23.03.20 / Pitch It! – POSTPONED

***POSTPONED DUE TO COVID19***

PITCH IT! Give your project the best chances to make it to the screens…
A workshop about The Art of Pitching: PREPARATION – INNER CLARIFICATION – CONGRUENCE OF COMMUNICATION
Tutor: Sibylle Kurz;   Pitching & Communication Skills
Date: March 23rd-25th, 2020
Duration: 2 days with a 90 min workshop on Day 3
Venue: TBC
Cost: €250

Course Profile:
Screen Skillnet in partnership with Screen Skills Ireland are seeking participants for PITCH IT!

LEARN HOW TO:

• Conduct RESEARCH and PREPARATION before approaching any potential financing and distribution partner;
• Prepare a CONVINCING pitch that will attract interest;
• Understand different PITCHING SITUATIONS and the appropriate approach;
• Deal with INDIVIDUAL MINDSETS and the psychology involved in the challenging pitching situation;
• Then, PITCH with clarity, consistency and persuasion;
• And then learn how to ENJOY IT!

Pitching an idea or a concept to decision-makers is a nerve-wrecking process to some people – and a walk in the park for others. Notwithstanding lack or richness in personal skills everyone can learn to create a better pitch and increase the chance of pitching successfully.

Understand the importance of a good, consistent and yet brief technique of communication that enables you to present a project in a few words, never forgetting the intention to sell to the listener.

Communication skills are by far the most forgotten aspect of the selling process. It deals with two main elements:

• RESEARCH AND PREPARATION, before approaching any type of buyers, partners, financiers
• UNDERSTANDING SUPPORT / HINDERANCE THROUGH PERSONAL VALUES/ATTITUDES

Then, LEARN HOW TO PITCH with clarity, consistency and persuasion.

The pitching workshop gives the participants the opportunity to acknowledge and overcome their deficits in pitching and presentations. During actual rehearsal between the group and the trainer, the participants will learn how to present their projects, ideas, concepts and themselves. The process will be analysed, improved and step-by-step integrated in the preparation of an efficient individualized project presentation, while drawing on, developing and improving their individual communication resources and competences. With the help of video-camera training appropriate feed-back will be supported. We will reflect on each project, brought by the participants in a current realistic state of development. Projects will be reviewed from the perspective of theme, the emotional effect and a clear definition of the “actual status and its further development steps” of the project. The pitch will be fine-tuned towards the appropriate pitching-partners.

Structure: 

Day 1: The first morning session will be a general lecture in the plenary offering an overview of the theoretical issues of the subject of pitching & communication. 

The remaining duration of Day 1 and Day 2 will be structured with different practical exercises, so that the participants can work and train their pitches according to the individual needs. Video-exercises and feed-back will be a part of Day 2. 

Small group workshops will be scheduled for the following Day 3 workshop.  During these 90 min workshops additional appropriate and constructive criticism will be given to reflect on the exercises; and additional subject-related questions will be answered.  

The results should be several different pitch-versions in both length and approach for the projects. They will gain an understanding of the need for individual and particular project related preparation, as well as receiving a “basic tool-box” for future pitches.

Participant Profile: 

This workshop is aimed at experienced producers and development executives (individual or in teams) in: film, drama, documentary, animation. Participants must have industry track-record with at least one paid professional producing/writing/development credit. Places are limited. 

Minimum Requirements: The participants will each bring their own project to this session.  It can be a project from any genre (fiction, non-fiction, animation) but must be in a realistic state of development. The course requires some synopsis/intention preparation in advance. The course is ideal for professionals preparing to pitch at markets.

Regarding IP and copyright, please be prepared to workshop an idea and share aspects of story development.

Application Procedure:

Please apply via the Screen Skills Ireland website by 5pm on Wednesday 4th March 2020 with your up to date CV. 

If applying as a team each team member must make an individual online application and email neil.murphy@screenskillsireland.ie confirming who the team partners are by the deadline, attaching both CV’s to the email. Please note: the cost per person will be €250 when applying as a team.

For any further questions, please email neil.murphy@screenskillsireland.ie

Sibylle Kurz 

Communication skill trainer, and specialised expert in ‘The Art Of Pitching’

Since 1995 Sibylle works as a communication skill trainer, focussing on ‘The Art Of Pitching’ for production companies, producers and writers. She teaches at renowned national and international universities, film schools and art-academies. Additionally, she supports in individual coaching session the professional and personal development for creative people in the bigger fields of “Arts & Culture”. 

In her intensive workshop sessions, she enables the participants to gain clear insight into their own professional practice, to develop their projects prior to pitching, as well as focus, hone, fine- and time-tune the pitching process in diverse contexts. Audiovisual projects include all genres in feature fiction, documentary, animation, hybrid- and transmedia formats.

Since 1994 she is member of the pedagogical team of EAVE, a MEDIA supported training program for European producers. This works demands a great field of continuous experience in „decision making“ for several European training initiatives and programmes as well as consultancy work for trainees. In 1995 Sibylle Kurz co-founded d-net-work, an alliance of young European producers (feature & documentaries) for the purpose of assistance in finding co-production- and distribution-partners in the specific territories, exchange of information. She is a member of: European Film Academy (EFA), European Woman’s Audiovisual Network (EWA) and part of EAVE’s pedagogical and expert team.

Based on years of experience in acquisition and distribution and an academic background in media- & communication science and psychology, she helps professionals in their project development, both, through dramaturgical advice, communication strategies and focussing work in body- & breathing techniques.  Her book ‘Pitch It’ has been published in 2015 for the third edition. Her motto is: say, what you think – do, what you say, – be, what you do!