Soft Pitch's can be so hard because all you want to do is talk about your project, yet refining it down to it's simplest form can become very difficult...very quickly. Great video, thanks for sharing! :)
@@SurvivingAnimation Indeed....it took me a long time to develop my soft pitch. For the longest time, I agonized with buzz words and hooks...wondering "what part of Millennium Exile do I focus on?" I think the favorite one I heard was for Riddley Scott's "Aliens" movie, which was "Jaws in Space". Phenomenal. hahaha
That’s really great, Eric. I love how you were able to summarize the three fundamental elements of a good soft pitch. Keeping it quick and to the point would also prompt specific questions from who’s listening that inform you on how to potentially tweak the project. I’m an introvert and it took me while before being a little more at ease during pitches.
I feel like this is something we all do in everyday conversations "you should watch this movie, is like saw with hunger games" "i like this food, its like mexican food but with more cheese" etc
Thanks bro, great informative episode! Right in time for confernece season too. Its definitely and art form and almost a clever game in the way you have to quickly phrase your IP and make sure it piques there interests.
"Holy warriors from different religions debate ethics while they fight evil. Like The Good Place meets Berserk." There's a Netflix Animation Virtual Speaker series going on this week, and one of the other attendees recommended your channel. All your videos I've seen so far have been great.
Hey that's pretty good! Is it parody or is it sincere action/fantasy - or is it both? WOW I'm so happy they mentioned me during those Netflix Virtual Speaker series! Yay!!!!
@@SurvivingAnimation Sincere action fantasy. As a small connection to you, my team actually started got motivated to make the show after the announcement of the Magic: the Gathering cartoon which you were working on. If you've ever heard of the Pathfinder role-playing game, it's sort of the Pepsi to Dungeons & Dragons's Coke, and in late 2019 my team gave a short pitch to the company that made Pathfinder, suggesting they needed a cartoon too. They were interested enough in our show bible and concept art to be cool with us developing it further. We got a couple of scripts written, and I was trying to recruit some storyboarders and animators. Then the pandemic hit and we made the mistake of going into a holding pattern, figuring we'd pick it up when things got back to normal in a month or two. lol Now I've got to start reassembling a team because everyone's schedules filled up.
@@SurvivingAnimation I hope I didn't miss my window of opportunity. I'm of course in love with our show idea, but I think I was a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the industry. So again, thanks for these videos. Despite living a literal block from the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, I don't have enough contacts among actual animators or storyboard artists, and so I need to figure out how to build a new team that can demonstrate we can be trusted to actually make a full show. (Or, I guess, I could lower my sights a bit and work on some web shorts or something similar, and get that under my belt first.)
@@rangerwickett I hear ya! Well if you need any consultation, feel free to reach-out to me via LinkedIN (contact info in the video description) and we can book a session!
Great video! How do you gauge whether you should tell someone your soft pitch vs a logline? Is it like a protecting your IP thing or is it dependent on who you're talking to? I've found a few resources on how to make a pitch but they all seem to come from an angle of already having someone interested in speaking to you but not many about getting into that pitch situation as a person unknown/ yet to break into in the industry. So is soft pitching something you reserve for trying to set up a longer pitch?
@@Rauschuppenviper Yeah I think that's basically part of the artform. But I try to play it by ear. If it seems the person on the other side is a little more engaged, then I might follow the soft pitch with the logline!
This was so helpful. I had a pitch meeting with a big studio and they were excited and gave us some notes. I wish I knew about soft pitching, it's so had to condense an idea. I have some questions 1) What happens after you get the green light for a development deal at a major network? I've worked in the animation industry but never on the side of a creator. 2) Do they give you a team or do you create your own team? 3) Are you able to find the animation production studios you'd want to work with or are you assigned one? (I know within the budget they allow. I already have about 3 different production studios in mind.) 4) Are creators now turned into the show runners or will they be writers? 5) How does pay go? Are you now on their payroll (like bi-weekly ) or do you get a amount and have to figure it out? I have a ton of questions, I'm sorry. I just don't have access to this information anywhere or I might've missed it. We're pitching now & we've received positive feedback and if we are accepted, I have no idea what the next steps are and I feel very nervous. Sorry for all of the questions.
