Last month, Lensrentals started its first short film contest, where it would give $5,000 to the winning pitch to help make their film. They have announced that Darrel Lake is the winner from over 150 different entries. The finalists were selected by Lensrentals, and then filmmaker Charles Haine, who is also a No Film School contributor, picked the winning pitch. 

Lake's film, Gongoli, is based on his childhood remixed in a modern horror story. Haine said it was selected for "having that rare ability to be a story that is both very specific to its creator and their past, but also told in such a way that it will be approachable and engaging to a wider audience."

Check out the pitch below. 

Lake's pitch is personal, and he approaches a unique subject he knows very well. It's that combination of having a fresh story that you're confident in telling that can win over studios and networks. Knowing the history of something is one thing, but being able to tell that story in a distinct way will pique the viewers' attention. 

Pitching can be a tough proposition for some, but with practice, you can start to brush nerves aside and pretend you're telling your best friend a story. No Film School also has a ton of great resources to learn how to pitch. 

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Lensrentals says Lake will start production on Gongoli once pandemic restrictions lift. We're looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

Having any tips on how to pitch a project? Share them with the community below. 

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