This week, each group pitched their projects to a panel comprising staff from RMIT’s School of Media, as well as Dr Troy Innocent.

The older I get, the more I enjoy pitching as a way of distilling the core aspects and unique appeals of one’s work (in marketing parlance, its unique selling points).  I think a good pitch should be well-rehearsed, however there is value in leaving a little bit of room for ad-libbing, to ensure that one’s presentation maintains a sense of spontaneity.

I have had some experience pitching my own work in my previous studies.  One very important rule which I try to adhere to is to not pack too much detail into one’s presentation.  In my opinion, pitches should convey a flavour of the project, not the minutiae of the plot and the characters, and it is very important to remember that generally this will be the first time your audience will have heard about the project.

With some of the groups’ presentations, I found myself unclear of the overall plot/through-line of the story, whilst nonetheless recognising a lot of great ideas.  Perhaps the staccato feel of some of the projects were reflective of (a) the fact that several groups comprised four or five members, so the content of the speeches had to be divided and/or (b) the transmedia/multi-platform nature of the projects.  However, as discussed, the process of pitching is a great opportunity to distill the essence of a project, and some level of judicious  is very important.

Nevertheless, I was impressed by the breadth of ideas presented and the very individual nature of each of the projects being pitched.