Screenwriting : Written Pitches by Douglas Peters

Hi, Douglas Peters. I'd done a few written pitches on here, and the feedback helped me make my pitches and scripts better. I use Arial and 12 point font. Stage 32 has two written pitch examples (one for a movie and one for a show). Email success@stage32.com.

Douglas Peters a few things to prioritize that I learned in the Stage32 Writer's Room Pitch sessions, your pitch is ALL about the Protagonist.

1. Give them your best LogLine.

2.a. The Dramatic Premise: what can the Protag not do at the beginning ...

3. Briefly define the beats that show show the ups and downs struggles the Protag goes through to show their story.

2.b. What the Protag can now do at the end?

Your goal is give them just enough of your best, so they are compelled to ask for your script.

I'd like to know too, Mike Childress. I haven't done the verbal pitches on here yet. I do know some people feel more comfortable with written pitches than verbal pitches.

If you like to talk in front of people and you're confident trying to sell your idea to someone in a one-on-one conversation, always go for the verbal pitch. If you're not, but you can write convincingly within the constraints of the written pitch, then give that a shot. But, do remember, it will be harder to sell yourself in a written pitch than a verbal pitch, so effectively communicating the originality of your premise will be of paramount importance in a written pitch.

All great advice and comments. I truly appreciate it. I just have to work on cramming 50 pounds into a 10 pound sack.

They are just looking for an excuse to reject you. Whatever you choose to omit due to space restrictions, will be deemed essential, and its absence will necessitate your rejection.

Matthew Kelcourse that is what I'm beginning to see. I would like to know who has had success with written pitches here at Stage 32. No one wants your stuff but they're willing to teach you something. You go back, doctor it up from their teachings, and still get the thumbs down. I guess it's called never ending polite rejection. You're just not a writer, buddy.

Aaron Benjamin had success with a written pitch, Douglas Peters:

Through Stage 32 Script Services, we connected Aaron Benjamin to veteran literary manager Jon Hersh at Housefire Management. Aaron pitched Jon his screenplay, The Bastard of Robert E. Lee, for feedback. But the connection resulted in a lot more than Aaron was expecting. Jon loved Aaron's pitch so much he requested the script. We facilitated the connection between Aaron and Jon and a short time later, Jon signed Aaron as a client! Since signing, Jon has taken 2 of Aarons scripts out and set him up on a ton of meetings. Here's the story from Aaron and Jon themselves:

“I had submitted a written pitch to Jon for The Bastard of Robert E. Lee, which was my first feature,” Aaron told us. “Jon and I connected after he read my submission - and he also read the Busing Crisis script as well.”

“Since signing Aaron, his two spec features - Maverick and Saturday Night Massacre - have been championed by major production companies and sent to dozens of studio buyers,” Jon further explained. “He now has fans all over town, and has been focusing on pitches for studio writing assignments,” See the full story here: www.stage32.com/blog/monday-motivation-another-stage-32-writer-lands-rep...

Aaron's success story is on the Success Stories page (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories). There are other Pitch Session success stories on that page.

I've recently switched over to written pitches. I have to admit the first response had me a bit confused and honestly wondered if he'd actually read it. The other two were very positive and, most important, gave the same reason for passing. They felt that as much as they liked the story I was telling there really wasn't enough of the characters to make a sale. One of them suggested simply a sentence on each of the main characters stories would be enough to get the info across. That was very helpful and I'm rewriting to fit their suggestions. No takers yet but at least enough encouragement to keep me writing.

Bill Albert: I have had the same experience with written pitches. "There's always not enough to go on" is basically what I'm being told. Again, back to two pages aren't enough.

Another question I have, is it appropriate to pitch a treatment or synopsis before creating the full script in order to see if anyone is genuinely interested before going to the trouble of writing the script? Will they give you the time to do a script if they like your pitch?

