Initial Ideas Pitch: Film Narrative Proposals
Having developed a pitch deck with three narrative proposals, we had the opportunity to present our work to one another, pitching our ideas and concepts for an animated short film representing the first significant project working together as a studio. An exercise in presentation and pitching was an essential first step in establishing a key theme for us to explore - with the act of presenting ideas is an area I hope to develop my skills. While I have undoubtedly become more confident with this throughout my time on the course, there is still much room to grow and evolve when pitching our ideas. With the fundamental understanding that the industry thrives on creatives pitching our work to clients to get hired, this was one reason for opting to pursue a formal and considered approach to these initial discussions.
For the presentation, we opted to make use of Microsoft Teams, an online platform that we had both become accustomed to after continuous use throughout the work-from-home situation. This platform allowed us to present our work to each other through 'screen sharing' in the video call and present and pitch our ideas seamlessly, with little technical difficulties. We were able to deliver considered and engaging pitches, each running over 40 minutes and allowing time for constructive criticism and key feedback. As this represented our first significant attempt at a formal presentation, we were both pleased with the work produced and felt our pitches were successful and engaging. We were both able to speak confidently with clarity, discussing the most exciting aspects of each idea, and where certain elements could be improved.
Fortunately, we quickly identified the most influential idea from our selection of concepts, 'Animalia Paradoxa' and 'Aztec,' respectively. Both projects would undoubtedly pose some compelling challenges, fun narrative potential, and world-building. One aspect of Animalia that I found inadequate was the lack of immediacy and action to the provided synopsis and the narrative as a whole. While slow-burn, quiet and character-based films are enjoyable, I recognized that we both want to pursue something more of an exciting action-adventure piece with mythological elements, allowing us to push our animation and design skills.
With this, we discussed how 'Aztec' would be the most engaging idea to pursue as a collaborative effort. The potential for world-building, narrative elements, and exploring the vast pantheon of gods and legendary creatures seemed to be an exciting place to start developing a film. However, I did have some obvious concerns and reservations with depicting stories of cultural and religious importance, which I will delve into further in a later blog post. Despite ultimately wanting to pursue 'Aztec', I recognize the strength and appeal of 'Animalia Paradoxa' as a concept. I feel there is something inherently compelling and exciting about recording cryptids, and it is something that I plan to return to at a later date, as a personal project.
We were able to receive an unbiased and objective perspective on each of our story ideas from this initial pitch meeting, taking each pitch at face value and evaluating the appeal, strength, and potential of each narrative proposal. Looking back at our work today, we both felt this was a successful presentation - with the work we produced being of high quality, and our actual pitches being considered mature and engaging presentations. Formal pitching isn't a process we have adequately pursued before, and I can recognize that this was a successful first attempt at pitching story ideas to one another. Our communication skills were clear and professional throughout, and I feel confident in working with Jack further on this project.
Having identified a core theme and subject area to pursue further with 'Aztec', I plan to discuss the potential of this story idea and begin initial research into ancient Mesoamerican culture and mythology, in preparation for developing a second pitch deck later down the line.