Fun with pitching!

Next week is Cartoon Forum week again and, along with Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, I'll be presenting Mebh and the Wolf Pups, our new preschool show set in the magical world of Wolfwalkers. I have become kind of known for my pitches over the years. They tend to go down well, they engage people and do what they need to do: sell the idea, sell the characters, sell the show. And even over the last couple of weeks, I have been asked for tips on pitching.

Now, I can only tell people how I pitch. There are all sorts of pitches and different ways of making it work. I have a particular way that works for me. And it evolved over two decades of pitching, with the early part of that consisting of me pitching really badly, being beaten by nerves, not preparing enough and hating the experience and then, as it really worked on it and tried to examine what makes a good pitch and what makes a bad pitch, I got better and learned to love it. I really enjoy pitching.

So, my pitching tips. Here goes. This is just what comes to mind.

First up: pitching is a conversation with your audience. Technically, sure, it's a monologue but that's not how I approach it. I am in conversation with the people I am pitching to. So first rule of that is: engage with them. If you're at a desk, get up and walk to the people you're talking to. Look them in the eye. Put questions out there, even if you're not expecting answers. And for me, I pitch how I talk. That may seem obvious but many people write their pitches and they sound like prose, not like a chat. Interact with the people you're pitching to. Because they are people.

Next thing is to really consider those people. Consider the buyers. Too many people focus on what they want to say. And then they want to say everything and it's a mess. Put yourself in the position of the buyer. What is it they want to hear? What is important to them? Because what seems important to you doesn't always match with what a buyer is actually looking for. Think of your audience and let them guide you.

Now think about your project. You probably know too much about it and trying to deliver that information is a trap. It's boring. Similarly just going out and saying your idea is fun and entertaining, well that should be a given. What you need to do is narrow in on and highlight what makes your concept special and different. If they only remember three things (and they might not even remember that many), what three things will have them buying your concept over anyone else's? Why do they need THIS show or movie? Get to the very heart of your concept.

And while doing that, cut any information you don't need. Here's a way to think of it: you've seen a great movie and you're telling a friend about it. Do you list the secondary characters? Summarise the core locations? Nope. You tell them the cool shit in the movie. Not the beats. Just why it's cool. Do that for your project.

Then when you're putting a shape to that and delivering it: one thing at a time. Pitch beat by pitch beat. Work through it in order. When you've covered something, move on. Let your pitch unfold like a story itself. Hold the big reveal. Let it build and escalate. And have breaks. Let it breathe. Let your audience consider what you just said. Give them time to imagine the story possibilities. Take a breath. It's okay just to stop.

Then sum it all up at the end in one line.

Again, imagine that one line is the only thing they remember. Make it count. That line is your core pitch right there. I do remember years ago pitching a project and the broadcaster listened and took it all in, sat quiet for a moment at the end of the pitch and then said “here's how you should have pitched that”. He summed up our project in one line and I was, like, that's it! Yes! That's the show! So if it takes someone else to give you that line, take it.

You should know every detail of your project and should be able to answer every question. But your pitch? It's one line. And around that one line is the proof, the illustration of why that one line counts and it's really what your show is and it's why they need it. That's what a pitch is.

The one question I get quite a bit is how to beat the nerves. I always give the same answer – prepare to such a degree that, if the nerves hit you, you could black out from anxiety in that moment and the pitch will still come out in autopilot and sound natural. That's how well I learn a pitch. People say it sounds like I'm doing it on the fly, like it's coming to me in the moment but nope. Every word, every pause, even every hesitation is rehearsed. Someone could stop me on the street a month after a pitch and say “go!” and it would just come out, exactly as it had done on the day. Knowing it that well is how I beat the nerves.

So there you go. Those are my tips for pitching. Hopefully they help someone out there. Good luck! And Toulouse, see you next week!

Oh and if you missed it, a few weeks back, I had a great chat with the Kids Media Club Podcast. It's a great podcast for anyone interested in children's media and how that all works. They can tackle the realities of the industry and ask the tough questions and it's always informative. You'll find it wherever you get your podcasts and also it's on YouTube below. Enjoy!