Selling Your Stories: Representation and the Art of the Pitch for Film and TV Writers
Among aspiring film and TV writers there are many misconceptions and myths about Hollywood and what it means to be a working writer. While the actual craft of writing is crucial, knowledge of the industry and presentation and promotion skills are equally important in order to gain entry into the often seemingly elusive and secretive world of Hollywood. Through class discussions and industry guests, this course will explore in depth the Hollywood representation eco-system and “the business of writing” landscape. Students will also delve inwards to what is ultimately the most important thing—their stories . You will learn the difference between a manager, an agent, and a lawyer, and how these key figures help to launch your career, introduce you to industry executives, get your projects set up and made, and—most important—get you a paycheck. You will also hone your “pitching” technique--a paramount skill in the film and TV industry—and walk away with a confident sense of how to pitch your stories and yourself.
This course may be used to fulfill the requirements of the Certificate in Writing and Producing for Film and Television. It may be taken to pursue the certificate, or as a standalone course. Questions? Contact us at The Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts: Email sps.pala.ce@nyu.edu or call 212-998-7289.
It is strongly recommended that students have completed at least three elective courses in the certificate before taking this course.
You'll Walk Away with
- Knowledge of the difference between services provided by agents, managers, and lawyers
- Experience writing loglines and query letters for pitching yourself and your project
- An understanding of what representation can and can’t do for you, and a realistic understanding of how to best get representation.
- A three- to five-minute teaser pitch for a feature film or TV project
- The outline of an extended pitch
- Familiarity with best practices for pitching yourself and your film and TV projects
Ideal for
- Aspiring film and TV writers
- Students interested in film and TV writing, producing, directing, and development, or in a career in the entertainment industry
- Students with finished scripts ready to be pitched, as well as those with projects still in development
- An understanding of the challenges of a Hollywood writing career and a realistic approach or strategy to obtaining one