story in that? Not that I'm saying not too but where is the story in that getting to the point of writing it out in the first place, try anything. There is one exception to "try anything" and that is wasting their or your time. Just make sure when you try anything you have a valid point with intent to whom you are "pitching" too. Peace out and keep on keeping on, be crafty even if it is simply writing out some stuff. Good luck to all. Michael L. Burris "Life is way too short not to look at the lighter side of it".

I've done I think eight pitches here and been requested five times (I think, it's early and I am pre-coffee!), no deals - "yet," she said optimistically. I've only done one verbal pitch so far, more because of logistics than desire. One of the pitch passes I received was actually really helpful; I felt like the person genuinely liked the story/idea but had a couple of concerns that had me examining and rearranging a bit, for the better. Another pass had me laughing though because the person said, "I think this should be a feature comedy" and then referenced a movie that had nothing in common with the feel/tone of my one-hour character-driven drama pilot. I have no idea what in my pitch sparked that response lol. To me it's all a learning-curve, and part of the process. You've got to constantly knock on doors till the right person answers. Stage 32 offers access to certain doors I'm interested in. So I knock. =)

@Dan if it's who you know then we know people on Stage 32. Shift the paradigm. No, we're not sitting at Sardi's having lunch with Robert Evans, but we can pitch to his so-called descendants in the biz through Joey Tuccio, who, by the way, I know. Name Drop!

@ Michael. It is who you know. It doesn't matter where or how you meet them as long as you meet them and they are worth knowing. I made my connections in this business by sending out query letters and calling people on the phone. If Stage 32 was available at the time I probably would have used it as well. Most people break in and sell their screenplays instead of the other way around. A spec screenplay really is just a screenwriters calling card and is used to show people already in the business that you know the business and how to write for it. So if someone submits a script and it gets passed on the script helped you make a connection in the business and that is what really counts. Next time you send that screenplay he might remember you and after your third or forth he might hire you to write one.

I've made three verbal pitches for my one hour sci fi/fantasy TV pilot. The first and third to the same person--I wanted to see if the modifications I made to my pitch based on the feedback from the first and second pitches were actually improvements. I improved by one point on most categories and, I think, didn't move on one or two between the first and third pitches--again to the same person. I took "The Perfect Pitch: The Secret To Becoming A Pitching Ace" seminar before making any of my pitches, and thought I had a fairly good handle on how to go about pitching, but now I'm not sure. The comments I've received are in order of pitch: ===== Feedback (2-4 sentences on story): If felt really bogged down by the plot. I didn’t think he had a clear take on the premise. It felt like he didn’t really know where the series would go. Some of the motivations felt unclear. I wasn’t quite sure what his stance on the paranormal ultimately ended up being. (2-4 sentences on pitch): A bit scattershot and unclear. I felt like I wasn’t really able to process what the show would look like It felt like he was struggling to get all the information out there and I just wish he clarified it a bit and it was more concise. ===== Feedback (2-4 sentences on story): I’ve read tons of scripts in this space already, and it’s a really tough nut to crack. There are some fun ideas and it’s clear James is a fan of these paranormal investigative shows, but I don’t see this having a strong engine for a series. (2-4 sentences on pitch): James is very well spoken, but he got a bit too lost in the micro plot details. The story became confusing and long, leaving no room for what the series story was supposed to be. ===== Feedback (2-4 sentences on story): I had already heard the story before, but it has nice elements. I particular like the focus on grief and mourning, and the confusion and anger that it can illicit. I wasn’t quite sure what his ultimate take on the story is, and I think having 5 seasons mapped out is a bit too much focus, when I really want to know about the pilot and possibly the first season. (2-4 sentences on pitch): I couldn’t quite tell what the difference in pitch was, but it did seem to read better. I still believe that it was too plot-heavy and I wished that he didn’t just read off his computer. ===== Based on the first and second pitches, which had about a page and half about the pilot itself, I cut that back to half a page for this third and mapped out the 5 season run I foresee for the show. So I guess what I'd like to ask is: 1) For those of you pitching 1 hour pilot dramas, how much time do you spend on the plot of the episode and how much do you spend on setting up the show? 2) What would you do based on this feedback to improve your pitch?