How To Introduce Yourself When Pitching Your Script (pt 3)
Ep #3 of how to pitch your pilot script
In case you missed it, here Episode 1 and 2:
We left ep 2 by saying how you should always start by introducing yourself when pitching your pilot script.
This is not to buy yourself some time, trust me. A pitch is essentially a moment to give people that know nothing about it a sense of what the show is. And it all started from you, your idea, so in your pitch you should do the same.
But what should you say about yourself?
First thing you do is introduce yourself briefly, and share something personal about you or your relationship to the show. You can also start by saying something about the show directly, a hooky sentence or whatnot, but it always leaves a longer lasting impression if people can connect to you: the writer of the show.
There are two key elements you should always make clear from the start:
Your TV experience
If you have worked in tv or are working in tv you should say that. It will ground you as part of their world and you might also discover unexpected connections of people you both know, maybe from the same company. The TV world is small after all.
i.e: Hi my name is Jack, I’m an script editor at CBS for a year now, before I was an assistant editor at Netflix.
And what if you don’t have any tv experience? Just say that, that’s ok. But do explain how you got here. How did you find yourself in front of these people? How did you get your shot?
i.e. Hi my name is Sarah, I’m an environmental engineer and I’m new to the TV world. I wrote this as a passion project, but when my producer friend Jane read it, she thought it had something special that would resonate with people and that’s thanks to her that I’m telling my story to you today.
Your Personal Connection to the Story
When pitching your script you are not just selling your story: you are selling yourself. Your work, your collaboration, your passion.
There are a million scripts flying around, landing on acquisitions executives’ desks at any given moment in the tv industry - so when you get 15 precious minutes of their time you need to remember to answer the question: why you?
Why this means something to you is pivotal, because from your pitch it’s not the plot they’ll remember, oh no. It’s the moments that will create an emotional connection to the audience.
Moreover, if they see you passionately own the work, people will be more willing to work with you. They will not steal it from you; they will want you on board to spearhead it.
In the next episode we’ll learn what else you absolutely cannot forget to include in your pitch.
Stick around and find out ;)
Sofi🌻
PS: what would you like to know more about when it comes to scripts and pitching? If you have any wishes let me know and I’ll be happy to become your storytelling-scriptwriting-fairy godmother :)
Steven Spielberg: The Closest I Have Ever Been To A Legend
January 2023 is not a special month by all means, and the 18th of January 2023 in particular is not a special date in any way, and yet my mind goes back to that night more often that I realise.
5 Modern Twists On Literary Classics That Got It Absolutely Right
In the aftermath of what was this month’s obsessive thunderstorm of “Wuthering Heights” reviews wars, we all still wonder how we feel about it. Was our fixation with this divise movie the best humanity can offer? Do we feel satisfied with what we said and thought? Were we too harsh, or not harsh enough on Emerald’s take?
London based Acquisitions TV Exec, I watch movies and I love to write. In this newsletter I tell you what going to movie premieres is like, review the movies I watch and share practical guides on storytelling & scriptwriting. If this sounds good you know what to do :)