As with everything there are different opinions on what should be included in a pitch and the order of the pitch’s content. I strive in these pages to present the consensus of all sources I read and referenced. You may find a Bibliography of those sources at the end.

There are different styles/types of pitches; The elevator pitch, sometimes referred to the 2-Minute Pitch, the 5-minute pitch and a longer one between 10 and 40 minutes, also called a Standard Pitch.

• The standard pitch is a rehearsed, scheduled pitch in which the screenwriter relays their movie idea to a group of investors or production executives. In some cases, the execs may ask the creator to make a pitch deck to accompany their verbal presentation to help expand upon the screenwriter’s vision for the film. These pitches often last anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes.

• The elevator pitch is a much briefer form of the standard pitch. The idea is that you deliver the pitch quickly—in about the amount of time it would an elevator to get from one floor to another. An effective elevator pitch should express the essential premise of the idea that doesn’t last more than 20 seconds to two minutes, depending on who you ask.

What is a Movie Pitch?

A movie pitch is when a screenwriter presents an idea for a feature film to people who can help finance or produce it, in hopes of securing money to write the first draft or sell a script already written. The pitch process is meant to intrigue the people who can help make a movie—either studio executives, distributors, producers, financiers, or directors—to sign onto the project. A movie pitch can be a verbal or a visual presentation of a writer’s big idea using a Pitch Deck or Series Bible. Film pitches are useful tools that briefly convey the important elements of a film project, like premise, characters, plot, and budget.

A solid movie pitch consists of explaining what your story is as condensed and brief as possible while hooking and grabbing your audience’s attention. 

Before the Pitch

1. Research to Pitch the right people. Make sure the investors or producers are the right fit for your screenplay. For instance, if your script is a comedy, don’t try to set up a meeting with a production company that only makes horror films—unless your story happens to be a horror film with comedic elements.
2. Don’t be afraid to tweak your pitch to fit who you are presenting to but do so withing reason.

3. Find pitching opportunities. Attend pitch fests or use networking opportunities through events, even cold emailing to try and get people interested in your ideas. Contact production companies to see if they accept unsolicited pitches from new writers. Be assertive but polite when contacting those you want to pitch to.
4. Find a champion. If you had a champion and some buzz, you’d be that much more likely to get a pitch meeting.
5. Know the elements of your film, inside and out. Make sure you rehearse your pitch before you get in the meeting and are very familiar with all the elements of your story. Start at the beginning and progress through the story, limiting your pitch to the most essential elements of your film. Avoid going over the allotted amount of time that you’re given. The more time you leave for questions the better. If they’re hooked, they will have lots of questions.
6. Prepare to answer questions. The story you’ve been rehearsing may make perfect sense in your own mind but remember it’s an entirely new story to someone else. Be prepared for questions from your listeners, and make sure you can answer them when the time comes.
7. Be passionate and confident. You want to convince your audience that your idea is worth their investment of time or money. Even a great idea may not sound appealing if you sound hesitant or nervous. Being confident and animated during your pitch will likely inspire your audience to get just as excited as you are about your film.
8. A list of items to consider for your pitch, all of which you should have with you even if they are not used. Never be afraid to over-prepare.
   1. Copy of the script/IP Content.
   1. Synopsis.
   1. Logline.
   1. Show Bible, Pitch Deck or Lookbook.
   1. Bios of Producers, writer(s) and other key crew who are already attached.
   1. Financing already in place.
   1. Budget. (within a range)
   1. Cast, if attached.
   1. Director, if attached.
   1. Contact info.
9. Show up early. You want to be calm, so it’s a good idea to show up early so you can relax before it all starts.
10. Remember it’s not a monologue. You’re sitting across from a person. Try to make a connection, watch their reactions and listen to what they have to say. Be ready to adjust your pitch accordingly—don’t just recite a scripted pitch. 
11. Think long-term. These are lifelong connections. You never know how, when or what project could lead to a collaboration. If the company or exec you chat with is looking for something else, be ready to let go of your pitch and talk about what they’re looking for—something good may come of making such adjustments.
12. Prioritize making a genuine human connection. This is a business meeting, but it’s also a first date of a potential long-term relationship. You’re in the room because you have something to say, and your listener is in the room because they want to hear your voice. If you can connect with your listener, they will believe that your work can connect with a ticket-buying audience.

The Pitch

1. Introduce yourself and give a brief explanation of your personal connection to the

story. This will help the exec connect with you and the project.

