Having now pitched (written only) several different scripts many times, I have learned a lot. One of the first things is that almost invariably, the individual to whom you are pitching is evaluating your pitch more often than your story. Some consider mainly the story and secondarily, the pitch, but, in my experience, they are in the minority. This was a shock to me. In a few cases, I have received extremely detailed notes on the way I described my story, and almost nothing about the actual story's suitability for the market. I get that they can only go by what they read in the pitch, and that they are buried in scripts, but I'm wondering if there couldn't be some middle ground wherein writers could revise their pitch in a followup, or send in the 1st 10 pages for projects that were "on the edge" of getting a request.
Another observation: the comments have been very helpful, especially the negative ones. It has helped me revise my written pitches. In some cases, I have rewritten them 10, 11, even 13 times! Each time, I feel they get better. I try to read the feedback for what I can use, and if a comment or "note" seems wrong or off-base, I just ignore it. But the comments are usually very constructive. Look, you can't please everyone. Get over it!
Everyone here should keep in mind that some of the most successful films ever made have been rejected scores of times. I believe every studio and independent producer in town passed on STAR WARS initially, and only when Alan Ladd, Jr. championed it, did it sell. "Nobody knows anything." So, they can only go with their gut, and that may be subject to their specific environment, their situation or company's preferences. So, don't sweat the "PASS". Just keep banging. You just need to find that champion.
Another thing I have learned is to make my written pitches as potent as possible. I list the page count, and add a clickable link to my Stage32 Logline page. In some specific cases I include box-office data to comparable projects, and reasons why the project is relevant or a good prospect. In one case, I included reasons why I hate some aspects of the genre my script is in, and how my script overcomes them. Some people have applauded that in their feedback. I make sure I indicate if the script has franchise or I.P. potential. I also do something I HATE: I include after the logline, one of those "It's [Insert Title] meets [Insert Title]" comparisons to allow them to get a quick handle on how I see the project, and how it may fit the marketplace.
Because I pitch a handful of projects, I have developed a spreadsheet that tracks everything. It has every pitch, 1st Ten submission, or OWA on a row, and includes the feedback text and scores in columns. It lists all names and dates, and includes the actual order number for later contacts with Stage32 Help about individual pitches or submissions. This tracking spreadsheet is a godsend, trust me!
So, here is a haiku, just for screenwriters:
Your script is flawless
Poignant... Funny... True... Perfect...
Here are our notes
Lee Matthias
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You're right, Lee Matthias. You can't please everyone. I remind myself of that when I pitch. I also remind myself that "some of the most successful films ever made have been rejected scores of times."
I've gotten a lot better at written pitches and live pitches by using the resources on Stage 32.
I put "[Insert Title] meets [Insert Title]" in my written pitch (sometimes near the top). I also list the page count, include box-office data to comparable projects, mention why the project is relevant/a good prospect, and but I don't add a clickable link to my Stage 32 Logline page. Thanks for the idea!
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Nice Lee Matthias -- great tips on including Page Count and Other Loglines. Those are absolutely things many execs/readers consider. Page Count especially is the first thing anyone every reading your script notices. For execs, additional loglines can give them a sense of the overall picture of your writing and if you have a specific oeuvre, can show consistency and help contextualize your interests as a writer -- which is valuable information.
Also the box office data piece is interesting as well. Think if you're grounded and have clear comps (based on an amount of locations, characters, genre, etc.) this could also help. Like here's a very similar movie with the same tone and scope, my movie could be like this. Where I see writers get this wrong is when they say things like "This is the next Avatar" or "This is the next Star Wars." Being reasonable with comps and finding good ones (that also made a little money at the box office) certainly can only assist
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Maurice Vaughan Thanks! Yeah, the logline link idea just occurred to me recently. I'm kicking myself that I pitched so many times without it.
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Pat Alexander Thanks! Sometimes just figuring out what to put in a pitch and what not keeps you from realizing all the little touches that can add to it or bring it to life.
