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ESSENTIALS OF A GREAT PITCH

Being invited by executives or producers to pitch ideas for an existing show, a made for-TV movie, or a pilot is truly exciting. It means you have the chance to make a sale and be in the game as a professional writer.

Pitch meetings come about in a couple of different ways. If you are pitching story ideas for an existing show in hopes of being hired to write an episode, the producers have likely already read a writing sample and invited you in so they can hear your ideas. The same holds true for a made-for-TV movie. When pitching an idea for a pilot, they’ve read your work, and — unless you are an unknown — they are also familiar with your writing credits and track record. Pitch meetings are usually set up by an agent or by a manager. If you have a personal connection that can get you through the door, you can set up meetings on your own as well.

In the next two chapters, I will discuss some specific things that should be considered when pitching ideas for existing shows and made-for-TV movies. I will also go over things to keep in mind when pitching a pilot. But, first, I want to get you up to speed on how to pitch. The tips in this chapter can be applied to any television pitch. If you follow them, you will increase your chances of walking away with a sale under your belt.

WHO WILL BE IN THE ROOM?

If you are pitching a pilot or a made-for-TV movie, you will likely know the names of everyone — or almost everyone who will be in the meeting. If you are pitching story ideas for an existing show, you should be given the name of at least one person you will be meeting with. But in this case, you may not know in advance the names of everyone who will be in the room. Because existing shows have writing staffs, it is not uncommon for staff writers to be yanked in at the last minute to hear your pitch. I have had one-on-one pitch meetings with showrunners. I have also been led into conference rooms to pitch to entire writing staffs. (Gulp!)

DON’T FORGET TO GOOGLE!

Once you know who you are meeting with, you should definitely Google them. You should never walk into any meeting blind. You want to know as much as you can ahead of time about the people you are meeting with. What are their professional backgrounds? What shows have they written for? etc. Why is this important? The answer is because in the entertainment industry, in addition to being a good writer, you need to have an outgoing personality. Imagine this scenario. Let’s say you grew up on a horse farm in Louisville, Kentucky. To make money during the summer, you worked at Churchill Downs. Supposing, the executive or producer you are meeting with is into horse racing, owns some horses — and goes to the Kentucky Derby every year. If you walk into the meeting not knowing this, it is, quite frankly, a missed opportunity. There will be no conversation about this link you have in common because you will have no idea. Now, imagine the conversation if you did Google this producer. You can walk in the door and after being introduced — in those few moments of cordial chit-chat before your pitch begins — you could casually say, “By the way…I heard you like horse racing. I grew up in Louisville. Worked at Churchill every summer.” Right away, you have made a personal connection. You have established that you share a common bond. If you are quietly wondering, is this really important…the answer is oh, yes! Think of it this way… once you have pitched, if you are in direct competition for the job with another writer…who do you think has the advantage…you who came in and made a personal connection — or the other writer who didn’t? This business is all about the warm and fuzzies. So, Google away, my friend. Find anything you can that you might be able to casually bring up as an icebreaker. It could be as simple as you realize the person used to write one of your favorite shows and so you mention that. By the way…if the person asks how you know this info, it’s okay to say, “I looked you up on the web. I always do my research before I meet with someone.” People won’t be offended by that or think you’re creepy. Just the opposite. They will think you are smart and thorough. They will appreciate your going the extra mile.

WHY IT’S ESSENTIAL TO BE EARLY

If you are a person who tends to run late, I can’t impress upon you enough how important it is to be on time for your meeting. In fact, be more than on time…be early.

Running late to anything that’s important can be stressful. Racing the clock to a meeting that can jumpstart your TV writing career will make your blood pressure soar. You will start the meeting stressed and discombobulated. Needless to say, under these circumstances, the odds of making a sale decrease. As we discussed, executives and producers are incredibly busy. They do not have time in their day to sit around and wait for you to show up at your leisure. Though they may not verbalize it, deep down they will be secretly annoyed with you for wasting their valuable time. Being late is just not professional.