• Open your pitch by saying where you first got the idea for your story. Address whether your story is entirely fictional or not. It might grow out of a personal experience, or it might be based on a true story, or a novel for which you have the rights, or some article you read that stimulated your creativity. It might even come from other movies – taken a favorite genre and then coming up with a unique twist or element that we haven’t seen before. Like a World War II movie but the protagonists plan and execute a bank heist behind enemy lines without the knowledge of their superiors (Kelly’s Heroes, 1970).
• Be personable. Whether you’re giving your pitch in person, the phone, Zoom or even over email, you can ruin your pitch and reputation by not being personable. You may be nervous but try to be friendly.

2. Give the basic info: Title, Genre, Format, Logline, and Tonal Comps.

• There is differing opinions on whether to start your pitch with the title and logline. It is up to you to decide what seems right. Below, in the DON’TS section, Script Magazine gives a logical argument why you shouldn’t.
• Start right away with a concise set-up of what the project is: The who, what, when, where and why.
  • What is it? A feature film, TV Series, etc.
  • When does it take place?
  • What’s the setting? Where?
  • Why should the listener be interested? Based on a true story or book? Why are you interested in it?
  • Who are the main Characters?
• Comp films are films that are comparable to yours in terms of marketing and success. But don’t make the common mistake of comparing your film to another film creatively — you’re pitching to a producer of financier, so you want to pull comps from a business standpoint.
• For Tonal Comps…
  • you want to pick movies or TV shows that are relatively recent and successful.
  • pick films or shows that are a good representation of the feel and tone of your project. Not necessarily the plot.
  • pick comps from the same potential market as yours.

3. Give us some background on the Characters.

• You should absolutely talk about your Protagonist and Antagonist for both Features and TV. Show them…
  • Who the Hero or Protagonist is.
  • What the character’s EVERDAY LIFE looks like at the beginning of the story.
  • Why we feel EMPATHY towards your hero.
  • What OPPORTUNITY is presented to that hero at the Inciting Incident.
  • What new situation does that opportunity take the hero in.
  • What are the hero’s PLOT and EMOTIONAL GOALS that ground the hero into the story and why we root for the hero to succeed.
  • What CONFLICT will the hero face that makes achieving those goals seem impossible.
• For TV, consider adding one or two other Series Regulars. Don’t spend as long on them as the Protagonist but give us an idea of how you plan to populate the world.
• Show them why the characters are the right ones for the story.
• You may wish to include the main character’s transformational journey.

4. Give us a Synopsis of the plot, but don’t go into every little detail or subplot. (Some sources put this section before the characters as in step 3. For me, it’s best to integrate steps 3 and 4, but it’s up to you.)

• Elicit emotion. Get the exec to participate emotionally in the story. Convey the elements of your story that will give the exec an emotional experience, or at least the promise of one. If the exec believes that reading your script will make their pulse race, their eyes tear up or hearts swell, they will want to read it.
• Whether you’re presenting with a deck or verbally, include a section that summarizes the premise of your film. Discuss the basic plot of the story without giving away the whole story.
• Make the key moments, or hooks stand out. As you move into your synopsis, you’ll need to give a sense of what the big cinematic moments will be throughout. Think of this like a trailer, which is a compilation and condensing of the story. As you begin to describe your plot, don’t get lost in the mechanics of the story too much. Keep as much space as you can for the key elements and the key moments that will make your film stand out, such as:
  • Main Characters.
  • Setting (The World) and context.
  • The Protagonist’s journey and changes they undergo.
  • Where the story starts, where it might go and where it ends up.
  • Key main plot conflicts. Avoid subplots that do not affect the main story.
  • The turning points and midpoint beats.
• Get to the main story arc as soon as possible and allow your listener to respond.
• Make the Themes clear. As well as demonstrating your plot and key characters, you must give a tangible sense of what your script is actually about at its core.
• For Features, tell the main story beats to create the spine of the movie.
• For TV, tell the main story beats and illustrate why we begin the show at that moment.
  • After the pilot synopsis, time permitting, spend some time discussing either sample episodes or the arc for season one to show that this idea has legs as a TV show.
• Finish your description with the title and the logline. Here is where these elements of your pitch can be most powerful – after your buyer knows the essence of your story.
• Follow the logline with a question. After summarizing with your logline, say to exec, “So do you have any questions about my script, or would you like me to send you a copy?” This gives them two options, both good for you: either they request the script, or they are engaged enough with your story that they want to discuss it. Beware, some you may pitch to won’t like this. For example, Roadmap Writers lets those pitching on their site know quite clearly not to when they host pitch sessions.
• For longer pitches you may wish to use a Proof of Concept, a short film using your current resources that shows the tone and concept.
• Think seriously about using a Pitch Deck, Lookbook or Show Bible to help create the tone and feel of your project. Obviously this is for longer pitches, not short or Elevator Pitches.
• For TV, make clear what the engine of your series will be. Differing from movies, TV series need a justification for their form. They need a solid reason for unfolding over a longer period of time, something inherent in the concept. And you need to make what this is clear in your pitch.
• What is the question at the heart of your series which will never quite be answered (until the conclusion) and consequently drive the series?
• What is the push and pull of the series, the thing that the characters want and will continually struggle to get?

