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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /   General Chat  /  Anyone heard of, or used,  Ipitch.Tv?
Posted by: Scar Tissue Films, November 13th, 2017, 2:41pm
I just won a year's subscription to it in a festival, which is the first I heard of it.

It purports to be a place where you can pitch ideas to actual Tv/film executives.

https://ipitch.tv

Thought someone might have some experience of it to see if it's worth checking out.
Posted by: eldave1, November 13th, 2017, 3:08pm; Reply: 1
Looks like a little more robust version of Virtual Pitch Fest (which I think is relatively worthless). They want $40 a month.

But apparently you got a free one so I see little reason not to explore it. I got a free package from RoadMap writers as part of my PAGE placement award - I am going to use that. For free - why not test the tires - just would never pay anything.
Posted by: MarkRenshaw, November 16th, 2017, 2:59am; Reply: 2
Let us know how it turns out and has anyone tried Virtual Pitchfest. I heard from a few writers at that they've managed to get script requests from this but does it ever turn into options/deals?
Posted by: eldave1, November 16th, 2017, 10:21am; Reply: 3

Quoted from MarkRenshaw
Let us know how it turns out and has anyone tried Virtual Pitchfest. I heard from a few writers at that they've managed to get script requests from this but does it ever turn into options/deals?


That would be interesting to hear. Might change my mind if there are substantial success stories. My issues are:

The "guaranteed" response does not mean a guaranteed read.

The responses are pre-formed. There is simply a check list of pre-written responses ("not for us...." that the reader has to click. They are not even required to type anything.

I gave it a rest run - I bought 6 pitches and got word for word the identical response from all 6.

It is magical thinking to believe that for $10 pops a pitch that you are going to get anyone of any influence to read your script and get any one, regardless of influence, to read your entire script. It is essentially less then min wage.

The other problem with "success stories" is that there is no true way to test whether the service provided was the deciding factor.  All these services have banners/ads akin to "eldave options script by posting on (insert site or service here). But who knows - maybe eldave would have had exactly the same success by going directly to the company.

Anyway - I'll wait and see. But for now it is a no for me.
Posted by: MarkRenshaw, November 17th, 2017, 3:55am; Reply: 4

Quoted from eldave1


That would be interesting to hear. Might change my mind if there are substantial success stories. My issues are:

The "guaranteed" response does not mean a guaranteed read.

The responses are pre-formed. There is simply a check list of pre-written responses ("not for us...." that the reader has to click. They are not even required to type anything.

I gave it a rest run - I bought 6 pitches and got word for word the identical response from all 6.

It is magical thinking to believe that for $10 pops a pitch that you are going to get anyone of any influence to read your script and get any one, regardless of influence, to read your entire script. It is essentially less then min wage.

The other problem with "success stories" is that there is no true way to test whether the service provided was the deciding factor.  All these services have banners/ads akin to "eldave options script by posting on (insert site or service here). But who knows - maybe eldave would have had exactly the same success by going directly to the company.

Anyway - I'll wait and see. But for now it is a no for me.


Thanks, I may give it a test run like yourself but not spend a lot on it.

Posted by: DustinBowcot (Guest), November 17th, 2017, 4:27am; Reply: 5
If you're paying, then, in my opinion, all that is doing is providing somebody a business for a service that relies on hopes and dreams, and, as a result, people that are used to failure. It's never the business's fault, no matter how much they make, it's always the writer's... and, I suppose this is true in one respect. However, they are still selling snake oil and that's always been a polite way of saying scam.

We don't need these businesses at all. Film execs want to read your shit and they will read it for free. It's their job! You just need to be good. Have a quality product that you believe they can make money from. Target the people you want to contact and fire your idea at them in an email pitch, or whatever method you can find to get through to them. If you're paying $10 then it's likely just a bunch of bullshit.

As Dave said, an exec dealing in millions isn't going to be bothered about $10... or indeed, any amount of small change. It's not their job to read a bunch of shitty scripts at $10 a pop. It's their job to find great products they can sell. If you have that, then they want to hear from you. Even if you have to go through their agent it should never cost you more than an email or telephone call to contact them.
Posted by: Scar Tissue Films, November 17th, 2017, 1:49pm; Reply: 6
Yep. If you're really serious about doing it properly you've got to get in amongst the actual industry and get pitching professional products to the professionals. There is no other way. The actual industry is small, and you can spend your whole life playing around in the fake industry that surrounds it.

The problem with all these things is that they are "uncurated" ie there is no minimum, objective standard as it's open to anyone. So what happens is that even if the execs were initially willing to check things out, after they've watched a series of hopeless efforts, they'll just switch off and not return.
Posted by: eldave1, November 17th, 2017, 5:22pm; Reply: 7

Quoted from DustinBowcot
If you're paying, then, in my opinion, all that is doing is providing somebody a business for a service that relies on hopes and dreams, and, as a result, people that are used to failure. It's never the business's fault, no matter how much they make, it's always the writer's... and, I suppose this is true in one respect. However, they are still selling snake oil and that's always been a polite way of saying scam.

We don't need these businesses at all. Film execs want to read your shit and they will read it for free. It's their job! You just need to be good. Have a quality product that you believe they can make money from. Target the people you want to contact and fire your idea at them in an email pitch, or whatever method you can find to get through to them. If you're paying $10 then it's likely just a bunch of bullshit.

As Dave said, an exec dealing in millions isn't going to be bothered about $10... or indeed, any amount of small change. It's not their job to read a bunch of shitty scripts at $10 a pop. It's their job to find great products they can sell. If you have that, then they want to hear from you. Even if you have to go through their agent it should never cost you more than an email or telephone call to contact them.


Concur.

I have this wild dream that one day there will be a pitch/access service where you only pay if you sell your script.  e.g., we have lined up all these execs to pitch to. The service is free to the writer. However, should you sell your script we get xx% of the proceeds. Kind of like an agent. That way I know that our definition of successes are aligned and they have a real incentive to sell my script rather than selling me a service.

It'll never happen - but it sure would be ideal.

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