When going to a pitch meeting, it is a good idea to allow an extra 20–30 minutes for mishaps. Keep in mind that traffic in California is congested and unpredictable. Not to mention that once you arrive at a studio or network, there will be a guard gate. Often, a line forms at the gate, as each person has to stop to identify himself before going through. Once you get to the gate, the guard will give you a map and direct you to the location of your meeting. Production lots can be enormous and sometimes hard to negotiate. It is very easy to get lost. You may have to park several minutes from your meeting location. All of this eats up precious time. So arriving at the studio gates at 10:58 for an 11:00 meeting is a really bad idea. On the other hand, if you show up a little early, you can get the lay of the land and figure out where your meeting is. Most studios and networks have benches outside. You can grab a cup of coffee and chill for a few. This will give you the opportunity to mentally go over your pitch one final time and to psych yourself up to make a sale.

In the event that something happens where you know you are going to be a couple of minutes late, I would suggest you call the office and let the assistant know that you are running behind and when you expect to arrive. This is also one of the few times I would advocate telling a tiny tale. Believe me when I say the words “I’m stuck in traffic” will be much better received than “I just couldn’t get my butt out of bed this morning.”

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

A pitch meeting is casual, so you should choose clothes that are comfortable. Remember, this is also a job interview. You are applying for a position as a writer. Therefore, I would stay away from jeans. Shorts are a no-no as well, as are tee shirts with political slogans like “the President stinks,” — which may or may not be true — but it becomes a moot point if the person you are pitching to happens to be a fan of the man in the White House.

Just how should you dress for a pitch meeting? Actually, you should dress like a writer. You want to give producers the impression that you are a hard-working writer who just pulled away from a great script to come in and meet with them. So, stay away from business suits — they’re for executives, not writers. For men, I suggest a decent pair of pants and a casual shirt. Women can wear pants or a skirt with a blouse or blazer. But please, ladies, heed these words of caution: stay away from blouses that are cut too low or skirts that are cut too high. You are there to sell ideas, not sex appeal.

PRACTICING YOUR PITCH

It is critical that you know your pitch inside out, and that you can recite it casually, much as if you were telling a friend a story about something that happened to you over the course of your day. The key to being smooth and relaxed is to practice. It isn’t enough to write your pitch out. You must practice it out loud. I cannot over-emphasize this. There is a big difference in writing a story on a piece of paper and in telling a story verbally. Don’t believe me? I will prove it.

Think of your all-time favorite TV episode. Now, walk up to the first person you see and tell the story of that episode. I promise you will be surprised at how much harder this is than you think.

Once you think you have your pitch down, I suggest that you try practicing it with friends. See if you get lost or, worse, if your friends get lost. If so, this may be a signal that your pitch still needs some work.

After you have run through your pitch with friends, continue to practice on your own. Repeat your pitch to yourself as you walk down the street, before you go to bed, and again when you are in the shower. Then, stand in front of a mirror and pitch to yourself. (Some writers do a slight variation of this and actually record themselves on camera.) The point is, you want to see what you look like when you pitch. Notice your physical movements. Are you nervous and jiggling all over the place? Are you using your hands to help tell your story? These things can be distracting. Work on reciting in a stationary position. You want to look calm and relaxed. Remember, you are trying to instill confidence. Keep in mind, they are potentially not just buying the contents of your pitch; they are also buying the writer, so who you are as a person must shine through.

CONTROLLING THE ROOM

The most important thing you can do in a pitch is what I call control the room. What this means is that from the moment you start your pitch to the moment you end, you engage every single person in that room. This is not about the content of your pitch — you’ve already got that — but rather how it’s delivered. One of the easiest and most important ways to keep people interested in what you are saying is by maintaining eye contact. I cannot tell you how many writers tend to lock eyes with the most powerful person in the room. This is a colossal mistake. By isolating one person, you will quickly disengage everyone else. Within moments, their minds will wander to things like what phone calls they need to return or what they might order for lunch. Once they are silently debating tuna or turkey, whole wheat or rye, they are no longer listening to your pitch. You may think that doesn’t matter, as long as the top dog is hanging onto your every word. It matters because good executives and producers trust their staffs. After you leave, they will ask those in the room for feedback on your pitch. When people are with you and enthusiastic about you, they want you to do well and will often go to great lengths to support you. If some or most have zoned out, your chances of making a sale diminish.

Another reason to keep everyone engaged is that as you pitch, it’s very possible that if some of the people in the room like what they hear, they may chime in, and try to make your story all the better, creating a huge advantage for you. But, they can’t do that if you have cut them out of the deal.

A COUPLE OF NO-NOS

Whatever you do, do not memorize your pitch. One of two things will happen. Either you will come off as stiffer than the Tin Man, or under the pressure, you will freeze and not remember details. The end result will be the same: your pitch will be a disaster.