5. At the end of the pitch, it’s often a good idea to touch back on the themes of the

movie/show and reiterate what you’re trying to say.

• Write a compelling conclusion. Conclude your pitch by discussing how the story ends. You can also end on a cliffhanger, but make sure it leaves the listeners wanting more, rather than confusing them or leaving them unsatisfied. You can also discuss the significance of making your film at this very moment, and any other interesting personal elements that could help sell your idea.
• Answer the exec’s questions succinctly. Don’t respond to simple questions with long, meandering responses – usually in an unconscious attempt to tell the entire story. So, listen to exactly what the exec wants to know about your script, and then answer just that question in no more than 10 seconds. If you haven’t told the buyer everything she wants to know, she’ll ask another question.

6. Thank the exec for their time and answer any questions they might have.

• Some questions an exec may ask are:
  • What inspired you to write this?
  • Who do you see as the main character?
  • What’s the budget?
  • Is there any financing in place?
  • Is there anyone attached to the project such as a Director or Actor?
  • What other projects do you have?
    • Prepare 30-second elevator pitches for these.
• They may ask you to go into more detail about the filmmaking elements.
  • Specific types of Cinematography.
  • Styles.
  • Lighting.
  • Music that inspired you for the mood of your film.

After the Pitch

1. Follow up Politely. It can take a few weeks, or sometimes longer for some execs to respond to your pitch. Once about a month has passed, craft a polite follow-up email checking in with those you’ve pitched to. (a month is the major consensus from all sources.)
2. Shop your script around. If you get a “no” after your first pitch, don’t take it too personally. There are many conditions that go into buying a film script, and sometimes certain ideas don’t fit within a studio’s confines. If one studio or producer doesn’t work out, you can always shop the idea around to other studios or producers. You should believe in your script, so ignore the “noise” and don’t give up on it.
3. Keep notes and all business cards organized. You’ll be meeting lots of people, and you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t follow up.

The Don’ts of Pitching

1. Never try to tell your whole story. This is by far the biggest mistake any writer or filmmaker can make. You’ve got a limited time to pitch your story (you want the rest of your time slot to discuss the story with the buyer, or to pitch a second idea if they pass on the first one). If you try to include every important detail of your screenplay, or if you get mired in vivid descriptions of the opening, the characters or the set pieces, you’ll run out of time before your prospective buyer has a clear picture of the potential of your project.
2. Don’t lead with your title or logline. Titles are close to meaningless, and usually confusing when a buyer knows nothing about the story at all. And loglines might convey a little bit, but they will have much greater impact later in the pitch.
3. (There are conflicting thoughts on this point.) Don’t reveal the outcome of your screenplay in the pitch. Complete your presentation by either summarizing the conflict, or by revealing whatever major setback occurs at the end of Act 2.
4. Don’t measure the success of your pitch by whether or not you make a deal or set an immediate follow-up meeting in the moment.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. I know there’s a lot of information here but hopefully you found at least a little of it useful.

Take care, have fun and write well.

“May your pen never run out of ink.”

Bibliography of Sources

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Pitching – Roadmap Writers

Seven Keys to a Great Pitch – Script Magazine

How to Pitch a Movie in 7 Steps – The MasterClass Staff

How to Pitch Your Film: A Step-By-Step Breakdown – By Oakley Anderson-Moore

How to Write a Film Pitch – by Travis Page

Pitching Do’s and Don’ts: Fast Track Fellows Discuss… – MATT WARREN   

How To Properly Pitch To Film Investors – thefilmfund.co

The 10 Diamonds to your screenplay – ScreenwritingU

How to Write an Awesome Movie or TV Pitch: The 10 KEY Steps – Industrailscripts.com

Secrets of the 2-Minute Pitch – Michael Hauge