Pitching for Film

Original scripts

Scripts that you have written yourself.

The different stages of pitching:

  • 1st Stage: Script submission-  Filling out the pitch form, attaching your script and film treatment and sending it in.
  • 2nd Stage: Script review- The original/creative writing team reads, reviews, and provides notes on the script. The co-founders decide whether to: go ahead with the script, ask for alterations or decline the script. 
  • 3rd Stage: Meeting with writer – The co-founders will meet with the writer in order to discuss the script and intellectual property rights 
  • 4th Stage: Seeking the Director – Our outreach team invite appropriate directors (including the original writer if they would like to) to pitch their creative interpretation of the script (this is also open to company members and the writer themselves)
  • 5th Stage: Directorial Interpretation Presentations (DIP) – Invited directors can independently pitch an interpretation of the given script, all company members are present for these (as is the writer, even if they are not doing a DIP)
  • 6th Stage: Individual Meetings: Invited directors will have independent meetings with relevant company members in order for them to question the director’s interpretation, develop ideas and see if the given interpretation is feasible (e.g. a meeting with the secretary in order to figure out a potential rehearsal schedule and filming dates)
    [The 6th stage can be a MINIMUM of 1 meeting with relevant company members and a MAXIMUM of 2 meetings with relevant company members at their agreement]
  • 7th Stage: Director Deliberation – The founders and company members will meet to discuss each directorial interpretation.
  • 8th Stage: Conclusion – Co-founders choose the director of the script. They meet with the chosen director and make any final changes that might need to be made and any restrictions that are deemed necessary. If the director agrees to the stipulations then pre-production is started.

The company shall expend funds to the writer in order to compensate them for their contributions and time on a profit share basis.
N.B. If the original writer is not selected as the director, they are offered a role on the production team.

[Only in the case of discord between co-founders in the 2nd or 8th stage does the 9th stage occur]

  • 9th Stage: Committee Deliberation – In case of discord between the co-founders, the wider company committee is called to a larger meeting. This discourse could arise in either the 2nd or 8th stage of the pitching process.
    • In the script reviewal stage (2nd) a vote will take place between committee and the co-founders to pass, reject or ask for alterations of the script.Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to pass the script.
    • In the 8th stage the committee will vote to choose a director or to seek a new applicant. Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to choose the director.

What will you need?

Writers

  1. A copy of your finalised script in a digital form.
  2. A film treatment of your script that includes:
    1. A working title.
    2. Logline: a short sentence that summarises the premise.
    3. Plot summary.
    4. Key themes of the script.
    5. Key Characters and their arcs.
  3. A mood board for the style of the film e.g a pinterest board.

Directors

  1. Where you would like to film it/key areas you will need e.g a beach.
  2. Visual style – has to have a mood board where we can see it i.e Pinterest.
  3. Sensitive content and how it will be performed – any sensitive content can pass as long as it is deemed necessary for the story.
  4. Planning of filming dates and how long it will take.
  5. How much money you need and where it would be allocated.
  6. Changes you might make to the script and why the changes are being made.
  7. How you intend to publicise the film (e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  8. How big your crew will be.
  9. Where you want the film to go (film festivals, streaming)
  10. Any specialists in crew (i.e VFX)

Unwritten script/narrative ideas – film treatments

Script ideas that have not been turned into scripts. This form of pitching allows for writers to either get aid on the development of their idea or for UnderGlass to commission a writer to write the script for them. 

This form of pitching is not the facilitation of a production of the script but is instead to give creators the help that they may need to get their script to a stage where it can be made.

 If an unwritten script/story idea is taken on by UnderGlass Productions it will be taken automatically to the third stage of pitches laid out above, after the script’s completion.

The different stages of pitching:

The different stages of pitching:

  • 1st stage: Idea submission – Fill out the pitch form and attach the film treatment with your rough plan for the script/story idea. Whilst it may not be a fully fledged idea as of yet, you should have enough of an idea for the creative writing team and the co-founders to get a rough understanding of the idea.
  • 2nd Stage: Idea review – the creative writing team and co-founders review and provide notes on the idea with the co-founders deciding whether to develop the idea further with the original creator or not. 
  • 3rd Stage: Meeting with original creator – the co-founders and original writing team meet with the original idea creator and discuss the idea further, asking them what they would like to do with the idea i.e aid writing the script or UnderGlass commissioning a writer to do it.

What will you need?

A film treatment that includes but is not limited to the following:

  1. A working title.
  2. Logline: a short sentence that summarises the premise
  3. Plot summary: Does not have to be finalised but will give us a better idea of the story.
  4. Key Characters
  5. A mood board for the style of the film e.g a pinterest board.

Adapted scripts/stories out of copyright

Stories and narratives that are out of copyright and in the public domain. This means that the original writers have expressly said that the stories are in the public domain OR it has been at least 100  years since the original writers death and the copyright for the story has not been renewed.

Ideas/scripts we accept:

  • Scripts from public domain plays that you want to turn into a film.
    • Must have been turned into film script form!
  • Books in the public domain that have been turned into a film script.

The different stages of pitching:

  • 1st Stage: Script submission-  Filling out the pitch form, attaching your adapted script and sending it in.
  • 2nd Stage: Script review- The team reads and reviews the scripts with the co-founders deciding whether to go ahead with the script, ask for alterations or decline the script.

For scripts from public domain plays that you want to turn into a film:

If the script gets passed then the original pitcher is attached to the production as an executive producer.

