My DIY film/writing school

Ann D's notes from the Screenwriter's Expo

Here it is folks and I'm sure it will help you out. This is the basics for a one minute pitch and then you can expand from there. I will later tonight or tomorrow also show a 3.5 min pitch of "Home Alone" that David Freedman did. He is an agent and attends several pitch fests or expos a year. He was straight to the point about query letters, as Skip, that many agencies really don't read them. He receives about 500 query emails a week also and if you don't get his attention right away then he deletes it.

Oh and by the way Pilar is also a Nicholl Fellowship winner.

First I appologize for not scanning it in, but I am having difficulties with my scanner, but I'm sure this will do.

Start with a What If question of your screenplay. Find what is interesting about your story and bring it to the front.

Discourage using "You".

Take the What If off and you have a logline.

Then you want to state the title of your screen play and the genre.

Then you want to put something like "in the vein of" --------------------

Then - It follows the journey of ---------------------------------and ----------------------------

Then - "Problems occur when" -------------------------------------

You can also state - "What makes it special - This movie is unlike any in its genre because of ---------------------------------.

If your script has a special message you want to state that also. Also leave with a specific scene the audience will love.

Here is what mine would basically look like.

My logline with the What if off. -

A young woman finds a powerful sword on earth and learns she is from another planet, destined to become a mighty warrior.

Basic one minute pitch.

Tracer is a sci-fi, action, adventure in the likes of "Xena" meets "Star Wars". It follows the adventure of a meek beautiful archeaologist turned space warrior and her stronghearted cousin Zach, as they battle the evil Borac and the Icarians. Problems occur when Borac finds the Iberian Crystal. Now they must not only defeat Borac, but also destroy the Iberian Crystal.

I hope that helps.

With David's, I taped the class so I will go through my tape and write verbatium what he said about the pitch stuff.

I know next year I will be ready to pitch at least 3 different stories.

posted by Simon @ 10:10 am