Mike Childress So you write full scripts before trying to pitch your idea first? That seems like a waste of writing time and energy, but I could be wrong. It's like asking someone out for a date without ever seeing them. A blind date, sometimes works I guess. Having someone ask you to write a script about ducks beating up frogs in Martha's pond, yeah I can do that. Anyone interested?

I think it's better to write the script before pitching it, Douglas Peters (unless you're in the position to pitch ideas and outlines to producers, companies, etc.). That way you can send the script to the producer/etc. right away if they're interested and not miss out on an opportunity.

Douglas Peters I think Dan MaxXx is right on. It has to do with credits. If you are a newbie, it's necessary to have a script ready before you pitch. But if you have a few projects under your belt, and a rep to verify you, it's more likely a producer will consider a pitch for an unwritten script.

All: This has been a very good exercise for me. I'm thinking I need to have a full script before pitching. The only problem is, I keep coming up with ideas for TV shows and haven't taken the time to try and write a full script on any of them. I guess you can say I'm ADHD in 5th gear. Maybe there is someone or a lounge that may have an interest in treatments or synopsis who can take my ideas and run with it. Is there such a thing? I know everybody has a book and I'm just another one of them. My pitch reviews haven't been all that bad so I believe I can be competitive in writing. Like all of us, we're looking for that big break in a field of full-bloom wildflowers.

"Maybe there is someone or a lounge that may have an interest in treatments or synopsis who can take my ideas and run with it. Is there such a thing?" Do you mean like hire screenwriters to ghostwrite your ideas and treatments into scripts, Douglas Peters? Or maybe co-write your scripts? If so, you could post an ad on the Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

@Douglas Peters, please keep in mind if you want someone to turn your synopsis into a script, they will be doing the heavy-lifting part of the project. A co-writer or ghostwriter may be hard to find without offering up front and/or back end compensation.

Alot of interesting feedback here, sorry I'm just now seeing it and chiming in. Douglas Peters You are asking the right questions for sure. First off, you should definitely have a script written, and your pitch should be a summation of that script, a summation that grabs the listener and conveys your idea in an engaging concise and entertaining fashion. I have been on the listening/reading end of thousands of pitches in my career, and I am always rooting for the writer that is pitching. I WANT to like your idea, I HOPE I connect with your idea. And if I don't, it's never personal and maybe enough of an impression has been made that we stay in touch and you can pitch the next iteration of that scripts or your next project etc. I am never just looking for a reason to reject you. But you have to have the body of work to keep that conversation alive. If you pitch an idea that I respond to and then don't have the script to back it up, then you're not capitalizing on that opportunity. Sure, maybe the exec will wait for you to write it, but perhaps by then they will have optioned another project etc. And if writing a script seems like a waste of time, ask yourself why you want to be a writer. You should feel compelled to write no matter what the context. We've all put in that sweat equity at times in our careers, for better or worse, and the practice will only make you better!

And yes Douglas Peters, there have been successes that have resulted from pitches. We just had this report last week from one of our writers:

I'm very impressed with all the great feedback. I get it, write the script then do the footwork. Again, I'm a rookie looking for advice. I appreciate everyone's participation. Maybe some of you learned something.

The community certainly has some great insights and nuggets to offer Douglas Peters! Every day is a chance to learn something new, that's my approach at least. Have a good one!

Nick Phillips You are correct about this community delivering. I have learned a lot from just asking a question in this lounge. All great feedback. The biggest obstacle is, there's thousands of us out there looking for that big opportunity.

Hi Douglas, I think it's best to have the script ready if it's requested. If they like it and you have to write it, it could take several months and there's goes your opportunity. If you consider yourself a screenwriter, then you write the script. Then once established, you have a better chance of pitching an idea and them trusting you to write it in a timely manner. Sounds stressful. Anyway, I've done several written pitches and it's been a learning experience for me. I've been told that I need to use up the 2 full pages and expand on some characters. Focus on the protag and what they need to accomplish, their hurdles/struggles, character's nuances, etc. Hope this helps!