How To Pitch An Animated Series
THIS Is How to Brand an Animation Pitch Bible That Sells Your Show For You lot
I of the most important tools you can utilize to sell your idea is the pitch bible. This uber-important document can brand or break your chance of getting your drawing made.
Since your amazing thought isn't tangible, you'll need something that is. Something that allows the evolution exec the opportunity to really digest it, and share with their colleagues and boss. A skeleton key that will open up the door of credence.
And that tangible thing is your pitch bible. (Too called a pitch certificate or pitch deck)
Some common questions I've heard are: What should I put in my pitch document? How long should it be? Where can I go a shirt like that?
The unproblematic respond is: Everything that makes your show stand out. Some people spend tons of money printing full-color, glossy, poster board presentations, and others simply take a ane-sheet with art on the dorsum. I've seen both approaches work.
The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule to what your pitch certificate consists of. It needs to exist long enough to exercise its job. But not likewise big!
That is, to entice the team of execs that your show idea is worth developing after you've left the building. It needs to not only stand for your idea and characters, but too convey your skills, passion, and personality.
After your pitch, your pitch document will exist tossed on the corner of a desk, on a stack of other pitches, right adjacent to a quirky desk toy. Information technology might not get touched once more for that day, or week.
When it's re-read, it needs to zap the exec'southward retentivity, reminding her of how excellent you lot and your show idea are.
"Oh aye," she'll call back to herself, "This was that hilarious pitch with those breakdancing hats! I'm going to share information technology with the dominate. Correct afterward this kale smoothie."
That document needs to sing!
It'southward got to be impressive. Why? Because the amount of time the dominate looks at your pitch bible will be exactly 1/fifth of the time the beginning exec spent looking at information technology.
The brusque list of what your pitch bible needs:
The front cover that features an astonishing piece of art that shows tone, genre, and personality in one glance.
A clear, tight description of your show. 4-5 sentences tops. Remember to evidence off your artistic phonation and tone!
Your contact information. But simply if you want to meet the inside of their offices ever over again. Don't forget this.
If those first two things aren't as solid as your aunt'south biceps, the third ane might as well exist written in Aramaic.
What practise you mean "an astonishing slice of fine art?" Unless yous are a professional artist, you should NOT, I echo, should Non include any art in your pitch.
If you lot're reading this, you're smart enough to know that animation is a visual medium, and your art will make or break you. Your atrocious art will make you expect like an amateur. It will ruin your pitch, and you won't exist invited back.
Now, it doesn't accept to be finished art. If you're an artist, and you tin can brand the character'southward personality smooth from a rough sketch, that's okay to share.
The art should feature your grapheme doing something. Every (adept) picture tells a story. You lot'd be surprised by how many times I've seen pitches with characters simply continuing in that location. No personality whatsoever.
It can be the nigh incredible cartoon in the world, but if that character isn't showing me some kind of personality, MISSION: FAILED.
If it's a comedy, that grapheme better be doing something funny. If information technology'due south an action show, that character needs to be doing something active. If it's an activity testify about fighting hats, you better show some fierce hat-on-hat activeness.
The evolution exec's dominate is busier than you think. They simply have a few seconds to speed read and pass judgment on your pitch bible. Brand those seconds worth their time. Brand them desire to work with you!
Bonus tip: Consider making a tagline that y'all would see on your hypothetical poster for your evidence. "Some hats are worn. These hats are state of war-torn!" Battle HATS! I came up with that in 4 seconds. I know you lot tin do improve.
At present, a tagline isn't mandatory, merely a strong one will make your pitch stand out and not easily forgotten. I'll never forget the affiche to Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Information technology simply read, "I, Chihuahua". Painfully simple, yet, information technology lives on in my listen years afterward.
Two more items you should include: a brief bio, and a copyright line. Y'all want to show off your experience, and you want to protect your property, right? So don't forget these!
Now, allow's suspension down what each section of an animation pitch bible entails.
Retrieve, this isn't merely for your benefit. You'll exist leaving a re-create or two with the evolution exec.
Hook – The logline that describes your project. Besides called the loftier concept pitch. One or ii sentences that best describe it. Be sure to include the twist!
Cover art – If you can draw, (or know someone who can), that cover image can make or break your thought. People exercise gauge a book by its encompass. Execs estimate a pitch by the beginning piece of art they see. Make information technology astonishing.
