3 STEPS TO BETTER TREATMENTS
Here are my three biggest tips gathered from years of making decks, from record labels and musos to big brand ad agencies and corporations where creativity is always a risk:
USE YOUR WORDS
This is scary for some directors and creators. You’re worried about sounding professional, being cool, or original. But human connection drives all we do, in our industry and beyond. Use your own words, your own voice, and be fearless in your use. Lorenzo de Guia is a close friend and director, and his treatments always zing with his personality and sensibilities. Hearing his voice in your head, you feel what it's going to be like to work with him (it’s always fun). Use your words! They don't have to be perfect; they just have to be you! Just be ready to cut 70% of them once you lay them out in your deck.
GIVE IT TO ‘EM UPFRONT
Everyone wants to know what your vision for their baby is. Right after your introduction, the very first thing should be a nice, clean splash page that summarizes exactly what your angle on the project is. Make it as compelling, heartfelt, and snappy as you can — and find something that fits the look, feel, and tone of the piece to go with it.
THEY SHOULD THANK YOU!
Thanking people in your conclusion for spending time with your pitch always struck me as an odd practice. Directors — and any other creator asked to pitch, really — are visionaries and artists, with skills and insights built over years. Agencies are coming to you because you are going to make their work amazing. And you are going to tell them how you're going to do that FOR FREE. You are going to spend days on your vision, putting your years of passion and knowledge to work. Then you are going to present the best interpretation of the text: YOUR interpretation. There's no one else who can do that. And again, YOU'RE DOING IT FOR FREE. Instead of thanking them at the end, make it clear how amazing the work will be, how crucial your instincts are, and how far they're going to go with you and your team.
Just do it with kindness and good grace. No one likes a narcissist. x
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Agree? Disagree? Vehemently either way? Let me know!