The Great American PitchFest FAQ

WHAT IS A PITCHFEST?

The Great American PitchFest and Screenwriting Conference is an one day, free screenwriting conference with more than 30 free classes, and a one day pitchfest, where people with scripts and shows to sell meet with industry executives. Thousands of pitch meetings happen over the course of a weekend . Each meeting is five minutes in length, and a chance for industry executives to hear a large number of pitches and ideas in a short period of time.

First, learn how to sell your scripts and shows by attending our special training sessions on the Saturday. Then, meet one on one with production companies, agents, managers, distributors, funding organizations, ad agencies, advertisers, broadcasters and other industry representatives to pitch them your TV shows and movie ideas on the Sunday.

A PitchFest is an opportunity for producers, writers, directors, and anyone with an script to sell, to establish contact with the ‘power people’ of the television and film industry. This allows them to not only meet and build relationships with one another, but also a chance to discuss ideas and potentially develop programming together.

Registration is limited for this event with only 500 tickets sold to the PitchFest on the Sunday. More than 1,800 people attend the free classes on the Saturday. For every five participants who attend, another executive is invited, making this the largest ratio of industry executives in attendance for any festival in the world. At our event, you get:

Unlimited pitch meetings & access to ALL executives
Comprehensive Conference Guide with Executive Contact Info
Networking Events
Cocktail Party immediately following the PitchFest
Executive Luncheon
FREE Training Sessions, Workshops & Panels
Master Classes
Private Consultations

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Ever hear of speed dating? The PitchFest is a similar concept, except the ‘dates’ are with film and television executives.

Basically, you enter a large room with approximately 100 - 130 companies spread throughout. A bell rings, and you sit down to have a five minute pitch session with the company of your choice. At the end of that time, a bell rings again and your meeting ends. A new group enters the room and someone takes your place, and the process is repeated. You leave the pitching room, and join a line to either meet with someone else, or attend a pitching workshop where you can hone your pitch and learn the 'ins and outs' of delivering a pitch in five minutes or less.

Read some suggestions for a successful pitch HERE.

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND?

Writers, Producers, Directors, and anyone with an script or show to pitch should not miss out on this incredible networking event. Many of our participants attend the pitchfest just to meet with companies and begin the important process of building professional relationships.

Participants who have attended our PitchFest have:

Had scripts optioned
Signed with agents & managers for representation
Been hired as writers
Developed coproduction partnerships
Found writing and producing partners
Created a support network & friendships with other writers, producers, directors, and industry professionals
Made crucial industry contacts
Found work in the industry in their field

Attending the PitchFest may be the most important step you make towards launching your career, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Writers, Producers, Directors, and anyone with an idea or show to pitch should not miss out on this event. Even if you do not have a show to pitch, it is an opportunity to introduce yourself or your company, and begin the important process of building professional relationships.

WHERE AND WHEN?

June 26 & 27, 2010
Marriott Burbank Hotel & Convention Center
2500 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505

June 26 - Storylink All-Stars Free Classes & Screenwriting Conference
June 27 - PitchFest Day

HOW DO I REGISTER? HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

You can purchase your pass either:

1. Online – purchase passes through our secure internet processor (Visa or Master Card only)

2. By Telephone – leave a message at 1-877-255-2528 and a customer service representative will contact you shortly

3. Fax – purchase passes through downloading the FORM & fax it to (310) 975-1249 (Visa or Master Card only)

WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF REGISTRATION?

Friday, June 25, 2010 : 2pm - 8pm

Saturday, June 26, 2010 : 8:30am - 6pm

Sunday, June 27, 2010 : 8:30am - 6pm

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

At the PitchFest AND for the parties, we encourage participants to wear casual business wear (i.e. khaki pants). Dress “smart”. Please wear comfortable shoes as you will be on your feet and walking around for large parts of the day. It is not necessary to wear a suit or dress, although it is not inappropriate either. It is also common and acceptable for participants at PitchFest events to wear costumes that relate to the projects they are pitching (ie a Mad Scientist costume for a children’s science series), but we caution you against doing it if there is a risk of it seriously distracting from your pitch.

WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THE MOST OF MY PITCHFEST EXPERIENCE?

Here are a few suggestions to make your pitching event as successful as possible:

Register and pick up your registration package early. Packages will be available at the Registration Desk of the Burbank Marriott Hotel & Convention Center (2500 N. Hollywood Way Burbank, CA 91505) starting Friday, June 25th from 2-8pm, as well as Saturday, June 26th and Sunday, June 27th from 8:30am-6pm during the event.
Attend as many training sessions as possible so you can apply what you learn to your pitch meetings.
Prioritize who you want to meet with; try to have at least two 'practice' pitch meetings with others before meeting with the person you want to meet with the most.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. You will be standing and walking a lot throughout this event.
Checklist of things to bring with you: lots of business cards, one-sheets, breath mints, bottled water, and snacks (powerbars, etc).
Be professional and positive at all times, especially in the lines. You never know if you are standing next to a potential co-producer or business partner.
Register your pitch, script, and/or idea with the Writer’s Guild, and seek legal advice about protecting the ownerships of your material/ideas. Read our FAQ for details.
Be sure to fill out a comment card and let us know what else we can do to make the pitching event even greater!
Most importantly, HAVE FUN! And please, let the PitchFest crew know if there is anything we can do to assist you.

