I WROTE A 120 PAGE SCRIPT BUT CAN’T TELL YOU WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PITCH
by Christopher Lockhart
Originally published in Screenwriter's Monthly (June/July '03) as "The Art of Pitching"
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.
To
set the record straight, professional scribes are not in the habit of writing
for free and would prefer to pitch their concept to a studio or producer and be
paid to develop the script. Aspiring
screenwriters, on the other hand, are rarely given this opportunity and must
build a professional résumé before landing a development deal.
During the struggle to WGA status, an aspirant will write a “spec”
script for free (on the speculation that it will sell) and, afterward, pitch the
screenplay (to executives, producers and agents) to attract potential readers.
There are many methods in which to pitch, and writers should explore and
invent various techniques that prove to be comfortable and successful.
In the end, a successful pitch is defined as one that results in a
solicitation of the screenplay.
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 and
confidence are essential elements of the pitch.
The scribe must also exhibit control, which prevents the pitch from
getting unwieldy and demands strict intuition with the listener.
If the pitch is drowning, the writer must know how to salvage it or must
effortlessly move onto another pitch altogether.
The
bigger picture must also be considered.
Perhaps, an executive has already read the script and wants to meet with
the writer, who arrives prepared with a new story.
There is a possibility that the executive will not like the pitch;
however, 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
most important element in 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 possible
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.
After
creating a desire in the listener, the pitch must present the screenplay’s
rudimentary storyline. This
“box” would be slightly bigger than the previous one, because it contains
more information than a rhetorical question.
The easiest way to achieve this is with the “log line.”
The log line conveys the dramatic throughline of the screenplay in the
most abbreviated manner possible – one sentence. Starting with the log line orients the listener in the most
basic elements of the narrative. A
log line example for THE WIZARD OF OZ could go:
After
a cyclone transports a lonely Kansas farm girl to a magical land, she sets out
on a dangerous journey to find a wizard with the power to send her home.
This
presents the dramatic throughline in the most simplistic form possible leaving
out many details.
Using
a more complicated story, like MINORITY REPORT, a pitch with an opening
rhetorical question and a log line could go like this:
What would the future hold if crime could be stopped by catching the
perpetrator before he commits the offense?
This is a sci-fi actioner about a cop who arrests criminals before the
crime occurs. However, when he is
framed for a murder he has not yet committed, he goes on the lam to prove his
innocence.
This
brief question and log line present a rather complicated story in its most
simplistic form. The pitch can now
move on to opening a bigger box.
Once
the listener is oriented in the dramatic principles of the story, the
protagonist can be introduced. In
the intro for the MINORITY REPORT pitch, the only reference to the protagonist
was “cop.” It would have been
too confusing to refer to the cop by name and give a brief character
description. However, now that the
stage is set, the pitch can present the details of the protagonist.
A succinct protagonist intro might go:
The
story revolves around John Anderton, a cop who remains despondent over the
fact that his young son was kidnapped and never seen again.
This leads to drug addiction and the deterioration of his marriage.
Because of his pain, Anderton fully supports the notion of nabbing
perps before they commit the crime. He
wants others to avoid the hell that his life has become.
This
portion of the pitch can also present the fundamentals of the protagonist’s
arc.
At
this point, a savvy executive is bound to be curious and ask questions like,
“How do the police have the ability to predict crime in advance?” “How does the cop get framed?”
These kinds of questions are a good sign; they mean the executive is
curious. (It is not a good
sign if the executive asks, “Could you explain that part to me again?”)
However, the pitch must stay on track.
If the presentation includes the answers to these questions, the pitch
will satisfy his curiosity. It is
no different from a good movie. An
audience anxiously inquires about the hero’s strange behavior, “Why did he
just do that?” If the audience patiently waits, that question will be
answered during the film. A good
pitch raises questions; and questions create suspense, which is an essential
tool of the dramatist. If a
quick diversion is taken to answer the question, the pitch must get back on
track.
