A guide to creating one of the most effective tools for communicating, or even selling, your film idea.

Documentarian Mark Bone offers tips from his experience of pitching ideas using decks, using simple tools like slideshow creators, including a case study of scoring a beer commercial for which he “wasn’t necessarily the most qualified”:

Mark’s tips:

1. Identify the question your film will answer
2. Explain the adventure using visual references
3. Describe how it will be achieved technically and logistically
4. Keep your pitch short – assume you need to reduce by at least 30%. Leave the audience hanging, so they’ll hopefully ask questions – a lecture isn’t as engaging as a conversation

As part of his successful pitch, Mark even pre-shot the beer ad, and he includes a side-by-side with the finished product:

Further Viewing

Part of a pitch deck is outlining the visual approach, which can often comprise references gathered from other films, shows, photographers, and artists. Here are some techniques for getting your crew and yourself on the same page ahead of production:

Film School: Visual Research