Aaaand… Back to the Pitch (The PItch part V)

You have a screenplay. It’s the best thing ever written. You want to find a producer who will help you make it. And so we’re back at the pitch.

Successfully pitching an idea to a producer is about starting up a conversation. You will send off a letter to a producer who makes films you think are similar to the one you want to make. You won’t give them the whole screenplay. You’re just getting them excited, getting them talking to you.

Remember:

• Sell yourself and your idea
• Persistence is everything
• We are all going to be rejected at least once.
• Look at the reaction to your pitch in this rejection and learn from it.
• Join the Australian Writer’s Guild. Register your scripts with them if you want (for safety’s sake).
• Check out the websites in my links section.

Write on McDuff. And damned be he who first cries “Hold, enough!”

Making a film (The Pitch part IV)

Everyone makes a bad film. Most filmmakers make a lot of bad films. Most films are bad. Think about all of the movies you’ve seen and heard about. And how many of those were great works of art? The US produces 400 films a year. And of that 400, you’ll probably be hard pressed to think of 10 that are truly good films.

The best writer/directors have written for years before directing a picture. They’ve honed their craft and know as much as they can about movies before they get control of one.

Here in Oz, we get a lot of first time writer/directors making films and being funded by the Australian Film Industry. And it’s crap! Because they haven’t honed their craft. Of course, this isn’t always the case. But it’s worth remembering that writing is a craft. Unless you’re a prodigy or a savant you have to work at it to make it work for you. Affleck and Damon are the exception, not the rule.

So what I’m saying is, you’re not necessarily going to be good straight off. Make a lot of movies. Enjoy yourself. Work hard, give it a shot.

The Internet is a great way to get started in the business. We have access to worldwide distribution that our parents didn’t have. Internet speeds are such that your audience can download your film without a great deal of inconvenience.

Make films. Make contacts. Talk to other people who are making films. Get in their movies. Get to know as many people in the business as possible. When they’re famous, you’ll be one of the people who was there at the start. When you get famous, you can help them out as well.

Collaboration (The Pitch, part III)

Writing a screenplay isn’t like writing a book. With a book, you write it, then the reader reads it. Your magic straight to their brain. Of course, they fill in some of the details from their own life, so every reader’s experience is slightly different, but on the whole, it’s a relationship between you and them, and you never have to meet them.

Writing a screenplay is a collaborative process. You write a fantastic screenplay, and then you give it to a producer, have it worked over by other writers, interpreted by directors and actors, even by costume and set designers.

You are not an island.

So start off that way. Read your screenplay aloud. More importantly, get friends and family to read through the script at a table reading. Listen for natural rhythms. People speak differently to the way they do in your head. People rarely express their feelings with words. Film is a visual medium. Don’t rely too much on your dialogue.

“Dialogue can be a weapon to get your message across.” – Harold Pinter.

Working with a producer is a lot like dating. You have to be with someone who understands you and understands your vision. You have to be able to take criticism from them. Be open to what others are saying. As writers, we are a bit precious. We have a tendency to be defensive. Be able to listen.

Your First Pitch (The Pitch, part II)

These days, if you get the chance to pitch to a producer, you usually only have five minutes to get your point across. They’ll have a chance to find out about the story later. During these five minutes, your job is to tell them why you think people will want to see it, not about what happens.

You have to be able to write a pitch in 300 words. Try to get a blurb-type thing. How do you want people to feel when they walk out of the cinema?

The Pitch – John Reeves and Jan Sardi

John Reeves is a TV writer. He has done shows like Holly’s Heroes, Saddle Club and the Flying Doctors.

Jan Sadi has written a number of movie screenplays. He won Oscars for Shine, wrote The Notebook and is currently working on Mao’s Last Dancer.

I went to the Victorian Writers’ Centre evening: The Pitch – writing for screen and TV. A Writers’ Centre employee asked Jan and John to explain how to pitch an idea to a producer or TV studio. It went for over an hour, so I don’t want to put it all in here. But I got a lot of excellent information and thought it was worth sharing some of the more useful points. So here ‘tis:

• If you want to write good scripts, you have to watch good scripts. Immerse yourself in films. And to get a feel for screenplays, download scripts from major movies from the ‘Net. They’re everywhere.
• Start editing film. Editing film gives you a good idea of how a film/script works.
• Start writing scripts. A completed script or scripts demonstrates that you want to do it, that you can string two words together and that you have the wit to learn the craft.

Storyboard for "Teacher Knows Best"

Real Life examples of what you could do

Sure, you might be just getting started in film. But if you have a real interest in filmmaking, you might be gratified to see some of the successes other amateur filmmakers have had.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8022623.stm

With a shoestring budget and a heap of imagination (and a lot of willing friends) you can get your start. I'm willing to bet these Hobbit people could get a job in Hollywood now that they've gained some attention.