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Golden Pitch Information Page

Registration

Expo Pitchpak.

We want you to succeed at pitching to the entertainment industry.  The steps below will seem obvious to some, but our experience is that to many aspiring writers, they are not.  So we are suggesting these steps to help you maximize the potential for success.

1. Know why you are pitching.

Without an agent or legal representation, screenwriters almost never get the opportunity to bring their ideas to the people who can help their script evolve into a film. A pitch meeting is an opportunity to pitch directly to an industry executive or literary agent with the power to turn your dream into a reality.  

At our Golden Pitch, one room will hold up to 60 of Hollywood’s A-list producers, development executives, agents, and managers at a time will be looking for new material. In all, 137 companies participated in last year's Expo.  

2. Have a great story.  

Whether you have a finished script or just a great stiry idea, it is possible to walk in, pitch, and get the attention of production executives.   You will need to know your story and characters well.  For many writers, that means going through the effort of writing down what they say and do as the story proceeds.  But this is Hollywood, and magic does happen.  Just be prepared to deliver the script while the interest is hot. 

3. Learn how to pitch.

5. Register for the Expo
Register for the Expo. If you're going to be attending the Golden Pitch Festival, your first step is to register for The Screenwriting Expo. After registering, you will be contacted via e-mail in when the pitch ticket shopping cart opens to electronically select the pitch meetings you want.

6. Wait For Your Email, Then Purchase Your Pitch Meetings Tickets Online
The 2011 Screenwriting Expo Pitch Meeting tickets will only be sold to attendees who have registered for The 2011 Screenwriting Expo by Nov. 1, 2011.  Individual tickets (to pitch for 5 minutes to one development executive/ production company) will be sold for $25. You may also purchase 5 tickets for $100 (a savings of $25). No refunds will be given for unused pitch tickets.

The 2011 Screenwriting Expo Pitch Meeting registration will be conducted as a staged process, with registrants invited to register for pitches in the same order they registered for the Expo. ( So Register Now! ) All registrants for the Expo will receive a general e-mail announcing the date of pitch registration. Then, on that date, every 5 minutes a new group of expo attendees will be invited to sign up for pitch fest tickets.

7.  At the Expo, Sign the Release And Pick Up Tickets.
The ticket pickup location will be in the Expo registration area or nearby. You will not receive a refund if you refuse to sign the release form, so be sure you understand the terms in advance. 

8. Go to Your Pitch Meetings
The tickets that you purchase will have the name of the production company you will be meeting with as well as the time of your session. You must be in line for your session at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time (the pitch meetings will be held in a room to be announced at the Westin Los Angeles Airport this year), so if you purchase several tickets, make sure there is some space between the sessions. If you miss your session, no refunds will be given for your unused pitch ticket.

9.  Pitch Your Script
Each pitch will last up to 5 minutes. At the 5-minute mark a bell will ring and you will have 10 seconds to leave the table. You need to move quickly so the writer with the next appointment can sit down and begin their pitch. If you finish your meeting with a production company before the 5 minutes are up, please leave the table as soon as possible. This will open up an opportunity for the a writer in the “Standby” line to speak to that company.

10. Follow Up If Asked
After you pitch your story or screenplay, the producer or production company may or may not request to see a copy of your script. If they do request your script, proper protocol is to mail a copy a few days after the event with a nice cover letter reminding them of your meeting and their request.  DO NOT call.  DO NOT send a script if not asked to.  Both of those approaches mark you as an amateur at best.  Producers are generally turned off by overly-aggressive writers who are unknown to them.

Disclaimer
The Screenwriting Expo secures agreements to appear from each producer prior to announcing the producer's commitment to the Pitch Meetings. Unfortunately, for any number of reasons, one or more producers may be unable to appear or may not arrive at their scheduled time. The Screenwriting Expo will have back-up producers available to hear pitches in the event that any executives are unable to meet their contractual obligation. In the event that a producer does not appear, a make-up pitch will be arranged with one of our back-up producers. Make-up pitches are available in lieu of refunds. The Screenwriting Expo cannot be responsible if a producer does not meet his or her contractual obligation.