Ive worked for production companies and television networks, and ive been in the room to pitch shows and to be pitched. Development proposals must be far enough along in their research to include all of the criteria listed below. Other than good old research, finding creative ways to dive into the world of your subject will pay off when pitching the documentary to others. How to write an elevator pitch free elevator pitch template. Jons been on the show before, is a veteran reporter and author, and reported the story himself. How to write your own documentary pitch deck to secure funding. For example, if your documentary is about worldwide droughts and food shortages. Aug 18, 2011 now that youve put together a great prospectus, its time to pitch it. The documentary film is a movie that documents some form of reality in order to tell a true story, whether its to convey a message or to inform the viewer of a current event. Creating a documentary treatment and proposal that wows. Whats the difference between a pitch, an outline, a synopsis, and a treatment. Great pitch deck slides cant be tossed together in a rush.
A business plan in 10 slides the pitch deck this template has been designed to describe all aspects of the venture not just the ones you know about or are excited by and serves as both a prototype your vision and communicate it to others. For example, you do not want to say that the discovery channel has endorsed your project if. Something to keep in mind is that a treatment is creative. When purchased, the complete sample is 19 pages long and is written using these proposal pack chapters. Slightly customized presentation deck based on feedback from your first meeting 1 to get a meeting 2 to use in a meeting 3 to send as a follow up after the meeting example pitch decks. A business plan in 10 slides uc davis graduate school of. Dont write it like you would an essay in high school. The ultimate pitch bible introduction the goal of this document is to provide a realworld best practices approach to creating an investor pitch. This may sound obvious, but most writers end their pitches by just letting them fizzle out, and then wait awkwardly to see if their listeners realize that theyre done. To create your customized proposal using your own logo and colors get proposal pack for any business. May 17, 2018 if you are a writer director, a director or a producer, you might need a pitch deck for your short film, feature film, web series or tv show. The following original concept is protected by the creators vault and wga. Documentary proposal example free download as pdf file. First off, this tv pitch document had to be condensed down to four pagesso no lengthy biblelength talk about a tenseasondeep mythology.
Show your protagonist bumping up against problems and obstacles, and make the reader really feel for his plight. Instead, the page and a half long document, titled lena, drew comparisons to sex and the city and gossip girl. Documentary audience target audience documentary film. Jan 26, 2018 documentary subjects can be any combination of people, places, or things as well as ideas or concepts. When youre pitching a tv show, the bible is part of your pitch packet, along with the pilot and any other materials. Why you need a pitch deck and a sizzle reel to make a short film a guest post by judy k suh in june 2016, i was at a film festival in portugal, where i was at the right time, right place, with the right stuffmy script in hard copy and the pitch deck on my laptop. Usually, youll want to summarize your topic in one to two pages. Share your pitch deck as a presentation, responsive website, or a pdf. This pitch deck template helps your team identify and communicate every point needed for your pitch from revealing your unique value proposition to conveying your market validation.
By combining the vibrant atmosphere of 1960s brazilian popular culture with. Cover letter, title page, table of contents, executive summary, what is hot now, market and audience, marketing plan, merchandising, scouting, treatment. Documentary proposal example bias documentary film scribd. Create your own deck and tell your story through the suggested topics. An executive will not want to open your pitch document and see a giant, unformatted wall of text. She was given genie awards for both a place called chiapas and fix, and won two awards at the berlin. The template is a framework or blueprint which can be used for creating a generic class or function. How to write a pitch generation progress generation progress. When considering your camera angles, opening shots, and soundtrack, you can lose track of why you created it in the first place knowing how to pitch a concept is being able to pair a concrete benefit to each stylistic decision you make. Learn to write a tv show bible with our show bible template. My film will show this in action by exploring situation. For example, are you going to interview your subjects.
One performer will be taken back to broadway for a featured part in a real broadway show. Next the film will team up with a credible distributor in order to. Depending on the content, the documentary film can anger, shock or delight the audience. The pitch is similar to an elevator pitch in length, but the message of the pitch is altered from general to more specific to the journalist or influencers interests. The pitch deck is the first comprehensive prototype of a new venture, and so should be created, shared, and in other ways treated as a work in progress and slides are easier to revise or abandon than a lengthy written document. The information you include in your proposal is factual and truthful. The first part is knowing who you are pitching and what they are looking for. A search for matthew evans 5 minutes estimated time a2 media studies conor osullivan and andrew lloydjones 2.
