Producing : Pitching vs Reading by John Patterson

Boy, I am right there with you John Patterson . I struggle with feeling confident in what items I choose to include in both verbal and written pitches. My scripts get more positive reactions than my pitches no doubt.

I wouldn’t give up on pitching. If the script consistently gets strong reactions once people read it, the challenge may simply be finding the clearest way to communicate what makes it special. A strong pitch opens the door; the script still has to close the deal.

Thanks. Yes,, I Will keep plugging away. The formula is there somewhere,

Hello John! I completely understand where you're coming from! I missed the fine print in the screenwriting "contract" that you must also be a good salesperson in addition to being a good writer! I would say, record yourself and listen to it (keep it short). If you're not sold on your own script, keep going to feel good about it :)

Hi John :) Firstly, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on getting three separate Double Recommends! This is absolutely AMAZING! You’ve done the hardest part. Pitching can be a challenge, but now you’ve got a great product, which is the most important thing, you’ll get there! I find that practice makes perfect. You’ve already taken great initiative by taking a pitching course. Try booking a few pitching sessions without focusing on getting a request. That can add extra pressure. Instead, see them as practice and make your success criteria super simple: if you felt more at ease, that’s a win; if you felt happier with your pitch, that’s a win. What seems to work for me is copying my pitch onto paper, which helps me learn it off by heart. I only write it on one side of the paper, so I don’t have to faff around with sheets while I’m speaking. :) There’s also the option of the written pitch, but I love that you’re challenging yourself to keep improving your oral pitches. You could do a mix of both oral and written pitches? I’m nervous at the beginning too, but I’ve now switched my mindset from: “I really want to get a request.” to: “I have a great script to offer, and I’m gathering the right team to help me share it with the world.” I find this mindset has really helped me relax. As much as executives are giving you a great opportunity to pitch, remember that you’re also offering them a great opportunity to be part of the journey of a script that has received three separate Double Recommends. YOU’VE GOT THIS, JOHN! :)

Congratulations on the three Double Recommends! What are the parts that you love the most about your story? Try making a list of the things you love and have those be the things that you want to share in your pitch. If you love them, then I think you can show others what makes them so special and they will love them too. That way you can get them to be interested in your screenplay which is already well received.

Darrell A Pennington It's tough to try to keep a casual attitude while trying to sell yourself (which is mostly what your monologue is trying to do, after all). But I will keep at it. I will.

Jackie Letkowski Yes, I am terrible when it comes to reading the fine print. But this is the avenue I've chosen to walk down, so I will keep my chin up while doing so. Thanks for your note.

Judith Marie-Ange Edmorin After reading your thoughtful encouragement, I am ready to pitch RIGHT NOW. Just kidding, but I really do appreciate your attitude and your good wishes. Thank you for that.

Zoltan Zoltan Thanks also to you for your encouragement. I will figure this out.

Mari Bengston Thanks for the list suggestion,. I will incorporate it in my next (gulp!) pitch.

John Patterson yes it is. That's one of the reasons I decided to take on this additional approach with the ebooks.

Sometimes, I think professionals can very understandably get jaundiced, cynical, even a bit bitter when they are inundated day after day with statistically speaking what what will be something that never gets another moment of their time and probably isn't good enough to move forward. I don't want my future to only be in the hands of others.

So I decided to go straight to the audience. Nothing unusual, unique or dare I say 'novel' about the approach but the difference is this audience is eager, excited and available to soak up content. They want to read the next book and hope it is great but if not they still might enjoy it and even recommend it.

So I kicked in the additional layer of strategy and I am so excited for it. Cannot wait for the series to roll next Spring.

Congratulations on the Double Recommends, John Patterson! The Know It All sounds interesting.

Did you watch this free pitch webinar called "Pitching Tips from the Pros: Your Blueprint to a Successful Pitch"? www.stage32.com/education/products/pitching-tips-from-the-pros-your-blue...

And have you done the Pitch Practices in the Writers' Room? They're one of the best pitching resources in my opinion.

You could post your logline, synopsis, and script on your profile. That and networking are how I sold four short scripts to a producer. www.stage32.com/loglines

What an interesting idea Darrell A Pennington i am going to give this some serious thought. Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe just keep sending it in lol. Skip the pitch if it's not ur strong suit, and develop a deck that speaks for itself. Probably poor advice but a patch for the time being.