Preparing To Pitch A Script To Hollywood Agents by Justin Trevor Winters Video Lecture | Screenwriting: From Beginner to a Pro - Career Development

so let's say you do have a meeting with
someone to pitch your script
what are you doing a week ahead of time
what are you doing the day before what
are you doing the day of what are you
wearing how is your mindset by the time
I'm pitching someone a script or a
concept and they're at a high level and
it's important I've pitched it a
thousand times so I will be working on
all the other projects that I have to be
working on up until that moment but
maybe you know an hour or so before that
interview I will get ready so if it's
with a specific producer or a specific
studio I'll make sure that I've done my
research so I know the projects that
they've done and why this whatever
project I'm working on is potentially a
good fit for them or I'll find
commonalities between people that we've
worked with or you know I will find
commonalities between the genre that I
write and successes in films that
they've produced before or gotten made
so you really have to approach it you
know this is something that we talked
about before rather than just sending
out your script blindly to any
production company if you can find out
that this production company does a lot
of films in your wheelhouse they have a
project that's very similar and good and
you think they would you know respect
the fact that you're writing something
that they usually try to market then
approach them you know do your research
do your homework know who you're meeting
with know you're pitching but in terms
of preparation for the pitch by the time
you're pitching Studios and producers
and agents you should have that pitch
down pat because your mom's tired of
hearing it your girlfriend or boyfriend
or wife's tired of hearing it all your
friends are tired of hearing it so you
should have it nailed you know by that
point even nuts and bolts how early are
you showing up for the interview what
does a writer wear to pitch something I
mean just even suit jeans well that's a
good question I mean the I don't I will
show up five minutes early maybe there's
no reason to show up earlier than that
because let's just take an agency for
example they're incredibly busy they
have so many meetings that are packed in
from the moment they walk into the
moment
I go home at night and so there's just
no time to be earlier no time to be late
don't ever be late just be a few minutes
early prepare yourself meet the people
that you can meet if you go and sit in
in the lobby for five minutes and you
run into someone you know or you meet
someone that works there I mean that
could help you down the road and and
down the line so I would say just give
yourself a little bit of time prepare
yourself whatever I think everyone's
probably different in their preparation
but then you know once your reference
sorry what was the second what are you
wearing Oh whatever that sounds it
sounds like a Joan Rivers red carpet
question seriously like what does
someone go to well believe it or not I
actually thought about what I was going
to wear today you know I think it's
important the way that you present
yourself I know some of the most
talented writers that will have stains
on their t-shirts as they show up for a
meeting and they just either don't know
any better they don't care and if they
have a really good project then it's
fine you know we'll we'll look beyond
the Haggard nests of of their appearance
but you know for me I think it finds
something that's a comfortable but
professional you know I think that
unless you are incredibly talented
writer that can get away with anything
just you know dress how you would want
to dress and but in a professional
setting you know so similar almost to a
job interview in a sense because it is a
job interview but maybe not the suit but
maybe something I think the industry is
a little bit different we're a little
bit more relaxed you know you see a lot
of agents or producers and jeans you
know they'll throw in a suit jacket and
but they'll always have jeans or they'll
have vans or Jack Paar cells or
something something comfortable you know
so I don't think that we necessarily
take ourselves too seriously as a whole
as an industry so no I don't think you
need the suit I think you'd actually
probably they probably think you're an
assistant or something or like maybe an
agent if you're an agency if you are a
suit but I think that yeah just just I
think it's important to keep it in the
back of your mind what you're wearing
but really what you're there to
do is to stay focused on what it is
you're pitching so just don't wear
anything that's going to be distracting
if you look you know if you have stains
on your t-shirt that's distracting you
know if you are wearing a three-piece
suit that's you know $5,000 Gucci suit
that's distracting so find out here
pitching to know what the world is know
the world that you live in and that you
work in and and dress appropriately and
what are you bringing with you um well I
guess I'll just I was at a meeting
yesterday for this television project
that I'm working on and it was one of
our final pitch meetings and we're
honing our pitch because we're going to
be taking it out to these networks
probably as early as next week and you
know I brought my laptop I brought a
notepad and paper and I was prepared to
write things down or type things if I
needed them otherwise you know I think a
lot of times when you are taking these
meetings they probably know you are they
know what your product is and so I don't
think you necessarily need to bring a
script or anything like that they'll
probably have it on hand but you know
have something there so that you are
showing your interest and showing that
you care because a lot of the times you
can't retain everything that you walk
away with from a meeting so sometimes if
you have to write it down it shows your
interest it shows that you're invested
in shows that you care so you know
always have I mean I I don't go anywhere
without a notepad you know I or you know
my phone because if I have an idea I
have a thought I need to write it down
should be the same in a meeting if
something comes to you that you had not
thought of before or something that's
going to be helpful have something so
that you can you can take that down
you