Another common mistake some writers make is to read their pitches. This, too, can be deadly. There is no faster way to lose control of the room. You will not be able to maintain eye contact, as your eyes will be focused on the page rather than on the people in the room. Also, your energy level will be diminished because you won’t connect to the other people in the room. The key to good storytelling is to know your stories in your heart and to pitch them with enthusiasm, and passion. Don’t be afraid to show that you like your stories and that you believe in them. Passion can go a long way in getting executives and producers excited about a story or an idea.

THE USE OF INDEX CARDS AND NOTE PADS

No matter how well-prepared you are, it is still easy to get lost in your own pitch. This is usually due to nervousness and pressure. You can be in the middle of pitching and suddenly you realize you have left out an important chunk or you draw a blank and have no idea where you are going. To prevent this from happening, many writers use either index cards or note pads as a way of keeping on track.

I prefer to use note pads (I like legal pads — they are longer and have more room). I write down each important beat in bullet points and then place the pad on my lap. This works well because the bullet points act as a road map. If I get lost, I can easily get a quick glimpse at my notes and immediately know where I am and what comes next. With a casual glance, I don’t lose eye contact, and more often than not, it is seamless — those listening are totally unaware of my blunder. I recommend bullet points because if you write too much of the story or idea down, you will not be able to find your place as easily, and you may have to stop, read your notes, and figure out where you are. These few seconds of disorganization can cause those in the room to zone out.

Putting notes on index cards is another way to keep on track. I know many writers who prefer this method, but I find it slightly problematic. Index cards are much smaller than legal pads and therefore have a lot less room. By choosing this method, the writer adds another layer to the pitch — and that is to keep flipping the index cards in order to keep up with where you are in the pitch. If you fail to flip the cards as you go and you end up lost, you will have to stop and flip through the cards to find your place. No matter how fast you flip, you will have momentarily stopped the flow of your pitch and again you risk losing control of the room. Another reason I am not in favor of index cards for pitching is that, unlike a legal pad, which rests in your lap, you physically have to hold index cards. If you are at all nervous — which you probably will be — your hands may tremble. This is not only distracting, but it can also send a subtle signal to producers that you are not confident.

READING THE ROOM: WHY NO USUALLY MEANS NO

Learning to “read the room” to get a handle on what people are thinking as you pitch is a valuable skill that usually comes with time and practice. As you pitch, notice the expressions on people’s faces. Do they look enthused and are they maintaining eye contact? If so, you are probably on track in terms of how much detail you are giving. If people look bored or confused, that may be a signal to speed things up a tad.

On occasion, executives or producers may stop you at some point to tell you this isn’t an area they are interested in. The reasons can be numerous; the idea you are pitching may not be right for them or their show. Or it’s an idea they have already heard and turned down. The worst thing you can do is argue and try to convince them that your version of the idea works. This is a battle you will not win. You will only aggravate them. Remember, this is their playground, not yours. They know even better than you what kind of stories/shows they want to put on the air.

GOING WITH THE FLOW WHEN THE STORY STARTS TO CHANGE

When pitching ideas, for a pilot, a TV movie, or an existing show, a couple of things can happen. Some executives and producers will let you go through your pitch from start to finish and they will comment at the end. Occasionally they will stop you in the middle if you hit upon something that they know they are not interested in. Perhaps the best thing that can happen is that as you pitch, the executives or producers add things here and there. This is a good sign because it means they like what they are hearing. It is possible that someone may say something that changes your idea, and then another may add on to that. Before you know it, the room is abuzz and you are quietly thinking, “This isn’t even close to my idea.” At this point, the best thing you can do is smile, nod, and if you can, add to whatever direction they are going in. You may not realize it, but you are on the verge of making a sale. Look back at what happened in our pitch when we went from the snarky Fubar to the more hero-minded Outpost. Going in a different direction than what you originally envisioned is okay. Keep in mind there are a thousand different ways to tell every story. In this case, there is your way, their way, and the collaborative way in which both fuse together nicely. Don’t worry about the changes. You’ll still get credit. This will still be your episode, movie, or series.

Some writers might feel disappointed if a story changes too much. Don’t get caught up in that. Remember, the goal of a pitch meeting is to walk out with a sale.