Thanks for watching and for the questions! I'll do my best to briefly answer. 1) Negotiations are what happens first. That's where everyone will figure out your best role on the series, whether that be as Show Runner, Supervising Director, Executive Producer or otherwise. It highly depends on your prior experience and talent. 2) Teams are build around what you can and can't do. It's typically very collaborative. 3) Animation production studio choices are also a very iterative process. But there's nothing wrong with bringing names to the table. 4) It depends on your prior experience. If you've never written before, you will likely not be asked to be the main writer. You'll get support. As for Show Runners, that's a management level position, so it depends on whether or not the buyer believes you can lead a team as well as be the creative center of the show. 5) It's really case-by-case. That's more a factor of local state law and under which production company you work. But, if you're directly working for the buyer, then an employment agreement is likely. I hope that helps and thanks for watching!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thank you so so so very much. This was incredibly helpful and has definitely eased my nerves . I have my fingers crossed. Hope to tell you good news soon.
Hi Eric! I know I’m late to the party, but thank you for making this channel. I appreciate your sincerity, it comes through, so it brings comfort to the viewer on this end. I’m a writer and have an Indi graphic novella, a screenplay, and a short film out there, but I’m looking to get an anime feature made in order to express the true story completely. As a writer/creator, do you think that I can do the pitching myself to companies out there?
Hey there and thanks for watching and for your kind words! Have you had screenplays produced such as an animated feature, TV episode, or completed animated short? Also, when you say 'anime feature' do you mean that you want it fully produced in Japan or is your work just anime influenced?
@@SurvivingAnimation Unfortunately, I haven't had any screenplays produced or bought yet. In all honesty, I am new to the business. Although have able to get my script on an anime writers table, but he's got a lot on his plate at the moment, so I don't expect it to move any time soon. I'm looking to get an 'anime feature' produced here in the U.S. with lets say Crunchyroll or Netflix, but I believe their animation does get completed overseas. My work isn't necessarily anime influenced, but the script can easily be turned into anime because of how it was written. I'm Mexican-American, so Seis Manos (Netflix) and Onyx Equinox (Crunchyroll) have given me hope in doing something that I've always wanted to do, but didn't think was possible.
Hello! I've moved into writing for animation and I'd love to know of any resources on how to format the 11-minute preschool TV show like Santiago of the Seas. IE: when to use and when to add directing cues. I want to get this 100% right so I look like a pro. Any advice/resources? Thank you!!
Hey there and thanks for watching! Hmm. Your question has 2 parts. As for format, it sounds like you're talking about the craft of screenwriting. If that's the case, then any number of screenwriting books will help you there (start with maybe 'Save the Cat'). But generally, try not to direct on the page. Let the board artists and directors call the actual shots. Your job is to make sure the plot and character arcs are clear and the social / emotional stakes are understood. Finally, you can help set the mood and purpose of the scenes. But you don't need to tell the reader exactly where the camera is unless it's crucial to the story. I hope that helps!
I know this is unrelated to this video, but I would be super curious as to which programs you prefer to work with for animation/VO and if you have any recommendations. Always enjoy the food for thought! Keep it up! Hope this finds you warm, well, and safe this winter.
Hey there and thanks for watching! VO isn't an industry I know a ton about, but I will say that protools is what I'm used to seeing at professional audio recordings and personally, I use Audacity for all of my videos!
There are many networks and streamers to choose from! Reaching any of them does require some industry experience, whether that be through a manager, agent, production company, or personal connection via professional networking. Additionally, there are some worthwhile contests and industry conventions as well where you might be able to encounter buyers and development executives. Wishing you luck!