CAN I BRING VISUAL AIDS TO MY PITCH (SKETCHES, DVD, ETC.)?

There are two schools of thought on this. Using storyboards, dvd's, novels or graphic comic books, onesheets, and other visuals CAN HELP to capture the interest of the person you are pitching - especially if they are well done, and show your work in a professional and intriguing manner. However, they can also sometimes distract from forming a genuine connection with the person you are pitching. There is also a risk that technical difficulties (ie if you are trying to show a DVD on your laptop of a trailer, demo, or short film), could occur and have a negative impact on the impression you are trying to make. If you decide to bring a visual, make sure you practice incorporating it into your pitch so that you come across well polished and professional, and always be prepared with your pitch in the event that a technical malfunction does occur.

MAY I LEAVE BEHIND 'ONESHEETS' OR 'LEAVE BEHINDS' SUCH AS A BUSINESS CARD, ETC.?

Absolutely! Onesheets, business cards, and similar items are often used as ‘selling tools’ and are a great way to present your material to a company.

Although they are not necessary to a great pitch, you may choose to supplement your pitch meeting with one. Onesheets are similar to a ‘flyer’ or movie poster to communicate your concept in a one page sheet, or as a double-sided document. Many industry executives like onesheets because they provide a visual reference to your story or idea, and it makes it easier for them to then present to their colleagues and other executives when explaining it at the office or a studio. It is important to note that no matter how polished and professional a business card, onesheet, or any other type of presentation document, it cannot replace a great script or pitch.

HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF, AND MY SCRIPT/IDEA FROM BEING STOLEN?

Although we are not able to offer legal advice, we encourage and suggest you to seek legal counsel to ensure you are protected as much as possible.

Register your script, treatment, cassette tape, idea, onesheet, book, stageplay, pitch, etc, with the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) if you are pitching your script/idea in Canada, or register it with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) if you are pitching your script/idea in the United States. If you are pitching it in both countries, we recommend you register it with both the WGA and the WGC. Script registration with the WGC is $15 CND for WGC members and $30 CND for non-members. Script registration with the WGA is $10 US for WGA members and $20 US for non-members. If you have questions, please visit the WGC website and the WGA website.

You will also want to register your material with the Copyright office at www.copyright.gov. Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

If you do not have a script and only have an idea, we recommend writing down as many details as possible. Almost any item that can be used to document the creation of your work can be registered. Please contact the WGA, WGC, the Copyright office, or seek legal advice from an entertainment lawyer if you have further questions.
Send material through a third party, such as an agent, manager, or entertainment attorney. This helps to ensure you have a witness who can back up your claim.

Keep a paper trail to track who you pitched, what you discussed, what was submitted, and record dates for all activities (ie meetings, phone calls, etc.)

Because this is an industry based on ideas, and there are literally thousands of ideas being pitched every day, it is possible that the same or similar projects may already be in development or production with a company, or that someone else is already pitching the same idea as you. Whether you pitch to someone in a coffee shop, at a studio meeting, or at a pitchfest event, there is always a risk that you are pitching to an unscrupulous person who could potentially 'steal' your project. But if you never pitch, your project can never happen. Theft of material is rare, and tends to be well publicized when it does occur.

All of the individuals you meet at the Great American PitchFest are professionals who are carefully screened, and it is highly unlikely that your script or idea would ever be ‘stolen’. The reputations and careers of these people would be at risk if they were to intentionally steal an idea. Your best protection is to seek legal counsel, and at a minimum, follow our suggestions as indicated above.

WHO ARE THE COMPANIES AND WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO BUY?

Our companies are all carefully screened, and only the most credible companies in the industry are invited to hear pitches. They may include:

Agents
Managers
Distributors & Sales Agents
Hollywood Production Companies
Canadian Production Companies
International Production Companies
Funding Organizations
Broadcasters & Networks
Studio Representatives

A full profile for each company is available online in advance of the PitchFest, and is also published and distributed to each participant at the event as an electronic booklet. This profile booklet outlines what each company has produced in the past, what they are looking for at present, as well as specific information regarding stars they have relationships with, directors they work with, etc. Information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.

Invitations to the companies hearing pitches are sent out approximately six weeks before the event. You can also view the companies who are participating at this year's pitchfest HERE.

If you are interested in seeing a particular company attend, please let us know and we will make every effort to invite them and have them attend. Please email us the name of any particular company you would like to see at the Great American PitchFest, and preferably a website, phone, fax number, and/or address if possible.

DO YOU PAY THE EXECUTIVES THAT ATTEND TO THE PITCHFEST?

We pay our companies a $100 honorarium because we feel that is a reasonable amount, and that it is the right thing to do. Just like we all want to be paid for our work, we think the executives who attend our event should also receive this minimal compensation.

