How to Impresses Investors and Distributors with a pitch deck

Creating a film pitch deck that will impress investors and distributors is becoming more and more of a critical step in getting your film financed and distributed. A pitch deck is essentially a visual representation of your film, outlining its story, showcasing its style, tone, and aesthetic, as well as giving investors and distributors a financial business plan. A well crafted pitch deck highlights what makes your project unique and marketable as well as enrolls them in your story.  You want people to walk away going, “I want to see this” or “I would watch this.”

Here are some tips on how to create a film pitch deck that will impress investors and distributors:

1. Define your style and tone

Before you start creating any of your pitch materials, it's important to have a clear idea of your film's style and tone. Is it a gritty, realistic drama or a colorful, whimsical comedy? Is it shot in black and white or in vivid color?  What does it look and feel like? What are the overall universe you’re creating?  What are the relationships between the characters and their worlds?  What’s the overall aesthetic you’re going for and how does it serve you story? 

The questions you ask will lead to the answers you get.  What questions do you need to ask about your film to best communicate about it?   This will help you clarify your tone and ultimately how you then communicate that to your investors and distributors.

2. Clearly layout a journey or story through your content

Pitch decks are a storytelling mechanism of their own with a beginning, middle and end.  The way you take people through the journey gives them an emotional experience.  What is the experience you want investors and distributors to go on when looking at your materials?  How are you choosing to hook them at the start and then sustain their interest over the course of the pitch deck?

3. Choose your images carefully

The images you choose for your pitch deck are critical. They should represent the style and tone of your film, which is why to first step is so important.  You want to know where you’re going before you set out on your journey creating your pitch deck. Is the photo adding information or is it redundant?  Are your images giving a cinematic sense to your story?  Or are they more about a creative back drop?  How do the images support the overall journey you want to take readers on? 

Choose images that are visually striking and that capture the mood and tone that you’ve figured out for your film.  What are the images saying?   What themes are arising?  What are the images saying?  Check out my workshop The Psychology of the 5 Design Tenets to understand more about how we read images, create conflict visually, and the psychology behind color, line/form, texture, scale and space & movement to get a complete and dynamic understanding of how to design works.

4. Include a synopsis and logline

Your pitch deck needs to include a synopsis and logline so people understand what the story is quickly and easily without needing to read your script. This will give potential investors and distributors a sense of the story and plot of your film, and help them understand how the visual elements you've chosen fit into the overall narrative.  Without this context, your images won’t make sense and they will be confused.  As marketing expert Donald Miller says, “I you confuse, you loose.”  Your investors need clarity to make a decision.

5. Have a plan and know your numbers

There’s been a ton of talk about the streaming boom coming to an end as the dust settles.  On a recent Money Matters podcast episode, NPR discussed how major streamers are scaling back and removing content to save on expenses as they work to get back into the black (positive numbers).  The effect on this for filmmakers like yourself is that a clear plan on how you’re going to get your investor’s money back is important.  They need to see a return that makes sense.  

If it's a film that’s not going to be a big financial success, then that’s important to know too.  What else are investors getting by supporting the project?  Supporting an important message?  Connections?  Critical acclaim?  What evidence can you use to support all this?

6. Show your team's experience

Investors and distributors want to know that they are backing a project that has a good chance of success.  Teams with a proven track record are appealing. Include bios]of your key team members, making sure to bring attention to any past successes or accolades.  You want to assure people your team knows enough about what they are doing to be trusted on an outcome.  

It’s a good practice to have your major team members’s resumes, portfolios, and IMDb info on hand incase investors want to do some more vetting.  This doesn’t go in your deck, it’s just supplemental information.

7. Use professional design

A well-designed pitch deck can make all the difference in impressing potential investors and distributors. It shows that you care about your project and that you are a professional.  You’re investing in the creation of your film.  If you’re looking to raise $1 million for your film, an investment of $3,000 to have a professional deck created is worth wild.  It’s only 0.3% of the total budget you’re looking to raise.  If you’re unwilling to back your project financially, why would a production company or investor want to?

Consider hiring a professional designer with film experience to help you create a polished, visually stunning document that is cinematically driven.  Or, learn this unique design perspective required for pitch decks be working with me. Check out my free workshop What Makes a Pitch Deck Stand Out for some insights on what stand out pitch decks take to create.

8. Consider a video pitch

In addition to a static pitch deck, you may want to consider creating a video pitch for investors to watch. It’s a short video that showcases your film's style and tone, could include interviews with key members of your team, and even showcase elements such as sound and editing approaches that you can’t always convey in a static deck.

Creating a film pitch deck that will impress investors and distributors requires careful attention to detail and a clear vision of your film's style and tone. By choosing your images carefully, including a synopsis and logline, giving investors a business plan, showcasing your team's experience, using professional design, and considering a video pitch, you can create a compelling document that will help you secure financing and distribution for your film.

Want more insights?

To learn more about pitch decks and how make one that stands out, join my free workshop What Makes a Pitch Deck Stand Out. See you there!