  • 3rd Stage: Seeking the director – Our outreach team invite appropriate directors (including the original pitcher if they would like to) to pitch their creative interpretation of the script.
  • 4th Stage: Directorial Interpretation Presentations (DIP) – Invited directors can independently pitch an interpretation of the given script, all company members are present for these (as is the adaptor, even if they are not doing a directorial interpretation presentation)
  • 5th Stage: Individual Meetings: Invited directors will have independent meetings with relevant company members in order for them to question the directors interpretation, develop ideas and see if they are feasible. For example, a meeting with the secretary to figure out a potential rehearsal schedule and filming dates.
    [The 5th stage can be a MINIMUM of 1 meeting with relevant company members and a MAXIMUM of 2 meetings with relevant company members at their agreement.]
  • 6th Stage: Director Deliberation – The founders and company members will meet to discuss each directorial interpretation.
  • 7th Stage: Conclusion – Co-founders choose the director of the script. They meet with the chosen director and make any final changes that might need to be made and any restrictions that are deemed necessary. If the director agrees to the stipulations then pre-production is started.

If the original pitcher is not selected for the director position they are still kept on the production team as an executive producer and will receive compensation on a profit share basis.

[Only in the case of discord between co-founders in the 2nd or 7th stage does the 8th stage occur.]

  • 8th Stage: Committee Deliberation – In case of discord between the co-founders, the wider committee is called to a larger meeting. This discourse could arise in either the 2nd or 7th stage of the pitching process.
    • In the script reviewal stage (2nd) the committee will vote to pass, reject or ask for alterations of the script. Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to pass the script.
    • In the 7th stage the committee will vote to choose a director or to seek a new applicant. Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to choose the director.

For books in the public domain that have been turned into a film script:

If the adapted script is passed then the writer is attached to production automatically as a writer.

  • 3rd Stage: Meeting with writer – The Co-founders will meet with the writer in order to discuss the script and intellectual property rights 
  • 4rd Stage: Seeking the Director – Our outreach team invite appropriate directors (including the original writer if they would like to) to pitch their creative interpretation of the script (this is also open to company members and the writer themselves)
  • 5th Stage: Directorial Interpretation Presentations (DIP) – Invited directors can independently pitch an interpretation of the given script, all company members are present for these (as is the writer, even if they are not doing a directorial interpretation presentation)
  • 6th Stage: Individual Meetings: Invited directors will have independent meetings with relevant company members in order for them to question the directors interpretation, develop ideas and see if they are feasible. For example, a meeting with the secretary to figure out a potential rehearsal schedule and filming dates.
    [The 6th stage can be a MINIMUM of 1 meeting with relevant company members and a MAXIMUM of 2 meetings with relevant company members at their agreement.]
  • 7th Stage: Director Deliberation – The founders and company members will meet to discuss each directorial interpretation.
  • 8th Stage: Conclusion – Co-founders choose the director of the script. They meet with the chosen director and make any final changes that might need to be made and any restrictions that are deemed necessary. If the director agrees to the stipulations then pre-production is started.

If the original writer is not selected for the director position they are still kept on the production team and receive compensation off a profit share basis whilst also being able to work on the project in a different role.

Only in the case of discord between co-founders in the 2nd or 8th stage does the 9th stage occur.

  • 9th Stage: Committee Deliberation – In case of discord between the co-founders, the wider committee is called to a larger meeting. This discourse could arise in either the 2nd or 8th stage of the pitching process.
    • In the script reviewal stage (2nd) the committee will vote to pass, reject or ask for alterations of the script. Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to pass the script.
    • In the 7th stage the committee will vote to choose a director or to seek a new applicant. Between the one collective committee vote and one vote for each of the co-founders, there needs to be a 2/3 majority to choose the director.

What will you need?

Script to film adaptations:

Writers

  • Proof that the script is out of copyright.
  • The original theatre script.
  • Adapted film script in digital form.
  • The film treatment:
  • A working title.
  • Logline: a short sentence that summarises the premise.
  • Plot summary: Does not have to be finalised but will give us a better idea of where the story could go.
  • Key Characters.
  • A mood board for the style of the film e.g a pinterest board.

Directors

  1. Where you would like to film it/key areas you will need e.g a beach.
  2. Visual style – has to have a mood board where we can see it i.e Pinterest.
  3. Sensitive content and how it will be performed – any sensitive content can pass as long as it is deemed necessary for the story.
  4. Planning of filming dates and how long it will take.
  5. How much money you need and where it would be allocated.
  6. Changes you might make to the script and why the changes are being made.
  7. How you intend to publicise the film (e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  8. How big your crew will be.
  9. Where you want the film to go (film festivals, streaming)
  10. Any specialists in crew (i.e VFX)

Book to film adaptations:

Writers

  • Proof that the book is out of copyright.
  • The original book.
  • Your adapted script in film format
  • The film treatment
    • A working title.
    • Logline: a short sentence that summarises the premise
    • Plot summary: Does not have to be finalised but will give us a better idea of where the story could go.
    • Key Characters
    • A mood board for the style of the film e.g a pinterest board.

Directors

  1. Where you would like to film it/key areas you will need e.g a beach..
  2. Visual style – has to have a mood board where we can see it i.e Pinterest.
  3. Sensitive content and how it will be performed – any sensitive content can pass as long as it is deemed necessary for the story.
  4. Planning of filming dates and how long it will take.
  5. How much money you need and where it would be allocated.
  6. Changes you might make to the script and why the changes are being made.
  7. How you intend to publicise the film (e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  8. How big your crew will be.
  9. Where you want the film to go (film festivals, streaming)
  10. Any specialists in crew (i.e VFX)
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