The Hollywood Pitching Bible: A Practical Guide to Pitching Movies and Television

by Douglas Eboch, Ken Aguado

Finally, a book that tells the truth about the art of pitching in Hollywood. “The Hollywood Pitching Bible: A Practical Guide to Pitching Movies and Television” breaks it down, step by step. From choosing the right idea, to selling it in the room, this book tells you how it’s done, in clear language, suitable for the beginner or the seasoned Hollywood professional.

With decades of combined experience working in Hollywood as buyer, seller and teacher, the authors have created the definitive book that will demystify the pitching process, supported by a reasoned, logical point of view and supported by numerous specific examples.

If you want to work in the Hollywood creative community, you must know how to pitch. This book will show you how to succeed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

118 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2013

About the author

Douglas J. Eboch’s first success in Hollywood was the kind every writer dreams of: his master's thesis at USC film school was a screenplay that became his first sale, attracted a major star, got a green light at a studio, and was made into the hit movie "Sweet Home Alabama." It set the record for biggest September opening ever and ended up grossing $128 million domestically.

Doug's children’s Christmas play "Sleepover at the Stables" has been performed by hundreds of schools, churches and children’s theaters nationwide.

Doug received the Carl Sautter Memorial Screenwriting Award for Best New Voice in Feature Films from Scriptwriters Network for his screenplay, "Overload." He has a BA in Film Production and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. Doug currently teaches screenwriting and pitching at Art Center College of Design and has lectured or taught seminars at USC, UCLA, Chapman University, LMU, Singapore’s MediaCorp, the Scriptwriters’ Network and many more. His popular blog on screenwriting, letsschmooze.blogspot.com, is rerun on the British website "You've Got Red on You" and has been translated into Russian by the Cinemotion Lab in Moscow.

Reviews

[Paul Margolis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the course of my career as a Hollywood writer/producer, I've read all the books on screenwriting. This is one of the very best. Its clear, smart, in-the-trenches wisdom about pitching should be required reading for anyone wanting to succeed in today's super-competitive film and TV business. If that's you, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

[Paula Landry]

This book is fantastic - highly recommended for anyone who needs to tell a story - filmmaker, entrepreneur, even marketing folks, because a gripping story is what will connect you to others. Love love it!!

[Christopher C. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly superb reference guide for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of pitching and how the studio system processes and digests ideas. A great schematic of how the factory of content operates.

A very solid reference guide!

Well done Mr. Eboch!

[Katharine Nohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not only for those who want to pitch to Hollywood. If you're a writer, the information about log lines, hooks and pitches will help you to write and market your book.

[Greg Machlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shockingly good and useful, and deserves to be better-known. It's worth buying and owning just for the logline section: it's the single best source of practical information on *how* to construct a good logline I've encountered, but also *why* you should build one in the way the authors describe. Far less "salesman-y" than SAVE THE CAT, and far more useful -- and I say that as someone who's a fan of several things about STC.

There are other standout sections that guide you through the different types of pitches and how to make them, as well as other guiding sections, but this belongs on every aspiring, emerging, semi-pro or pro dramatic writer's shelf next to ADVENTURES IN THE SCREEN TRADE, ON WRITING, and BIRD BY BIRD.

[Barrington Smith-Seetachitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm using this to teach a class. Revised in the last couple of years, it feel up-to-date and in line with my own pitching experience. Clearly and enjoyable written. The authors are encouraging and open about the business without promising any miracles if you do it their way.

[Lance J. LoRusso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, broad-based advice for everyone involved in the process.

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. There’s a ton of good stuff in here, but it’s a lot, and I do mean a lot, of advice to take into consideration.

To be honest, I read this book in order to get out of my head with this part of the job, but all it did was pull me deeper into my head by adding way more things I need to think about that I never even considered.

On top of that, it’s inconspicuously longer than it seems, and after a while, I was shocked that the authors still had a lot more to say. Didn’t do it for me, but that’s on me. If you’re new to this, this is definitely worth picking up.

[Amit Bolakani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book that can help you prepare a pitch. I'd read it along with Michael Hauge's book on the 60 second pitch.

[Jeevan Koneti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one. Worth reading to understand different styles of pitching for different cases - TV, Reality, Movies by genre etc.