After watching the Stephanie Palmer pitch video, a few things became clear about our pitch to the class. For one, the finer details of the plot don’t matter – we’re far better off explaining the absolute basics so we don’t lose the audience. The second thing, was that we totally needed to build the mood through the pitch in order to influence the audience*
*Though, we had to do so in a way that the audience did not realise they were being influenced (sneaky, sneaky…)
We thought of ways we could do this, and aside from the obvious – convey the mood through what we’re saying – some other ideas popped into our heads. Some were too distracting (though would certainly make for a memorable pitch, just not for the right reasons) – e.g. having someone go around and act as Doc, or turning the lights off (not that we came close to doing any of these) – and might result in the audience remembering the pitch, but possibly not the idea nor ourselves – out there theatrics might actually undermine the whole thing.
But our other idea – too have a soundtrack playing to influence mood – was easily possible. On top of that, having a dark and freaky powerpoint would be essential in conveying the mood. Therefore we went for dark slides with sinister images.
The rest of the pitch then relied on our speaking to convey the mood. I do have some prior experience pitching, and though Palmer didn’t really mention it, catching the audience is an absolute must. They do not know what your film is about – and will need context, which is what Palmer suggested you start off with – but they also need to be interested. I find that starting off with a basic question/statement that everyone can relate too – or for a historic film, it might be a fact… depends a little bit on the context – is a really good way to capture their audience. This makes them start thinking about the theme, and you can then go on to explain the basic (in a few sentences!) gist of the story. Doing this allows you to grip your audience without losing them.
As for what Palmer was saying about stepping back and explaining your idea… maybe I didn’t quite understand what she was saying, but I think that if the initial ‘grip’ is effective enough, the audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say. But, again, then it has to be well-done enough that the audience doesn’t get lost… Perhaps I took what she said too literally.
While my group went about putting together the slides and jotting down points, I drafted two differing versions of the ‘grip’. They do have their subtle differences, and we then looked at both and picked the second one (which also means the second pitch is more refined).
Option One –
Everyone’s reality is different. Some of us move through life with confidence, calm and collected, fearless and unquestioning. But for some, shadows lurk in the darkness. Every movement, every breath, is brought into question, every action judged by the demon within.
This is Sid’s reality. Something as simple as going to bed is a time full of fear, thoughts and rituals in order to ward off the monster lurking in the shadows.
One Closed Door is a psychological thriller that follows the life of Sid, a reclusive and timid man. Sid is haunted by Doc, a dark presence who judges Sid’s every move, causing Sid to go about routines in order to ward him off.
Option Two –
Each person has their own reality. They may feel as though a cup of tea has healing properties, and can make everything right. They might believe that money does buy happiness . Or, they may constantly be followed by a malevolent presence, constantly lurking in the darkness and judging their every move. A presence that causes them to perform rituals, and actions they do not want to.
The problem with ones reality, is that no one else can ever see it. You can call it out from the rooftops, you can beg for help, but unless someone else is also living it, you are alone.
One Closed Door is a dark, gloomy psychological thriller that follows Sid, a depressed and reclusive man as he tries to get ready for bed. But thanks to Doc – a malevolent presence – his night time routine is turned into a ritual to keep Doc at bay.
Because each time he messes up, Doc comes closer.
And to him, Doc means death.
The first grip was definitely less ambiguous, and was more focused on Sid as a character. This might not have been an issue if it were a character piece, but given that Doc plays such a major part, the ‘malevolent presence’ needs to be more featured. It also talked about the project before the main character, which gave the audience more of a chance to connect before being bombarded with the not-so-fine finer details.
We also went into the technical elements that we hope to achieve through this project, and then the inspiration (which turned out to be an whoops, whoops) as it will help us achieve what we want, and guide us down the right path.
References
Palmer, S. Talks at Google (2012). Good in a Room. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od7EgHIzK9Y&fbclid=IwAR20J6wmfOWlWtu3jMCfiFDMN-RKB3YX8OZjhimRW-JyxsNmbcwRHQwgsaA
