Pitching a screenplay to a production company executive can be challenging. Sometimes you wish you could reach into a potential producer's brain and give them the entire vision for your movie! But alas, technology isn't there … yet. And that's why we have pitch decks! A pitch deck is essentially a visual aid to assist you in describing your film synopsis during a pitch meeting. It's usually a slide presentation with a lot of visuals and minimal text, used in situations where an elevator pitch has probably already gotten you in the door, and now it's time for a more in-depth sales pitch. What does a pitch deck even look like?
What Goes Into a Film Pitch Deck
A film pitch deck is a presentation that includes all the information about your project that you want potential investors to know. It should include a plot synopsis, a description of the characters, a list of the locations, and any other details relevant to your film idea production. You should also mention if anyone else is already attached to the project, whether that's for pre-production, filming, or any other stages of production of your movie. Your goal in a pitch meeting is to present a compelling story and a compelling reason that producer should get involved.
Examples of Movie Pitch Decks
Scroll down to see some examples of famous pitch decks and their key elements!
Adventure Time
When I think of what a pitch deck looks like, "Adventure Time" immediately comes to mind! This pitch deck does a great job of conveying the visual world of the show and its core elements. It introduces us to the characters, explains the show's idea, and is just a delight to look at! This is a visually heavy pitch deck, which makes sense since the show is animated. Live-action pitches should also immerse the reader in a visual word. It's important that pitch decks not be too text-heavy. A pitch deck is an opportunity to let the visuals lead!
Cooties
This 2015 movie "Cooties," starring Elijah Wood, got its start thanks to a great lookbook. Look books and pitch decks are sometimes used interchangeably to describe a visually heavy presentation document used to convey movie ideas. There can be differences between the two; some consider a pitch deck a more persuasive document aiming to bring interest to your project. A lookbook could be regarded as a reference tool to bring understanding to collaborators already on board with the project. The link above takes you to an article about the directors and their lookbook. It's definitely worth the read as it includes images from the lookbook and the directors' thoughts on putting it together.
Don't Go
"Don't Go" is a 2018 psychological thriller that landed financing just weeks after its film pitch was created. This pitch deck was made by a graphic designer hired by the director and producer to help secure funding for the project. In the link above, the graphic designer talks about working on the pitch deck and some of the thoughts that went into it. This deck has great cinematic visuals that give you a strong impression of what the film will be like. It's a good example of what pieces of information pitch decks tend to cover.
Stranger Things
The "Stranger Things" pitch deck, then called "Montauk," is more show bible than an actual pitch deck. What's the difference? A bible tends to include more text for a reader to better understand the show and where it's going. Doesn't a pitch deck do the same thing? Yes, but the idea is that a pitch deck is going to be more visually oriented, which is why I included the "Stranger Things" pitch document! The visuals in this document are fantastic! Designed to look like a pulpy paperback, this pitch really gives off the specific vibe of the show. Nostalgic, eerie, slightly off, mysterious. You can infer all those things from just scrolling through the document. They've included still images from older sci-fi movies to reference what their show will look like. The overall attention to detail in the pitch, making all the images look crinkled and old, goes a long way to immerse the reader in the proposed world of their show. This pitch is a good reminder that there are no rules for pitch documents! The goal of a document like this is to engage the reader in the visuals of the world! Pitch decks are a chance for you to let your creativity shine.
I hope this selection of pitch deck examples is helpful for when you have to create your own pitch deck! Remember, there are no rules for pitch documents! Just make them as exciting and representative of your film as possible. The key is engaging on a visual level with the person you're pitching to. Happy pitching, writers!
