MovieHatch Pitching Do's and Don'ts

Pitching is incredibly hard for most people.

Especially if you’re pitching a project you created from scratch and have put hard work, sweat and plenty of tears into.

It becomes difficult to separate yourself and your emotional passion for the project from the objective needs and requirements of the person you’re sharing it with.

So it helps to have a checklist or cheatsheet of tips.

This can be a great tool for preparation and for last minute reminders.

We’ve worked with some of the best minds in the entertainment industry over the years and have asked them to divulge their most important pitching do’s and don’ts.

Pitching is incredibly hard for most people.

Especially if you’re pitching a project you created from scratch and have put hard work, sweat and plenty of tears into.

It becomes difficult to separate yourself and your emotional passion for the project from the objective needs and requirements of the person you’re sharing it with.

So it helps to have a checklist or cheatsheet of tips.

This can be a great tool for preparation and for last minute reminders.

We’ve worked with some of the best minds in the entertainment industry over the years and have asked them to divulge their most important pitching do’s and don’ts.

Pitching do's and don'ts

To make it simple, it’s been distilled down to the top 10 – five dos and five don’ts.

These tips are the most common ones we’ve heard over and over and over again.

Here are the top 3 of each but you can get the full list by clicking the box below.

It also has a more detailed explanation of each one...

To make it simple, it’s been distilled down to the top 10 – five dos and five don’ts.

These tips are the most common ones we’ve heard over and over and over again.

Here are the top 3 of each but you can get the full list by clicking the box below.

It also has a more detailed explanation of each one...

Everybody has to pitch – even the person you pitch to.

They have bosses or investors or studios to answer to and need to pitch your materials to them.

It might even be pitching it to celebrity talent. You want to keep this in mind.

First, you want them to be interested in the subject matter of your project.

Then, your main priority is figuring out how to make their lives easier by giving them everything they need to pitch it themselves.

Remember, this Pitching Do’s & Don’ts list came from some of the top executives in the industry.

Everybody has to pitch – even the person you pitch to.

They have bosses or investors or studios to answer to and need to pitch your materials to them.

It might even be pitching it to celebrity talent. You want to keep this in mind.

First, you want them to be interested in the subject matter of your project.

Then, your main priority is figuring out how to make their lives easier by giving them everything they need to pitch it themselves.

Remember, this Pitching Do’s & Don’ts list came from some of the top executives in the industry.

Now let’s look at the don’ts:

1) Oversell – say what you need, let them ask questions and then stop! Pushing too hard can make people suspect and cautious. You want them authentically interested, not forced into running the other direction.

2) Give Too Many Details – the details are very familiar to you so they all make sense, but when something is new to a person, they need to digest it bite by bite. An excessive amount of detail too quickly causes glazed-over eyes.

3) Be Blinded By Love For Your Project – no matter how great your project is, there will always be collaboration in this industry and that means give and take.

Now let’s look at the don’ts:

3) Be Blinded By Love For Your Project – no matter how great your project is, there will always be collaboration in this industry and that means give and take.

Let’s start with the do’s:

1) Be concise – people don’t have a lot of time so want to cut to the chase. If interested, they’ll ask for more.

2) Practice, Practice, Practice – this is the only way to let the information take control over unexpected last minute emotions.

3) Be human – in other words, don’t practice so much that you’re simply reciting words. That comes across as robotic.

Let’s start with the do’s:

1) Be concise – people don’t have a lot of time so want to cut to the chase. If interested, they’ll ask for more.

2) Practice, Practice, Practice – this is the only way to let the information take control over unexpected last minute emotions.

3) Be human – in other words, don’t practice so much that you’re simply reciting words. That comes across as robotic.

Pitching

Do's & Don'ts

Pitching

Do's & Don'ts

Pitching your film or tv project is incredibly hard, no matter how much experience you have...

Everyone has to pitch... even the person you're pitching to has someone else they must pitch to as well...

Don't underestimate the simplicity of pitching tips... sometimes simplicity is harder than comlexity

Don’t underestimate the simplicity of some of the points.

You may think they’re no-brainers, but if all these executives came up with the same comments, you better believe these mistakes happen all the time.

Regardless of how obvious they seem.

Or they’ve gravitated to people that DO the right things in a pitch meeting.

Do you have an aspect of pitching you’re most interested in learning more about?

Please share with us via email (Pitch@MovieHatch.com) or in our Facebook Group for MovieHatch. We’ll be there often to hear what you have to say…

Join us on social media:

www.Facebook.com/MovieHatch

www.Twitter.com/MovieHatch

www.instagram.com/MovieHatch

It’s not fair not to share!

Please share this blog with your friends.

Want to see some of our other blogs?

Why We Care So Much for TV Characters

3 Myths of Getting Your Project Distributed

Confidence for Creative People

The Film & TV Process