Development

GET AN IDEA

Good vs. Bad Pitches

HOW TO GET GOOD PITCHES

• If you're having trouble with a pitch, you can ask yourself what is the “So what?” of the story - why should viewers care about this more than any other video on the internet?
• You may use the "bar test" - would you talk about this story with someone at a bar, on a date, or over coffee? Or, more specifically, which part of the story is what you'd bring up over a beer?

WHAT ARE BAD PITCHES?

• They start with a broad topic - “I want to do a documentary about climate change” Topics that are pitched are perfect for wikipedia explanations, not Vice documentaries. A topic is not a story, it has no focus, characters or beginning, middle and end.
• This is slightly better "This person is doing really interesting things." Great start to a story, but what's the takeaway for our audience? Joe Schmo is interesting isn't necessarily a story, but it could be one with some focus.
• This is usually a recipe for disaster. “This thing happened, we gotta shoot it." These stories are only good if we're breaking the news or are publishing within half an hour of it happening. That's how fast the internet works. If we didn't break it and aren't first to it, time to start looking at fresh angles.

Outreach

• Producers and AP’s should reach out to potential subjects directly via email or on the phone. Producers should always loop in their AP’s, and visa versa, so there is never a bottleneck on lines of communication.
• Be respectful and truthful during outreach as you are reflecting on the company.
• Make sure to accurately represent your story and be transparent about sponsored content.
• Always give a brief background on the company, as well as your specific vertical or project. If the project is sponsored, the sponsorship, and what it means, must be disclosed to all subjects.
• Never promise an interview or inclusion in the video during your outreach, unless pre-approved by your Supervising Producer or EP.
• When possible, recording a Skype call with potential characters goes a long way in conveying their personality to your supervisors. Make sure your subject knows they are being recorded. If Skype isn't possible, set up an introductory phone call where you can pre-interview the subject and vet both their personality and suitability for your video. Take notes to relay back to your larger team.
• Once your subject(s) has/have been approved, follow up with them to gauge their availability and finalize shoot logistics including location, time, and proposed shoot plan. You'll include these details in your beat sheet or treatment.

VICE Keynote Template

Training Session

Link: https://app.frame.io/f/ojU7cuEj

Description: Best practices on finding a good story, what makes a good pitch, developing it, and how to prepare yourself when you're in the field.