THE HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL BLOG

HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL BLOG - AUGUST 1 & 2, LOS ANGELES

A Pitch is Your Movie in Miniature
(Brought to you by The 13th Hollywood Pitch Festival - August 1 & 2 - Los Angeles - www.hollywoodpitchfestival.com)

Being able to give "good pitch" is key to a successful screenwriting career. If you can make a potential buyer "see" your film in just five, 10 or 15 minutes, you stand an excellent chance of getting that person to actually read your spec script - or hire you for a lucrative writing assignment.

To achieve this, your pitch must contain all the key elements of your spec (or proposed) screenplay. You need to clearly convey a clear sense of your characters, the conflict, the narrative, the climax and the resolution.

The pitch should represent the genre in which you're working. If you're pitching a comedy, the pitch should be funny. If you're pitching a romance, it should be heartfelt. If you're pitching horror, it should be terrifying.

In short, your pitch should be your movie in miniature.

Following is the structure for an effective pitch:

- The Introduction. Begin by stating your genre, the title and your log-line. Example: "I have a thriller called Jaws. It's about a small-town sheriff and family man who enlists the help of a nerdy marine biologist and a hard-boiled professional shark hunter to hunt down and kill a monstrous--and cunning--great white that's terrorizing the waters off his isolated New England island community."

- The Story. Now tell your story. Don't explain it - tell it. Tell your story the way you would a fairy tale to a child. Keep it simple, but embellish where necessary and always stick to the narrative.

Your pitch should have the same three-act structure as your script - and in roughly the same proportions. You need to include:

- Act One - The Set-Up. Where and when does your story take place? Who's your hero? Tell us his/her name, approximate age, occupation and - this is important - something about his/her character. What kind of a person is your protagonist? What does this person want? And what is he/she doing to try and achieve this goal? Give us one or two incidents that give us a taste of the early conflict and story direction. Who are the other important people in this character's life, and how do they impact the action? Finally, introduce the inciting incident, that is, the thing that changes the course of your hero's life and sets up the movie's main action. Then tell us how your hero intends to deal with this new, unexpected set of circumstances. What's the plan? As this is Act One, it should take up roughly one-quarter of your pitch. (Note: Many writers spend virtually their entire pitch on the Set-Up, leaving little time for anything else. Obviously, this is a poor way to sell your product.)

- Act Two - Development and Escalation. Now tell us how the hero puts his/her new plan in motion. Here is where you start to pay off on the premise you've established; show us how this is done through the description of two or three key scenes. Build toward your midpoint where there needs to be a big twist. Here, inevitably, relationships change. The hunter becomes the hunted. Friends become lovers. Or friends become enemies. Something major has to change at the midpoint. Then work your way through the other twists and turns of Act II, hopefully ending with your protagonist apparently defeated - or at least in a situation from which there appears to be no escape. Traditionally, second acts make up half of a movie's running time. Therefore, your telling of Act II should make up roughly half of your pitch.

- Act Three - The Final Battle. This is the "make or break" point of your screenplay, and of your pitch as well. Movies are ultimately all about their third acts, so you really have to ramp things up here. Don't just gloss over this section and cut straight to the ending. Make your third act as big, as complex, as suspenseful and surprising and unpredictable as you can. Put your audience on the edge of their seats while you make it look like your hero will never prevail until - WHAM! The hero comes through in the end (or maybe doesn't), leading to your resolution and, hopefully, a great final line or image to go out on. Like Act One, Act Three should be roughly 25% of your pitch.

- The Wrap-Up. This is a good spot to state your movie's "theme." What's the point? What's the lesson the hero learns - and the message the audience is supposed to take home?

Good pitching requires confidence, and this can only come from preparation, refinement and practice. Yes, practice. Memorize your pitch the way an actor would memorize a 5- or 10-minute-long performance piece. Practice in the car. In the shower. In front of a mirror. Get so familiar and comfortable with the pitch that you can recite it like the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pitching may be an art form, but it's also a skill - a skill than can be learned. Dedicate yourself to polishing your pitch to a fine sheen and you'll find yourself miles ahead of your competition. You may not make every sale but, trust me, you'll always be asked back. - ALLEN B. URY

Jul 25, 2009 5:37 PM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL ADDS CASTING DIRECTORS & TALENT AGENTS & MANAGERS TO LINE UP

HOLLYWOOD HOPEFULS' DREAMS WILL BE FULFILLED - OR SHATTERED - AT THE 13TH ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL(TM)
200+ Hollywood Producers, Directors, Agents, Managers, Studio and Production Executives and Casting Directors to Gather Under One Roof to Meet with Hollywood Hopefuls

Los Angeles, CA - The problem: Many across the country and world have the hopes and dreams of making it big in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood - but have no access to the people in "The Business" that can make it happen. The solution: Fade In Magazine's 13th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival(TM)!