After
revealing the basic elements of the story (including the protagonist) the pitch
can move on and present a more detailed account of the story throughline,
using the log line as a road map. This
is a bigger box. The pitch must
boil the narrative down to the most important beats and present the story in a
crisp and fluid manner by hitting upon the major bullet points of the story.
The pitch could sound like:
Our
farm girl, Dorothy, dreams of going over the rainbow. And through a freak cyclone, she and her farmhouse are
transported to Munchkinland. There,
she learns the only way back to Kansas is to meet the Wizard of Oz, who has
the power to get her home. So
she sets off on a dangerous journey. Along
the way she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodsman, and a Lion.
And they travel with her. However,
Dorothy has made an enemy of a Wicked Witch, and she and her three friends….
The
pitch must proceed along a simplistic route, covering the major narrative
conflicts and taking the story to its conclusion.
If the screenplay has a “twist” ending, it may be best to reveal
it. If it is truly an inspired
climax, it will only whet the executive’s appetite even more. Trying
to playfully bait the executive with, “You’ll have to read the rest,” is
not an effective way to deal with a person who already has a stack of
screenplays on his desk.
With
a clear understanding of the story’s beginning, middle and end, a larger box
can be opened by coloring the pitch with a few details. For instance, particulars can be given involving the
Scarecrow’s desire for a brain, the Tin Man’s desire for a heart, and the
Lion’s need for courage. But the
foundation must be built first before the decorating begins.
The pitch must be sparing when providing information on secondary
characters and sub-plots. It
should avoid delving into those details unless absolutely necessary.
For instance, it may be compulsory to share the romantic sub-plot (since
the romance is an important factor in Hollywood films).
It may not be important to include the villain’s backstory.
Overall, it is vital that the pitch only present the exact information
necessary for concise comprehension. Since
the full story is not being told, lots of information can be withheld.
The pitch must avoid the desire to tell too much.
Most pitches go awry because too many details are crammed into the
presentation. If the listener is
overloaded with information, it will not bode well for the pitch.
One
important element to remember is that verbal storytelling is different from a
screenplay. And a pitch cannot
necessarily be presented in the same manner in which the story unfolds on the
page. For instance, it could be
suicide to pitch the non-linear THE USUAL SUSPECTS in a non-linear manner.
For the sake of comprehension, it may be wiser to tell the listener that
the screenplay is non-linear but pitch it in a linear format.
After all, it is easier to digest a serpentine story like THE USUAL
SUSPECTS over the course of an entire screenplay than it is in a five-minute
pitch.
Throughout
the pitch, it is imperative that the presentation not go off on tangents –
which are quite common. Once the
pitch strays from the heart of its story, it flatlines and could be impossible
to revive. For instance, a recent
pitch presented a martial arts action-adventure loosely based on the
children’s story “Peter Rabbit.” However,
the pitch digressed as it chose to present the details of the classic bunny saga
instead of simply pitching the screenplay – which had absolutely nothing to do
with Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cotton-tail. Science-fiction
pitches are infamous for taking the listener on esoteric, intergalactic
diversions that would put Stephen Hawking in a coma.
If the pitch wants to offer background information, it should be done
in an introduction, before presenting the log line, and handled with the utmost
clarity and brevity.
Certain stories are easier to pitch.
For instance, a high concept screenplay like BRUCE ALMIGHTY lends itself
to a more effortless presentation than something like GOSFORD PARK or ABOUT
SCHMIDT. (A “high concept” is a
concept that immediately conveys a movie – and can offer a great deal of
conflict using very few words.) Certain
screenplays warrant different pitch strategies.
In the case of GOSFORD PARK (along with a log line), the pitch could
present the “world” in which the story takes place instead of presenting a
particular character (since it is an ensemble piece).
The dichotomous world of servants and aristocrats is at the heart of
GOSFORD PARK, and it should certainly be included. Although the “world” of Oz is important in the WIZARD OF
OZ, it is not the linchpin of the narrative; the world is not as important to
the comprehension of the basic storyline as compared to GOSFORD PARK.
