Can you imagine being able to grab the attention of industry professionals in just a few words?

Actually, that’s an essential if you want to succeed as a writer, director or producer in film or TV. The ability to pitch well is vital.

Don’t be too put off by all the mythology, though. Pitching is a skill that can be learned and practised like any other. And there are some basics that you need to know first.

1. Pitching is like talking

The word “pitch” gets people anxious. Think of it like having a conversation. You tell someone you meet about a film or TV programme you like. In the same way, you tell a producer, actor, director, colleague, about the film/programme you want to make. Rule one: make your pitch natural, informal and conversational.

2. Keep it short

Just like a conversation, you wouldn’t talk for ten minutes without pausing for breath or checking the other person is still alive. So don’t with a pitch. Start with no more than two to three sentences at most. Yes, you read that right. Two to three sentences will seem long when you come to practise properly.

The most famous pitch in the industry – the pitch for Alien – was just three words: “Jaws in Space.”

Nobody ever complained because a pitch was too short. Your second best outcome of all is if they say, “Tell me more.” (See here for more discussion of short pitches).

3. Know what you want

If you’re a writer then your best outcome would be for them to ask to read the script. (The truth is, unless you have a track record, you have almost no chance of getting a commission from a pitch). If a director or producer, then you’ll probably either be pitching for finance or because you want someone (star, distributor, director of photography) to commit to the project – most often, though, they too will first want to read the script.

4. Know what they want

Research the person you’re pitching to, if you have time. If not, just ask them. When I run my Pitching Masterclasses for Euroscript, I focus significant time on exploring what industry professionals are looking for when you pitch to them.

5. Get in the mood

Not just the mood for pitching, but also get in the mood of your story. If you know your genre (or genres) – and you absolutely must know that – then you know that each genre has an emotional effect on the audience. Comedy is supposed to make people laugh – though some scripts I see make me doubt that… Horror horrifies. Thrillers thrill, etc. Your pitch should convey some of that mood through the way you say it.

I’m not saying that to pitch a comedy you need to be do a stand-up routine, but if your pitch for a screwball comedy doesn’t have a hint of humour to it, then how’s the pitchee going to react? Put humour into your comedy pitch. Ensure your thriller pitch reflects some of the tension and fear.

6. Be clear

State what needs to be said up-front. Be clear about the genre – say what it is. Be clear who the protagonist is and what the main issue is that they face. Be clear what the point of the whole story is. I spend a good deal of my Pitching Masterclass in helping you learn what needs to be said, and how to say it clearly, succinctly and elegantly.

7. Put in the work

If you want to get powerful at pitching, you need to put in the work. Analyse as many pitches as you can. Short written pitches are everywhere, in adverts, in Radio Times blurbs, even in the body of film and TV reviews.

Also listen to people pitching – at network events or pitching workshops and Masterclasses or just friends talking about what they just saw.

8. Practice Makes Confident

Pitching is essentially simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Not at first. Practise, practise, practise. Pitch to everyone you meet. Pitch to a tape recorder. Pitch to others in the industry and get them to pitch back to you. Practise doesn’t make perfect, it makes confident. Also you’ll find as you work on your pitch you’ll also gain a much deeper understanding of your own project – you’ll spot things that need improving – and will improve the project in the process.

9. How to make your pitching even better?

• You can book a personal session with a script consultant, and work on your pitch in person, on-line or on the phone.
• You can work in a group of other writers, directors and/or producers – supporting each other.
• You can go to Pitching Workshops and Masterclasses – there are many around but the quality can be variable so check them out first.

I do consultancy and facilitate groups and masterclasses when I have time and I also recommend you check out my colleagues at Euroscript
Charles Harris

Charles Harris is an experienced writer and director in TV, theatre and cinema who has worked with a number of the top names in cinema and TV, from James Stewart to Spike Milligan. A film editor for BBC and Channel Four, he moved on to direct TV and theatre, winning awards around the world.

His first professional feature script was optioned for production in Hollywood, and he has continued to write original and commissioned screenplays, and published acclaimed short stories. As script consultant, he has worked with professional writers from Britain, Europe, Asia and the USA, lectured at international film festivals and on MA courses at London University and London Film School.

To contact Charles to learn more, Click here to visit his blog or Euroscript

The 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable single music clip. Enjoy!

Sharing the same new technology that makes the SRM450v2 the breakthrough live performance powerhouse that it is, the ultra-compact SRM350v2 is perfect for when space is at a premium. With a front view that measures 13.1″x20.7″ at a depth (front to rear) of 12.25″, the SRM-350 is noticably smaller than it’s bigger brother, the SRM-450 V2, and weighing 26lb (11.8kg) is just over half the weight.

