When you pitch a movie, there are certain key points you should keep in mind. Here at Greenlightmymovie, we call them the Dos & Don’ts of Pitching but you can just refer to them as the best tips for a movie pitch.
1. DON’T “nut and bolt” the movie pitch (that’s pitching everything in the
movie). Keep it short. 5-7 minutes, tops.
2. DO make great eye contact with the camera.
3. DON’T use notes or read them the pitch.
4. DO begin with your logline, “This is a story about…”
5. DO “set the table” by also starting with the title, genre and theme.
6. DON’T cast your story, i.e., “This is a part for Tom Cruise…”
7. DO tell your story in the present tense…as if it’s all happening
right now.
8. DO break the narrative to focus on at least three set-pieces – scenes
your audience is going to remember.
9. DON’T spend time describing minutia — the kind of car the hero
drives, a character walking down a hall before entering a room, etc.
10. DON’T marry two movies (i.e., “It’s The Mummy meets The English
Patient.”).
11. DO provide a specific ending to your story — remember, it’s all about the ending — and then wrap up with thematic closure. Reiterate what this movie has been about – what the “moral of the story” is, which is really a statement of your theme. (e.g., redemption, love, betrayal, family)
TITLE
GENRE
TIME/SETTING
3-4 sentences describing your script or screenplay (preferably set pieces)
THEME (What is your story about?)
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