Film Courage: A lot of our viewers ask about pitch meetings and how to acquire one.
How does someone get a pitch meeting at your company?
Scott Kirkpatrick: Well DRG is a bit different where we’re mostly co-producing with major
networks or major production companies.
So there is already a kind of established relationship there.
And I guess that’s sort of the key point in terms of how do you begin that process.
How does one open the door to get that kind of open communication with an acquisitions
team or development team.
So not just at DRG but any company you kind of have to understand what that company wants,
what they work with, what they like, what genres of content they like to work with,
getting a sense of who their key clients.
For instance at DRG we work a great deal at Netflix, RLJ Acorn where there are specific
networks that we have great relationships with.
When I was at MarVista Entertainment, we had great relationships with Lifetime (LMN), Disney,
Nickelodeon.
So at MarVista we were producing content that was kind of catered toward those audiences
(Ion Networks and a few others) and a few others and at DRG we have a different set
of companies that we work closely with.
That we just have a library of media that works well with those.
So our acquisitions team has a different mandate than what the acquisitions teams at MarVista
had.
So if you’re going to go into a company and attempt to build that kind of that initial
‘let’s see if some of my ideas are going to work well and we can get something going.’
You have to first understand what the company does, what it is they like to work with, what
media they’re actually in need of, and then the best way to get a pitch meeting is to
poise your kind of introduction as a way of being able to serve their needs to help them
accomplish their content goals.
So if they’re looking for women-in-peril films, if they’re looking for action films,
going into those companies, pitching those two scripts are going to be great.
If you go in pitching stuff that has nothing to do with their core values of the company
in terms of what they’re identified with in the marketplace, you’re not going to
get a warm reception.
It’s just they’re looking for ways to satisfy finding the content that they need.
So if you can position yourself where you’re kind of answering to that need, it’s the
best way to get it.
Film Courage: I know with MarVista [and your 2015 interview series with us there] we talked
about the ‘Goldmine Genre’ and it was Women-in-Peril or Tween Comedies or things
like that (films that were lighter in content).
It sounds like with DRG some of the darker topics/films such as the Norwegian noir is
more acceptable.
So it’s finding out what a company a writer would potentially like to pitch to and what
they represent.
So maybe a Tween Comedy wouldn’t work for DRG?
Scott Kirkpatrick: For DRG a teen comedy wouldn’t work at all.
Two years ago when I was at MarVista I would have jumped up and down if you gave me an
opportunity.
It’s because the mandate of the company is different.
There’s just a different need.
And in addition to dark, Nordic noirs and other deep serious scripted content we also
have a great deal of one-off factual films.
This is stuff that at MarVista would never work but we have a massive library of one-hour
documentary type programs that do amazing in the digital space.
We have a great collection of game show formats.
We have a great collection of what we call lifestyle programming where it’s cooking
and DIY type stuff.
It’s a totally different library.
Every company has a completely different package that they’re selling to the marketplace.
Distribution companies to be successful, they need to be kind of branded as one thing or
another.
Because they are branded that way, it attracts certain types of buyers in the international
marketplace.
There are only so many channels in the world, there are only so many media buyers in the
world, and they all have limited budgets.
So distribution companies have to position themselves to be different in the marketplace
and so they develop a kind of streamlined system of this content works really well because
we’re able to transact on it easily.
Let’s get more of that.
That’s kind of how they think.
So to go in (not just a pitch meeting) but if you want to showcase your script, if you
want to be a producer and produce content and get hired by a company to produce content
for them, you have to be able to position yourself to that company to say “I already
do stuff like that, therefore I can help you out.”
You know what I mean?
Film Courage: Right.
So almost back engineer it where a filmmaker knows that their film fits into this category
and then see who has distribution that is similar to their film.
Scott Kirkpatrick: Exactly.
Film Courage: But then can they just call up…you said that there are already established
relationships.
I’m just curious.
It’s interesting if I was a filmmaker and had (let’s say) a noir thriller that I wanted
to have considered, it sounds like that’s not the channel or the proper way to go about
it in terms of this.
Scott Kirkpatrick: Reverse engineering is exactly the way to do it.
It’s just if you already have a script, if you already have a film, or if you just
have an idea or a treatment or anything along those lines that you’re trying to get out
into the marketplace.
First off, if you’re only at the treatment stage I would try to package it or get some
other elements in there.
But going to a distributor that is in alignment with what other project you’re trying to
pitch, that is how you begin that introduction of this is how we can start process of being
in regular conversation about this topic and potentially future ones.
It’s walking in the door by reverse engineering it in the sense of “I know this company
works in these two genres or three genres.
My project fits that very, very well.”
Focusing on the companies that fit that and then talking to them basically saying “Look,
I know you produced this stuff or I know you develop or co-produce this kind of material.
I have something very much in alignment with it.
Maybe we can talk about it?”
And it it’s at an early stage like a treatment or you know an initial rough draft screenplay
type thing, going to them early and saying I want to cater this for you, give me your
advice, give me your feedback.
Or even better if you’re a producer “Hey, I want to produce this woman-in-peril thriller.
I want to produce this tween comedy.”
Going to a company that works in that and saying “I’m going to produce it.
I’m going to fund it.
I’m going to figure out how to get the money for it.
What I want from you is a clear understanding of what works.
What is going to make is a great film in the marketplace or a great product in the marketplace
(and if in exchange for that) I’d love for you to have the first look at acquiring it
later.”
Or even trying to sign a deal where they get the opportunity to have it regardless and
then they’re now…they have something at the back end.
They have a filmmaker that is going to produce the whole thing and they get to coach and
create the whole movie that they want and they’re guaranteed to have it at the end
of the day.
That’s kind of how you do it.
You create opportunities for the production companies or for distribution companies that
make their job easier.
Film Courage: Is someone just calling up and finding the right contact?
I’m sure it’s a delicate process into getting that introduction because the filmmaker
doesn't want to come across too pushy, doesn’t want to send an email with too much information,
what’s the proper way to just ease in (just a little bit) not with a lot of expectation.
Not with too much pressure on the other person.
Scott Kirkpatrick: I find LinkedIn is a great source because everyone in the professional
world is on it.
And you look for terms like acquisitions.
Anyone in the acquisitions department of a distribution company or executive producers
who work for production companies, those are sort of the individuals tasked with making
things happen, bringing stuff in.
And if you’re going to be jumping out to people blindly, they get a lot of people hounding
them all the time.
So that’s kind of why I go back to.
You can’t look at it as what can you do for me and how can you help me make my movie,
you have to say “I understand your company is looking for material like this and I would
like to help you with your search.”
If you back engineer it in that sense, you are making their job easier.
You are helping them achieve a goal that is going to help them professionally.
And now all of the sudden they are going to be a lot more receptive to listening to you
and you position yourself differently than all the other noise that is out there.
That is kind of how you do it.
And from that, don’t make the mistake of going after the top dog at every company.
Like don’t go after the CEO or the head of this or the executive VP of that because
they are bombarded with work all the time that’s just within the company, that’s
not even random people reaching out.
So go for juniors, go for middle managers, go for people in companies who are hungry,
who have more open time and who are looking for those opportunities to bring stuff in
because it helps them also professionally achieve that next level in the company.