Presenting what is still merely an idea, concept or project to future partners, investors and distributors is part of the activity of a filmmaker. Pitching is a selling technique based on an oral presentation, usually between one and seven minutes long. On a practical level, it is the most efficient way to connect your project to people looking for interesting projects, such as commissioning editors. The pitch is a condensed description of what your project (film, series, documentary, etc.) is about. The pitch should be adapted to the occasion, audience and opportunity and it is imperative that you nail down the pitch that works for your project. Think carefully about your pitch and work on it. Do your research and be ready for questions and requests for further clarifications. Sometimes, you may have little more than a few minutes to pique’s someone’s interest and that could be enough to “sell” a good project.
Visual support is an important element of convincing, so always have a pitch deck ready: a compelling thumbnail sketch of the main aspects of your project. Your message needs to travel well. When you pitch your project to an executive, he or she in turn will have to pitch or explain it to someone else (sometimes several days later). If your pitch is vivid, memorable and clear, your project is more likely to be well-received. Remember, you do not need to include every detail of the project in the pitch. The key is to aim for what will draw the listener in and leave him or her wanting to know more. High-concept stories are usually the easiest to pitch and character-driven tales are the most difficult to sum up. Know the strong aspects of your project in general and reflect them in the pitch to generate a higher impact. This could be an IP element, for example, the right to adapt a book to which you have secured exclusivity for a number of years (also known as an option agreement).
Considerations to pitch a project
Don’t forget that a pitch will also be considered as a business proposition and legal viability is very much an aspect to be considered in pitching. Many aspects of the legal viability rely on the IP clearance practices and elements that you incorporate in your project from the start. For example, if you plan a biopic about a famous artist but have not started to look into obtaining the rights to some of his or her music, the project will be either unattractive (no soundtrack in line with the project) or not legally viable (using the songs will lead to copyright infringement and prohibition from distributing the final content).
For unknown partners and professionals without a prior reputation in the audiovisual market, the pitch is also the opportunity to show professionalism, an important factor in high-end and smaller projects equally. It is a sample of what you are capable of.
Financers often consider the following elements when deciding whether to invest in the project:
Solid narrative: you must have a convincing, well-structured story that is clearly and concisely expressed. Define your central proposal and ensure that it is easy to understand and possible to achieve through your project. There are many different ways to order the content of the pitch, one common option is to start with the genre, then the setting, the logline, the synopsis, the director’s vision and then finally introduce the main characters, outline the conflict and give an idea of the resolution.
Trailer, sample reels or content sample: include visual material that shows your project’s potential and how it might look once it is produced. A well-produced trailer or fragments of important scenes can be effective at conveying the tone and quality of the production and the strength of the characters, in particular for nonfiction projects. In case there is no time or resources for a trailer, synopsis, storyboards and/or concept photos and any other selling points might be helpful.
Essential facts and figures: provide relevant information about the target market, recent trends, competition, potential audience and possible ROI. Financers will want to see that you have done your research and that you are well-prepared (see elements of concept and business plan as explained above).
Talented crew: highlight the skills and experience of your creative and technical teams. Showing that you have a skilled, committed crew – ideally with contracts already signed – can give potential investors confidence. If you mention professionals, make sure they are aware and are on board with the different aspects of the project. If you have not chosen a key person, for example, the main character, look for alternatives to show your vision (description, character bible, photos, etc.).
Plan, business model and budget: explain how you plan to implement the project, from preproduction to distribution. If you already have investors, coproducers, preliminary agreements that have an impact on rights management and the budget, include this information. Pitch a detailed, realistic budget and a plan that shows how you will use funds efficiently.
Distribution and marketing: explain how your content will reach the audiences. Showcase that a strategy for promotion and dissemination is in line with the business plan and how you position the content in the market. Create a website and start engaging consumers from the start. Create memorable promotional materials, word-of-mouth campaigns by hosting screenings and look for organizations that could become a vehicle to distribute the movie.
IP in the pitch
With pitching you are proposing a process and result. IP is very much linked to both creative and business sides and should not be forgotten even in your pitching.
Remember, your proposal needs to be considered to be viable and IP will help you to tell the story in the way you propose. As your concept evolves and the number of meetings and pitches grows, here are the main key aspects to keep in mind:
Financing and distribution: understand the different options in terms of the obligations you assume in exchange of financing and distribution. As you start to enter into agreements or negotiate them, keep that in mind any parallel discussions with other sponsors financiers. Some deals might be incompatible in terms of conditions related to the IP over the final content. The options are diverse but normally relate to exclusivity, window, territory or time period.
Creation of content: the evolution of the project means that more materials are included and generated and more people are collaborating directly or indirectly at the different stages. Ensure that contractual agreements are in place. Be sure to closely manage the issues of ownership and authorship of the new materials or content that was adapted.
Protection of content: the film might not be finished but a number of materials already exist. While copyright does not require registration for protection, several measures could be taken to ensure you have proof of ownership over those contents you created or financed for the purposes of your project. For example, the script, character bibles and other materials could be registered at the competent national authority to provide more security for your rights. If merchandising is part of your business model, think about registering trademarks as well. If you believe your project is actually a format (a tv or series format, for example), ensure that you take the respective measures in place to own that format. Remember to think about retaining some of the ownership over the results of the project both in case of financing or if there is no green light.
Confidentiality: you might want to keep several elements of your concept or project confidential. The first step is to treat those elements as confidential information and undertake the necessary measures with them. Be aware who has access and with whom you share those elements. This is particularly true for materials that that are not protectable by IP (for example, ideas). Nondisclosure agreements with those with access might be advisable to formalize and protect this confidentiality.
At the same time, some of the confidential elements might make your pitch more attractive. If the pitch takes place at a public event, such as a festival, the recommendation is not to reveal any information you would like to keep confidential. If the pitch takes place behind closed doors, you may want to pitch ideas or elements without the fear of them being used without your authorization.
An “agreement to evaluate” is when someone, such as a production company, agrees it is receiving confidential information for the purpose of evaluating the material. If the production company passes on the project, it agrees not to use the material. If it wants to use the material, it must enter into an agreement with the person that brought that information. Alternatively, when someone does not want the risk of receiving information about a project and wants to ensure they can use ideas similar to the ones in the pitch, they might propose a “submission release.” Sometimes you might not be able to convince the counterpart to sign formal agreements before a pitch. Still, you might need to take the risk not to lose that opportunity. That is the reality in many cases. If a formal written agreement in advance is not possible, any discussion or understanding could be formalized in written restatement, through email for example, to keep a record of what was agree (or not agreed) in the meeting for future reference.
Pitching at festivals and markets
Attending festivals and markets to meet with industry representatives provides innumerable opportunities to pitch your project or concept, or to gather ideas about the market needs and interest for your next project. More frequently than not, the setup and the location to undertake your pitch is not ideal. It could happen over a coffee in a crowded space, or even standing in an open area. The best advice from experienced producers is to be prepared. This not only means to do the work before traveling to the festival/market – the business plan, the concept, the IP-related aspects, but also to have your pitch deck ready on your laptop, tablet or even phone. You could also have it online and share a link with people you would like to grant access (this is also a way to control who can access your pitch).
At more advanced stages, you might even be ready to negotiate and agree on basic terms. In those cases, a written summary of what you are ready to offer might help you advance the negotiations. This is done through a “deal memo” where you include the contractual basis that you are ready to enter into in terms of territories, windows of distribution, deadlines, collections calendar and so on.
One important element that is commonly disregarded is that to have a good first impression, the presentation or pitch should contain no errors or typos. If it is in a foreign language, make sure to check the text and avoid spelling and grammatical errors.