Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pitch workshop with Daniel Cross


DOC Toronto is hosting a pitch workshop tonight with one of the very best in the biz, Daniel Cross of EyeSteelFilm in Montreal. It will take place at the NFB Mediatheque at John and Richmond.

Cross is a highly experienced filmmaker and a pitching veteran. I have heard from those who have taken his workshops that they are very informative with lots of practical tips.

The session will be moderated by Charlotte Engel, who was for many years a commissioning editor on the receiving end of a great many pitches, before becoming a producer of her own work. She too is a very engaging speaker.

I am sometimes amazed by how under-valued and ignored pitching is by filmmakers, especially writers and directors. Filmmaking is a long, time-consuming process that requires people to sell their idea at every stage: development, pre-production, production, post-production, festivals, theatrical run, DVD sales and broadcast. An inability to bring colleagues and viewers on board at any stage can kill a film's prospects.

http://www.doctoronto.ca/events/pitch-workshop-daniel-cross

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Pitch Workshop with Daniel Cross

Event Date: Apr 25, 2012 | 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Festival Spring Training with a pro just in time for Hot Docs!

Using case study examples, veteran pitcher Daniel Cross (Up the YangtzeLast Train Home) will guide the audience through the key components of a successful pitch in the current documentary economy. Moderated by Charlotte Engel.

Find out if, what, how and when to pitch, and get answers to questions like: What is the difference between pitching one on one and to a group? What goes into an effective trailer? What if you need to change your pitch on a dime? Audience members will learn both standard and unorthodox networking strategies to use at festivals and markets, and will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions!

Event Information:


April 25, 2012 | 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
NFB Mediatheque
150 John Street (at Richmond St. West), Toronto

Ticket Information:


DOC Member and LIFT Member Tickets: $20.00
Non-Member Tickets: $30.00

Register Here!


Tickets are limited.
Light refreshments will be provided.

More about Daniel Cross: 



Daniel Cross is co-founder of EyeSteelFilm in Montreal, named by RealScreen Magazine as one of the top 100 non-fiction production companies in the world. He is also an Associate Professor at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Concordia University. He is a multi-disciplined, award-winning documentary filmmaker who has made his mark with films concerning the issues of homelessness in Canada. His feature length films, THE STREET: a film with the homeless and S.P.I.T: Squeegee Punks In Traffic received theatrical distribution and critical acclaim. He was the Executive Producer of the internationally acclaimed Up the YangtzeRiP: A Remix ManifestoInside Lara Roxx, as well as China Heavyweight, which will have its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs 2012. He was also producer on the Genie award winning film Last Train Home. Daniel has experience in TV broadcast, having directed and produced the Gemini nominated Too Colourful for the LeagueChairman George (CTV, BBC Storyville and TV2 Denmark) and Inuuvunga: I am Inuk I am Alive. Daniel is active in the film community having won a Trailblazer award at MIPDOC, Mentor of the Year from the CMPA and serves as board member of HOT DOCS, Documentary Organization of Canada, Quebec Chapter and The Concordia Documentary Centre.

More about Charlotte Engel:
Charlotte Engel worked as a broadcaster with CHUM, CTV and Bell Media for almost 10 years and has heard thousands of pitches. She has been privy to some of the best and worst pitches ever to be been uttered by filmmakers and producers from around the world. Engel is keen to point out some common mistakes made in pitching and ways of making your project stand out. Engel says "Broadcasters have elephant sized memories and trust me, you want to be remembered for a great pitch and not your breath." Now on the other side of the fence, Engel is putting her skills to the test and is pitching her own projects. Last Fall, she won the Green Pitch Award at Planet in Focus for her documentary "Carpe Diem: A Fishy Tale". This project is now in development with CBC's "The Nature of Things".

Questions? Please contact DOC Toronto Coordinator Adam Shamoon: adam@docorg.ca


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