How to pitch a movie

[Denialorcoped]

I have made a self-financed short entering the festival circuit now, but I am writing a feature-length that I would like a much larger budget for. Any tips or advice on how to pitch it and who to pitch it too?

I already know that most directors get their scripts rejected by studios, so if you're going to say something like that please don't...

 

[craigbowman]

Where and who you go to and what volume of supporting information you'll have to have for them is highly dependant on how much larger is larger?

 

[Kholi]

I have made a self-financed short entering the festival circuit now, but I am writing a feature-length that I would like a much larger budget for. Any tips or advice on how to pitch it and who to pitch it too?

I already know that most directors get their scripts rejected by studios, so if you're going to say something like that please don't...

Get a producer with a good track record for pulling off what you want to do involved. They'll be able to guide you better from there.

To do that, you'll still need to pitch: Concept Art, A decently drafted second draft of your feature, the plan for production, post, and distribution along with actors that you may want to see approached for parts (this is still important, regardless of if you'll get them or not.)

And make sure your budge number is also not ridiculously low or laughable.

 

[Denialorcoped]

Thanks; It's a comedy along the lines of Napolean Dynamite but not quite as silly, so I don't need a HUGE budget for special effects or anything. Even with 250k I bet I could make it damn good. Any idea on how to find a producer? Should I just surf the web?

 

[Kholi]

Thanks; It's a comedy along the lines of Napolean Dynamite but not quite as silly, so I don't need a HUGE budget for special effects or anything. Even with 250k I bet I could make it damn good. Any idea on how to find a producer? Should I just surf the web?

Check FilmSpecific.com -- great info there on how to find producers, etc. The hunt is hard as heck, but eventually you'll start getting bites if you have all of that in order.

Also, shoot for a larger budget or a smaller budget. 250K with what you've mentioned here is too much money for a comedy unless you're sourcing names. If you're not, bring it down to less than 100K, or find names and go up to 500K+.

Not gospel, but just my recommendation if you're going to put a serious foot forward.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Thanks; It's a comedy along the lines of Napolean Dynamite but not quite as silly, so I don't need a HUGE budget for special effects or anything. Even with 250k I bet I could make it damn good. Any idea on how to find a producer? Should I just surf the web?

This depends on where you live... and how well your short films stood in what fests... in fact, most likely a 'fest' is where you would do well to shmooze for a producer...

There are conventions, where part of the program is a 'pitch fest', but I don't know how those go, never having been to one, or how frequently a project is picked up. But they definitely sound like places were one could practice pitching to a completely 'unknown' producer, and allow you to work on the sales part of getting things done.

As for 'teen angst' films... don't know how "Napoleon Dynamite"(2004), was funded, but the location, Idaho... well, one can safely say, was not a high budget production...

Note:
From a web article it looks like Jared Hess used a lot of 'friends', and 'friends of friends' from Brigham Young University, for cast and crew... and shot in his 'home town' and environs, in Idaho... so, there you go... But the big thing was the film showed at Sundance and was picked up there for distribution...