Mackie SRM-350 V2 (Single) 2-way bi-amplified, optimized Active loudspeaker system High-output, titanium dome compression driver 10″ Neodymium long-throw low frequency transducer 165W class-D, Fast Recovery LF amp / 30W HF amp Ultra-wide, smooth dispersion via HF waveguide Built-in phase-accurate 24dB Linkwitz-Riley electronic crossover Electronic time correction, phase alignment and EQ for studio quality sound Mic/line input and pass-thru connector Lightweight for ultimate portability (26 lbs) Flyable, Pole Mountable, Floor Wedge-able

However, I came across a site which seems to have a different angle, and might just catch on. This is a 30-Day Challenge by Ramit Sethi, so everything should be able to be accomplished within 30 days. As he says in the introduction to the challenge “You can sit here and read every tip and feel good about yourself. But only the people who spend time implementing will save any money.” Now that sound like a good start.

The full list of tips is published on the blog posting Announcing the Save $1,000 in 30 Days Challenge, but the important difference from the usual savings scheme, is that you have to commit to doing it. Ok the language is distinctly American, and some of the tips might need a little rework, such as the US Gas hedge fund, but the principles are sound.

I rather like tip number 15, which is to have people over to your house instead of meeting at a bar or a restaurant. This contains an interesting excerpt on hosting people at your house from Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, The youngest partner in Deloitte Consulting’s history and founder of the consulting company Ferrazzi Greenlight.

So what has this all to do with managing events, or being the most outstanding presenter you can be? Well the simple fact is that we love to save you money, and a good number of the tips included in this challenge are straight out of our play list. There is always something to be learned about getting value and making the most of your opportunities, and it really does not matter where the advice comes from. The important thing is the action you take when you learn each new lesson.

Click here to see Announcing the Save $1,000 in 30 Days Challenge

Ramit Sethi graduated from Stanford and co-founded PBwiki. He is the New York Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

If you want to check out I Will Teach You to Be Rich or Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time both are available from Amazon

Its first single is a cover of the Jagger/Richards song “Wild Horses.” which she sang on a special guest spot of the X Factor yesterday. The album also includes “You’ll See,” “I Dreamed a Dream,” and “Cry Me a River.”

I Dreamed a Dream Track List Wild Horses I Dreamed A Dream Cry Me A River How Great Thou Art You’ll See Daydream Believer Up To The Mountain Amazing Grace Who I Was Born To Be Proud The End Of The World Silent Night

Presentation skills are one of the most important skills you can hone to improve your performance and make difference to your results. These skills can benefit you in social settings, formal meetings such as the boardroom or on a public stage as a singer or stage misician. Whether you are talking to people to make them change their behavior in a supervisory setting or making a sales pitch to your customers, presentation skills are essential tools in your toolbox.

Good presenters are not necessarily born that way; the likelihood is that they have been well trained, and built up their skills over time. The simple truth is that the best presenters have had lots of practice presenting. If you want to improve your presentation skills then attending a Performance Training workshop will help you build up your skills.

We sometimes get asked about the benefits using a video camera to record presentations to aid practice. You can do this, but we advise caution, as a camera will not respond to you in the same way that a live audience will. Practice with a camera is of course essential if your chosen field will require a piece to camera. Otherwise practice to an audience, however small, and use a camera to record your performance for review later.

The top tips we give to presenters of all standards, in all jobs and vocations include the following advice:

• Enroll in a professional training course. The environment of like-minded individuals gives you a safe environment to practice and learn good presentation habits.
• Set Resource Anchors and fire them before you take the stage. This allows you to harness a peak emotional state, which you can invoke every time you present.
• Take every opportunity to speak to an audience, in or out of work. The more you use your presentation skills, the easier you will find it.
• Be hungry for feedback. Once you learn to take feedback it will help you to improve and grow as a presenter.

So what is your next step to becoming an incredible presenter? Contact Bruce Thompson Events now to make your Performance Difference

Wharfedale Pro Titan 12A 300W 12-inch active PA speaker
The Titan 12 Active features a state-of-the-art Class D low-frequency amplifier design. Class D amplifiers are known for their extended efficiency, low-heat dissipation and lightweight compared to other amplifier classifications. Class D technology allows for unparalleled audio quality in a lightweight, powered speaker system. High-frequency power is provided by a high-quality, low-distortion and highly efficient Class A/B amplifier.

The bottom of the Titan 12A provides a convenient, built-in polemount socket for easy mounting on a standard 35mm diameter speaker stand pole. An optional wall-mount bracket for installation is available.

The Titan 12A provides basic mixing functions with a variety of input options. Two inputs with separate level controls and a common equalisation section allow for overall balance and tonal characteristic control. Easy interfacing to external mixers and processors provide for easy expansion to larger, more sophisticated systems.

