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The pitch.
Depending on the type of writer you are, that word just probably inspired either fear or thrill. But in both instances, you’ll need to calm those nervous or excited jitters so you can get your point across to the people who hold power to get your screenplay produced.
Danny Manus used to be one of those people. Now, the former development executive has turned his experience into a successful coaching career for aspiring scribes, called No BullScript Consulting. He has a very clear way of describing the perfect pitch meeting, even though, as he puts it, “there’s no one right way, there are just a million wrong ways” to go about it.
Overall, if you follow these two steps, you’ll be in good shape:
- Step One to a Perfect Screenplay Pitch Meeting: Make Them Feel Something
“A great pitch meeting is just where you get across what you want to say about your story and make us feel something,” he explained. “Connect to us on not just a cerebral story level but also on an emotional level that makes us feel something specific about your story, the right emotion that you’re trying to get across.”
- Step Two to a Perfect Screenplay Pitch Meeting: Be Professional & Respectful
“You’re also someone that I can put into a room with my boss or someone at a studio, or an agent or somebody else, and you’re not going to ruin my reputation.” Be respectful to the person or people who got you the meeting and the people you’re meeting with, and be authentic just like you would when meeting new friends. This could be the beginning of years-long partnership – make sure you’re showing that you’re someone they’d want to work with for an extended period of time.
“The perfect pitch meeting is just where you get across your vision, make us feel something, and seem like a great person that we’d like to work with going forward for years,” Danny said.
Need more pitching help? We interviewed screenwriter, and USC and UCLA screenwriting professor Donald H. Hewitt on the topic, and he’s a self-proclaimed introvert who has had to work really hard to get good at pitching. Watch his tips to nail your pitch in this YouTube video.
And while you’re here, sign up to get on our Private Beta Access List for SoCreate’s impending Beta Trials, coming in 2020. You’ll need lots of material before you get to the pitching stage, and SoCreate will help you get there.
Until then, write, meet and greet,
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