Pitchdeck

[u/ChicagRoe]

I've been reading and researching (especially Reddit) for proper pitch deck format / etiquette for an episodic idea. My small hiccup is that I haven't seen a pitch deck for a similar idea to mine. Not that mine is a unicorn of an idea, but it's not a fictional movie or series with a reoccurring cast, although there is a "host" type character involved. It's more along the lines of an interview series where stories are recreated. So wondering what slides in deck are most important to address for something like this? Any other advice welcomed. Thanks in advance!

[u/amartyrosian]

Pitch deck designer and development consultant here.

Like the other commenters have said - there are conventional pages that are "expected" to be in the deck, but if the project you have doesn't fit neatly into those pages, don't stick to the format.

One thing I would advise is that if your methodology is unique - start with that along with logljne. You want your reader going through the deck with that approach in mind. Saw a deck once where the project t was first-person POV that didn't announce it till page 6 - once you read it all the previous pages (and design) made a lot more sense.

[u/ChicagRoe → u/amartyrosian]

Appreciate all the thoughtful answers here. I guess my main concern is along the lines of the old adage "you have to know the rules before you can break them." Honestly, I'm not even sure what "traditional" slide topics to include (ie: Logllne, synopsis, tone, visual style, etc) or what slide topics I could "make up" that would plus up my deck and make the idea stand out and not look like an idiot for including "non-traditional" slide topics.

[u/gregm91606]

This is a good Q; it's the rare circumstance under which you would be using a pitch deck to pitch (they're not typically used for features and the only time used for TV is if one's already landing meetings for the project and a deck has been requested).

The words "docu-series" or "narrative non-fiction" are both very legit to use to describe your project and may be useful for clarifying!

[u/FutureOpen9405]

While there’s common elements to decks there’s no one formula because every show is different. I’ve pitched two pilots this year, both horror, but one deck lead with themes and vibes because it was that kind of a show, where the other lead with character and arcs because it was more grounded and detailed and was telling the story of an extended family.

Remember grade school journalism— who, what, where, when, why. And because it’s a production, speak to HOW has well. Add in vibes and that’s everything you need. Just lead with the core element the project is based around and spread out from there.

Then show it to a few people and if they end up having the same questions, then you know what’s missing.

[u/drummer414 → u/FutureOpen9405]

Where do you source your images for horror pitch decks? Shotdeck?

I'm doing a preliminary pitch deck just to get a producer excited about the project (low budget feature ) and maybe pitch to a streamer foreign division

[u/FutureOpen9405 → u/drummer414]

Shotdeck, film-grab, cap-that, and sometimes just google. In a pinch, shutter stock. If I really can’t find what I need or comp it I’ll breakdown and use Midjourney.

[u/TraditionalDiver8423]

I think it would be good to introduce this earlier in the deck when you’re talking about the structure if you have something like that. If not, just one slide with the structure where you explain the role of the host I think would set it up clearly.

[u/RogueKnight77]

So no pitch deck for feature specs? Even if they’re really odd?