Taking place on August 1 & 2, 2009 in Los Angeles, The Hollywood Pitch Festival(TM) offers the chance of a lifetime to aspiring actors, writers, directors and producers who present themselves, and/or their projects, directly to those in "The Business" who can actually do something for their career! Akin to speed dating, each hopeful has seven minutes to convince the professional across the table that they've got what it takes to make it in Hollywood.

Two intense, fast-paced days establishing vital, heavyweight industry contacts, the 13th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival(TM) provides an exclusive opportunity for the next generation of actors and filmmakers to get discovered. Over the last decade, the Hollywood Pitch Festival(TM) has garnered numerous script sales and options as well as hundreds of agency signings with management companies and major & boutique agencies and this year should be no different.

Often emulated, there is only one, original Hollywood Pitch Festival(TM) and it remains the largest of its kind - attracting aspirants, young and old, from all over the world. Two added features this year:

- Aspiring filmmakers are documenting their journey to the event. These short films will be shown at www.fadeinonline.com and Best Film, as chosen by a panel of Hollywood VIPs, will have the winner taking home $1,000. And...

- With the addition of casting directors, talent agents and talent managers this year, aspiring actors will get valuable face time in front of these professionals in hopes of landing representation or that vital, yet-to-be-cast role.

Jun 26, 2009 1:15 PM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY TO PITCHFEST '09

THE 13th ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL
WANTS YOU TO DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY TO PITCHFEST '09

That's right! Get out your movie camera. Fade In wants you to document your journey to the 13th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival, August 1 & 2 in Los Angeles. From practicing your pitch on family and friends to catching that plane, bus or car ride to LA, we want to see how you prepare to meet with the creme-de-la-creme of Hollywood - over 200 top studio and production executives, agents, producers, managers and directors.

Fade In will showcase each film submitted on its website for all the world to see - FREE. Plus the Best Film, as chosen by our esteemed panel of Hollywood judges, will win $1,000. For more information, visit www.fadeinonline.com or email us at inquiries@fadeinonline.com

WANT TO ATTEND PITCHFEST '09
BUT THE ECONOMY's GOT YOU DOWN?

If you're driving to his year's event from anywhere in the continental US or Canada and want to share on expenses (i.e., gas, lodging, etc.) drop us a line. We'll help you find a ride or someone to share a hotel room with.

inquiries@fadeinonline.com

May 5, 2009 11:57 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

WHAT DO CHARLIE KAUFMAN, SUSANNAH GRANT, MICHAEL STRACZINSKI & OLIVER STONE HAVE IN COMMON?

THEY'RE ALL SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT FADE IN'S EVENT OCTOBER 25 & 26 SONY PICTURES STUDIOS LOS ANGELES

Two days of workshops, pitch meetings and agency submissions. Learn every aspect of pitching and taking successful meetings with executives, producers and agents, while honing your own pitch. Then take actual pitch meetings with Studio Executives,
Agents, Managers, Producers, Directors & Development Executives.

There'll be 100 of Hollywood's top companies represented this year. Where Will You Be?

14th Annual
HOLLYWOOD FILMMAKERS CONFERENCE & POWER PITCHFEST
Where Preparation & Luck Meet Opportunity

OCTOBER 25 & 26 - Sony Pictures Studios

100 of Hollywood's most prominent companies under one roof
From CAA, William Morris and ICM to Paramount, HBO and Miramax
This is Your Chance to Present Your TV or Film Script, Book or Idea
Directly to the Entertainment Industry in One-on-One 7-Minute Meetings.
The 14th Annual Hollywood Power Pitchfest is also a great opportunity to present your work to
agents and managers. As an attendee, you are eligible to submit the first act (approx. 30 pages) of
one script or one filmed short to each agent and manager who will be there on Saturday. This has
proven to be a very successful way for writers to find representation with closed-door agencies and
management companies.