I recently realized that some key dialogue from one script could really establish the mood and character of a piece, so I made room and threw it in there at the appropriate point in the story.
Another key thing to consider is character motivation and logic. They can get short shrift in a two page pitch of a complex story in which you're just trying to cover what happens.
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You're welcome, Lee Matthias. I kicked myself when I read your post and realized I wasn't posting the links to my Stage 32 Logline pages. Haha
Something I do to pitch my scripts is post pages in Stage 32's Your Stage Lounge, on Twitter/X, and on IG, like Third Page Thursday, First Page Friday, and Sneak Peek Sunday. I post loglines and script posters with the pages, and I post links to my Logline pages with them. Sometimes I post short pitches (like two-word pitches and three-word pitches) on social media.
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Thanks for giving me insight into the pitch. I
'm unique as a story teller, I just want to tell my story. I will probably never write another screenplay. I accepted the challenge to tell my story visually. After I finished my script I them studied formatting.
I will do my best to find the right person to pitch to. I'm taking the 1st pitch today as learning process for my next pitch.
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Lee, I really like your written-pitch ideas!
In fact, when I started revising my own written pitches this past August, I added a "Why now" paragraph to vouch for why something I've written ought to become a film or TV show...but now, I think I'll add a page count to each pitch and put in a link to my own Stage 32 logline page.
Jim Boston Yeah, if you have a good "why now" it's worth adding it to your 2-page real estate. I don't know if this is recommended by Stage32, but if I find my pitch running a bit long, when I have it in MS Word, I will look for a more compact but still standard font. And, if I can change the pitch of the font, say from 12 to 11, I do. And if I can further reduce it, I found you can change the pitch from, say 11 to 10.5. This has helped a lot. But keep in mind, the professionals reading this are wise to such tricks. So they might call you on it, or a moderator might object. Sometimes, if you need just a line to get to the legally-allowed 2 pages, you can cut/combine/improve words in a paragraph, or even combine 2 paragraphs if it can work grammatically.
I suggest not changing the font size from 12 to 11 or 10.5, Lee Matthias. It might make the pitch hard to read, and the reader might feel like you're cheating.
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Pat Alexander I have watched over the years as people look at my scripts and book manuscripts. The FIRST thing they invariably do is check how long it is. Professionals, in particular, need to make quick judgments, and page count tells them a lot.
I collect screenplays. I have over 32,000 in PDF form. Multiple drafts, theatrical and television, foreign and domestic, ancient and current unproduced specs. One of the things you'll notice is until the late 1960s, many pro scripts ran 150 pages and above for 2-hour movies. This is because they included LOTS of tech instructions and detail. But in the late 1960s John Milius and Walter Hill both noticed how Alexander Jacobs wrote POINT BLANK. It was lean and mean, a quick read, and they emulated the approach. Pixar took the approach to an extreme in scripts like WALL-E. Paragraphs became single sentences, Sentences became fragments or just one or two words. Even slightly obvious details were left out. I don't know if that went too far, but there was quite a buzz about it at the time.
In the late 1970s, Syd Field, in his first book (SCREENPLAY), referred to scripts as around 120 pages. Ever since, they have been getting shorter and shorter. In the 1980s-1990s they were averaging 110 pages. Today, 90-105 is the new 120. Only the Tarantinos and other established pros can market material that is much above 120. And QT's scripts are ungrammatical messes. He hand-scribbles his title page. He misspells many words on almost every page. But he's QT, so... Anyway, page count is the first clue to whether you are worth the read.
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Maurice Vaughan Yeah, I think the Stage32 guidelines somewhere say not to try such "cheats".
I think I remember reading that, Lee Matthias.
Yeah, it’s in Stage 32’s Pitching Guidebook, Lee Matthias. I found it in my email. Page 19 says, “Do not overly manipulate margins or font size to fit more content. An executive will NOT want to read two pages of 10 point font. They will know immediately why you chose that small size and it will serve as an example of you trying to circumvent the rules they very well know you're supposed to follow. Written pitches are a first impression too!”