Interesting ... its great to be able to enjoy our properties and ideas chatting with others, however, is it good or bad to have it already out on our various channels, (essentially in development), with maybe a few fans etc etc... i feel its more 'protected' that way, but does that add to or take away from the attraction of a pitched property? Is it suddenly not 'new'? 🤔😯 ... if that makes sense 🤔🤷🏼♂️
Difficult to answer in theory. But I will say that if your band is out there and there just doesn't seem to be many fans. Then it's unlikely a buyer will find that part of the overall proposal interesting. Also, I think your idea of it feeling more 'protected' is a little incorrect. Copyright (in the US), occurs at the moment of creation, not the moment of distribution.
So basically have something "orignal" something that is new and something people are gonna like. And bring money to them, so let's say. I wanted to create a series and the base is. That a girl has to stop a series of villains from completing their ultimate goal, they will be like "alright so what make this one different" and I would say "well there's magic,there's a new type of villains this time their not some evil human instead their like. Mother nature personas winter,summer,spring and fall, and it has magic, medieval creatures like orcs and goblins and some original creature or new ones like deer fox or hypnotizing creatures called cuties and they all have a role in society like goblins are the smarts orcs are the broad,and elves are like defenders and magic teachers which will help the protag from completing her ultimate goal and there's plenty of cultural references like the wolf that chases the moon is from the norse ragnoroark, and merlin being originated from Brittain and we put on our spin on it where he is still. A great wizard but also has a line of previous reincarnations and our protag is one of them" and they will be like "....TOO LONG MAKE IT SHORTER" ill be like "oops" Edit:I hope there's no errors god plz
Like this....I'm got a blue haired superhero cartoon series made for 13+. (NOT mature audience more young adult.) It's kind of a cross between Static Shock, Green Lantern and Kim Possible with the dramatic tension and great character development of anime. (To much? Am I over selling it? I have a feeling I need to work on it...lol)
This is hard. I tried! Two best friends get manipulated by their trainer into despising eachother until one of them almost dies. Imagine "Whiplash" as a short about olympic diving with a side of magical realism. I got a short drama about two kids escaping the machinery of professional sports, although it's all they ever knew. It's like "one small step" except insted of running after unrealistic life goals the protagonist finds the beauty in reality.
@@SurvivingAnimation Thank you! The pitch is an actual film our very tiny studio has begun working on. th-cam.com/video/njXuR0k_WJA/w-d-xo.html Thank you so much for your channel, I learn so much :)
“The story of the three little pigs and the wolf..but the pigs have mech suits and so does the wolf.” Animated for teens and adults.(possibly adult swim toonami-ish)
Soft Pitch's can be so hard because all you want to do is talk about your project, yet refining it down to it's simplest form can become very difficult...very quickly.
Great video, thanks for sharing! :)
Ideally, the soft pitch is the thing that gets you the actual meeting where you have room for the full pitch!
@@SurvivingAnimation Indeed....it took me a long time to develop my soft pitch.
For the longest time, I agonized with buzz words and hooks...wondering "what part of Millennium Exile do I focus on?"
I think the favorite one I heard was for Riddley Scott's "Aliens" movie, which was "Jaws in Space".
Phenomenal. hahaha
That’s really great, Eric. I love how you were able to summarize the three fundamental elements of a good soft pitch. Keeping it quick and to the point would also prompt specific questions from who’s listening that inform you on how to potentially tweak the project. I’m an introvert and it took me while before being a little more at ease during pitches.
I feel like this is something we all do in everyday conversations "you should watch this movie, is like saw with hunger games" "i like this food, its like mexican food but with more cheese" etc
I'm assuming you mean pizza? Haha!
@@SurvivingAnimation or taco bell! haha but pizza works too
Thanks bro, great informative episode! Right in time for confernece season too. Its definitely and art form and almost a clever game in the way you have to quickly phrase your IP and make sure it piques there interests.
