Pitching for Theatre

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 sending it in.
  • 2nd Stage: Script review- The team reads, reviews and provides notes on the script and 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 
  • 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 run of the show.
    [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 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 treatment of your script that includes:
    • A working title.
    • Logline: a short sentence that summarises the premise.
    • Plot summary.
    • Key themes of the script.
    • Key Characters and their arcs.
  3. A mood board for the style of the play e.g a pinterest board.

Directors

  1. Any key pieces of set you would need.
  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 rehearsal schedule.
  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 show(e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  8. Size of your team.
  9. How long you would want the run to be.
  10. How long of a rehearsal schedule you would want.
  11. Any kind of tech you may want.

Unwritten script/story ideas – script 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:

  • 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. 
  • Third 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 script 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 where the story could go.
  4. Key Characters
  5. A mood board for the style of the film e.g a pinterest board.

Scripts out of copyright

Scripts 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 70 years since the original writers death and the copyright for the story has not been renewed.

Examples include:

  • Shakespeare
  • Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’

In order for  direction to be passed there must be a fully fledged concept that would make this production stand out from other performances of the same piece.

The different stages of pitching:

  • 1st Stage: Script submission-  Filling out the pitch form, attaching the 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 or decline the script.

If the script gets passed then the original pitcher is attached to the production as an executive producer. If the original pitcher is then chosen to direct the piece then they are no longer an executive producer of the piece and are solely the director.

  • 3rd Stage: Seeking the director – Our outreach team invites 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 writer, 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 director and will receive compensation off 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.

What will you need?

Pitchers

  1. The script 
  2. A copy of the script in a digital form.
  3. A mood board for the style of the play e.g a pinterest board.
  4. Your reasoning for wanting to pitch the show

Directors

  1. How your direction/production would stand out from other performances of the same piece.
  2. Any key pieces of set you would need.
  3. Visual style – has to have a mood board where we can see it i.e Pinterest.
  4. Sensitive content and how it will be performed – any sensitive content can pass as long as it is deemed necessary for the story.
  5. Planning of rehearsal schedule.
  6. How much money you need and where it would be allocated.
  7. Changes you might make to the script and why the changes are being made.
  8. How you intend to publicise the show(e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  9. Size of your team.
  10. How long you would want the run to be.
  11. How long of a rehearsal schedule you would want.
  12. Any kind of tech you may want.

Scripts in copyright

Scripts that are copyright protected and require performance rights in order to put the show on.

In order for  direction to be passed there must be a fully fledged concept that would make this production stand out from other performances of the same piece.

The different stages of pitching:

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

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 invites 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 writer, 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 director and will receive compensation off a profit share basis.

What will you need?

Pitchers

  1. The script .
  2. Your reasoning for wanting to pitch the show.
  3. A mood board for the style of the play e.g a pinterest board.
  4. How expensive performance rights are and where they can be purchased.

Directors

  1. How your direction/production would stand out from other performances of the same piece.
  2. Any key pieces of set you would need.
  3. Visual style – has to have a mood board where we can see it i.e Pinterest.
  4. Sensitive content and how it will be performed – any sensitive content can pass as long as it is deemed necessary for the story.
  5. Planning of rehearsal schedule.
  6. How much money you need and where it would be allocated.
  7. Changes you might make to the script and why the changes are being made.
  8. How you intend to publicise the show(e.g. thoughts on poster design too)
  9. Size of your team.
  10. How long you would want the run to be.
  11. How long of a rehearsal schedule you would want.
  12. Any kind of tech you may want.
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