Reasons:

events usually occur on a weekend during off-hours
there is no pitching event without our executives, they are the catalyst behind a script being produced or developed
most of the representatives from these companies are Development Executives, not necessarily the principles of the company, which means that they may not necessarily be compensated financially by the production company even if they do find your script to be the next big blockbuster.

HOW MANY COMPANIES CAN I PITCH TO?

Each year, we have approximately 100 - 130 companies who hear pitches at the PitchFest.

HOW MANY MEETINGS WILL I HAVE?

Most participants meet an average of 12-20 executives, and we encourage you to meet with as many as possible. If you strategize your day, take advantage of shorter lines and the luncheon, and all other networking events, it is possible to meet nearly all of the executives in a single day.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We take the biggest ballroom we can find, and put approximately 130 companies throughout that room - each about ten feet apart so there is privacy for your meeting. Each table is numbered. In the hallway outside, we have approximately 100 corresponding lines. What this means is that if you want to meet with Lionsgate and they are at Table 30, you would get into Line 30. You would also turn to Page 30 in your booklet to read a full profile about that company. Every five minutes, a bell rings. The first person from each line moves forward and enters the pitch room where they have their meeting. At the end of that time, they leave the pitch room and get in line to meet with someone else. This same process repeats all day, resulting in thousands of meetings in just a few hours.

AT OTHER EVENTS, I'M USED TO HAVING TO 'SIGNUP' FOR MEETINGS, AND SOMETIMES PAY $20-$99 FOR EACH PITCH. HOW IS YOURS DIFFERENT?

At the Great American PitchFest, there is no signup process. You simply meet with as many companies as you wish, and whichever ones you choose. It's that simple. You just get in line and meet with whoever you wish. You can also contact anyone you did not meet, but still wish to query, by using their contact information which is supplied in the electronic or hard copy Executive Guide. You also pay one price which allows you full access to the pitchfest, where you can pitch as many companies as you wish. Most people pitch between 12 - 25 meetings in a day.

HOW MUCH TIME WILL I HAVE TO PITCH TO EACH COMPANY?

Generally each meeting is five minutes long in length. However, if the executive you are meeting with wants more time with you, they are welcome to meet with you as long as they wish. We simply 'hold the line' until the executive is ready for the next person.

THIS 'LINE UP' SYSTEM SOUNDS LIKE I WILL BE STANDING IN LINE ALL DAY - WILL I?

Not at all. For every five participants who attend the PitchFest, we invite another company to hear pitches. This guarantees that the lines are never very long. Because the ratio of companys to participants is high, this means you never have to wait very long to meet with them. Some companys may be more in demand than others, so their line ups may become slightly longer, leaving other line ups very short with minimum or no waits. As our registration grows, the number of invited companys is also increased so that line ups are consistently short. Often, some of the most beneficial relationships are formed in these lines, providing further opportunities to network and seek potential co-producers.

CAN MORE THAN ONE PERSON SHARE A MEETING?

Yes. Sometimes two or more people will want to pitch together. They simply must enter the pitching room together.

MY CO-WRITING PARTNER AND I BOTH WANT TO ATTEND. DO WE NEED TO BY SEPARATE PASSES?

It depends. If you and your partner plan to pitch all your meetings together, we can arrange for you to attend for the price of one pitchfest pass. However, if you plan to split up and pitch separately so that can each pitch to as many executives as possible, you will each require your own individual pass and will need to be individually registered. If you would like to arrange some combination of both where you sometimes pitch together, and sometimes pitch separately, we are open to working something out. Please send an email to info@pitchfest.com with your names and phone numbers for more information.

ARE THE FREE CLASSES REALLY FREE?

The Great American PitchFest and the Writers Store have partnered to bring you the Storylink All-Stars!
Anyone can attend dozens of free screenwriting classes with the industry's top screenwriters and educators in the business. There's no catch. They are absolutely free. You do not need to be registered for the pitchfest to attend, although those writers who have registered for the pitchfest are guaranteed priority seating.

WHAT ARE PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS? WHY WOULD I NEED THEM?

You can meet private for a half hour meeting with one of our Storylink All-Star speakers. Ask them for advice, to review the first page of your script, or practice your pitch on them – whatever you like. It’s your meeting, so use it however you want. Private Consultations are available on a first purchased, first booked basis. Details coming soon.

WHAT ARE THE MASTER CLASSES?

We have more than 30 free classes, panels, and workshops arranged as part of the Storylink All-Stars sessions. In addition to the free classes, we also offer two intensive, half-day workshops that are available for $50 each. Details coming soon.

HAVE A QUESTION? NEED TO CONTACT US?

Snail Mail :     Twilight Pictures Inc. - U.S.
                      12400 Ventura Blvd. #735
                      Studio City, CA 91604
                      USA

                      Twilight Pictures Inc. - Canada
                      3219 Collingwood Dr. N.W.
                      Calgary, Alberta T2L 0R7
                      Canada

Toll Free:        1-877-255-2528

Email:              info@pitchfest.com

We are a group of writers and producers dedicated to helping others to get their scripts and projects produced. Your success is also ours, and we are very proud to have helped many of our participants to achieve this.