"Holy warriors from different religions debate ethics while they fight evil. Like The Good Place meets Berserk."
There's a Netflix Animation Virtual Speaker series going on this week, and one of the other attendees recommended your channel. All your videos I've seen so far have been great.
Hey that's pretty good! Is it parody or is it sincere action/fantasy - or is it both? WOW I'm so happy they mentioned me during those Netflix Virtual Speaker series! Yay!!!!
@@SurvivingAnimation Sincere action fantasy. As a small connection to you, my team actually started got motivated to make the show after the announcement of the Magic: the Gathering cartoon which you were working on.
If you've ever heard of the Pathfinder role-playing game, it's sort of the Pepsi to Dungeons & Dragons's Coke, and in late 2019 my team gave a short pitch to the company that made Pathfinder, suggesting they needed a cartoon too.
They were interested enough in our show bible and concept art to be cool with us developing it further. We got a couple of scripts written, and I was trying to recruit some storyboarders and animators. Then the pandemic hit and we made the mistake of going into a holding pattern, figuring we'd pick it up when things got back to normal in a month or two. lol Now I've got to start reassembling a team because everyone's schedules filled up.
@@rangerwickett Ooo a Pathfinder cartoon?!?! Fun!
@@SurvivingAnimation I hope I didn't miss my window of opportunity. I'm of course in love with our show idea, but I think I was a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the industry. So again, thanks for these videos.
Despite living a literal block from the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, I don't have enough contacts among actual animators or storyboard artists, and so I need to figure out how to build a new team that can demonstrate we can be trusted to actually make a full show. (Or, I guess, I could lower my sights a bit and work on some web shorts or something similar, and get that under my belt first.)
@@rangerwickett I hear ya! Well if you need any consultation, feel free to reach-out to me via LinkedIN (contact info in the video description) and we can book a session!
Thank you for this 👁 was enlighten.
I’ve found a thumbnail accidentally left on your desktop on a screen share works too!
Great video!
How do you gauge whether you should tell someone your soft pitch vs a logline? Is it like a protecting your IP thing or is it dependent on who you're talking to? I've found a few resources on how to make a pitch but they all seem to come from an angle of already having someone interested in speaking to you but not many about getting into that pitch situation as a person unknown/ yet to break into in the industry. So is soft pitching something you reserve for trying to set up a longer pitch?
Thanks for watching and good question! A soft-pitch is a teaser to get people to want to read your work or take the meeting. I hope that helps!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thanks for the response!
@@SurvivingAnimation So you would want to rather not present them a logline but instead "something they know with a twist" to get them interested?
@@Rauschuppenviper Yeah I think that's basically part of the artform. But I try to play it by ear. If it seems the person on the other side is a little more engaged, then I might follow the soft pitch with the logline!
"Yeah, I've got a children's cartoon where three kids turn everything into an adventure and it makes everyone's life suck."
Like that?
Haha sounds like a tough sell! But at the same time, is that Power Puff girls?
This was so helpful. I had a pitch meeting with a big studio and they were excited and gave us some notes. I wish I knew about soft pitching, it's so had to condense an idea.
I have some questions
1) What happens after you get the green light for a development deal at a major network? I've worked in the animation industry but never on the side of a creator.
2) Do they give you a team or do you create your own team?
3) Are you able to find the animation production studios you'd want to work with or are you assigned one? (I know within the budget they allow. I already have about 3 different production studios in mind.)
4) Are creators now turned into the show runners or will they be writers?
5) How does pay go? Are you now on their payroll (like bi-weekly ) or do you get a amount and have to figure it out?
I have a ton of questions, I'm sorry. I just don't have access to this information anywhere or I might've missed it. We're pitching now & we've received positive feedback and if we are accepted, I have no idea what the next steps are and I feel very nervous.
Sorry for all of the questions.
