Student Guide to Pitching
Pitching isn't about explaining your plot. It's about performing your story and proving you're the only person to tell it. Here's what you need to know.
Lead With Connection, Not Plot
Most beginners recap. "First this happens, then this happens..." That loses the room. People are deciding whether they want to work with you for the next two years. They buy emotion, clarity, confidence, and connection. Tell the story like you're around a campfire. Hook them, build tension, pay it off.
Give the Spine, Not the Stitching
Don't walk them through every beat. Give them the emotional architecture.
Bad pitch: "In scene 12 he finds the locket..."
Good pitch: "He realizes the one person he trusted has been lying from the start."
Hit these points:
What the protagonist wants
What they actually need
Their contradiction
The theme
Act Two's core tension
They don't need every sequence. They need the story's heartbeat.
Present Tense Brings Characters Alive
Introduce characters like they exist right now.
Not: "She was a brilliant surgeon who..."
Try: "She is a brilliant surgeon hiding a secret that could end her career."
Present tense creates immediacy. It makes the room see the show.
Open and Close With Personal Stakes
Start with why you care. End by reminding them why you're the only person to tell it. A personal bookend is more memorable than any twist or plot turn.
Signal Structure Without Lecturing
Use natural transitions:
"We jump straight into Episode One..."
"This season unfolds like a pressure cooker..."
"Halfway through, everything she believes gets ripped apart..."
Avoid academic terms. Match the tone of your story.
If You're Pitching on Zoom, Adjust Your Technique
Zoom flattens energy and exposes everything. Key moves:
Look at the camera, not your face
Bring 20% more energy
Simple background, good lighting, clean audio
Medium framing
Record yourself practicing until it feels natural
Zoom's advantage: you can fail privately until you're ready publicly.
You're Always Selling Yourself
Executives aren't buying the script. They're buying someone they can collaborate with. Show warmth, confidence, clarity, and passion. Think like a partner, not a problem.
Make the Sales Layer Clear
A pitch is a sales call. Hit:
Why you're the person
Why now is the moment
Why this story has an audience
Why it's a good investment
End with clarity: "What I'm looking for is..." Don't make them guess what you need from them.
Practice With Cold Ears
Test your pitch on someone who knows nothing. If they're confused, simplify. If they're bored, sharpen your hook. If they stop caring, cut the detail.
Stop Trying To Be Perfect
Perfection reads as stiffness. Compelling reads as confidence and enthusiasm. Compelling beats perfect every time. The best pitches sell because the room wants to go on the journey with you. They want to build with you for the next thousand hours.
