Film Funding: The Pitch Deck

Film Funding: The Pitch Deck

How do we pitch our film ideas to producers or film financiers?

If we have never had any contact with the real film industry, we might imagine ourselves buzzing on 6 shots of espresso (or something else), as we nail a one minute verbal pitch to Mr Big Shot Mogul in a Hollywood studio elevator. But really selling a film idea is (especially now) not too different from selling ANY business idea.

Despite the changes in money available to fund films, the film industry still deals in large sums of money. There’s no official definition, but spending $1-2 million on a low budget indie feature is pretty standard. So it should be no surprise that no sensible investor will invest that amount into any kind of business venture on the basis of a script alone.

Film as a business

I think as filmmakers we need to be clear in our understanding: if we are funding our own movie, it’s an art project. If we are looking for investment, it’s a business idea. Therefore, to raise funds you need extra materials which will sell the ideas and the business plan behind your project.

Those materials can include a variety of media such as trailers, short films, lookbooks, videos, images, text, financial projections and so on.

I’ve been working with professionals who review film funding pitches and who create them as well. One of the main elements I have been asked to provide has been a “pitch deck”. Actually, I only found out the name today by Googling. I’ve been calling it a “pitch doc” and a “pitch pdf”.

Well, whatever it’s called, I can give you an idea of what you should think about including in one. Producing these materials would normally be the producer’s job, but I’m sure directors and writers increasingly find themselves having to do it, too.

Note, I have been using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop to create mine. Some people use Powerpoint. Whatever you use to design it, you’ll need to export it as a PDF file, as this format is easily viewed by anyone.

Front page

The front page should be dominated by a single image which has the power to sell your film idea. This is a bit like creating a movie poster. The image will need to fit well into the genre of the movie.

An action movie might need grand drama, explosions and strong, determined expressions. A quirky indie relationship drama/comedy will most likely be smaller in scale and indicate the playful humour of the film and the vulnerability of the characters.

You can also include key filmmakers’ (“A film by Nigel Bloggins”) names and the production company name and logo.

The following pages can be in the order you consider best…

Proposal

This page includes a general overview of the project.

• Short pitch. The story of the film in 1 or 2 sentences.
• Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Romance, Sci-Fi-thriller-horror-musical… and so on.
• Tagline: a catchy phrase you’d see on the poster. “One man’s struggle to take it easy.” (can you guess that film?)
• Budget: what budget range are you aiming at? Somewhere between $200 million or 20 quid and a packet of jaffa cakes.
• Style: list similar films to indicate where you’re aiming this story.
• Market: explain who will want to see this film and why, and how you will get it to them.

Story

On this page include a full synopsis of the story.

You are usually looking to summarise the entire plot, from beginning to end. I know we all want to keep the surprises and plot twists secret, but the industry generally doesn’t have time for that.

You don’t have to include the whole beginning, middle and end. However, industry professionals read and watch 1000s of movies and movie scripts.

Remember what I said about this being a business? Producers and financiers simply want to know how your product works. So being coy about plot twists to the industry is like selling a car design but not including all the specs because you don’t want to “spoil the surprise”.

Someone investing in your film isn’t too interested in surprises. They simply want to know if you’ve designed a solid product, so it’s might be worth spending 2 precious hours reading your script (rather than one of the other 357 they’ve been emailed).

Think about it – even getting someone to invest 2 hours reading your script is hard enough, let alone $2m. That tells you how hard this ultimate goal really is to achieve.

So use this knowledge as motivation when you write the synopsis. This one page of story could make the difference between someone reading the script or taking the meeting with you… Or clicking delete on your email.

And look, before you feel that the world is unfair, remember that you are in this position too. Every time you browse Netflix or the local cinema schedule, you are making a split-second decision on what you’ll invest your 2 hours (and 20-30 bucks) into.

The people reading your pitch deck are in exactly the same position. Like you, they’re swamped with opportunities: videos, scripts and so on.

So, how do YOU make the decision to choose a film to watch? How long do you give it? One sentence into the synopsis? Two?

If you’re a fan of the filmmaker already, most likely you’ll give them more time. But of you’ve never heard of them, you’ll give them a few seconds – unless something about the movie grabs you in those first few seconds.

Now, remember that when you come to write this synopsis. That first paragraph needs to be a killer, doesn’t it?

Director’s Notes

On this page the director (and perhaps the screenwriter) needs to talk about their vision for the proposed film. This page of text should include why you are passionate about the project and how it relates to viewers. Why is the subject matter so important? Or why is it so *thrilling* *gripping* *hilarious* *romantic* (delete as appropriate).

What is the director’s vision for the look and feel of the finished film? How does this relate to the content of the script and modern filmmaking techniques and styles? Is this film harking back to a golden age of cinema with a new twist? Or is it breaking new ground and pushing the boundaries of the cinematic experience for the 21st century?

Suggested cast

On this page include casting ideas for the characters in the script. This is your cast wishlist, but don’t push it too far into the realms of fantasy. Your aimed-for budget will dictate the level of cast you can approach.

If you include an actor who costs $20m per picture but your budget is $1m then the figures don’t add up. Remember this is a business proposal. If you are making unrealistic suggestions it undermines your project as a sound business proposition.

Team biographies

Here include short biographies for any principal team members: usually writer, director and producers. Any other high profile or key members can be included too. For example, if your project is highly CGI effects driven, a key CGI artist or company attached should be included.

The biographies should include details pertinent to the business. Your silver medal from school sports day 100 meters sprint doesn’t need to be there. Or your 23 years of experience in customer services. Just focus on any creative or film world qualifications, successes and experiences.

Final page

On the last page, you might want another strong image to leave people with (assuming they got this far). Producer contact details should be included somewhere in the document too.

Images and Visuals

Include exciting, inspiring and provocative images within the whole pitch deck. This requires some visual design skills. If you really don’t have a skill for this, it’s really worth finding someone who does – or perhaps use an online template.

Film is a visual medium. If you can’t produce visually stunning pitch documents, how can you produce a visually stunning movie.

If your pitching materials look dull, crude and uninspiring, investors will assume your movie will too.

The images should indicate the tone of the film you are hoping to make. So hunt around the web (or make your own) for stills from comparable films, artwork, books, nature, architecture and so on.

For Patreons Only:

Normally, pitch decks are kept secret within the industry. However, I’m sharing one two I have made previously.

LINK to SIMULARIS PITCH DECK

LINK to LOVE IS NOT A FEELING PITCH DECK

Read more: Film Funding Beginner’s Guide.

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