How to win a film pitch
Film Industry Executives - How to win a film pitchPeter Carlton, senior commissioning executive, Film Four
One of the most interesting pitches I've seen was for Miranda July's film, Me and You and Everyone We Know. She used finger puppets to act out the story. It was bizarre, the sight of this diminutive woman down behind the table. What's the film I most regret turning down? Andrea Arnold's Red Road, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2006, is a film I wish we had taken on. She's a fantastic talent, but we didn't quite get the script.
Main Point: Make your pitch stand out by doing something different
Debra Hayward, president of UK production, Working Title Films
The worst pitches, generally speaking, are those that go on too long. I've seen pitches go on for more than an hour, which is when the eyes start to glaze over. A pitch has to grab your attention: you need to let people know exactly what sort of world the film exists in - the characters, the main thrust of the plot. One of the best pitches I heard was from [director] Joe Wright, for Pride and Prejudice. It was incredible: you could instantly see in your mind's eye the movie he wanted to make.
Main Point:
I was in a bar one night when we were working on Scandal. Two guys came up and said they had been at film school with our director, Michael Caton-Jones. They had this pitch for a film, which they said they could make for £250,000. It eventually cost £1m to make. It turned out these guys weren't even good friends of Michael's. They just took advantage of the situation. Hollywood makes so many bad movies because there are a lot of people out there with no talent but lots of persistence. You have to remember that 90% of people are there to say no. But the industry is also paranoid about missing stuff, so studios will see you.
Main Point:
One of the most interesting pitches I've seen was for Miranda July's film, Me and You and Everyone We Know. She used finger puppets to act out the story. It was bizarre, the sight of this diminutive woman down behind the table. What's the film I most regret turning down? Andrea Arnold's Red Road, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2006, is a film I wish we had taken on. She's a fantastic talent, but we didn't quite get the script.
Main Point: Make your pitch stand out by doing something different
Debra Hayward, president of UK production, Working Title Films
The worst pitches, generally speaking, are those that go on too long. I've seen pitches go on for more than an hour, which is when the eyes start to glaze over. A pitch has to grab your attention: you need to let people know exactly what sort of world the film exists in - the characters, the main thrust of the plot. One of the best pitches I heard was from [director] Joe Wright, for Pride and Prejudice. It was incredible: you could instantly see in your mind's eye the movie he wanted to make.
Main Point:
- Don't let your pitch go on forwever
- Make it attenting grabbing
- Be descriptive
- Show passion for your project
I was in a bar one night when we were working on Scandal. Two guys came up and said they had been at film school with our director, Michael Caton-Jones. They had this pitch for a film, which they said they could make for £250,000. It eventually cost £1m to make. It turned out these guys weren't even good friends of Michael's. They just took advantage of the situation. Hollywood makes so many bad movies because there are a lot of people out there with no talent but lots of persistence. You have to remember that 90% of people are there to say no. But the industry is also paranoid about missing stuff, so studios will see you.
Main Point:
- Be persistant
- Whoever pitches should be a good storyteller