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Video: Michael Hauge on Pitching

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Last week we linked to Michael Hauge’s lecture on High Concept.
Known for his “Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds,” while he was in Australia, Michael also did his pitching spiel. Here’s the 21 Mins summary of the “60 Secs” lecture.

This is not about how to approach a pitch meeting, but rather what to do when you have the producer, agent etc. on the phone, at a pitchfest or in a networking situation. It’s really about those rare, super short windows of opportunity you might have with someone in power.

Here’s Michael’s first tip:

“The first thing you have to avoid in that situation
is trying to tell your story. It’s the biggest mistake most writers or filmmakers make, when pitching their project.”

With thanks to Dana Skowrnowski and Adrian Kok.

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Video: Michael Hauge on High Concept

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Earlier this year Screen Australia invited Michael Hauge again, this time to explain to local screenwriters what High Concept means.
If you’re still struggling with that concept, this video might help.

If you don’t have the time to watch the whole video – despite the thorough editing there’s a lot of silence in between the words – here is Michael Hauge’s definition in one sentence:

“A high concept is a story concept that is strong enough
that it will draw an audience without any other components.
It is not dependent on casting, name director, execution, good worth of mouth, […] it is simply the story idea alone
that will promise an emotional experience.”

Obviously the key skill is not in knowing this definition; it is in being able to find an idea that fits the definition.

With thanks to Dana Skowrnowski and Adrian Kok.

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Video: Ira Glass

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Yesterday I published a little post about how to be more creative, how not to get stuck on one crappy idea that you’re trying to forever improve. Following on from this, you may find Ira Glass inspiring when he explains how to grow to excellence.

Glass says:

The most important possible thing you could do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week or every month you know you’re gonna finish one story. Whatever it’s gonna be. You create the deadline. It’s best if you have somebody who is waiting for work from you. Someone who is expecting from you, even if it is not someone who pays you but that you’re in a situation where you have to churn out the work. Because it is only by actually going through a volume of work that you’re actually going to catch up and close that gap and the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions.

By consistently writing, it is not impossible to have a day job and still finish one or two feature screenplays every year. This is exactly what the people I believe in are doing right now.

Are you one of them?

With thanks to Dana Skowrnowski and Adrian Kok.

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Video: Scriptwriting with Sean Astin

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It kinda looks wrong. A hobbit telling you how to write screenplays. I expect Sean Astin to crack a joke any moment.
Still, Sean’s advice is sound and the beginning screenwriter may well take a lesson or two from it.

With thanks to Dana Skowrnowski and Adrian Kok.

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Video: Script Cops

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Apart from the fact that you can purchase Final Draft at a serious discount from us, we don’t have any affiliation with the company.  But this is not keeping me from showing you their hilarious ‘branded videos’. Here is the first one.

With thanks to Dana Skowrnowski and Adrian Kok.

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