How to make your pitch really impressive? How to conquer the hearts of producers in just three minutes? Michael Hague, a story writing expert, author and lecturer who works with filmmakers in Hollywood and around the world, writes about this in his column.
Secrets of a 3-minute pitch
The opportunity to perform a 20-minute pitch in Hollywood is rare, especially when it comes to novice screenwriters. But as soon as you finish your first script, you will be faced with the task of convincing decision-makers to read it in less than 60 seconds.
Whenever you call an agent or production company to discuss your story or script, be prepared to answer the question, "What is your film about?" It will often depend on your answer whether you are denied or your material is read.
Pitching festivals and conferences help both to expand the opportunities for advertising your work and increase competition, so you need a concise and powerful pitch lasting 1-3 minutes.
Here are some of the best ways to persuade a film studio agent, manager, or director to consider your script, which I discuss in detail in How to Sell a Script in 60 Seconds. And at the end you will find another free tip as a bonus.
Secret 1: ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE BUYER
As you prepare for the pitch, learn all about the people you will be negotiating with. Use search engines, Facebook, Linkedin, sites like iMDbpro.com, your own contacts and biographies in the Pitch Festival catalog to learn as much as you can about the experience and filmography of your customers.
At the first meeting with an agent, manager or CEO of a production company, briefly express your admiration for their work or at least the projects they produce or the stars they represent. Thank you for dedicating your Saturday to the pitching festival or for accepting your call. Tell us how much you liked a particular film that their company was involved in. Better yet, ask a question that demonstrates your passion for film (rather than just trying to be polite): “Before we begin, I have something to ask you. Tell me, the moment when the heroine slaps the killer, despite the shotgun in his hand - it was in the script, or the actress improvised? "
Take a risk and tell something personal about yourself - your passion for writing or how much it means for you to be able to share your story with this person (more on this later). I've heard many stories of people being persuaded to read a mediocre script just because they felt connected to the author. It doesn't matter WHY people want to read your script. All that matters is that it is read.
Secret 2: IGNITE YOUR PASSION!
When I prepare writers and filmmakers for the pitch - both individually and in groups at my seminars - I focus on this skill the most. You can't expect a manager or producer to be fascinated by your project if you're not passionate about it. However, I've seen pitches that were more like a shopping list than something a writer or filmmaker wants to spend years of his life on.
Why does this story irritate your soul? Why SHOULD it be told? Why is it so important to you? Why do viewers line up to watch your movie?
Does your story explore topics that the world needs to hear? Does it germinate from your personal pain, hopes or ideals? Is it thanks to such films that you wanted to become a screenwriter?
You may like this scenario because your mission in life is to scare people to death or make them laugh to tears. Perfectly!
Passion is contagious. I know many stories whose plots were like communication in a bureaucratic institution, but the writers were so fascinated by them that the agent said, "Okay, I'll see."
Passion is also the best way to establish contact with the buyer (see point 1). Have fun with people who are passionate about their work. I want to support them and be with them. And they make agreements with them.
Secret 3: DO NOT TRY TO TELL THE STORY COMPLETELY!
Undoubtedly, the biggest mistake that all writers make is trying to squeeze the whole plot into a three-minute pitch instead of emphasizing only those elements that fascinate the director of the production company. Writers take too much time from listeners, and (at a pitching festival with a tight schedule) they are interrupted, not giving the opportunity to get feedback from customers or even reveal the strengths of their scripts.
Understand that your goal is to convince the person who decides to read your script. That's all.
Secret 4: CALL EMOTION
As I constantly emphasize in my book, recordings and seminars, viewers go to the movies to FEEL, that is, to participate emotionally in the story. The same goes for the CEO who listens to your pitch. You need to convey the elements of your story so that it gets an emotional experience (or at least a hint of it). If the buyer thinks that reading your script will speed up his heart rate, tears will appear in his eyes or his heart will be filled with feelings, he will want to read it.
Emphasize the CONFLICT in your story. Whatever your character wants to do, tell the listener why it seems impossible. It can be the brilliant cunning and amazing power of your villain (as in the films "Red Dragon" and "Spider-Man"), the fact that your heroine's past did not prepare her for the challenges she faced ("Erin Brokovich" and "Blonde" in law ”), or the real horror that the heroine feels, saying goodbye to the usual ideas about herself in search of love, passion or self-realization (“ Titanic ”and“ Sleepless in Seattle ”).
The very premonition that your character will face insurmountable obstacles will make viewers - and buyers - seek to know what will happen next.
Secret 5: EMPHASIZE KEY PLOT TURNING POINTS
Just because you don't guide the listener through the whole scene scene by scene doesn't mean you won't reveal any details. While the specific events you will discuss will be different for different projects, here are some key points to consider:
IN WHICH SITUATION IS YOUR HERO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM?
How does the hero's life go before the events? What does his unusual, interesting or fascinating world consist of? What wound of the past is he trying to heal - consciously or unconsciously? And most importantly - how will this acquaintance with the hero contribute to empathy and identification with him?
