The Pitch
Time to sell yourself! A Pitch is similar to a presentation. It is a term often used in the media industries to describe the process to win new business but it is also used as a term to describe presenting an idea.
Commercially an animation will be made for one of two reasons.
Reason 1:
Because somebody somewhere has decided they want an animation made for a particular reason, perhaps for a new TV advertisement for example.
OR
Reason 2:
Because a film maker has a geat idea for an animated film.
With Reason 1 there is just one Pitch and it is simply a case of convincing the client that your idea is the best. The downside of this situation is that if you lose the pitch, that's it - the project (for you) is finished!
Reason 2 may require many pitches to potential backers before finally finding a willing party. The upside of this appraoch is that even if your idea is rejected there will be others to pitch to, plus the idea and presentation can be sharpened before the next pitch.
What to take to the Pitch
- A written synopsis of the story
- An outline script
- Some visuals of characters and any images that serve to support the story.
- A brief estimation of budget and resource requirements
- A positive frame of mind
Making the pitch
To convince somebody else of an idea you must first convince yourself that the idea is worthy of production. The storyline must be absolutely clear in your head as well as an understanding of the resources your film requires to go in to production.
Preparation and rehearsal is what counts. The aim of the pitch is to draw the audience into the story and for them to become as enthusiastic as the presenter - so you need to be a good story teller.
Even the experienced film-maker will probably have a few butterflies just before starting their Pitch but they will aim to win over their audience as quickly as possible by setting the scene for the story and then by presenting the story outline. At the same time the visuals can be introduced either as boards or alternatively as a PDF or PowerPoint presentation.
Hopefully by now everyone in the room is animated (excuse the pun) with enthusiasm and any ensuing discussion about budget and resource requirements are a formality.
What if you're just doing it for yourself?
Even if you're simply making an animation as an exercise it's worth pitching your idea friends or relatives before going too far with the project.
