7 Ways to Ensure Your Film Pitch Deck is Memorable

Creating an engaging and memorable film pitch deck can be the difference between securing funding or having your project passed over.  A pitch deck shows investors, producers and collaborators how your story translates cinematically to the screen by showcasing your creative vision through imagery and laying out the story structure and business plan. Here are some ways to ensure your film pitch deck is engaging and memorable:

1. Start with a clear and concise logline

Your logline is the elevator pitch for your film. It should be a one-sentence description that summarizes the story and hooks the reader. A strong longline sets up the entire conflict of your film or show and gives an overall context for the material within the deck.  You want your longline to be early in your deck.  For example, it can come after a tone setting quote or another quick context slide if that serves the overall journey you want your reader to take.   Workshop your longline until it is quick to ready and memorable enough to stick in the minds of your audience.  

2. Use visuals to enhance your message

Visuals can be a powerful way to enhance your pitch and make it more memorable. Use images, graphics, and other visual elements to illustrate your story and make your pitch more engaging.  Your pitch deck is the first place to start playing with the branding of your project.  What could the title poster look like?  How could you craft that for your pitch deck?  What is the emotional tone of your piece and how can your font choices support this?  Start looking at print advertisements, movie or tv show posters, and the like for inspiration on how you might use graphics and images to tell your story visually.

3. Focus on the story

At the heart of any good film is a great story. Your pitch deck should focus on the story and characters, and communicate why your film is worth investing in.  What are their relationships about?  What is the question about the human existence that you are exploring?  Why does this story matter at this time for this audience?  As you’re putting this information together, how are you you crafting a compelling narrative?  Each slide wants to build on the previous one, adding more information to create a cohesive story.

4. Highlight what’s important

Make sure the key points stick out by either setting the text apart physically with space or adjusting the font either with color, typeface, or boldness.  People skim before fully reading and for people with a reading impairment, being faced with a large passage of text might turn them away.  So, make sure what really matters is easy to find and read.

5. Know your audience

You’ll want to tailor your pitch deck to the specific person you are presenting to. For example, investors may be more interested in the financial aspects of your project, while creative producers may be more interested in the story and the artistic vision, so you’ll want to expand on those areas or have back up, supplemental info available.  If you’re pitching to an actor for a specific role, you’ll most likely want to highlight and elaborate on that role just for them.  Being aware of whom you’re speaking to and aiming to enroll in your project’s success will help you to connect with them and ideally help them say yes to the project more easily.

6. Keep it short and sweet

Keep the main points the main points.  Length of the deck will depend on the project and your graphic aesthetic.  The biggest deterrent to reading or getting involved with a pitch deck is too much information.  Image collage pages want to be clean and well thought through.  Text wants to be concise and to the point.  Try to keep longer passages of information later in the deck to avoid overwhelming readers in the beginning.  What is the least you need to say about a project to get the main idea across?  Focus on making your pitch deck easy to read and visually appealing with a clean and consistent design.

7. Get feedback on your deck

Have as many people look at your pitch deck as possible.  Ask them what questions come up for them about the project that they wish were included in the deck.  Have the tell you what they understood about the project based on what’s in the deck.  You want to make sure that what you are saying is actually coming across.  Ask them for visual and graphic feedback as well.  What do they see and what does that tell them about the project?

When you craft a pitch deck that’s concise and well thought through, it will most likely be memorable.  Know who you’re talking to, pay attention to how your images and text support one another, and make sure to get feedback.  With a well-crafted pitch deck you can increase your chances of securing funding and bringing your film project to life.

Want to learn more about how to make a pitch deck that gets you attention? 

Join the free workshop: How to Make a Stand Out Pitch Deck.