How Do You Write a Movie Pitch?

1. Create a captivating logline 2. Make the key moments stand out within the synopsis 3. Keep the synopsis short and succinct 4. Make your characters stand out and create a familiarity with them 5. Explain your personal connection to the idea or material 6. Make the themes clear 7. Make the genre and tone clear 8. Make comparable references but only if they really demonstrate your idea's distinction 9. Think about the person on the other end of the pitch 10. Leave the reader wanting more

What is the Difference Between a Movie Pitch and a TV Pitch?

A movie pitch and a TV pitch share a lot of the same structure and need to include the same elements. However, there are a few extra elements that a TV pitch needs to include: 1. You need to give a sense of what the series engine will be - what will carry the plot over multiple episodes or seasons? 2. Convey the depth and reach of the story world. 3. Demonstrate how the characters and their complexity can and will carry the story engagingly through a whole or multiple seasons.

How to Write an AWESOME Movie Pitch or TV Pitch: The 10 KEY Steps

A movie pitch is one of the most important pieces of writing a screenwriter has to master in order to sell a screenplay and build a successful career. It can also be one of the hardest to get right. Don’t let its size fool you. Even if a movie pitch (or TV pitch) is only one page long it can be the key to selling your idea to an executive, producer or screenplay reader.

But often, condensing all their ideas into one page can leave writers tearing their hair out. So what are the key ways into writing a successful movie pitch? We take a look at the 10 important steps to writing a movie pitch, with some significant steps for TV pitches too. Plus we’ll provide some pitch examples to show how it’s done.

What is a Movie Pitch?
The Importance of the Pitch
The 10 Key Steps to a Movie Pitch
1. A Captivating Logline
2. Make the Key Moments Stand Out
3. Keep Your Synopsis Short
4. Make Your Characters Stand Out and Create a Familiarity
5. Explain Your Personal Connection
6. Make the Themes Clear
7. Make the Genre and Tone Clear
8. Make Comparable References But Mean Them
9. Think About Who is On the Other End of the Pitch
10. Leave The Reader Wanting More
And For Writing a TV Pitch…
11. Make Clear What the Engine of Your Series Will Be
12. Demonstrate How the Characters Can and Will Carry the Series
13. Convey the Depth of the Story World
14. What Will Drive Potential Future Series?
Movie Pitch and TV Pitch Examples

What is a Movie Pitch?

So what exactly is a movie pitch? Well, it’s typically a document that seeks to sell your idea, either before or after you’ve written the actual screenplay, to an executive, producer, company or studio. This kind of written pitch is also known as a ‘one pager’.

It’s essentially a summary of:

Your controlling idea, its plot and themes
The main characters
Your intention for the project
The creative and market vision for the project, including its genre and potential audience.

The movie pitch can take a number of different forms. It might be a short and sweet pitch in no more than a few sentences. Or it might be a verbal pitch, taking the form of a long interview with an executive for example. The elevator pitch meanwhile is designed for the screenwriter to get across their idea in the briefest of windows.

We’ll primarily be focusing on the kind of movie or TV pitch that takes the form of a ‘one pager’. This is primarily how many writers will be asked to format and send out their pitches, so we think it’s the most useful. However, the below tips are also equally applicable to other forms of pitches, albeit with adjustments made for context, delivery and length.

Once you’ve read our tips, you can prepare your movie pitch and submit this 1-pager to Industrial Scripts’ The TITAN Awards, one of the world’s leading screenwriting contests.