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Elements of the Pitch Package |
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Pitch packages for development fundingYou’ll likely be pitching Telefilm Canada , Astral Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund and your provincial film financing agency, if they invest in development. These organizations have specific submission requirements and application forms that you can access from their websites.
If you’re pitching broadcasters like CHUM or Movie Central , or other development financiers (see Development Financing ), check out their websites for the most up-to-date information. Typically, they will want you to send the following:
- Signed release form, if requested
- Completed application form, if requested
- Cover letter
- The most recent draft of the material you’re developing (novel, outline, treatment or script)
- Development notes – what you intend to accomplish in this phase of development, if financed
- Development budget
- Development financing structure
- Bios of key creative talent
Pitch packages for production financingAgain, Telefilm Canada and Astral Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund post their submission requirements and application forms online, and your provincial film finance agency likely does as well.
If you’re pitching your project for production financing from a distributor, equity financier, broadcaster or foreign sales agent, search their websites for submission requirements. Not all of them will provide this information, but check before making a call.
These buyers make decisions based on both business and creative criteria, so your package needs to give them a complete picture of both. Send the following:
- Signed release form, if requested
- Completed application form, if requested
- Cover letter
- Budget top sheet or long form, whichever they prefer
- Financing structure
- Script
- Proposed or attached cast list
- Bios for all the key creatives
- Proposed production schedule
Additional elements:
- Director’s previous films on DVD if the director is not well known
- Director’s notes on the project indicating tone, shooting style, use of music, or anything that will give a more complete picture of the finished product
- If based on source material, sales figures for the source material, such as a video game, novel or comic book
- Any unique elements you think will help communicate your project’s appeal to its target audience
Be judicious in your choice of elements so you don’t send buyers more information than they want to go through. If music is an important element, include information on the music you intend to purchase for the film. If seeing the comic book on which the project is based would positively influence the buyer, send the comic book along. Some buyers are not obligated to read or review all of the materials you send, so keep your package brief and to the point.
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