How to Prepare to Pitch Your Script
Related Pages:
Golden Pitch Information Page
Registration
Pitch Rules
Expo Pitchpak.
We
want you to succeed at pitching to the entertainment industry.
The steps below will seem obvious to some, but our experience is
that to many aspiring writers, they are not. So we are
suggesting these steps to help you maximize the potential for success.
1. Know why you are pitching.
Without an agent or legal representation, screenwriters almost never
get the opportunity to bring their ideas to the people who can help
their script evolve into a film. A pitch meeting is an opportunity to pitch
directly to an industry executive or literary agent with the power to
turn your dream into a reality.
At our Golden Pitch, one room will hold up to 60 of Hollywood’s A-list producers,
development executives, agents, and managers at a time will be looking
for new material. In all, 137 companies participated in last
year's Expo.
2. Have a great story.
Whether you have a
finished script or just a great stiry idea, it is
possible to walk in, pitch, and get the attention of production
executives. You will need to know your story and
characters well. For many writers, that means going through the
effort of writing down
what they say and do as the story proceeds. But this is
Hollywood, and magic does happen. Just be prepared to deliver the
script while the interest is hot.
3. Learn how to pitch.
Pitching is the hardest part of most writers' careers. You have
three minutes to tell your 120-page story. If you're not already a
seasoned pro at it, you will need to learn how. Here's the easy way:
Buy all or part of the five-DVD Expo Pitchpak.
The Pitchpak is five sessions by experienced teachers and pros on how to
pitch to Hollywood. Expo registrants can buy all five DVDs at a
discount price of $79.95 -- $10 off the multiple-DVD discount offered
to others.
4. Understand the pitch rules and processes.
You will be required to a sign a legal release from liability.
You must be on time or you will lose your spot. No refunds are given
for failure to show up or other reasons such as refusing to sign the
release.
5. Register for the Expo
Register for the Expo. If you're going to be attending the Golden Pitch Festival, your first step is to register for
The Screenwriting Expo. After registering, you will be contacted via
e-mail in when the pitch ticket shopping cart opens to electronically select the pitch meetings you want.
6. Wait For Your Email, Then Purchase Your
Pitch Meetings Tickets Online
The 2008 Screenwriting Expo Pitch Meeting tickets will only be sold to
attendees who have registered for The 2008 Screenwriting Expo by Nov.
1, 2008. Individual tickets (to pitch for 5 minutes to one
development executive/ production company) will be sold for $25. You may
also purchase 5 tickets for $100 (a savings of $25). No refunds will be
given for unused pitch tickets.
The 2008
Screenwriting Expo Pitch Meeting registration will be conducted as a
staged process, with registrants invited to register for pitches in the
same order they registered for the Expo. ( So Register Now! )
All registrants for the Expo will receive a general e-mail announcing
the date of pitch registration. Then, on that date, every 5 minutes a
new group of expo attendees will be invited to sign up for pitch fest
tickets.
7. At the Expo, Sign the Release And Pick Up Tickets.
The ticket pickup location will be in the Expo registration area or nearby. You will not receive a refund if you refuse to sign the release form, so be sure you understand the terms in advance.
8. Go to Your
Pitch Meetings
The tickets that you purchase will have the name of the production
company you will be meeting with as well as the time of your session.
You must be in line for your session at least 15 minutes before your
scheduled time (the pitch meetings will be held in a room to be announced at the Los Angeles Convention Center this year), so if you purchase several tickets, make sure there is
some space between the sessions. If you miss your session, no refunds
will be given for your unused pitch ticket.
9. Pitch Your
Script
Each pitch will last up to 5 minutes. At the 5-minute mark a bell will
ring and you will have 10 seconds to leave the table. You need to move
quickly so the writer with the next appointment can sit down and begin
their pitch. If you finish your meeting with a production company
before the 5 minutes are up, please leave the table as soon as
possible. This will open up an opportunity for the a writer in the
“Standby” line to speak to that company.
10. Follow Up If Asked
After you pitch your story or screenplay, the producer or production
company may or may not request to see a copy of your script. If they do
request your script, proper protocol is to mail a copy a few days
after the event with a nice cover letter reminding them of your meeting
and their request. DO NOT call. DO NOT send a script if not
asked to. Both of those approaches mark you as an amateur at
best. Producers are generally turned off by overly-aggressive writers who are unknown to them.
Disclaimer
The Screenwriting Expo secures agreements to appear from each producer
prior to announcing the producer's commitment to the Pitch Meetings.
Unfortunately, for any number of reasons, one or more producers may be
unable to appear or may not arrive at their scheduled time. The
Screenwriting Expo will have back-up producers available to hear
pitches in the event that any executives are unable to meet their
contractual obligation. In the event that a producer does not appear, a
make-up pitch will be arranged with one of our back-up producers.
Make-up pitches are available in lieu of refunds. The Screenwriting
Expo cannot be responsible if a producer does not meet his or her
contractual obligation.
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REGISTRATION PAGE) |