A few times over the years I have had new writers ask, “If I don’t like the direction the executives or producers take my idea, should I ask to have my name removed from the script?” Let me answer that with a question of my own: why? To turn down professional writing credits (and pay) would be foolish. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: television is collaborative. Not to mention that once you establish a relationship with executives and producers and you do a good job, they may well offer you more work. I can promise this won’t happen if you send them the message that you don’t want your good artistic name associated with their debacle of a script. The best thing you can do is grab every credit you can and do the work well. It doesn’t matter if the final product turns out to be just okay. It’s the credit that’s key.

BE PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS

After you pitch a story, executives and/or producers will likely have questions. Perhaps you didn’t explain something well enough, or they may see some roadblocks that you hadn’t considered. It’s important to anticipate things they might ask and to be ready to fire back intelligent answers. Your answers don’t have to be perfect. In fact, the solution you propose may not work at all. That’s okay. Even if what you are saying isn’t exactly right, you may spark an idea in their minds that does work. The idea is to try to offer some kind of viable solution. Learning to think on your feet comes with practice. This is a job interview. Producers want to know that you have a quick and creative mind and that you are going to contribute. The worst thing you can do is sit there, quiet as a mouse, waiting for other people to do your job.

THE PROS AND CONS OF PUTTING YOUR PITCH ON PAPER

Some writers type up their pitch and bring it to the meeting. I have never done this and probably never will. In my mind, a pitch is verbal, and no paperwork is required. When you put ideas down on paper, I think it is possible you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. If your pitch is not perfectly written, or if you have typos or grammatical errors, it could give executives and producers pause about committing to you as a writer. Also, if you present too much information, you risk that they won’t like a certain detail and will opt out of buying a story from you.

The one time it could be advantageous to leave written material behind is if you are pitching to executives or producers who are at a lower level and not in a position to buy your idea(s). They will then take your idea(s) back to their boss and re-pitch it. They may get details wrong or mixed up. If you submitted your idea(s) in writing, there is less chance of this happening, as they may just hand the paper in and not re-pitch at all. If the idea(s) is well-written, it is possible you will make a sale. So if you feel compelled, you could type up your idea(s) and include a cover page with your name and date. Have that document tucked away in your bag or briefcase ready to go should you need it. But, I would say only leave it behind in the above-described circumstance. Because truthfully, the pros of leaving written material behind are outweighed by the cons. As an added footnote, when the soldiers and I went to the network pitches with the showrunners, the pitch was written out and we all had a copy. However, the showrunners made it extremely clear that under no circumstance were we to leave our copy behind. I know exactly where they are coming from. And I completely agree.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

In the event your first pitch doesn’t go as well as you hoped, don’t worry — you are in good company. Many writers (this one included) look back on their first pitch meeting and cringe. Pitching is an art form, and the ability to do it well usually takes time, patience, and lots of practice.

Each semester in my TV Writing classes at Emerson College, I walk my students through the pitching process. There is one particular article I share with them. In fact, I make them read it aloud. It’s called “The Angells” and it is a reprint of remarks made by Les Charles (Cheers) at a memorial service for David Angell (Frasier and Wings). Angell, along with his wife Lynn, perished aboard one of the planes that struck the World Trade Center on September 11th. The article appeared in Written By (October, 2001), a monthly publication put out by the Writers Guild of America.

As we sit in classrooms that overlook the splendor of Boston Common, Charles’ words resonate through young and eager voices — and the sad irony is never lost on me that we are a mere stone’s throw from the old Bull & Finch Pub, now famously known as Cheers. In the article, Charles recalls how Angell came to pitch when he and his brother Glen were producers on Taxi. The meeting was a disaster. According to Charles, Angell was over-prepared, stayed too long, and all but bored the living daylights out of them. He didn’t get the job.

An entire spec script later, Angell once again miraculously found himself sitting opposite the Charles brothers, this time hoping for a gig on Cheers. This time they hired him. The fact Angell fell on his face in that first pitch meeting, yet went on to become one of the biggest, brightest, and most-respected producers in television should give hope to all new writers. You don’t have to be perfect right out of the gate. It’s okay to fail as long as you learn from it.

Charles went on to praise Angell as a terrific human being — someone who never let his enormous success get to his head, who always remembered where he came from, and always gave back to his community. If you can get your hands on this article, I highly recommend it. David Angell may be gone. But for a whole new generation of TV writers, he’s still a damned fine role model.