Video Pitches are Making a Comeback During the Pandemic

Hollywood is changing thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Normal practices such as general meetings have shifted from in-person meetings to Zoom. And now, phone and zoom pitches are much more commonplace. 

But aside from that, the pitch is changing as well. 

Recently, The Hollywood Reporter ran an article discussing how a pitch video is taking Hollywood by storm. 

In a 9-minute "quarantine-style" video, filmmakers Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz use celebrity cameos, photos, and even some actors to sell the idea to prospective buyers. 

The video is a summary of their idea for a half-hour live-action comedy calledThe Wildest Animals in Griffith Park. The show is based on their own real-life experience living secretly in a park in the hills of Los Angeles while they developed the project that became The Peanut Butter Falcon. 

The video has been passed around Hollywood, and while we cannot publish it here, It was good enough to attach Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap team as producers.

The article explains, "The filmmakers describe the show using a succession of movie posters: It's a twist on Alice in Wonderland with the cast of Girls living in a treehouse like Swiss Family Robinson, with the mindset of Fight Club and stealing from the rich and giving to the poor (as in Robin Hood), with fantastical elements like talking animals from The Never-Ending Story."

This was always meant to be a traditional path, but then the pandemic changed course. 

The show has not sold yet but is expected to gather many offers.

This outside-the-box thinking has become greatly appreciated in this time. Instead of working their way through an awkward online pitch, buyers can just watch this short video and decide for themselves. 

For creators, the idea of making a video instead of a pitch can seem labor-intensive but think about being able to control the visuals, pacing, and just the way the idea is digested and received? 

That's very attractive to me. 

Many people already make ripomatic trailers and sizzle reels to show their vision. We showed you the one Lorene Scafaria made to get Hustlers. This is just the next step. 

While I doubt this will become commonplace, it is a way to attract even more eyeballs to what you're working on. 

What are some outside-the-box ideas you've used to get people interested in your projects? Let us know in the comments.