Hey Stage 32 Family! I hope your week is going smoothly!
As I near the end of my 3rd pass of my debut psychological thriller screenplay, "Confidence," I’m starting to seriously consider pitching. (I’ve never pitched outside of undergrad and grad school, so this is all new territory, lol) I wanted to bring some questions to the community for insight, especially regarding the difficult jump to bringing your words to life when you're solely a screenwriter and don't yet have connections with filmmakers or producers.
I’d love to hear from writers and creators who have successfully made this jump. Any insight, personal experience, or resources you can share would be extremely helpful!
Q1: Pitch Readiness and Approach:
- How do you know when your script is truly "pitch-ready"? Is it about a certain level of contest placement, professional coverage scores, or something else entirely?
- What are your preferred pitching approaches? Do you lean heavily on verbal pitches (e.g., networking events), written loglines/one-sheets, or paid pitching opportunities (like hosting services or pitch festivals)?
Q2: Getting the Work Made When You're Solely a Screenwriter:
- If you are solely a screenwriter and not a filmmaker, what's the most effective strategy for bringing your work to life? Do you prioritize pitching directly to independent producers, targeting literary managers, or building "heat" through high-level screenwriting contests?
- What's the best way to find and pitch to filmmakers (directors) who are looking for their next project?
Thanks in advance for the advice! I'm looking forward to engaging and learning from your experiences.
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There are quite a few paid pitching services available on this platform.
What I usually do is turn my entire screenplay or story into a pitch first, and then share it with the people around me—my friends, family members, or even cinema-loving folks in my circle. If I notice that they’re genuinely engaged, asking for the next line after hearing just a few, or showing excitement, that’s when I take it as a sign that my writing is moving in the right direction.
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Hey, Ryan Wilford! Hope your week’s going smoothly too! Congratulations on getting close to finishing your 3rd pass!
"How do you know when your script is truly "pitch-ready"?" It's a gut feeling for me, and feedback helps.
Stage 32's Pitch Sessions can help you improve your pitch. The written Pitch Sessions helped me. And the main purpose of the Pitch Sessions is to get feedback to improve your pitch, but sometimes the executives, managers, etc. will request scripts, sign writers, etc. (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories).
Stage 32 has two written pitch examples (one for a movie and the other for a show). Stage 32 also has a verbal feature pitch beat sheet and a verbal TV pitch beat sheet. You can get them by emailing success@stage32.com.
Here's three Lounge posts with pitch advice:
www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Pitch-Advice
www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Pitching-44
www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Why-Pitching-Matters-And-How-to-Mak...
The Pitch Practice in the Writers’ Room is the best pitching resource in my opinion. Pitch Practice is every Thursday night at 5:30 P.M. PST/8:30 P.M. EST. You can sit in and listen to members practice their projects and give them feedback. You can pitch your project too, but you have to sign up. The hosts, Noel Thompson and John Mezes, take names during Pitch Practice for people to pitch the following week. You have to sit in and listen at the practice one or two times before you can pitch. You can sign up for your first month of the Writers’ Room free here: www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip
The Pitch Tank in the Writers’ Room is an incredible pitching resource too. The Pitch Tank is where you pitch your script to an executive and get feedback. The Pitch Tank is once a month.
Stage 32 has a free webinar called "How to Create a 2 Page Pitch For Your Feature Film" (www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-create-a-2-page-pitch-for-your...).
Stage 32 has a free webinar called "How to Write a 2 Page Pitch for Your Television Series" (www.stage32.com/education/products/free-stage-32-webinar-how-to-write-at...).
Stage 32 also has a free pitch webinar: www.stage32.com/education/products/pitching-tips-from-the-pros-your-blue...
"What are your preferred pitching approaches?" I prefer to pitch with email query letters (mainly to producers). And something I do to pitch my scripts is post pages in Stage 32's Your Stage Lounge, on Twitter/X, and on Instagram, like First Page Friday, Third Page Thursday, and Sneak Peek Sunday. I post loglines and script posters with the pages. And sometimes I post short pitches (like two-word pitches and three-word pitches) on social media.
"What's the best way to find and pitch to filmmakers (directors) who are looking for their next project?" Network/build relationships on Stage 32, on other platforms, and in person. Stage 32 has free in-person Meetups (www.stage32.com/meetups). If you don't see a Meetup in your area, keep an eye on that page for new Meetups. And you're welcome to start your own Meetup.
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Fuad Shawn Thanks Faud! That's excellent advice.
As I'm just starting out, funds can be tight, so I'm currently focusing on more cost-effective resources and leveraging community insight. I'll definitely check out those paid services once my finances align better.
I really love that idea of pitching to your inner circle and those around you. They function as a great gauge of the general audience we're ultimately writing to engage. I've been incorporating this feedback method while developing my script and plan to continue it.
Thanks so much for sharing your process!
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Maurice Vaughan Hey Maurice!
Hope your week is going smoothly too! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide such comprehensive support and all that specific information—I always appreciate it!
I'll definitely look into the pitch sessions once funds align, especially the Pitch Practice in the Writers’ Room. That sounds like the perfect place to improve my pitch and hear feedback in a safe setting.
Thanks for taking the time to share those Lounge posts; they were very insightful! I particularly loved Geoffroy's post.
Regarding the social media posts: I'm not the biggest fan of Twitter/X and don't have an account, but you mentioned pitching with posts on Instagram as well? I was curious if those posts like "First Page Friday" and "Sneak Peek Sunday" are under the Stage 32 profile, or if you mean writers post those pages themselves? Could you share a few more details on that?
I'm absolutely focused on networking. I've been going to networking events and film festival mixers when I can, and it's been great to build connections. That's exactly what I'm hoping for—a natural integration, where I meet someone at one of these events and it just clicks into place. I've heard some people say that's how they've found their managers, so I'm hopeful!
I highly appreciate you taking the time to provide your insight and all those resources. Have a great weekend!
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You're welcome, Ryan Wilford. Glad to hear you've been building connections at networking events and film festival mixers! Congratulations!
I post pages of my scripts on my IG profile, like this: www.instagram.com/screenwritermauricevaughan/p/DRU_APylnsO
Have a great weekend too!