The X-Factor To Film & TV Pitch Decks

A pitch deck is your first impression for your film or TV idea.

It's the most important creative material to master.

Pitching for a film festival will differ from the traditional TV route.

Pitching for a commercial will differ from a documentary. 

But the x-factor remains the same: knowing your why including marketability and viability only strengthens your pitch.

Your marketability is the potential appeal of your project such as the cast, genre, story, and target audience.

Your viability is the potential of your project to create profit and succeed in the marketplace.

It can also determine how well it can attract viewers.

There's levels to this. 

The X-Factor That Sells Shows

The "Why Now" Factor

The purpose of the "why now" factor is to highlight how your story connects with current trends, addresses popular themes, or appeals to specific demographics. 

Here's a real-life "why now" example from my show Surf Girls: Hawai'i on Prime Video:

- I created the concept for Surf Girls in 2019/2020

- At the time, the professional surfing tour was one of the only U.S. sports leagues with equal pay for men and women

- Surfing made its Olympic debut in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan

- A Native Hawaiian female athlete named Carissa Moore won Gold

- Surfing would go on to be included in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France

I also knew that streaming platforms were looking for women's sports concepts, with an emphasis on Gen-Z.

At the time, there were 2 other surfing related TV shows on Apple TV and ABC, but neither of them fit the above criteria. 

So I identified the gap, and developed my idea within those parameters:

- My entire cast was female, Gen-Z

- My cast consisted of the top surfing talent coming out of Hawai'i, with a few training under Olympic Gold Medalist Carissa Moore

- Each athlete had aspirations to become the next World Champion or Olympian

- Each athlete had personal and professional stakes that were relatable beyond the sport (i.e. coming of age, navigating life, pressures of being a pro athlete, mental health, etc.) 

Now it's your turn.

Action item:

Write down 3-5 relevant themes from your film or TV idea.

Research how those topics relate to the current state of the world. 

Gather the most persuadable arguments supporting your idea.

This is the start of your own "why now" page.

Summary

The x-factor that sells TV shows is your "why now" and identifying it can increase your chances of selling any film idea.