BRIC Community Media TV & Film Pitch Series—Practice Your Pitch!

The panelists (counterclockwise l. to r.): Dui Jarrod, Skye MacLeod, Craig T. Williams, Squeaky Moore and Michael Pinckney, 
Per BRIC's website: "BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, and one of the largest in New York City. We present and incubate work by artists and media-makers who reflect the diversity that surrounds us. BRIC programs reach hundreds of thousands of people each year."

"BRIC's two Community Media TV Networks—Brooklyn Free Speech and BRIC TV—come together to bring you a unique opportunity; the BRIC Community Media TV & Film Pitch Series. Now in its third year, the series was created with one goal in mind— to turn media dreamers into media makers."

I jumped at this opportunity to be a spectator at the "Communicating Your TV and Film Ideas" pitch presentation practice before a panel of professionals. The panel was thoughtful and respectful with its feedback and I picked up a lot of helpful hints.

Here's what I learned about pitching:
  1. Edit your pitch (for this presentation, the time limit was 3 minutes)

  2. Be certain and definitive about your choices

  3. The protagonist and antagonist must have names

  4. Choose a genre

  5. Know the characters and their situations

  6. Choose a title

  7. Need to lead with a story and character NOT an issue. Explain the world/location.

  8. Explain to the pitch audience what they can expect to see moment to moment

  9. Know the target audience

  10. Be enthusiastic and confident in your presentation

  11. Take the pitch audience on a journey with you

  12. Pitch with positivity

  13. Need to communicate the protagonist's wants and everything about the character including their conflicts

  14. Don't apologize, qualify nor explain. Just start the pitch.

  15. The protagonist needs traits that conflict with their goal

  16. Know who is in the world you created and why should anyone watch

  17. Memorize the pitch so the audience can feel it

  18. Can't pitch a comedy without making the panel laugh

  19. Suggest how episodes play out

  20. The pitch should be a story

  21. Bring the panel along slowly e.g. "This happens in the pilot. This happens mid-season then this happens at the end of season one."

  22. The panel needs to know what they're getting with your project

  23. All descriptions in the pitch should be associated with the protagonist's journey 
I'll be attending the next pitch presentation on October 19. It has a different panel and I'm looking forward to picking up even more tips that I'lll share with you. And I hope to be present for the final presentation to the BRIC TV executives on November 14.

If you like this post, leave a comment below (I respond to all comments!) and/or click the "Follow" button on the right! 

Thanks for reading!