Pitch Your Big Ideas with an iPad

By Biagio on January 27, 2010 in Tools with 13 Comments

Both cheering and booing masses are all-a-Twitter about the new iPad. Is it worth it? Who will use it? Will it really change our world?

I’d like to let you know how the iPad will make our Hollywood careers easier.

Pitching Big Ideas

Yesterday, Joke and I pitched a TV show to CBS.

It’s a big reality show. Easy to grasp hook.

It’s also chock full of twists and turns, bells and whistles–the kinds of things that can confuse executives who haven’t developed the show along side you for 3 months–especially in a 10 minute pitch.

So you need an easy-to-understand, clean presentation to help the room stay focused on the important parts of the show.

Enter Keynote

I’m a Mac guy, and our company runs on Apple products. Recently, we switched from Powerpoint to Keynote for pitch presentations. Keynote runs faster on my Mac than Powerpoint, presentations look more “Apple” like out of the box, and Keynote’s deadly simple to use.

In the room, I present the Keynote presentation to the executives, and both Joke and I narrate the pitch.

The Problem

You never know what room you’ll be in when pitching to an executive. Don’t know what the AV situation will be, or if you’ll be able to connect to a TV or projector. Most of the time, you can’t. So you must be prepared to pitch off of whatever device you’ve brought with you.

Yesterday, the room was tight.

At one point, I ended up kneeling on the floor pointing at my laptop. This was both uncomfortable and looked weird.

Still, given the circumstances, I wouldn’t have done anything different. The execs understood the show, asked the right questions, and were polite enough to giggle at my lame verbal sound fx.

Hello, iPad

Given the iPad’s size and the fact that it will run Keynote, this could be the solution I’ve been longing for. It seems big enough to pitch to 2 to 3 executives, while being small enough to handle.

Sure, it may take a bit of practice, but pitching a Keynote Presentation off a laptop you’re forced to place on your lap in a tiny room, as opposed to an iPad you can hold up easily…well, I’m all for the iPad.

Now, if I can just convince Joke to let my buy one…

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About Biagio: Biagio married way out of his league when he bamboozled Joke into saying "I do." Together he and his wife produce television, film, webisodes, and anything else that requires no sleep and a touch of crazy. Find Biagio on Twitter: @jokeandbiagio

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  • Nicholas Brandt

    That seems like a very practical post on why you specifically should own one.
    As an unbiased reader…

  • http://www.aegisstudios.com Travis Legge

    come on, Joke, it’s a business expense! Let the guy up the loot!

    All comparisons to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy aside, the iPad looks like an extremely useful tool, particularly for folks of our chosen profession. With the various iPhone apps already out there and the app development software available for anyone with the gumption to download it, not only can filmmakers find plenty of ready-made resources to assist on the preproduction front, but it also allows for creating custom home-brewed apps to address special needs on set. It seems like it could be quite the (comparatively) affordable multi-tool for the indie filmmaker.

    Now I need to buy one and make an app that changes the screen to display the words “Don’t Panic!”

    • Ross Pomeroy

      nice to see a hitchhiker’s guide fellow traveler! I actually found an ipad case with “don’t panic” on the front – check it out – http://www.mycaseconcepts.com

  • http://www.jokeandbiagio.com Biagio

    @Nicholas Very true. iPad will = useful for some, and not for others. For me, after waking up sore from tight positions in the pitch yesterday, and knowing I’ll be doing it about 8 more times in the next week, the iPad is pretty appealing.

    @Travis It does seem like it’s going to be easier to pitch with, that’s for sure. Thanks for the support!

  • http://kingisafink.com King is a Fink

    We agree that Keynote is wonderful, but even with the best tools, you still need to have excellent ideas and a winning personality.

    Joke&Biagio narration + verbal sound fx + Biagio kneeling on the floor = “we have no doubt you won them over” / “we wish we’d been there”

  • http://www.missionx.co.uk david

    I am not a gadget man unless I have solid practical uses for technology….I want an ipad! Agree, sometimes a laptop is still too big and awkward for presentations, pitches, and an iphone is too small. This is perfect!

    As a filmmaker, people say it will be so much better when we have the direct link from the computer to tv to get movies direct to our audience, with right marketing of course. But with devices like the ipad, I really see content in video being fully mobile now.

    I still think the iphone and other devices are just too small for movies, but the ipad is a decent size now. It has many other possibilities, but these two alone are enough for me to smash the piggy bank.

    Lastly, go on Joke, let Biagio have this new toy! Its really practical for your lives and all that. :0)

  • http://www.jokeandbiagio.com Biagio

    @King is a Fink: You are too kind, but make a valid point: technology, hardware, software, presentations—none of them are substitutes for for great ideas people can grasp.

    @David: Yes! Another vote in the convince Joke campaign :-) You, more than anyone, understand how the movie business is changing and evolving. Excitement about the iPad from people like you can fuel this device’s popularity.

  • Nicholas Brandt

    in case you missed it, John August’s post on the usefulness for screenwriters –
    http://johnaugust.com/archives/2010/how-screenwriters-will-use-the-ipad

  • Yaya *aka Laura

    Hey, Biagio. Thoroughly enjoyed your article on the iPad and how it can be such a great promotional (and fun) tool for you. Buzz and I can’t wait to get our hands on one . . . . . thought we might wait for the 2nd generation, but being fellow Apple junkies, we probably will touch it and HAVE to buy it . . . . we can’t just “look at puppies” without going home with one either!!!

    Laura

  • http://www.jokeandbiagio.com Biagio

    Nicholas: thanks! That actually inspired us to give things a go, and now we’ve got a post on a way to actually write screenplays on the iPad here:
    How to write a screenplay on the iPad.

    Yaya! Great to see you! I have to admit, any new gadget has kinks to work out, and the iPad is no exception. I’m sure 2nd gen will be even better…but hey, 1st gen’s pretty cool already. So flattered you stopped by the blog.

  • Nicofopolous

    btw — Nicholas Brandt and Nicofopolous are the SAME PERSON!
    =)

  • http://www.jokeandbiagio.com Biagio

    Hah! You’ll always be “Super Nick” to us.

  • http://aol bobzeez

    they should definatly put in a dvd player to make the video enjoyment better,
    just add a little more width and depth to the ipad and make a dvd player.