Some science-fiction stories will require a brief and simplistic
presentation of the world in order for the listener to understand the context of
the storyline. In a character study
like ABOUT SCHMIDT, the pitch has to offer a more detailed character
description, since a true appreciation of the piece relies heavily on
understanding the titular role and not the limited story concept.
Some
pitches use visual aids to provide greater comprehension to the listener.
For instance, pitches can use photos to represent the various characters
that may be introduced in the course of the presentation.
In order to pitch something like THE MATRIX, the presentation may include
sketches to enable clear visualization of the very unique world.
If pitching POLLACK, the presentation could provide copies of the
artist’s paintings. In the late
eighties, THE TICKING MAN (an unproduced spec) was introduced across town when
the agent sent out alarm clocks to executives with a banner saying, “The
Ticking Man is coming.” In an
offbeat pitch about a writer’s true-life struggle of dealing with her
husband’s untimely death, the presentation included laptop video of the
man’s corpse. Any aid or device
can be used if it enables the pitch to go as smoothly and memorably as possible.
A
pitch should concentrate on presenting the dramatic and cinematic elements of
the narrative and avoid the desire to express the theme of the piece.
“This is a story of triumph over tragedy.”
“This story explores different shades of evil.”
These generic statements do not allow the executive to “see the
movie.” A lucid pitch of the
dramatic storyline enables the listener to extrapolate the theme of the piece
without being told. A pitch often
includes a “hybrid” to allow the listener to understand the tone of
the story. In Robert Altman’s THE
PLAYER, we heard such hybrids as, “It’s GHOST meets THE MANCHURIAN
CANDIDATE” and “OUT OF AFRICA meets PRETTY WOMAN.” Although
some seem to take offense to this practice, it is widely used throughout the
industry and remains an effective way to communicate the “feel” and tone of
the story – both of which can be difficult to understand without actually
reading the script itself. Careful
thought must go into creating a hybrid. Common
sense dictates that obscure and unsuccessful movie titles be avoided, along with
unintentionally goofy hybrids - like MARY POPPINS meets CALIGULA.
It
is imperative to remember, “Less is more.”
Simply put, the more the writer says, the more the listener can find
objectionable. Although it is an
odd contradiction, the actual craft and writing of a screenplay can be
appreciated even if the story itself is not.
If the pitch goes awry and the executive rejects an opportunity to read
the script, the writer is denied the chance to show off his craft.
Without the producer discovering the writer’s talents, the scribe
cannot be offered a development deal, for instance.
Skilled
story executives can easily diagnose a pitch.
Based on a short presentation, strengths and weaknesses of the entire
screenplay can be easily determined. A
pitch is a byproduct of the screenplay. If
the screenplay has congenital defects, they will appear in the pitch.
Writers often blame a poor pitch on their inability to effectively
present the story verbally. However,
a difficult pitch is often the result of a poorly constructed screenplay.
The fact that an executive does not respond favorably may not be proof
that he is clueless but could be evidence that he knows more than the writer.
Conversely, a pitch can go splendidly but still fail in its objective
to entice the listener, because the story may not be what the producer is
shopping for.
When
the pitch is over, perhaps two minutes have passed, perhaps twenty minutes, but,
within that time, the writer has spun his story and opened just enough
“boxes” that the executive’s corner office resembles Christmas morning on
a budget. In the best possible scenario, the pitch is never completed,
because the executive interrupts the presentation, snatching up the script or
(for more experienced writers) buying the idea itself.
More realistically, the writer may have to move on to another story idea
and begin the process all over again. In
Hollywood, every executive, agent, producer and manager searches for the next
great script. The power is in the
project, and executives enter meetings hoping the writer and his story will
provide that empowerment. Before a
screenplay can be appreciated in the form it was intended, it must be
successfully translated into a pitch.
With an organized and controlled presentation - prepared and practiced in
advance - a writer can succeed at convincing a busy agent or producer to invest
the time into reading yet another screenplay.
Writers must accept and master this process and transform, what could be,
a pitch-black experience into the perfect pitch.
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