Screenwriting : Pitching Horror Stories by Jared Michael Delaney

Great idea, Jared Michael Delaney! I've had live pitches where I kept repeating the same things. I've done it for years outside of pitching (when I'm just talking with people). I'm getting better at not repeating things when I talk and pitch. One thing that helps is catching myself when I'm about to repeat things.

I think we're all capable of that sometimes. We're just so excited about the river of words in our head it can be difficult to cut the flow. I'm still uber new so I haven't pitched yet but the very idea makes me nervous

Yeah Frank, no question about it. Verbal pitching is its own unique skill set we have to develop along with our writing!

Maurice Vaughan that rings so true to me. We often do that, fall back on verbal tics that sometimes we're not even that aware of. Identifying those habits and consciously working to break them can be a real game changer!

If i were good at talking to people I wouldn't be a writer!

When I was an assistant to a big shot producer, he found out from office gossip I was writing a screenplay. He asked what's it about. I said "it's a coming of age urban love story about a rapper"... He stopped me at rapper, said he doesn't produce urban or rap. End of pitch in 5 seconds. He went to his office; I went back to photocopying :(

7 Mile

I just want to say...I love Dan's stories. You have been through a lot Dan. I appreciate you! May the force be with you...

I was a professional touring stand up comic for 12 years. I could get up on stage, alone, in front of hundreds of people and with absolutely no issues, do 45-60 minute routines. Smooth as glass. Now, 5 minutes seems like an eternity and sometimes I'm glad the person I'm pitching doesn't boo me off the screen.

For me, it's "know your audience." I pitched an incendiary, twisted concept to a person who cut me off in the middle and said, "I'm not comfortable bringing a show about xxxxxx to a streamer or a network. That's not what I do." TBH, that was extremely helpful. We're all going to have pitches that go south. To Jared Michael Delaney's point, if that happens, come back here to the COMMUNITY and talk about it. We're all in this together. Also, for those who don't know, the "Pitch Tank" here on Stage 32 is a fantastic place to practice pitching, get advice, or watch because you will pick up pitching gold.

I was advising a company that had brilliant (at the time) anti-piracy protections that kept people from ripping DVDs or screen recording while streaming. We got set up by a major producer with the President of Lionsgate. Who gave every reason why this was a waste of time and Lionsgate would never do. There big reason "We have a revenue sharing agreement with Blockbuster for DVD rentals. Why should we shoulder all of the cost for this technology if other companies are going to benefit." If I only had a crystal ball I could have said, "Blockbuster will be out of business in a year. What about you?"

@ David B. I feel to get cut off so bluntly wrong. Yes, nobody owes us to like our work and are free to hate it but if you paid for feedback you should get time owed on the clock. Several execs here told me why it wasn't for them but also gave constructive criticism on the whole material, good advice that later got me a consider & another time an interview. A service is a service!

I'd known an exec for years and finally had myself together to pitch him. I loaded the material on an iPad to meet, had it sent to him as a backup and met at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Once there, he listened patiently and changed the subject to ask about a book I'd written on years prior, to see where the rights were. He also had me pay for lunch. Not my fondest memory, but a lesson about the business.

Is there really a "best format" for a pitch? Seriously? Or is it all about the story itself? Either it sucks and nobody likes it, or it’s a great story but gets botched in delivery. What’s your take?

Common courtesy is the glue to the format that creates a solid pitch. The second substance is pleasure communicating or a profound respect for the individual. First meeting a writer talked for an hour about his ideas and did not solicit input or opinion from me. It made me realize that staying silent is my way of agreeing so if my input is not being considered I am being steamrolled into accepting theirs.

Debbie Croysdale I do not disagree with you, yet at the same time I never thought about it as a business transaction. I looked at it as self-improvement. In fairness to her, she said nice things about my presentation and personality and then had a few other things to say on the scorecard. Everybody's different, but I appreciated her blunt style. Granted, it was shocking that she cut me off. I didn't feel great at the moment, but I got over it within seconds and learned a lesson I immediately applied to my strategy, which has seemingly paid off (multiple requests and meetings since that pitch).

A pitch is about the story, Sebastien Dehi, but it's also about the delivery. A successful pitch also depends on the person's opinion about how you pitch and what you're pitching. And sometimes a pass has nothing to do with your pitch. You could get a pass because of how much it'd cost to make the movie/show, the climate of movies/shows, etc.

Stage 32 has written pitch examples (one for a movie and one for a show). You can email success@stage32.com to get them.

Stage 32 has resources for live pitching, like this free webinar (www.stage32.com/education?p=8944895721779) and the weekly Pitch Practices in the Writers' Room (www.stage32.com/writers-room).

John Mezes co-hosts the Pitch Practices (www.stage32.com/lounge/introduce_yourself/Hello-Stage-32-152). They're the best pitch resource in my opinion.

I so appreciate everyone chiming in with their stories. It can definitely be a challenge to keep the faith in the face of rough experiences (and in Dan MaxXx' s story, incredible dismissal. Truly awful. ) But to

Sebastien Dehi's point, I DO think are there specific methods that can be truly helpful, that can make a pitch soar above the story, in a way, to be present in the moment that the pitcher is in. Those include how's it's written out beforehand, rehearsal, reading the room, keeping it tight, etc. If anyone is curious, at www.pitch4reel.com I discuss those very tactics that can help elevate a pitch to the next level. Be happy to discuss that with anyone who'd be interested!

If you are like me and you perceive the Pitch as having psycho-emotional similarities to going "Cap-in-Hand" then you are likely going to give off conflicting vibes. Leading the listener to thing you are not confident in your story. Fact is when some people ask for things they come across as noble and deserving while others asking ...are found wanting. Strange dynamics... how to proceed? I suppose it begins with a story that we have utter faith in and with practice we can comfortably convey how special and timely it really is.