The Difference Between Your Film’s Lookbook and Pitch Deck

There is a ton of confusion out in the film industry around lookbooks and pitch decks. Most filmmakers think they are the same, however they are different. They serve different functions and intentions. Both are important to have at the ready before going into any pitching.

The relationship between your lookbook and pitch deck is much like an iceberg to the tip of the iceberg. They are two parts of the same thing, your pitch materials/expression of your creative vision.

Pitch decks, like the tip of an iceberg, are the first thing people see until they want to dive deeper into your creative vision and invest more of their time on your project.

Pitch decks are about a quick overview to get people interested in learning more and why this film would be a success or worth making. Pitch decks can be used by screenwriters looking to get representation or find a producer to producing teams looking to get funded.

Lookbooks, on the other hand, are about the director’s or showrunner’s creative vision for the film across all areas of the film from the worldbuilding to the cinematography to the editing.

Here’s a clear breakdown:

Lookbook

Intention:

• Show how your are telling the story, where the money is going, and that you are prepared

• Express your cohesive creative vision to your department heads so they can better serve the story and you. (This reduces stress during production and can save you money.)

• Help your actors prep for their roles by knowing the world they are stepping into on set—it makes a difference.

Content:

• Title Page with Tag Line

• Logline

• Synopsis

• Your Influences

• The Players

  • Who is everyone, and how do they relate?

  • Why are they interesting?

  • How do the characters change, and how will you treat that differently?

• What are the key locations?

  • How do they shape or influence the story?

  • Why do they matter?

• Your Cinematic Style or Approach

  • Why are you choosing those types of shots and how do they tell the story?

  • How do your shots shift over the course of the film or based on the situation at hand?

• Soundscape

• Editting Style and Approach

• Who You Are and why You’re the Person to Make This Happen

• Contact Info

Pitch Deck

Intention:

• To Get Investors to Ask for More

Content:

• Title Page with Tag Line

• Logline

• Synopsis

• The Main Players

  • Why are they interesting?

• Main Themes

• Industry Comparables

• Market Demographics and Psychographics

• Who You Are

• Why You’re the Person to Make This Happen

• Contact Info

As you can see, there is way more information in your lookbook than in your pitch deck. Some of the business elements are out, because your lookbook focuses on your creative big vision in a way where you can express it.

By the time someone asks for your lookbook, they see the potential in the project and now what to know if you’re as good of an investment as you think you are. The more information you have prepared, the better you will be.

Also, when you think through all of the elements within your film enough to fill out a true lookbook, then you’ve actually figured out your storytelling non-negotiable, aka, the things you just can’t do without. This means the line producer drafting your proposed budget up can budget more appropriately, so you ask for the right amount of funds.

You get one shot to tell this story; the last thing you want is to not have the funds to do it justice. So, start investing in your lookbook now.

To learn more about lookbooks, register for the free training Why You Need a Lookbook.