WHAT OPPORTUNITY IS OPENED TO YOUR HERO ON PAGE 10, AND WHAT NEW WORLD OR SITUATION WILL WE TAKE NOW?
Is the hero taken to the school of wizards ("Harry Potter")? Or does the heroine meet a guy who offers her to break with a monotonous life ("Good Girl")?
WHAT SPECIFIC, APPEARED DESIRE IS BORN FROM THIS SITUATION AND DETERMINES THE CONCEPT OF YOUR HISTORY?
In other words, what finish line should your hero, whom we support, cross the end of the film?
WHAT GREAT DEFEAT DOES THE HERO SUFFER AT THE END OF ACT 2?
Does he break with the love of his life, or does he learn that the psychopathic killer hasn't really died and is harassing his family?
Again, do not try to reveal ALL the details. Choose the ones that you can retell succinctly and that arouse the greatest interest and taste in your buyer.
Please note that I do not propose to reveal the outcome of your story. If listeners want to know how it all ended - let them read.
Secret 6: THINK LIKE A BUYER
During your presentation, any buyer mentally asks himself the same question: "Can I sell it?" The more commercial potential your script has, the better your chances of it being read. So be prepared to mention successful rental predecessors that were similar in genre, intonation, theme or style. And describe your character in such a way that the link to profitable star movies is obvious.
Secret 7: ASK TO READ YOUR SCRIPT
This advice may sound banal, but most writers just exhale at the end of their pitches and wait awkwardly for their listeners to realize they're done.
My favorite last line for any pitch is, “Do you want me to send you a script or do you have questions about the story?” This gives them two options, and both suit you.
That's why NEVER delay your pitch for more than three minutes, and that's why one minute is even better. You should leave time to discuss the story. And if listeners aren't interested in it, you'll have time to ask if they'd like to hear a story about another project you're working on.
Secret 8: NEVER TELL THE STORY COMPLETELY!
I know I've said it before, but believe me, you needed to hear it a second time.
Secret 9: REHEAR
Have you prepared a pitch? Then rehearse, rehearse and rehearse again! Speak to friends, a writing group, other writers at a pitch fair, and even in front of your inflatable doll. Prepare it well enough so that it sounds natural and conversational, but not memorized.
Don't be afraid to use notes, but never read your pitch. Passion and dry recitation are incompatible.
And don't worry about being nervous. The fact is that you will be nervous in any case. This phone call or meeting is an important opportunity, a lot depends on it, you have gone far beyond the comfort zone and feel that all the power is in the hands of the buyer. So it is natural to be nervous.
But here's another little secret: ALL START! People who listen to your pitch have heard thousands of stories, mostly from frightened writers, so the truth is that they just don't care.
I've heard many reasons to give up projects in my career, but I've never heard an CEO say, "What a great story! This movie could bring hundreds of millions of bucks! But unfortunately, the writer was so nervous that we had to refuse. "
ANOTHER SECRET TO THE BONUS: WHERE TO START THE PITCH
The most difficult moment in a meeting usually comes after you have talked a little to greet the listener and establish contact. Then there is an awkward pause when everyone is silent, and you think, “Is it time to start? Get to work right away? Ask them for permission? Wait until I get the floor? Should I go home and become a pharmacist, as my mother wanted? ”
Because of this, it is difficult for you to overcome nervousness and draw listeners into your story. So I'll share my favorite way to start a pitch.
Do not wait for action from the buyer. After the introduction, just say, "Let me start with how I came up with this story." Next, tell the buyer what led you to write the script.
This move allows you to achieve many goals: gives you control over the meeting; reveals the commercial, artistic and thematic components that make your story strong and unique; draws the listener into the story just as the story drew you from the beginning; and by the time you get to the key character traits and plot twists, the buyer will be completely focused on your pitch.
And most importantly - it is a powerful way to instantly convey the most important element: your passion for this story.
About Michael Hague
Michael Hague is a storywriter, author and lecturer who works with writers, filmmakers, marketers, business leaders, lawyers and speakers, both in Hollywood and around the world. He has coached screenwriters, producers, stars and directors on projects of all major film studios and TV channels. Recent projects he has worked on include Kid Karate and Defender, produced by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment; "Masters of the Universe" by Columbia Pictures; "Bakugan" by Universal Pictures, as well as "With Love, Rosie" by SONY Pictures and Constantin Film.
Michael is the author of the bestsellers "How to Sell a Script in 60 Seconds: How to Make Your Script or Novel Guaranteed to Read," as well as the new 20th anniversary edition of the Hollywood Standard. How to write a script for a movie and TV to buy ”, which has already become a classic. Michael's seminars, including the audiobook Two Ways of a Hero, co-authored with Christopher Vogler, and Add Hollywood Magic to Your Stories, are available on DVD, CD, and digital on his website, as well as in bookstores around the world.
Original article: http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/secrets-of-the-3-minute-pitch.html