Thanks for watching and for the questions! I'll do my best to briefly answer. 1) Negotiations are what happens first. That's where everyone will figure out your best role on the series, whether that be as Show Runner, Supervising Director, Executive Producer or otherwise. It highly depends on your prior experience and talent. 2) Teams are build around what you can and can't do. It's typically very collaborative. 3) Animation production studio choices are also a very iterative process. But there's nothing wrong with bringing names to the table. 4) It depends on your prior experience. If you've never written before, you will likely not be asked to be the main writer. You'll get support. As for Show Runners, that's a management level position, so it depends on whether or not the buyer believes you can lead a team as well as be the creative center of the show. 5) It's really case-by-case. That's more a factor of local state law and under which production company you work. But, if you're directly working for the buyer, then an employment agreement is likely. I hope that helps and thanks for watching!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thank you so so so very much. This was incredibly helpful and has definitely eased my nerves . I have my fingers crossed. Hope to tell you good news soon.
Hi Eric! I know I’m late to the party, but thank you for making this channel. I appreciate your sincerity, it comes through, so it brings comfort to the viewer on this end.
I’m a writer and have an Indi graphic novella, a screenplay, and a short film out there, but I’m looking to get an anime feature made in order to express the true story completely. As a writer/creator, do you think that I can do the pitching myself to companies out there?
Hey there and thanks for watching and for your kind words! Have you had screenplays produced such as an animated feature, TV episode, or completed animated short? Also, when you say 'anime feature' do you mean that you want it fully produced in Japan or is your work just anime influenced?
@@SurvivingAnimation Unfortunately, I haven't had any screenplays produced or bought yet. In all honesty, I am new to the business. Although have able to get my script on an anime writers table, but he's got a lot on his plate at the moment, so I don't expect it to move any time soon. I'm looking to get an 'anime feature' produced here in the U.S. with lets say Crunchyroll or Netflix, but I believe their animation does get completed overseas. My work isn't necessarily anime influenced, but the script can easily be turned into anime because of how it was written. I'm Mexican-American, so Seis Manos (Netflix) and Onyx Equinox (Crunchyroll) have given me hope in doing something that I've always wanted to do, but didn't think was possible.
Hello! I've moved into writing for animation and I'd love to know of any resources on how to format the 11-minute preschool TV show like Santiago of the Seas. IE: when to use and when to add directing cues. I want to get this 100% right so I look like a pro. Any advice/resources? Thank you!!
Hey there and thanks for watching! Hmm. Your question has 2 parts. As for format, it sounds like you're talking about the craft of screenwriting. If that's the case, then any number of screenwriting books will help you there (start with maybe 'Save the Cat'). But generally, try not to direct on the page. Let the board artists and directors call the actual shots. Your job is to make sure the plot and character arcs are clear and the social / emotional stakes are understood. Finally, you can help set the mood and purpose of the scenes. But you don't need to tell the reader exactly where the camera is unless it's crucial to the story. I hope that helps!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thanks so much! As always... excellent advice!
But how do I get a meeting?
That's an entirely separate video that I'll consider making!
@@SurvivingAnimation because I have the next BIG Thing.
@ 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@SurvivingAnimation I mean I have set up a good production piece a small animation of a few scenes. I need a meeting.
I know this is unrelated to this video, but I would be super curious as to which programs you prefer to work with for animation/VO and if you have any recommendations.
Always enjoy the food for thought! Keep it up! Hope this finds you warm, well, and safe this winter.
Hey there and thanks for watching! VO isn't an industry I know a ton about, but I will say that protools is what I'm used to seeing at professional audio recordings and personally, I use Audacity for all of my videos!
@@SurvivingAnimation Your channel has been super helpful! I really appreciate what you're doing here as well as the response!
@@thewhitness21 And thank you for watching and commenting!
Where i can pitch ? how to reach them?
There are many networks and streamers to choose from! Reaching any of them does require some industry experience, whether that be through a manager, agent, production company, or personal connection via professional networking. Additionally, there are some worthwhile contests and industry conventions as well where you might be able to encounter buyers and development executives. Wishing you luck!
