By Polo Munoz, Managing Editor/Publisher

As we sat around listening to some conversations at the beautiful Lowes Santa Monica Hotel during our stint covering this year’s American Film Market, it was very tough to listen to some of the pitches being made by very unprepared folks. There was the man who was pitching a Chinese production group his story and then telling them that he could make it on whatever amount they would “give” him and that he could not wait until their kids would be making films together. Our conclusion, this guy was not taking advantage of the panels and the conversations offered at the market.

Although this year press was not allowed to attend the pitch conversations we have attended enough and made enough pitches to know that it is a skill that requires a lot of practice and preparation.


Another conversation was more about how the prospective financiers would benefit by attending red carpet events and they would have a lot of fun throughout the process, the response was simple and harsh; “How are we going to get our money back and make some in the process, I am not here to have fun.” The conversation ended there.

Although you will need to create a full proposal, you can start with a simple question that will help you with a pitch that financiers will understand. Who is this film’s audience? And more important, who will pay for a ticket to watch this film, that is not my family and friends?