As Live Production | Pitching and Development (18th January 2018)

Pitching ideas is an inevitable part of programme making.

• Opportunity to present your ideas and flesh it out so your audience can visualise the film
• SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
• Idea must have an objective - included in the proposal: in the present tense and has an 'active voice'
• One page in length, no less than a paragraph
• Oral pitch is supported with the written proposal which adds colour and expands on it
• In the industry, you will usually be pitching to the most senior members of the programme, commissioners or development executives
• Outline your initial intentions and ambitions:
• WORKING TITLE AND LOCATION
• SUBJECT AND PREMISE OF FILM
• Your idea in one sentence
• Synopsis of idea
• TARGET AUDIENCE AND CHANNEL
• Including evidence and data to explain this
• STYLE AND TONE
• Mood board?
• Reference to well known faces
• Show access/agreements/research already in progress
• HOW YOUR FORMAT ADDS TO THE PROGRAMME STORYTELLING AND USP
• WHY THIS PROGRAMME SHOULD BE COMMISSIONED
• What makes it new and relevant
• RUNNING ORDER
• Break down, in detail, how the programme works
• VTs
• How will these be used
• BASIC CAMERA / FLOOR PLAN
• Use visual aids to provide guidance and to visualise your idea
• Show clips and examples of existing content that may be like
• Bring it to life
• Take us through the idea, step-by-step
• Check the viability of the idea
• Emphasise the USP and be enthusiastic
• PRACTICE
• Responding to questions
• Never say nothing
• Take your time
• Facts and figures
• Remain positive
• Dos
• Be brave and surprise
• Be passionate and engaging
• Challenge convention - new angles
• Pitch the topline - articulate it in a sentence
• Know existing output and spot opportunities
• Develop dialogue
• Pitch ideas and stories not subject matters
• Don'ts
• Send lots of ideas - keep focus
• Gimmicks
• Water down the idea too soon
• Flog a dead horse
• Develop 'off-message' ideas
• Make promises you can't keep
• Ensure ideas are fully worked out
• Worry about being 'fancy' in presenting the idea
• Take criticism on board
• Viability, Relevance, Originality and Presentation are assessed