- Event Limited to 175 Attendees -

INFO
800-646-3896
310-275-0287
www.fadeinonline.com

Oct 14, 2008 9:00 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

FADE IN MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES 12TH ANNUAL FADE IN AWARD WINNERS

The 12th Annual FADE IN AWARD Winners

Grand Prize
Where the Dead Go
by Mark Kratter

Action
1. Virtual Life - David Hitchcock
2. The Tunnel - Alexander Hall
3. Sherlock & Jack - Jeff Wolverton

Comedy
1. Cover Band - Matt Warren & David Zarif
2. Robbing Hoods - Joe Reiter
3. Matri-Money - Harold Katkov

Drama
1. The Woods - Mariama T. Myers
2. Kissing Your Sister - Randy Moore

Family
1. The Gray Ghost - David Gillis

Film Noir
1. Chasing Ghost - David Schumacher
2. Root of All Evil - Elaine M. Vaughn

Horror
1. The Void - David Schumacher
2. Nadir - James Barker

Shorts
1. Home - Aubrey Singer
2. Unlisted - Stephen Gill

Thriller
1. Blessing - Adam Rau
2. Resting Places - Marla Young
3. Black and Blue - Carlos Gutierrez

2008 Awards Entry Deadline:
October 31, 2008

The Fade In Awards were established in 1996 to assist talented new writers and writer/directors in getting recognized within the Hollywood community in order to begin a career as a working filmmaker.

In the last decade, the competition has done just that: After Jon Bokenkamp entered his thriller Preston Tylk, we signed him with ICM, he was hired to write a feature for director William Friedkin, has since directed Tylk and sold his documentary After Sunset to AMC. Bokenkamp, after writing a feature for Julia Roberts and another for Halle Berry, received sole credit on Taking Lives starring Angelina Jolie. After Josh Gordin and Will Speck entered their short Culture, both signed with ICM, Culture was nominated for an Academy Award(TM) and they just directed Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory. After Darryl Wimberley entered his noir Kaleidoscope, we signed him with ICM. He now has a two-book deal with St. Martin's Press. And after George Olson entered his script Tesla, we signed him with Endeavor. You could be next.

Finalists of the 2008 Fade In Awards will be announced March 31, 2009. Over $15,000 in prizes will be awarded thereafter, including the Grand Prize and up to 21 finalists.

Grand Prize winner will receive an iMac Computer, plus an expense paid trip (hotel and airfare) to meet with top literary agents and studio executives for three days and two nights (or cash equivalent).

Fade In Magazine reserves the right to grant less than or no awards, at its sole discretion, if a lesser number of, or no entries meet the submission requirements and/or industry standards of excellence.

ENTER ONLINE | ENTER BY MAIL | OFFICIAL RULES

FADE IN ADVISORY BOARD

Frank Darabont
Steven de Souza
Scott Frank
James Gray
Nicholas Kazan
Scott Rosenberg
Eric Roth
David O. Russell
Ed Solomon
Robin Swicord

OVER $15,000 IN PRIZES!

GRAND PRIZE: iMac Computer, plus an expense-paid trip (hotel & airfare) to meet with top literary agents and studio executives for three days and two nights (or cash equivalent).

FIRST PRIZE: (in each category): $750, script analysis by WGA-credited writer, Waterman pen, and one-year Fade In subscription.

SECOND PRIZE: (in each category): $500, script analysis by WGA-credited writer, one-year Fade In subscription.

THIRD PRIZE: (in each category): $250, script analysis by WGA-credited writer, one-year Fade In subscription.

Winners will appear in an up-coming issue of Fade In, Variety and/or Hollywood Reporter.

COMPETE IN SEVEN CATEGORIES AND TWO FORMATS TO WIN!
(Features/Shorts)

Comedy
Action/Adventure
Thriller
Drama
Film Noir
Family
Horror

OUR WINNERS WORK!
"When I kissed the envelope for luck and sent in my script to Fade In's contest, I was just another wannabe screenwriter. I needed an agent, but damned if I knew how to land one. Top agents don't troll for scripts in the mail room - they read ones sent to them by people whose judgment they trust. I didn't know any of those people. That left me standing on the outside, staring up at that high wall that guards the Hollywood palace from the rest of us.
A few months later, Fade In called to say that my script was a finalist. 'Cool,' I said. Although, I had no clue how cool.
Fade In didn't just write out a prize check and wish me luck. They gave me excellent script notes. No vague admonitions to "fix the third act" or "strengthen the hero." Precise suggestions that zeroed in on every weakness - every line of dialogue that rang false, every set piece that went on a beat too long, every plot point that wouldn't play on screen.
They sharpened my script, and then they made good on their promise to find me representation. Soon I had a top manager, then a William Morris agent and a seasoned entertainment lawyer. Then things really got cool. Michael De Luca said he wanted to produce my script, and Spike Lee called to say he wanted to direct. I hadn't just scaled that high wall - I was across the moat, through the castle gate and into the main hall. A few months later came a seat at the head table - a writing deal with Sony Pictures [with director Sam Raimi on board; and since then a deal with DreamWorks with director Philip Noyce attached and a deal at Warner Bros. with director Martin Scorsese attached].
I owe my success to Fade In. These guys don't just promise access - they deliver it. So kiss that envelope and send it in. Once Fade In gets behind you, you never know whose desk your script might land on." - Frank Baldwin