Interesting ... its great to be able to enjoy our properties and ideas chatting with others, however, is it good or bad to have it already out on our various channels, (essentially in development), with maybe a few fans etc etc... i feel its more 'protected' that way, but does that add to or take away from the attraction of a pitched property? Is it suddenly not 'new'? 🤔😯 ... if that makes sense 🤔🤷🏼♂️
Difficult to answer in theory. But I will say that if your band is out there and there just doesn't seem to be many fans. Then it's unlikely a buyer will find that part of the overall proposal interesting. Also, I think your idea of it feeling more 'protected' is a little incorrect. Copyright (in the US), occurs at the moment of creation, not the moment of distribution.
Hi Eric this was very helpful especially since kidscreen is approaching. Btw will you be participating in the event?
Thanks for watching! I'm not currently planning on attending Kidscreen this year - but I might change my mind last minute since it's virtual!
Great stuff as usual, to be honest I find myself soft pitching our software all the time. :)
Thanks, dude! I'm sure you're wonderful at it!
"A kid's cartoon elemental fairies that's really goofy but explores childhood trauma" - even that sounds like too much
It's not bad! But sounds... Dark!
So basically have something "orignal" something that is new and something people are gonna like. And bring money to them, so let's say. I wanted to create a series and the base is. That a girl has to stop a series of villains from completing their ultimate goal, they will be like "alright so what make this one different" and I would say "well there's magic,there's a new type of villains this time their not some evil human instead their like. Mother nature personas winter,summer,spring and fall, and it has magic, medieval creatures like orcs and goblins and some original creature or new ones like deer fox or hypnotizing creatures called cuties and they all have a role in society like goblins are the smarts orcs are the broad,and elves are like defenders and magic teachers which will help the protag from completing her ultimate goal and there's plenty of cultural references like the wolf that chases the moon is from the norse ragnoroark, and merlin being originated from Brittain and we put on our spin on it where he is still. A great wizard but also has a line of previous reincarnations and our protag is one of them" and they will be like "....TOO LONG MAKE IT SHORTER" ill be like "oops"
Edit:I hope there's no errors god plz
Longest soft pitch ever! Haha!
@@SurvivingAnimation XD ik pppffff
Like this....I'm got a blue haired superhero cartoon series made for 13+. (NOT mature audience more young adult.) It's kind of a cross between Static Shock, Green Lantern and Kim Possible with the dramatic tension and great character development of anime. (To much? Am I over selling it? I have a feeling I need to work on it...lol)
A little too much! Haha. But keep at it!
This is hard. I tried!
Two best friends get manipulated by their trainer into despising eachother until one of them almost dies.
Imagine "Whiplash" as a short about olympic diving with a side of magical realism.
I got a short drama about two kids escaping the machinery of professional sports, although it's all they ever knew.
It's like "one small step" except insted of running after unrealistic life goals the protagonist finds the beauty in reality.
Ooo I like the Whiplash one. Good job! Keep at it!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thank you! And even more so for doing this video series, it's just sooo insightful!
It's a Dungeons & Dragons campaign...but animated.
"A shy gay man swallows a strange space stone that transforms him into a flamboyant female super hero" :D
Not bad!
and BTW your animation show reel is really good!
@@SurvivingAnimation Thank you! The pitch is an actual film our very tiny studio has begun working on. th-cam.com/video/njXuR0k_WJA/w-d-xo.html Thank you so much for your channel, I learn so much :)
“The story of the three little pigs and the wolf..but the pigs have mech suits and so does the wolf.” Animated for teens and adults.(possibly adult swim toonami-ish)
Are working on anything now
Yep! I've got a slate of about 8 projects I'm working on right now, all in various stages of negotiation, development, writing, or production.
...On top of my one-off consultations that are usually one hour per consult.