How to pitch your film project to prospective investors. Its easy to get lost in a really slick video concept. The comprehensive guide to pitching documentary projects. The timetested method of sharing the genius of a wonderful idea in a matter of minutes. For the main production we are going to be making our own documentary. Budgets are organized in a spreadsheet in excel or using other software, such as movie magic budgeting. Wild has directed and produced four full length documentary. Youve got a great idea for a short film, but how do you approach potential funders or backers. There are two main types of leads that are the most effective when it comes to media pitching. Sample pitch document your pitch must contain the following. It is essentially a two minute elevator pitch in written form, since a fast reader can usually read through it in just a few minutes to determine their interest.
Much like the executive summary of a movie business plan, the pitch deck is completed after the detailed work is done and is meant to be a high level overview of your project. The shaw mediahot docs forum pitch prize was awarded to shot glass productions tempest storm, a featurelength film about one of americas greatest living sex icons, who, at 84, is. My name is ted wiley and ive written an action thriller called radius that id like. Read lena dunhams original pitch for the show miller mobley its pretentious and horrifying, dunham says of a pitch that she describes as a tone poem on millenial life. A few years back i set up a meeting with a a very successful businessman who i met in 2004. To check out some pitch tips, as well as query letter advice from hollywood pros, please click here. Of course, an elevator pitch is a communication tool. Best actress independent film best actress festival nominated best actress best actress independent film best actress independent film best actress thriller nominated best actress best actress foreign film festival 2. This film powerpoint template is a helpful tool for the films team to find all needed resources. According to the panelists, you should certainly tweak your presentation to fit who you are pitching tobut do so within reason. The name of your app exactly as it is spelt on the app store what it does, and why it is different the price one link to your product page your website one link to the itunes product page one or two screenshots a video important.
The best slide decks are a mix of science, persuasion, and art using each slide as another stroke of paint on the canvas. How to make a film pitch deck part of your film financing plan. The southern documentary fund grant will ideally cover. This film powerpoint template is a helpful tool for the film s team to find all needed resources. From the elevator pitch to the budget, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create the best documentary pitch possible. This movie pitch sample proposal is included in both pdf format and editable word format chapters that can also be customized using the included wizard software. To make sure your pitch deck is more strategic and clearly. Jun 05, 2019 a tv show bible is a formal document used to track the characters, arcs, episodes, and seasons of a tv show.
Now that youve put together a great prospectus, its time to pitch it. The pitch deck is the first comprehensive prototype of a new venture, and so should be. The summary is a longer and more detailed version of your log line. Then david gleason, the director, and his wife, producer nathalie lichtenthaeler, shot the film, retitled it, dont go, and became repeat customers for us to create the poster. You come in to a meeting with a minimum of three story ideas. The objectives of no good deeds marketing plan will be to generate awareness and revenue from our target markets. Its great for screenplays, but terrible for pitch documents.
Pitch deck template a few tips this template includes the main points to be covered in a pitch. How to write a powerful documentary film proposal lights film. To begin, the film will be shown at specific film festivals where we will brand no good deed as a hip, independent film in order to generate the initial buzz. How to make an indie film pitch deck filmproposals. Sep 17, 2019 national geographic travel is the worlds leading brand in consumer travel. Film financing pitch deck aaron davis graphic design. An injured marine and his friends daughter must escape kabul before a nuclear bomb destroys the city. This is when you begin to really make a case for your film and its relevance. In this video, we explore the main components of a pitch, including the description, summary, objectives and general production logistics. The first is a news peg and the second is a time peg. How to make an indie film pitch deck making an indie film pitch deck is quite simple once you have completed your business plan. Do not use courier final draft font in your pitch document. If you are an aspiring filmmaker hoping to attract film grants, then an organized wellwritten 810 pages of the proposal templates is your best chance at scoring the funds. How to perfect your pitch 2 minutes pitch deck presentation 1015 slides leave behind deck.