Sep 8, 2008 7:59 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

ALWAYS TAKE THE MEETING! (courtesy of the 14th ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD POWER PITCHFEST, Oct 25 & 26)

Learn every aspect of pitching and taking successful meetings with executives, producers and
agents, while honing your own pitch. Then take actual pitch meetings with Studio Executives,
Agents, Managers, Producers, Directors & Development Executives.

There'll be 100 of Hollywood's top companies represented this year. Where Will You Be?

14th Annual
HOLLYWOOD POWER PITCHFEST
Where Preparation & Luck Meet Opportunity
OCTOBER 25 & 26 - Los Angeles

100 of Hollywood's most prominent companies under one roof
From CAA, William Morris and ICM to Paramount, HBO and Miramax
This is Your Chance to Present Your TV or Film Script, Book or Idea
Directly to the Entertainment Industry in One-on-One 7-Minute Meetings.

The 14th Annual Hollywood Power Pitchfest is also a great opportunity to present your work to
agents and managers. As an attendee, you are eligible to submit the first act (approx. 30 pages) of
one script or one filmed short to each agent and manager who will be there on Saturday. This has
proven to be a very successful way for writers to find representation with closed-door agencies and
management companies.

- Event Limited to 175 Attendees -

INFO
800-646-3896
310-275-0287
www.fadeinonline.com

ALWAYS TAKE THE MEETING! (excerpted from the best-selling book
"The Hollywood Rules: What You Must Know to Make it in the Entertainment Industry")

Meetings are as essential to life in Hollywood as steel bolts are to Boeing Aircraft. Writers meet with producers. Producers meet with other producers. Directors meet with producers, writers and rewriters. Some meetings take place at the office, some meetings occur in restaurants. A few meetings even take place in one of the principals' homes. And the irony is, most of these meetings will result in... absolutely nothing.

The first time a new writer, producer or director gets an appointment with a studio executive or other Hollywood Big Shot, it's natural to believe that a deal is imminent. "These are busy people," you may think. "They're not going to take the time to meet with me unless they really want to make my film!"

Ah, ignorance is true bliss.

The truth is, meeting with new talent for the sole purpose of being able to match a name with a face is one of the primary responsibilities of producers and studio executives. In most cases, these people have absolutely no intention of buying your script, offering you an assignment or putting your project into development. They only want to get acquainted and - because they like your work just enough to take you seriously - to "find out what else you've got."

In fact, these words are a clear tip-off than you are in nothing more than a "Get Acquainted Meeting," or what's better known as a "General Meeting." When you're asked, "What else have you got?" or "What are you working on?" it typically means they're not going to buy what you gave them. They do, however, want to get in line for your next project, on the off chance they might like it enough to buy it.

In pitch meetings, producers and executives are invariably polite and, in many cases, downright enthusiastic. This is in no way a sign that they're going to actually made a deal with you. As we just explained, their primary job is to build relationships, not buy projects. When they say, "We love your script" it means "No." When they say, "We think your project is great, but we already have something just like it in development" it means "We're already up to our necks with projects that are going nowhere, so unless you've got Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts attached, don't waste our time."

Attend enough of these meetings, and a sense of ennui - if not downright frustration - is bound to set in. Month after month of being told how wonderful you are with nothing to show for it, and you may vow to never go to another meeting unless a real offer is going to be tendered.

Don't let false expectations get the better of you; they could be career-killers. Instead, welcome every chance you get to make new contacts and open new doors. No matter how useless the appointment may appear, Always Take the Meeting.

"But why waste my time? you ask. "There are only so many hours in a day." If you're a writer, you may think your time is best spent writing, not talking to some slick-ass production V.P. about how much you liked his last movie. If you're a producer or director, you may feel that pitching ideas to people who have no intention of buying them is not only a waste of time, but risks the danger of having your ideas stolen or, at the very least, "borrowed."

