Screenwriting : Pitching To Executives by Peter Ford

Peter Ford

Pitching To Executives

What are your views on pitching? I am trying to find the best executive to pitch to as my feature is very English centric. Harry Potter meets The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy and Dr Who. Most that offer the service are based in the US, I haven't found one yet to be UK based.

I don't want to waste someone's time who is not aware of quintessential English villages, the canal system and jammy dodgers/custard creams.

Any thoughts?

Marty Howe

try Google.

Peter Ford

Thanks.

Peter Ford

Good point! One can but dream!

CJ Walley

My thoughts are that you're over-thinking it, Peter. I understand your concern but execs make mainly business/managerial decisions.

It's also worth noting that they want scripts with global appeal. If you have something that requires a deep understanding of British culture to appreciate it, that may be an obstacle to finding an audience and you'll probably find the content needs to be Americanised to make it commercial.

My experience with people in LA is that they tend to think most of England is just an extension of victorian London.

Ewan Dunbar

If you think of a few key words or phrases that will encapsulate the quintessential Englishness of your story, see how these can be applied to the writing of your scene descriptions. It will be the job of the finished product to convey this feeling to all audiences, so you can start this process in the script.

Peter Ford

That's a very good idea; Something along the lines of....

EXT. RICKETTY FIELD, STEEPLE SNORING, ENGLAND - MISS HOPLOOSLEY

HIDING in bushes.

Miss Amelia Hoploosley, a prim, tweed-suited, brogue-wearing spinster and Tarquin’s overly inquisitive next-door neighbour., watches horrified, as Tarquin Jenkins, and Jeremiah Cavendish, each wearing a set of very peculiar clothes and a thick layer of muddy undergrowth—and worse, broke from a line of trees and weaved drunkenly through the corn.

CROUCHING

Miss Hoploosley gazes dumbstruck as they slew past her hiding place, laughing and wobbling unsteadily towards the canal.

Doug Nelson

Peter - to wordy. You writing a script or a novel?

Peter Ford

It’s adapted from a novel. Good point though, thanks.

Richard Buzzell

Peter - Ewan Dunbar from Disrupting Influence in the UK is taking pitches in Aug.

Peter Ford

Hi Richard, thanks for the heads up. Do I check their website, or is he taking pitches through stage32? Thanks again.

Peter Ford

Found him on a pitch sessio heren in August - thanks.

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