This week we reviewed how to pitch a screenplay in preparation for upcoming short film pitches, and shared our 2 page scripts!
Lecture: How to Pitch a Screenplay
A huge part of the film industry is pitching people your script or a new idea. There are a few key elements we covered that should be included in your pitch:
- Logline
- Major Plot Points
- Genre, Theme, Tone
- Characters
- Budget
- Personal Connection
- Pitch Deck (optional)
- Portfolio
Logline
Loglines are like your elevator pitch: 1-2 sentences describing your script. Starting with this can hook your audience and start them off with a general overview.
Major Plot Points
Major plot points help explain the meat of your story and give your audience full context. Spoilers aren’t an issue here so don’t leave anything out!
Try not to be overly specific: only include the most important points.
Genre, Theme, Tone
As part of conveying the full picture, including your genre, theme, and tone will help pull all of the pieces together for your audience.
A common descriptor of genre is “my movie is like x meets y” where you plug in similar movies based on vibe, theme, time period, etc.
“My script is like La La Land meets Elf” (can you imagine??)
Characters
It is important to include a description of your main characters, their arcs, and their relationships with each other– again, building on that mental picture. Here is a great place to establish why they should care about your characters and their journey.
Budget
When pitching to someone who is going to make your movie, budget could be a huge deciding factor in whether they pick it up or not.
Movies with high action, explosions, CGI, lots of locations, etc. are all going to have a high budget. Generally, films with a smaller budget are more appealing because it will cost less money for whomever you are pitching to to create it.
Personal Connection
People love hearing what people are passionate about. Your audience may be much more compelled to pick up your script if they see your passion for it. Why are you the person to tell this story?
Pitch Deck
Many writers will choose to create a pitch deck: a visual aid used to convey elements of a script and keep a pitch on track.
Though they are not required, pitch decks can portray parts of your pitch that words may not be able to. It may also keep your audience more engaged.
Avoid paragraphs of text and reading directly off of it.
Portfolio
Presenting your audience with your portfolio helps your audience get an idea of your voice and style as a writer, as well as your skill.
Some content to include in your screenwriting portfolio would be:
- Feature Scripts
- Short Film Scripts
- TV Pilots
- Spec Scripts
- Treatment
- Coverage
- Loglines in Development
- Pitch Decks
- Show Bibles
- Awards
2 Pager
I was super nervous going into class to present my 2 page script. I was happy with how it came out, but as our first piece of writing in class, it was definitely nerve wracking.
Luckily, it went well and I got good feedback from my classmates and professor. Check it out!
Conclusion
I’ve got to get brainstorming on short film ideas and start on my pitch! I am most nervous for this assignment, but know how important it is to practice this skill.
In the meantime, be sure to check out last week’s post, and stay tuned for next week’s!