Rehearse
Rehearse your pitch, but don’t memorize it. If you have a partner, it helps to pitch together.
Get your presentation down solid with the timing just right. If you can practice with a cam-
corder, do it. Stand if you wish. Hook your audience. Be passionate. Think of yourself as a
storyteller. Your entire meeting will likely run twenty minutes or less. Some experts recom-
mend that intriguing pitches be kept under two minutes and that the whole meeting be kept
to ten or fifteen minutes maximum.
Start your series pitch with title, genre, and brief concept. Pitch the essence of your concept
first. Think of a commercial. Pitch the goal of the hero in the series. Why do we have sym-
pathy for him, what danger is he in, and how does he always win? Pitch your most colorful
character caught up in the events and conflicts of your concept and its arena. Pitch the char-
acters and their relationships, not what happens. What makes your characters interesting and
unique? Pitch a character’s main one or two traits and his conflicting trait. Talk about the
villain. He’s usually interesting. Find the element that people can relate to, and pitch that.
Sell the executives with your concept and pitch. Never tell them what they or the audi-
ence will like. Don’t map out a merchandising or business plan. That’s their job.
Be prepared to pitch your best and most complete idea first. Have a maximum of three
or four shorter, less complete ideas ready as well. If the buyers aren’t interested in your main
idea, you don’t want to waste this opportunity. These secondary ideas can be as short as a
logline. Allow time for questions after the pitch, and be well prepared to answer them. An
agent may or may not go to the pitch with you.
If you’re pitching a script, pitch title, genre, hero, why we should root for him, and the
danger he’s in. Bullet points only! Stick to the essence. Be clear. Do not pitch individual
scenes in a story. Tease, tantalize, leave the executives wanting more.
Coming In for the Pitch
Dress as you would for any business meeting—nothing distracting. A neutral color is prob-
ably better than hot pink. Look neat and well groomed. Don’t eat garlic or onions just before
your pitch!
Bring in a few things for a series pitch. First, you need a professional-looking bible com-
plete with artwork for your pitch. The average length is five to ten pages. Bibles that are too
long tend to get put aside for later and forgotten. Bring in larger artwork on cards that are
easy to see as you pitch. Six to twenty-four cards are about the right number. Bring in a
small prop or a gimmick if you can find one that really represents your project well and
helps in visualizing it. Don’t bring in too much. Costumes are too much, as is a keyboard.
This isn’t Phantom of the Opera. Keep it simple!
Your project is a gift! Be confident. When you arrive, make eye contact with the exec-
utive. There may be more than one. Go in with high energy, and keep it throughout the pitch.
Shake hands firmly, but otherwise keep your hands to yourself. During the pitch, don’t give
the executives any reason to say “no.”
First you might want to relax the executive by showing an interest in her. This is where that
research about the executive comes in handy.You might ask a question that has to do with your
project to get her involved. But do notstart with a joke. Be relaxed, open, and outgoing. Keep
this introductory part of the pitch very short. Development executives are extremely busy.
310 Animation Writing and Development