The Pitch
Skills and Objectives
In this assignment you will be able to:
- Create a slide show to accompany a film pitch
- Pitch ideas to peers, consider revisions and make refinements based on feedback
- Examine peer work, analyze, ask questions and respond appropriately
Project Description
A pitch is concise description of a project given by producers or writers to studio executives in order to sell a project. For your pitch, choose 3-5 of the elements listed below. For each section, create 1-2 slides in a Google Slides. You may present your slideshow to me, the class or a small group of peers. (Project Grade. Turn in on Google Classroom)
1. Theme (Required)
2. Logline (Short synopsis of plot) (Required)
3. Genre
4. Character Description (Required)
5. Visual References : Photography
6. Visual References: Makeup
7. Visual References: Costume
1: Theme
Theme is the emotional, intellectual or spiritual issue at the core of the story. For example: In X-MEN, the theme is mutation, and all aspects of the story radiate around this word. The heroes and villains are all "mutants," different than normal people. The villain wants to change – mutate all the world’s leaders. Rogue and the others suffer prejudice and persecution because of their "otherness." In crafting the story, the writers focussed on parallels in the real world: particularly Martin Luther King versus Malcolm X, and the controversy over gay rights.*
2: Logline
A logline is a short one to two sentence synopsis of the basic story to convince an audience to watch your film. I will include our logline in the YouTube description.
Some examples:*
Shrek — A grumpy ogre and his hyperactive donkey have to save a princess. The world is made up of all the different fairy tale characters, like the Three Little Pigs and the Gingerbread Man.
Clueless — A flawed but ultimately well-meaning Beverly Hills teenager tries to “makeover her soul” in a riff on Jane Austen’s Emma.
*Examples compiled from JohnAugust.com
3: Genre
Are you making a Drama? Comedy? Documentary? Animation? Experimental?
Review the genre edit assignment videos for characteristics of each genre. Describe the elements of the genre that you will include. For example, for a romantic comedy, a character is pursuing an unattainable love interest. Describe why this love interest is unattainable. What are the comedic elements? Maybe there is a lot of physical comedy in which the character falls a lot...
4. Character Description
How should I Introduce a character?
- Rule #1 in Screenwriting: Describe only what the audience sees.
- Include name in all caps, the age or age range, gender
- Include unique and interesting details about set, costume, props
- Invent an interesting way to physically show their weakness, strength, problem or flaws
Sample Character descriptions:
CHAS, 20, was a greeter at Abercrombie and Fitch. Lazily athletic, and charming despite (or because of) his lack of deep thoughts. He wants to start a band, but can’t sing, and plays no instruments. - by John August
The girl intervenes. This is REGINA GEORGE, 15. Perfect looking, fast on her feet, intimidating. The queen of The Plastics. She is flanked by KAREN and GRETCHEN (who is pissed, Jason is “hers.”) - from MEAN GIRLS by Tina Fey
5. Visual References: Photography
Visual References are images used by directors and creative professionals to communicate “the look and feel” of their project. Used like a vision board, find images that show your intent for lighting, color value and intensity, lenses, filters, film stocks, costume, makeup, etc. You can also write a statement that describes the tone or mood that you are trying to achieve. If you describe your tone as “dark” insert images into your slideshow so that we can see what dark means to you.