CREATE THE PITCH

• Short and sweet

• Dramatic

• Direct to the point

• Unlike the cover letter, don’t personalize your written pitch. Avoid using the phrases “I think” or “I want to accomplish”

• Write it in the present tense

• Look for creative ways of infusing the pitch with your ideas, vision, and passion without overworking it

• Graphics if any

• Name and contact information of agent/lawyer/representative

• WGA registration and/or copyright notice

• A good title can create a memorable impression. It can reflect the genre or mood of your project, sets a tone, and often tells a story in itself

• Is it a sitcom? Reality show? Episodic drama? Is it a half-hour or one-hour series, or a one-off that airs just once? The page that follows the title page repeats the title at the top and quickly moves to genre, format, and logline

• Your logline is a mini-version of your story. It explains the plotline in just a few words. It can be a snappy appetizer that grabs people’s immediate interest. Countless shows have been green-lit from a simple but dynamic logline

• If a well-known star, director, writer, or producer has shown any interest or a real commitment to your project, highlight that fact in your proposal. If you own exclusive rights to a book or have rare access to a real-life story, this is also valuable information to include as an extra attraction. Your project could also be right for a specific actor who may have their own production company

• Some producers choose to make a mini-version of their project to use as a sales pitch

• They’ll shoot one pivotal scene from their script, or produce a five-minute “trailer” that paints a portrait of the project

• If you’ve been recommended or referred by someone important or known to the recipient, say that right away. Mention in your opening sentence that they were kind enough to recommend you

• Make your first paragraph an attention-grabber, just like a good novel. But overly dramatic is a turnoff

• Reduce your complex ideas into simple, brief sentences. Each word counts

• Keep the letter to one page, maximum. Avoid distracting fonts or amateur graphics

• Allow for margins and open white space, don’t crowd your words. Make it easy to read. Use 12-point Times New Roman or another simple font

• Use good paper and professional letterhead quality

• Use a high-quality printer for your copies

• Make sure you’ve spelled the person’s name and company correctly. Confirm their title if you’re using it in your letter

Pitch on paper

• The cover letter sets the tone for the attached written proposal

• It tells a potential buyer why he or she should be interested, financially and creatively

• It creates enough interest for the reader to read your attached proposal

• It gives selected highlights of the proposal, like a short promo

• It reflects your personality, voice and passion for the project

• Are you the producer, the writer, or both?

• Did it grow from your personal involvement in the story?

• Occasionally, you can simply imply a resemblance; for example, “in the spirit of…” or “in the tradition of the timeless classic….”

• Your idea should be strong enough to speak for itself and to have its own logline

• Talent or hosts who are well-known can lend credibility and quality, as well as appeal to international markets in which the talent is popular

• If they’re unknown actors or a real-world cast, flesh out their character and each relationship with the others

• Emphasize your project’s unique stamp

• Is your project reality-based, a documentary, or does it requires extensive research?

• Are rights clearances involved?

• Your project may have its genesis in a book, a stage play, a friend’s real-life adventure, or your own creative epiphany

• Sometimes, how it started isn’t important enough to include in the proposal

• Provide a short breakdown of your production schedule, including the proposed number of days or weeks needed for preproduction, production, and postproduction; how and where you’ll shoot; locations and/or constructed sets; and a general project overview

• Devote a brief sentence or paragraph to each key person involved in making your project come to life

• As the producer, your own bio should reflect your experience, jobs, awards, professional affiliations, education, and people who can be contacted as references

• If you are a student, mention any experience you may have had in television, film, or new media, as well as your course of study, pertinent classes, internships, study abroad programs, and independent studies that have added to your skills as a producer

• Mention areas that make you more unique, such as fluency in other languages, computer skills, athletic abilities, and travel experience

• Keep it short

• Create a need for your show

• Look for projects like yours that are already on the air and making money, or conversely, provide evidence that there isn’t anything like your project out there, with convincing arguments for why there should be

• Use industry publications, newspapers, and the Internet for credible resources

• International sales can be impressive, and vital to a project’s potential sales

• Does your project appeal to other cultures’ customs, views, and traditions? Can it be dubbed and/or subtitled in other languages?

• Audiences in every country have their own tastes, so research the markets that routinely buy American or British products as well as the show genre you are pitching

• The top sheet, or budget summary, represents a brief overview of your more detailed, estimated budget

• It’s a general idea of what your project could cost

• Neither the top sheet nor the budget should be included in the proposal unless it specifically has been requested

• If you do make a deal, most end users rework your initial budget to suit their company’s financial parameters

• Though the financials are seldom included in a pitch, they can be vital when seeking investors

• Financials might include a distribution plan, an in-depth financial statement, any tax breaks, projected profits, and the means of transferring funds from an investor to the production account

• This area is best handled by an attorney and/or an experienced accountant