Skip boring, deadly paperwork. The same energy of the tale you’re pitching should infuse a film pitch deck template. Start with a cover that slaps. Big title, bold, one show-stopping photo, and your name. Always include a contact; someone’s got to call you.
Logline after. Short, snappy, and bold. This is your film’s hook in one sentence. If your film cannot be condensed into a line or two, it is sagging like spaghetti or you have not found the center. A good logline, such as a good song, sticks with you.
Now for the synopsis then. Don’t mess about. two para’s max. Big beats play. Talk topics, stakes, maybe utilize a twist in the teasing. DVD case blurb at the back, it’s like the blurb of the movie is how you can think of it. People hungry for more is what you’re going for.
Slides with a pictorial flair. Mood boards or color charts sing here. Film stills that serve your vision, draw. Elaborate metaphors sell; consider the meeting of Lady Bird and Blade Runner. Adjectives avoided injected into your work. Reading purple prose is not what anyone is anticipating.
Characters, naturally. Show your principal characters headshots and stellar bios. Explore their underlying motivations. Two or a bullet point is superior to a block of text. Humans remember faces and personality more than catalogs of attributes with which washing is associated.
Team page: let your head creative, writer, and director shine through. Add-drop credits if you have them. Although a proven track record is greatly valued by investors, vision and passion play their part as well.
Why then, this film and why now? Slide on market topicality. Underpin it with trends, lived experience, or even a random IMDb anecdote about what’s in and what’s not in terms of taste. That creates excitement and urgency.
Budget and plan; spare time. Sure, anyone will be able to get the squirmies about money. Keep figures simple, neat, and plain. No one wants to pull out spreadsheets at 8 a.m.; a clear pie chart or planner will suffice.
Marketing and distribution concepts—sow seeds. Festival goals, audience planning, possible partners. Crazy ideas are fine. Show that you’ve planned ahead beyond “if we film it, they will come.”
Close strong. Thank you slide; follow up again; and a strong final image. Perhaps a script line that hits the mark.
Employ energy, clarity, and a little bit of swagger so that your pitch deck is readable, as well as memorable. Recall it. Put your film onto the screen, and off paper, now.