Reflection of the Pitch
Reflection of the Pitch
The brief for this task involved developing a concept for a 30 minute AS Live studio production and creating a pitch to sell the concept to a commissioning panel. Each team had 20 minutes to pitch their developed idea which was followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session where the panel could dig deeper into the concepts.
The commissioning process to this extent was new to me as I had never pitched in a formal way previously. My co-producer and I had two weeks to develop an original idea and transform the idea into and in-depth pitch. A pitch is a chance to present your idea/concept in a structured way, using visuals and verbal content. The aim is to convince the panel of its value and of your value as a founder/producer (Mailchimp, 2021). The development process was tedious and involved plenty of brainstorming, each idea was deeply considered to assess if it fit the framework of the brief but also interested ourselves enough to invest twelve weeks of dedication to it. The criteria we were following included achievability and deliverability in the timeframe, budget, resources and in a studio environment. Once we critiqued all our proposed ideas, we chose to pitch the concept we had the most faith in. From this we spiralled into the development of Let’s Talk Sh*t.
When planning we tried to cover all aspects of the production, this included a detailed and engaging description of the concept, our target audience, channel best suited to the show, why it is needed now, rough set design, planned segments/episode structure, example presenters and interactive elements to leave a lasting impression. If you create a memorable pitch, it is likely that your desired goal will be achieved. Some ways of achieving this would be to ask the panel questions, and bring visuals or samples (Peabody, 2019).
We knew the pitch would involve a panel of judges, so we made sure we knew whom the panel consisted of and found out a bit more about them. It is important that you make a good first impression (the right impression) on your audience. To do this you need to know who they are, inside out. This is the first thing you should know about pitching to investors (Huckle, 2022). This worked in our favour as the panel was mostly women and our show is targeted to a female audience. We also knew a member of the panel has a fashion degree and has worked in similar shows in the past, we were then able to tailor the show and elements of the pitch to her interests to engage her. Knowing the panel was a major part of the process before the actual pitch and is something I would do again in future as we were able to use this to our advantage.
We also did our research into the target audience we were aiming to appeal to and the channel and time the show would be broadcast. We chose a predominantly female audience aged 16-34 due to the content of the show. We then decided it would be perfect for a slot on BBC 3 as this channel features similar content which targets the same audience as our show. For example, BBC 3 features shows such as Bad Education and Britain’s Next Top Make-up Star.
We also included a sizzle reel which we used to open our pitch. This is a short video used to aid producers in selling their concepts to investors and clients (Matt, 2021). This was beneficial to make not only for ourselves but also for the panel as “Before you shoot, you should start with a very solid version of what the final video will look like from start to finish” (Ozer, 2004: 30). This really helped to provide the panel with a clear outline of our concept, and how we vision it. This amount of detail ensured the panel had a great understanding of our proposed idea and answered most of their questions which they would usually ask during the question-and-answer session.
Presenting is not something I am unfamiliar with, however, I often become very nervous before presenting. This was something I worked on before the pitch which helped my performance a lot. For example, when I am nervous, I begin to speak very quickly which results in my rushing my presentations, in preparation of the pitch I ensured I knew the pitch and idea which meant I felt comfortable speaking about it to a group of people. This was effective as when evaluating my pitch video, I noticed I spoke at a reasonable pace meaning everyone could understand what I was saying.
We had a good house style and are both experts in different aspects of our proposed idea which meant we were able to split the content evenly and get to the roots of elements we knew well. This was effective and ensured neither of us dominated the pitch more than the other and both of us could communicate our passion for the project. Having a good understanding of the idea also meant I did not have to read off of the screen, we were able to ensure the presentation was not word heavy and use what was on screen as prompts for much larger discussions
As our idea is a relaxed talk show, we tried to make it feel less formal early on in our pitch. This involved generating a discussion within the room between the panel. I felt this was beneficial to the pitch as it helped create a feel for the show, but it also helped to relax Hollie and I as we managed to relax more into the presentation and act in a more conversational way while remaining professional. If your pitch is memorable, it is likely your desired goal will be achieved. To do this it is good to ask them questions, and bring visuals or samples (Peabody, 2019).
Based on this information, we also included a few mini-games and interactive elements to help communicate our idea and get the panel on board with it. This brought an element of fun and mimicked how we envision our audience feeling when they watch the show. I think these elements stayed in the minds of the panel and helped them when making their final decision. I also made a few jokes to make the panel laugh, this also helped me relax as I was showing my personality and taking the pressure off of myself to be someone different. Again as the show has a more relaxed feel this was appropriate of this pitch however, if I were ever pitching something more serious I would be able to act accordingly.
In future, I think I need to ensure I look at all members of the panel when presenting to keep them all engaged as I noticed in the video, I often spoke to only two members of the panel. I will be mindful of this in future pitches.
We received feedback on the pitch which suggested being more inclusive of a wider community e.g., LGBTQ+ and people of different ethnicities. This is something we have previously spoken about which we did not include in the pitch however, it is now highlighted as something we should include in the future. We were also advised to add in different segments to ensure it has other elements to it rather than just being predominantly fashion and gossip-based. We took this feedback onboard fully as this is something we also agree with. We found the feedback we received to be helpful and are grateful for how it helped us develop our idea more.
I am proud of how Hollie and I dedicated ourselves to the pitch-making process and the pitch over the past two weeks. We found an idea we were passionate about and worked cohesively to bring it to life. As we understood and knew our concept, we managed to pull off an almost perfect pitch and I was the most comfortable I have ever been giving a presentation. It is important to ensure you are prepared, well-rehearsed and understand your concept as it is your role to sell the idea. Rehearsing is the greatest way to correct inaccuracies and inconsistencies and create a seamless pitch. Being well prepared also reduces nerves; 90% of presentation anxiety stems from a lack of preparation so practicing is essential to stand out from the crowd (Mailchimp, 2021). Our well researched concept and well-rehearsed pitch helped us secure commissioning for our show and landed us the roles of producers. I have learnt for future reference that knowing my idea well will help me overcome my nerves and let my talent shine. Our pitch was highly successful as our proposed concept was ultimately chosen. After the pitch, we received feedback that we had an excellent high-scoring pitch with only a few points of feedback which would have improved it. We are both so excited to begin the journey of bringing this idea to life.
References
Huckle, B. (2022). Pitching to Investors: Tips from The Presentation Experts. [online] secondnature uk. Available at: https://secondnatureuk.co.uk/blog/presentation-tips-for-pitching-to-investors/ [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023].
Mailchimp (2021). Everything you need to know about... practicing pitches. [online] Courier. Available at: https://mailchimp.com/courier/article/practice-your-pitch/. [Accessed 13 Feb 2023].
Matt (2021). How To Sell a TV Show Idea With a Sizzle Reel • Filmmaking Lifestyle. [online] Filmmaking Lifestyle. Available at: https://filmlifestyle.com/sizzle-reel/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2022].
Ozer, J. (2004). The art of the single-camera shoot: to produce professional. EMedia, The Digital Studio Magazine, 17(7). Page 30.
Peabody, A. (2019). 7 Tips to Giving a Winning Pitch Presentation | Entrepreneurship. [online] www.uvu.edu. Available at: https://www.uvu.edu/entrepreneurship/start-your-startup-blog/2019/pitchtips.html [Accessed 26 Jan. 2023].
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