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Much like the Executive Summary of a Movie Business Plan, the pitch deck is completed after the detailed work is done and is meant to be a high level overview of your project. Your indie film pitch should make a strong case for both the financial and creative aspects of your film, and the deck will vary and emphasize different elements based on your audience.
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When using your deck to approach talent, you'll want to emphasize the creative aspects and when approaching investors, more the financial elements. Too many filmmakers think only of their film, and not the audience reading the pitch. This is THE fastest way to lose someone's attention, in seconds, by not customizing your pitch to your audience. You should know the who, what and why of the people you court for your film and each pitch should be tailor-made for them explaining as
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Here's what we get on a regular basis and what we do with these pitches. They are a complete waste of a filmmaker's time:Â
1) Dear Sir - DELETE.Â
2) My film is about... - DELETE
3) I am looking for....DELETE
4) I have an idea...DELETE
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Now, I guarantee at least 20 filmmakers will respond to this every email with at least 1 of the 4 above. We can't help filmmakers who refuse to help themselves.
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However, if you give us, or any investor, something to respond to, we will respond. We may or may not invest, but you will at least have someone's attention, which is your first step.Â
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1) Dear FilmProposals/Melissa: We have been following your website and emails for some time, and are quite intrigued by your long history in the indie film business. We reviewed your About Us page, and you have been around or involved in so many classic films. We particularly love The 40 Year Old Virgin, and we believe we have a great film investment for your consideration. Our comedy film, with solid B list talent attached, could deliver an ROI of 110%, as you can see in our
attached pitch deck. This means for every share ($1,000) purchased we project to deliver our producers $100-$500 in profit. Additionally, our market research shows PG-13 comedy movies delivers 2x more ticket sales at the Box Office than any other genre. Attached is our Pitch Deck showing our research, professional financial analysis, and we will gladly forward you our detailed business plan should you upon request.Â
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Above is a REAL Investor Email
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Can you see the difference between a real investment and a filmmaker who is not only wasting their time, but that of a potential investor? The first 4 emails are clearly desperate, inexperienced, and have not put one ounce of thought into who they are emailing. The last email shows interest and consideration of the investor, and the assumption is that the pitch deck will reflect the same.Â
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Our
Indie Film Pitch Deck has proven time and again to impress investors. Of course, outreach and your first impression, is just as important as the deck and business plan itself. Once you have done your part and put it all together, your first impression gets easier, more compelling and more professional.Â
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