If even one element is missing, your project is too early for consideration. Ive created over 100 pitch decks, look books, onesheets and other documents for reality and scripted tv, game shows, web series and films. To pitch your doc, youll need an expert understanding of your subject matter. The keys to a successful documentary pitch from hot docs. Broadway bound a docustyle series for television logline short pitch. Writing a proposal for a movie, documentary or feature film almost always holds the goal of attracting sponsorship from investors or various recognized organizations. Jun 08, 2009 sundance documentary film proposal checklist nb. This is a completed sample form if you are submitting a movie idea or screenplay. Your protagonist must be in peril and you have to show this, especially the conflict with other characters. If you are a writer director, a director or a producer, you might need a pitch deck for your short film, feature film, web series or tv show. A beginners guide to creating a documentary film treatment that will help you define your vision and. Open the start pitching package order form in a new window.
A flamboyant broadway director and choreographer descend on a small town, infiltrating the local play. Why you need a pitch deck and a sizzle reel to make a. Ill show some film pitch deck examples and how you. This is a checklist, define the appropriate amount of information to present for each situation and adapt it to assure your success. Instead, i narrowed it down to what a tv pilot pitch document is in its purest form. And this is how i did it how to pitch your film project to prospective investors. In this post, we will break down this process plus provide you with a free elevator pitch template so you can start prepping the moment lightning next strikes. This is a completed sample form if you are submitting an idea for a tv show or reality show. It can be tough to create a winning pitch deck without some inspiration, so here are 20 of the best pitch decks that weve seen over the years and the. The documentary film pitch is a onepage outline that. Do not overly manipulate margins or font size to fit more content. Most of the example slides displayed throughout this document will be the actual pitch deck used by a company called beegit.
Please note that this is a template only its a reference point for you to start from and develop further. However, and most importantly, an elevator pitch is. As a freelance writer in film or in television, you will be expected to pitch. The most important aspect of the one page pitch is to show conflict. From the elevator pitch to the budget, this guide will walk you through. Is it a film, halfhour sitcom, hourlong pilot, miniseries, or digital series. Brief logline in a concise 23 sentences provide a description of your film that cites location, characters. One common thing in documentaries is very old footage. Wild was awarded the audience award for best documentary. How to pitch a video concept that wins over producers.
A one pager is a document that introduces the audience to the most important. This film financing pitch deck secured funding at the cannes film festival just weeks after we finished it. Every movie will need right funding plans and investors, the best possible production staff and a group of committed actors ready to take on a challenge. Inspiration for documentary projects can come from anywhere. This means media pitches require personalized outreach and research beforehand in order to understand what a journalist or influencer cares about, writes on and how you can. Effective pitching involves doing research on your subjects, knowing how to approach them, and putting in a bit of practice. Down, earned the film over 35 festival appearances and 16 awardsenough to make us look twice at the little film that could.
The documentary pitch, which is a short persuasive speech, is often presented to potential funders to describe the film project and convince them that the film is worthy of sponsorship. Here are some examples from our work with our clients. The feature film pitch packet you can source him out, but you cant size him down. Edit, customize and move sections around to make it your own. For the investor, having a single page overview helps them to screen large numbers of deals in a relatively short. Through visually driven storytelling across platforms we offer practical tools and advice for planning trips to iconic. You can even hire a design agency to compile the deck and convert it to pdf.
Other costs that are usually low or exempt are art department, wardrobe, locations and more. These are not full decks, which run 1550 slidespages. To create this article, 14 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Well look at how to create a film pitch presentation, designed to impress. Effective pitching involves doing research on your subjects, knowing how to. For example, dont pitch a horror film to focus featuresthey do awardsworthy films. A business proposal is a document that gives a roadmap that outlines about the specific project, product, or service. Pitches, outlines, synopses, and treatments are all useful for different purposes and in different ways. Generation progress publishes articles by, about, and for young people. Sample proposal for sdf filmmaking grant sample grant proposal page 4 campaign in april 2015. The name of your app exactly as it is spelt on the app store what it does, and why it is different the price one link to your product page your website one link to the itunes product page one or two screenshots a. Using a premade template can help when creating a pitch. To learn more about the differences between these two types of leads, read this article.