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Who, Where & When to Pitch

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Marguerite Pigott

Page 1 of 2 The first step in figuring out who to pitch is assessing the right medium for your project. Is it best suited for theatrical release, straight-to-DVD or broadcast? If your script is really best suited to be a television movie, don’t pitch theatrical distributors. If it’s art house theatrical product, don’t pitch a genre label. The buyers know what works for their market, and if you pitch them product that is not suitable for them, your reputation as a producer suffers. This crucial first step is about accurately assessing your project. In order to do this, you have to be educated about what’s out there, what’s doing well or not, and what the competition is. Watch Canadian TV movies, series and mini-series so you know what you’re competing against for broadcasters’ attention. In terms of theatrical feature films, see as many as you can. You’re competing in an unregulated global marketplace. Asking yourself how your project stacks up to the competition will help you to place it in the right medium. Research, research, research Once you’ve decided the medium for which your project is best suited (theatrical, straight-to-DVD or broadcast), you need to know who the buyers are in that marketplace. A great resource for this kind of information is The Guide. The Guide is a directory, available in hard copy or online, produced and updated by the Canadian Film and Television Producers’ Association. It’s available from their website, www.cftpa.ca, and will provide you with up-to-date information regarding the name of the person to pitch at each organization. Another great source for this information is Playback magazine’s Film and TV Funding Sources. It’s available online to subscribers. Also watch for their annual reports on Distribution and Broadcasting. Once you know who the buyers are for each market, research them to see who is right for your project. Maple Pictures and Mongrel Media distribute different types of product. You need to know who the right buyer is for your project before you pitch. Every distributor and broadcaster has a website that will show you the kind of product they focus on, and some will include submission guidelines. Continued... Previous Page - Next Page >>

 

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