Screenwriter's Monthly - The Art of Pitching

Sample Content - June 2003 Issue

The Art of Pitching

by Christopher Lockhart, Executive Story Editor for Ed Limato of ICM

It seems a cruel irony, after months and months of carefully plotting story, creating vivid characters and structuring a hundred and twenty pages in such a way for maximum dramatic impact, that screenwriters must become orators if they are to convince anyone to read their screenplay. But with hundreds of thousands of scripts, books, and ideas floating around Hollywood, dreaming of making it to the screen, there is little time for executives to consider every project. So, the agent or producer must be influenced into reading the screenplay. The purest way to achieve this is with a “pitch,” a carefully planned seduction that will convince the executive to clear two hours of calendar time and commit to a read. “Pitching” is the art of presenting the story in a truncated and intriguing manner that piques the listener’s curiosity, resulting in the solicitation of the screenplay. This can be done via a query letter but is most effective when done as a verbal presentation. However, this often terrifies screenwriters because the notion of telling their story is intimidating. Odd, since screenwriters are storytellers. But comfort should be found in the fact that pitching does not require the skills of a raconteur. With the popularity of film festivals, screenwriting expos, conferences, and “pitch marts,” aspiring writers are finding unprecedented access to Hollywood executives, wherein they are able to pitch their wares. But there are no minor leagues in Hollywood screenwriting, and struggling scribes go toe-to-toe with Oscar winners as pitches are thrown. Whether feared or despised, pitching is part of the journey of turning a screenplay into a movie, and the screenwriter must be able to effectively pitch or risk losing the vital opportunity of a Hollywood read.

A pitch begins with the performance. Although it doesn’t have to be delivered with the dramatics of Sir Lawrence Olivier, it does need to demonstrate passion for the project. Many pitches are delivered monotone or with a professorial slant or, worst of all, with diffidence or apathy. If the pitch is not delivered with passion, it will not be received with enthusiasm. Zeal, confidence, and control are essential elements of the pitch.

The bigger picture must also be considered. There is a possibility that the executive will not like the pitch, but he may conclude that the writer fits a project currently in development. The executive is not simply listening to a pitch; he is summing up the screenwriter. Is this a writer the executive would like to work with? Are the personalities a good match? A pitch session is also a job interview, and the basic skills of interviewing apply here.

The key to effectively pitching a screenplay is organization. Think of the entire story as a big box. Within that big box is a smaller box that represents a less complicated version of the story. And inside of that box is an even smaller box, representing an even more uncomplicated version of the story and so on. Common sense dictates that we open the biggest box first in order to get to the smaller boxes. So, a pitch often dives right in and struggles to present the story as a whole, much like one would tell a joke to a friend or read a book to a child. A once-upon-a-time pitch is unwise. A pitch hits upon the most crucial aspects of the story. Long and intricate details bring about a quick and painful death to a pitch. A pitch must avoid opening the biggest box and, instead, begin with the smallest. As the pitch progresses, bigger boxes are opened as it becomes necessary. It should slowly blossom from rudimentary to more complex. The listener must understand the arithmetic of the story before the calculus.

The first order of business is to present the genre. This is often forgotten. The genre is crucial if the listener is to correctly interpret the story. Many ideas can be developed in different directions. For instance, the notion of planet earth meeting its demise by a comet/meteor was explored as melodrama in Deep Impact and sci-fi action-adventure in Armageddon. If genre is not specified, a World War II POW drama like The Great escape could be misconstrued as a comedy like Hogan’s Heroes. This type of error could bring about an early death for the pitch.

Pitches often begin with a question to create an initial desire in the listener. As an example, a question for a romantic comedy about unrequited love might go, “Have you ever yearned for someone who clearly wasn’t interested?” This is a way to personalize the pitch and engage the listener. Of course, like an attorney, a question should never be asked without knowing the answer in advance. Since the executive could answer with a response other than anticipated, the pitch must be prepared with a retort for the unexpected. Regardless of the executive’s answer, the pitch must use it as a seamless segue. Avoid questions that get too personal, could embarrass the listener, make him uncomfortable or cause indifference. To avoid the possible pitfalls of question/answer, a pitch can simply ask a rhetorical question or make a statement that will produce similar effects. Using Liar,Liar as an example, a pitch could state, “Imagine a conniving lawyer who is compelled to tell the truth for twenty-four hours….” This could be considered the smallest of the boxes.

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