Wharfedale Pro Titan 12A 300W 12 inch active PA speaker (Black) 2-way, active bi-amplified speaker system. Custom 12-inch low-frequency driver and titanium high-frequency compression driver. State-of-the-art, high-efficiency switch mode power supply with a Class D low-frequency power amplifier and a Class A/B high-frequency amplifier. Low-frequency power (Class D) 250W RMS, 500W Peak. High-frequency power (Class A/B) 50W RMS, 100W Peak. Active signal limiting system with LED indicator on rear panel. Built-in 2-channel mixer

Ableton Live is a sequencer and looping program you can play like an instrument, in a live setting. That must be why it is called Ableton Live!. Once you master a few basic controls, you can literally plug a sound source such as a keyboard to your audio-in port and start recording.

There are two principle views in Live; Arrangement View and Session View. In Arrangement View, the clips run horizontally across the screen, with time running from left to right. Each Audio clip shows up like a mini voice trace, so you can pick out the loud and soft parts on the time line. In Session View the Clip slots are lined up vertically, a bit like the channels on a mixer. You switch between views by clicking on the Arrangement View Selector or Session View Selector up in the top left corner, or by using the Tab key.

The main things to note with Live is that once you have set up a track to record on, you have to arm it by clicking on the Arm Session Recording switch. This is a rectangular device with a black dot at the bottom of the clip slot in Session View, or to the right in Arrangement View. When it is armed it turns to red with a black dot.

Next you click on the Global Record button which is a square button with a black dot in the central group at the top of the screen. When Global recording is on, it turns to red with a black dot, and Live logs all of your actions into the Arrangement.

Finally, you click on the Play button, two buttons to the left of the Global Record button at the top of the screen, and recording will start. Everything going into your audio-in port will be recorded in the track untill you click on the square stop button between Global Record and Play. When you click Stop, the Global Record is automatically disarmed, so pressing Play again will play back the snippet you have just recorded, provided that the Track Activator (the little speaker icon) is green. You can also use the space bar to toggle between Play and Stop, which is really useful in a live situation.

If you are interested in Getting Started with Ableton Live, it has an excellent tutorial section built in; just click help on the top menu and select your lesson. There is also plenty of Live support on the Web. For an online tutorial, before you buy Live click here to visit Getting Started with Ableton Live.

Ableton Live 8 retails in the UK for under £300, with the technical details as follows:

• Multitrack recording up to 32-bit/192 kHz
• Nondestructive editing with unlimited undo
• Powerful and creative MIDI sequencing of software and hardware instruments
• Advanced warping and real-time time-stretching
• A comprehensive selection of built-in audio and MIDI effects

You can buy Ableton Live 8 through Amazon.

If you want to know our favourite Sound Reinforcement Monitor, that would be the Mackie SRM 450 V2. The SRM450v2 continues the SRM450’s tradition of studio monitor sound quality, and trumps it to deliver sound that makes any venue seem like a well-tuned studio.

The Mackie SRM450V2 SRM Version 2 is a 2-way bi-amplified portable active loudspeaker pa system, which surpasses the performance of the original SRM450 to deliver pure studio monitor sound at more powerful, full-on loudspeaker levels. The Mackie SRM450V2 delivers live sound that sounds like it should.

The best measure of the SRM 450v2 is the exceptional sound quality; You might match it, but you wont do better.
Linkwitz Riley crossovers divide driver and tweeter punching out accurate detail up to 127dB. The sound is crisp and bright without losing the roundess of the bass. Noise is low to the extent of being negligible, with an EQ option built in, but only the mildly insane would use it and trade the accuracy. Although usually found on a PA stand at the events we crew, the Mackie SRM450v2 also doubles up as a floor monitor.

Mackie SRM 450 V2 Including FREE Stand, Mackie Bag and Lead!! 2-way bi-amplified, optimized Active loudspeaker system High-output precision titanium compression driver Neodymium long-throw low frequency transducer with 3-inch voice coil Servo Feedback controlled woofer for tight low-end punch 300W class-D, Fast Recovery LF amp / 100W HF amp Ultra-wide, smooth dispersion via multi-cell horn aperture and HF waveguide Built-in phase-accurate 24dB Linkwitz-Riley electronic crossover Mackie Active Electronic time alignment, phase correction and EQ for studio quality sound Mic/line input and pass-thru connector Lightweight for ultimate portability (40lbs) Flyable, Pole Mountable, Floor Wedge-able Built-in 2-channel mixer

Community Cashback is a new scheme in England and Wales which gives local people a say in how £4million of recovered criminal assets (for example confiscated cash or property) should be spent in their communities.

If you are interested finding out about the Community Cashback scheme, you can suggest a project you would like to see happening in your area, or have your say on a project suggested by someone else in your community. To find out more go to the Community Cashback website and select your area from the list.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Rock Solid Project, and find out how it will help to divert people from crime, click on The Rock Solid Project.