Set up upwards – Draw what makes your world special and unique, yet recognizable. Are there certain rules or laws that are a major force within your world? (Like the Force in Star Wars.) A good simile goes a long way.
Principal Character(due south) – Arguably the nearly important section in your unabridged pitch. Your show needs a main character who is non just interesting, absurd, and/or funny, only who execs can encounter as a representative of their network. Someone their audience volition honey, want to root for, want to exist, or desire to exist with. How does your chief character see the world that yous just set upwardly? Again, similes and metaphors are your squad homies hither.
This is optional, simply a quote from each graphic symbol tin sell their personalities in a way their descriptions can't.
I'chiliad sounding similar a looping Vine video, just try to elicit some sort of emotion from the exec. Make them care most your main characters. If they intendance, they'll believe their target audience will care. (Although non always the case.)
It'due south tricky to practice in a pitch certificate description, merely it volition certainly aid more than hurt. How? Here are a few elementary elements you can add to your protagonist—don't use them all on one character though! *These are not accented requirements, simply salubrious suggestions!
Tough breaks
– Loss of loved ones or parents, for example. Disney movies are notorious for this. See also the origin stories of Harry Potter, Batman, Spiderman, and many more.
Humbly powerful
– The audience tends to root for the characters that choose to hold back their true power unless absolutely necessary. Anime characters similar Saitama from One Punch Homo and Goku come to mind.
Great sense of humor
– Everybody loves the course clown correct?
Morally skilful
– These are the characters that sacrificially put others earlier themselves. They're so likable! Superman comes to mind.
A strong desire of the middle
– An audience tends to sympathise with a grapheme that is so obsessed with getting something, they become to great lengths to obtain it. That "it" could be a Red Ryder BB gun, the terminal slice of pizza, or revenge.
Antagonists and Supporting Characters
– Who practice your main characters hang out with? Who is his or her biggest rival?
Simply include the important recurring characters. If you lot dedicate two full pages on the main graphic symbol'south parents, they had better be an integral part of the show!
Don't write generic descriptions for the characters in your pitch bible, even the supporting ones. Give them flaws. Make them interesting. Show their outlook on life, and what they think of the other characters. "Sally Sombrero tin can't stand Freddy Fedora'south constant demand for high-fives."
There's comedy in specificity. Don't simply say, "She annoys her neighbors." Say, "Her 4 a.k. ritual of practicing peacock calls on her neighbor'south lawn is frowned upon."
Pro tip: Rivals and villains are extremely important in storytelling. Some would say they're fifty-fifty more of import than your protagonist. Make them strong and memorable. The meliorate the villain, the better the hero will look after they defeat the villain!
Non but for activity-run a risk shows either, this goes for comedies equally well. Just remember that if your target audition is children, not to make the villains too scary, mmkay?
Episode Ideas – Write a quick log line for 5-7 different types of stories that could accept place in your show. Diversity is your friend. Don't keep repeating the aforementioned story about the quest for the missing MacGuffin.
Unless they say otherwise, network execs are looking to develop and greenlight a series, non a 1-off special. They demand to come across that your concept has legs. Episode ideas too show off your storytelling ability, and sell the tone of your show.
Consider including a slice of art that serves as a snapshot for each episode. As the unforgettable saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand something-somethings.
Each studio or network has its own unique requirements for submitting a pitch. Some only want to see an animatic with rough dialogue. Some want a finished script. Others may desire to see the educational value and curriculum that your will characteristic. Some don't care to see potential episode ideas, but most practise. You lot can detect detailed pitch information on their websites, so do your enquiry!
Check out this fantastic article that tells the Practice's and Don'ts of Pitching with Linda Simensky, the one-time Vice President of Children's Programming at PBS. She shares a TON of useful advice, such every bit the key ingredients of a pitch bible: Your one-liner, characters, setting, story ideas, curriculum (if necessary), team description, and cleverly designed artwork.
1 of the many interesting gems of advice she says relates to y'all and your squad'southward experience: A team should address different strengths, specially story, design, and feel. "Feel is a big affair, if y'all want to make a show, you lot [or prominent members of your team] should work on someone else's testify.
Finally, here'due south an example of a solid pitch bible totally worth checking out: Adventure Time by Pendleton Ward.
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Source: https://cartoonpitchpro.com/animation-pitch-bible-guide/
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