Good in a Zoom Room: How to Nail Your Remote Pitch - with Pete Goldfinger (SPIRAL, JIGSAW)
Webinar hosted by: Peter Goldfinger
Feature and TV writer (JIGSAW, SPIRAL, PIRANHA 3D)
Pete Goldfinger is an incredibly successful feature and television writer in Hollywood, perhaps best known for penning the two newest features in the SAW horror universe, including JIGSAW, which grossed over $100 million, and SPIRAL, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock, which debuted at number one at the box office this year. Other credits of Peter’s include SORORITY ROW, PIRANHA 3D and TV shows like TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. When he’s not writing for the screen, Pete is running and hosting his own screenwriting retreats, in-person workshops, and Zoom classes. Students of Pete’s classes learn how to turn their projects into marketable, saleable products, and he’s going to deliver these same principles to Stage 32’s community. Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn how to pitch remotely from the writer of JIGSAW and SPIRAL (which hit #1 at the box office upon release)
Includes a live pitch demonstration and an exclusive pitch workshop where YOU can practice your Zoom pitch and receive notes!
Pitching your projects has changed DRASTICALLY over the past several years, as we’ve moved from traditional in-person pitches between to mostly remote ones. Zoom pitches are here to stay and will remain a consistent aspect of the industry. That's why it's imperative that you know how to pitch well over Zoom... having the right tools, tips, and materials at your fingertips can really make your pitch shine. Now, more than ever, you must be quick, concise, and clear. To avoid aimless rambling or unnecessary detail and conversation, structure is key. And once that structure is in place, your well-developed pitch can take you to the next level.
What are the elements you need to pitch to a development executive or producer to get you to that next level? If you don’t know how to pitch efficiently while keeping your concept clear, the virtual pitch meeting you’ve waited weeks to have could come to an abrupt end. Those who don’t take the time to practice and think they can roll through on the fly quickly, discover they’ve missed out on an incredible opportunity. But armed with the right tools, conversation, and materials, your chances are as good as anyone else’s.
Pete Goldfinger knows what those tools are.
Pete is an incredibly successful feature and television writer in Hollywood, perhaps best known for penning two recent features in the SAW horror universe, including JIGSAW, which grossed over $100 million, and SPIRAL, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock, which debuted at number one at the box office. Other credits of Peter’s include SORORITY ROW, PIRANHA 3D and TV shows like TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. When he’s not writing for the screen, Pete is running and hosting his own screenwriting retreats, in-person workshops, and Zoom classes. Students of Pete’s classes learn how to turn their projects into marketable, saleable products, and he’s going to deliver these same principles to Stage 32’s community.
During this inofrmation-packed on-demand webinar, Pete will show you how to deliver the most valuable and authentic pitch possible by discussing the elements that need to go into a pitch so that you hook producers and showrunners quickly. From handling (sometimes) awkward small talk to delivering strong loglines with pitch decks, Pete will share his years of experience so that you leave feeling confident about your next (or first!) virtual pitch. After passing on his golden nuggets of wisdom, Pete will deliver a live pitch demonstration, who will take attendees’ ideas on what to pitch and then deliver his pitch on the spot to give you a feel of what Zoom pitching and thinking on your feet is really like.
What You'll Learn
- Zoom Meetings and Pitches: An Overview
- Pros and cons of a zoom pitch
- Are Zoom pitches here to stay?
- Preparing for Your Zoom Pitch or Meeting
- Researching the people you will be pitching to
- Are You Going to Be Able to Show Visuals in Your Meeting?
- And How to best find out ahead of time
- Are Pitch Decks Neccessary?
- Practicing ahead of time
- What Goes Into a Great Zoom Pitch Presentation
- Logline and hook
- Comps
- Introducing your world
- Describing your characters and their arcs
- For a TV pitch, how much of your series do you need to have already mapped out?
- How You Should Hold Yourself During a Zoom Pitch
- Strategies to calm your nerves ahead of time
- What should you wear?
- Webcam framing, lighting, and background
- The dreaded small talk - what to talk about when the meeting starts or when waiting for more people to join
- Handling the inevitable technical issues that will come up
- Sharing your pitch deck – screen share or sending to everyone ahead of time
- Questions to expect after your pitch
- Tips for finishing your meeting and signing off
- After Your Pitch
- Leave behinds and other materials to have prepared
- When and how to follow up
- Next steps you can expect
- Live Pitch with Peter
- The audience will come up with a story that Pete will professionally pitch on the spot as if he were pitching on Zoom to an exec
- Pitch Workshop
- Peter will hear live 60 second pitches from volunteers in the audience and give notes and suggestions for each
- Q&A with Peter
About Your Instructor
Peter Goldfinger
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