The reading room.
Practical reading on film, television, advertising and business pitches.
1,000 articles · Four ways into the work.
1,000 articles · Page 2 of 42
What Goes in a TV Pitch Deck?
A TV Premise Is Not a Series Engine: Show Where the Episodes Come From
Pitch an Observational Series Without Inventing What People Will Do
Why Is This a Limited Series Rather Than a Feature Film?
How to Write a TV Season Arc for a Pitch
Pitch a Comedy Through the Situation That Keeps Making Trouble
How to Explain a Competition or Game Show’s Rules in a Pitch
What Is a TV Format Bible—and How Is It Different From a Pitch Deck?
What Artwork Does an Animated-Series Pitch Actually Need?
Rehearse a TV Pitch as a Conversation, Not a Recital
Brief, Script, Treatment, Storyboard: Which Decision Does Each Carry?
How to Read a Commercial Brief and Script Before Writing the Treatment
Build a Commercial Around the Viewer’s First Misunderstanding
How to Study a Commercial Treatment When You Cannot See the Finished Film
Find the Directorial Idea That Holds a Commercial Treatment Together
Read an Agency Storyboard as a Proposed Sequence, Not a Set of Pictures
When the Commercial Changes the Shape of Its Frame
Brand Film, Product Ad, or Branded Entertainment: Which Proposal Are You Writing?
Build a Testimonial Commercial Around an Experience, Not a String of Praise
Pitch a Commercial the Viewer Is Allowed to Skip
End the Commercial at a Real Next Step, Not a Fictional Button
Your First Commercial Pitch: Who Does What, and What Happens When?
Pitch a Commercial for a Real Place Without Inventing the Visit
How to Read a Two-Column Commercial Script