Elevator Pitch

If you think the Coronapocalypse has the US economy down, imagine the effect it is having on Hollywood. Most of the major literary agencies have had major layoffs or reductions in salaries for the agents.  Studios have shut down production on some movies and delayed the release of others. For example:

• Mission Impossible 7  – production halted.
• The Little Mermaid (live-action) – production halted.
• The Home Alone (reboot) – production halted.
• Fast And Furious 9 – release delayed.
• Wonder Woman 1984 – release delayed.

The last time Hollywood shutdown for non-strike related reasons was 100 years ago due to the Great Depression. Since then Hollywood has operated at warp speed with everyone and their uncle trying to get their pitch to the right people.

The Coronavirus has seriously impeded the process of getting new scripts pitched to studios. And yet, recently I was messaging back and forth with one of my screenwriting mentors and briefly shared with him the concept of my WIP. He requested a copy of the completed draft, all because I quickly pitched my story concept and theme briefly.

The Elevator Pitch?

Although elevator pitch isn’t exclusively used in Hollywood, its function is imperative to the film-making process. If you’re not familiar with the term, an elevator pitch is a short informative sales pitch for whatever product, service, or idea trying to be sold or produced. The key factor is getting the basics in the quickest amount of time.

In show business, it provides a screenwriter with an explosive burst of creative information about the story which can be understood in a short amount of time, idealistically in a brief elevator ride with a studio executive or producer.

You never know when the stars may align and allow you to share your story. For screenwriters is a great time to include your log line for your script. There are many urban legends about how the term elevator pitch came about.

The most accepted one is from the golden days of Hollywood, where dreams came true. Every writer, both good and bad flocked to Hollywood to share their stories with directors and producers to make their writing dreams come true. If you were screenwriter in Hollywood and saw a producer or director getting into an elevator, you could follow them and try to explain your story before arriving at the next floor.

              Obviously, the pitch had to be spot on, entertaining and informative, concise. How else would a producer remember it from countless other ideas he had heard already? But, if you do it right, you’re one step closer to your dreams coming true. The concept of the elevator pitch is so popular that it has shown up in several movies and TV shows, below are just a few:

1. Iron Man
2. The Pursuit of Happiness
3. The Dilemma
4. Mad Men

Screenwriters need to know their stories well enough to pitch them like a pro at a moment’s notice. This could be a chance to make your dreams come true. Be sure to keep it brief but interesting. Script Magazine has a few more suggestions:

1. Never tell your whole story.
2. Focus on revealing the essential elements of your story.
3. Begin by revealing how you came up with the idea.
4. Leave the buyer in suspense.
5. Finished your description with the title and your log line.
6. Follow the log line with a question.
7. Answer the buyer’s questions succinctly.[i]

Remember the main goal is to always keep whoever you’re pitching to and your audience interested in your story.

Interested?

Everything in the entertainment industry hinges around interest: is the story interesting enough to be written? Is there enough interest to invest millions of dollars into telling it? Is it interesting enough to make people want to spend their hard-earned money to go see it at the theaters?

There is no quick or simple equation to check off each answer. But there are a few high points we should aspire to infuse into our stories; I call it the R.A.R.E formula:

• Relevant: What makes the story need to be told now and why?
• Anticipation: Is there a desire to go on a journey with the character or characters?
• Relatable: Will an audience relate to their characters or their journey?
• Excitement: is there enough excitement to keep the eventual audience interested for 90 minutes to two hours?

If you check these high points off, you’ll be able to hook the right people with your elevator pitch.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

[i] https://scriptmag.com/career/7-keys-to-a-great-pitch