Tips On Pitching

Recently we had a lecture in class from Michael Colleary, the writer of such films as Face/Off, Tomb Raider and Firehouse Dog.

Part of his lecture was several useful tips on pitching. Pitching is an important part of being a writer in Hollywood.

The ritual of the pitch:
1. Show Up. (Get there early.)

2. No drive on. (You'll get there and they won't have a drive on pass for you. It's not personal. But give yourself time for them to sort this out.)

3. Water - If they offer it to you, take it. They will take you to the reception room, where you will wait.

4. Conference Room - They will usually take you to a conference room. The person who comes in after you is the one who can say maybe. (The real decision maker probably won't be at your initial pitch.)

5. Chitchat. Don't dive directly into your pitch. Get to know them as people before starting.

6. Eventually someone will say "Okay." From then on, the room is yours, you are in control. Just remember that you are there to convince them that your idea will make them money and will make them rich.

7. Start by laying out your plan for the pitch. "I'm going to..., then I will answer questions." That way they won't interrupt you during the pitch and mess with your rhythm. Start with Act 1 "We begin in..." Set the time and place for the story. Orient them. When you get to the end of Act 1, then say "End of Act 1. Act 2 begins with..." Otherwise, they might get lost and not know where in the movie they are. When you are done, say "The end." Don't pitch every little detail. Leave room for questions. Entire pitch shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

8. When you are done, get out. Say "Thank you." and leave. Don't leave anything behind. No outlines or anything else. If they need to tell someone else, let them know you can come back any time to pitch their boss or whoever else needs to hear it. But don't dawdle. Make them feel you are very busy and on to your next meeting.

That's it. Simple. The more you pitch, the better you get. Most writers I know hate pitching. But it's an essential skill that can be the difference between being a working writer and being stuck working at a coffee shop.