You don’t have to know anything about home runs or Sammy
Sosa to learn how to pitch a movie.
Hosted by the UCLA Professional Screenwriting Program, professor
Fred Rubin will be teaching a pitching seminar this Saturday, Dec.
6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “pitching” is a
practice often used to sell a script for a television show or a
movie, in which writers present their story ideas to producers.
A typical pitch normally lasts a mere 20 minutes, making it
important for writers to express their ideas as smoothly and
succinctly as possible, according to Rubin.
“My philosophy is to arm yourself with as much knowledge
as possible before,” said Rubin. “The most important
thing is that the presentation is clear, concise and
brief.”
Rubin, who currently teaches screenwriting in the UCLA
Professional Screenwriting Program, has written over 60 television
episodes, 10 pilots and two made-for-TV movies. His experience has
taught him a lot about what it takes to create a good pitch.
“Early on in my career, my partner and I pitched an idea
where we would star in the show we had written as well. We were so
into it, we even changed clothes twice during the pitch,” he
said. “I guess you could say that was a more radical
technique, and not one I will be teaching in my seminar.”
While Rubin insists that it is best not to put salesmanship
above the quality of one’s work, he said that selling is
definitely at the core of a successful screenwriting career.
“If you’re good at pitching, you can frequently get
away with selling less-than-stellar material,” said Rubin.
“But usually people are going to figure out that it’s
just not the best work.”
With shrinking audience attention spans and growing financial
investments in production, Rubin says that skills acquired in
seminars like his own are important in today’s entertainment
industry.
Danielle Sanchez, who graduated with a master’s degree in
fine arts from UCLA and now writes for the NBC series “Happy
Family,” agreed that knowing how to pitch an idea is an
important skill.
“People in this business are super busy, and you really
never know who you’ll run into,” she said. “If
you’re fumbling and making mistakes, you may have blown your
shot.”
According to Sanchez, the unique aspect of Rubin’s
teaching is his concentration on the broader picture.
“What was great was that I knew so little before,”
said Sanchez. “As someone who works for television today, I
talk to young writers all the time and find myself referencing the
things that he taught me.”
Fred Rubin will hold his Pitching Seminar on Dec. 6, from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is still open. Log on to
http://www.filmprograms.ucla.edu/short_courses.htm#pitch for more
information.