Delegate Guidebook

your pitch. The goal of your five-minute
meeting is to build a relationship with the
executive. The road to a script sale is
a marathon, not a sprint. Whether your
script is a good match for the executive
or not, your personality, professionalism,
demeanor, and confidence will impact
your ability to build a professional
relationship as much as your talent.
14. Don’t overestimate the exec.
Remember, that exec across from you
is just a person who has made a career
telling stories. You have a story. Tell it.
15. Be concise. You have five minutes
for your meeting, but there needs to
be room for questions and small talk.
If you can start your conversation with
a 1-minute pitch, that’s good. With a
30-second pitch, even better. Try to get
it down to 10 words. If those ten words
result in the exec saying, “Tell me more,”
they’ve done their job.
Go The Extra Mile! Ask the executive
about herself. What does she want
to produce? Why did she get into the
business in the first place? Favorite
movies/TV shows? Taking interest in the
executive is a much more effective way
to build a relationship than a wall-to-wall
hard sell on your script.
What you can do after your
pitch
17. Send the script to everyone who
requested it. You would be surprised
how many writers chicken out, plagued
by self-doubt. If you pitched a script
that’s ready to go, then let it go. If not,
then get it ready and send it when it is.
But don’t let a script request evaporate.
18. Follow up six weeks later. If you
haven’t heard back, a polite follow-up
is appropriate, but don’t act entitled or
angry.
16. Once she says yes, all she can do
is say no. Thank her, shake her hand,
remember to get contact info, and head
to your next queue. If it’s a long one, take
the time to email your script right then
and there.
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19. Be open to notes. Writing is
solitary, but filmmaking is collaborative.
A producer must juggle a long list of
conflicting priorities. If she makes a
suggestion you disagree with, politely