The misconception here is that it's even possible to waste time in a meeting. It never happens. Meetings are the connective tissue of Hollywood. When an oak drops 10,000 acorns - only one of which ever becomes a full-grown tree - that doesn't mean that the other 9,999 were wasted. Seemingly individual, insignificant efforts are, in fact, part of a single process designed to bring about a specific result. As a quantum physicist will tell you, there are no certainties in the universe, only odds. You never know when or where luck is going to strike. You may have a deal that you think is a sure thing, only to have it wither and die. Conversely, you may go into what you're convinced is a bullshit meeting and come out with a quarter-million-dollar deal. You just never know.

Which is why you should cheerfully approach every opportunity as the chance of a lifetime. If you'll forgive the cliched sports analogy, you can't hit a home run unless you swing the bat. Just because you may strike out is no excuse not to try. You got to be in it, to win it! Show business is no place for people looking for guarantees. You want a sure thing, invest in mutual bonds.

So you'll take the meeting, and you'll make the most of it. Nowhere is the axiom "It's not what you know, but who you know" more relevant than in Hollywood. This is a town driven by connections, contacts and personal relationships. Knowing the right people can lead you to getting an agent, manager or entertainment lawyer. It can also lead to three-picture deals, an office on the studio lot and invitations to some real cool parties.

Aug 22, 2008 7:00 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

12th Annual Hollywood Pitch Festival • August 2 & 3 • Los Angeles

Less Than 2 Weeks Until the Largest Gathering of
Studio Executives, Agents, Managers, Producers, Directors & Development Executives
Where Will You Be?

12TH ANNUAL
HOLLYWOOD PITCH FESTIVAL
Where Preparation & Luck Meet Opportunity
AUGUST 2 & 3 • Los Angeles

200 of Hollywood’s most prominent companies under one roof
From CAA, William Morris, ICM & Paradigm to Paramount, DreamWorks, HBO and Miramax
This is Your Chance to Present Your TV or Film Script, Book or Idea
Directly to the Entertainment Industry in One-on-One 7-Minute Meetings

• Two Days of Non-stop Pitching • Event Limited to 225 Attendees •

800-646-3896
310-275-0287
www.hollywoodpitchfestival.com

Sponsored by
Apple • Waterman • Coca Cola • The Wright Brothers • Bliss Spa • Attune •
The Script Department • Gypsy Tea • Yu-Be • Altoids • Fade In Magazine •
The Writers Network • Fuze • Stila • Hollywood Film & Acting Academy

The Top 10 Dos and Donts of Pitching to Hollywood VIPS

(Brought to you by the Hollywood Pitch Festival)

1. DON'T "nut and bolt" the pitch (that's pitching everything in the movie). Keep it short. 5 minutes, tops.
2. DO make great eye contact.
3. DON'T use notes or read them the pitch.
4. DO begin with your log-line, "This is a story about..."
5. DO "set the table" by also starting with the title, genre and theme.
6. DO take the time to describe your principle characters in terms of personality, behavior, goals, fears, weaknesses, etc.
7. DON'T cast your story, i.e., "This is a part for Tom Cruise..."
8. DO tell your story in the present tense...as if it's all happening right now.
9. DO break the narrative to focus on at least three set-pieces -- scenes your audience is going to remember.
10. DON’T stand up while pitching!!! Remain seated at eye-level with executive.
11. DO answer questions with a scene from a movie.
12. DON'T spend time describing minutia -- the kind of car the hero drives, a character walking down a hall before entering a room, etc.
13. DO let the exec interrupt and even make suggestions. Make him/her a part of the creative process.
14. DON'T marry two movies (i.e., "It's The Mummy meets The English Patient.").
15. DO provide a specific ending to your story -- Remember, it's all about the ending -- and then wrap up with thematic closure. Reiterate what this movie has been about -- what the "moral of the story" is, which is really a statement of your theme. (e.g., Redemption, Love, Betrayal, Family)
16. DON'T ask the exec what he/she thinks. Don't ask for a verdict. If the exec has an opinion, he/she will let you know.
17. Finally, DON'T leave or send a synopsis or outline!!! Giving them a synopsis does not work to your advantage. Think about it: Why are they going to read your script (120 pgs) or manuscript when they can read your 1-3 page synopsis? Why are they going to call you back to their offices to let the other powers that be hear you pitch your story, when they can just give them the summary, which more than likely reads flat and could dissuade them?

TITLE
GENRE
TIME/SETTING (if applicable)
3-4 Sentences Describing Your Film (preferably set pieces)
THEME (What is your story about? What are we to learn?)

Jul 23, 2008 8:31 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content